This simple creamy roasted garlic dip elevates just about any dish and adds a savory deliciousness that you have to experience. It pairs perfectly with veggies, crusty bread, pita wedges, potato chips and pizza, but also makes for a tasty condiment for entrees such as my roasted vegetable quinoa bowl!
Two things I can't go without are vegan sour cream and roasted garlic. The tangy, rich flavor of sour cream complements so many of my favorite dishes, and roasted garlic adds a sweet and buttery taste that you just can't find anywhere else.
But what if you really could have the best of both worlds? This roasted garlic dip recipe does just that, literally by combining the two recipes together! The result is an easy-to-make dip that adds a pop of garlic flavor to any ordinary dish.
I absolutely love dips and spreads as appetizers, and this roasted garlic dip recipe in particular is up there with my other favorites including my French onion dip and black bean dip. My entire family loves this garlicky dip - even my non-garlic-loving kids!
Why You'll Love this Roasted Garlic Dip
- The BEST flavor
- Easy recipe
- Versatile - great dip for an appetizer or sauce to elevate an entrée
- Naturally vegan - uses a cashew-based cream so there is no mayonnaise, cream cheese or Greek yogurt
Ingredients
The recipe consists of only 7 simple ingredients, and that includes water, olive oil and salt! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities of the ingredient list.
- fresh garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- raw cashews
- water
- lemon
- apple cider vinegar (or white distilled vinegar)
- salt
How to Make Roasted Garlic Dip
There are two components to this recipe - roasted garlic and homemade dairy-free sour cream. Once both are made, simply mash the garlic cloves and mix them into the sour cream. It really is that easy!
1. Roast the garlic.
Start by roasting the garlic as that takes longer than the sour cream. You can roast it in an air fryer or in the oven. Both methods yield the exact same perfectly roasted garlic, but I prefer using the air fryer simply because it takes about a third of the time as the oven.
The key with roasting raw garlic is to cut off the top of the whole bulb (exposing the cloves) and then wrap the garlic head in a piece of foil before seasoning with olive oil and a pinch of salt. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more details.
Make sure to save the reserved oil from the garlic bulbs to drizzle on top of the dip!
2. Make the vegan sour cream.
This vegan sour cream takes only 5 minutes to make. Simply blend the cashews, water, lemon, apple cider vinegar and salt in a high-speed blender until smooth.
Cashews offer wonderful nutritional benefits so I feel good that they are the base of this creamy dip. You want the blend to be as creamy as possible, so depending on the strength of your blender you may want to soak the cashews in advance.
3. Combine the roasted garlic and the vegan sour cream.
Once you make the roasted garlic and vegan sour cream, mash the roasted cloves of the two heads of garlic with the back of a fork until they essentially become a paste. Then stir the paste into the vegan sour cream and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, stir the garlic dip again and drizzle the reserved oil from the roasted garlic overtop. Adding the oil takes this dip to the next level and also makes for a beautiful garnish!
You can also garnish with red pepper flakes for a little heat or a splash of lemon juice for added brightness.
How to Store
Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. If you have additional garlic cloves that you didn't use in the dip, fully submerge them in olive oil and store those for up to two weeks.
Serving Suggestions
As an easy appetizer: This serves as an excellent dip for carrot sticks, other raw or roasted veggies, crusty bread, pita, socca and potato chips!
As a condiment to entrées: It's a huge hit for garlic lovers anytime I add this dip to pizza, soups, burgers and bowls! Try with any of the following:
More Easy Dip Recipes
Dips are perfect for entertaining as both snacks and appetizers. These are some of my favorites (all of which are vegan):
This roasted garlic dip is both vegan and paleo-friendly. I hope you enjoy this fun and delicious recipe! Please leave a review and tag me @eatingbyelaine with photos of your creations so I can see all your favorite ways to enjoy it!
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Creamy Roasted Garlic Dip (Vegan)
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This simple creamy roasted garlic dip elevates just about any dish and adds a savory deliciousness that you have to experience. It pairs perfectly with veggies, crusty bread, pita, potato chips and pizza, but also makes for a tasty condiment for entrees to add a pop of flavor!
Ingredients
Roasted garlic
- 2 garlic bulbs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt
Vegan sour cream
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup filtered water (use ⅔ cup if you do not have a high-speed blender)
- 1 large juicy lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Roast the garlic (air fryer method or oven-roasted method)
- Cut off the tops of the heads of garlic. Aim to cut about a half-inch down from the top and make a clean cut with a sharp knife. This will expose the tops of all the cloves inside. The idea is to keep all the cloves intact with the bulb.
- Place each garlic bulb in aluminum foil. Wrap the foil up the sides of each bulb leaving the top fully open. The foil will catch the olive oil to save for later (and keep mess-free).
- Add the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Drizzle a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over the heads of garlic, making sure to cover all of the cloves.
- Wrap the aluminum foil tightly around the entire bulbs. Pinch the topsof the foil closed on each and twist it gently. A tight seal from the foil prevents the garlic from burning and also allows for the olive oil to soak into each and every clove.
- Either air fry the garlic bulbs at 400˚F for 20 minutes OR roast the garlic bulbs in the oven at 350˚F for 60 minutes.
- Allow the garlic to cool completely at room temperature.
- Gently squeeze the bottom of the bulbs to remove the cloves. The cloves will slide out easily.
- Make the vegan sour cream.
- Blend all of the ingredients. Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend on the highest speed for 45 seconds. Scrape down the sides with a mini spatula and blend again for 15 seconds.
- Combine the roasted garlic with the vegan sour cream.
- Mash the roasted garlic cloves. Use the back of a fork and mash briefly until it turns into a paste.
- Stir the mashed cloves into the sour cream.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Stir before serving. Drizzle the reserved olive oil from the roasted garlic overtop the dip for additional flavor as well as a garnish.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
- Prep Time: 7
- Cook Time: 20
Jill says
This was my first time making a vegan sour cream. It was so delicious. Definitely going to be making this roasted garlic dip again. Love the flavors.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Jill! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Best, Elaine