The process of caramelizing onions doesn’t happen all that quickly. You need to let them sit in the pan, stirring of course, for 20-30 minutes. In that time the small amount of sugar in the onions becomes even more pronounced, and their color gets very dark. This sweetness gives them their famous flavor and it pairs so perfectly with the creaminess of the mayo and the sour cream in this caramelized onion dip recipe.

If you don’t love mayo you can leave it out entirely. Just replace it with more sour cream.

If you want to make this a healthier option you can use plain Greek yogurt to replace both the sour cream and the mayonnaise. The onions and the spices give plenty of flavor to this dip regardless of which base you put them into. A few chopped chives add some freshness to this robust dip, too.

I love this dip with some crudité, as it gives a rich counterpart to fresh veggies like broccoli and carrots. But, where this dip really shines is when you serve it with potato chips. There’s something about the salty chips with the sweet-creamy-savory dip that’s just heavenly.

Sure this dip takes more work than mixing a packet with some sour cream, but it also has a flavor unlike any other. Make no mistake- this is NOT the same as French onion dip at all. It’s a complex and elevated dip with just the right balance of flavors- never too sharp or tangy.

When you want a show stopping dip this is the one.