This deliciously cheesy, creamy, bubbling hot Spinach Artichoke Dip is the perfect appetizer to serve at any of your gatherings this holiday season. Best of all, the dip can be assembled up to a day in advance before baking.

baked spinach artichoke dip with pita chips

I recently realized this site needs a lot more appetizers, especially with the holiday/party season now in full swing. So I thought I’d start by sharing my version of one of the most old-school yet crowd-pleasing appetizers at gatherings — a bubbling hot, cheesy and creamy spinach artichoke dip.

There are plenty (more like thousands!) spinach artichoke dips out there and mine is not offering you anything earth-shatteringly different. I do, however, happen to think it is more delicious than any I’ve ever tried. It’s cheesy and creamy but not so cheesy that you can’t taste the spinach or artichokes, which is of course why we’re here, right? There’s garlic and shallots contributing to the savouriness of it all and parmesan cheese to keep it nice and salty. Do make this one, friends, and see for yourselves.

Table of Contents[Hide]

Ingredients And Substitutions
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Dip
Recipe Tips
Serving Suggestions
To Make Ahead And Store
More Appetizers To Try
Spinach Artichoke Dip
More Ideas

Ingredients And Substitutions

Cream cheese – I sometimes make this dip without cream cheese and it’s actually not bad at all. But, and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that it is better, like a lot better, with cream cheese. I do, however, use only 4 ounces as opposed to the 8 ounces almost all other recipes call for. This is not just because I am trying to be calorie-conscious, I actually prefer the dip a little less rich. Using less cream cheese also allows the spinach and artichoke flavours to be more predominant.

Canned artichoke hearts – For this recipe, I prefer the texture of canned artichokes versus frozen. I always have a few cans of artichoke hearts in my pantry for when I need to make this dip. But artichoke hearts are also great to add to salads or for roasting with chicken or other vegetables, so stock up. Jarred artichoke hearts, in general, have been marinated with too many spices which might not work in this dip.
Shallots – I prefer to use shallots here because they’re a little milder than regular onions. If all you have is onion, go ahead and use that instead.
Garlic – I like to use fresh here which adds pungent flavour to the dip. In a pinch, you can use a teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
Spinach – I used frozen spinach but fresh will also work. Make sure you thaw the frozen spinach thoroughly and squeeze out as much water as possible. If using fresh spinach, just sauté it in a skillet with a little oil until it wilts and all the liquid evaporates.
Sour cream or Greek yogurt – You can use either sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt. Though both are tasty in this dip, sour cream is a little better, in my opinion.
Mayonnaise – I like soy-free vegenaise so much that I rarely buy regular mayo. For this dip, however, I find regular mayo (I use light) to be more binding.
Parmesan – Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Pecorino add wonderful salty flavour to this dip.
Grated mozzarella cheese – I go a little lighter on the mozzarella cheese, but feel free to add more. Gruyère would also be delicious here.
Kosher salt and pepper – Even when rinsed, the canned artichokes will be a bit salty so don’t add too much salt.
Crushed red pepper – Just a pinch adds a nice kick, but feel free to omit if you don’t like anything spicy.
Lemon juice – A few squirts of lemon juice helps keep the strong spinach flavour and cheesiness in check.

How to Make Spinach Artichoke Dip

If the cream cheese is not soft enough, use a hand mixer to beat it. Even if the cream cheese is soft enough, an electric mixer, or food processor, will make it easier to mix and will prevent the dip from being too dense. Here’s the easy steps to make this dip:

Mix the cream cheese. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, garlic, lemon juice, sour cream and mayo. Alternatively, use a hand mixer to make it a little fluffier.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Fold in the spinach, chopped artichokes, parmesan, mozzarella, shallots, salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Mix together until completely and evenly combined.
Bake. Pour the mixture into a greased 1 quart baking dish or 8-inch skillet and smooth the top. Sprinkle with a bit more mozzarella, if you wish. Bake spinach artichoke dip for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and cooked through. Remove from oven and serve with toasted pita wedges, crostini, fresh vegetables, or tortilla chips.

Recipe Tips

Use very soft cream cheese. If your cream cheese isn’t soft enough, it won’t incorporate properly with the other ingredients.
Use a hand mixer. If the cream cheese has not softened enough, use a hand mixer to beat it. This also makes the dip extra fluffy which is a good thing.

Rinse the canned artichokes. Canned artichokes are packed with salt and citric acid. Much like canned beans, it is best to drain them in a colander then rinse under cold water. For this recipe in particular, leaving them un-rinsed could give an unpleasant taste to the dip.

Squeeze the spinach dry. Any extra moisture will make the dip watery, aka bland as heck. No bueno. Really squeeze the spinach by small handfuls between your fingers to remove as much liquid as possible. Alternatively, you can use a thin kitchen towel to wring out all the liquid.
Thaw the frozen spinach. To thaw the frozen spinach quickly, place it in a bowl and microwave for a few minutes until thawed. You could also place it in a strainer and run under warm water.

Serving Suggestions

To keep things simple, easy and super delicious, serve the spinach artichoke dip with store-bought potato chips, crackers, pita or tortilla chips. My favourite are these pita chips which you can find at Costco.

If you don’t mind a few minutes of extra work, some crunchy crostini are always a huge hit.

For a lower-carb option, serve with a colourful array of sliced or chopped fresh vegetables such as cauliflower, radishes, carrots, cucumbers, celery, and fennel.

An assortment of all of the above is always a crowd-pleasing, great idea.

To Make Ahead And Store

You can assemble the entire dip in the baking dish, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 day. When ready to serve, bake as directed but add at least 5 more minutes baking time to compensate for the cold ingredients.

To store: Cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Place the spinach artichoke dip in a small ovenproof dish and bake in a preheated 350ºF oven until warmed through.

***Leftover tip! Add any spinach artichoke dip leftovers to cooked pasta – DELICIOUS!***

More Appetizers To Try

If you give this Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!

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