Caramelized Onion Dip

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Creamy Caramelized Onion Dip is like your favorite store bought French Onion Dip only it has more onion flavor and is made with just a few easy ingredients!

A plate with a bowl of onion dip in the middle surrounded by tortilla chips.

Let’s talk about dips.   I am a huge fan of dips.  I like to dip my chips, I like to dip my veggies, and I like to dip my tortilla chips.

There are so many great dips out there but I really like making my own.  It seems to me that most dips are fairly easy to make and they end up tasting so much better than the ones you buy in the store.

One of my all time favorite dips is French Onion Dip.  It’s one of those dips that I would have whenever I was having a bad day or whenever we were watching a sport on TV.   It’s basically an all purpose dip and you can dip just about anything in it.

Ingredients:

  • onions
  • butter
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • garlic cloves
  • sour cream
  • cream cheese
  • lemon juice
  • chives

To Make the Dip:   Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in the onions and sugar and saute, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute for 10 more minutes.   Remove from heat.  Meanwhile combine the garlic, sour cream, cream cheese, and lemon juice in a large bowl.   Mix well.  Add in the caramelized onions and mix until combined.  Stir in the chives.   Refrigerate until ready to use.

A bowl of onion dip.

This is one of those recipes that I saw on several different blogs and kept pinning but never got around to making.  I finally gave it a try in 2014 and it was so good!

That year I made it just about every weekend.  We would serve it with veggies, with chips, or with basically any snack food we were eating.  We couldn’t get enough!

What Onions Should I Caramelize?

This is really up to you.  My personal favorite are Vidalia Onions.  They are sweet and they caramelize so nicely.  You can also use white or yellow onions with a pinch of sugar they will work just as well.

How Do You Caramelize Onions?

Caramelizing onions is a process.  You can’t just put them in a pan and leave them.  First melt butter in a saute pan.  Add the onions and a pinch of sugar then cook over medium low to medium heat. Stir occasionally for 15-20 minutes or until they begin to brown.  At this point reduce heat to low or medium low and stir more frequently or until they are caramelized.   Add a pinch of water if they start to burn.

Can I use low fat cream cheese or sour cream?

Yes!   You can use low fat cream cheese and sour cream.   It won’t hurt in this recipe at all.  Just don’t use fat free as that will change the consistency and flavor of the dip.

Do I Have to Use the Chives?

No you don’t but they do add a really nice flavor.  You can also add chopped green onions instead if you’d like.

Pin Image:  A plate with a bowl of onion dip in the middle surrounded by tortilla chips, text title, a cutting board with a package of cream cheese, a container of sour cream, an onion, a bottle of lemon juice, and a stick of butter.

However, after that year I lost the recipe and we haven’t had it in probably a good five years or so.  I went looking for a great dip recipe and this one popped up again.

I decided to try it again and I wasn’t sorry!  It’s basically the best onion dip you’ve ever tasted.  The caramelized onions add a flavor that you just can’t get from store bought dip.

Plus the chives add a nice flavor as well.  It reminds me of sour cream and onions chips but only in dip form!

More Dip Recipes:

This dip is so much better then the powdered onion dip packets I buy at the store.  It is really easy to make and we enjoyed it on Game Day!  So make sure you save the recipe and have it at your next football party!

A close up of a hand holding a tortilla chip with onion dip on it.

If you’ve tried my Caramelized Onion Dip or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

A plate of tortilla chips with a bowl of onion dip with a chip in it in the middle.

Caramelized Onion Dip

This dip is like your favorite store bought French Onion Dip only it has more onion flavor and is made with just a few easy ingredients!
5 from 21 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

  • 2 large vidalia onions thinly sliced
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 6 oz. reduced fat sour cream
  • 6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese softened
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 Tablespoons chives

Instructions

  • In a medium skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and stir.
  • Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown.
  • Sprinkle the onions with salt and pepper and cook for an additional 10
    minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes or until the onions are caramelized.  Remove from heat.
  • In a medium bowl combine the sour cream, cream cheese, and lemon juice.  Mix until smooth.
  • Add in the caramelized onions, reserving a few for the top of the
    dip, and the chives. Mix well until combined. 
  • Place the reserved onions on top.
  • Serve with vegetables, chips, or crackers.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cookaholic Wife

A plate of tortilla chips with a bowl of onion dip with a chip in it in the middle.

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8 Comments

  1. This looks amazing. I would love this with ridged chips. That salty with the sweet onion gets me every time.

5 from 21 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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