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–+ servings
A hand dipping a potato chip into a bowl of caramelized onion dip with chives on top.
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Healthier Caramelized Onion Dip

This healthier caramelized onion dip is lightened up but still super rich and creamy and perfect for dipping! Everyone goes crazy for this easy appetizer!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Additional Time10 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, (or use olive oil)
  • 3 large sweet onions
  • 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar, (see notes)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, (or sub sour cream)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Bonus add-ins: A few dashes of hot sauce, balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
  • For serving: 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

Instructions

  • Use a mandolin to thinly slice your onions. (Or do it by hand with a knife and slice thinly.)
  • Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat.
  • Add onions, sugar and salt and stir to combine.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, 30-35 minutes or until deep golden brown in color. (I sometimes let them go for 40-45 minutes - they just get better and better!)
  • Remove from heat and let cool completely.
  • In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and Greek yogurt, stirring until smooth and well combined.
  • Add caramelized onions and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Add any bonus add-ins then transfer the dip to a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh chives.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. This dip will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.

Notes

I use nonfat Greek yogurt for this recipe but you can also substitute sour cream. They both add a good tanginess to balance the sweetness of the onions.
Or, you can sub mayonnaise in for some of the cream cheese or Greek yogurt.
My onions tend to release a lot of liquid as they cook. The onions won’t brown with a lot of liquid in the pan. So I sometimes drain a bit off to help the onions continue cooking and browning.
You can skip the sugar in this recipe but it does help with the caramelization of the onions. 
The recipe calls for 3 large onions. It’s about 7-8 cups or so. You’ll end up with about 2 cups of caramelized onions at the end after they’ve cooked.

Nutrition

Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 71mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 163IU | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 0.05mg
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