Best Baked Spinach Cheese and Artichoke Dip Recipe
Better than any restaurant version (I promise!), this Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip is made with just 7 ingredients and takes less than 45 minutes from start to finish! And there's NO MAYO! No family get-together or party is complete with oven-baked spinach dip!
You Will Love This
- It is hands down the best spinach artichoke dip you'll ever eat! It's better than any restaurant spinach dip out there. And I know because I've tried them all. I was on a mission for many years to find the best spinach dip when we went out to eat and I never found it. You know that saying, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself". Yep, it's true. And this spinach dip checks all the boxes!
- It's SO easy to make! If you're worried about how to make spinach artichoke dip from scratch - let me ease your mind. If you can stir ingredients together, you can make this dip! No fancy kitchen skills or funky gadgets are required! If you love quick and easy appetizer recipes be sure to check out my Easy Garlic & Herb Bread Dipping Oil, Easy Baked Feta Appetizer, or my Creamy Baked Crab Dip.
- Wondering what spinach artichoke dip is made with? The ingredient list for this easy spinach appetizer is short, sweet, and simple. No fancy cheeses or exotic ingredients. Just simple, straightforward items you'll be able to find at any grocery store or you may have on hand already!
- It's best served with a chilled glass of white wine or a full-bodied red wine. Looking for a new ladies' night appetizer? This hot spinach artichoke dip is IT! Your friends are going to love this baked artichoke dip so much you might want to think about making a double batch. Cheers!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fresh Spinach - A key ingredient in this baked spinach dip recipe is (not surprisingly) fresh spinach! Make sure to use fresh for this recipe - frozen spinach is going to release too much moisture and also dull the flavor a bit.
- Full-Fat Sour Cream - For the best flavor and texture, I recommend using full-fat sour cream. Most low fat or fat-free products replace the fat with fake sugar which is why I typically only use full-fat dairy products.
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese - In my humble opinion, spinach dip with cream cheese is the only way to go. And again, you're going to get the best flavor and creamy texture by using a full-fat cream cheese.
- Canned Artichoke Hearts - I like to buy a can of quartered artichoke hearts because they're already sliced into quarters, and they're usually cheaper than the medium or large artichoke hearts. You could also use the artichoke hearts that come in a jar, marinated in olive oil.
- Fresh Garlic - The fresh garlic in this spinach dip recipe adds a TON of flavor so I highly recommend slicing up your own cloves. Skip the jarred, minced garlic or garlic powder for this recipe in favor of fresh garlic.
- Shredded Mozzarella - I like to use a thick cut, whole milk shredded mozzarella. It gives the best flavor and texture. However, any shredded mozzarella will work. BUT - don't use fresh mozzarella in this recipe. It will release a lot of moisture and could cause the dip to become watery.
- Shredded Parmesan - I like to shred my own because often a wedge of Parmesan is cheaper than the pre-shredded stuff. But any type of shredded Parmesan will work as well. Also, Pecorino or Asiago would work in place of the Parmesan but will change the flavor slightly.
- Crusty French Baguette - I love to serve this baked spinach dip with a fresh-baked French baguette. Those take and bake ones that you find at the grocery store are perfect!
Instructions
Add spinach, artichoke hearts, sour cream, cream cheese, garlic, Parmesan, half the mozzarella, and a large pinch of salt and pepper to a large bowl.
Mix until well combined and spread in a baking dish.
Cover with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake until golden brown and bubbly.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with sliced French baguette and enjoy!
Tips
- Just say NO to frozen spinach. Use fresh spinach every time for the best texture and flavor! Fresh ingredients always taste better and this recipe is no exception! Fresh spinach has just the right amount of moisture and will wilt perfectly into the dip. Frozen spinach tends to be VERY watery and the flavor is quite dull.
- Use fresh garlic. Similar to the spinach, fresh garlic will be best in this recipe! Skip the minced, jarred garlic and mince your own cloves! If you're in a pinch, ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder will give you that garlic flavor you need, but if you can - fresh garlic is always best in this spinach dip recipe!
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Room temp cream cheese and sour cream will make this dip much easier to mix up and will also help it bake more evenly. I like to get all my ingredients ready and then let them sit out on the counter for about 30-60 minutes before mixing everything together.
- If you're crunched for time, you can mix everything together cold, but the cream cheese is going to be especially hard to mix straight from the fridge. So just be prepared to use some elbow grease to get all the ingredients well combined if you're using cold ingredients.
- When you're mixing everything together, make sure you add the fresh spinach to the bowl first and then add all the other ingredients on top of the spinach. Fresh spinach leaves can be a bit unwieldy so adding the weight of the other ingredients and getting them incorporated right away will help make the spinach a little easier to control.
Fresh vs. Frozen Spinach
- I mentioned this above, but it's worth repeating. ALWAYS. USE. FRESH. SPINACH. It will be cheapest when you buy it in bulk in the produce section of your grocery store, but it also comes pre-washed in sealed plastic bags as well. If you can find a 5 oz. bag of spinach - that's perfect! Otherwise, if all you can find is 8 oz. bags of spinach, just use a little more than half the bag and you should be good!
- It's going to look like a lot of spinach before you mix it all together. But you have to trust me here. Spinach shrinks down considerably when cooked, so what looks like a TON of fresh spinach in the beginning, is going to end up being just the right amount of cooked spinach once the spinach dip is done baking.
Make Ahead
- This dip does great when made ahead of time, which makes it a very convenient option for your next party or family get together! Assemble the dip as directed in the recipe card, but just before baking, cover with tin foil and pop it in the fridge.
- The unbaked spinach dip will stay good in the fridge for about 2 days but be warned that your fridge is going to smell like fresh garlic pretty quickly once you store it in there. I typically just make this the night before the party so I'm not hit with the smell of fresh garlic every time I open the fridge for too long.
- About an hour before baking, set the artichoke dip out on the counter to come to room temperature. I usually loosen the foil at this time to let the air circulate over the dip, but leave it covered so nothing gets in it. Then just before your guests arrive, throw it in the oven, and voila! You've got a hot, bubbly, cheesy, melty, perfectly dip-able appetizer ready to go!
FAQ
Is spinach artichoke dip bad for you?
Well, I wouldn't eat it every day. But any food can be bad for you if it's consumed in excess; even so-called healthy foods. I shy away from talking about whether foods are good or bad and tend to focus on eating a wide variety of foods and enjoying everything in moderation.
How do you make spinach artichoke dip from scratch?
It's actually a lot easier than you might think! Cream cheese and sour cream make a deliciously creamy base when combined with melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Add in fresh spinach, fresh garlic, and artichoke hearts and you've got a delicious, easy appetizer that everyone will love!
Are you supposed to heat up spinach and artichoke dip?
I have some strong opinions about cold spinach dip! I don't believe that spinach dip should be served cold and I also don't think it should include mayonnaise. As I mentioned, I'm a bit of a spinach dip snob and I firmly believe that spinach dip should be served warm and creamy (no mayo necessary)!
Can you use frozen spinach in place of fresh in spinach dip?
I don't recommend it! Fresh spinach is going to give you a better flavor and texture than frozen. Frozen spinach has less flavor because it will release moisture as it bakes, it may also make your dip too thin and take away from the creamy texture.
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The Easiest Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Better than any restaurant version (I promise!), this Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip is made with just 7 ingredients and takes less than 45 minutes from start to finish! And there's NO MAYO! No family get together or party is complete with oven-baked spinach dip!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
- 5 oz. fresh spinach
- 8 oz. full fat sour cream, room temperature
- 8 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 (15 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 oz. shredded mozzarella, divided
- 5 oz. shredded Parmesan
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Serve with:
- sliced French baguette
- fresh chopped parsley
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add fresh spinach to a large bowl. On top of the spinach add sour cream, cream cheese, artichoke hearts, garlic, half the mozzarella, Parmesan and a few hearty pinches of salt along with a pinch of pepper. Mix until well combined.
- Transfer to a 9x9 baking dish or medium sized cast iron skillet. Spread in an even layer and top with remaining mozzarella.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Then broil for 1-2 minutes or until the mozzarella on top starts to get dark golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with sliced French baguette. Enjoy!
Notes
Just say NO to frozen spinach. Use fresh spinach every time for the best texture and flavor! Fresh ingredients always taste better and this recipe is no exception! Fresh spinach has just the right amount of moisture and will wilt perfectly into the dip. Frozen spinach tends to be VERY watery and the flavor is quite dull.
Use fresh garlic. Similar to the spinach, fresh garlic will be best in this recipe! Skip the minced, jarred garlic and mince your own cloves! If you're in a pinch, ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder will give you that garlic flavor you need, but if you can - fresh garlic is always best in this recipe!
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Room temp cream cheese and sour cream will make this dip much easier to mix up and will also help it bake more evenly. I like to get all my ingredients ready and then let them sit out on the counter for about 30-60 minutes before mixing everything together.
If you're crunched for time, you can mix everything together cold, but the cream cheese is going to be especially hard to mix straight from the fridge. So just be prepared to use some elbow grease to get all the ingredients well combined if you're using cold ingredients.
When you're mixing everything together, make sure you add the fresh spinach to the bowl first and then add all the other ingredients on top of the spinach. Fresh spinach leaves can be a bit unwieldy so adding the weight of the other ingredients and getting them incorporated right away will help make the spinach a little easier to control.
Keywords: Spinach dip with cream cheese, best spinach artichoke dip, baked artichoke dip, spinach artichoke dip
This recipe was originally published in September of 2018. It was updated in January of 2021 to include process shots, detailed instructions and tips for making the best spinach and artichoke dip every single time!
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Best Baked Spinach Cheese and Artichoke Dip Recipe
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