French Onion Soup Dip

Tailgating snacks month

Football season is here, and with it, all the tailgating snacks. Even if you don’t watch football, these appetizers are a real treat. Perfect for any party or get together.

This cheesy and delicious hot onion dip doesn’t use any onion soup mix! All that amazing onion flavor comes from fresh onions that are cooked to a browned and caramelized perfection.

How to make

French onion soup dip with cream cheese was inspired by my French Onion Bruschetta recipe. It’s a delicious way to enjoy all that oniony goodness.

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions.

Get your ingredients out. I like to mix up the cream cheese and sour cream while the onions are cooking.

You’ll start by caramelizing the onions on the stove. Don’t rush this process. You want them to be nice and browned.

Then add the broth to the onions, a little at a time. I use and recommend vegetarian broth, but feel free to use beef broth for a more classic flavor or chicken broth if you prefer. I’m a big fan of using what already tastes good to your family.

Next, you’ll mix the onions with the creamy goodness – cream cheese, sour cream, and mozzarella. Make sure it’s all in an oven proof container. I used a large cast iron skillet for the pictures, but it can be a humble casserole dish if you prefer. Just make sure that it’s an oven safe container.

Top it with the shredded Gruyere and into the oven to bake until hot and bubbly. You could brown it under the broiler for a minute if you wanted as well.

Serving suggestions

But how do you eat French onion dip? Oh, you mean besides just eating it with a spoon?

My favorite way to eat this is with sliced French bread, sourdough, or any crusty bread. You get that classic French Onion Soup vibe with the bread.

But don’t stop there. It’s also delicious with breadsticks, crackers (I especially like Triscuits here), sturdy pretzels, potato chips, or tortilla chips.

Sliced veggies are a great option too: Sliced red peppers, cucumbers, or carrot sticks.

And I like using a knife to help serve up the dip and get all the yumminess onto the bread or chip.

You can make homemade bread sticks as well. This is a recipe I shared in my lasagna dip recipe.

• ½ of a loaf of French bread Italian bread, or sourdough
• 6 teaspoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Slice bread into sticks. Mix olive oil, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Brush olive oil mixture onto bread sticks. You can sprinkle a little Parmesan onto each stick as well if you like. Bake in 350° oven for 8-10 minutes until golden and toasted.

Storing leftovers

Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat it in the microwave. I’ve also been known to eat it cold from the fridge.

Make ahead

This is a great make ahead appetizer. Caramelize the onions, and mix them together with the cream cheese, sour cream, and mozzarella. Allow it to cool completely. Keep the mixture in an airtight container in the fridge a couple of days.

When you’re ready, Place the dip in an oven safe dish, sprinkle with shredded Gruyere and pop it in the oven to bake. It might take a few extra minutes to bake if you’re baking it directly from the fridge.