Caramelized Onions are my JAM! Well, not literally, but there’s an idea, for a recipe, huh? How good would that be! Today, I used caramelized onions in a healthier dip than some of my other caramelized onion dips. This is Skinny Caramelized Onion Dip and it is perfect to take to a party or serve at home.

Skinny Caramelized Onion Dip

So I made this version “Skinny” because it’s the Holiday season (it’s December 9th as I’m writing this up) and we might want a knock-out dip for a party, but we might want to save some of those calories for other indulgences. Like cookies and candy. Or maybe candy & cookies. 🙂

About Skinny Caramelized Onion Dip:

There’s no loss in flavor even though this is a “Skinny” recipe. The caramelized onions are so good in this that I don’t think you will miss the extra fat and calories in my other favorite recipes. And the yogurt with its tiny bit of vinegar is the perfect, tangy foil for the rich onions.

You might notice that this recipe is not quite as rich and thick as some of my other dips, shown below, but some of that’s a trade-off. Using a good, quality thick yogurt will help; something along the lines of Greek yogurt is perfect. If your yogurt isn’t a thick one, it’s easy to strain it. Directions are in the recipe if you need them.

I like to sprinkle this dip with a few thinly sliced green onions. There are some green onions already in the recipe and I think a few on top make the dip look fresh. They kind of give a little signal; you’ll know at a glance that this is not your everyday old onion dip.

My Other Onion Dips:

I hope you’ll find a favorite or two among my onion dips here. There is Liptons Onion Dip, super easy from the mix. My Skinny Caramelized Onion Dip is on this page. Next is a fab Caramelized French Onion Dip with Bacon adapted from Cooks Illustrated and last but not least, is the best Classic French Onion Dip.

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Making Skinny Caramelized Onion Dip:

Caramelized Onions do take a good amount of time to make, 25 to 30 minutes to properly (look at me lol, “properly”) caramelize. And by properly, they need to cook slow and slow and they are going to need stirring and tending. They are a little bit of a labor of love, but get them going when you’re already doing something in your kitchen and maximize your time.

You know, I can usually toss out a recipe like this at almost a minute’s notice. That’s because I make up a big batch of Caramelized Onions (3 to 4 pounds) whenever I need some and divide the extra up in Ziplocs in small amounts. 1/2 cup like this recipe calls for is a nice amount. Honestly, caramelized onions look a little lame all frozen in little packets but keep in mind that they are gold: concentrated flavor. Here’s a link to take you to Three Ways to Caramelize Onions.

The last little hint I can give you on this dip is to make it a day ahead. I don’t do this with most of my caramelized onion dips, but this one seems to need that bit of time. Maybe it’s the yogurt as a base that makes it different? Are there any food scientists out there who can explain this to me? Anyway, it’s nice to know to make ahead and it’s nice to knock it out ahead if you’re making this for a party, anyway.

And just so you know, you’ll probably want to double the recipe or more. There’s a button you can push on the recipe below, but know that the button won’t double the embedded recipe for the caramelized onions.

Caramelized Onions Three Ways

Storing:

I already mentioned making this dip ahead; it stands to reason it will store well, tightly covered in the fridge. If there is any separation of the yogurt, just stir it back together. It will be fine. It should keep well for around three days but it’s safe for about five or so.

Do not freeze this dip – it well not go well.

Skinny Caramelized Onion Dip

Saving Money on Skinny Caramelized Onion Dip:

Yogurt:

• To save money, buy yogurt in larger cartons. This will hold true whether buying larger cartons of a plain yogurt or larger cartons of a flavored one. Generally, the better brands have fewer additives and natural probiotics, too. A little secret, I always stick with the more versatile plain yogurt and add fruit or jam if I want a flavored one.
• Store yogurt, just like cottage cheese, upside down in the fridge and it will last longer. Make sure it’s airtight so you won’t need to deal with leaks.

Onions:

• Onions rarely go on sale but are usually less per pound in larger bags at your grocery store. Check your buyer’s club & Aldi & Lidl, if you have them. I will say that a buyer’s club may not be as inexpensive as the discount grocers but they generally have beautiful, large onions so they are far less fussy to use. Let’s face it, it’s not only the slicing that makes preparing caramelized onions so tedious, it’s also the peeling!
• Wherever you buy, look through the netting carefully to make sure they’re all sound and once home, store them in a cool dark place away from potatoes.
• If you haven’t used all your onion, either store it in the fridge door where you’ll see it and use it or slice or dice (and saute if you want) bag, label, and freeze  – you’ve saved yourself a step for another recipe. If you freeze raw onion bag it carefully; the smell can permeate everything in your freezer.

Time Saver:

• And if you like to make things like French Onion Dip or French Onion Soup, consider getting yourself a small kitchen slicer. I like my cheapo fold away slicer. It ran about 23 bucks and I’ve had it for decades and use it for so many other things. When I last checked, they were around 30 dollars. I do have to say it is a little flimsy but it gets the job done.
• Your food processor will do the job but it is a little more tedious. It doesn’t slice evenly and the bowl will need to be emptied regularly, possibly several times during the slicing. If the onions aren’t sliced evenly you are likely to have a more difficult time caramelizing them and you may want to pick out any chunks before they go in the dip.

Skinny Caramelized Onion Dip

Skinny Caramelized Onion Dip

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• Author: mollie kirby
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 1 1/4 cups 1x
• Category: Appetizer

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

You might want to double this recipe.

• 1 cup of low-fat Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup caramelized onions, below
• 1 green onion, minced
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt, as desired
• additional green onion for garnish

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Instructions

Combine 1/2 cup caramelized onions, minced green onion, cider vinegar and yogurt in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Note: if the yogurt isn’t a good, thick brand, place about 1 1/2 cups in a paper towel lined strainer over a bowl. Set in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight until yogurt is of desired consistency. If you feel it’s gotten too thick, stir some of the whey (the liquid in the bowl) back in.

To Caramelize Onions:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

Place the oil, onions, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

If time allows, this dip is better after it sits and even better after a day. May be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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I’ll be bringing this recipe to Fiesta Friday 201, hosted this week by Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook. Fiesta Friday’s already filling up with all kinds of holiday goodies & recipes, so be sure to stop by!

Kitchen & Cooking Hack:

Keep slicing across the top, leaving bottoms intact

Regrow Green Onions in a sunny window.