Homemade French onion dip with cream cheese brings together layers of great flavor from camelized onions, fresh herbs, and a creamy dip base. It's a decadent dip that is perfect for crudités, crackers, and salty potato chips.
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The Flavors of Homemade Onion & Cream Cheese Dip
Creamy French onion dip has always been one of my favorite things to serve at a party. But, I knew I could make it better than the packet version, which just combines onion soup mix with a tub of sour cream. It tastes good, but we can make something even better.
For an amazing homemade version, we develop great flavor by cooking the onions at the right temperature for a long time. That pulls out the natural sugars of the onions and cooks them until they are a deep golden brown. Slow-cooked sweet onions create a flavor powerhouse when they caramelize. Folding caramelized onions into softened cream cheese and adding a few other ingredients makes the perfect appetizer.
French Onion Dip Ingredients
The ingredients for our French onion dip recipe mimic a classic French Onion Soup. Simple, wholesale, and delicious ingredients that are way better than that packet version of dip mix.
- 2 Yellow Onions
- 1-2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 8 ounces room temperature Cream Cheese
- 8 ounces Sour Cream
- 1 clove Fresh Garlic
- 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ cup Beef Stock
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- splash of Dry Sherry (optional)
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
Helpful Cooking Supplies
There is nothing special about the supplies you'll need. My only recommendation is that you get a cool dip and chip set because those parties more fun.
- Large skillet- a heavy enameled cast iron pan is perfect for its ability to keep temperature even throughout the cooking process
- Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula
- Mini Food Processor
- Cutting Board and Knife
- Chip and Dip Serving Set
Step-By-Step Dip Instructions
- Thinly slice your onions. Mince the clove of garlic and fresh tyme.
- Set a large cast-iron skillet or large sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter.
- Add the sliced onions and stir them well to coat them in the butter. Spread them out into an even layer in the pan and stir every 2-3 minutes.
- After the onions have softened, add the garlic and thyme.
- Cook the onions until they are soft and a deep golden brown. Once the onions are cooked completely, add the dry sherry, beef stock, onion powder, salt and pepper. Scrape up the carmelized bits from the bottom of the pan. That's flavor!
- Reduce the liquid until it's almost completely gone.
- Turn off the heat and let the onions cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooled onions to a small food processor and pulse until they are broken up. Or you can do this by chopping them on a cutting board.
- Lastly, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked onions with the sour cream and cream cheese. Stir until the mixture is well combined and check the taste for seasoning. Add salt or pepper if needed.
Homemade french onion dip is best when you make it a day in advance. This gives the onions a chance to permeate the creamy base and make an overall more flavorful dip. Store the prepared dip in an airtight container. The next day, serve your amazing onion dip recipe in a chip and dip bowl or on a large platter with cut veggies.
Recipe Modifications
For the onions, you can use sweet onions instead of yellow if you prefer.
You can substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder for the fresh garlic clove and still get plenty of flavor. That also works for the thyme.
If you don't want to use dry sherry, you can deglaze the pan with water instead.
How to Serve French Onion Dip
Serve this in a chip and dip bowl or on a large platter. Arranging your potato chips or cut veggies around the dip makes it all so inviting.
Garnish your onion dip with some minced fresh chives or green onions to bring the whole recipe together.
Dipping Suggestions
My favorite dippers are thick cut ruffle potato chips, but you probably need more options. A popular game day dipper is scoopable corn chips, and for the hoity-toity people in your life, vegetables might be necessary. (I'm just kidding. I really like dipping red bell pepper in this dip also.)
- Plain Potato Chips (thick cut chips with ridges are best IMO)
- Corn Chips
- Fresh veggies like carrot sticks, celery, or bell peppers
- Crunchy crackers like Ritz that hold up to creamy dips
- Pita Chips
Saving and Serving Leftover Onion Dip
Transfer leftover dip to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To serve, either take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes in advance or heat on LOW power in the microwave to take the chill off.
Printable Recipe Card
Cream Cheese French Onion Dip Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large Skiller
- 1 Sharp Knife and Cutting Board
- 1 mini food processor optional
- 1 Chip and Dip Bowl Set
Ingredients
- 2 yellow onions medium sized
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup beef stock
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon Dry Sherry optional
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt more or less based on preference
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper more or less based on preference
Instructions
- Thinly slice your onions. Mince the clove of garlic and fresh tyme.
- Set a large cast-iron skillet or large sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter.
- Add the sliced onions and stir them well to coat them in the butter. Spread them out into an even layer in the pan and stir every 2-3 minutes.
- After the onions have softened and start to develop color, add the minced garlic and fresh thyme.
- Cook the onions until they are soft and a deep golden brown. Once the onions are cooked completely, add the dry sherry, beef stock, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Scrape up the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the liquid until it's almost completely gone.
- Turn off the heat and let the onions cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooled onions to a small food processor and pulse until they are broken up into fine pieces. You can also do this by chopping them on a cutting board.
- Lastly, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked onions with the sour cream and cream cheese. Stir until the mixture is well combined and check the taste for seasoning. Add salt or pepper if needed.
- This dip is best cooked a day ahead. Refrigerate the onion dip in an airtight container overnight. The next day, take the dip out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve the dip in a chip and dip bowl set with plain potato chips with ridges or cut veggies such as carrots, celery, and bell pepper.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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