I’m a sucker for a good dip, and this Lemony White Bean Dip is a new household favorite. It’s so garlicky, buttery, lemony all at once with hints of warm spice and subtle heat. There’s so much flavor packed into this little dip thanks to a few easy techniques, like toasting pine nuts and frying lemon, whole spices and garlic in olive oil.
If you love my Classic Hummus recipe, you’ll go crazy for this dip! It uses just 10 ingredients, takes 15-20 minutes to make, and is singing with gourmet flavors.
This white bean dip is also super versatile. You can serve it with pita or crackers as a sharing plate as an afternoon snack or pre-dinner appetizer, or double the recipe and serve it as a party appetizer alongside crudités. It’s also a great sandwich or wrap spread (lately, I’ve having it as an open-faced sandwich with arugula + baked tofu—so yum!).
PS: If you’re looking for more crowd pleasing dips, don’t sleep on this gorgeous Beet Hummus or this holiday-must-make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip! Or get more dip inspiration in this roundup of 30 delicious vegan dips.
Watch! How to make Lemony White Bean Dip
Step-by-step instructions
Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan over medium heat until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the toasted pine nuts and cannellini beans to a food processor, along with the lemon juice, miso, salt and pepper.
Blend until the dip comes together. Add a few tablespoons of ice water and blend until smooth and creamy.
Make the garlic-lemon topping. Using a vegetable peeler, shave several strips of lemon peel. Thinly slice the garlic cloves. Lightly crush the cumin and coriander seeds. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan until warm. Add the garlic and cumin and coriander.
Gently fry for 2 to 2.5 minutes, until garlic is turning golden (but not brown). Add the lemon peel and chili flakes and fry for another 30 seconds. Take off the heat and strain.
Transfer the dip to a shallow plate or a bowl with a lip. Add the white bean dip and use the back of a spoon to create waves. Pour the infused oil on top and add the crisp garlic-lemon peel mixture.
Sprinkle on chopped parsley if desired, reserved pine nuts, and serve with pita/crackers/crudités.
Tips for making this white bean dip
If you’re making this for a party, feel free to double the recipe. Just use a large frying pan to toast to make the garlic-lemon topping and to fry the pine nuts (or toast them in the oven; 350ºF for 6-7 minutes).
When slicing the garlic, try to slice into rounds as evenly as possible for even cooking. *If you have a mandoline and a cut-proof glove, you can use that to slice the garlic. I have this handheld mandoline and safety glove and they work great (affiliate links).
When making the garlic-lemon topping, don’t let the oil get hot. You want it to be just warm; otherwise the garlic will burn.
When serving this dip, I like to keep the lemon peels in because I enjoy them. But some folks won’t want to eat them, so you can leave them off if you want.
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use the back of a cast iron skillet or heavy chef’s knife to crush down on the spices. You don’t need them to be ground, just lightly crushed to help release some aroma.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure. If you are serving it for a party where presentation is important, you can make the dip ahead of time but wait until the day of to make the garlic-lemon topping and assemble it.
In an airtight container or lidded jar in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
Yes, you can easily freeze this dip. To freeze, transfer the dip to an airtight container but don’t fill it all the way up to allow for expansion. Thaw it in the fridge the day before consuming.
Whether refrigerated or thawed, this dip is best if it comes to room temperature.
Yes, though you won’t get the same amazing buttery flavor. I think walnuts would be the best option.
Pita bread or some sort of crusty bread is perfect, as are crackers or crudités for something lighter.
If you want to serve this an appetizer, a few main meals that would work nicely include:
– Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
– Creamy Lentil Stuffed Squash
– Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad
– 10-Ingredient Roasted Eggplant Pasta
If you love this white bean dip, be sure to rate and review with your feedback below and tag me on Instagram with your recreations :)
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Lemony White Bean Dip
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (54g) pine nuts
- 1 (15-ounce) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 3/4 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (try to slice as evenly as possible for even cooking)*
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 heaping teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or ½ to ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes**
- 1 small handful of parsley (optional) chopped
Instructions
- Toast the pine nuts***. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Allow the pan to heat up for a few minutes to get hot. Add the pine nuts and shake the pan frequently until toasty and golden but not dark brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Scoop out 1 teaspoon of the nuts and set aside for the topping.
- Using a vegetable peeler, shave off 4 to 6 strips of lemon peel, about 2 inches in length. If you only get shorter strips, just use more. Try to not peel too deeply to avoid the white pith; set aside. Juice the lemon.
- In a food processor bowl, add the toasted pine nuts, cannellini beans, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon miso paste, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper. Blend until the dip comes together and is relatively smooth, scraping down sides as you go. Stream in 2 tablespoons of ice water and blend again until creamy but spoonable; add one more tablespoon if you want a looser consistency. Taste, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed (I usually add an extra ¼ teaspoon kosher salt).
- Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and make ridges with the back of a spoon.
- Make the topping. Lightly crush the cumin and coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle, or use the back of a heavy chef’s knife or sturdy mug to lightly crush them. Fit a small or medium bowl with a fine-mesh sieve.
- Heat the olive oil in the same frying pan used in step 1 over medium heat. Once the oil is warm (but not too hot), add the garlic and crushed spices. Cook, swirling the pan or stirring frequently, for 2 to 2 ½ minutes, until the garlic just turns golden (don't wait until it browns). Add the lemon peel and chili flakes and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour the oil and aromatics over the sieve, so that the aromatics sit in the sieve and the oil sits in the bowl.
- Pour the infused oil over the dip. Top with the garlic-lemon topping, along with the reserved pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Notes
Great recipe. If you are on a low carb diet, white beans are a lower carb alternative to chickpeas you would use for hummus. And the taste of this dip is just as great as Nisha’s hummus (different, but equally great)! I did the version with walnuts, works absolutely fine. Will try with pine nuts next time
Kerstin, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the white bean dip.
Oh my daaaaaays… I live in Sicily (I’m English, my husband is italian) with our 2 little girls.. we had a group of friends visiting yesterday, some from Pakistan, some from other parts of Italy.. I made this dip, and my 7 year old helped (she nearly ate all of it before the guests arrived !!!!) Oh my goodness, they loved it and asked for the recipe.. I made homemade flat breads with it and Oh my.. it will definitely be a regular in our house.. the topping is genius (I used a teaspoon of Gochugaru in the oil too and it gave it a beautiful Ruby red colour!) Thank you soo much! Love from Jazmine in Sicily x
Hi Jazmine, what a lovely time that sounds like it was! So cool to hear the RPL recipes are making it onto tables all over the world. Thank you for sharing :)
I am allergic to pine nuts . I’ve made this with both walnuts and pistachios. Texturally I prefer the walnut version, but the pistachios are a better flavor IMHO.
I made white beans dip yesterday for the very first time, it turned out great than I had expected. The garlic topping just takes the dip on another level so please don’t skip it! I definitely make this dip again, it’s a great dip for savoury snacks, thanks Nisha for sharing this amazing recipe.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Tam! It makes us happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe.
This is like hummus’s cool, Gen-Z sister. When I serve this, there are never leftovers!
Hi Callan, that’s amazing to hear! Thanks for sharing!
Really complex taste, I made it for a petty and received many compliments and the recipe, thank you.
Hi Kathy, it’s great to hear you had success with the recipe. Thanks for the review!
I know I’ll enjoy the recipes, but where can I find ingredients? Some I’ve never heard of.
Hi Bonnie, which ingredients have you not heard of? The only ingredient I can think of that might not be available to you at your local grocery store is Aleppo pepper, which can be substituted for red pepper flakes!
Hello , I enjoyed the dip but had to add more beans, lemonjuice and more ” cold water ” ( instead of cold water i always make my bean hummus or dips with ice cubes that I make from leftover agua faba ) since it was too salty , next time I would start with no salt and add it at the end.
I personally found it to have too much pinenuts, but with the topping it is delicious, alone on it self something less for my taste . The topping is a five star , I would definitly make it again also for topping my soybean hummus !!
The only thing I would do is cut the lemon peel in stripes so you can put it on every bite you take.
I love your recipes , mostly they are a 5 star , but it is logic it cannot always be like that …sorry…
Maybe i should try iit with hemp seeds instead??…next time !!
Amazing! Made it for New Years Eve service and it was a hit – what a great start to 2024! My husband and I couldn’t stop ourselves when we were making it. Will include this as part of our meal rotation for wraps and snacks. So good!
Hi Stacy, it’s great to hear you love the dip! It’s a favorite of mine too :) Happy New Year!
Oh, my, this is so delicious! And beautiful. I’ll be bringing this to parties many times in the future. I agree with one reviewer that you need to serve it in a wide, flat dish for the best presentation. Thanks for another great recipe, Nisha!
Your review made our day, Kristin! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for trying out the recipe.
Absolutely unreal! I will be making this all the time!
Thank you for your lovely comment, Leanne! It makes us happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe.
Hi KAITLIN,
How far in advance can you make this dip… its for a party.
Thank you kindly
isabella
Hi Isabella! I’d say you can make the dip a few days ahead of time. But wait until the day of to make the garlic-lemon topping and assemble it!
I was a little short on the pine nuts, so I add a few walnuts to make up the difference and it turned out reallllllllly great. Pro tip that I learned the hard way: use a shallow, wide bowl for plating. Otherwise the toppings can overwhelm the presentation instead of looking like the pretty accents in the photo. Thanks for a great recipe!
We appreciate your feedback and support, Manndybee. Thank you for leaving a review!
Out of this world delicious! I substituted raw cashews for the pine nuts. Wondering what would happen if I used raw sunflower seeds (friend with nut allergy). Might try next time to see. This will be a staple in this vegan household!
Forgot to mention that I reduced the salt to 1/4 tsp.
Hi Krista,
Nisha said: “I might use pepitas instead of sunflower seeds (soak them for 30 minutes in boiling water to soften first, then drain). At least for me, sunflower seeds have a fairly distinctive taste that is hard to mask unless there are lots of bold flavors present.”
May I use ground spices? Cannot seem to find seeds in my local grocery stores. :(
Hi Mary, yes you can, but add the ground spices in with the lemon peel and chili flakes, for the last 30 seconds!
I have made this lemony white bean dip more times than I can count. My entire family goes nuts for it, even my husband who doesn’t like hummus. I have always followed the recipe exactly as written however last time, I substituted walnuts for the pine nuts. No pine nuts in the house. It was….ok. It was sort of a brownish color. Definitely not as good. The flavor was different, not as good. My advice, follow the directions exactly as written, this recipe never fails!
We’re so happy that the dip is a hit with the whole family, Kathy! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for trying out the recipe!