By Becky Hardin
Published Apr 18, 2022
Creamy and slightly sweet French Onion Dip is a must-make party appetizer! Serve with chips and crudités for perfect snacking.
Why We Love This French Onion Dip Recipe
The same sweet yet savory flavors of French onion soup shine in this chilled, creamy French onion dip. Simple to make, this onion dip has a wonderful depth of flavor thanks to perfectly caramelized onions. It’s slightly sweet, a little salty, and is totally meant for sharing!
- Simple. Caramelize the onions and mix everything together – a low-effort, maximum-flavor recipe!
- Creamy. Made with cream cheese and sour cream, this dip is ultra creamy and rich.
- Versatile. Serve with your favorite crackers, sliced veggies, or even as a spread on sandwiches.
Variations on Homemade French Onion Dip
If you don’t have all of the necessary ingredients on hand, don’t fear! There are several simple swaps that work well in this recipe. You can sauté the onions in olive oil instead of butter, and you can use sweet or yellow onions. In place of the sour cream, you can use light sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. And in place of the cream cheese, you can use an equal amount of mayonnaise or mascarpone cheese !
How to Make Ahead and Store
This is a great recipe to prepare ahead of time. Keep dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, caramelize the onions up to 2 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. When ready to make the dip, continue with step 4 of the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
This homemade French onion dip is meant for dipping. Serve it alongside homemade tortilla chips , Mexican spice cheese crackers , cheese straws , soft pretzel bites , or Sliced fresh veggies like carrots, celery, cucumbers, or radishes.
More Cold Dip Recipes To Try
- Pepper Jelly Dip
- Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
- Caramelized Onion Bacon Dip
- Buffalo Chickpea Dip
Notes from the Test Kitchen
Room-temperature cream cheese combines more easily and creates a creamier dip. Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator before you begin prepping the onions so it has time to soften.
Be patient when caramelizing the onions. It takes about 20-30 minutes to caramelize thinly sliced onions. They’re caramelized when they turn a dark golden brown and taste slightly sweet. It’s well worth the wait!
The flavors intensify the longer it chills so this is a great appetizer to make ahead of time! Whip up a batch of French onion dip a day or two in advance for easy, seamless hosting.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick)
- ▢ 2 sweet onions thinly sliced
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ 1½ cups sour cream room temperature
- ▢ 2 ounces cream cheese room temperature (¼ brick)
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- ▢ Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Video
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the sliced onions and salt to the skillet and mix well. Keep the heat set at medium-low and cook the onions, stirring occasionally until they are caramelized and dark golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. If they start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a few tablespoons of water. 2 sweet onions, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Once the onions are caramelized, transfer them to a bowl and let them cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, use a spatula or hand/stand mixer to mix the sour cream and softened cream cheese together until smooth. 1½ cups sour cream, 2 ounces cream cheese
- Add the caramelized onions, garlic powder, and parsley. Stir to combine. ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh vegetables, chips, pretzels, or crackers and enjoy. Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Becky’s Tips
- Pull the cream cheese and sour cream out of the fridge before starting to ensure they’re at room temp.
- Be patient when caramelizing the onions. They take a full 20-30 minutes.
- Make ahead for even more flavor and easy hosting.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make French Onion Dip Step by Step
Melt the Butter: Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat.
Caramelize the Onions: Add 2 sliced sweet onions and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to the skillet and mix well. Keep the heat set at medium-low and cook the onions, stirring occasionally until they are caramelized and dark golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. If they start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a few tablespoons of water. Once the onions are caramelized, transfer them to a bowl and let them cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Mix the Dip: In a large bowl, use a spatula or hand/stand mixer to mix 1½ cups of room-temperature sour cream and 2 ounces of room-temperature cream cheese together until smooth. Add the caramelized onions, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh vegetables, chips, pretzels, or crackers and enjoy.
French Onion Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick)
- 2 sweet onions thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups sour cream room temperature
- 2 ounces cream cheese room temperature (¼ brick)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the sliced onions and salt to the skillet and mix well. Keep the heat set at medium-low and cook the onions, stirring occasionally until they are caramelized and dark golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. If they start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a few tablespoons of water. 2 sweet onions, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Once the onions are caramelized, transfer them to a bowl and let them cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, use a spatula or hand/stand mixer to mix the sour cream and softened cream cheese together until smooth. 1½ cups sour cream, 2 ounces cream cheese
- Add the caramelized onions, garlic powder, and parsley. Stir to combine. ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh vegetables, chips, pretzels, or crackers and enjoy. Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Video
Notes
- Pull the cream cheese and sour cream out of the fridge before starting to ensure they’re at room temp.
- Be patient when caramelizing the onions. They take a full 20-30 minutes.
- Make ahead for even more flavor and easy hosting.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
