Gluten Free+ Vegan French Onion Dip will be your favorite snack for game day, parties, and everything in between! Can be made soy free.
One of the biggest obstacles I’ve found when making vegan snacks is conquering the perfect creamy, delicious vegan dip. I still eat dairy from time to time (although it never makes me feel that great) and the one dip I kept wishing I could conquer is a classic vegan french onion dip. While I’ve got a delicious white bean dip (with one surprising ingredient!) and a ‘cheesy’ spinach dip recipe under my belt, vegan french onion dip was one I still hadn’t found the right recipe for. All the recipes already out there were filled with vegan mayonnaise (aka oil) or other ingredients that would usually require a special trip to the grocery store. Since my main goal with making this perfect vegan onion dip recipe was to make things as easy and streamlined as possible, those just weren’t going to cut it. Plus, when you’ve got a craving, you want to be able to get your dip on without a trip to the store, am I right?
The other piece to making this perfect vegan and gluten-free french onion dip was making it soy free as well. I know tofu and other soy products don’t sit well with everyone, so using tofu as a thickener was out. I knew the main base for this dip was going to be soaked cashews since they are basically a magical unicorn of thickeners in the vegan cooking and baking world. A good base of a simple cashew cream will do wonders for thickening soups, pie fillings, and just about everything in between, so it would be perfect for vegan french onion dip! I was trying to think of another thickener for the dip, thinking that cashews weren’t going to be enough along with a healthy dose of caramelized onions and a few spices to give it some oomph. Well, I was winging it with this recipe (but thank goodness I wrote it down) and just cashews as the base did the trick. Turns out, when you soak the cashews and blend in cashew milk, olive oil, and lots of good seasonings, it’s the base for a perfect vegan and gluten-free party dip.
I will warn you, the longest part of this gluten-free french onion dip recipe is the step of caramelizing the onions. It is going to feel like it takes FOREVER and it kind of does, but if you make a big batch of them and save the extras, they go perfectly on pizza, in pasta, basically everything. My belief is that roasted garlic and caramelized onions can improve just about anything savory, so it’s worth the extra time to make them. I usually make a big batch of caramelized onions, then make dip with a good portion of them and save the rest for dinners throughout the week. They can also be frozen in batches if you aren’t going to use them all throughout the week, but I’m betting you will find a way to use them all before you even have to get there. If caramelizing onions is a new thing for you, this article explains the method really clearly and makes the process pretty much foolproof. My biggest advice is to keep the heat low and not get impatient. I like to make a batch on the stove while I’m meal prepping for the week, so it seems to go much faster. You want golden brown delicious onions, not burnt bits!
I would recommend refrigerating this for at least a few hours before serving. I ate quite a bit of it right out of the bowl, but it was even better after being in the fridge for a while. Also, this recipe was sparked by my lovely coworker Anne, who has a lot of food allergies but I took them on as a challenge to make the perfect game day or party dip. We always tend to chat about the foods we are craving (all day, every day) and this vegan french onion dip came up quite often. Enjoy! xoxo
PrintVegan French Onion Dip (Gluten Free)
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Snacks
Description
Gluten Free+ Vegan French Onion Dip will be your favorite snack for game day, parties, and everything in between! Can be made soy free.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 yellow onions sliced thinly
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 6–8 hours
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon tamari or coconut aminos (soy sauce if you aren’t GF)
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
To caramelize the onions:
- In a large skillet or pan over medium-low heat, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil until hot. Add the sliced onions and allow to cook low and slow for 30-45 minutes, stirring every so often and cooking until they are a deep, golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool while making the rest of the dip. (Can also be prepared 1-2 days in advance)
To make the dip:
- In a high powdered blender or food processor, combine all remaining ingredients, plus 1/3 cup of the caramelized onions. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more water if necessary.
- After dip has been blended and become creamy, transfer to a large bowl. Fold in an additional 1/3-1/2 cup of caramelized onions, stirring until combined.
- Can be eaten immediately or refrigerated in a container for up to 3 days.
Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek says
Oh I love this! I want this in my possession right now. Bravo, Abby! xoxo
Heart of a Baker says
xoxox Thanks Kelsey!
Sara @ Cake Over Steak says
Nice! Everybody loves a good onion dip. Glad you could figure one out that was vegan-friendly. 😉
Heart of a Baker says
It makes game day sooo much better!
Tessa | Salted Plains says
I am SO excited about this, Abby! Love that cashews did the trick. This has me ready to snack! xo
amanda paa says
you win most creative. cashews! so smart, and i’m sure super creamy. want to make this for the next game day!
Heart of a Baker says
Cashews are really the key! xoxo