The Top 7 Store-Bought Dips You Should Splurge On And 7 To Avoid

Buying foie gras mousse premade should be a no-brainer unless you have reliable access to fatty duck liver. There is no substitute for this rare delicacy of an ingredient, so this specialty food is best left to the experts. This also applies to other types of meat pâtés, which are typically just as time-consuming to make even if they aren't made with uncommon organ meats.

If you happen to find a premade serving of foie gras at the store, you could theoretically assemble this dip at home more easily by whipping some cream and seasonings into the premade foie gras. However, foie gras is neither a kitchen staple nor shelf-stable, so it is unlikely that you would have some on hand without planning ahead. Additionally, foie gras mousse must be set in the fridge overnight to achieve that perfect texture.

Unless you are passionately interested in making this dish yourself, it is best to keep foie gras mousse a splurge purchase. Plus, to make it yourself is to deny the very luxury it was designed to evoke.

As simple as nacho cheese may seem, it is a deceptively complicated topping. There are a number of common pitfalls one can make when attempting to concoct DIY nacho cheese, and the result will probably end up pricier than the premade stuff. One of the main issues is that quality nacho cheese requires a specialty ingredient: sodium citrate. This ingredient is crucial to achieving the velvety and emulsified consistency that makes nacho cheese perfect for drizzling. And unless you make nachos every week, it's also something that will eventually collect dust in your pantry.

Granted, there are other methods of making nacho cheese that don't require specialty ingredients, but they are rarely better than the stuff that comes in a jar. Preparing alternative nacho cheese hacks online could be fun on a special occasion, but if you're just looking to entertain a crowd with some snacks, nobody will balk at store-bought cheese sauce.

Although baba ghanoush is similar to hummus in texture and flavor, it takes significantly longer to make and, therefore, is something you're usually better off buying premade. That's because the irreplaceable base of this delicious dip is roasted eggplant, and it takes about an hour in the oven for this vegetable to get tender enough to blend. To further complicate things, eggplant doesn't have the best seasonal availability in the U.S., so you may be hard-pressed to find some fresh depending on the time of year.

This is not to say that baba ghanoush is impossible to make at home, though. In fact, we have a fairly simple yet delicious recipe worth trying if you have the time. However, this is not a dip you can quickly whip up for a frantic snack session. The convenience of store-bought baba ghanoush is the practical choice for those looking to savor this delectable dip without the kitchen commitment.

Although French onion dip requires relatively few ingredients to assemble, it is quite time-consuming to prepare. That's because it can take up to an hour to properly caramelize onions, and caramelized onions are a non-negotiable ingredient for any French onion dip. Though you'll find a number of kitchen hacks online to accelerate the process, we've tried them all, and nothing matches the rich and sweet flavor of proper caramelization. So it's probably a better use of your time and money to just buy premade French onion dip.

However, that's not to say you should never bother caramelizing onions at home. If you plan ahead by making a big batch of caramelized onions ahead of time, you can cut the preparation of this dip back down to a reasonable five minutes. You should also have no trouble finding new uses for your leftover caramelized onions. They are an excellent topping for pizza, burgers, pasta, and even other spreads like hummus and jam.

Seven-layer dip is a fairly enigmatic piece of Tex-Mex culture, whose origins are largely unknown beyond its debut appearance in a 1981 issue of Family Circle magazine. This recipe was unlikely to be created before the mid-20th century, though, as this dip would be a nightmare to prepare without modern conveniences like refrigerators and microwaves. Without even getting into the ingredients list, it should be apparent from the name alone that seven-layer dip is something you should buy premade 99% of the time. It is excessively personified, and the end result isn't that much better than just preparing a humble bowl of guacamole.

It's hard to say exactly which ingredients you will need to buy if you choose to take on the Herculean task of preparing this dip at home. Rest assured, there are at least seven ingredients in most recipes. But there is absolutely no standardization of what each layer should be, nor what order you should place them in. Looking at seven popular online recipes, none agree upon a standard set of ingredients or a proper order to layer them (via Mel Magazine). If you still feel like trying to make a seven-layer dip at home after reading that, then good luck to you. At our next Super Bowl party, we'll be saving time, money, and mental fortitude by buying a premade seven-layer dip.

Aioli is a somewhat misunderstood dip. According to many food bloggers, all you need to make aioli is a mix of mayo, garlic, lemon, and Dijon mustard. In reality, a traditional aioli is more involved. If you follow Ting Dalton's traditional aioli recipe, you'll have to incorporate a few more kitchen skills than just tossing ingredients into a food processor. At the very least, you'll need to know how to separate egg yolks and create an emulsification without letting said egg yolks split. While this is far from the most complicated preparation for a dip, it can still be intimidating enough to make buying premade aioli an attractive alternative — at least for more novice chefs.

If you haven't done much emulsification before, you may want to get some practice under your belt before serving a dip like aioli to your house guests. Once you consistently get the right texture without the sauce breaking, you can save some money by making your own aioli at home. But until then, store-bought aioli means less stress and less time in the kitchen.

Tapenade may not be the worst culprit on this list regarding complicated preparation methods or ingredient lists, but it has more specialty ingredients than the average dip. That means home cooks who could go either way on homemade versus store-bought will tend to favor buying this dip premade. An authentic tapenade recipe typically includes ingredients like olives, capers, and anchovy fillets, all of which are less common in U.S. households. So, if you don't typically cook with these ingredients, you may end up saving valuable fridge space by purchasing a jarred tapenade for your next snacking session.

Setting aside these less common ingredients, though, tapenade is relatively easy to make. If you use a simplified recipe like Kristin Carli's tapenade, it is much more likely that you could quickly prepare this dip using the ingredients you have on hand. This version replaces the anchovy fillets and capers with horseradish mustard, thyme, and oregano, all of which are shelf-stable and inexpensive.

Ultimately, going for store-bought or homemade tapenade will come down to individual preference for the type of ingredients you like to buy. If you stay regularly stocked up with Mediterranean-style ingredients like capers and tinned anchovies, or if you don't mind a stripped-down tapenade recipe, then, by all means, make this one at home. Otherwise, feel free to splurge on a fancy premade mix.

Caviar dip isn't particularly difficult to make, but when you spend a lot of money on a premium ingredient like sturgeon roe, the last thing you want to do is completely smother its subtle flavor profile with way too much cream cheese. Since bringing out the best qualities of fish roe requires a delicate culinary touch, you are better off buying a premade caviar dip unless you are experienced in working with this ingredient.

Unfortunately, the hard part will be finding this luxurious dip in a regular grocery store. You will probably have to resort to a specialty grocery store to find any type of caviar product, so you shouldn't pass up either option if you're truly craving caviar dip. If all you can find at the store is tinned caviar, then by all means, give it a shot and do your best to go light on the creamy ingredients. If you are worried about messing up the flavor, try your hand with a more affordable type of roe, such as salmon or trout. If you balance the flavors right, it will be almost as good as the top-shelf stuff.