The Classic Creamy Dip That Defined 1960s Party Food

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In the 1960s, the world was changing, and right alongside the shift in arts and culture, there was also a shift in the kitchen. Starting in the '50s, food took a sharp turn toward industrialization, with consistent, mass-produced, individually packaged products stocking grocery store shelves around the country. There were no doubt plenty of ills that came with the shift toward homogenized diets of processed foods, but there were some benefits as well. Suddenly, now that access to food was so similar across different regions, there was a potential for a single recipe to quickly sweep across the nation. Such was the case with a decade-defining combination of two simple store-bought ingredients: California Dip.

For many, that name might not immediately ring a bell, but odds are the dip itself would. It was the toast of '60s party platters, but never really lost its hold on the American palate, still often arriving alongside a bowl of potato chips to this day. Another name that this 1960s cooking trend is known by is French onion dip, or simply onion dip — a simple combination of dry onion soup mix and sour cream that somehow transforms into a creamy, savory, and mildly addictive substance.

Lipton is the brand responsible for bringing this dip into the fold of the '60s zeitgeist, printing the recipe on the packaging of its onion soup mix, but the company never claimed credit for having invented the dish itself. Instead, the innovator who stumbled on this classic dip is now unknown, though it is known that they were in California, hence the name.

The Golden State may not be the first place that you think of when it comes to heavy, creamy dips, but California is responsible for ranch dressing as well as this other classic that has stood the test of time. Considering California Dip arrived the same year as Hidden Valley Ranch, 1954, it begs the question of whether or not they could have been related. After all, both of these did, at least in the beginning, require mixing a pouch of dry ingredients into a creamy base.

The recipe for ranch dressing might have changed, nowadays typically arriving in liquid form, but California dip is the same as it ever was, requiring just a 2-ounce pouch of Lipton onion soup mix and a pint of sour cream. All the cooks must do is mix those two ingredients together and ideally allow them to meld and mellow for a while before serving. But just because the base is simple as can be doesn't mean that the recipe is immune to improvement.

There are plenty of single-ingredient upgrades that allow a home cook to add a unique element to their onion dip. A pinch of dried thyme, a few grinds of black pepper, or a splash of dry white wine all tip the taste a touch toward real French onion soup. Or, for some folks, a three-ingredient onion dip is preferred, with some of the sour cream swapped out for mayonnaise. Those looking to class things up can draw inspiration from this caramelized onion dip with feta, spinach, and walnuts. It isn't quite as simple as the recipe on the box, but the party buffets of the '60s might've looked a bit different if anyone had thought to incorporate those complementary flavors at the time.