Baked with tender caramelized onions and lots of gooey cheese, this caramelized onion chickpea dip is the best hot and cheesy appetizer!
Appetizer season is in full swing and I’ve got the best dip to add to your lineup if you need another hot and cheesy option! (which btw is always).
Caramelized onions are a pretty tried-and-true base to any good dip but I wanted to take things a step further with this dish and make it extra hearty. A can of chickpeas did the trick pretty nicely!
The end result is a pan of dip that you will more than likely make an entire meal out of.
There’s really not much to this dip, folks, but trust me the flavors DELIVER. I blame the deeply flavorful caramelized onions and the two kinds of cheese baked on top.
But the real winning factor behind this dip is that you can prep the entire pan ahead of time for easy baking whenever you’re ready for it! Keep scrolling for my best make-ahead tips.
This Dip features…
- Tender chickpeas and caramelized onions
- Gooey gruyere and Parmesan cheese
- Incredible served hot with crispy crostini for dipping
Making the Dip
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Unsalted butter
- Sweet onions
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Cream cheese
- Sour cream
- Worcestershire sauce
- Chickpeas
- Gruyere cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Chives
- Crostini
How to Caramelize Onions
You will need 1 large sweet Vidalia onion cut into thin slices to make the caramelized onions for this dip.
The most important part about caramelizing is cooking the onions very slowly so you’re going to want to cook the onion over medium-low heat for about 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are a deep golden brown.
These onions store very well, so you can easily make them ahead of time and store in the fridge for recipes.
Tips for Perfect Chickpea Dip
- Drain and rinse chickpeas – this will prevent excessive liquid from making its way into the dip.
- Lightly mash chickpeas – mashing the chickpeas will evenly distribute them throughout the dip.
- Soften cream cheese – this will help the cream cheese blend easier into the other ingredients.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on the dip.
- Use another bean – try white beans in place of the chickpeas.
- Try a different cheese – try cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, or swiss.
- Add meat – try folding browned sausage or bacon bits into the dip.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.
- Caramelize the onions – caramelized onions may be stored in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Assemble the dip – assemble the dip in pan and store in refrigerator up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temp for 30 minutes before baking according to recipe instructions.
Once you start dipping into this dip you’ll quickly find out it’s scary addictive! I like to use crostini since they’re a bit of a sturdier dipper that holds up under the thick layer of cheese and all that hearty chickpea/caramelized onion goodness.
Spoons also work here, just saying.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More cheesy appetizers to whip up next!
Caramelized Onion Chickpea Dip
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh chives for topping
- Crostini for dipping
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and stir occasionally until onions are a deep caramelized color, about 30-35 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Place caramelized onions in a bowl and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375F and lightly grease a 9-inch skillet or baking dish. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and Worcestershire sauce into caramelized onions until smooth and creamy.
- Place chickpeas in a bowl and mash well with a fork. Fold into cream cheese mixture and season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Scrape chickpea mixture into prepared skillet or baking dish. Top with gruyere and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake chickpea dip at 375F 15-20 minutes until dip is bubbly. Optionally, broil dip on high 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese. Top dip with fresh chives and serve warm with crostini for dipping. Enjoy!
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