French Onion Soup Cheese Dip Recipe

All that makes French onion soup delicious, minus the stock plus a lot more cheese.

Updated April 08, 2025

Closeup of a toasted slice of baguette being dipped in French onion soup cheese dip. — Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

This dip combines the main components of French onion soup and just subtracts the stock. I mix two large, well-caramelized onions with a combination of Gruyère and Swiss cheeses, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a hefty dose of thyme. The result is a dip that's markedly thick (it can be thinned with additional evaporated milk if desired) and delivers the deep sweetness of the onions, nicely balanced by the nutty Gruyère—a surprisingly accurate evocation of the classic dish.

6 Cheese Dips for Your Super Bowl Party | Sauced

January 2014

Recipe Details

French Onion Soup Cheese Dip Recipe

Prep 5 mins

Cook 35 mins

Active 40 mins

Total 40 mins

Serves 8 to 10 servings

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Ingredients

1/2 pound Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 pound Gruyère cheese, grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons butter
2 large yellow onions, diced
10 ounces evaporated milk
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place cheese in a medium bowl and toss with cornstarch until evenly coated. Set aside.
Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add in onions and cook, stirring frequently, until bottom of saucepan is glazed in a pale brown fond, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and scrape up fond with wooden spoon. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until fond has built up again, about 2 minutes longer. Add 2 more tablespoons water and scrape up browned bits. Repeat cooking, adding water, and scraping until onions are completely softened and a deep, dark brown, 20-30 minutes total. Transfer to a small bowl.
Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel
Place evaporated milk and Worcestershire sauce in now empty saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to release any remaining fond. Reduce heat to low and add in cheese. Stir constantly until cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in caramelized onions and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.
Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

This Recipe Appears In

Sauced: 6 Cheese Dips for Your Super Bowl Party

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
271	Calories
20g	Fat
7g	Carbs
15g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories	271
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	26%
Saturated Fat 12g	60%
Cholesterol 64mg	21%
Sodium 307mg	13%
Total Carbohydrate 7g	3%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 2mg	12%
Calcium 522mg	40%
Iron 0mg	2%
Potassium 185mg	4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.