This Easy 2-Ingredient Fruit Dip You Need At Your Next Potluck

Fresh fruit is lovely, but it starts to look a little plain next to the towers of cupcakes and piles of homemade brownies that often end up on the potluck dessert table. Give fruit the limelight it deserves by pairing it with a luscious dip — you don't even have to put in much effort. The combination of store-bought marshmallow cream and plain old cream cheese transforms into an accompaniment that is tangy, sweet, and fluffy, making the obligatory fruit plate shine.

All you need for this 2-ingredient goodness is a block of cream cheese and a plain jar of marshmallow cream (also called marshmallow fluff) — a seven ounce tub works well. This is a good starting point, but you can easily scale this recipe up for large groups. If you cannot find any marshmallow cream at the store, you can easily make fluff out of marshmallows with the addition of corn syrup.

Take the time to properly soften the cream cheese in advance, so that it combines more easily with the fluff. Put both ingredients in a bowl and whip them together with an electric hand beater, which makes the texture light and fluffy. The whisk attachment on a stand mixer also works here. If you can't be bothered with an appliance, just whisk the dip by hand, keeping in mind that it will be just as delicious, but not quite as airy. And you better believe you can customize this stuff to your heart's content.

This sweet and creamy fruit dip is so good on its own, you may not want to add a thing. However, it also acts as a neutral base for all sorts of fun additions. Keep it simple with a few drops of vanilla, almond, coconut, or orange extract, or add a little freshly-grated citrus for zip and depth, without the extra liquid that the juice would introduce. Lime zest is a particularly delicious pairing with tropical fruit like pineapple and mangoes.

Add in a spoonful of cocoa powder for a chocolatey version, a bit of instant espresso powder for a grown-up take, or some creamy peanut butter for a dip that tastes like the inside of a peanut butter cup. A little bit of pumpkin puree and dashes of some warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice is perfect for an autumnal occasion — serve with figs, apples, and other fall fruits. You can even stir in some chopped nuts, crushed-up Oreo cookies, or miniature chocolate chips for a tasty textural element that's a hit with kids.

For the best fruit-and-dip plate, stick to fruits that can sit out without browning. Cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, pineapple, and watermelon are all great choices. For smaller, awkwardly-shaped fruits like grapes, blueberries, and blackberries, skewer a few onto toothpicks or skewers ahead of time for easy dipping. Sweet-tart sliced apples are also really nice — just make sure to choose apple varieties that brown the slowest after slicing, and give them a quick saltwater soak beforehand for good measure. 

In addition to fresh fruits, sandwich cookies, pretzels, or wafers are all nice accompaniments as well. You can even use this dip to make yummy fruit parfaits. Layer the dip, your fruits of choice, and some crushed graham crackers for a cheesecake-type vibe. This dish is perfect when prepared in individual cups for easy serving, or layered in a glass trifle bowl so you can appreciate all the pretty layers.

If you have any leftovers (doubtful), you can totally stash this dip in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for about a month. Either way, let the dip come up to room temperature before serving, and whisk it up again so it gets nice and fluffy.