Homemade French Onion Dip Recipe

A Homemade and very easy to make French Onion Dip recipe which will go so well with chips and crackers and even on top of your baked potato skins…yum! Or if you are on a low carb diet any low carb crackers or veggies of your choice are great with this.

This French Onion Dip is irresistibly delicious and easy to make! I have been making it for 40 years and it’s a family favorite at parties, and picnics and during sports games on tv.

It’s a real treat whether you are eating low carb or not. We will show you further down in the recipe how many ways you can eat this dip and why it’s good for everyone.

What is French Onion Dip?

There are 2 different ways of making French Onion Dip.

A quick version of French Onion Dip is made with sour cream and onion soup mix. I have always made this version, and it’s really easy and also delicious. My family has always been a big fan of the Onion Dip with the Lipton Onion Soup mix, but now we are making it with our own blend of spices that is even healthier and better for you.

Another way that takes slightly longer to make uses sour cream with caramelized onions instead of soup mix. This, of course, is wonderful because the carmelized onions add even more flavor. The onions become slightly sweet when you cook them, which appeals to some. 

Why do they Call it French Onion Dip?

What is the history behind the name “French Onion Dip?” It was first called “Lipton California Dip” after the Lipton company began promoting it on television.

As the recipe became more popular, it came to be known as “California Dip,” and then the name later changed to “French Onion Dip” which is usually what we call it today.

When was French Onion Dip Invented?

French Onion Dip has not been around for very long. It was created in 1954, about 65 years or so. But once it came out it was a hit! This sour cream and soup mix dip quickly became a food legend and continues to be one of the most popular dips today.

What Does Homemade French Onion Dip Taste Like?

When you make French Onion Dip it’s creamy with a soft texture, not like an onion dip that you buy in the store in the dairy section which is so hard that it breaks your chips or crackers when you try dipping them into it. 

You also get a savory, natural and zesty onion taste along with a wonderful spice blend with the soup mix unlike anything else you can find in the store.

What Ingredients are in French Onion Dip?

Sour Cream – I like to use full-fat sour cream, but you could use a low-fat version if you prefer. Personally, we prefer the full-fat sour cream because it’s creamier just like we prefer full-fat cream cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products. However, some people prefer to side with lower fat items and that’s ok for this recipe too.

Onion Soup Mix – A blend of spices that we feel goes well together with the sour cream, such as onion flakes, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder…etc. 

You can try our homemade Onion Soup Mix Recipe and see the difference for yourself!

Scallions – Finely chopped green onions add a nice mild onion flavor but at the same time are very flavorful. They add just enough of a slight crunch and also add a nice color to the dip. In my opinion, they are the perfect addition to this homemade Onion Dip. 

Can I Use Mayo in this Recipe?

Though they aren’t traditionally used to make onion dip, if you aren’t crazy about sour cream you could always use plain greek yogurt, cream cheese or mayo.

You can also make a combination of any of the above ingredients, including mixing them with sour cream and low-fat sour cream.  You can even try mixing regular sour cream and low-fat sour cream if you are looking for good taste but also watching your calories.

Can I Use Caramelized Onions?

You may be wondering if you can use caramelized onions in your dip as many similar recipes call for them. If you like caramelized onions you can feel free to add them to your French Onion Dip, on the top and mix in when ready to serve.

Some options for onions include yellow or white varieties. You can slice them into thin slices and caramelize them in butter or olive oil.

I prefer to only use scallions because that’s what my friends and family like the best. My family prefers the scallions and onion soup mix because the dip comes out a little lighter than if you put the caramelized onions in it. 

When you cook onions they become sweeter, so adding caramelized onions to the dip will have this change in taste. Some people prefer that, but I on the other hand like the scallions better, because they aren’t sweet.  It’s really up to you which taste you prefer.

Different Variations on Onion Dip

Even though we chose to make an onion mix from scratch using a preferred blend of spices that we happen to like, you can feel free to change it up adding some new ingredients if you like. For instance, you can use rosemary, thyme, chives, sage, or basil which all blend well with this dip.

Also, if you like it spicy you can add some hot pepper flakes. Just add them a little at a time until you figure out how spicy you want.  Fresh garlic is also a good choice for your Onion Dip, but onion and garlic is one heck of a combo so watch out who you get close to! 

How Do You Make French Onion Dip from Scratch?

Our French Onion Dip is made from scratch, meaning that we start with a base of sour cream then add some spices and scallions. Feel free to use any other creamy dairy that you want to such as cream cheese or greek yogurt…etc. 

Then we add our special blend of spices which are, in our opinion, perfectly blended along with minced fresh scallions.

Let’s see step by step how easy it is to make this French Onion Dip.

The Onion Mix

In a bowl blend all of the spices together. Follow the instructions in our homemade onion soup mix and when you are finished mixing up the dip mix then come back here and follow the next step. 

Double or triple the quantities so that you have extra in reserve for the next time that you decide to make this Onion Dip, because it won’t be your last.

After blended, measure out the portion of the mix you will need for your dip today. Now you’re ready to start to make your actual dip.

The Dip

The first thing you do is grab a bowl that can hold 16 oz of sour cream, with enough room to mix your spices into it. I have a certain bowl that I use all the time, it’s my dip bowl.

Pour all of your sour cream in the bowl.

Next, take your blend of spices that you hopefully made ahead of time and mix them into your sour cream until well blended and smooth.

Top with scallions.

Place your bowl in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes for the flavors to blend together for the dip to chill up and set.

Serve and enjoy!

Best Tips for Low Carb French Onion Dip 

First of all start with a high-quality sour cream, some taste better than others. So don’t go for the cheapest…wait for your favorite brand to go on sale and buy a few, the expiration date usually lasts a month or two.

If you want to add some extra spices then certainly feel free to but the longer the dip sits the stronger in flavor it will be.

If you are going to caramelize some onions, start that as your first step in making French Onion Dip because that’s the most time-consuming part of making the dip. 

Onion Dip, as a rule, is much better if you let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before you serve it to allow the flavors to soak into the sour cream, plus if you put in caramelized onions they will also need some time to thoroughly cool after coming off of the stovetop.

Is Onion Dip Low Carb?

Before I was on a low carb diet I would make Onion Dip with sour cream and Lipton onion soup mix, a very popular way to make it. But I came to realize that the soup mix, although delicious, is full of high carb items. So I had to go to the drawing board and find something else that would be acceptable and delicious at the same time. 

The nice thing is that there are no different ingredients needed to make Onion Dip low carb, it already is that way normally. What makes it low carb is that there are virtually no carbs in sour cream, and the scallions and spices have a minimum amount too. 

After trying many varieties, this is the best French Onion Dip! It will compliment your low carb crackers or fresh veggie sticks like celery, or cucumbers or pepper strips….and the list goes on.

This easy recipe for homemade French Onion Dip is without all of the carbs from sugar and corn syrup and corn starch…etc that is in the popular Lipton onion soup mix that is used a lot in onion dips.  That means it’s guilt-free, so dig in!

How Many NET Carbs are in Keto French Onion Dip?

For 1 Tbsp of Onion Dip, there are 1.9 NET CARBS

Have a few Tbsp of the dip with some veggie sticks and you now have a good low carb snack.

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

Gluten-free – If you have a gluten allergy, you’ll be happy to know that there is no gluten in this onion dip. 

Keto – Things made out of dairy are always a good choice for a keto diet, low carb, and some necessary fat.

Nut-free – There are no nuts in our dip.

Sugar -free – No added sugar added to our dip either.

What is French Onion Dip Good With? 

When we think of Onion Dip we think of it as a yummy creamy addition to some potato chips or corn chips. It’s one of my family’s favorite snack food, especially when watching a football game or a baseball game, and there are a lot of those games on our tv at home. 

You could top off your potato skins with Onion Dip in replacement of plain sour cream.

One thing I’ve recently started trying which is amazing is pouring French Onion Dip on top of your salad instead of dressing. Talk about heaven!

Another good thing to do with an onion dip is to spread it over your chicken and then bake it, which will keep your baked chicken moist. 

Since some of us in our family are trying to be very conscious of our carb intake, we also need to figure out some other things that we can eat that would go well with our creamy onion dip.

If you are looking for some low carb/keto options, there are many. Low carb Keto crackers, the infamous parmesan crisps, and of course fresh veggies like celery, carrots, pepper strips, broccoli florets, cucumbers...etc.

A real good treat would be to make some low carb/keto rolls or also known as fathead rolls, and serve it with your salad and dip the rolls into the Onion Dip.

You could also use it as a dip for your cooked meat or veggies, so dip your chicken or pork or beef into it or serve it on top of your roasted string beans or broccoli…etc.

Can You Make French Onion Dip Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can for sure make French Onion dip ahead of time, in fact, I like to make it a few hours ahead if I know that I’m having guests over because it gives your dip a little time to absorb all of the seasonings which are what gives the sour cream a lot of flavors. 

If I don’t have too much advance warning that I will be needing to make my Onion Dip, then at least make it 30 min ahead of time and it will still set up better and taste more yummy. 

How to Store French Onion Dip 

There’s never any French Onion Dip leftover in our house, but if you don’t finish your bowl of dip, then no problem….just put it in an airtight plastic container and store it in the refrigerator.

How Long will French Onion Dip Last?

In order to make you French Onion Dip last longer, you can place it in an airtight plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate it for close to a week, 5-6 days.

If your French Onion Dip gets a little watery, then just drain off the water and give it a couple of stirs and it will be as good as new.

Can You Freeze French Onion Dip?

You can freeze just about anything but in this case, when you freeze sour cream it loses its creamy consistency because it breaks down and separates when it thaws out. So I wouldn’t freeze it.

In my experience in our family, one bowl full of Onion Dip doesn’t last too long, we sometimes have to make a double batch, and there are not any leftovers anyway.

More Keto Appetizer Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Low Carb Appetizers then try our:

• Low Carb Tortilla Chips
• Best Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Pepperoni Pizza Dip
• Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
• Spinach Artichoke Dip

They all are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will be a hit at your next party!

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