Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
Add Preferred SourceSpinach artichoke dip is what I bring when I want the bowl scraped clean before anyone reaches the main table. One batch stretches two cans of artichokes and a few dairy staples across a big crowd, so it feeds a party for far less than a deli tray.
The part that decides whether it sets or slumps is how well you dry the spinach and artichokes before they go in. Get that right and you’ll pull a hot, cheesy dip out of the oven that holds its shape on a cracker.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It feeds a crowd from staples. Cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and two cans of artichokes make a big baking dish of dip, so you’re not buying a dozen special items for one party.
- Fresh spinach does the heavy lifting. A bag of fresh spinach cooked down in butter gives the dip real body and color instead of the flat green flecks you get from a tub.
- It comes together in two bowls and one skillet. You wilt the spinach, mix the cheese base, fold them together, and bake. Ten minutes of hands-on prep, then the oven does the rest.
- Leftovers turn into a second meal. Cold dip spreads onto sandwiches and wraps, or goes on toast under the broiler as a fast melt the next day.
- You can keep it vegetarian. With vegetable broth, it stays meat-free for the table, and swapping in chicken broth is the only thing that changes that.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what’s worth knowing before you start. The printable card below has the full list with quantities.
- Fresh spinach. A 10-ounce bag cooks down to a fraction of its size, so it looks like far too much going into the skillet. Cook it fully and drain off the liquid before it meets the cheese, or that water ends up in your dip.
- Canned artichoke hearts. Two 14-ounce cans, drained and chopped. Press them in a towel after draining, because they hold water that loosens the dip as it bakes.
- Cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise. These three make the base. Let the cream cheese come to room temperature first so it blends smooth instead of leaving lumps.
- Parmesan and mozzarella. The Parmesan brings a salty, savory edge and the mozzarella gives the stretch. Shredding your own melts cleaner than the pre-shredded bags, which are coated to stop clumping.
- Vegetable or chicken broth. Half a cup loosens the mix before baking. Use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian, or plain water if that’s what you have on hand.
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Dip
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Cook the spinach and aromatics
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then cook the diced onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the spinach in handfuls, letting each wilt down before adding the next, until it’s all wilted.
This takes about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the cooked spinach well and set it aside, because the liquid left in the pan is exactly the water you don’t want in the finished dip.
Mix the cheese base
In a large bowl, stir the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth.
Add the Parmesan, ground pepper, and chopped artichokes and stir to combine, then pour in the broth. The mixture looks loose at this stage, and that’s expected. It firms up in the oven.
Fold, bake, and serve
Fold the drained spinach and mozzarella into the cheese base and spread it into a four-quart baking dish. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes, until it’s hot through and set at the edges.
Serve it straight away with crackers, tortilla chips, toasted bread, or whatever you like to scoop with.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Dry everything twice. The single biggest reason this dip turns watery is undrained spinach and artichokes. Cook the spinach down, drain it, and press the artichokes in a towel. It feels like overkill, and it’s the step that makes the difference.
- Don’t fix loose with more cheese. The unbaked mix is meant to look soupy from the broth. Adding extra cheese to firm it up early is how you end up with a dip so thick you eat it with a fork. Let the oven set it.
- Warm the cream cheese first. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps you can’t stir out. If you forgot to set it out, microwave it in ten-second bursts on low until it softens.
- Frozen spinach works in a pinch. If fresh isn’t around, a bag of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed hard, stands in fine. Squeeze it drier than you think you need to.
Recipe Variations
- Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Swapping plain Greek yogurt in for the sour cream lightens it and adds a little more tang. I’ve tested this and it holds up, though the dip tastes sharper, so use it if you like that edge.
- A little heat. A pinch of red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeno stirred in with the artichokes is a well-supported addition that changes nothing about the method or the bake.
- Add crumbled bacon. Cooked, crumbled bacon folded in at the end adds a smoky, salty note, and it also makes the dip no longer vegetarian. This one is backed by countless versions of the dish and needs no other change.
How to Store Leftovers
Make-ahead and leftovers are two different states, so treat them separately.
To get ahead, assemble the dip through folding in the spinach and mozzarella, cover it, and refrigerate it unbaked for up to a day. Bake it straight from the fridge, adding a few minutes since it starts cold.
Once it’s baked, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Press plastic wrap onto the surface to stop it from drying out, and reheat to 165°F before serving.
If it sits out at a party, refrigerate it within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F.
I don’t recommend freezing this one. The sour cream and cream cheese separate and turn grainy once thawed, so what you get back is watery rather than creamy.
What to Serve With Spinach Artichoke Dip
Any sturdy scooper works here: crackers, toasted baguette slices, tortilla chips, or bagel chips all hold up to a thick dip. For something crunchy and warm alongside, a batch of air fryer homemade fries gives people a hot side to dip into as well.
If you’re building a bigger spread for game day, set the dip next to something handheld and filling like Hawaiian pulled pork sliders, then round it out with a bowl of raw vegetables like celery, carrots, and bell peppers for the people who want a break from all the cheese.
FAQs
It’s almost always leftover water in the spinach or artichokes. For a batch that’s already baked and loose, stir a handful of extra mozzarella through the dish while it’s hot to bind it, or return it to the oven uncovered for a few minutes to cook off the moisture. Using drier ingredients next time will help prevent this.”
Yes. Assemble it unbaked, cover, and keep it in the fridge for up to a day, then bake it from cold with a few extra minutes. I wouldn’t bake it ahead and reheat the whole dish, since it’s better fresh out of the oven.
Yes, if you use vegetable broth. The only ingredient that changes is the chicken broth, so choose the vegetable version and skip the bacon variation if you’re serving a meat-free table.
You can, but I don’t. The dairy base separates and turns grainy once it thaws, so the texture suffers even though it stays safe to eat. The fridge is the better home for these leftovers.
More Easy Budget Friendly Recipes for You to Try at Home
Here’s where I’d go next when you want more to feed a crowd without a big grocery run.
- Taco Salad Cups are the pick when I want another handheld appetizer for the same party, since they hold their shape and travel well.
- Cheesy Caprese Pesto Tarts keep the appetizer table meat-free alongside the dip, and they come out looking far fancier than the effort they take.
- Red Cabbage Coleslaw is what I add when the spread needs something fresh and sharp to cut all the cheese, and it holds in the fridge for hours before serving.
- Juicy Smash Burgers turn the same gathering into a proper meal for the nights when a dip alone won’t carry dinner.
- Crispy Air Fryer Bacon is the one I keep on hand for topping the dip or building a next-day sandwich from the leftovers.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces bag fresh spinach
- 1 small white or yellow onion diced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 16 ounces sour cream
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 2 cans artichoke hearts drained and chopped (14 ounces each)
- 6 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large skillet. Sauté the onions and the garlic until the onions turn translucent.1 small white or yellow onion, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Add handfuls of fresh spinach to the pan and let it cook down before adding more. Repeat this until all the spinach has been cooked down in the butter mixture. This entire process should take about 10-12 minutes. Set aside.10 ounces bag fresh spinach
- In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise.8 ounces cream cheese, 16 ounces sour cream, ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- Add the parmesan cheese, pepper, and artichoke. Stir well.6 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon ground pepper, 2 cans artichoke hearts
- Add the broth and stir until it’s fully incorporated into the mixture. It will be slightly soupy, but trust the process.½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
- Fold in the spinach mixture and mozzarella. Pour and spread evenly into a 4-quart baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately with crackers, tortilla chips, toasted French bread slices, bagel chips, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook the fresh spinach down and drain it well, and press the drained artichokes dry, so the baked dip sets instead of turning watery.
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing so the base blends smoothly without lumps.
- The unbaked mixture looks loose from the broth and firms up during the 30-minute bake, so resist adding extra cheese to thicken it early.
- For a lighter, tangier dip, use plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.
- Store leftovers airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and reheat to 165°F (74°C) before serving.
