This easy French Onion Dip recipe is tangy, creamy, and tastes just like my family's favorite brand (Hiland French Onion Dip). The best part, besides the copycat flavor? I use a simple technique to help it firm up just like the store-bought stuff, without needing any unnatural ingredients!

This homemade French onion dip recipe is free from mayonnaise, MSG, powdered soup mixes, bouillon, and other flavored soup bases (e.g., beef, chicken, vegetable), which can be delicious but aren't necessary to achieve the store-bought flavor we're after.

a glass bowl filled with homemade french onion dip with green herbs throughout and a silver spoon in the bowl

homemade fried kettle chips (in the sun)

If you're wondering why there are so few photos of the dip after it firms up in the fridge ⎯ it's because I decided to take a "little" taste test, and I honestly couldn't stop eating it!

I also couldn't believe how close it was to the real thing. As soon as I make it again, I'll be sure to update with more post-refrigeration photos. For now, there are 2 below♡.

This dip tastes great as soon as it's been mixed, but giving it a few hours in the fridge (or up to overnight) allows time for all the flavors to develop and for the dip to firm up to the perfect French onion dip texture you're familiar with.

Grab a bag of crispy potato chips (or make your own) and start dipping. Better yet, pile this delicious dip onto homemade cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, and shrimp sliders for a little added oniony zip.

the best homemade french onion dip just mixed

No Need to Buy Expensive French Onion Dip

Like so many other families, we grew up eating Hiland French Onion Dip with Classic Lay's potato chips (or occasionally Ruffles). I used to crumble the chips into a bowl, add a huge dollop of dip, stir it until it was one cohesive delicious mass, and eat it by the spoonful.

On the rare occasion my siblings and I are all in the same country at the same time, without fail, one of us buys it, then we all talk about how good (and unhealthy) it is as we scarf it down. And then repeat this cycle until we all go back home.

So, because of our deep-rooted French onion dip love, naturally, the bar was set pretty high for getting this recipe tasting as close to the original as possible. And I I really have with this one.

If you're like us, this recipe gives you the perfect reason to make your own and make it healthier so you can enjoy it more often!

a perfect consistency for homemade french onion dip

Homemade French Onion Dip after Chilling in the Refrigerator

The photos below were taken at night in artificial lighting, so they're not great, but they do show the amazing texture of this dip when it has time to chill and set up.

When you first mix the dip, it feels somewhat loose, but once it's cold, it's the perfect texture. When I first tasted it after it had fully rested and all the flavors had time to properly develop, I honestly couldn't stop eating it. The dip was so good that it never made it to the following day.

a crispy potato chip holding a perfectly textured homemade french onion dip

Recreating Hiland Homemade French Onion Dip at Home

The first obvious step in recreating this dip at home was to review the list of ingredients contained in Hiland French Onion Dip (see below).

Next, I had to figure out what ingredients I would use in my version that would have a similar taste and the same texture. I wanted a dip that wasn't runny or too thick -- just like the original.

Hiland French Onion Dip Ingredients (as listed on the package)

Grade A pasteurized cultured milk and cream (sour cream), potassium sorbate, grade A whey, modified corn starch, sodium tripolyphosphate, guar gum, carrageenan, calcium sulfate, locust bean gum, salt, dehydrated onion, hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, sugar, dehydrated parsley, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Photo of Highland Dairy French Onion Dip nutrition label.

Biting at the Bits Homemade French Onion Dip Ingredients ↓

sour cream (full-fat), heavy cream, non-fat powdered milk, cornstarch, dried minced onion, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt, parsley

French onion dip ingredients (except the sour cream) in a glass mixing bowl

MSG-Free Homemade French Onion Dip

I'm not an MSG-basher. In fact, if you've ever eaten Doritos, Pringles, French onion dip, beef jerky, condensed soup, Chinese takeout, frozen pizza, or just about any other highly processed food, then you've eaten MSG (a flavor enhancer added to many processed foods).

Since we don't really eat a lot of processed foods, I don't worry about consuming too much MSG. That said, I avoid using it as an ingredient at home, mostly because I had a negative reaction to it (when consumed in high quantities from takeout food, etc.) while living in China.

The homemade French Onion Dip recipe has so much flavor that it doesn't need any additional flavor enhancers, but if you've got it, feel free to use it.

Homemade French Onion Dip Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this creamy, tangy French onion dip, and you may already have all of them in on hand. Be sure to use spices without added salt.

full-fat sour cream
heavy cream
corn starch
non-fat milk powder
dried onion (flakes or minced)
granulated onion powder
pinch of garlic powder (unsalted)
cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
kosher salt
finely chopped fresh (or dried) parsley

How to Make Homemade French Onion Dip in Just Minutes

This dip is so easy to make and costs way less than buying it. Fair warning, you may not be able to stop eating it, though.

Make the heavy cream cornstarch slurry. Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to a small bowl and stir in the cornstarch. Stir the mixture together to blend until no cornstarch lumps remain.
Cook the heavy cream + cornstarch slurry. To a small saucepot, add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and heat to a boil. Immediately whisk in the cornstarch slurry, stirring constantly, and continue cooking until the mixture slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 1 minute total). Remove from the heat and use a rubber spatula to transfer the slurry to a mixing bowl.
Make the dip. Add the milk powder, dried onion flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, and salt to the cornstarch slurry and whisk well to combine. Add the sour cream and whisk well to combine, adjust seasonings if needed, add a little parsley to taste, and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight to allow the dip to firm up and the flavors to fully develop. Enjoy!

What to Pair with Homemade French Onion Dip

Now that you've decided to make this super easy French Onion Dip below are a few delicious ways to use it as a dipper or condiment to top your burgers and sandwiches.