How To Make Caramelized Onions {LOW CALORIE RECIPE}

In this article you will learn how to make caramelized onions extra low in calories, and extra delicious!

Most recipes for caramelizing onions call for lots of butter (or oil) and lots of white wine. Both ingredients packed full of calories. But in this low calorie caramelized onion recipe, we were able to limit these ingredients and cut calories (and fat!) without changing the flavor.

In this article you will find our healthy, easy caramelized onions, along with everything you’ll need to make the best caramelized onions… ever!

Learn how to make caramelized onions for burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and just about anything you want to add sticky, sweet grilled onions to.

These low calorie, easy caramelized onions are just just 23 calories for 1/2 cup! 

How To Make Low Calorie Caramelized Onions

Learn how to caramelize onions in a healthy way, with no butter, very little oil, and no wine… We swapped it for a zero calorie ingredient!

These sautéed onions go wonderfully on everything, and at just 23 calories for 1/2 cup, you can add them to all your favorite recipes. We’ve even included ways to freeze leftover slow cooked onions so you can make a big batch, and use them all month long,.

Along with finding out how long does it take to caramelize onions, you’ll find a shopping list, recipe card and so much more. So you can make all your favorite recipes with sautéed onions, in a flash!

What You’ll Find in this Article:

• Ingredients for Caramelized Onion Recipes (shopping list!)
• How To Make Caramelized Onions
• Low Calorie Caramelized Onions Recipe (recipe card!)
• Nutrition and Calories in Caramelized Onions

Take a screenshot of the shopping list to your phone, so you have it handy at the grocery store. And email yourself (or print!) the recipe card so you have it at your fingertips when you want to make this yummy recipe.

Cooking onions has never been easier! With this recipe you can caramelize red onions (my favorite) or any onion.

Up next, a shopping list for caramelized onions and the best onions to caramelize…

Ingredients for Caramelized Onion Recipes

The best onions for caramelizing are the ones you find on sale. Honestly, we will cook these for so long it does not matter. But the sweeter onions (red) will be more sticky sweet… and so yummy!

You can even use a mix of onions in recipes with caramelized onions! I’ve made this sautéing onions recipe with red, sweet maui, yellow and white onions. You can even make this with shallots… though they are a bit expensive and you’ll need three times the shallots (since they are so small).

The next time you want to sauté onions, you’ll have everything at your fingertips if you have taken a screenshot of this grocery list to your phone…

Shopping List for Homemade Caramelized Onions:

• Olive oil spray
• Onions (any color!)
• Salt and pepper
• Thyme 
• Worcestershire sauce

Special Tip: You can find the measurements in the recipe card below. There you can choose how many caramelized onions you want to make, and the recipe card will do all the math for you!

Up next, you’ll learn how to cook onions so they come out sticky sweet…

How To Make Caramelized Onions

In this section you will learn how to sauté onions so they come out sticky sweet and make perfect caramelized onions. You will find our special how to make caramelised onions section, that makes the perfect sautéed onions.

Question: How do you caramelize onions?

Answer: You cook them low and slow so all the moisture leaches out and you’re left with sticky sweet caramelized onions. (see below!)

Warning… once you learn how to cook an onion this way, you may become addicted to the flavor. Thankfully this low calorie recipe for caramelized onions is healthy and can be added to just about any savory recipe.

How to Make Caramelised Onions:

1. Slice onions in half then cut the halves vertically into thin slices.
2. Spray sauté pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat.
3. Add onions, salt, pepper and thyme, and cook, stirring gently until the onions start to soften.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook onions, stirring every few minutes.
5. Once the onions are a deep golden brown (about 45 minutes), add in the Worcestershire sauce. Mix together and serve or store for later.
6. Caramelized onions will hold in the fridge for up to a week, or you can freeze in an ice cube tray for later use.

Special Tip: You can find the measurements, links, nutrition and “how to” guide in the recipe card below. We have gathered all of the sections above into one handy recipe card!

I love to make extras of this recipe (because let’s be honest, it takes an hour so you might as well make double) and freeze it into 2 tablespoon portions. Ice cube trays are perfect for this, just freeze into cubes, then once solid pop into a freezer bag. You can add these caramelized onion ice cubes to soups and thaw out for burgers.

Up next, a sharable recipe card for this low calorie caramelized onions recipe…

Low Calorie Caramelized Onions Recipe

This easy caramelized onions recipe is just 23 calories for 1/2 cup! And let’s be honest… 1/2 cup is a LOT of caramelized onions!

I like to add these sautéed onions to burgers, they go so great and add a wonderful flavor. But you can also add them to a charcuterie plate, sandwiches and so much more. These sticky sweet onions add a ton of flavor, without adding a lot of calories.

In the next section you’ll find a nutrition label, and below that you’ll find more low calorie recipes.

Up next, nutrition and calories in grilled onions…

Nutrition and Calories in Caramelized Onions

Not all sautéed onions are made the same way. Most often they are packed with butter or oil and so much white wine your wine glass is crying.

Skip the wine and use Worcestershire sauce… it’s a more traditional way to make these sticky sweet onions, and you won’t be adding 100’s of calories as you would with wine.

We used Olive oil spray in place of butter or loads of oil. It allows us to use a find mist of oil, as apposed to a large drizzle. And these onions let off enough liquid that they don’t need so much oil.

The nutrition and calories below are based off 1 serving (1/2 cup) of the Low Calorie Caramelized Onions Recipe above.

Important Note: As a reminder, at Lose Weight By Eating it is our goal to make you healthier, all-natural versions of your favorite recipes… not all will be “diet worthy” depending on the diet you are on. But they will be healthier versions to help curb your cravings.

Find more healthy recipes and how to guides in the next section…

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