It was July 4th, 2016. Exactly 240 years after our country gained independence as a nation, we gained independence from bland gluten-free appetizers! The best part? You can be inDIPendent too!

The morning of last year’s annual Fourth of July party, we were determined to whip up a fabulous gluten-free appetizer. Tired of the usual veggies and ranch app, we decided to create our own dip from scratch. After some experimentation (and lots of cheese), the perfect dip was born. It was so delicious that no one at the party even noticed that the entire appetizer was gluten free!

In the spirit of InDIPendence Day, here’s the recipe to the original, patriotic gluten-free dip:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz sour cream
• 2 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Dash “Louisiana” Brand Hot Sauce
• ½ teaspoon chili pepper
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• Cracked black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until blended. Keep refrigerated (can be made ahead). To embrace a red, white, and blue theme: garnish with red pepper and serve with blue corn tortilla chips.

Check out our other all-time favorite GF dip recipes below!

Blueberry, Strawberry & Jicama Salsa: Two Peas & Their Pod

Creamy Dill Cucumber Yogurt Dip: Cupcakes & Kale Chip

Simple Avocado Dip: SweetAsHoney

Seven Layer Bean Dip: Veggie Balance

BLT Dip: Joy Filled Eats

Lemon Whip Fruit Dip: Iowa Girl Eats

Remember to double check all your ingredient labels before hitting the kitchen!