Cannellini Bean Dip

Cannellini Bean Dip is a tasty spread that’s easy to make and is perfect for snacking!  Cannellini beans are blended with rosemary, lemon, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil until smooth and is perfect with crusty bread, crackers, pita chips, or even veggies for a simple but impressive appetizer. 

 

Cannellini beans are a favorite ingredient here at Sip and Feast.

We use them in everything from this simple white bean dip to Tuscan white bean soup, pasta fagioli, and beans and greens pasta.

They are the star of this Tuscan-style bean dip and when combined with olive oil and lemon juice, yield a super creamy dip that’s perfect with so many things!

We recommend serving with crackers, crusty bread, vegetable crudité, or crostini.  

This cannellini bean dip would also pair well with our olive bread!

How to make it

1. Drain 1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans and add them to the bowl of a food processor along with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves, 1/4 teaspoon of cracked black pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. 

2. Pulse the ingredients to combine, then taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.  If the dip is too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time to loosen it up.  Serve in a bowl with an extra drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!

Top tips

• The beans. Be sure to drain the beans very well to avoid a runny bean dip.  Take notice of the sodium level of the beans you’re using.  If they are very low in sodium, you may need to add a good amount more salt later in the recipe.
• Taste test. Taste testing the dip is key here.  As mentioned above, sodium levels in cannellini bean brands can vary and you may need to add more salt than the recipe calls for.  
• Olive oil.  This is a time to use your good extra virgin olive oil since this cannellini bean dip isn’t heated.  Serving the dip with a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive not only looks great but adds wonderful flavor.
• Herbs. We love pairing rosemary with cannellini beans and do so in many of our recipes. If you don’t like rosemary you can omit it and opt for other herbs like parsley, basil, or even thyme.

More awesome spreads and snacks

Here are a few more of our favorite snack-worthy foods!

• Taralli – crunchy Italian crackers seasoned with fennel.
• Spinach artichoke dip – with mozzarella cheese and garlic.
• Roasted cherry tomato crostini – with whipped ricotta.

If you’ve enjoyed this cannellini bean dip recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and leave a review.

We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles. If you prefer to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.