This Baked French Onion Dip is inspired by one my wife and I had at Middle Child Clubhouse in Philadelphia. It has all of the best parts of french onion soup mixed with the base of a creamy and addicting dip.
Sweet caramelized onions are folded into cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise, topped with a layer of melted gruyere cheese, and then baked until golden and bubbling. Serve it with crusty bread, crackers, endive lettuce cups or kettle cooked chips and enjoy!
Looking for another party dip? Try this Stuffed Mushroom Dip.
Party SNack
MAKE AHEAD
Quick Look: Baked French Onion Dip
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 45 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 55 minutes
- 🧅 Servings: 8 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 318 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Caramelize the onions on the stovetop and then bake in the oven
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Yellow onion, cream cheese, gruyere cheese
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Medium! Caramelizing the onions takes some time and a little finesse, but assembling the dip is easy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant quality – This dip was inspired by one we had at Middle Child Clubhouse in Philadelphia, SO, in my humble opinion, it has a restaurant quality to it. The sweet caramelized onions and bubbling gruyere top add. a level of sophistication to the typical french onion dip that is usually served cold.
- Easy to assemble – Thinly slicing and caramelizing the onions takes some time, but once that is complete, it is so easy to combine and bake. You can cut down on prep time by using a mandolin to slice your onions. I love this one that keeps fingers safe!
- Perfect for making ahead – You can caramelize the onions and mix the dip earlier in the day so it’s ready to bake at party time. Just leave the “filling” of the dip in the fridge for a day, pop it into a skillet or pie plate, top with shredded cheese and bake it up!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients you need to make this delicious Baked French Onion Dip. For the full list of ingredients, head to the recipe.
- Yellow onions – yellow onions are best for caramelizing because of the texture and sweetness that comes out as you cook them down
- Light brown sugar – add light brown sugar to the onions at the end gives a boost of caramelization and sweetness to your onions
- Cream cheese – the cream cheese is the base of your dip. Allow it to get to room temperature so it spreads and mixes easily
- Sour cream – add sour cream to keep the dip creamy while adding some extra tang
- Gruyere cheese – gruyere is best for this dip because it is the signature cheese on french onion soup and it melts perfectly on top of the dip
Looking for another french onion inspired recipe? Make these French Onion Pork Chops.
How to make This Baked French Onion Dip
Step 1: Cut onions into very thin slices. Add to a pan with olive oil and toss to evenly coat in the oil. Take your time caramelizing the onions and add salted butter, brown sugar and worcestershire sauce to the pan and toss until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 2: Turn off the heat, but leave the skillet on the stove. Add the cream cheese, sour cream and mayo to the pan.
Step 3: Toss to mix with the onions. Once an even mixture remains, top with the shredded gruyere cheese.
Step 4: Place the skillet in the oven to bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Baked French Onion Dip 🧅
- Be patient with the onions – This is the most important step. Low and slow is the only way to get properly caramelized onions. Do not rush them on high heat or they will burn instead of getting sweet and golden.
- Soften the cream cheese first – Room temperature cream cheese mixes smoothly with the other base ingredients. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps in the dip, so allow it to come to room temp before mixing.
- Broil at the end for 2-3 minutes – After the dip is baked and bubbling, switch the oven to broil to get the dip deeply golden and slightly crispy on top. Watch it closely if you decide to broil!
- Let it rest before serving – Give the dip 5-10 minutes to cool slightly before serving. It is extremely hot right out of the oven and the flavors come together as it rests.
Want a cold creamy dip option? Make this Classic Cold Crab Dip.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use a different cheese instead of gruyere?
Swiss cheese is the best substitute if needed. Other options include gouda or aged white cheddar. Avoid mild cheeses like mozzarella as they do not add the same depth of flavor.
Why are my onions not caramelizing?
Caramelizing onions takes time and low heat. If your heat is too high the onions will fry and brown too fast on the outside without becoming sweet and soft on the inside. Keep the heat at medium to medium-low and stir frequently, giving them a full 30 plus minutes.
Can I make this dip ahead of time?
Yes! The full dip can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. The caramelized onions alone can be made up to 2 days ahead. Bake just before serving.
Storage
This dip is best served fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Other delicious Dip Recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Baked French Onion Dip
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz brick of cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded
Instructions
- Peel the onions and cut in half. Cut each half into very thin slices. Heat olive oil in an oven safe skillet like a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Once the oil is warm, add the onion to the pan and toss to evenly coat in the oil.
- Take your time caramelizing the onions. I like to keep the heat between medium and low to ensure they brown, but do not burn. If your stove runs hotter, you may want to keep the heat closer to low. Saute the onions, tossing occasionally until they are soft and golden brown – it should take between 30 and 40 minutes. While the onions are cooking, preheat the oven to 400F.
- Add the salted butter to the pan and toss until its fully melted into the onions.Then, add the brown sugar and worcestershire sauce to the pan and toss until the sugar is dissolved.
- Turn off the heat, but leave the skillet on the stove. Add the cream cheese, sour cream and mayo to the pan and toss to mix with the onions. Once an even mixture remains, top with the shredded gruyere cheese and place the skillet in the oven to bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes.
- Serve warm with potato chips, tortilla chips, fresh vegetables or toasted bread.
Recipe Notes
- Take your time caramelizing the onions so that they fold into the dip and almost melt into the cream cheese.
- Gruyere is best because it is the classic French onion soup topping, but you can substitute Swiss cheese if needed.
- Broil at the end to get the perfect golden brown topping. Watch closely if you broil the dip to avoid burning.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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