This easy spinach artichoke dip is tangy, creamy, and cheesy. It’s the best warm dip appetizer to wow your guests for a party or Game Day.
You can easily double up the recipe and serve for a crowd. Attention, there won't be any leftovers!
I like to combine cold and hot appetizers for snacks or parties and have shared a couple on this blog.
From my Cold Spinach Dip, and easy Red Pepper Hummus, to hot and spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip. Make these for your next party!
There is a skip-to-recipe button in the top left corner along with a clickable table of contents list (just below) that will quickly take you to the part you are more interested in. Enjoy!
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Does Spinach Artichoke Dip Have Gluten?
No, this amazing dip does not have gluten in it unless you serve it with breadsticks and wheat crackers.
Is it healthy?
It's definitely not unhealthy either. Well, let’s just say it’s a kinda comfort/party food that I wouldn’t eat every day. I like to consume different foods without overthinking and everything in moderation.
Can you make this dip in a crock pot?
You bet! Follow the recipe as instructed combining all the ingredients. Place in a lightly greased slow cooker.
Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours. Great to make ahead and keep warm in the crock pot before dinner.
Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Spinach - fresh, canned or frozen spinach. For canned spinach, drain the liquid first. For fresh, break it down in a food processor or blender first or steam it lightly and then chop it finely. Unlike with my Cold Spinach Dip, you can definitely use frozen spinach here.
- Marinated Artichokes - canned artichoke hearts work well as they are already cooked and soft. Just drain from excess liquid. You can buy already quartered artichokes or bigger ones and then chop these. Plain is better but if artichoke in olive oil is all you can find is fine too. For fresh artichokes, cook or roast them until soft inside.
- Cream cheese - Philadelphia is my favorite, I haven't found other cream cheese brand that comes close to flavor and texture.
- Cheese - we use two kinds of cheese here. Shredded mozzarella is added for the melty cheese top layer and parmesan for the flavor and texture inside. Instead of mozzarella, you can use other melty cheeses such as cheddar, gruyere, provolone, or fontina. Parmesan can be substituted with similar hard cheeses - Grana Padano, Asiago, and Romano cheese.
- Full-fat sour cream - for the best creamy flavor. Or creme fraiche. It is needed for the texture, the only substitution that will work similarly is smooth plain greek yogurt.
- Mayonnaise - only use high-quality mayonnaise. Even though we are using just 3 spoonfuls here, it changes the flavor considerably. If you can’t find a good one, simply leave it out and use more sour cream and cream cheese instead.
- Garlic - Feel free to increase this amount to 2 teaspoons if you like things garlicky. In general, I like to use all fresh whenever possible but if garlic powder is all you have you can use it. However, it does not have a strong flavor like fresh garlic.
Instructions
Let's learn how to make Spinach Artichoke Dip!
The beauty of this creamy dip is that you can mix it all up in advance and bake it when ready to eat. You don’t have to bake it in the oven right away.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a medium bowl, mix spinach, artichoke, parmesan, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, and black pepper.
Grease a 7 or 8-inch baking form/cast iron skillet with butter or cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the form and top with the mozzarella layer.
Bake for 22-25 minutes. I like to turn the oven broiler on for the last 1-2 minutes of baking.
It helps to brown the cheese beautifully, however, be careful and keep an eye on it as it also might burn the top layer in seconds.
How long to bake spinach artichoke dip will depend on your oven but generally as soon as the cheese is melted on top and starts to brown your dip is ready.
Serve with chopped parsley, crackers, baguette slices, and veggies strips.
This recipe can be easily doubled for a large crowd.
Tips
- If the dip seems to be too thick - the cream cheese may have been too cold. Let the dip stand on the kitchen counter. If this doesn't help add more sour cream or simply milk.
- How to fix a runny dip - don't forget to drain both artichokes and spinach. If the dip is too runny, add more cream cheese and let chill in the fridge until it hardens.
- We like to add third cheese sometimes on top - goat cheese, feta, cotija, or camembert. Just add small pieces on top of the mozzarella layer and let the oven do its magic.
- This spinach artichoke dip is low-carb if you serve it with strips of veggies instead of bread or chips.
- If you can, grate the parmesan and mozzarella from the block. It will melt better and the texture smooth.
JULIA'S TIP Artichokes and frozen spinach need to be both drained well. Take your time to remove the excess water, you can do that with a cheesecloth or a thin linen cloth.
- If using fresh spinach, while mixing, it will look like a lot of fresh spinach however n panic, it will reduce significantly in size after baking.
- For extra flavor and crunch try adding chopped water chestnuts or walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
- In my opinion, this dip should be chunky rather than smooth. Don’t dice everything too fine otherwise, it will become a spread rather than a dip.
JULIA'S TIP Let the cream cheese come to room temperature for better blending. If it’s too cold it will be difficult to incorporate with other ingredients.
Serving Suggestions
What to serve with hot spinach artichoke dip? Any of your favorite dippers of course! Tortilla chips, bread, crackers.
For low carb, definitely veggie strips. Or just scoop it up with a spoon and eat it. It’s delicious!
I recommend these best dippers for spinach dip:
- Tortilla chips, pretzels, grissini, crostini, bruschettas, crackers, corn chips, pita chips, and others.
- Healthy dippers - Veggies like carrots, celery, mini bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber
- Best bread - your favorite bread such as baguette, french bread, croutons
For GF make sure to choose dippers according to your diet with the appropriate labels.
Love cream cheese recipes? I got you covered. Try our party favorite Stuffed Mushrooms perfect every time French Toast, the best Mashed potatoes, next.
What to do with leftovers?
The dip can be reheated in the oven until warmed through or microwaved. We also like to add leftovers to pasta recipes. Delicious.
Variations
- Spinach Artichoke Dip With No Mayo - I like to add a small amount of mayo combined with sour cream. But if necessary, you can completely omit the mayo. To compensate, add more sour cream and cream cheese instead.
- For simple, all-spinach dip - try my recipe instead.
- For a fun twist add lemon zest or lemon juice to the dip, you only need a little.
- Make this dip spicy by adding green chilies, jalapenos (fresh or jarred),
- Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip - Substitute sour cream with plain low-fat Greek yogurt and use low-fat cream cheese, and cheeses.
- Low fat option - this cheesy dip is not a light dip. To make it ''lighter'' go for low fat cream cheese, sour cream, mayo and low-fat cheeses.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
Let the dip cool and transfer to an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 days, and reheat in the oven until just warmed through.
You can add extra mozzarella on top to make it look as freshly prepared.
Can you freeze spinach artichoke dip?
In theory, you can but I don't recommend it as the texture may become a little grainy and it’s simply not the same as baked from freshly made.
For Freezing unbaked dip - Combine all ingredients and transfer to a freezer-safe container. If you can, don’t add the mozzarella cheese.
Freeze for up to a month and when ready to bake let defrost overnight in the fridge. Baked as instructed until warmed through and cheese bubbly and browned.
To freeze leftover dip - transfer the dip into an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to a month. Let thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave in small increments or in the oven until piping hot.
Once again, I highly recommend making it fresh, from scratch, or at least mixing all the ingredients 24 hours before and then baking the dip.
Can you make this dip the night before? Oh yes, this dip is a game-changer. Make ahead by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl or transfer to the baking dish right away.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let come to room temperature and bake it the next day. Once all the ingredients are combined, I recommend baking the dip within 24 hours.
FAQs
This dip is meant to be served hot while the cheesy is melty and stringy. If you want to enjoy a cold dip I have Cold Spinach Dip recipe too.
It is not bad nor it is very healthy either. Ingredients such as cream cheese and cheeses are high calories and high-fat foods.
This being said it is still better to make it from scratch at home than buy from the store. If you consume it once in a while and in moderation it is fine.
More Crowd Favorite Appetizer Recipes
ALL APPETIZER recipes.
I hope you'll enjoy this best spinach artichoke dip recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip (Baked)
INGREDIENTS
- 5- ounce frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained from excess water
- 7 ounce canned artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- ⅔ cups shredded Parmesan cheese
- 4 ounce package cream cheese softened to room temp
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoons minced garlic
- ⅓ cup mozzarella grated
- Black pepper to taste
- Parsley for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a medium bowl, mix spinach, artichoke, parmesan, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, black pepper.
- Grease a 7 or 8 inch baking form or cast iron skillet with butter or cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the form and top with mozzarella layer.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes. I like to turn the oven broiler on for the last 1-2 minutes of baking. It helps to brown the cheese beautifully, however be careful and keep an eye on it as it also might burn the top layer in seconds.
- How long to bake spinach artichoke dip will depend on your oven but generally as soon as the cheese is melted on top and it starts to brown your dip is ready.
- Serve with chopped parsley, crackers, baguette slices, and veggies strips.
- This recipe can be easily doubled for a large crowd.
Video
NOTES
- Let the dip cool and transfer to an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 days, and reheat in the oven until just warmed through. You can add extra mozzarella on top to make it look as freshly prepared.
- Can you freeze spinach artichoke dip?
In theory, you can but I don't recommend it as the texture may become a little grainy and it’s simply not the same as baked from freshly made. - For Freezing unbaked dip -Combine all ingredients and transfer to a freezer-safe container. If you can, don’t add the mozzarella cheese. Freeze for up to a month and when ready to bake let defrost overnight in the fridge. Baked as instructed until warmed through and cheese bubbly and browned.
- To freeze leftover dip - transfer the dip into an airtight container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to a month. Let thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave in small increments or in the oven until piping hot.
Once again, I highly recommend making it fresh, from scratch or at least mixing all the ingredients 24 hours before and then baking the dip.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Delicious homemade spinach artichoke dip for any party!
Jill
Going to make this for football playoff watching tomorrow. Can't wait!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you, hope you love it!
Toni
Such an amazing comfort food!! This recipe is incredibly easy! Thanks!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Toni!
Lily
This recipe was AWESOME! It's so easy to throw together and make ahead. I made it the day before a weekend gathering, then baked it right before leaving. It's great with some pita chips or tortilla chips.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you so much, it's crazy delicious!
Kushigalu
wow! What a delicious-looking spinach artichoke dip. Thanks for sharing
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you, hope you make it!
Stephanie
I've had many versions of spinach artichoke dip but this one is definitely in the top 3. My in-laws loved it!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you Stephanie!