Hot Caramelized Onion Dip
Hot Caramelized Onion Dip is the perfect cozy appetizer for any gathering. Calling for simple ingredients and scratch-made caramelized onions, this fresh dip has French Onion vibes and flavors. Plus, it can be made in advance and is ready in less than an hour for easy sharing.
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It’s pretty well-established that I love all things caramelized onions, especially when they have French onion vibes.
The combination of creamy caramelized onions with sharp gruyere cheese and bright fresh thyme is just one of my favorite flavor combinations, and I wanted to bring those vibes to a dip.
Hence: Caramelized Onion Dip.
Now let me be clear: this is not a dip that you can throw together in 5 minutes or less because we are caramelizing the onions ourselves! Yes, I am a little extra, but I promise the flavor really comes through.
Why I love this recipe:
I was never a fan of the canned French Onion Dip that was sold in convenience stores as a kid (or as an adult).
So I’ve made my own rendition, which tastes a little bit like a mash-up between a creamy onion dip and French Onion Soup.
Go with me here. I promise it’s worth it.
We start with caramelized onions. I know they feel complicated to make, but the most complicated part of them, aside from slicing them thinly, is having patience to let them really cook down, caramelize and sweeten.
Then we stir in creamy elements, including cream cheese, sour cream and Gruyere cheese. We also add some fresh thyme leaves because thyme with gruyere and caramelized onions always bring me to French Onion Soup, which is my favorite soup of all time.
The end result is a creamy, gooey dip that is hearty and satisfying to scoop. I can see this being a hit at any tailgate party throughout the fall months, and it would not be out of place to start off a family dinner or even a social gathering, like a happy hour at home.
No matter when you make this dip, it’s worth the effort. Also, I have tips and tricks for making it in advance below for ya, too.
More dip recipes to make and share: Pepperoni Dip | Buffalo Chicken Dip | Hot Crawfish Dip | Black Bean Dip | Hot Boudin Dip
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Sharp knife or mandoline
- Large skillet (or an oven-safe skillet for the dip)
- Wooden spoon
- Box grater
- Small casserole dish
Here is what you need to make this recipe:
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
- Unsalted butter — we use this to caramelize the onions in. While you can use only oil, I really like the flavor butter brings to the table when it comes to cooking onions down.
- Olive oil — or another neutral oil
- Onions — white or yellow onions are what you want to use here. You could also use sweet Vidalia onions if you can find those. You’ll have a sweeter onion base with those. This is a personal preference thing.
- Kosher salt — we add this directly to the onions to help them sweat, then caramelize. I use medium-grain kosher salt in my kitchen. You could use similarly sized sea salt.
- Worcestershire sauce — this adds a kick of umami flavors to our dip and some depth.
- Cream cheese — please use the full-fat kind. Lower fat or no fat cream cheeses have strange textures and will not blend as easily into this recipe.
- Sour cream — again, please use the full-fat variety. It will make the dip creamy and dreamy and a little tart and delicious.
- Gruyere cheese — shred your own with a box grater! This brings the French onion vibes and also melts like a dream, adding some depth to the base of the dip.
- Fresh thyme leaves — or dried, if that’s what you’ve got on hand. I am obsessed with fresh thyme for obvious reasons and love the brightness it brings to this dip and flavor combination.
How to make Caramelized Onion Dip
Preheat the oven. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick baking spray, and set aside.
Chop the onions. I like to half the onions, then cut them in half again before slicing finely. This makes it to where the onions are a big smaller and less stringy in the dip.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, too.
When the butter and oil are hot, add the sliced onions.
Season with salt.
Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring constantly, until dark brown and caramelized.
This is what they should look like.
Remove the skillet from the heat.
Pour in the Worchestershire sauce, and stir until it’s evaporated.
Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, too.
Add the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until combined. They will become gooey since the onions and pan are still warm.
Sprinkle in the shredded cheese. Stir to combine.
Transfer the dip to the prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the top is dark brown and bubbly.
Garnish with additional fresh thyme leaves. Serve immediately with your favorite dippers.
How to store:
Let the dip cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until the dip is warmed through and no longer stiff.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This Onion Dip with Caramelized Onions would be fabulous for all kinds of entertaining.
In fact, I would make this for just about any type of gathering because who doesn’t love a hot and cheesy dip situation?
If I were making this recipe for sharing, here are a few things I would do:
- Caramelize the onions early. You can do this days in advance, and just store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until it’s time to mix up the dip.
- Make and assemble the dip early, but bake it off just before you want to serve it.
- Serve with various dippers, including ruffled potato chips, baguette rounds and assorted vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unless you can find real caramelized onions already made in the grocery store, probably not. I do not recommend cooking the onions over high heat because they will crisp and burn if you’re not careful.
It should be, but please read your ingredient labels to confirm. Not all Worcestershire sauces are vegetarian.
Quick tips and tricks to the best Hot Caramelized Onion Dip
- Give the onions time to cook down. Since they are the base of the dip, don’t rush them. Caramelizing onions over high heat is a dicey thing, and I do not recommend it because the onions can crisp or burn if you are not careful.
- Caramelize the onions early and/or assemble the dip well before you want to serve it. This way, you can make it in advance and simply bake the dip just before you want to serve guests.
- Have fun with the dippers. We love chips in my household, but you can use assorted veggies, bread or crackers as your dippers, if desired.
Here’s how to make this caramelized onion dip recipe at home:
Hot Caramelized Onion Dip
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions sliced thinly and cut in half (4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ⅓ cup shredded gruyere cheese for sprinkling on top of the dip
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Spray a small casserole dish with nonstick baking spray, and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil.
- When the butter and oil are hot, add the thinly sliced onions. Season with salt.
- Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring constantly, until dark brown and caramelized. You will have around 1 ½ cups (~265 grams) caramelized onions at this point.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, and stir until it’s evaporated. Season with the fresh thyme leaves, too.
- Add the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until combined.
- Add ¾ cup of the shredded cheese. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the dip to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining ⅓ cup cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the top is dark brown and bubbly.
- Garnish with additional fresh thyme leaves. Serve immediately with your favorite dippers.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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