Spinach Artichoke Dip
Whole30 spinach artichoke dip is a super simple, easy to make snack or appetizer that will quickly become one of your favorite comfort food dishes!
This healthy vegan spinach artichoke dip is creamy and comforting without any cheese, mayo or cream cheese. Instead, it uses a creamy garlic sauce made with hemp hearts (no cashews).
This dairy free spinach artichoke dip has just 6 simple pantry/freezer ingredients and takes 15 minutes from start to finish.
This post contains affiliate links. As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my policy and more about affiliate links.
Why you will love this recipe
- Simple and easy to make – this recipe comes together in just 15 minutes and is so easy to assemble. Simply defrost the spinach, make the creamy garlic sauce, and chop the artichoke hearts. Assemble in a casserole dish and bake to finish.
- Healthy ingredients – this healthy spinach artichoke dips has no mayo, no cheese, no cream cheese or sour cream. Instead the creamy sauce is made from hemp hearts. This vegan spinach artichoke dip has no cashews (great for those who cannot tolerate nuts).
- Great for parties, potlucks – since this recipe is vegan, plant based, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, low in carbs and Whole30 friendly, it’s the perfect appetizer for any party! It will certainly be a hit at any potluck with the addition of crusty bread, crackers, flatbread or crudité of fresh vegetables.
- Great for meal prep – since this is so great as leftovers, it’s the perfect meal prep recipe. Serve it with eggs, over pasta or rice (or spaghetti squash) or over chicken or salmon for an epic meal.
Ingredients
- Frozen organic spinach – you can also use fresh spinach, but you will need 2 bags. As you have probably experienced yourself, fresh spinach wilts down into almost nothing when cooked. Whether you use fresh or frozen, be sure to press out as much excess liquid as possible.
- Artichoke hearts – you can use canned, jarred or frozen artichoke hearts to make this recipe simple and easy to make. I typically buy a bag of frozen artichoke hearts at Trader Joe’s anytime I see them there.
- Water – this helps to thin out the sauce
- Hemp hearts (or cashews) – hemp hearts are such a great alternative to using cashews to make a creamy sauce. I love hemp hearts because you don’t have to soak them in advance like you do cashews.
- Spices: Salt and garlic powder (or roasted garlic) – these spices help to make the sauce pop with flavor and umami.
How to make vegan spinach artichoke dip
- Defrost frozen spinach in the microwave or in the fridge overnight (be sure to store the bags in a bowl so they don’t melt all over the fridge).
- After defrosting the spinach, be sure to ring out all the excess water. You can do this by pressing the spinach out into a colander with a spoon or by using your hands over the sink.
- Add the hemp hearts, water, garlic olive oil and salt to a high speed blender. Blend for 1 minute.
- Combine the defrosted spinach and the garlic sauce in a large bowl.
- Using the same high speed blender, pulse the artichoke hearts until they are broken up slightly. Alternatively, you can use a food processor in place of a blender for this step.
- Stir the chopped artichoke hearts and additional salt into the spinach and garlic sauce mixture.
- Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray. Pour in the spinach artichoke mixture and top with hemp hearts.
- Broil the spinach artichoke dip for 5-7 minutes until the top starts to brown.
Top tips
- Be sure to squeeze out all excess liquid from the spinach after cooking – skipping this step will result in a watery dip that never comes together.
- For this recipe I use canned artichoke hearts in water (they are easy to find and pantry staples) however, you can also use frozen artichoke hearts or jarred artichoke hearts in oil. For the frozen artichoke hearts, you will need to cook them in a skillet for 10 minutes or so (follow the instructions on how to make lemon artichoke hearts) before using them in this recipe.
- Hemp hearts do not require any soaking before using to make a creamy sauce. However if you want to use cashews in place of the hemp hearts, you will need to soak them first. Check out all my tips on how to soak cashews in this post.
What else to add to this recipe
- Smoked paprika – can give the dip a smoky flavor.
- Sundried tomatoes – use chopped sundried tomatoes in olive oil. Be sure to drain the oil before adding it.
- Shredded chicken or crab for a fun twist on a classic dish.
- Nutritional yeast – Nutritional yeast will give the sauce a cheesier flavor. You can add 2-4 tablespoons for a cheesier tasting sauce.
What to serve with vegan spinach dip
- Homemade crackers (these hemp almond flax crackers or these pumpkin sunflower seed crackers are great)
- Homemade plantain chips
- Fresh veggie slices – sliced carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers and jicama slices are my favorite
- Tortilla chips or lentil flatbread
- On top of sweet potato toast or gluten free toast
- Stuffed in baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes
- Stuffed in portobello mushroom caps
- Stuffed in chicken
- Serve on top of pizza crust
- On top of chicken or salmon (added after cooking)
Common questions
What size casserole dish to use
For this recipe you will want at least an 8X8 casserole dish or you can use a large cast iron skillet or other oven safe skillet to make this a one pot meal.
Can you make this in advance?
Yes! You can easily make this in advance and reheat right before using. The beauty of this recipe is that it is equally as good as leftovers so it’s perfect for parties or potlucks (or meal prep).
To make this in advance:
- Defrost and cook the spinach.
- Make the creamy garlic sauce
- Chop the artichoke hearts.
- Assemble the casserole.
- Store in the fridge (do not bake).
- Right before you want to serve, preheat the oven to 425F and sprinkle with hemp hearts. When the oven is preheated, bake for 10 minutes (this will warm it up from being in the fridge), then turn the broiler on and broil for 3-4 minutes until the top is golden brown.
How to reheat
I like to make a big batch of spinach artichoke dip during my weekend prep and use it as a vegetable in my weeknight meals! You can reheat it in the microwave or in a hot oven (375F for about 10 minutes).
Storing leftovers
This recipe lasts about 5 days in the fridge, covered.
Can you freeze vegan spinach artichoke dip?
Yes! You can freeze this dip after baking. Freeze it in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Be sure to label the container with the name, date and use by date.
When you are ready to enjoy, defrost in the fridge for a few hours or defrost in the microwave. Once defrosted, follow the reheating tips above.
Alternatively, you can put the frozen dip in the oven at 350F for 20-30 minutes until warmed through.
Substitutions
- Hemp hearts: If you don’t have access to hemp hearts, you can also use soaked raw cashews or sunflower seeds in the sauce.
- How to make soaked cashews: Simply let the cashews soak in fresh water for 4-6 hours until softened. If you don’t have time for that, simply boil them on the stove in water for 3-5 minutes or microwave them for 90-120 seconds in water. Drain the water.
- Garlic powder: You can use garlic olive oil (2 tablespoons) if you cannot tolerate garlic. If you love garlic, you can also use roasted garlic (4-6 cloves) in place of the garlic powder.
- Spinach: This recipe calls for 2 packages of frozen spinach, defrosted. You can also use frozen kale.
- If you want to use fresh spinach, it would take about 12-16 cups of fresh spinach, cooked until the spinach is wilted down to get the same amount, so I recommend using frozen for cost savings and convenience.
- Artichoke hearts: This recipe uses canned artichoke hearts in water. However, you can also use frozen artichoke hearts that have been defrosted and quickly sauteed in a hot pan.
If you love this recipe, you should try
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Whole30 Spinach Artichoke Dip
Whole30 Spinach Artichoke Dip is the perfect comfort food! This vegan spinach artichoke dip is creamy and comforting without any of the cheese or mayo! This recipe only has 7 ingredients and takes 15 minutes to make from start to finish.
Print
Pin
Save
Rate
Servings: 10 servings
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 bags frozen organic spinach
- 2 cans artichoke hearts in water
- 1 cup hemp hearts (or soaked cashews)
- 1 cup water
- 1.5 tsp salt, divided
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp hemp hearts
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler on high
- Microwave the spinach for 5 minutes or steam on the stove until defrosted. Let the spinach drain in a colander to cool off slightly after microwaving.
- After squeezing the liquid from the spinach make the creamy garlic sauce.
- Blend together 1 cup hemp hearts, water, garlic powder and 1 tsp salt in a high speed blender for 1 minute.
- Once spinach is cool enough, press it through the colander to drain off excess water. Don’t skip this part. I squeeze it with the back of a wooden spoon against the colander or simply use my hands to squeeze it out.
- When the spinach is as dry as possible, add it to a large bowl. Add the creamy garlic sauce and stir well.
- Using the same blender add the drained canned artichokes and pulse until broken up 4-5 times.
- Add the artichoke pieces and 1/2 tsp salt to the dip and stir well.
- Spray a glass or ceramic serving dish with non-stick spray and add the spinach artichoke dip. Top with 3 tbs of hemp hearts
- Place under the broiler (on high) for 3-5 minutes until the top starts to brown.
- Serve hot or warm
Notes
What if you don’t have hemp hearts
If you don’t have hemp hearts, you can also use soaked cashews. To soak cashews for this recipe, you can boil them in water for 3-5 minutes or microwave 90-120 seconds. Check out all my tips on soaking cashews in this post.
What if you don’t have frozen spinach?
If you don’t have frozen spinach, you can use frozen kale or fresh spinach that has been cooked down. You will need 12-16 cups of fresh baby spinach to replace 2 bags of frozen. Be sure to squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible.
Storing leftovers
Fridge: Store leftover vegan spinach artichoke casserole in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Store leftover Whole30 spinach artichoke casserole in the freezer up to 2 months in freezer safe container.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
177
Fat
12
g
Carbohydrates
5
g
Fiber
3
g
Protein
9
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?Let others know by rating and leaving a comment below!
I found this recipe while doing Whole30. After figuring out that I’m lactose intolerant, I use this recipe all the time. It’s one of my go-to’s when I’m hosting. I’ve also used it inside of an omelet when there were leftovers.
I substituted fresh kale and rainbow chard, sautéed and then followed the rest of the recipe instructions and it turned out perfect! So delicious
I’m going to have to try this with rainbow chard! Sounds amazing!
What size bags of frozen spinach? I see sizes ranging from 8 oz to 16 oz – a big difference! I watched the video and saw you used one bag of Trader Joe’s. I saw 16 oz bags of that online (no Trader Joe’s here). I’m eager to try this recipe, but would like to make it correctly. :-) Thanks!
I apologize for that – yes 16oz bags of frozen! I’d love to hear how this turns out for you!
I love that this recipe is super easy to make!! It’s the perfect appetizer- for a group or just for yourself :)
I was just able to try this dip and it is really good. A+++ in my book. I could eat it as just a side!
Curious what you are dipping into this that’s Whole 30 compliant?
Hey Michelle! I adore the mini pepper, carrots and roasted sweet potato wedges! Hope that helps!