Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

Rich and creamy spinach artichoke dip that will make a great appetizer to serve for your weeknight meal or next gathering, including game day. This hot spinach and artichoke dip is baked until golden and bubbly in the oven.  Absolutely delicious!

Today, I'll be sharing one of the most popular restaurant appetizers, spinach artichoke dip.

This easy spinach artichoke dip recipe can be ready in about 30 minutes. It's a super cheesy dip that is packed with flavor. Kids and adults will enjoy it. 

Jump to:

• Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip 
• Ingredients 
• How to Make Spinach and Artichoke Dip 
• Recipe Tips 
• How to Make Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip Ahead of Time
• How to Reheat Spinach Artichoke Dip 
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

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Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip 

There are so many reasons why you'll love this baked spinach artichoke dip. 

• Perfect texture. This dip has the right consistency. It's not dry and not too thin or too thick. It is just creamy enough to pair with your favorite chips, crackers, or bread slices. 
• Beautiful golden brown on the top surface.  The dip is broiled for a few minutes until the cheese on the top layer develops its golden color and is slightly crispy.
• It's loaded with healthy vegetables. Yes, it's loaded with cheese but it has a good amount of spinach and artichoke too! 
• It's customizable. You can use fresh or frozen spinach, use any cheese or spice that you like! 
• Make ahead. You can prepare this spinach artichoke dip ahead of time, just bake or reheat before serving. 
• Save money. It's definitely cheaper than what you'll pay at the restaurant. 

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Ingredients 

Here are some simple ingredients you'll need to make cheesy spinach artichoke dip at home. 

• Spinach. In this recipe, I used frozen spinach which has been thawed and drained completely. You can make this dip with fresh spinach as well if you prefer. 
• Artichoke. I used canned artichoke hearts packed in water that I purchased from my local Trader Joe's store.  If you only have seasoned artichoke on hand, you can use it too as long as you like the flavor. Frozen artichoke hearts can also be used but they must be thawed and drained beforehand. 
• Cream cheese.  As a base for the dip, I used full-fat cream cheese that has been softened prior to use. It helps thicken up the dip and blends well with the tartness of the sour cream. 

• Sour cream. It's another important base ingredient to add a silky texture and acidity to the dip. The acidity provides a nice contrast to the high-in-fat cream cheese and mayonnaise, making the dip taste creamy but not heavy. 
• Mayonnaise. It's also used as a base for the dip. 
• Cheese. I used a combination of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese to add flavor and a creamy taste to the dip. It's recommended to use freshly shredded cheese instead of pre-shredded cheese to avoid a chalky or gritty texture dip. 
• Seasoning. I keep the seasoning simple with just garlic salt, fresh garlic, and black pepper. 

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How to Make Spinach and Artichoke Dip 

Now let's talk about the preparation and cooking process.

This creamy dip recipe is not complicated. You just need to mix all of the ingredients together, dump the mixture in a baking dish, then bake! 

Step 1. Make the cheese base for the dip. In a large mixing bowl, stir softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic salt, minced garlic, and black pepper until combined. 

Step 2. Add veggies and cheese. Throw in spinach, artichoke, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese into the base mixture. 

Step 3. Add toppings. Transfer the mixture to a quart baking dish then sprinkle some mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on top. 

Step 4. Bake. Put the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes at 350°F or until bubbly. 

Step 5. (Optional Step) Broil. This is an optional step. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, you can turn the broiler and broil the baking dish until the top layer is golden brown. I love it for its taste and presentation.

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Recipe Tips 

• Thaw the spinach overnight. Remove the frozen spinach from the packaging and put it in a bowl. Leave it in the fridge overnight to thaw it completely. Or, to thaw the spinach quickly, simply place it in a fine mesh strainer and run warm water over it until the ice melts, (or use your microwave on a defrost setting). 
• Drain the spinach well. This is an important step to avoid watery dip. After you thaw the spinach leaves, put them in a fine mesh strainer over a sink so the excess water from the defrosted spinach can drain. Use a clean kitchen towel or hands to remove as much water as possible from the spinach.
• Soften the cream cheese. Remove the cream cheese from the packaging and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. Alternatively, you can put a pack of cream cheese in a bag and place it in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes or longer until soft. Or, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat it on high for 15 seconds or longer until softened.

Important: Do not overheat the cream cheese to prevent curdling. 

• Do not mash the artichoke. Once drained, roughly chop the artichoke into small bite pieces for a chunkier texture dip.
• Add more seasoning. Use this recipe as a start and adjust it to your liking. This dip can be seasoned with many spices, such as basil, Italian seasoning, thyme, green onion, chives, or parsley.
• Make it spicier. Simply throw in a small pinch of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, a splash of hot sauce, or diced green jalapenos into the dip mixture.
• Make it lighter. Trying to reduce your fat intake? Feel free to use a lighter version of cream cheese, mayonnaise, or sour cream. 
• Cheese alternatives. You can make this dip using cheddar cheese, romano cheese, asiago cheese, or gouda cheese. 

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How to Make Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip Ahead of Time

• Prepare it ahead of time (my preferred method).  Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, transfer the mixture to a baking dish then cover it with plastic wrap. You can keep the mixture in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Before serving, remove the baking dish from the fridge and bring it to room temperature. Bake the mixture in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes or longer, until bubbly. 
• Make it in advance. You can prepare and bake the dip up to 4 days in advance. Keep the baked dip in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. Before serving, remove the baking dish from the fridge and bring it to room temperature. Reheat the mixture in the oven until warm. 

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How to Reheat Spinach Artichoke Dip 

• In a microwave. This is a great way to reheat spinach artichoke dip in small portions. Simply put a portion of spinach artichoke dip in a microwave-safe bowl then cover it with a damp paper towel or a microwave-safe lid. Reheat for 15 seconds then stir, continue reheating for another 15 seconds or longer until the dip is warm. 
• In the oven. This is a great method for a bigger portion of spinach artichoke dip. Just put the leftover in an oven-safe dish and reheat at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until hot. 
• In a slow cooker. Simply throw the leftover cold dip in a slow cooker and reheat it on a low setting for 3 hours. Or, you can also keep your warm dip fresh in a slow cooker by using a warm setting. 

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Check Out More Tasty Appetizer Recipes

• Air Fryer Calamari
• Potato Cheese Balls
• Homemade Crab Rangoon
• Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don’t mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.

📖 Recipe