White Bean Dip Recipe (with Homemade Pita Chips)

This recipe for White Bean Dip is delicious appetizer along with quick homemade pita chips makes an awesome addition to any party menu. It’s fast and easy to make, and the subtle savory hint of fresh sage and garlicky flavor will be a huge hit with all of your guests. Easily make it into a low carb appetizer as a great bean dip for veggies.

Cannellini Bean Dip

Making your own healthy dips is such a great option for those times when you’re in the mood for a snack but want to make sure you know exactly what you’re eating. This Greek Layered Dip is a savory dip that I love to serve at parties as a healthy and easy appetizer.

And for those times when I am battling a sweet tooth, this Easy Fruit Dip always comes to the rescue. It’s a great 3-ingredient quick appetizer that’s perfect for summer parties, baby showers and backyard BBQs. Both of these recipes are simple dips with healthy and wholesome ingredients that are simply delicious!

One of the lovely things about this White Bean Dip, that makes it one of my favorite recipes, is it also only uses ingredients that are super healthy, plus, you can get them in any grocery store. That means you know exactly what you’re eating without added preservatives of unwanted ingredients.

This delicious recipe also has bonus instructions for how to make homemade pita chips like the kind that are traditionally served with hummus style types of dip. There are also several other bean dipping vegetable options.

Why We Love this Recipe

• Super easy recipe that uses simple ingredients and only takes minutes to prepare-perfect to serve during the holiday season!
• Cannellini beans are bended until the delicious dip has the ultimate smooth and creamy texture.
• Perfect dip to serve with raw veggies as low carb appetizer or with pita and tortilla chips as another option.

White Bean Dip Recipe Variations

Beans: Cannellini beans are best in this recipe. But if you have trouble finding them, look for Navy or White Northern. Both will work fairly well to make a really good dip with similar taste and texture.

Other herbs and spices: You can add any of your favorite fresh herbs like fresh parsley or a little fresh rosemary or thyme. You can also use dried Italian herbs, if that’s what you have on hand. If you want to add even a little more kick of heat, throw in a small pinch of red chili flakes or even a dash of hot sauce.

Garlic: This recipe just uses raw garlic. But if you want a more subtle garlic flavor trying roasting it first. Roasted garlic has a sweeter flavor than raw. And it only adds a few more minutes of prep time.

Cheese: Though the recipe does not call for it, I always like to top off this dip with some fresh, finely grated parmesan cheese. It adds so much flavor!

Other add-ins: If you want to add a more intense lemon flavor, add the lemon zest of a whole lemon to the mixture.

Ingredients

• Can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Fresh garlic cloves, peeled
• Fresh lemon juice
• Fresh sage leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Step One: Combine Ingredients

• Add beans, garlic, lemon juice, sage, and olive oil into the food processor and blend.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Step Two: Blend Until Smooth

• Blend the ingredients, stopping occasionally to scrape down the bean puree mixture from the side of the bowl.
• Continue to blend until the creamy dip is nice and smooth.

Step Three: Serve and Enjoy

• Pour the creamy white bean dip mixture into a serving dish or a glass serving bowl.
• Garnish with a dash of cayenne pepper, a sage leave or two and drizzle some good quality dipping olive oil on top.

Tip: A little bit of fresh sage goes a long way. If you aren’t sure how much to use, start with a small amount. Then taste and add more, if desired.

Store the dip in a small bowl, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve or for up to an hour.

If you’re not going to serve it right away, store it in the fridge to keep it fresh for up to a couple of days.

Ingredients for Pita Bread:

• 6 pitas
• 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions for Pita Bread:

Step One: Prepare the Pita Bread Wedges

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut each piece of pita bread into 8 equal-sized wedges.
• Lightly brush pita bread wedges with olive oil on both sides and place on lined baking sheet.

Step Two: Season and Bake the Chips

• Season pita bread pieces with salt and pepper. Bake for 5-6 minutes, flip wedges and bake for another 5-6 min until they are light brown.
• Remove from oven and set aside.

FAQs

What Can I Serve with this Bean Dip?

This is the perfect appetizer for all any of your friends and family that are low carb healthy eaters because you can serve this dip with fresh veggies like orange, yellow and red peppers, carrot sticks, radish slices or celery sticks. But to appease your other guests, you can serve it with corn chips, toasted baguette slices, these homemade pita chips, slices of crusty bread or any of your favorite crackers.

You can also use this dip as a substitute for a veggie sandwich spread in the place of mayo or other dressings. A great option is to load up a lettuce wrap with all your favorite veggies and smear some of this dip right on top before rolling it up.

Can I Freeze Leftover Bean Dip?

For best results, you’ll want to serve this dip freshly made. The texture of this dip breaks down when it’s frozen and it just is nowhere near as good as it is when it’s fresh.

Are Cannellini Beans the Same as Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans?

Have you ever had a recipe that calls for white beans, but you can’t find any called just “white beans?” Technically, all three of these types of beans are considered white beans, but they quite different.

Here are some of the differences that may help you decide which one is best for your recipe:

• Cannellini beans: Sometimes called White Italian Kidney Beans are the largest of these three types of beans. They are best used for recipe when you want them to hold their shape. They are great in salads or soups where you want them to stay whole. Canned cannellini beans are excellent in classic hummus recipes or dips like this one because they have a mild earthy flavor and a smooth skin that blends up well. 

• Navy Beans: Also called Boston beans, are round small beans that are typically used in baked bean recipes. They also work well in pureed dishes or used in recipes that require a bean is a soft texture.

• Great Northern Beans: These are the most versatile of all the beans. They have a nutty flavor with a firm flesh. These medium sized beans are great in anything from soups and stews to bean salads and are a great substitute for cannellini beans and for navy beans.

Want More Healthy Veggie Recipes?

• Parsley Potatoes
• Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Oven Roasted Cauliflower
• Easy Butternut Squash
• Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
• Oven Roasted Asparagus
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes