White Bean Dip

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.

White bean dip recipe

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 and 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, 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.

Creamy white bean dip

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!

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White Bean Dip

rate this recipe:
5 from 92 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
This easy white bean dip recipe is flexible, healthy, and delicious! Serve it as an appetizer or enjoy it as a snack with pita chips and fresh veggies.

Ingredients

fresh herbs, optional but suggested:

  • 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves

Instructions

  • In a food processor, pulse the cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt, and pepper until combined. With the food processor running, slowly add the water and process until smooth. Blend in the fresh herbs, if desired.
  • Serve with veggies or pita.

88 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Sana
    01.13.2022

    it was amazing ! i cooked my beans myself so the texture was a bit too runny. i blended in a few tablespoons of pumpkin seeds to thicken it up it, worked like a charm

  2. Karyn
    10.01.2021

    5 stars
    Oh my my, I love this. Made it for the first time yesterday and it was a total hit. Fresh raw garlic, a little thyme and lemon juice. YUM! I’m not sure I’ll ever make hummus again now…

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.04.2021

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  3. Mark
    08.21.2021

    Will reduced or no oil work?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.21.2021

      Hi Mark – it would, if it’s too thick, add a little water.

  4. Amanda
    08.18.2021

    5 stars
    I roasted some cherry tomatoes and whole gloves of garlic. Threw the roasted garlic into this spread in place of raw garlic. Topped some toast with the white bean spread, roasted cherry tomatoes, a bit of parmesan… Broiled it to get the cheese slightly melted. Threw fresh basil on top. So. Darn. Good.

  5. Stacey
    08.15.2021

    5 stars
    Very easy to make, and super tasty. I’ll definitely be making this regularly. Thanks.

  6. Sarah
    08.06.2021

    5 stars
    Just made this… Really easy and super tasty! Added a little extra lemon and garlic for the hit!

  7. Alice
    07.04.2021

    5 stars
    How long will this last in the fridge?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.04.2021

      about 5 days

  8. katie
    05.27.2021

    Question: Are we putting both basil AND rosemary in? Or is it a one or the other suggestion?

    To me basil is a summer herb and rosemary a winter herb and I’ve never put them together in the same dish but I’m willing to try anything once.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.27.2021

      Hi Katie, you could choose one or the other!

  9. Britt
    04.23.2021

    5 stars
    This was absolutely amazing! My household loves garlic and so 2 cloves found it’s way into the dip. It worked out superbly! This will absolutely be a staple. So quick, easy, and inexpensive to make. Thanks so much for posting this delicious recipe.

  10. Lacey
    04.12.2021

    5 stars
    This was awesome!! I put it in a whole grain pita with fresh spinach. It was amazing. I am making my second batch today. I look for quick easy things like this to eat as a vegan! Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.12.2021

      Hi Lacey, I’m so glad you loved it!

  11. Agnes
    03.28.2021

    Can I make it from the canned cannellini or need to buy fresh ones ?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.28.2021

      Canned is great!

  12. Kim
    02.15.2021

    5 stars
    This was really great. The lemon zest with the herbs make it so flavorful! Will be my go to for a quick delicious snack recipe,

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.15.2021

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  13. Marta
    11.19.2020

    5 stars
    This is recipe is one of the BEST DIP, what I ever had! Thank you very much for sharing this recipe with us!

  14. Lana
    11.16.2020

    I make a dip using the same ingredients, also adding basil and asparagus. I never thought of omitting the asparagus, when I didn’t have any on hand.

    I love all things Cannellini beans. This makes the beans the star. I can’t wait to try it.

  15. Kara
    09.21.2020

    5 stars
    I might bring this to every party i go to (in 2021)! Even my husband loved it. Ate it with my freshly baked sourdough and some fresh rosemary. Awesome.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.24.2020

      Hi Kara, I’m so glad you both loved it!

  16. Jeanine Donofrio
    09.12.2020

    I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  17. Rachel
    09.11.2020

    Hey going to make this tomorrow… what’s the storage and how long does it last in the fridge? Thank you. I love you blog and books

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.12.2020

      Hi Rachel, I keep it for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. I hope you enjoy!

  18. Oskar
    08.06.2020

    5 stars
    Holy shit! This was absolutely delicious! I put some dill & parsley in and it turned out great!

    To anyone reading this. Freaking make it already~

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.30.2020

      Ha ha, I’m so glad you loved it so much!

      • Laura
        10.30.2020

        How do you think cumin would be with it?

        • Jeanine Donofrio
          10.31.2020

          I think cumin would be great – I’d start with about 1/2 teaspoon.

  19. Victoria Garner
    07.08.2020

    5 stars
    WOWZERS!!! This recipe is a definite keeper! I cooked my own beans, and as the pot liquor was getting thicker, I wondered if I would still be able to use the beans. I ate a bowl of them while I considered my next move. I ultimately decided to put the beans in the fridge overnight, and try to make this dip the next afternoon. The beans had thickened, but I was not deterred. I added all of the ingredients, except for the lemon zest and water to my food processor, added some water to the container the beans had been in and used 3 tablespoons of it along with 1 teaspoon of herbs de province. Delish!!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.10.2020

      Hi Victoria, I’m so glad you loved it!!

  20. Holly
    05.24.2020

    5 stars
    Delicious! I added fresh rosemary, a clove of garlic, and a dash of garlic powder. Left out lemon zest and used slightly less water than called for. Can’t stop eating it on carrots and pita chips! Thanks for a great, easy, healthy dip!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.