French Onion Dip Recipe (Easy!) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

This homemade French onion dip recipe is perfect for satisfying your sweet and savory cravings all at once. It comes together quickly, uses just a few common ingredients, and is perfect for parties. With real caramelized onions, a creamy base, and a flavor similar to French onion chicken and French onion soup (but made creamy!), this easy caramelized onion dip isn’t your average grocery store tub — it’s better!

Most store-bought onion dips and onion dip mixes (and even some homemade French onion dip recipes!) contain added thickeners, cornstarch substitutes, MSG, processed oils, or hidden fillers. You can avoid all of them by making a healthier French onion dip recipe from scratch with real food ingredients instead!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for French onion dip, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Salted Butter – The key to caramelizing the onions while adding a buttery flavor is to use salted butter. If all you have is unsalted, you can just add salt separately.
• Onions– Obviously the main part of this French onion dip recipe. I like to use Vidalia or similar sweet yellow onions, but you could also use white onions as well. If you want extra onion flavor, you could even add some onion powder.
• Broth – I like to use bone broth because it adds richness, but you can also use regular beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth.
• Garlic– Adding garlic gives this dip a great savory flavor and depth. Use fresh garlic or jarred minced garlic to save time. If you don’t have garlic on hand, you can substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder — add it to the creamy ingredients instead of sauteing.
• Sour Cream – The base of this French onion dip is sour cream. It makes it creamy and delicious. Nonfat plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise make an easy substitutes for either all or some of the sour cream if needed.
• Cream Cheese– Helps thicken the dip. Let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to soften before using. If you have extra cream cheese, make a cheese ball next.
• Blackstrap Molasses – This is optional, but just 1/2 teaspoon in the entire recipe adds a surprising amount of flavor. If you don’t have any, a couple teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce would make a decent substitute, or you can add a couple teaspoons of sugar or sugar substitute, but the flavor won’t be the same.
• Fresh Thyme – The addition of thyme really makes the dip. Fresh chives or parsley would also work well. Fresh herbs work best here, but if you must substitute dried, use 2 teaspoons dried in place of 2 tablespoons fresh.
• Sea Salt– Brings out the flavors. Feel free to add some white or black pepper as well if you like.

How To Make French Onion Dip

This section shows how to make homemade French onion dip, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Caramelize the onions. Heat the butter in alarge skilletover medium heat. Add the onions and 2 tablespoons of broth. Saute, adding more broth as needed to keep the onions hydrated, until browned and caramelized.

2. Add the garlic. Make a well in the center of the pan. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir into the onions. Set the pan aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Make the dip base. Stir together the sour cream, softened cream cheese, molasses, thyme, and sea salt, until smooth.
4. Combine. Once the caramelized onions have cooled, stir them into the mixture. Add more salt to taste if desired. Transfer the French onion dip to a serving dish, with additional thyme for garnish if desired.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep thiseasyFrench onion dip recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Meal prep: This is a great make-ahead appetizer. Simply prepare the dip a few days ahead of time, and store it in the fridge. Give it a stir before serving.
• Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this dip, since it’s base is sour cream. It will become watery after thawing and will lose its smooth texture.

What To Serve With French Onion Dip

There are so many ways to serve thisFrench onion dip. I love to serve it with a variety of dippers for scooping! Here are a few of my favorites:

• Crackers – Almond flour crackers or flax seed crackers are a nutritious alternative to wheat-based crackers, but any kind you like will work.
• Chips – This dip is perfect for potato chips or tortilla chips (or low carb tortilla chips). But, it also is great for dipping zucchini chips or homemade kale chips.
• Veggies – Add some color to your homemade French onion dip with a platter of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. Fresh cucumber slices, celery, or carrots would also make great scoopers.

More Creamy Dip Recipes

While store-bought dips can be tempting, homemade always tastes better! Here are a few of my favorite creamy dip recipes to try:

Recipe Card

5 from 10 votes☝️ Click stars to rate or click here to leave a review!

French Onion Dip Recipe (Easy!)

This easy 30-minute homemade French onion dip recipe is a party fave! Make it with simple ingredients like onions, sour cream & cream cheese.

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

See Also

55 Easy Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 12 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.

• 2tbspSalted butter▢
• 2largeOnions(diced; ~2 lb)▢
• 1/4cupBeef bone broth(or regular beef broth)▢
• 4clovesGarlic(minced)▢
• 2cupsSour Cream▢
• 4ozCream cheese(softened)▢
• 1/2tspBlackstrap molasses
  (optional)▢
• 2tbspFresh thyme▢
• 1/2tspSea salt(plus more to taste)▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and 2 tablespoons (29.57 milliliters) of beef bone broth. Saute for 25-35 minutes, adding another 2 more tablespoons (29.57 milliliters) (of broth after the first 10-15 minutes to keep the onions hydrated, and continue to saute until browned and caramelized. Reduce heat if they start to brown too much.

2. Make a well in the center of the pan. Add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Once the garlic is fragrant and starting to brown, stir into the onions. Set the pan aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, softened cream cheese, molasses, fresh thyme, and sea salt, until smooth.

4. Once the caramelized onions have cooled, stir them into the bowl. Add more salt to taste if desired. If you want a firmer dip, chill for at least 30 minutes.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: ¼ cup

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories137

Fat13g

Protein2g

Total Carbs5g

Net Carbs4g

Fiber1g

Sugar3g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course:Appetizer

Cuisine:French

Keywords:caramelized onion dip, French onion dip recipe, homemade french onion dip, onion dip recipe

Calories: 137 kcal

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Caramelized French Onion Dip Recipe

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