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Creamy Dairy Free Onion Dip with Caramelized Onions

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This dairy free onion dip is made with a creamy cashew base and sweet caramelized onions. It’s a truly irresistible dip to serve at parties, game nights, and movie nights.

This caramelized onion dip is perfect for those who are on a Paleo, vegan, or dairy free diet that are looking for a flavorful, yet healthy alternative to traditional dips.

Eating dairy free is getting easier. So many of your favorite dips can now be made with blended cashews (like this dip recipe) or dairy free cream cheese.

Dairy Free Onion Dip in a bowl with chips.

In 20 minutes (as long as you soak the cashews the night before) you can create a savory dairy free chip dip that is bursting with flavor.

Many people who eat gluten free, tend to eat dairy free too. This simple yet flavorful dip will be the star of your party!

Dairy Free Onion Dip in a bowl with chips.

The best part is that this yummy non dairy onion dip is made with wholesome ingredients. It’s literally soaked cashews, that when blended turn into a thick dairy free cream cheese, and caramelized onions, garlic, and some lemon juice, salt & pepper for flavor.

You can use this dip like a dairy free french onion dip. But french onion dip usually includes some chives and parsley.

Dairy Free Onion Dip in a bowl with chips.

Tools to use for this dairy free dip

For this recipe you will need:

Dairy Free Caramelized Onion Dip Ingredients

You only need a few ingredients to make this non dairy chip dip.

Dairy Free Onion Dip Ingredients
  • cashew pieces, soaked overnight
  • yellow onion
  • neutral oil
  • garlic
  • lemon juice
  • nutritional yeast
  • salt
  • ground pepper

How to Make Dairy Free Onion Dip

Start by soaking cashews in cold water in the fridge overnight. Drain the water from the cashews.

Cashews in a measuring cup.

Slice the onion as thin as you can. 

Onions sliced.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

Heating a pan with oil.

Add the onion. Cook, stirring regularly with a spatula for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and very soft. 

Onions being cooked in a skillet.

Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 5 minutes stirring regularly.

Add the minced garlic to the pan.

Onions browned.

Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the onions are well browned and soft. Add 1 tbsp water to the pan and stir to collect the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat.

Caramelized onions

Using a blender, blend cashews with lemon juice and 2 tbsp water on medium power until mostly smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Cashews in a blender.
Blended cashews.

Add the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to the blender and continue blending until very smooth.

Nutritional yeast added to the blender.
Cashews blended.

Add half the onion mixture to the cashew mix. Blend until the onions are in very small bits, adding 1 tbsp water at a time as needed until desired consistency is reached.

Caramelized onions added to blended cashews.
Blended cashews

Add the remaining onion mixture and pulse just to blend the onions in.

The last caramelized onions added to the blended cashews.

Cover and chill until ready to serve (best if it rests for at least 1 hour).

Dairy Free Onion Dip in a bowl with chips.

Keeps covered in the fridge for 3 days.

Vegan Onion Dip

This delicious vegan caramelized onion dip is made with wholesome vegan ingredients. It’s completely dairy free.

Dairy Free Onion Dip in a bowl with chips.

Dairy Free Veggie Dip

Onion dips are famous for being served with chips but they are also perfect for dipping veggies into.

You can also serve this dip with some carrots, celery, mushrooms, cherry tomatos, broccoli, cauliflower, red & green peppers, and sliced zucchini.

Dairy Free Onion Dip in a bowl with chips.

Gluten Free Onion Dip

This is a gluten free chip dip. None of the ingredients contain gluten. It’s a healthier choice than using a premade dip from the grocery store.

More Dairy Free Recipes

If you love snacks, here are more Paleo desserts and Paleo snacks! Make sure to check out my huge collection of gluten free dinner recipes.

Dairy Free Caramelized Onion Dip in a bowl with chips.

If you loved this recipe, I would be really grateful if you can rate the recipe card and share any photos you took on Instagram using #ditchthewheat and tag me in your post or story.

Dairy Free Onion Dip Recipe

Yield: ¾ pint/350ml

Dairy Free Onion Dip

Dairy Free Caramelized Onion Dip in a bowl with chips.

This dairy free onion dip is made with a creamy cashew base and sweet caramelized onions. It's a truly irresistible dip to serve at parties, game nights, and movie nights.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • ¾ c/110g cashew pieces, soaked over night
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Start by soaking cashews in cold water in the fridge overnight. Drain the water from the cashews.
  2. Slice the onion as thin as you can. 
  3. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
  4. Add the onion. Cook, stirring regularly with a spatula for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and very soft. 
  5. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 5 minutes stirring regularly.
  6. Add the minced garlic to the pan. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the onions are well browned and soft. Add 1 tbsp/15ml water to the pan and stir to collect the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat.
  7. Using a blender, blend cashews with lemon juice and 2 tbsp water on medium power until mostly smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed.
  8. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to the blender and continue blending until very smooth.
  9. Add half the onion mixture to the cashew mix. Blend until the onions are in very small bits, adding 1 tbsp water at a time as needed until desired consistency is reached.
  10. Add the remaining onion mixture and pulse just to blend the onions in.
  11. Cover and chill until ready to serve (best if it rests for at least 1 hour).
  12. Keeps covered in the fridge for 3 days.

    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    6

    Serving Size:

    1

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 151Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 316mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g

    Did you make this recipe?

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    DISCLOSURE: Not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations is at the choice and risk of the reader. Ditch the Wheat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. I only endorse products that I believe in.

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    Carol Lovett is the founder of Ditch the Wheat and a Globe and Mail bestselling author of the cookbook, Ditch the Wheat. She has been eating gluten free since 2010. She loves all things food, natural living, and spiritual. She's also a reiki master and crystal healer.

    Gluten Free Resources

    Do you need help with gluten free meals?
    I recommend this meal-planning app. It makes cooking gluten free dinners extremely easy and family-friendly.
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    Lots! I have a ton of practical gluten free snack recipes in my cookbook.
    How can I eat dessert on a gluten free diet?
    You can 100% eat dessert while eating gluten free. Try my dessert cookbook for easy gluten free dessert recipes.
    How do I know what is gluten free and what isn’t?
    I have a whole section is it gluten free?
    How do I make substitutions?
    If you need substitution advice I created a ton of resources here.

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