This oven-baked easy spinach artichoke dip recipe is creamy, melty, and chock full of artichokes and spinach. It’s ready in about 35 minutes, making this the ultimate hot party dip that’s just as good for game night as it is for your holiday parties and Sunday suppers. Plus, you can make it ahead and freeze it so it’s always ready to go.
Best Homemade Spinach Artichoke Dip (the hot kind not the cold kind)
We’ve all been to a party (usually an office party or holiday party) and eaten the cold overly-saturated-with-mayo spinach artichoke dip — this recipe is not that kind of dip. This is more like what you’ll find at your favorite steakhouse served with tortilla chips, or crispy pita chips. It’s served piping hot and ooey-gooey melty and we think it’s a million times better than the cold stuff.
Spinach artichoke dip happens to be one of my favorite savory dips to make and I’ve added a few special ingredients to give it an even more delicious well-rounded flavor. This ultimate dip is always a crowd-pleaser and since it’s baked and not a stove-top version, there is no standing over the stove to prepare it. Just pop it in the oven and bake it.
Why We Love This Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Incredibly easy to make
- We cook the garlic first before adding it to the dip which mellows the flavor
- It takes just about 10 minutes to mix up and 20 to 25 to bake
- It’s a great way to get your kiddos to eat spinach
- You can freeze it to make ahead for holiday parties
- It makes steak night at home taste even better
- A few secret ingredients add a well-rounded flavor to the final dip
- It’s hot, melty, creamy, and full of premium artichokes and it reminds us of Houston’s spinach artichoke dip
- Turn this into an easy crab artichoke spinach dip by stirring in 6 to 8 ounces of cooked (fake or real crab meat…delicious)
What Ingredients Are In Spinach Artichoke Dip?
What makes this a better spinach artichoke dip? Adding small amounts of a few nuanced ingredients and spices adds more flavor and well-roundedness to the dip. And the great thing about this recipe is that there’s room to play around with some of these ingredients. We think it’s perfectly balanced just the way it is, but you should always taste and adjust it to your liking before baking just in case you want to add a pinch more of “this or that”. In fact, you can make this a spinach artichoke dip without mayo by simply omitting the 2 tablespoons called for in the recipe — it’s still delicious!
- marinated artichokes (found in a jar) *sub canned artichokes
- frozen spinach
- Grana Padano (or Parmigiano or real Parmesan)
- garlic
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- mozzarella
- mayo
- heavy cream
- Worcestershire sauce
- onion powder
- smoked paprika
- ground mustard
- sugar
- salt
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Preheat oven 350°F/180°C & prepare the baking dish. Lightly butter a shallow casserole baking dish or various smaller ramekins or mini casserole dishes and set aside.
- Blister the garlic clove. In a small pot or skillet, drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sauté the garlic until golden brown, remove it and add it to the bowl of the food processor.
- Chop the spinach & artichokes. Add the strained and squeezed spinach to the food processor with the garlic and pulse about 4 times, or until the spinach is chopped. Add 3/4 of the artichokes (leaving some whole leaves to stir into the dip) and pulse about 6 times. Add the Grana Padano (or Parm if using) and pulse just until everything is combined. Do not pulse so long that the mixture forms a paste. *Alternatively, if you don’t have a food processor, chop the spinach, garlic, and artichokes until the desired size and add it to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the dip. Add the remaining ingredients to the spinach and artichokes and mix well to combine. Taste it and adjust the seasonings if necessary. The mixture will be sturdy, but very easy to smooth out when added to the casserole dish. Sprinkle a little grated Grana Padano or Parm over the tops if desired.
- Bake the dip. Bake the dip uncovered in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and it starts to puff up just a little. You may also place it under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of baking time to make the tops extra golden. Serve hot and, Enjoy!
Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip step-by-step recipe photos
What Should I Serve With Spinach Artichoke Dip?
- Toasted pita or pita chips
- Tortilla chips
- Toasted crusty baguette
- Toasted croissant
- Crackers
- Vegetable chips
- Bagel chips
- Crostini — To make crostini, slice a baguette into desired thickness, brush or drizzle olive oil over the tops, and toast under a preheated oven broiler on high until golden brown.
Can I Use Fresh Spinach Instead of Frozen Spinach in Spinach Artichoke Dip?
Yes, you can definitely make this a fresh spinach and artichoke dip by using one of the following methods:
- Blanch the spinach and shock it in ice water. Strain it, squeeze out all excess liquid, and chop it before adding it to the other ingredients.
- Sauté the spinach in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until wilted, soft, and bright green. Squeeze out all excess liquid, and chop it before adding it to the other ingredients.
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Dip Lighter
If you’re looking to lighten this dip up, you may omit the heavy cream and mayo or simply use half and half, light mayo, light sour cream, and light cream cheese. Just know that the finished dip won’t taste the same as this recipe which uses full-fat ingredients.
Can I Make Spinach Artichoke Dip Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can definitely make spinach artichoke dip ahead of time. Use one of the below options to have it ready in advance:
- Once you’ve added the dip to the casserole dish, cover it with sustainable plastic wrap or seal it in an airtight container and refrigerate it overnight. Remove it from the fridge to take the chill off and allow it to come to almost room temperature before baking it in a preheated oven.
- Place a piece of freezer paper or parchment paper (cut to fit) over the top of the assembled (unbaked) spinach artichoke dip. Wrap it with sustainable plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Or use aluminum cups with lids as seen in the photos above. Thaw it in the fridge overnight. Remove it from the fridge to take the chill off and allow it to come to almost room temperature before baking it in a preheated oven.
- Bake the dip and allow it to completely cool to room temperature. Place a piece of freezer paper or parchment paper (cut to fit) over the top and wrap it with sustainable plastic wrap and place it in the fridge and reheat when desired, or pop it into the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight. Remove it from the fridge to take the chill off and allow it to come to almost room temperature before covering it with aluminum foil and baking it in a preheated oven (or microwaving it until heated through).
Let’s get started!
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Best Spinach Artichoke Dip (The Ultimate Hot Dip)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 to 16 Servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This oven-baked easy spinach artichoke dip recipe is creamy, melty, zippy, and chock full of premium artichokes and spinach. It’s ready in just about 35 minutes making this ultimate hot party dip just as good for game night as it is for holiday parties and get-togethers. Plus, you can make it ahead and freeze it so it’s always ready to go.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces marinated artichokes (found in a jar) (580g) *sub canned artichokes
- 10 ounces frozen spinach, squeezed dry (300g)
- 2/3 cup Grana Padano (or Parmigiano or real Parmesan) (75g)
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- 8 ounces cream cheese, (227g)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (113g)
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella (227g)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (30g) **omit for mayo-free dip
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (60g)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (5g)
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (.7g)
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (.7g)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard (.7g)
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar (1g)
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt (or 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt), or to taste (1g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350°F/180°C & prepare the baking dish. Lightly butter a shallow casserole baking dish or various smaller ramekins or mini casserole dishes and set aside.
- Blister the garlic clove. In a small pot or skillet, drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sauté the garlic until golden brown, remove it and add it to the bowl of the food processor.
- Chop the spinach & artichokes. Add the strained and squeezed spinach to the food processor with the garlic and pulse about 4 times, or until the spinach is chopped. Add 3/4 of the artichokes (leaving some whole leaves to stir into the dip) and pulse about 6 times. Add the Grana Padano (or Parm if using) and pulse just until everything is combined. Do not pulse so long that the mixture forms a paste. *Alternatively, if you don’t have a food processor, chop the spinach, garlic, and artichokes until the desired size and add it to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the dip. Add the remaining ingredients to the spinach and artichokes and mix well to combine. Taste it and adjust the seasonings if necessary. The mixture will be sturdy, but very easy to smooth out when added to the casserole dish. Sprinkle a little grated Grana Padano or Parm over the tops if desired.
- Bake the dip. Bake the dip uncovered in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and it starts to puff up just a little. You may also place it under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of baking time to make the tops extra golden. Serve hot and, Enjoy!
Notes
- I like to reserve 1/4 of the artichoke leaves keeping them whole so that you can see them in the final dip, but feel free to chop them all.
- Do not pulse so long that the mixture forms a paste.
- If you don’t have a food processor, no problem — just chop the spinach, garlic, and artichokes until the desired size and add it to a large mixing bowl and combine with the other ingredients.
- I like to top the assembled dip with just a little more grated Parm to help the tops get nice and golden brown, but you don’t have to.
- You may place the dip under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes at the end of baking time to help it get more golden brown if desired.
- Make a mayo-free spinach artichoke dip by simply omitting the mayo altogether.
- Make a crab spinach artichoke dip by stirring in 6 to 8 ounces of cooked fake or real crab meat.
- Want to make this dip even creamier? Add up to 2 more tablespoons of mayo OR increase the heavy cream to 1/2 cup (120g) (or do both) and add 1/2 cup more grated Parm.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dips
- Method: Oven Bake
- Cuisine: American
