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    April 2, 2024

    Caramelized Onion Dip Recipe

    Our homemade caramelized onion dip outshines anything store-bought and is the perfect dip for your next gathering.

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    a bowl of homemade caramelized onion dip surrounded by potato chips and raw veggies for dipping
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Our Absolute Best Onion Dip Recipe

    We’ve done it again. We’ve perfected another quintessential party dip. This ultra-creamy, chip-ready homemade caramelized onion dip recipe (with real Caramelized Onions) has been a long time coming! Rich and incredibly indulgent, it remains one of our favorite recipes (alongside our Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip) to grace any party table or buffet.

    olive oil, butter, onions, brown sugar, cream cheese, sour cream, spices and chives in prep bowls

    Caramelized Onion Dip Ingredients

    • Extra-virgin olive oil

    • Unsalted butter

    • Onions

    • Brown sugar

    • Cream cheese

    • Sour cream

    • Onion powder

    • Garlic powder

    • Chives

    • Salt & pepper

    onions being caramelized in a skillet with olive oil, butter and brown sugar
    caramelized onions in a skillet made with olive oil, butter and brown sugar

    How To Make Caramelized Onion Dip

    1. Caramelize onions in a large skillet to tender perfection, stir often (especially toward the end) with a nice wooden spoon or silicone spatula.

    2. Let the onions cool completely. If you’re in a rush, spread them out as thinly as you can on a plate and cool them in the fridge.

    3. Mix the dip! In a big bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, fresh herbs and spices with the cooled caramelized onions.

    4. Dip that dip! You just made the best chip dip / veggie dip / sandwich spread ever. Not to mention what’s sure to be the most celebrated snack centerpiece at any football game.

    cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl
    cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and chives being combined in a bowl
    caramelized onions in a skillet made with olive oil, butter and brown sugar
    a bowl of caramelized onion dip made with cream cheese, sour cream, spices and chives surrounded by potato chips

    How To Store + Tips

    • What to dip in onion dip: We’re partial to potato chips (but make sure they’re sturdy), but veggies of all kinds are also a great pairing for onion dip. Or, treat it like a caramelized onion spread instead of a dip, and make the best sandwich of your life out of it.

    • The trick to caramelizing onions is just patience (it takes about an hour, start to finish) and making sure that you stir the onions occasionally, particularly toward the end. If you have any extra caramelized onions, use them in our Patty Melt, or add them to a frittata. The sky’s the limit.

    • Make the caramelized onions ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. That’ll save you tons of time on the day you want to serve the onion dip, and it’ll still taste so much better than the powder-pack onion dip.

    • Leftover onion dip can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. In fact, the dip does get a bit more delicious as it sits so you can make it a day ahead of time, and store it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to party.
    a bowl of caramelized onion dip made with cream cheese, sour cream, spices and chives surrounded by potato chips

    More Party Dip Recipes

    Easy Caramelized Onion Dip Is Just The Beginning

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    Caramelized Onion Dip Recipe

    Updated on April 2, 2024

    • Serves: 8
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  40 min
    • Calories: 243
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    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 4 medium sweet onions, halved and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
    • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
    • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
    • 8 ounces sour cream
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

    Method

    1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, sprinkle the onions with the brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes. Let the onions cool completely.

      onions being caramelized in a skillet with olive oil, butter and brown sugar

    2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Stir in the caramelized onions, onion powder, garlic powder, chives, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.

      cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and chives being combined in a bowl

    3. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

      a bowl of caramelized onion dip made with cream cheese, sour cream, spices and chives surrounded by potato chips

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories243
    • Protein3 g
    • Carbohydrates11 g
    • Total Fat21 g
    • Dietary Fiber2 g
    • Cholesterol38 mg
    • sodium273 mg
    • Total Sugars8 g

    Caramelized Onion Dip Recipe

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Monique

      Hi, will yellow onions work?
      Thank you!

      Sure!

    • Judy

      My dip came out too thick. Should I continue to whip it more or just add in some more sour cream?

      Hi Judy, you could thin it out with a little milk to your desired consistency.

    • Bridget

      Do you cut up the onions or leave them sliced when mixing the dip? thank you!

      Either way works! You can put them in straight out of the pan, or you can chop them up a bit.

    • Katie

      Keeping this one for all the holiday parties coming up!

      Yay! Hope you make it and love it!

    • Stephanie

      Love this dip recipe to replace my usual Lipton onion soup dip 👍🏼

      yay!!!

    • durge

      it was sooooooo good

      Thanks, glad you liked it!

    • kylie

      the dip was sooo good i loved it i made it for my grandmas birthday and everbody really liked it ! <3

      Thanks Kylie, so happy it was a hit!

    • Shannon

      This dip is so delicious! I made it as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! The caramelized onions really knock it out of the park

      perfect. So glad to hear that!

    • Aleks

      This recipe was an absolute hit at the last party I brought it to. Definitely worth the occasional splurge!

      I agree. So glad you loved it!