Hot & Cheesy French Onion Soup Dip

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If you are a sucker for a hot bowl of classic French Onion Soup- you’re going to LOVE this Hot & Cheesy French Onion Soup Dip! A warm and creamy appetizer best served with crusty bread- this baked onion dip gets its flavor from rich and flavorful caramelized onions, tangy cheddar and a touch of thyme. Put this out at your next party or family get together, and watch it disappear!

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Easy, cheesy, and dangerously delicious warm French Onion Soup Dip

This hot onion dip is flavored with caramelized onion, fresh (or dry) herbs and plenty of gooey cheese for. a decadent and unforgettable dip that’s great for just about any party- from football season to Holiday get togethers. Serve it with crostini crackers or crunchy veggies and watch it disappear!

This dip has all the rich and delicious flavor of a warm bowl of French Onion Soup, in a crave-able, cheesy dip that’s perfect for sharing!

How I like to caramelize onions

While classically trained chefs my poo-poo my method, I feel it is easy, accessible, and fool-proof. Sure… I “cheat” by adding a little sugar. I can live with that!

To make the onions – start with a hot pan of butter or oil (we’re going all butter for this decadent dish). Next add the sliced onions- I like to cut them in half, then into thin slices. Once the onions are in the pan with the hot oil or butter, season them with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and toss them to coat.

After the onions have cooked down a few minutes and begin to brown slightly and release some of their liquid- I go ahead and cheat my a** off and throw some good old granulated sugar in the pan. Toss this to coat- and the onions are off to the races; as the sugar accelerates the browning process. Now it’s just a matter of occasional stirring, and deglazing for about 20 minutes before they are ready to go! I like to keep a cup of white wine (or water) close to the stove and add in about 2-3 tablespoons at a time, deglazing over the full 20 minutes as the liquid evaporates. Once the wine is gone, the onions are done! Caramel magic.

Assembling and baking the dip

Once your onions are ready, the dip comes together in a flash. All you need to do is stir together a few ingredients, add the onions and get ready to bake! To make the dip, you will need:

What goes into the Hot onion dip:

• Those delicious, freshly made caramelized onions. 
• 2 bricks of cream cheese, softened. Leave it on the counter for an hour or so before you’re ready to make the dip. Mixing firm cream cheese is HARD (literally and figuratively) and makes for mixed results, with not so mixed ingredients. Plan ahead and let those bricks chill on the counter and get nice and pliable. 
• A cup of sour cream, for tang and even more richness. 
• A bit of dry or fresh thyme, to give the dip that classic soup flavor. If using dry, use half of what you would use fresh to avoid overpowering the dip.
• A bit of Worcestershire sauce, for umami goodness. 
• Gated Parmesan cheese, for salty, cheesy bite. 
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese, to top the dip and make it extra bubbly, crisp and gooey. 

To bake the dip, simply stir together all the ingredients above (except the cheddar), and transfer to either 1 greased 8×8 glass or ceramic baking dish, or 2 large oven-safe soup crocks. I like to serve the dip in 2 crocks, because it’s super cute- and because it is French Onion Soup Dip, after all. If you are taking this to go- it could also be prepared in a foil pan.

Once the dip is in your baking vessel of choice, top it with the cheddar cheese and transfer it to a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Then resist the urge to dig in (and burn your mouth) for about 10-15 minutes.

What to serve with the Baked French Onion Soup Dip

My hands-down favorite thing to serve alongside this rich, creamy and dreamy dip are slices of crisp sourdough bread. I brush the slices on both sides with olive oil, then place them under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes a side until they are just golden brown.

I also love a good crusty bread cut into bite size pieces, some good, sturdy crackers, sourdough pretzels, or even sliced veggies like carrots and celery with this dip!

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Made this recipe? Leave a review and rating below!

If you make my Baked Caramelized Onion Dip, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me on Instagram! I love to see your photos!

Looking for more great appetizers?

Why not try my Philly Cheesesteak Jalapeño Poppers, Pickle Battered Cheese Curds, Italian Egg Roll Mozzarella Sticks, or Garlic Herb White Bean Dip!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Hot & Cheesy French Onion Soup Dip

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time55 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Appetizer

Keyword: appetizer, caramelized onions, french onion soup, hot dip

Ingredients

Caramelized Onions:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 medium white or yellow onions, sliced thinly 
• salt and pepper, to taste 
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup white wine (for deglazing), (can sub for chicken stock or water)

Dip

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (for topping)
• cooking spray or butter, for greasing the baking dish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease an 8×8 glass or ceramic baking dish or 2 large oven-safe soup crocks with cooking spray and set aside.

  2. Caramelize the onions- Peel the onions and slice them in half, and then into thin slices.

  3. Add butter to a large non-stick frying pan, and heat over medium heat until melted.

  4. Add the onions, and season with salt and pepper.

  5. Toss the onions to combine with the butter, and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are slightly softened and some moisture is released- about 5 minutes.

  6. Add the sugar, stir to combine with the onions and continue to cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.

  7. Deglaze the pan with 3 tbsp of the white wine (or water), and stir. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated. Continue to add wine or water, 3 tbsp at a time to deglaze the pan, making sure to stir and wait for all liquid to evaporate before adding more liquid. Repeat until full cup of wine or water is gone, making sure to stir and wait for evaporation at each interval. Takes approximately 20 minutes total. Once the onions are caramelized, remove them to a bowl and set aside.

  8. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and parmesan cheese until well combined- then fold in the onions.

  9. Transfer to an 8×8 baking dish, or divide between 2 large soup crocks, and top with shredded cheddar. Bake, uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, and serve with warm crusty bread, chips, or veggies!

*Notes/Substitutions:

If you don’t want to use wine- you can deglaze the onions with water.

Pro tip: I like to save a few onions back and sprinkle them in with the cheese topping to make it extra pretty, or sprinkle fresh chives over the top. 

I like to bake in ramekins/soup crocks, which makes 2 bowls of dip, but you could bake in a 8×8 or 9×12 baking dish as well. 

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