If you need an appetizer that’s always a crowd favorite, you can’t go wrong with this spinach and artichoke dip. It’s creamy, cheesy and packed with savory artichokes and spinach, then baked until hot and bubbling. It’s so easy to put together and you can even assemble it ahead of time, making it perfect for holidays, game days or anytime you’re feeding a crowd.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Perfect for Entertaining – This dip can easily be mixed together ahead of time and baked just before your guests arrive. It’s one less thing to worry about when you’re getting everything else ready!
Made with Easy-to-Keep Ingredients – Frozen spinach, canned artichokes and a few fridge staples make this a really handy appetizer to have in your back pocket. You don’t need a long list of specialty ingredients.
Great for Feeding a Crowd – Spinach and artichoke dip is always a crowd favorite. It’s rich and cheesy, so a little goes a long way when it’s served with plenty of sourdough bread, veggies or sourdough crackers for dipping.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese – Take your cream cheese out of the fridge ahead of time so it’s nice and soft before mixing. I like to take the frozen spinach out at the same time so it can thaw while the cream cheese softens.
- Sour Cream – Adds a bit of creaminess and tang to balance out the rich cream cheese.
- Mayonnaise – Helps to smooth out the base and lighten it slightly.
- Lemon Juice – Adds a little acidity to balance all those rich, creamy flavors.
- Artichoke Hearts – I use canned (in water) but if you only have the ones in oil, that works well too just be sure to drain and squeeze out as much oil as you can.
- Frozen Spinach – You can use either fresh or frozen spinach. If using fresh, you’ll need to cook it first, let it cool and then squeeze all the water out. Frozen is my preference because it’s available year round and much easier to work with. Just make sure you squeeze all the water out first, or you’ll end up with watery dip.
- White Pepper – I like white pepper here, but regular black pepper works just as well.
- Garlic Powder + Garlic Clove – I love using both because they bring slightly different garlic flavors to the dip, but you can use just one if you prefer.
- Salt
- Mozzarella and Parmesan – Mozzarella gives you the cheesy texture while Parmesan adds plenty of flavor. Make sure you reserve a little of each to sprinkle over the top before baking.
How To Make Spinach Artichoke Dip
The most important thing when making this dip is to remove as much liquid as possible from the spinach and artichokes. I like to squeeze the thawed spinach really well in a clean kitchen towel. This will stop your finished dip from becoming watery.
Once that’s done, mix the softened cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise together until smooth. Fold through the remaining ingredients, reserving a little mozzarella and Parmesan for the top.
Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe baking dish, sprinkle over the reserved cheese and bake at 180°C (350°F) until hot and bubbling around the edges.
Pop it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to get that lovely golden cheesy top. Watch the Broiler! The cheese can go from golden and bubbling to burnt very quickly under the broiler, so don’t walk away.
Allow the dip to sit for 5 to 7 minutes before serving. The allows the cheese to cool just a little and thicken. It also ensures no one burns their mouth!
What to Eat With Spinach Artichoke Dip
I love eating this dip with my sourdough pita chips or slices of fresh sourdough baguettes or sourdough crostini. It’s sturdy enough to scoop up plenty of dip without overpowering it. Add some sliced fresh veggies alongside and you’ve got a really easy appetizer or snack.
For a showstopping display, put this dip in a sourdough bread bowl. Bake the dip as directed, then transfer it to the bread bowl before the broiling step. Sprinkle over the reserved cheese and broil until golden, keeping a close eye on the bread so it doesn’t burn.
You can even use leftover spinach and artichoke dip as a filling for sourdough pizza pockets. Skip the broiling step when you make the dip, allow it to cool completely and then use it in place of the pizza filling. It’s so good!
How To Store + Freeze
Store leftover spinach and artichoke dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat it in the oven until hot and bubbling before serving.
You can also assemble the dip up to 24 hours ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate it unbaked, then bake when you’re ready to serve.
While you can technically freeze spinach and artichoke dip, I don’t recommend it. The dairy-based ingredients can separate once frozen and thawed, which can affect the creamy texture.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Equipment
- Baking Dish
- Mixing Bowl
- Mixing Spoon
- Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
- 226 g Cream Cheese, (18 oz bar, room temperature)
- 120 g Sour Cream
- 60 g Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice, (approximately 6g)
- 240 g Canned Artichokes, (drained and chopped)
- 340 g Frozen Spinach, (12 oz – defrosted & drained)
- 7 g Kosher Salt, (1½ tsp)
- ¼ tsp White Pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 110 g Mozzarella, (shredded)
- 10 g Parmesan, (grated)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Squeeze any remaining water out of the spinach with a kitchen towel.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, mayo until combined. If cream cheese isa little lumpy that’s ok as long as all three are combined it will smooth out during baking. Reserve a pinch of each cheese on the side and then mix the remaining ingredients into the creamy base.
- Transfer the dip into an oven safe vessel and top with reserved cheese. Bake at 180ºC (350ºF) or until the dip shows small bubbles and is heated through. Broil for about 2-3 minutes(be sure to watch it so it doesn't burn) until the cheese is melty and golden brown.
- Let dip cool for 5-7 minutes and serve!
Notes
- Take your cream cheese out of the fridge ahead of time so it’s nice and soft before mixing. I like to take the frozen spinach out at the same time so it can thaw while the cream cheese softens.
- Don’t skip squeezing out the spinach! Excess water can make your dip watery. I like to squeeze it in a clean kitchen towel to get out as much moisture as possible.
- The cheese can go from golden and bubbling to burnt very quickly under the broiler, so don’t walk away!
- I know it’s tempting to dig straight in when the dip is finished, but give the dip 5 to 7 minutes to cool and thicken a bit before serving. It helps with flavor and texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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