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 in our home.
We use them in everything from this simple white bean dip to Tuscan white bean soup, pasta fagioli, white bean salad, 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
- 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. (Photo #1)
- 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! (Photo #2)
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 tell us about it in the comments below.
We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles. If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.
Cannellini Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans drained well
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for serving
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Taste test and season with salt to taste. If the dip is too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time to loosen it up.
- Serve in a bowl and drizzle a bit more extra virgin olive oil on top before serving. Serve with crostini or pita. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to season well with salt to taste.
- Dip can be served with crusty bread, crostini, or pita chips.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be rejuvenated by whisking in a bit of olive oil before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I wish I could give this recipe six stars! If you haven’t tried it jump to it!!!
Thanks for the great comment, Sarah!
Keep the good things coming
My family really enjoyed the bean dip. It was easy to whip up and a welcome change from humus. The dip goes great with simple cut up veggies and olives for a healthy movie night snack or center piece for antipasto. Well done. A must include for you cookbook.
Hi Larry, we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
I don’t likecrosemary. Which one would be a better substitue, parsley, thyme, basil. Those are the 3 Jim recommended. Thanks.
And I love these recipes, the video and the tasting section.
I’d like to make this for this weekend.
Hi Ethel. I would go with thyme. But not too much as it can be overpowering. Enjoy!
Can you add roasted red peppers to this; and if so should I cut down on any other liquids
Hi Mary, you can if you’d like, although we haven’t tested the recipe with roasted red peppers so can’t say for sure how you should adjust the recipe.
I just wanted to update you on the roasted red peppers, I had some in the refrigerator that I just roasted so I added some to the dip, not a lot just about a half of a pepper for a little flavoring and it was fine with the recipe as is and didn’t interfere with the consistency. Goes great with the salted garlic toast that I just made also.
Your recipe as is was absolutely delicious because I did taste it before I added the roasted red peppers. I made a double batch and I’m sure it won’t make it through the weekend. Thank you for another delicious and easy recipe!
Thanks for letting us know, Mary!
Incredible !!! absolutely delicious!
So delicious! I didn’t use the full amount of salt and I was glad it came out perfect. Must have used a saltier brand of beans
Delicious