Sweet Onion and Parmesan Dip
It’s football season… and hockey season… and World Series time. The holidays are right around the corner, then New Year’s Eve, and before we know it… the Super Bowl. This all means that it’s a very good time to stock up on fabulous, easy appetizers. Not that there is ever a bad time. Appetizers and desserts are my favorite food groups, after all. When it comes to appetizers, dips trump all in my world. If a dip is especially cheesy, it gets bonus points. Yesterday, my father-in-law came over to watch some football with my Chief Culinary Consultant; I was bouncing around the kitchen and wanted to give them something to snack on since it would be a few hours before dinner would be ready. I didn’t want to run to the store, and I wanted something warm, easy and not time-consuming. That’s not too much to ask, right?!
I remembered coming across this recipe recently and it seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Five ingredients, all that I had in the house, and literally five minutes to throw together and get into the oven. Dip success!
A sweet onion is diced up and mixed together with cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. That’s it! The mixture is baked together until the top is nice and golden brown, and then try to hold people back. This totally unassuming dip is hopelessly addicting. You can’t quite it. I dare you. Since I didn’t want to go to the store, I served it with some tortilla chips and pretzel crisps that I already had in the pantry. This would also be great with baguette slices or crackers.
I love stashing away quick and easy appetizer recipes that can be thrown together when you have last-minute guests or need to balance a complex holiday menu with a really simple appetizer. If you’re serving a crowd, you may want to scale the recipe up, as four adults completely demolished this dip in short order!
What’s your favorite easy game-day dip?
Two years ago: Favorite (Hardcore) Chili
Three years ago: Homemade Cracker Jack
Five years ago: Buttermilk-Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake
Six years ago: Bostini Cream Pie
Sweet Onion and Parmesan Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (224 g) mayonnaise
- 1 cup (160 g) small diced sweet onion
- 1 cup (100 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- Baguette, crackers or chips, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion, Parmesan cheese and black pepper until completely combined.
- Transfer to a small baking dish and bake until the top is deep golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Serve hot with baguette slices, crackers, pretzels or tortilla chips.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This is delicious and one of our favorite appetizers ever! I could eat this with a spoon. I also experienced the layer of grease on top after baking but I am not bothered by it. Let’s face it, it’s not a healthy dish with all the mayonnaise but sometimes you just need something yummy! Thank you for the excellent recipe.
Made this for New Year’s Eve and it was amazing! Everyone loved it, and it was SO simple.
I have been wanting to try this recipe for a little while now, and I finally made it tonight! Very tasty – and my husband loved it, too!
This is delicious and super easy. I used low fat cream cheese and slightly less pepper with excellent results. Thank you!
Could you add apples or pears and maybe bacon? I had something similar at a catered event and they would not share the recipe! I think that this is very similar adding the above mentioned ingredients. Just wondered how “fluffy” this gets once baked
Hi Em, Absolutely! Bacon would be fab :) It’s not too fluffy, not like a soufflé or anything.
Made this over the weekend. The flavor was great, however, there was so.much.grease floating on top that it was insane and slightly unappetizing.
Hi Stephanie, I’m not sure what would cause a layer of grease?! Did you use extra cheese or add butter or anything?
Nope, followed the recipe as written, with the exception of using neufchatel cheese rather than cream cheese. You would think that would make it less greasy, but perhaps it had the opposite effect?
Either way, I did eat it, no worries :) I make a lot of recipes from your site and appreciate the content! Thanks.
Hi Stephanie, The neufchâtel cheese has a much higher water content than full-fat cream cheese, which is why you could have experienced that layer at the top.
I used neufchatel and had the same thing happen to me. I didn’t have fresh parm, so I used the powdery stuff. I’m sure both of these contributed to the oil slick on top of my dip! i spooned most of it off and the dip was still wonderful served with toasted baguette!
I made this last night and took it to a family get-together. Everyone loved it!
Thanks for sharing! Made it last night and it was a hit. Super easy to make and really tasty.
I made this last night for a mid-week get-together… it was a huge hit!! Super recipe and I’ll be making it many times.
I doubled this for a large group, and it was a hit! I tasted it cold, before baking – and it was delicious even then! I love how easy it was to throw together with items I always have on hand. Great recipe!
THIS is one of my go to hot dips – it is the best. I have made it 30 times, now allllll my friend make it! The pepper and the browning of the top are they keys…the browner, the better!!
Onions and cheese are easily two of my favorite foods in the whole world so this would be very dangerous to have around. I’m definitely making it for a Pats game next time we have friends over!
Sometimes the best recipes are born of what’s on hand in the pantry!! I frequently try to do the same when I’m at home with my three kids and simply can’t face the rush of packing them up and dealing with the grocery store :) I am going to try this recipe for sure!! The classic spinach artichoke dip used to be my favorite, but I am on the hunt for a replacement for the sake of variety!!
This sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try it out on my Italian family!
Made this tonight – SO easy and SO good! It impressed “the guy” … thanks! ;-)
This looks great. I love caramelized onion dip :)
Silly question time: did you grate your own Parmesan cheese or did you use the powdery kind that they call grated?
Hi Angela, I bought fresh grated Parmesan from the cheese counter at my grocery store. So, while I did not actually grate it, it was freshly grated and not the powdery kind :)
Perfect for hockey season
I *love* onions, and that dip looks fab. And I normally have all of those ingredients in, so even better!! Think I’ll be making it soon :-)
Thank you for sharing your sweet onion dip.
Yummy !!!!
I’ve made this before! It’s so good!
I don’t think anything can beat your spinach-artichoke dip!
This would be a huge hit at any party-yum!
I love these ingredients. Can’t wait to make this!
The Frugal Gourmet did something similar to this years (decades?) ago except he piled it on small pumpernickel toasts and broiled. It was amazing, as I’m sure this will be when I make it!
Thanks!
This dip would cause people to cheer and high five me, thanks in advance! :)
I regularly make a very similar — and also very simple — onion dip. And it’s easy to remember: ONE vidalia onion, ONE cup mayonnaise, ONE cup cup shredded cheese. Bake till bubbly. That’s it. You can jazz it up with a jalapeno, maybe, or a splash of sriracha sauce but there’s really no need. I love this one, too.
This sounds absolutely fabulous. I’m a lover of all things onion. Yum!
Dips are the best and this one does not look like it would dissapoint! Saving it for the holidays!
I noticed the original recipe from White On Rice instructs baking this dish for less time (30-45 mins). Did you find it needed the additional time for the onions to be done? Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Sylvia, I did. At 40 minutes, the edges were just beginning to brown.
I never knew it was so easy! I am never buying this type of dip again!
Random non dip related comment: re: Duke’s teething – a raw, peeled carrot really worked for us. I hope you find some of his milk teeth :)
I like a little food with my dip :) I can really go to town on some dip! And I bet this one is wonderful! I wonder how it would be with artichokes added in. I may just have to try that :)
Delightfully easy, looks like! Good thing, I could use some snacks to cheer the Cardinals to victory with…