The Best Homemade French Onion Dip Recipe

Homemade French onion dip is a classic comfort food that combines the rich flavors of caramelized onions with the creamy flavorful base of sour cream and cream cheese. This irresistible dip is an ideal party or snack-time companion, perfect for dipping your favorite salty potato chips, crispy crackers, or crunchy vegetables.

Easy French Onion Dip Recipe

• It’s sweet, savory, and slightly tangy. This French onion dip is better than storebought – trust me I’ve been a Dean’s French Onion Dip lover for YEARS! If you’ve enjoyed the storebought version, you are going to go wild for this dip. And you won’t believe how easy it is to make!
• Whether you’re hosting a gathering or simply enjoying a cozy night in, this homemade French onion dip is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Its nostalgic flavor and creamy texture are truly a delight for your tastebuds.
• The best part of this dip is that it’s super creamy without the use of mayonnaise! I tested this recipe a few different ways and found that mayo – even just a bit – changed the texture and flavor in a way that I didn’t enjoy. Softened cream cheese and sour cream create the perfect creamy base without it being too greasy or heavy.

Ingredients for Creamy Caramelized Onion Dip

• Olive Oil & Butter: Butter adds delicious flavor to the onions while the olive oil raises the smoke point of the butter so you can cook the onions for a long time without worrying about the butter browning too much or burning. I prefer to use unsalted so I have more control over the salt level of the dip.
• Sweet Onion: Sweet onions or yellow onions work best for caramelized onions. White onions and red onions should not be used.
• Spices: Garlic powder and onion powder add delicious flavors that amplify the caramelized onion flavor.
• Sour Cream: Sour cream creates part of the creamy base for this caramelized onion dip. Stick with full fat for the best flavor and texture.
• Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is the second part of the creamy base for this dip. It should be left out for at least 1-2 hours at room temperature so that it can be easily combined into a creamy dip.
• Chives: I like to use chives to add a bright, fresh element to this dip. They cut through the rich creaminess. You can also substitute with fresh chopped parsley instead, though it will change the flavor slightly.

How to Make French Onion Dip

Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add petite diced onion and Kosher salt.

Cook, stirring every few minutes, for about 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and cook for another 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the onions have caramelized to your liking. Let cool.

Add sour cream, cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and a large pinch of Kosher salt to a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.

Transfer the creamy mixture to a large bowl and add caramelized onions and sliced chives.

Mix until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Garnish with sliced chives, serve with Ruffles potato chips, and enjoy!

Tips for Caramelizing Onions

If you’ve never caramelized onions before, this recipe might seem intimidating but I promise you – it’s super easy! Caramelizing onions is really just a labor of love rather than a difficult cooking technique. You’re cooking the onions slowly over low heat so that their natural sugars release and make them super flavorful and caramelized. Here are some tricks to help you feel confident about caramelizing onions!

• Low and slow is the name of the game here. Start the onions over medium heat for 10 minutes and then spend the next 30 minutes or so on low heat, stirring every 5 minutes. If you cook the onions too quickly, they are going to end up burning in some parts while others are not cooked through all the way. Burned caramelized onions have a bitter flavor that will ruin the dish. Keep a close eye on the onions while they’re cooking.
• If the pan seems like it’s getting too dry and the onions are sticking to the pan and burning, add a splash of water at a time until it deglazes the pan and you’re able to scrape the bottom of the pan clean.
• Don’t stir the onions too often. Every 5 minutes is perfect. If you stir them too frequently, they won’t caramelize. And if you don’t stir them often enough, they will burn.
• There are different shades of caramelized onions. Feel free to take them as far as you’d like. The more you cook them, the darker and sweeter they will be. If you cook them for less time, they’ll be lighter in color and less sweet. Caramelize the onions as much or as little as you’d like.
• The onions in this recipe are petitely diced so they don’t need quite as much time to caramelize as when the onion is sliced into larger pieces. For this recipe, I prefer diced onion because sliced caramelized onions end up being stringy which isn’t ideal for a dip.
• Don’t freak out if some of the edges of your onions get a little bit charred. While you don’t want the onions to burn, a little bit of char is just going to add to the depth of flavor and isn’t a huge deal.

Tips for Making the Best French Onion Dip

• Make sure the onions are uniformly diced. I like to finely dice them into pieces that are quite small so that they caramelize almost into a paste and blend really beautifully with the sour cream and cream cheese. You can also cut them into normal-sized dice if you want a more chunky texture throughout the dip. Just be sure all the onions are cut about the same size so that they caramelize evenly in the pan.
• Keep the onions in an even layer as much as possible while you’re caramelizing onion. This will ensure that they cook evenly.
• Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. This will make it much easier to blend the cream cheese and sour cream and get a super creamy consistency. Set it out on the counter for 1-2 hours before mixing. I also find that cutting it into smaller pieces when it’s still cold also makes it come to room temp more quickly.
• Use clean kitchen shears to cut your chives. It’s so much easier than chopping them and you’ll get the perfect clean cut.

FAQ

What are the main ingredients in French onion dip?

This easy French onion dip recipe is made with delicious caramelized onions, sour cream, cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and fresh chives. These simple ingredients come together to create a delicious party dip that all your friends will love!

What is the difference between French onion dip and onion dip?

French onion dip is typically made with caramelized onion while onion dip can be made with a wide variety of onions including caramelized, raw, sauteed, etc. French onion dip is often thought of as the more sophisticated version of onion dip.

Why is Dean’s French onion dip so good?

I’ll be honest, I used to think that Dean’s French Onion Dip was good, until I tried this homemade version! Homemade French onion dip is so much more flavorful, creamier, and just overall better!

Why does French onion dip get watery?

If you find that your dip is watery it’s likely because you used low-fat sour cream or cream cheese which have a higher water content. This recipe as written does not get watery or separate even after being in the fridge for up to a week.

Making French Onion Dip Ahead of Time

This French onion dip is the perfect make-ahead appetizer for your next get-together. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week and actually tastes better after it’s had a few hours in the fridge so the flavors can marry.

Storage

Store leftover onion dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Though I can’t imagine that it will last that long! If it’s been in the fridge for a few days, you may want to mix in a pinch or two of salt.

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