You only need 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to make this creamy white bean dip! Served with pita chips and veggies, it's a delicious snack or appetizer.
If you have cannellini beans, olive oil, and a lemon in your kitchen, you’re well on your way to making this white bean dip recipe. My advice? Go for it! It comes together in seconds in the bowl of a food processor, and it’s absolutely delicious. Lemon juice and zest fill it with bright flavor, olive oil adds richness, and the white beans blend into smooth and creamy perfection. Once you have it on hand, you’ll find yourself scooping it up with carrot sticks and pita chips, slathering it onto sandwiches, dolloping it onto bowls, or (like me) eating it by the spoonful out of the fridge! Trust me, you want to try this recipe ASAP.
White Bean Dip Recipe Variations
I love this simple, lemony white bean dip recipe as written, but feel free to use it as a blank canvas! Here are a few of my favorite variations:
- Herb it up! I love this fresh twist! I like to blend in basil or rosemary, but other fresh herbs like tarragon, parsley, thyme, mint, dill, or chives would be great too. Dried herbes de Provence would also be a lovely addition.
- Go the garlic route. Add 1 garlic clove to the food processor along with the other ingredients, or use roasted garlic! To make it, slice 1/4 inch off the top of a head of garlic. Place it cut-side-up on a piece of foil, drizzle it with olive oil, and sprinkle it with salt. Wrap the garlic in the foil and roast for 40 to 60 minutes at 350°F, or until the garlic cloves are deeply golden brown and tender. Let it cool slightly, and then add 1 clove at a time to the dip, blending in more to taste.
- Cook the beans yourself. If you have the time, cooking your own beans is totally worth it. You can amp up their flavor by simmering them with an onion, garlic, herbs, or dried chiles, and you can control their final texture. For this recipe, I like to cook them until they’re very soft and almost falling apart. Drain them and allow them to cool slightly before you blend up the dip, but don’t toss the bean liquid! Use it instead of the water in this recipe to add delicious depth of flavor.
How to Serve White Bean Dip
This white bean dip recipe is a fantastic party appetizer! When I’m hosting, I often serve it with fresh veggies, crackers, and baguette as part of a loaded crudité platter.
But because this recipe is so easy to make, it’s also a great everyday dip. Keep it on hand to eat as a snack with veggies and pita chips, slather it onto a veggie sandwich, scoop it into a pita with crispy baked falafel, or add it to any grain bowl for extra protein.
More Favorite Dip Recipes
If you love this white bean dip, try one of these easy dip recipes next:
Then, find more delicious appetizers here!
White Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1½ cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 small garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water, if needed
Optional fresh herbs:
- 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt, and several grinds of pepper until combined. If the bean dip is too thick, slowly add the water with the food processor running. Process until smooth. Blend in the basil and/or rosemary, if desired.
- Serve with veggies or pita.
Delicious, healthy, and easy to whip up with pantry ingredients and a few fresh herbs! I used a bit of mint and thyme from the garden. The lemon really brightens this up. I’ll be making this often, thank you!
Super simple and delicious recipe! I doubled it, and added lots and lots of herbs from my garden (dill, rosemary, chives, basil, oregano, mint, and sage!). It’s just the most light and flavorful dip. Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow!
I ended up making this recipe by accident after I overcooked some dried white kidney beans. I knew I’d seen recipes for white bean dip somewhere so I chose this one as I have always found your recipes reliable and delicious. Wow! I couldn’t stop licking my fingers during cleanup, so delicious!
I have frozen some as I made a double recipe. Hopefully it freezes well. I am taking some to my friend’s for dinner tonight. Thanks for such a simple and delicious recipe, the fresh lemon juice and particularly the zest really make it special and so fresh tasting.
Great tasting recipe. I used two cans of navy beans, Which meant I needed to double the recipe… so glad I did! I used black garlic for one of the measurements and regular garlic for the second dose.