Things to Make a Dip Thicker

A versatile appetizer and snack, dip runs the gamut from indulgent and creamy, to chunky and veggie-packed. A runny, thin dip is annoying and makes a sorry complement to any cracker. Thickening your dip isn't difficult, but it does require an understanding of the ingredients in the dip. The number of ingredients in a dip recipe offers flexibility to adjust portions and thicken your dip.

Add more of the dip's primary vegetable. Thicken a spinach dip with more spinach and a salsa with more chopped tomatoes. Increasing the vegetable content is a nutritious way to make your dip extra thick.

Add a tablespoon or two of plain Greek yoghurt to thicken a creamy dip. The naturally heavy, creamy texture of Greek yoghurt makes it a healthy alternative to sour cream or mayonnaise. Obviously, not every creamy dip blends well with the tartness of Greek yoghurt, so use sour cream or mayo as an alternative.

Cut the amount of liquid in half for dip recipes that call for water, milk or some other liquid. Substitute a small amount of cottage cheese for milk to maintain the creamy flavour. You can always add more liquid later if the dip is too thick or pasty.

Mix the dip by hand using a fork instead of a food processor. Food processors liquefy water-heavy vegetables, such as tomatoes or onions, leaving the dip thin and runny. Gently mix, don't mash, your diced ingredients to make the dip thick and chunky.

Thicken a cheese dip by adding more cheese. Cut your cheese into small cubes and slowly blend in small amounts until you're satisfied with the consistency. Adding large quantities of cheese cubes at once can turn your dip into a solid spread. Thickening is easy, thinning is more difficult.