This easy creamy white bean dip recipe is made with pureed cannellini beans, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and salt.
Any white bean will work for this crazy good cannellini dip.
Cannellini bean dip is like hummus except it has a smoother consistency. It also has a lighter taste, especially since theres no tahini.
Rinsing canned cannellini beans is optional. The bean "sauce" is full of flavor and starches but has been known to give some people gas 🙂
Lemon cannellini dip is so easy to make. Make a double portion and freeze some for later.
Variations on Lemony Cannellini Bean Dip
This is a basic recipe for cannellini bean dip. It's super easy to customize this spread to whatever ingredients you love. Try:
- Any white bean will work. I prefer cannellini beans because they are extremely smooth when blended. White bean examples include great northern beans, navy beans, and lima or butter beans.
- Add a fresh or dry herb in the dip or as a garnish like: sage, parsley, basil, cilantro, thyme, or rosemary.
- Add spices like cardamom, curry, garam masala, cumin, or chili powder
Bean Dip Thickens As It Sits
All beans become thicker with time because starches release and thicken the dip (or soup in a lot of cases).
It's ok if you added a little to much water. Put the lemon cannellini dip in the refrigerator and it will thicken a bit with time.
The amount of water depends on how thick you like it. Thick dip means less to no water. 2 tablespoon is a general rule for a thinner dip (it's still thick tho!) that's easier to spread in a thin layer.
Serve Lemon Cannellini White Bean Dip
- on toast or crackers
- with vegetables / crudite
- as a base for sandwiches instead of mayonnaise or butter
- as a base for a great salad dressing
Creamy Cannellini Bean Dip with Lemon
This easy creamy white bean dip recipe is made with pureed cannellini beans, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and salt. Any white bean will work for this crazy good cannellini dip.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Dip
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained / rinsing optional (see notes below)
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium lemon, zested
- 1 medium juicy lemon ( ~ 3 Tbsp), juiced
- 1 small garlic clove (~ 2 tsp)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch white or black pepper
- 2 + tablespoon water *see notes
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except water and lemon zest) to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Add water to desired consistency and pulse again.
- Add salt and lemon juice to taste.
- Place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with lemon zest.
Notes
- The amount of water depends on how thick you like it. Thick dip means less to no water. 2 tablespoon is a general rule for a thinner dip (it's still thick tho!) that's easier to spread in a thin layer.
- Rinsing canned cannellini beans is optional. The bean "sauce" is full of flavor and starches but has been known to give some people gas 🙂
Serving Suggestion
Serve this creamy lemon cannellini bean dip recipe with complementary dishes to round out your meal like:
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If you like this lemony white bean dip, then you may also like these dips, sauces, and spreads:
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