Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

You know the gooey Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip from restaurants that’s irresistible once you start eating it? It’s incredibly easy to make at home in 30 minutes or less. This Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip is the perfect appetizer for any gathering! Makes 8 servings.

Love warm dip recipes? You’ve got to try Pretzel Cheese Dip, Buffalo Chicken Dip and Homemade Loaded Queso!

Today’s the day — it’s Freaky Friday 2022 Winter Exchange day And I’m thrilled to be sharing a recipe from Kathryn of Kathryn’s Kitchen!

Kathryn and I have known each other for a little bit through mutual blogging friends, and I had the most fun perusing her website while trying to choose a recipe for this exchange.

I debated for a long while what to choose from her site because she has so many fun recipes — many with a healthy twist to them.   In the end, I landed on her Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip because it sounded like something we could all use in mid-February… just because. 😉

Why I love this recipe:

Real talk — making appetizers is one of my favorite things to do when hosting friends, and shockingly, I don’t have a classic Spinach Artichoke Dip on this site.

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This spinach and artichoke dip recipe is super flavorful without being too rich or greasy. It’s hearty, veggie-forward and something we could not stop eating once we pulled it out of the oven.

It also doesn’t have mayonnaise, for all you mayo haters out there, but is still incredibly creamy and dreamy, thanks to a “secret” ingredient.

Other dips and finger foods to try this season: Black Bean Dip | Shrimp Spinach Artichoke Dip | Black Eyed Pea Dip | Baked Jalapeno Poppers | Caramelized Onion Guacamole | Pepperoni Dip | Hot Boudin Dip

Let me tell you about Kathryn and Kathryn’s Kitchen

Kathryn is the lady behind Kathryn’s Kitchen. She says, “I strive for simplicity, health inspired, and go-to-recipes that anyone can make.”

She believes in striking a balance in the kitchen, too. Kathryn loves eating healthy, but she wants everything to taste good, too. Which is SO IMPORTANT and also why you’ll see so many varied recipes on her site.

Hailing from Monterey, California, Kathryn lives with her husband and their almost 1-year-old baby girl.

I had a TIME choosing what recipe to make for this round of Freaky Friday because there were so many directions I could go in.

Hi, hello. Check out Kathryn’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup, this Healthy Turkey Chili and these decadent Mini Cheesecake Bites.

She also has so many fun holiday-centric recipes, like these heart-shaped Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies for Valentine’s Day and Christmas Tree Brownies.

In the end, I chose her this dip, which has absolutely no mayonnaise, because it sounded so tempting. And oh boy, did we have a hard time stopping eating this once it came out of the oven!

So… What Is Freaky Friday?

It’s a blog hop, which is a collaboration between bloggers where everyone involved posts on the same day and links to one another. It’s a fun way to connect with other people who are doing this same work as me, as well as a fun way to introduce our readers to new bloggers.

Michaela from An Affair from the Heart, the lovely lady who founded this quarterly collaboration, secretly assigns everyone another blogger, who we will choose and make a recipe from.

We make their recipe, photograph it as if it were our own, write a post about it with our own personal anecdote and then share our posts on the same Friday.

We hope that this collaboration helps you discover some amazing new recipes, as well as find new bloggers to follow!  

Here are a few recipes I’ve made in previous Freaky Friday exchanges:  

• Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
• Chicken Pesto Pasta
• Easy Lemon Bars
• Tortellini Butternut Squash Pasta with Pancetta and Spinach

Check out all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Winter Exchange Recipes:

Looking for a sweet treat? You need to bake Homemade German Chocolate Cake or this Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream. These Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies sound scrumptious!

Need dinnertime inspiration? This Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is absolutely perfect for a weeknight. And who wouldn’t love a slice of Cornbread Tamale Pie?

Craving comfort food? Sweetie Pie’s Mac and Cheese and Pizza Casserole would both be wonderful to serve. This Breakfast Chorizo Enchilada Bake would be the best kind of breakfast, too.

Love carbs? You can’t go wrong with Easy Garlic Knots or Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits. And this Cheddar Cheese Popcorn is fabulous for movie nights!

Need a seasonal treat? Check out this Easy Mini King Cake Recipe with Crescent Rolls.

What you’ll need to make this recipe  

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• Fine mesh strainer
• Large mixing bowl
• 1.5-2 qt. oven-safe baking dish

Here’s what you will need to grab at the grocery store:

• Spinach — I used frozen spinach for this recipe (because that’s what I had on hand), but you can use the same amount of fresh! However, you’re going to need to saute it with a little olive oil to cook it before you add it to the dip.
• Cream cheese — it needs to be softened, so be sure to get it out of the fridge 45-60 minutes before you plan on mixing this dip. I used the full fat variety, but you could use a lower fat cream cheese, too.
• Greek yogurt — unflavored and plain, please and thank you. Much like the cream cheese above, I used the full fat variety, but you can use a lower fat or nonfat Greek yogurt, too.
• Spices — we’re using a combination of fine kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes to add some massive flavor to this already delectable dip!
• Artichoke hearts — use the canned kind. I used plain, but you could obviously use marinated artichokes if you’d prefer those. Just be sure to drain them in a colander before chopping because otherwise, they’ll be too chunky.
• Cheeses — we’re using a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese for this dip, and it is utterly delightful!

Acceptable substitutions in this recipe:

I changed up Kathryn’s recipe a wee bit, so here are some ways to tweak this recipe to your liking:  

• Spinach: Kathryn’s original recipe calls for fresh spinach. You can use 10 oz. of that instead of frozen if you’ve got it. Just be sure to saute it. (Find the details in her post here.)
• Cream cheese: I used full-fat cream cheese, but you could very easily use reduced fat cream cheese to make this a healthier spinach artichoke dip.
• Greek yogurt: Similar to the cream cheese, I used the full-fat variation. However, you could use a lower fat or nonfat version if that’s what you have on hand, too.
• Dippers: I used a combination of crispy pita chips and baby carrots. However, you can use whatever dippers make you happy. A baguette or crostini would be lovely. You can also use tortilla chips, other veggies like broccoli, celery, etc.

How to make Spinach Artichoke Dip  

Prepare. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an oven-safe (1.5-2 qt.) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Drain and chop the artichoke hearts. Shred any cheeses.

Cook the frozen spinach. I like to do this in the microwave with 1-2 tablespoons of additional water. It’ll take between 5-7 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave.

Drain the spinach. Place the spinach in a colander or a fine mesh strainer, and drain all the excess liquid. This is important so your Spinach and Artichoke Dip isn’t watery!

Mix the dip. In a large bowl, add the cooked spinach, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes and chopped, drained artichoke hearts. Stir until combined.

Add the cheeses. You’ll measure in 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the parmesan, stirring until just combined.

Bake the dip. Transfer the dip to the prepared baking dish, and sprinkling on the additional ½ cup of mozzarella on top before popping into the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with your favorite crackers (or bread), chips or veggies and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks for making this Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip  

• Double or triple the recipe! If you want to make enough for the whole neighborhood, consider making a few batches of this goodness. It’s easy to make and even easier to share!
• Make ahead tip: Cook the spinach, and mix the ingrdients together the night before. Transfer to the baking dish, then cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to bake the next day. Add an additional 10 minutes (or a little more) to the cooking time so that the dip is nice and gooey!
• How to store: Store leftover dip in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
• How to reheat: Microwave or place the dip back in the oven to heat through. However, this Spinach Artichoke Dip is delicious cold or hot!

Here’s how you make this…