CLEVELAND, Oh — For those of us born after 1954, French onion dip has been a staple on party buffets and football tailgates all of our lives.
It was created by an unknown cook in California — who mixed dehydrated French onion soup mix with a tub of sour cream. There is nothing “French” about it except the name. It grew in popularity after the Lipton company added the recipe to the packaging of its soup mix in the 1960s.
Today, grocers’ refrigerated cases are filled with a variety of mass-manufactured varieties of this tailgate/holiday party staple. Making a choice sure to please family and friends can be overwhelming, so cleveland.com’s Best of Cleveland reporters Yadi Rodriguez and Brenda Cain decided to help.
They taste-tested 20 different varieties of dips from grocery and big-box stores all across Northeast Ohio, then ranked them, worst to best.
Check out their thoughts below.
No. 20Great Value
No. 20 Great Value French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Walmart
Price: $1.22
Size: 16 oz.
First ingredient: Sour cream
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 45 | Fat 3g | Cholesterol 15mg | Sodium 260mg | Carbs 3g
Our thoughts: Even with its bargain price, this dip is not worth your “investment.” It is SO salty that we could hardly even eat it. The small number of minuscule onion pieces did nothing to add onion flavor to the thin dip. A hard pass.
No. 19Friendly Farms
No. 19 Friendly Farms French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Aldi
Price: $.99
Size: 16 oz.
First ingredient: Cultured milk
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 60 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 240mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: Even though you “get change back from your dollar,” you are better off keeping your 99 cents than using it to buy this dip. It had little, to no, flavor at all, and the thick, caulk-like consistency was off-putting. This is nothing more than a tub of sour cream with some onion powder flavoring stirred in. Bland and boring.
No. 18Good Karma – Plant Based
No. 18 Good Karma – Plant Based French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Fresh Thyme
Price: $3.99
Size: 16 oz.
First ingredient: Water
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 30 | Fat 2g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 190mg | Carbs 3g
Our thoughts: There is nothing “good” about Good Karma. As Yadi Rodriguez said, “Once you get past the look of congealed gravy, you wish it was congealed gravy! This dip looked more like tapioca pudding than chip dip with its lumpy appearance, slimy mouth feel. The aroma was off, as was the taste. Another pass.
No. 17Smith’s Natural
No. 17 Smith’s Natural French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $2.69
Size: 16 oz.
First ingredient: Cultured milk and cream
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 60 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 15mg | Sodium 135mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: We’ve had milkshakes that were thicker than this. This dip is so thin, it barely stayed on the chip. Is this a dip or onion soup? The flavor is OK but nothing much to write home about. There is plenty of salt in this one — so steer clear if you are on blood pressure meds.
No. 16Hartville Kitchen
No. 16 Hartville Kitchen French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Acme
Price: $3.29
Size: 12 oz.
First ingredient: Soybean Oil
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 150 | Fat 15g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 220mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: Another thin dip that barely adheres to the chip — and tastes more like it is made from Miracle Whip rather than soybean oil. This is also an entry that won’t score well with folks trying to cut their salt intake.
No. 15Hope Cashew and Almond
No. 15 Hope Cashew and Almond French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Fresh Thyme
Price: $5.99
Size: 8 oz.
First ingredient: Water
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 80 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 140mg | Carbs 5g
Our thoughts: The fact that the label can’t decide if it is a dip, spread or sauce should tell you something about the consistency. Even though it is thin and watery, it has a grainy mouth-feel and looks a little more like oatmeal than chip dip. And if you are looking for that rich onion flavor, look elsewhere. Ours tasted more like garlic than onion.
No. 14Giant Eagle
No. 14 Giant Eagle French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Giant Eagle
Price: $3.99
Size: 12 oz.
First ingredient: Sour cream
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 50 | Fat 3.5g | Cholesterol 15mg | Sodium 230mg | Carbs 3g
Our thoughts: This store brand was disappointing. There are better ones out there for the same price. If you love sour cream, this may be the dip for you since the sour cream overpowers any onion flavoring that may be in there.
No. 13Kite Hill
No. 13 Kite Hill French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Whole Foods
Price: $4.99
Size: 8 oz.
First ingredient: Almond milk
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 30 | Fat 2g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 190mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: As a dairy-free product, this one may score well with the vegan crowd. But if you are just experimenting with healthy dietary substitutes for the things you love, this won’t push you into a lifestyle change. The light texture doesn’t adhere to the chip well, and the artificial onion flavoring and hummus color are a bit off-putting for those of us still in the dairy camp.
No. 12Dutch Farms
No. 12 Dutch Farms French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Marc’s
Price: $2.25
Size: 16 oz.
First ingredient: Skim milk
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 20 | Fat 1.5g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 130mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: Thicker than many we tried, we both classified it as “good.” But this dip does have less onion flavor that many others we tasted. You will likely know that something is missing, but maybe not be able to put your finger on it. Despite the lack of strong flavor, the onion does linger in the back of your throat.
No. 11Dutch Farms Premium
No. 11 Dutch Farms Premium French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Marc’s
Price: $2.25
Size: 12 oz.
First ingredient: Cultured cream
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 60 | Fat 4.5g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 170mg | Carbs 3g
Our thoughts: This dip was a bit salty for our taste, and was not as creamy as we would have liked — but it did have plenty of rich onion flavor. The cottage cheese consistency comes from plenty of small onion bits in the creamy base, though it was a little on the salty side.
No. 10Dairy Fresh
No. 10 Dairy Fresh French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Dave’s
Price: $1.79
Size: 16 oz.
First ingredient: Skim milk
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 20 | Fat 1.5g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 130mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: If you like your dips strong, this could be the one for you. The texture was more on the pastey side — in a good way — and the flavors were strong as well. The onion and sour cream melded well without overpowering one another.
No. 9Small Batch by Cindy’s Kitchen
No. 9 Small Batch by Cindy’s Kitchen Roasted Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $5.99
Size: 8 oz.
First ingredient: Real sour cream
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 90 | Fat 9g | Cholesterol 15mg | Sodium 200mg | Carbs 3g
Our thoughts: “Robust” is the word for this dip. The notation of “real” sour cream on the label was evident at first taste. The sour cream was sharp and tangy, and roasting the onion really brought out the sweetness and smokiness of the vegetable.
No. 8Dean’s
No. 8 Dean’s French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $2.59
Size: 16 oz.
First ingredient: Skim milk
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 60 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 160mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: We liked the consistency of the sour cream. The smooth creaminess provided a perfect vehicle for the sweet onion flavors — and just the right amount of saltiness to ramp up the experience.
No. 7Hillandale Farm
No. 7 Hillandale Farm French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Marc’s
Price: $1.79
Size: 16 oz.
First ingredient: Cultured milk and cream
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 50 | Fat 4.5g | Cholesterol 15mg | Sodium 190mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: There is plenty of onion flavor to enjoy, but the mouth-feel was so light and fluffy it felt more like we were eating whipped cream rather than a chip dip. Definitely a good option for the price.
No. 6Dairymens
No. 6 Dairymens French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $1.49
Size: 8 oz.
First ingredient: Sour cream
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 70 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 25mg | Sodium 190mg | Carbs 4g
Our thoughts: We had a bit of fun with this tub of onion dip — it was so thick, it didn’t flip out of the package when you turned it over! As for the rest of the experience, it was oddly refreshing and formed firm peaks when stirred. Decent onion flavor, even though we could detect no pieces of onion.
No. 5Trader Joe’s Vegan Caramelized Onion
No. 5 Trader Joe’s Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Trader Joe’s
Price: $3.99
Size: 8 oz.
First ingredient: Dairy-free cream cheese alternative
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 70 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 170mg | Carbs 4g
Our thoughts: Having done “supermarket showdowns for the last few years, we admit our hearts drop just a little when we see things like “dairy-free” and “plant-based” on the label, but this one surprised us with its full-bodied flavor. Without having seen the packaging, we may not have known it was vegan. Plenty of chunks of onion, with just a hint of garlic notes. Even the thicker-than-most texture was not a bad thing. The only downside we could find was a garlic after-taste that hung on for a while.
No. 4Meijer
No. 4 Meijer French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Meijer
Price: $1.09
Size: 16 oz.
First ingredient: Cultured milk
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 60 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 220mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: This is what onion dip should taste like — oniony, garlicky, and just a tad bit salty. It is thick with chunks of onion that do a lot to bring out the rich flavor. The creamy texture is just what we were looking for. Surprising quality for a ‘bargain’ price.
No. 3Heluva Good
No. 3 Heluva Good French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $2.49
Size: 12 oz.
First ingredient: Cultured pastured milk
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 50 | Fat 4.5g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 170mg | Carbs 2g
Our thoughts: Another brand name that has been in your grocer’s refrigerated case for decades and still maintains its quality, Heluva Good has a rich consistency and rich onion flavor in a creamy base. In addition to the bold onion flavor, you’ll get just a hint of garlic flavor. Thick and creamy.
No. 2Trader Joe’s Caramelized Onion
No. 2 Trader Joe’s Caramelized Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Trader Joe’s
Price: $2.99
Size: 10 oz.
First ingredient: Sour cream
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 70 | Fat 6g | Cholesterol 15mg | Sodium 230mg | Carbs 3g
Our thoughts: Trader Joe’s has found a way to put homemade taste into their mass-manufactured chip did. True to its name — this thick dip is full of chunks — not just tiny pieces — of caramelized onion that bring a certain smokiness to your pallet. Add in that pleasing caramel color and you have a recipe for success of your next buffet.
No. 1Lawson’s
No. 1 Lawson’s French Onion Dip
Where we bought it: Circle K
Price: $2.29
Size: 8 oz.
First ingredient: Cultured cream
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 60 | Fat 4.5g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 250mg | Carbs 3g
Our thoughts: For those of us of a ‘certain age,’ Lawson’s was likely the chip dip you grew up on. It still sets the standard for onion dip. Sold these days only at Circle K gas stations, it is worth the extra trouble to go get some. Smooth and creamy, the dip is filled with small onion dices that are not overwhelming and adhere well to the chip. If you grew up on it — it is just like you remember. If you didn’t have this as a child, introduce yourself to it — it will change your life.