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Spinach Artichoke Dip is a hot, creamy dip loaded with fresh baby spinach and marinated artichokes.
Table of Contents
Reader Review
A note about using Frozen Spinach
Special Tools Needed
How do you make Spinach Artichoke Dip?
Frequently Asked Questions
See more delicious Appetizer recipes here!
You might like these other warm dip recipes:
Hot Crab Dip with Crostini
Easy Zesty Cheese Dip
Italian Sausage and Eggplant Tailgate Dip
Creamy Roasted Tomato Bacon Dip
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Notes
The best Spinach & Artichoke Dip
There’s something about a hot, steamy, cheesy spinach and artichoke dip that everyone loves. Anytime we make this appetizer for a party or the holidays, it’s one of the first to get eaten – it’s so good!
In our opinion, the best spinach and artichoke dip is light and creamy, with big chunks of artichokes and chopped spinach in every bite. The hot and melty cheese sauce has a perfect amount of tangy flavor to offset the richness of the cheese. If you agree – this is the recipe you’ve been searching for!
Why You’ll Love Spinach & Artichoke Dip
- It’s easy to make – just mix it up and bake in the oven.
- You can serve it with toasted pita chips (as we did) or with fresh vegetables.
- It’s the ultimate party appetizer – and your guests will love it!
- You can make it ahead of time and bake just before serving. Or – bake it ahead of time, then simply reheat.
Reader Review
“This was the best spinach artichoke dip I’ve ever had! I’ve tried other recipes that were just a little to dry to spread nicely on my pita bread. This one is creamy and sooo delicious! I served it at a family gathering and it was a huge hit. So glad I found this recipe.” – Joni
A note about using Frozen Spinach
Very important: If you plan to use frozen spinach in this recipe, you must thaw it first and drain out as much of the liquid as possible before adding it to the dip. (If you don’t, the dip will be too watery.)
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Spinach – You can use fresh or frozen spinach for this recipe. We find that fresh baby spinach is the easiest (as well as most tender and sweet) because you can cook it as-is, without trimming off the stems, or thawing and draining.
- Fresh Garlic & Red Pepper Flakes – Both are used to season the spinach as it cooks and they add a nice bright note that balances the other rich flavors. If you don’t have red pepper flakes on hand, a dash of your favorite hot sauce is fine to use instead.
- Artichoke Hearts – Buy the jarred marinated artichoke hearts for this dip. While you’ll drain off most of the marinade before mixing, the residual flavor from the marinade adds a nice tangy, vinegar flavor to the dip. We prefer to buy either whole or halved artichoke hearts, so we can leave larger chunks in the dip, but quartered hearts are also fine to use.
- Dairy – You’ll mix in both softened Cream Cheese and Sour Cream to this dip. The full-fat versions are the most decadent, but if you want to save on some calories, the lower-fat versions will also work.
- Mayonnaise – Another creamy ingredient for the dip that adds zesty flavor. We recommend a good-quality mayonnaise such as Hellmann’s.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Another key flavoring that makes this dip so good. (Don’t leave it out!)
- Cheese – Both Parmesan and Romano cheeses are added into the dip, while Parmesan and Fontina cheese are sprinkled over the top before baking. If you can’t find Fontina, another melty cheese will work such as Monterey Jack or Mozzarella.
- Lemon Juice – Another ingredient that balances the richness of the dip and adds a bright note of flavor. We always recommend freshly-squeezed and not bottled for the best flavor.
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Pita Bread – Make toasted pita chips for serving. They are the perfect sturdy vessel to serve this dip.
Special Tools Needed
- Large Saute Pan
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Cheese grater
- Lemon juicer
- Oven-Safe Baking Dish (9×9-inches)
- Grill Pan
How do you make Spinach Artichoke Dip?
- Sauté the fresh baby spinach in a skillet with some olive oil, minced garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Pour the cooked spinach mixture onto a cutting board, then coarsely chop.
- Combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, plus other ingredients and seasonings including lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Stir the spinach and the artichokes into the cream cheese mixture.
- Pour the mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan and Fontina cheeses on top.
- Bake until hot and melty and golden on top.
- Toast the pita chips while the dip bakes.
- Serve with toasted pita chips on the side (or vegetables for dipping).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Spinach and Artichoke Dip ahead of time? Yes – you can assemble the dip ahead of time, then bake just before serving. Or, you can fully bake ahead, then reheat (covered with foil) in the oven before serving.
- How do I store any leftovers? Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, or transfer the mixture to a covered container. Refrigerate for up to four days.
- How do I reheat the leftovers? If your dip is still in the baking dish, you can reheat in the oven to warm through. Or spoon some of the dip into a microwave-safe bowl and give it a quick reheat in the microwave.
- Can I make this dip in a slow cooker? There are some slow cooker spinach artichoke dip recipes out there online, but we prefer to bake this dip and get the melted, golden brown top. Plus, baking develops the overall flavors differently than if it was cooked in a slow cooker. The choice is yours.
This post originally appeared on A Family Feast in 2019. We’ve updated the post but the delicious recipe remains the same.
See more delicious Appetizer recipes here!
See the recipes
You might like these other warm dip recipes:
Hot Crab Dip with Crostini
Easy Zesty Cheese Dip
Italian Sausage and Eggplant Tailgate Dip
Creamy Roasted Tomato Bacon Dip
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 9 reviews
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 40 minutesTotal: 1 hour
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 pound fresh baby spinach
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups drained marinated artichokes, coarsely chopped
4 ounces shredded Fontina cheese, divided (*see Notes below)
1 package pita bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large saute pan over medium low heat, add oil, garlic and pepper flakes and slowly saute for about five minutes or just until the garlic starts to brown.
- Add dry fresh spinach, toss around and cook for another five minutes over medium heat until wilted and cooked. Remove to your cutting board and coarsely chop.
- In a large bowl place cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, 1 ¼ cups Parmesan, Romano, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the cooked spinach, artichokes and 2 ounces of the Fontina cheese and scrape into a baking dish that is 8 X 8 X 2 inches.
- Sprinkle on the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan and 2 ounces of shredded Fontina cheese and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly and slightly browned on top. (If you use a 9 X 9 inch pan, the baking time may be closer to 20-25 minutes).
- While the mixture is baking, heat a grill pan on high and once hot, place one whole pita round on at a time and weigh down with a heavy pan such as a cast iron pan. Cook for a minute or two on one side, flip and cook again on the other side. Remove to a cutting board and cut into eight wedges and serve on the side of the dip.
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Notes
*Fontina cheese typically comes packed in an 8-ounce package. One quarter of the package will be shredded into the mixture and one quarter shredded over the mixture. Leftover Fontina is great in any dish that calls for Mozzarella.
© Author: A Family Feast
Cuisine:AmericanMethod:baked
Martha
Martha is part of the husband-wife team that creates A Family Feast. She loves to cook and entertain for family and friends, and she believes that serving a great meal is one of the best ways to show someone that you care. Martha is a self-taught home cook, who loves to read cookbooks and try new recipes. After a decades-long career in business and online marketing, she now runs A Family Feast full-time. Her specialties are baking, desserts, vegetables and pasta dishes.
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Updated: 1/22/23
Reader Interactions
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Joni says This was the best Spinach Artichoke dip I’ve ever had! I’ve tried other recipes that were just a little to dry to spread nicely on my pita bread. This one is creamy and sooo delicious! I served it at a family gathering and it was a huge hit. So glad I found this recipe
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- Martha says
I know exactly what you mean Joni! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed our version!
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- Debbie B says
O.M.G!! This is so friggin delicious!! I only had Frozen artichoke hearts so I made my own marinade and it worked out perfect. Super easy…fresh garlic, zest from the lemon I used for lemon juice, good pinch of salt, e.v.o.o, and a little white wine vinegar. Also, do NOT skip the lemon in the dip! It brings such a brightness and cuts thru the YUMMY richness of the artichoke dip. SO DELISH!! I also hollow out a sourdough bread round and cook it in the “bowl”. Use the extra bread as dipping pieces along with club crackers, pitas, and/or tortilla chips. I also used to add Frank’s hot sauce to my old recipe. Since I didn’t have the flakes this time, I used Frank’s and it worked great as well! I put it in with the cream cheese mixture. This is my new go to!! I’m putting together a favorite recipes book for my nephew and this is definitely going in it!!!
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- Martha says
Thanks Debbie – we’re honored our recipe will be included in your family recipe book!
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- Deb says
This is ridiculously good ❗
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- Martha says
Thanks Deb! 🙂
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- Mari Dominguez says
I made it for dinner with a salad. Excellent!!! Next time I won’t put the salt since the cheeses and the marinated artichoke have enough salt. I would also place a little oil spray on the grill for the Pita. My new Le Creuset grill felt gritty by the time I got done. I had to place boiling water and I can only use a nylon scrubber and ended up using my nail to clean the grill.
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- Martha says
Glad you enjoyed dip Mari!
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- Kaysie says
I want to try this one. Anyways, may I know how long it can hold if I put it in the ref or freezer for baked and nor bake. Thank you
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- Martha says
Hi Kaysie – I’m not sure how this would freeze, but you could definitely prepare it a day or so ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake. I’d suggest allowing it to come back to room temperature before baking so it cooks evenly.
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- Terri says
Hi looking forward to making this dip. Can you make it a day ahead of time?
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- Martha says
Hi Terri – Yes – you can definitely prep this a day ahead and then bake before serving. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
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- GrammaSue says
THIS LOOKS AMAZING MARTHA!
LAURA… YOU MENTIONED HAVING FOR DINNER… YES! I HAVE DONE THAT MANY TIMES! MY HUBBY DOESN’T EAT S.A. DIP SO I MAKE A SMALL BATCH AND SNACK ON IT AND HAVE IT FOR DINNER & HE EATS SOMETHING ELSE. THIS RECIPE IS REALLY GOOD AND SOMETIMES INSTEAD OF CREAM CHEESE, I ADD BOURSIN HERB SOFT CHEESE AND 1 TLB OF DRY RANCH DRESSING. IT’S SALTY THAT WAY THOUGH, BUT OH SOOO GOOD!Reply
- Martha says
Sounds delicious Gramma Sue! (I love boursin cheese!)
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- SRB says
This recipe is worth the effort to make it. It was so yummy. All the different flavors from the ingredients were so good together. I have made this 3 times. This is a keeper! Thank you!
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- Martha says
You’re welcome! Glad you like the dip!
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- Haylie Lloyd says
This recipe looks amazing! I have a few questions. Any time I see recipes with grated parmesan cheese I never know which to use, freshly grated or the Kraft can of grated parmesan cheese? I have tried both and different recipes work better with one or the other. I am assuming the same with Romano? Would it work best with freshly grated?
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- Martha says
Hi Haylie – We always used freshly grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses!
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- Laura Sproull says
We rarely go out to eat, but spinach artichoke dip would be the first thing I’d order, too! With 3 small kids, I’d end up wearing most of it instead of getting to ingest it. But thank you for sharing such a stupendous recipe! This could be dinner! A stand alone!
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- Martha says
Thanks Laura – it’s true – this could be dinner! In fact, I often fill up on this dip and don’t have room for the rest of my meal!
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