Caramelized French Onion Dip – The Food Charlatan

Growing up, our house backed up to an intersection. Kitty corner from us was our church, where I attended seminary every morning in high school at 6:05am (!!!), and across the street was the high school. I always joked with my friends that my entire life was encapsulated in one intersection.

We were literally 50 yards from everything, but you had to walk down the entire block and then back again to get there. If you wanted to stick with those conventional sidewalks, that is.

Hopping the 6 foot cement fence in the backyard was the obvious solution, but how? My dad came up with the idea of using a ladder, the kind with a shepherd’s hook at the top, that people use for above-ground swimming pools. Voila!

The whole neighborhood started using the ladder to skip the extra block to school, and it was used for years. My dad still hops the fence to get to church every week. He likes to race my mom, who drives the two blocks (ain’t no way she’s hopping the fence in a skirt), and sometimes he beats her.

When you hop a 6-foot fence several times every single day, you get pretty casual about it, or at least I did in high school. One morning on the way to seminary, when it as still dark outside, I jumped without looking, and landed directly in front of this woman out for her morning jog. She screamed sooo loud and was clearly terrified that a random teenager had literally fallen out of nowhere into her path. We didn’t collide, thank goodness, but it was very close! 16-year-old-me felt so bad, but not so bad that I don’t still kind of laugh about it to this day. (I wonder what HER story is 😅)

I asked my family for more fence hopping stories:

I think you can guess which messages are from my brothers, always keepin it classy 😅

One day, my dad was making scrambled eggs. He went outside, knelt down by the weeds that grew out of the landscape edging we all stepped over every single day on the way to to hop the fence, snipped said weeds with scissors, and sprinkled them over his eggs. Because they were CHIVES. My mind was absolutely blown. Yer a wizard, Dad! I had NO idea we had edible weeds in our yard 😂

I always think of this when I buy chives, like for today’s recipe, which I am SOOO excited about!!

The best recipe for French onion dip

I never thought I could adore a dip the way I adore this dip. I love me some caramelized onions, but go ahead and add a ton of creamy cheese and chips? Stop itttt.

This will be the only thing I’m snacking on poolside this summer. If you invite me to your summer BBQ, I’m showing up toting this dip. I might even still be stuck on it come Thanksgiving, where it actually makes a perfect centerpiece to a Charcuterie Board. (I would know, this dip with charcuterie is what I served last November! I’ve been holding out on you for months with this recipe!!)

What is French onion dip?

Have you ever had French Onion Soup? If not, please go make that right now, then we can talk.

Just kidding. (Also, did you click over? Those pictures are sooo old but I promise the soup is legit.)

French Onion Dip is just the cheesy, dip-able version of the glorious soup.

The soup starts out with a ton of onions, which we slowly caramelize with the patience of turning coal into diamonds. (Trust me, worth it). Once finished, we immerse them in a rich beef broth. THEN we top it with crusty bread and cheese, which is broiled to perfection. I know, RIGHT??

The dip version takes the flavors and adds a ton more cheese, minus all the liquid, plus potato chips. I mean how can we go wrong here?

French onion dip is specifically made with beef broth flavors. If it doesn’t have the beef component, then it’s just onion dip. I have some BEEF with today’s sneaky snack makers, because there are so many store-bought ready-to-eat dips out there claiming to be French onion, that are really just plain ol’ onion dip. NOT SO, SIR! Give me my beef or give me death. Or something like that.

Onion dip is mostly sour cream with dried minced onion and a few other seasonings, almost like a super oniony ranch. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I can get down with a good onion dip as much as the next guy, but it is not the same!! No beef, no caramelized onions, and doesn’t come close to the deep, savory, almost sweet flavor of French onion dip!

French onion dip recipe ingredients

Here’s a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this dip. Nothing special, the magic happens when we caramelize! Check out the recipe card for exact amounts!

What do you eat with French onion dip?

Well if you’re like me, you could eat this stuff straight up with a spoon. But there are a few particular items that I particularly love that work as dippers at parties!

• crinkle cut potato chips are BY FAR the best potato chip option, with that classic potato chip taste to complement the flavor of the dip and strong enough to scoop inappropriate amounts of it without breaking
• I love this dip with veggies: carrots especially, but also cucumbers, bell pepper, celery, jicama, snap peas, etc.
• try other crinkle cut chip flavors: I absolutely love this dip with Salt & Vinegar Chips. Or try different vegetable crinkle cut chips (like sweet potato, tomato, spinach, etc)
• french fries! hello!
• pita chips, pretzels, or any kind of cracker
• slices of good bread like French or sourdough, or crostini (toasted baguettes). Bread would make it feel a little like Spinach Artichoke Dip, hello yum.

You can also use your dip as a condiment to elevate so many foods! Check ’em out:

How long does French onion dip last?

First, make sure it’s in an airtight container. Then store it in the refrigerator where it should last for 5-7 days. French onion dip IS PERFECT for making ahead to save you time the day of serving. I’m thinking Thanksgiving, New Years Eve, any potluck ever. It can be served chilled, so it will be ready to pull out and use right away. But don’t limit yourself if you have travel time. This dip is killer when served room temperature. (I actually prefer room temp.)

Can you freeze French onion dip?

I do not recommend it. Dairy, in particular the sour cream in this case, does not do well in the freezing and thawing process. It tends to separate and get watery or grainy. No thank youuuu. Stick to keeping this dip in the fridge for storage. If you don’t think you can eat the whole batch in 5-7 days ((or honestly, you didn’t hear it from me, but it lasts longer than this if well sealed), I recommend either making a half recipe or planning to gift some to friends or neighbors.

French onion dip frequently asked questions

More incredible dips and sauces you’ll love!

I’m a sucker for a good condiment. It can totally make a whole meal or even event to have just the right sauce or dipper!! Look through these recipes for your favorite dip recipes and more!