Homemade French Onion Dip | Julie Blanner

French Onion Dip is an easy crowd pleasing appetizer you can make in ahead in minutes! Caramelized onions are folded into a creamy dip for amazing flavor in every bite.

When I tell you this dip is lightyears ahead of the old fashioned version made with powdered soup mix, I mean it. I would never steer you wrong!

This dip will make you want to ditch the French onion soup mix forever. It’s worth the extra time to make this incredible update on an old fashioned favorite!

French onion dip is one of my favorite appetizers for get togethers and tailgates. It is always a crowd pleaser. In fact, when I was a caterer this was one of our most frequently requested appetizers.

It’s so simple to skip the mix and make homemade French onion dip! It’s rich and full of flavor and so simple to make. Once you make it from scratch, you can’t go back!

The secret to making this dip out-of-this-world-amazing is caramelized onions. They take the dip over the top! Each bite is packed full of incredible flavor.

In the 50’s it was referred to as California Dip. By the 80’s it seemed like it was almost exclusively made with a soup mix, but I’m here to tell you, it’s worth the little extra effort!

I love an amazing dip recipe! Don’t miss my incredible recipe round-up with 30+ of the BEST Dips for Parties – including my incredible healthy hummus recipe.

Why You’ll Love this French Onion Dip

• Rich, craveable flavor
• So easy to make
• Simple ingredients
• Elevated beyond the powdered version!

★★★★★

5 STAR REVIEW

“This dip was really good. I made it the night before Thanksgiving. It was even better the next day. Thanks for your yummy recipes that you share with us. It’s appreciated!”

— VALERIE —

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Yellow Onions – Yellow onions are full of flavor and when pan fried become slightly sweet. You can mix things up by using red or sweet onions, but yellow are my favorite for this recipe.
• Vegetable Oil – Makes the onion tender and moist. You can substitute canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil or butter.
• Butter – Salted butter adds a little flavor to the onions.
• Cayenne – Cayenne gives this dip a little heat.
• Black Pepper – Thick flakes of freshly cracked black pepper add a little spice and texture.
• Cream Cheese – Soften cream cheese for a luxuriously creamy dip. Read Can You Freeze Cream Cheese? for a guide to simplify this ingredient!
• Sour Cream – Sour cream is a classic dip base that adds a slight tanginess and freshness to the dip.
• Mayonnaise – I prefer to use a full fat olive oil mayonnaise which is really rich in flavor, but you can use a low fat variety if you prefer.

How To Make

1. Prep – Slice and halve the onions.
2. Caramelize Onions – Don’t skip this step! It’s key in making this dip irresistible! Sauté them low and slow to achieve sweet flavor and golden color. Heat the oil and butter in a pan and add the onions, cayenne and pepper. Cook the onions down so that they are nice and soft.
3. Combine – Mix in the rest of the ingredients and stir until smooth.

See how just how easy this recipe is by watching the video to learn how to make it, step-by-step. Get the full printable recipe card below for all the details!

Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!

Frequently Asked Questions

Dietary Considerations

• Gluten Free
• Nut Free
• Vegetarian

How to Store

• Room Temperature – Don’t leave this dip sitting out for more than two hours before refrigerating.
• Refrigerate – Once you have made the dip, let it cool to room temperature and keep it covered in the fridge. It will last well for 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer – I don’t recommend freezing this dip, as it will change the creamy consistency.

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French Onion Dip

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Rich and flavorful French Onion Dip is a crowd pleasing appetizer for game day, get togethers and more! It is easy to make with simple ingredients to serve with chips and crudités. You’ll love this make ahead dip!

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Instructions

• In a large pan over medium heat, warm oil and butter.

• Add onions, cayenne, and pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes.

• Reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.

• Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth.

• Fold in caramelized onions until well combined.

• Allow to marinate refrigerated 2+ hours. Serve at room temperature.

Tips

Substitutions

• Yellow Onions – Red or white onions and shallots also work well.
• Vegetable Oil – Substitute canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil or butter.
• Cream Cheese – Whole fat is preferable, but low fat can be substituted.
• Sour Cream – Substitute with greek yogurt or low fat sour cream.

Serving Suggestions

• Chips – Kettle chips, classic potato chips, ruffled chips, sweet potato chips, and beet chips
• Crackers – Water crackers, butter crackers, multi-grain crackers
• Veggies – Cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas, carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, jicama sticks

To Store

• Refrigerate – Once you have made the dip, let it cool to room temperature and keep it covered in the fridge. It will last well for 3 to 4 days. I like to serve it at room temperature, so i take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving.

Based on Ina Garten recipe

Nutrition Information

Calories: 195kcal (10%), Carbohydrates: 2g (1%), Protein: 1g (2%), Fat: 21g (32%), Saturated Fat: 10g (50%), Cholesterol: 29mg (10%), Sodium: 132mg (6%), Potassium: 53mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 342IU (7%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 25mg (3%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.