Dairy Free French Onion Dip
Add this incredible dairy free french onion dip to your next party or gathering! Rich, creamy and jam-packed with flavor, you’ll never believe it’s made without any butter, cream cheese or sour cream. A crowd pleasing favorite, it’s also way better than store-bought thanks to loads of caramelized onions. Gluten free and vegan.
Appetizers can be a bit challenging when you’re dairy free.
So many party classics are loaded up with tons of cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, butter. The list goes on.
And when you’re at a gathering staring down a table of finger foods you can’t actually enjoy? Yeah, it’s not so much fun.
My solution? Bring your own options. Especially ones that will please even your dairy loving friends and family.
Like this incredible homemade french onion dip.
Featuring plenty of sweet caramelized onions balanced out by a dreamy, creamy, cashew base filled with just the right amount of spices and flavor.
Making it WAY better than the store-bought dairy free versions.
I’ve tried several and they barely have any of that awesome caramelized onion taste (some, um, not at all).
How To Make Dairy Free French Onion Dip
So, let’s talk about how this dreamy dip goes down.
Caramelize the onions. First up, we’ll cook some diced onions over low heat for about 40 minutes until deeply, gorgeously, caramel brown in color.
Blend up the base. Next, we’ll add cashews, water, lemon juice, spices and worcestershire to a high speed blender and process until perfectly smooth and creamy.
Mix em’ together. We’ll combine the creamy base with the caramelized onions and then transfer to a container.
Chill for several hours. Finally, we’ll pop the dip in the fridge to chill until it thickens slightly and the flavors have had time to meld.
Dipping Ideas
While I tend to go classic and serve this dip with potato chips, there are so many different options. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- potato chips
- pita chips
- pretzels
- crackers
- tortilla chips
- crusty bread
- chopped or sliced fresh veggies
Note: Please remember to check the ingredients on your dipping vessels to make sure they are dairy free. When I first developed my allergy, I was shocked to realize that even some potato chips contain dairy.
Tips & Tricks
- If you forget to soak your cashews overnight, use the following quick soak method instead. Add the cashews to a heatproof bowl, then cover with boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then proceed with the recipe.
- I highly recommend using a high speed blender as the cashews will blend up so smooth and creamy. You can certainly try using a regular blender, just keep in mind it will take longer to smooth out and won’t have quite as perfect of a consistency (I’ve found cashew based sauces can be a bit grainy in texture with a regular blender – they just don’t have enough power).
- Not feeling the olive oil? You can absolutely use dairy free butter instead.
- Now, let’s talk about the onions. I know it seems like a large quantity – especially once diced – but they cook down significantly as they caramelize. So use them all.
- And finally, keep in mind that all stovetops and pans cook a bit different – which is why there’s such a wide range for the cook time for caramelizing the onions. Keep an eye on them during the process and cook until they have that gorgeous caramel-y color, adding the water as needed to keep them from sticking / burning. If you want to infuse even more flavor, you can use beer (make sure it’s dairy free!) or broth instead of the water.
How To Store
Fridge: The dip will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days.
Additional Dairy Free Appetizers You Might Enjoy:
- Dairy Free Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Dairy Free Taco Dip
- Dairy Free Nachos
- Dairy Free Chex Mix
- Dairy Free Deviled Eggs (No Mayo)
- Dairy Free Stuffed Mushrooms
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.
Dairy Free French Onion Dip
Add this incredible dairy free french onion dip to your next party or gathering! Rich, creamy and jam-packed with flavor, you’ll never believe it’s made without any butter, cream cheese or sour cream. A crowd pleasing favorite, it’s also gluten free and vegan.
Ingredients
For the onions:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium onions, diced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- water, as needed
For the dip:
- 1 ¾ cups raw cashews, soaked overnight*
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (vegan or gluten free as needed)
- thinly sliced chives, for garnish
Instructions
For the onions:
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add in the onions and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then turn the heat down to low.
- Continue to cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and more frequently toward the end of the cooking time, until the onions are a caramel brown color. If at any point they start to stick or brown too much, add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan as you go (I need to do this numerous times throughout the process, especially towards the end).
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
For the dip:
- Drain and rinse the cashews, then add to a high-speed blender along with the water, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast and worcestershire.
- Blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes (stopping as needed to scrape down the sides).
- Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add in the cooled onions. Mix until well combined, then taste and season with additional salt / pepper as desired (I usually add a bit more salt).
- Cover and place in the fridge to chill for several hours (the flavors will meld and the mixture will thicken up slightly during this time).
- Give the dip a good stir, garnish with some fresh chives then serve with your favorite chips!
Notes
*Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. If you forget to soak your cashews, a quick soak method is included in the tips & tricks section in the post above.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 182Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 170mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
Thanks for the recipe!My best advice to anyone else that makes this is remember: Don’t rush this. It may take some extra time in the blender to get the proper smoothness and it definitely needs the time for the flavors to develop.But, ohhhhh!, so yummy!!
So happy you enjoyed Emmy! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know 🙂
I have a cashew sensitivity; any suggestions for another type of nut?
That’s a hard one. I know a few people who say that macadamia nuts work decently … but to be honest I’ve never tried it myself so I have no idea if / how it would turn out!
This dip looks like the typical dairy filled version – bravo!! Looks delish!
Thanks Nicole!
Absolutely irresistible! Serious, who needs the chips when a dip like this made with plenty of cashews and caramelized onions? I would lick the whole darn bowl clean and I am not kidding about it.
haha I love it!