This Hot French Onion Dip is creamy, cheesy and gooey with the most delicious French onion flavor that is sure to become your new go-to appetizer!
A CREAMY AND WARM APPETIZER
Made with caramelized onions, melty cheese, and a creamy base, this baked dip is based off French Onion Soup (and boy is it GOOD!) This dip is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. I think even folks who don’t consider themselves fans of onions, love this dip. And if you’ve never made caramelized onions at home, I am going to show you how easy it is. It really transforms the flavor of the onion to something so soft and almost sweet. It may look hard to make or like a fancy appetizer, but this dip is really so simple to make – the hardest part is just waiting for those onions to caramelize!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I believe you should be able to keep this warm in a slow cooker. Just follow the directions for caramelizing the onions and add the cream cheese. Then pop it all in a small slow cooker and add the cheese and then put on low to finish cooking then turn it to warm. This will help keep it warm for serving, especially if you are serving this at a gathering.
Yes! You can caramelize the onions in any skillet, then transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish like a pie pan or small casserole dish for baking. I just find that the cast iron skillet seems to work best for even heating.
Caramelizing onions properly takes time, but I was taught that adding a pinch of sugar and a splash of water or broth can help speed up the process slightly. However, avoid rushing, as low and slow cooking really does give the best flavor. Use medium to low heat to ensure the onions caramelize slowly and evenly without burning. This can take 20-25 minutes, but the deep flavor is worth it. Also, you should stir occasionally, but not too frequently, to allow the onions to develop color.
Great dippers include baguette slices, pita chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, crackers, or fresh veggies like celery, carrots, and bell peppers.
You can mix in cooked bacon bits, chopped spinach, or even a dash of hot sauce for a twist.
Yes, you can assemble the dip up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate it, then bake it when you’re ready to serve. If baking directly from the fridge, add 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
Absolutely! Gruyère adds a creamy, nutty flavor, but you can use mozzarella, Swiss, cheddar, fontina, or even Monterey Jack. A mix of cheeses can also add depth to the flavor.
Yes, if you’re short on time, you can use pre-caramelized onions or onion jam from a jar. Just make sure to adjust the sweetness of the recipe, as some onion jams can be quite sweet. I haven’t tested it myself so you’ll kind of have to play with the amount to use. Add a little at a time then add more to your taste.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the skillet or microwave until warmed through.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- unsalted butter – salted butter could be used
- yellow onions – yellow onions or sweet onions work best for this recipe – not red onions.
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic – for best flavor, use fresh garlic. The jarred stuff can be used in a pinch.
- salt and pepper – if you’re sensitive to sodium, you can omit this or lower it to better suit your needs. The Worcestershire sauce also has salt in it as well as the French Onion Soup.
- French onion soup– feel free to use a low sodium or no sodium added version if you are sensitive to sodium.
- cream cheese– softened to room temperature. If you forgot to pull it out early to soften it, check out my Tips to Quickly Softening Cream Cheese. Use room-temperature cream cheese to ensure a smooth and creamy dip. If the cream cheese is too cold, it may not mix well.
- gruyere cheese – shredded. Gruyère adds a creamy and nutty flavor that pairs well with the onions, but you can substitute it with Swiss cheese or fontina if needed. For extra richness, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top before baking.
- French fried crispy onions– these are the French fried (crispy) onions (not a paid affiliate link) that I used, but any brand of them will work just fine.
- fresh thyme – this is an optional ingredient but it adds a nice, fresh herby flavor to top it all off.
HOW TO MAKE HOT FRENCH ONION DIP:
Heat a medium sized cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the sliced onions, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and caramelized, about 20-25 minutes. Reduce heat if they start to brown too quickly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Stir in French onion soup and cream cheese. Place skillet over low heat until cream cheese has completely melted.
Remove from heat and top with shredded Gruyere cheese and French-fried onions.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the dip is bubbly and golden on top. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired. Serve hot with baguette slices.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
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Heat a medium sized cast iron skillet (about 10 inches) over medium heat and add 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter.
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Once melted, add 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
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Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and caramelized, about 20-25 minutes. Reduce heat if they start to brown too quickly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
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Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
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Stir in 10.5 ounce can French Onion soup and 8 ounce block cream cheese, room temperature. Place skillet over low heat until cream cheese has completely melted.
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Remove from heat and top with 12 ounce block gruyere cheese, shredded and 6 ounces French fried crispy onions.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the dip is bubbly and golden on top.
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Garnish with fresh thyme Serve hot with 1 baguette, sliced.
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- If you don’t have a heat safe skillet (like cast iron) transfer the prepared caramelized onion mixture to a 9×9-inch baking dish and continue with the recipe as written.
Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Sodium: 954mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
