Caramelized Onion Dip

A quick and healthy Caramelized Onion Dip that's made with Greek yogurt and of course, caramelized onions. Serve it with carrots, cauliflower or your favorite crackers for an easy appetizer. 

I know caramelized onions are incredibly controversial: you either love 'em or you hate 'em. Of course I'm in the "love" category -- seriously, they make everything better!

If you're also a fan, you MUST try this caramelized onion spaghetti squash. It's one of the most popular recipes on this site. In fact, I'm going to recommend that, when you make this caramelized onion dip, you double up on the onions so you have extras/leftovers to make the spaghetti squash.

Ingredient notes:

Onions - Sweet onions are ideal for caramelizing, but yellow onions work too

Spinach - Technically you can use any kind of greens; spinach wilts really quickly, and won't overshadow the onions which is why it's my preference in this recipe

Yogurt - Plain Greek yogurt; could sub your favorite dairy-free yogurt to keep this vegan

Butter/oil - When caramelizing onions I love using a combination of butter and olive oil -- the butter makes them taste delicious, while the oil helps them to caramelize a little bit faster; again, can sub vegan butter if you want

Method

First: Caramelize the onions. Add the onions, butter and oil to a large, deep skillet. Turn the heat to low, and caramelize the onions by stirring occasionally until they are soft and golden brown in color. This will take 20-25 minutes, so be patient.

Second: Add the spinach. Once the onions are almost perfect, add the spinach and stir for 1-2 minutes until it's wilted. Transfer the spinach/onion mixture to a large bowl.

Third: Stir everything together. Add the yogurt to that bowl, then stir everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste, and even some chopped chives on top for garnish.

Tips

• Make sure you caramelize the onions on LOW heat. Low and slow is the way to go for these; otherwise, they could burn/turn too brown too quickly.
• If for some reason the onions seem to be browning too quickly, add a little more butter and turn the heat down even lower.

Can caramelized onions be made ahead of time?

Yes! To do so, prep them following Steps 1-3 in the recipe card below. Allow them to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Is this recipe vegan?

No, but you can easily make it vegan-friendly by using dairy-free butter and your favorite dairy-free yogurt in place of Greek yogurt.

Any other recipes I could use the caramelized onions for?

Yep! Try making my caramelized onion spaghetti squash, this sweet potato pizza and/or this caramelized onion and parmesan quinoa.

More healthy appetizer recipes

• Charred Vegetable Platter
• Buffalo Spice Almonds
• Buttery Turkish Hummus

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

Caramelized Onion Dip

A quick and healthy Caramelized Onion Dip that's made with Greek yogurt and of course, caramelized onions. Serve it with carrots, cauliflower or your favorite crackers for an easy appetizer. 

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Author: Erin

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet or yellow onions sliced
• 2 tablespoon butter or more
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 3 cups spinach
• 2 tablespoon chives chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Thinly slice the onions, then place them into a large, deep skillet, along with the butter and olive oil.
• Turn heat to medium-low. Once the butter melts, reduce the heat to low and cook the onions on low for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until they're soft and golden brown.
• While onions are caramelizing, chop the chives and set aside and place yogurt in a bowl.
• Once the onions are *almost* perfect, add the spinach to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes until it's wilted. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the yogurt and stir to combine.
• Add chopped chives, salt and pepper and enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation 

*If the onions seem to be browning too quickly, add 1-2 tablespoon additional butter and reduce heat even lower, stirring a little more frequently. 

*To make this vegan: use dairy-free butter and dairy-free yogurt instead of Greek yogurt

Nutrition

Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1176IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg

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UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in June 2016. It was updated with new text and photos in December 2020.