This creamy lemon white bean dip is bright, flavorful, and made with wholesome ingredients. Cannellini beans, garlic, lemon juice, cheese, and fresh herbs come together for a smooth, zesty dip that’s perfect for snacking or entertaining.
Serve it with pita, veggies, or crackers for a refreshing twist on classic dips.
Making dips, sauces and spreads has become my newest obsession, and I've tried quite a few recipes that are perfect for whipping up in under 10 minutes.
My avocado butter spread, cowboy butter dipping sauce and garlic avocado spread are all perfect for summer get-togethers and BBQs, but I really wanted to try something apt for the colder months of the year too. And what could be better than a nice, herby white bean dip?
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 min.
- ⏲️Cook time: 5 min.
- 👪 Servings: 4.
- 📋Main ingredients: Cannellini beans, cottage cheese, lemon, herbs, garlic, seasonings.
- ♨️Cooking method: Sauté garlic in oil 🡢 add cannellini beans and cook 🡢 blend with cottage cheese 🡢 add herbs and spices.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Team up with crackers, crusty bread and appetizers like fried stuffed olives.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Bright and zesty: Lemon and herbs give this dip a fresh, tangy taste. The dip reminds me of my jalapeno lime sauce.
- Protein-packed: Cannellini beans make it creamy, filling, and nutritious.
- Perfect for sharing: Team it up with with an assortment of dips like raspberry salsa, cashew tamarind sauce and dippers like pita, veggies, and crackers.
Recipe Ingredients
Cannellini beans: The base for the dip. Use canned beans or soaked, boiled and drained beans.
Garlic: For that umami flavor. Use Air Fryer roasted garlic for some smokiness.
Cottage cheese: For that creamy, cheesy texture.
Lemon juice: For the citrusy zing. Don't forget lemon zest for some extra oomph.
Herbs: I used fresh parsley and basil. You can use other herbs too.
Seasonings: I kept it simple and just used some salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Oil: Olive oil or any cooking oil of your choice. Use garlic rosemary oil for extra flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
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Substitutions & Variations
- Bean swap: Don't have cannellini beans? Use navy beans or great northern beans instead. They have a similar color and flavor profile and work wonderfully for this recipe.
- Seasoning twist: Try using different seasonings to add layers of flavor to the dip. I love using my lemon infused salt, jalapeno salt, garlic parsley salt and celery salt instead of regular sea salt here.
How to Make Lemon White Bean Dip
Step 1: Heat oil in a pan and sauté minced garlic for a minute on medium heat.
Step 2: Add the cannellini beans and freshly grated lemon zest and sauté for a few more minutes. Take off heat and allow it to cool down.
Step 3: Transfer to a food processor along with the cottage cheese, lemon juice, oil and seasonings.
Step 4: Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning, and add the fresh herbs. Blend again.
Step 5: Transfer to a serving bowl and top with chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and red pepper flakes. Serve or refrigerate for later.
💭Top Tip
Depending on your personal preference, you can keep the dip creamy and smooth, or slightly chunky.
How to Store Leftover White Bean Dip
Store your leftover lemon white bean dip for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Make sure you cover the serving bowl with a lid or cling wrap, or transfer the dip to an airtight container to keep it fresh.
Allow the dip to come to room temperature before you serve! You can also freeze it in Souper cubes or a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, then defrost it whenever you want to!
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Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Taste and season: Canned beans can be pretty salty already- keep that in mind when you're seasoning the dip.
- Topping fun: Chopped olives and capers can also be delightful additions to the dip. Mix them in towards the end, or use them as a topping.
- Cheese swap: I used cottage cheese here, but you can also use feta cheese or cream instead- if that's what you have at hand.
- Flavor swap: To create an easy flavor variation, add half a cup of sundried tomatoes (packed in oil) into the mix while blending. I love using my oven dried tomatoes here whenever I have it at hand.
- Mix-ins: You can also blend some pan-roasted pine nuts along with the cannellini beans, and reserve some as a topping. This will lend a beautiful nutty and smoky flavor to the dip.
How to Serve Lemon White Bean Dip
Serve this lemon white bean dip, drizzled with some habanero oil (if you like a kick of heat) or some lemon caper sauce with some crackers, veggie sticks and pita chips to make it a delicious appetizer that everyone will enjoy!
You can also use the leftovers as a spread for your homemade sandwiches or add a dollop to your grain bowls for some extra protein.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Yes, you can! Use a mix of cannellini beans and navy beans or even chickpeas.
If your white bean dip has turned salty, team it up with some whisked Greek yogurt or sour cream to balance the flavors.
More Dips & Sauces
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this lemon white bean dip or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Lemon White Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2-3 garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan and sauté minced garlic for a minute on medium heat.
- Add the cannellini beans and freshly grated lemon zest and sauté for a few more minutes. Take off heat and allow it to cool down.
- Transfer to a food processor along with the cottage cheese, lemon juice, oil and seasonings.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning, and add the fresh herbs. Blend again.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and red pepper flakes. Serve or refrigerate for later.
Notes
- Canned beans can be pretty salty already- keep that in mind when you're seasoning the dip.
- Chopped olives and capers can also be delightful additions to the dip. Mix them in towards the end, or use them as a topping.
- I used cottage cheese here, but you can also use feta cheese or cream instead- if that's what you have at hand.
- To create an easy flavor variation, add half a cup of sundried tomatoes (packed in oil) into the mix while blending. I love using my oven dried tomatoes here whenever I have it at hand.
- You can also blend some pan-roasted pine nuts along with the cannellini beans, and reserve some as a topping. This will lend a beautiful nutty and smoky flavor to the dip.
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