Recipe Review

Slow Cooker Caramelized Onion Dip Sounds Too Good to Be True (but It’s Real!)

updated Nov 8, 2019
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If I were a toast point, I would want to meet my end in this caramelized onion dip. The hot, gooey, cheesy dip is perfect for parties — especially since you make it in your slow cooker. With a bit of prep work, it basically cooks itself, so you’ll have your hands and your whole stove free to focus on other things. 

Start by caramelizing the onions. The author caramelizes the onions in a cast iron pan with butter and olive oil. Let them sweat a little bit, and add a bit of thyme and sugar when they start to turn translucent. Continue cooking them on the stove for about 20 minutes, or until they’re soft, brown, and caramelized. 

The secret to caramelized onions is to give them time. There’s really no way to make them caramelize faster. But if you sit with them until they’re soft and brown, you’ll be rewarded with a ton of caramelized onion flavor.   

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, because this recipe includes a lot of cheese and you don’t want to lose it because it gets stuck to the pan. Put the caramelized onions in the slow cooker along with balsamic vinegar, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese. Set the cooker for about two hours. 

After about an hour and 20 minutes, stir in diced Brie cheese. Twenty minutes after that, add shredded Gruyère cheese to the top. It will melt into a gooey, cheesy topping that just begs to be scooped up with crackers or baguette slices. 

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Hot Caramelized Onion Dip from Little Spice Jar

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn; Food Stylist: Coral Lee/Kitchn

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