Creamy Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic Dip
On a scale from 1 to 10, how in love are you with caramelized onions? My affections ranks way up there, and I love when I’m out to eat and a burger comes with caramelized onions on top. Sadly, I hardly ever make them at home. Why?! They are incredibly easy and pretty much make themselves, but I’ve never gotten in the habit of having them on hand. When I came across this dip, there was no doubt that it was going to be utterly fantastic. Caramelized onions that have been deglazed with beer (I used non-alcoholic Labatt Blue), then stirred into a mixture with roasted garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese and scallions.
Seriously? This is dip heaven.
I tasted this both before baking (I couldn’t help it!) and after, and it totally reminds me of a French onion dip. The cream cheese and sour cream are an awesome complement to the onions and roasted garlic, and you can never, ever go wrong with adding cheddar cheese to a dip. Never.
Be forewarned that this makes a fairly small amount of dip (I baked mine in a casserole dish that is just a tad over 1 quart in size), so figure on about four to six servings. If you’re making it for a party or a crowd, I would definitely double it. There will be puddles of tears when this is gone!
One year ago: Caramelized Pear Tart
Two years ago: Dutch Apple Pie Bars
Creamy Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic Dip
Ingredients
For the Caramelized Onions:
- 2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Two pinches of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (170 ml) beer (any kind will do)
For the Dip:
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (227 ml) sour cream
- 6 cloves roasted garlic
- 4 ounces (113 g) cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, dark green parts reserved for garnish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Caramelized Onions: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced onions and, using a metal spatula, stir to coat all of the onions with the olive oil. Reduce the temperature to medium and cook the onions, stirring and turning occasionally, not allowing them to burn, for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the onions with the kosher salt and sugar, and stir to evenly distribute. Reduce the temperature to medium-low and continue to cook, turning and stirring, scraping up any browning on the bottom of the pan, until the onions are a deep golden brown, 20 to 30 more minutes. Pour the beer into the pan and scrape up any browned bits that have collected on the bottom. Let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until all of the beer has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble the Dip: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using a fork, mash the roasted garlic into the cream cheese and sour cream until a smooth, homogenous mixture forms. Stir in the cheddar cheese, white and light green parts of the green onion, and the caramelized onions (reserving a bit for garnish, if desired).
- Transfer the mixture to a small baking dish (I used a Le Creuset dish that's just over 1-quart in size) and bake until golden brown and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with the reserved caramelized onions and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips, bread or crackers. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Made this for a work potluck, and everyone loved it. Caramelized the onions and roasted the garlic a day ahead and then put everything in a 1.5 quart slow cooker about 1.5 hours before the party. I used 6 small cloves of garlic and found it had a strong (but not overwhelming) garlic flavor. If your cloves are big, you may want to reduce the number. Delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I made this for game night, and wow, it’s as good as it looks. It was loved by all, and the host wanted the recipe right away. I have to say, there is a major time commitment in caramelizing the onions and roasting the garlic. Although BEB says 45 minutes prep, I would say it’s at least 1 hour, and more if you count slicing up the onions. The beer evaporation phase took closer to 30 minutes. I roasted the garlic while the onions were cooking. I made the dip the night before, then cooked right before we left for our friends house. I would definitely make it again, just need to plan.
This is going on my must-try soon list!
Absolutely love this dip! I want to eat it right.now! I love nothing more than caramelised onions – you can put them on everything really! Saving this for my next dinner party!
Anisa – The Macadames. xx
http://www.themacadames.com – All things food, style, travel, home decor, lifestyle & more – stories told through the lives of twenty something Aussie women.
Oh my goodness, this dip has so many good things! The photo itself is mouthwatering.
I’d rank my love for caramelized onions at 15 — is that ok? They add so much to a dish, and this dip looks beyond incredible!
Ooh, I’ve been wondering what to make for a potluck picnic I’m invited to this weekend….. now I know! This is definitely it. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Would this be good for dipping vegetables too?
Hi Kate, I think vegetables would be great for dipping!
This would make a very tasty toss for Pasta, would it not?? Too rich, do you think….I would substitute cheddar with asiago for a bit of.a bite! Let me know what your thoughts are. I have all the ingredients to make it tonight.
Hi Terina, I think this might be a bit heavy for pasta, but maybe not more so than an alfredo?
Gosh that looks so good. I think I might try it this weekend, but I may try dicing the onions… texture thing…:) I bet it smells even better!
This dip is all my favorite things. Caramelized onion, roasted garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and beer. You sure know how to win a girls heart.
Can’t buy beer where I lie and don’t think you can buy one bottle or can when I am in a larger location. Is there something else you could use for the beer. The recipe sounds so good.
Should say live and not lie.
What about wine? That would give a fondu-ish taste to the dip. I main idea is to deglaze the pan to get all the onion flavor, so you could use chicken or beef broth, water, or maybe even some milk/cream.
Hi Linda, You just need to de-glaze, so wine would work, as would chicken or beef broth.
This sounds so good! I’m definitely going to have to make this (for some occasion so I don’t eat the whole thing!). Have you seen the hummus with caramelized onions available at the grocery store? I think it was Joseph’s brand. It was really good, and I thought it was interesting because the recipe I use for home-made hummus includes onions, such a nice touch.
Mmmm… yum!! My family loves loves looovveee caramelized onions, this would be such a win in my home!!
I’m obsessed with onion dip, and this one looks like it would be no exception! Love the gooey cheddar top! Caramelized onions are basically culinary gold, in my opinion. Can’t go wrong with them!
Caramelized onions are soooo dreamy in everything, but especially dip!
Man, caramelized onions are the BEST! I love them on everything. Especially pizza. And this dip! Beyond delicious.
It’s dishes like this that make me miss going to Super Bowl parties! :D Living in Germany now, it’s not quite as fun when you have to stay up until 3 in the morning to watch the show…plus they replace all the commercials with German ones! boo-hiss lol
Looks incredibly delicious! Well done :)
THIS!! Wow, this looks just incredible. All the things I love!