This garlic rosemary white bean dip is simple, healthy, and delicious – perfect for after school or game day snacking!

A bowl of garlic rosemary white bean dip surrounded by fresh veggies and chips.

I don’t know about you, but when there’s a delicious dip like this in the house, I am about 1000% more likely to eat my fair share of vegetables for the day. I can’t think of a better way to transform munching on veggies from a chore into something exciting.

This particular dip is also easy to make and healthy in its own right. The base is white beans, which are a good source of fiber and protein.

What kind of beans do you use in dip?

For a white bean dip, my favorite base is Cannellini beans, which are hearty and have a slightly nutty, earthy flavor. You might also see Cannellinis labeled simply as “white kidney beans.”

Navy, Great Northern, or Baby Lima beans (also known as “butterbeans”) would work well, too.

A bowl of garlic rosemary white bean dip surrounded by fresh veggies and chips.

Fresh rosemary, a few cloves of garlic, and a squeeze of lemon juice add so much flavor.

A shortcut for roasting garlic

I’m quite partial to a shortcut I’ve been taking recently when I need just a few cloves of roasted garlic. Peel as many cloves as you need, and place them on a cast-iron or non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Let the cloves roast there for 8-10 minutes, turning frequently, until they’re slightly soft and have a few blackened marks on the outside. That’s it – they’re ready to go!

This doesn’t achieve exactly the same result as roasting garlic in the oven, but it works really well for just softening and bringing out the flavor. All you need for a simple recipe like this one!

The flavor and aroma of fresh rosemary complements the garlic and takes this to a new level.

I’ve seen similar white bean dip recipes that call for chopping the rosemary or other herbs before you combine everything in the blender or food processor. Why, I say? I’ve done it both ways, and can attest there’s no need to chop first. Let your appliances do the work!

A hand dipping a cherry tomato into a bowl of garlic rosemary white bean dip.
A bowl of garlic rosemary white bean dip surrounded by fresh veggies and chips.

I have to admit that there’s no actual pine nuts in this white bean dip – I just thought they would be a pretty garnish. 😉

With back to school season upon us, and plenty of game days and other casual gatherings on the horizon, I can think of so many reasons to make this. It’s a great healthy snack to whip up for your kids after school, and it stores really well, so you could easily prep a batch over the weekend and have it on hand. And couldn’t we all use a little more incentive to eat our veggies all week long? 🙂

If you try this dip or any other recipe on the blog, please remember to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!

4.50 from 8 votes

Garlic Rosemary White Bean Dip

Simple, healthy, and delicious - perfect for after school or game day snacking!

Ingredients

  • 3 cloves garlic roasted
  • 1 14 oz can Cannellini or other white beans drained and rinsed
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • To lightly roast garlic, place peeled cloves in a cast-iron or non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Roast for 8-10 minutes, turning frequently, until cloves are slightly softened and begin to develop blackened marks.
  • Place roasted garlic, beans, lemon juice, rosemary, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with its steel blade. Pulse until beans are coarsely chopped.
  • With the motor running, slowly add olive oil through the feed tube. Process until the mixture is smooth. If needed, add a bit more olive oil and/or scrape down the sides of the bowl once.
  • Transfer dip to a serving dish. Garnish with an extra drizzle of olive oil or sprig of rosemary as desired. Enjoy with fresh veggies or chips!

Notes

If you can't find or prefer not to use Cannellini beans, Navy, Great Northern, or Baby Lima beans (also known as "butterbeans") will work well, too.
Store any leftover dip tightly covered or in an airtight container in the fridge, ideally with a very thin layer of olive oil on top of the dip to lock in flavor.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 81 kcal, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Potassium: 6 mg, Vitamin C: 0.5 mg, Calcium: 3 mg, Iron: 0.1 mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a review below, then snap a quick picture and tag @nourishandfete on Instagram so I can see it!

You might also like my sun-dried tomato white bean dip or this roasted red pepper and sriracha hummus published on Salt & Lavender.

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The perfect after school snack recipe, or game day dip, this garlic rosemary white bean dip is easy, healthy, and delicious! #afterschoolsnacks #beandip