Savoury or spicy, hot or cold, who can resist a dip? Whether you're hosting a crowd for the big game or want an easy starter for a dinner party, a great dip hits the spot every time. They're so simple to make and many of ours have just a handful of ingredients. From classics like queso to new ideas, here are 28 recipes that'll be better than store-bought.

Everyone loves hummus and given that it takes all of five minutes to whizz up, there's no need to buy it. The simple combination of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil and lemon works every time. Serve with tortilla chips or even better, sliced pitta bread. Cut the pitta into triangles or wedges, brush with olive oil then bake in a hot oven until crisp.

Get the recipe for homemade hummus here

Always make more guacamole than you think you'll need – once everyone starts dipping in, they just keep going. Although most recipes use fresh chilli, we've found it works really well with Tabasco if you don't have any chillies. The lime zest and juice help prevent discolouring but cover the surface with clingfilm too, if you're making ahead.

Get the recipe for guacamole here

Often used as a salad dressing, homemade thousand island makes a great dip too. Mix mayonnaise with ketchup, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, chilli sauce, paprika and seasoning. Add some mashed boiled eggs, chopped onion, red pepper and gherkins. Season it well. Give it an extra kick with some chilli sauce.

This dip is simple to make, although you need a little time to properly caramelise the onions. Once they're cooked, add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar. Allow to cool. In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese and sour cream until you have a thick-ish consistency. Stir in the caramelised onions. Season well and serve with pretzel thins or crackers.

Blue cheese mixed with mayo, sour cream, lemon and garlic is the go-to accompaniment to buffalo chicken wings. But it's also great with a selection of crudités and crackers. Try to find a soft, creamy blue cheese such as gorgonzola.

Get the recipe for blue cheese dip here

A Tex-Mex favourite, queso is a spicy hot cheese dip which requires a little cooking but it's minimal effort. Melt 225g (8oz) grated strong Cheddar cheese (we like a mixture of smoked and unsmoked cheese) with a can of evaporated milk and 1tbsp cornstarch. Stir in 110g (4oz) cream cheese until melted. Add two chopped green chillies, a squeeze of lime juice and chopped fresh coriander, and top with tomato salsa.

Also known as aubergine caviar, this is a Middle Eastern classic made from aubergines, tahini, garlic, yogurt and lemon. Although traditional recipes say to char the aubergines over an open flame, you can pierce them and put into a very hot oven until they are blackened instead. You'll peel off the outer skin and only use the flesh. Serve with flatbreads or toasted pitta.

Get the recipe for baba ghanoush here

You may think of ranch as a dressing for salad but it makes a great dip for vegetable crudités. First, mix together equal quantities of mayo and sour cream. Then add just a little minced garlic and onion, chopped fresh herbs of your choice (parsley, chives and mint work well) and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

It's just a fact that store-bought tomato salsa never tastes as good as homemade. Ready-made salsas are often too soggy and much too sweet. To make your own, skin six large ripe tomatoes (plunge into boiling water then peel) and chop. Mix with crushed garlic, a finely chopped red onion, a large handful of chopped fresh coriander, two chopped green chillies, the juice of two limes and 2tbsp olive oil. A perfect dip for corn chips.

A homemade mayo with punchy ginger and peppery watercress goes so well with roast chicken. You could also use as a dip for chicken skewers or fat, juicy prawns. 

Get the recipe for ginger and watercress mayo here

Here's something a little different to add to your repertoire – muhammara is a Syrian roasted pepper dip, great with flatbreads. It consists of roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts and pomegranate molasses, which adds a wonderful sweet and sour note. It's whizzed in a blender with onion, garlic, oil and breadcrumbs. Make it a few hours ahead and it will taste even better once the flavours have had a chance to mingle.

Get the recipe for muhammara here

This dip with a kick is just divine with potato wedges. A can of tomatoes is simmered with garlic, dried oregano and chilli flakes, then blitzed. You can leave the dip chunky or whizz to a smooth texture. Serve with a cooling ranch or sour cream-based dip for a spicy-soothing combo.

Get the recipe for hot and spicy tomato dip here

There's no need to prepare whole artichokes for this – you can use hearts straight from a jar or can (even better if you can find the ones which are lightly charred). Whizz up the artichokes in a blender with equal quantities of cream cheese and mayo, add blanched spinach leaves and whizz again. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, according to taste.

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Beetroot makes a fabulous dip and, if you buy cooked beetroot in vacuum packs, it's ready in an instant. Our lighter recipe is made with low-fat quark (a soft cheese) but you could substitute Greek yogurt or cream cheese to make it a little more indulgent. Roasted garlic and thyme are perfect partners in this deeply savoury dip. 

Get the recipe for creamy beetroot dip here

A satay-style peanut dip is simple to make and pretty versatile. You can use it for chicken, beef or pork skewers, summer rolls or vegetable crudités. Blend crunchy peanut butter with garlic, coriander, soy sauce and coconut milk – it's pretty much a store cupboard dip.

Get the recipe for satay dip here

Tzatziki, the traditional Greek yogurt and cucumber dip, can be served with toasted pitta, crisps or as a side to grilled meats and vegetables. The key is to get as much liquid out of the cucumber first, so the dip doesn't become runny. And be warned – it'll become more garlicky, the longer it sits.

Get the recipe for tzatziki here

Tapenade, a Mediterranean olive paste, is usually served as an appetiser with toast. But if you add a little extra olive oil, it makes an extremely good dip for corn chips, pretzel bites, raw radishes and celery. It's full of bold flavours: black olives, garlic, capers and lemon juice.

Get the recipe for tapenade here

In all of 10 minutes, you can have a creamy feta dip which is perfect with crackers or bread sticks. Blend 225g (8oz) feta in a food processor or blender, then whizz in 175g (6oz) Greek yogurt and a clove of garlic. Add 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil, then stir in some chopped fresh dill.

Much as we all love a cream cheese and chive dip, the store-bought version is made with dried herbs so lacks flavour. Instead, blitz together 250g (9oz) cream cheese with half an onion. Then stir in 2tbsp thick yogurt or crème fraîche. Finely snip a bunch of chives and stir in with 1tsp fresh lemon juice, salt and plenty of black pepper.

This is such a great dip for toasted baguette slices, corn chips or vegetable crudités. To make at home, a soft, young goats' cheese is best. Simply blend equal quantities of soft goats' cheese with ricotta. If it's too thick (this will depend on the goats' cheese), add a little sour cream to achieve a good dipping consistency. Stir in finely chopped spring onions, flat leaf parsley and chives. Use extra spring onions as a garnish to serve.

A simple watercress and mint tip is a winner with roasted new potatoes or potato wedges. Just six ingredients – watercress, mint, garlic, lemon, crème fraîche and sugar – are whizzed together in a blender. It couldn't be easier.

Get the recipe for mint and watercress dip here

For a fishy dip without the faff, smoked salmon should be your go-to. Blend your quantity of salmon with half the quantity of cream cheese. Then slowly add double cream or crème fraîche until you have the desired consistency – not too thick, not too sloppy. Season with lemon juice and black pepper. A little horseradish sauce would also add some piquancy. Serve with crackers, toasts and wedges of cucumber to dip.

A fiery and sharp Vietnamese dipping sauce is brilliant for large prawns, spring rolls or dumplings. That sweet, sour, hot flavour is achieved with lime juice, sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, garlic and chilli. It's best made fresh on the day you intend to serve it.

Get the recipe for Vietnamese dipping sauce here

Try a dip with a bit of heat to serve with tortilla chips or vegetable crudités. For 125g (4oz) mayonnaise, you'll need 2tbsp curry powder, 1tsp ground coriander and 4tbsp honey. Gently heat the honey then add the curry powder until it dissolves. Allow it to cool, then whisk it into the mayonnaise with the ground coriander and a generous pinch of chilli powder. You could stir in some chopped fresh coriander too.

This dip of anchovies, garlic and olive oil is a northern Italian classic. It may not win prizes for looks but it definitely wins on flavour. It's best made in a pot you can keep over a gentle heat, such as a fondue pot. Melt 50g (2oz) butter, add four crushed garlic cloves and cook for a few minutes. Add 10 anchovy fillets, then pour in 200ml (7fl oz) olive oil on a low heat, whisking constantly. It's ready when smooth and well blended. Serve with raw or blanched vegetables.

A mayonnaise laced with anchovies makes the best-ever dip for fries or corn chips – even better if the mayo contains minced garlic. Pound the anchovies to a paste in a pestle and mortar, then stir it into the mayonnaise.

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Take inspiration from Welsh rarebit, the British comfort food of toast topped with cheese, English mustard and Worcestershire sauce, for an indulgent dip. Make the cheesy mixture and pour into small ovenproof dishes, then grill until bubbling. Try serving it with toasted bread. Everyone will keep coming back for more.

Get the recipe for rarebit here

You might be surprised to know that you can make a really good queso without cheese. Soak raw, unsalted cashew nuts overnight, then blend with a little yeast extract (such as Marmite), fresh coriander and chillies. Add a little water to achieve the correct consistency. Heat it through gently and top with a tomato salsa. You'll be amazed how cheesy it tastes!