Amazing Baked Blooming Onion

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This delicious oil-free Blooming Onion is baked to crispy perfection and drizzled with amazing vegan chipotle sauce.

blooming onion on plate with vegan chipotle sauce

Traditional blooming onion recipes are deep-fried in oil. That oil is loaded with saturated fat that clogs arteries and leads to heart disease.

Thankfully, there is a delicious oil-free option for making blooming onions. Another delicious onion recipe to try is Dr. Michael Greger’s Best Crispy Baked Onion Rings. This recipe is so good, that it was even published on the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies website.

close up blooming onion

How to make a baked blooming onion

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

To begin this oven-baked blooming onion recipe, preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut about 1/2 inch off the bottom of a large onion and peel the skin off. Check out the video of how to peel and slice the onion.

peeled onion on cutting board with knife

I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.

Next, place the onion on the cutting board with the sliced side down. Starting approximately 1/2″ from the top, make a downward cut all the way through to the board.

Repeat to make four evenly spaced cuts around the onion. Continue slicing between each section until you have 16 evenly spaced cuts. The video included shows how to do this easily.

onion on cutting board with knife

Turn the onion over and use your fingers to gently separate the outer pieces.

I have been told that if you soak a cut onion in cold water overnight, it will open up on its own. I would just have trouble thinking that far ahead.

sliced onion in a hand

In a medium bowl add flour, bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients to mix. Set to the side.

flour, bread crumbs, and spices in stainless bowl

Hold sliced onion in your hand as you spoon my Vegan Mayonnaise Recipe on top and begin to rub into the onion.

Make sure to get in between the petals as well. Coat well, even on the outside. Yes, it’s going to get messy, but it’s well worth it, I promise!

sliced blooming onion coated with mayo

Place the mayonnaise-coated onion in the bowl with the dry ingredients.

coated blooming onion in bread crumbs in bowl

Place a plate over the top of the bowl and GENTLY rock around to coat the onion. Use a spoon to sprinkle more inside petals, if necessary.

Place breaded onion on baking pan with parchment paper.

breaded blooming onion

Another option is to make these in your air fryer. Recently, this has become my favorite way to cook them because they cook quickly in about 15-20 minutes and come out nice and crispy.

blooming onion in air fryer

If baking in the oven, cover with an ovenproof bowl. Some people make a foil tent instead, but I don’t like to use foil to cook due to some research showing it may be linked to Alzheimer’s Disease.

blooming onion being covered with baking dish

If you are making more than one onion, use a large rectangle baking dish to act as a tent over all of them at the same time. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes covered with the oven bowl.

Remove the bowl, and cook an additional 30 minutes until golden brown.

Take out of the oven and serve warm. This is excellent with my Chipotle Ranch Sauce.

blooming onion on plate with vegan chipotle sauce with another plate in background

*Originally published February 12, 2015.

Your Questions Answered:

  • Q: Is a blooming onion vegan? Traditionally, no because eggs are usually used to coat them, but this recipe is completely vegan.
  • Q: How do you cut a blooming onion? Starting approximately 1/2″ from the top, make a downward cut all the way through to the board. Repeat to make four evenly spaced cuts around the onion. Continue slicing between each section until you have 16 evenly spaced cuts. The video included shows how to do this easily.
  • Q: Can I make these in my air fryer? Absolutely! Air frying is my favorite way to make these. Set the temperature to 370°F and cook for 15-20 minutes.
  • Q: What sauce can I use as a dip? Fabulous dipping sauce for a baked blooming onion is my Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Other appetizers and snacks

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!


blooming onion on plate with vegan chipotle sauce
4.50 from 22 votes

Baked Blooming Onion

This delicious oil-free blooming onion is baked to crispy perfection and drizzled with amazing vegan chipotle sauce.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 large onion Vidalia or yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup low-fat eggless mayo
  • 3/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup whole grain flour (gluten-free flour if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • To begin this oven-baked blooming onion recipe, preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Cut about 1/2 inch off the bottom of a large onion and peel the skin off. Check out the video of how to peel and slice the onion.
  • Next, place the onion on the cutting board with the sliced side down. Starting approximately 1/2″ from the top, make a downward cut all the way through to the board.
  • Repeat to make four evenly spaced cuts around the onion. Continue slicing between each section until you have 16 evenly spaced cuts. The video included shows how to do this easily.
  • Turn the onion over and use your fingers to gently separate the outer pieces.
  • In a medium bowl add flour, bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients to mix. Set to the side.
  • Hold sliced onion in your hand as you spoon my Vegan Mayonnaise Recipe on top and begin to rub into the onion.
  • Make sure to get in between the petals as well. Coat well, even on the outside. Yes, it’s going to get messy, but it’s well worth it, I promise!
  • Place the mayonnaise-coated onion in the bowl with the dry ingredients.
  • Place a plate over the top of the bowl and GENTLY rock around to coat the onion. Use a spoon to sprinkle more inside petals, if necessary.
  • Place breaded onion on baking pan with parchment paper. Another option is to make these in your air fryer. Recently, this has become my favorite way to cook them because they cook quickly in about 15-20 minutes and come out nice and crispy.
  • If baking in the oven, cover with an ovenproof bowl. Some people make a foil tent instead, but I don’t like to use foil to cook due to some research showing it may be linked to Alzheimer’s Disease.
  • If you are making more than one onion, use a large rectangle baking dish to act as a tent over all of them at the same time. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes covered with the oven bowl.
  • Remove the bowl, and cook an additional 30 minutes until golden brown.
  • Take out of the oven and serve warm. Serve with my Chipotle Ranch Sauce.

Video

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
Your Questions Answered:
  • Q: Is a blooming onion vegan? Traditionally, no because eggs are usually used to coat them, but this recipe is completely vegan.
  • Q: How do you cut a blooming onion? Starting approximately 1/2″ from the top, make a downward cut all the way through to the board. Repeat to make four evenly spaced cuts around the onion. Continue slicing between each section until you have 16 evenly spaced cuts. The video included shows how to do this easily.
  • Q: Can I make these in my air fryer? Absolutely! Air frying is my favorite way to make these. Set the temperature to 370°F and cook for 15-20 minutes.
  • Q: What sauce can I use as a dip? Fabulous dipping sauce for a baked blooming onion is my Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Use my Homemade Vegan Mayo to make this recipe. It's completely oil-free. 

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 8.8g | Fat: 2.7g | Fiber: 5.9g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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10 Comments

    1. Thanks, Lauren! I hope you both enjoy! Also hope that I get to meet you in-person before too long. Jane Champion spoke very highly of you, and I love that we are in the same area and spreading the same healthy message of plant-based nutrition. Feels like 2016 is going to be our year! 😀

  1. Can we re-heat the onion after it is baked? I am planning a 15 guest party reunion and would like to make all my vegan food ahead of time.

    1. Roxanne, when I was tinkering with this recipe last week, it was early in the day, so by the time my hubby got home to eat his for dinner it had to be reheated. He said it tasted good, but he could definitely tell it would have been better fresh out of the oven. I made them again this weekend, and he got to eat it right away and said it was a lot better fresh.

    1. Thanks so much! I tinkered for a few weeks with different things that were just too heavy and ‘bready’ which did not make for a good finished product. It looked pretty, but tasted pretty bad. Using mayo was the magic bullet that finally brought it all together and made for a delicious blooming onion. So glad you like it!

  2. Thank you for yet another awesome looking recipe! You referenced a video but I am not seeing it. Can you describe where in on this page it is?

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