White Bean Dip Recipe

This easy White Bean Dip is a perfect appetizer that is quick to make and perfect to dip your favorite fresh vegetables, pita bread and crackers. It features great northern beans seasoned with fresh herbs and blended for the perfect creamy texture.

Need a few more easy hummus recipes. Try this roasted red pepper hummus or avocado hummus, or this buffalo hummus too.

Creamy White Bean Dip

This healthy white bean dip is a wonderful alternative to traditional hummus. It’s different that hummus in that it doesn’t have tahini added in.  But it is still packed with protein and fiber from the beans, and it’s smooth and creamy texture makes a healthy snack for dipping vegetables or even spreading on sandwiches.

Plus since it’s naturally gluten free and vegan, you have a perfect snack for anyone on a special diet too.

Ingredients Needed

Northern white beans – or cannellini beans or navy beans –  drained and rinsed.  

Olive oil – gives a wonderful creaminess

Garlic cloves – Use jarred minced raw garlic clove or you can mince your own cloves as well. Feel free to add more or less if you’d like.

Onion – I chopped a small yellow onion but feel free to use yellow onion, red onion or scallions too

Dried rosemary – Use a tablespoon of fresh rosemary if you prefer.

Salt and black pepper – add to your liking.

Parsley – for an optional topping.

Variations

1. Add in ½ cup of feta cheese.
2. Blend in a little fresh baby spinach, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers or artichokes.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and zest.
4. Use a combination of white beans and chickpeas or garbanzo beans for a more hummus like dip.
5. Swap the rosemary for thyme or basil.
6. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or a little chipotle peppers for a little heat. 
7. Add a dollop of green yogurt for a little extra tang.

How to Make this White Bean Dip Recipe

Step 1: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a sauce pan

Step 2: Add the onions and sauté on medium heat until tender and becoming translucent.

Step 3: Then add the garlic and sautè for an additional minute or so until fragrant.

Step 4: In the bowl of a food processor, add the white beans, onion and garlic mixture and spices.

Step 5: Puree on high until blended smooth.

Step 6: Gradually add in the olive oil in batches and continue to process until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed.

Step 7: Drizzle with a little olive oil, top with dried or fresh parsley and serve warm or cold.

What to serve with White Bean Dip?

This creamy bean dip is wonderful with fresh veggies like sliced red bell pepper, celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber, etc or warm pita bread, tortilla chips, toasted baguette slices or crusty bread, pita chips or crackers.

It also makes a wonderful sandwich spread.

Tips

Sautéing the onion and garlic before blending everything together really gives this dip an incredible flavor.   You can also use roasted garlic if you’d like.

Feel free to double the recipe for a crowd.

Cook you own dry beans if you have time. If you decide to use dried beans, you’ll need to soak them overnight and then cook them until tender before using them in this recipe.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a high speed blender as well.

FAQ’s