Homemade French Onion Dip

By: Julie Blanner17 Comments
Updated: 5/16/23

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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!

A bowl full of homemade french onion dip, surrounded by potato chips.

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.

Table of Contents

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. Learn how to cut an onion here!
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.

Variations

Herbs – Fresh herbs, like chives, green onion or parsley work well with this dip.
Lighten in Up – Swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt for a richer and tangier dip that’s lower in calories.

Ingredients for a French onion dip recipe laid out on a marble surface.

A variety of gold cake pans, loaf pans and muffin baking pan sizes laid out on a marble surface.

Tools to Use

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How To Make

Prep – Slice and halve the onions.
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.
Combine – Mix in the rest of the ingredients and stir until smooth.

A white bowl full of French onion dip made with caramelized onions.

Tips

Caramelize Onions Low and Slow – The secret to getting the most flavors out of the onions is to cook them slowly on a medium low heat. If you cook them on a high heat, they are more likely to burn, and it also destroys the molecules that release flavor.
Softened Cream Cheese – This makes the dip luxuriously creamy. Learn how to soften cream cheese here.
Serve at room temperature. Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before serving. However, it can be served warm or cold,

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between French onion dip and regular onion dip?

Our French onion dip is made with rich caramelized onions, whereas a traditional onion dip is made with fresh or dried onions.

What’s the best chip for French onion dip?

Traditionally, all types of onion dips serve up beautifully with a crinkle cut potato chip. See more suggestions below!

Serving Suggestions

Chips – Kettle chips, classic potato chips, crinkled chips, sweet potato chips, and beet chips
Crackers – Water crackers, butter crackers, multi-grain crackers
Crostini – Homemade or store bought.
Veggies – Cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas, carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, jicama sticks

More Ideas

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.

More Dip Recipes

Seven Layer Dip

Creamy Jalapeño Dip

Amazing Bacon Cheese Dip

Baked Artichoke Dip

Dips, Spreads & Sauces

5 from 11 votes

French Onion Dip

Author: Julie Blanner

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

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!

Save Print Rate Recipe

Yield 12 servings

Ingredients

▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
▢ 4 tablespoons butter
▢ 2 yellow onions halved and sliced or diced
▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne
▢ ⅛ teaspoon black pepper fresh ground, thick flakes preferred
▢ 4 ounces cream cheese softened
▢ ½ cup sour cream
▢ ½ cup mayonnaise

Instructions

In a large fry or sauté pan over medium heat, warm oil and butter until just melted.
Add chopped onions, cayenne, and pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to medium low and cover, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth.
Remove onion mixture from heat. Fold caramelized onions into dip base until well combined.
Serve warm or refrigerate 2+ hours to marinate and 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

Video

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.