Classic Cannellini Bean Dip is a simple, delicious appetizer! Make it in 10 minutes, then serve with crackers or pita chips for dipping!
If you enjoy eating hummus, I am confident you are going to love this classic cannellini bean dip! This delicious appetizer is made using canned cannellini beans, and it is sure to please!
I made some recently for a birthday BBQ for my husband, and put this out as an appetizer before our grilled burgers and all the fixin’s. This cannellini bean dip was a big hit, served with pita chips for dipping. It’s so GOOD.
I found the original recipe in a cookbook I had from renown chef Jacques Pépin, and when I made it, it did not disappoint!
Classic Cannellini Bean Dip is VERY simple to make, and only takes about 10 minutes, from start to finish! Here’s how to make it.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Introducing The Star Of the Show
Yes, friends, the star of the show is the humble cannellini bean! For this appetizer, you will need to have a can of cannellini beans. They are an inexpensive bean (this can of beans cost .79¢), and are also referred to as white kidney beans.
Cannellini beans are a very common canned ingredient, and can be found in the “bean” section of almost any local grocery store. If you enjoy this versatile bean, be sure to check out my recipe for Greek Cannellini Bean Stew! It’s so good!
Rinse the beans and drain them before beginning. Once drained, measure out 1/3 cup of the beans and set them aside (they will be used later to garnish the finished dip).
Prepare Classic Cannellini Bean Dip
Place the remaining cannellini beans (NOT the reserved ones) in a food processor or a blender. Process them until they are mostly smooth.
Add minced garlic, diced bread, olive oil, water, ground cumin, salt, black pepper and Tabasco sauce to the beans.
Continue processing until all the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the bean dip is very smooth and creamy.
You may need to scrape down the sides of the processor or blender a couple times during this step, if necessary.
Spoon the cannellini bean dip into a pretty serving bowl. Use the back of a spoon to create a “well” in the center of the dip.
This “well” will need to be large enough to hold the reserved cannellini beans. Now it’s time to finish garnishing the dip before serving.
Prepare The Cannellini Bean Dip For Serving
Place the reserved cannellini beans into the “well” you created in the center of the dip. Drizzle olive oil over the beans and the dip.
Sprinkle the top of the dip lightly with paprika and poppy seeds, then add either chopped fresh parsley OR a couple sprigs of parsley.
Enjoy the Cannellini Bean Dip!
At this point, the classic cannellini bean dip is ready to enjoy! Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or crisp (fancy) crackers! Watch how quickly this tasty appetizer disappears.
If necessary, you can also make the dip a couple hours ahead of serving time. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it until serving time.
After refrigerating, let the dip sit out (uncovered) for about 15 minutes before serving, for best presentation.
I hope you’ll give this yummy appetizer a try. It tastes a lot like hummus, so it will be devoured quickly! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a great day.
Looking For More APPETIZER Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some delicious appetizers to choose from, including:
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
- Hummus
- Apricot Pineapple Kielbasa Bites
- Guinness Baked Cheese Dip
- Classic Bruschetta
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Recipe adapted from: “Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul In The Kitchen”, page 10, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co. in 2015
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Classic Cannellini Bean Dip is a simple, delicious appetizer! Make it in 10 minutes, then serve with crackers or pita chips for dipping!
- 15.5 ounce canned cannellini beans rinsed, drained *DIVIDED USE
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup diced bread cubes no crusts (I use white bread)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- ⅓ cup reserved cannellini beans (from above)
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley or 2-3 sprigs
Rinse beans and drain. Once drained, measure out 1/3 cup of beans and set them aside (they'll garnish the finished dip).
Place remaining cannellini beans in food processor or blender. Process until mostly smooth.
Add garlic, bread cubes, olive oil, water, cumin, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Continue processing until bean dip is very smooth and creamy. You may need to scrape down sides of the processor or blender 2-3 times during this step.
Spoon cannellini bean dip into a serving dish. Use spoon to create a "well" in the center of the dip. This "well" needs to be large enough to hold reserved beans.
To garnish: Place remaining beans into the "well". Drizzle olive oil over beans and dip. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, poppy seeds and parsley (chopped or leaves).
Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or crisp crackers! NOTE: If necessary, you can make this dip 1-2 hours hours ahead. Cover bowl and refrigerate. After refrigerating, let dip sit at room temp. (uncovered) for 15 minutes before serving.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!