Dairy-Free Onion Dip (Paleo, vegan, gluten-free)

Vegan onion dip in a bowl surrounded by broccoli florets, baby carrots and vegan crackers.

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Dairy-Free Onion Dip (Paleo, vegan, gluten-free)

This easy Dairy-Free Onion Dip recipe is an irresistible snack or appetizer! You just need a few simple ingredients to make a creamy, savory dip that's perfect for parties, game day and more. Plus it's gluten-free, low carb, keto, and can easily be made vegan and Paleo friendly. Serve with chips, crackers and your favorite raw veggies.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

cooling time15

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2½ cups peeled, diced yellow onion from about 2 large onions
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup warm water, if necessary
½ cup mayonnaise, Paleo/vegan if necessary
½ cup dairy-free yogurt, Paleo/vegan, if necessary
1 tablespoon lemon juice
for serving: raw vegetables like baby carrots, broccoli or cauliflower florets, sugar snap peas or strips of bell pepper; crackers; potato chips

Instructions

Heat a large (12") skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then 30-60 seconds later stir in the onions, ½ teaspoon salt, the pepper and onion powder. Let cool for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn the heat down to low and cook the onions until they're soft and caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12-15 minutes. (This might not seem like enough time, but these are diced onions and therefore caramelize faster than sliced onions.) Be sure to scrape up the bottom of the pan as you stir the onions to get all the little brown bits of flavor.
Once the onions are ready, if there's still a lot of brown bits on the bottom of the pan, add the water and use your spatula to scrape up the bits. Let the water simmer until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Then transfer the onions to a medium mixing bowl. (If you don't need the water, just transfer the onions immediately to the bowl.) Let cool for about 15 minutes.
Add the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and another ½ teaspoon salt. Stir until everything is combined. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve right away or chill covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Substitutions

I tested this recipe with all yellow onions and a combination of yellow and red onions. I preferred the all-yellow version but feel free to experiment.

You can use whatever kind of mayonnaise and yogurt you like to make it vegan, Paleo, etc. (See suggestions in the ingredients list in the blog post.)

I tested this recipe with dairy-free sour cream and, while the texture was thicker, the flavor was much too strong. But if you want, you could try ¼ cup yogurt and ¼ cup sour cream (or dairy-free cream cheese).

If you want a bit more spice, add more black pepper or a pinch of cayenne.

Make ahead

You can chill the dip in the fridge, covered, for up to a week.

Freezer

I do not recommend freezing this.

Nutrition