Vegan French Onion Dip (Oil-Free!)

This 5-minute vegan French Onion Dip recipe is a tasty appetizer or snack! The creamy base is a simple homemade sour cream, then we infuse it with rich onion flavor. Great for party spreads or snacking at home! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, cashew-free option.)

This healthier French Onion Dip (also called sour cream and onion dip) is so rich, creamy, and flavorful!

Plus it comes together nice and easy in about 5 minutes. We take a shortcut method and use dried minced onion flakes instead of caramelized onion.

The creamy base is achieved by preparing a simple cashew sour cream. (However please see the notes below if you are looking for a nut-free version!)

Vegan onion dip is a great, crowd-pleasing choice for sides, snacks, appetizers, parties, and get-togethers.

Ingredients for French Onion Dip

For this recipe you will blend in a high-speed blender, then stir together:

• Raw cashews: You'll need one cup raw, unsalted cashews. We'll soak them first to help blend into a creamier consistency.
• Fresh lemon juice: You will need one tablespoon fresh lemon juice for this recipe, which is roughly a quarter of a lemon.
• Apple cider vinegar: This adds a nice tang to the homemade sour cream. You could also substitute white wine vinegar if needed.
• Dried onion flakes: These are also known as dried minced onions. They're made from onions that have been minced and dehydrated. We use these instead of caramelized onions because they have lots of flavor and there's no need to cook anything! Just stir them right in.
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Salt: I use fine grain salt for this recipe. We'll include it in the cashew sour cream to help enhance the flavors.

Blender note: A good quality high-powered blender works best. I use a small Nutribullet for this recipe. It works very well blending the cashews into a creamy consistency. (Previously, I had a Ninja blender that did not work nearly as well.)

Customizing

Stir-ins: Other additions to this dip include a tablespoon or so chopped chives, green onions, dried parsley flakes, fresh parsley, or black pepper to taste. (I love including chives, both as a mix-in and garnish!)

Cashew-free: Instead of the homemade cashew sour cream, use a store-bought vegan sour cream without cashews. Or if you have a favorite homemade version without nuts, that works great too! You'll need about 1 cup of the dairy-free "sour cream" base. You could also try vegan yogurt (plain & unsweetened) but I haven't tested this version yet.

Serving

Chilling time: You can serve this dip right away, but it tastes even better after it chills in the fridge for a couple hours. This allows the flavors to blend and intensify further.

Dip: Serve it in a bowl as a dip with raw veggies, crackers, crinkle cut chips, or other potato chips. I like carrot sticks, cucumber, tomato, celery, bell pepper, broccoli, etc.

Condiment: You can even use this as a flavorful sauce to dollop on baked potatoes or with toasted bread.

Storing

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I find it keeps well for about 3-4 days.

Want more cashew goodness? Try this delicious Vegan Ranch Dressing!

For more inspiration, also browse all vegan dip recipes or appetizer recipes.

Vegan French Onion Dip (Oil-Free!)

This 5-minute creamy dip combines a tasty homemade sour cream with rich onion flavor. Serve it with fresh veggies, chips, or crackers!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Course: Appetizer, Dip, Snack

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings: 4 (1/4-cup servings)

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

For the cashew sour cream:

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked*)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Stir in:

• 2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes (dried minced onions)
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• Optional: chives, green onions, dried parsley flakes, black pepper

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Instructions

• Add all ingredients for cashew sour cream to a high-speed blender. Blend for at least 30 seconds or until smooth.
• Pour/scrape sour cream into a small bowl. Add onion flakes, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine. (I also like to add chives.)
• Can serve immediately, but it's even better after it chills for a couple hours.

Notes

*Soaking cashews: Before blending, soak the cashews in room temperature water for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. Then drain and rinse before using. Alternatively, you can "quick soak" the cashews: Place cashews in a heat-safe bowl and carefully add hot/boiling water until cashews are covered. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes. Then rinse and drain.

Yield: Recipe makes about 1 heaping cup.

Serving suggestions: Serve with crackers, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, bell pepper, ruffle chips, etc.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts

Vegan French Onion Dip (Oil-Free!)

Amount per Serving

Calories

192

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

14

g

22

%

Saturated Fat

 

3

g

19

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

8

g

Potassium

 

271

mg

8

%

Carbohydrates

 

13

g

4

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

3

g

3

%

Protein

 

6

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

1

IU

0

%

Vitamin C

 

4

mg

5

%

Calcium

 

23

mg

2

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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If you are enjoying this vegan French Onion Dip recipe with cashew sour cream, also check out:

• Vegan Cashew Queso
• Cashew Pesto

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