Healthy spinach artichoke dip is the party dip everyone will ask you to bring again and again. This creamy dip is lightened with Greek yogurt and low-fat cream cheese, filled with artichoke hearts and spinach, and bursting with flavor! It’s gluten-free, keto, and low-carb. You can even freeze it to have it ready for the holidays or your next super bowl party!
Everybody has a signature party recipe – mine is spinach artichoke dip. I have been making this hot party dip for over a decade! Whenever I get invited to a party, I get asked to bring it, and by the end of the night, there is never a bite left.
This hot sausage dip, jalapeno popper dip, and healthy buffalo chicken dip are three more cream cheese dips I love bringing to parties. See all my healthy appetizers for more ideas.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Classic party favorite – everyone loves spinach artichoke dip!
- Lightened-up – nobody will know this hot creamy dip uses Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese.
- Make-ahead – This party dip gets better by the day, making it perfect for making it ahead of time for a party! You can also freeze it. I’ll share those tips later on.
Ingredients
- Plain Greek yogurt – High in protein and low in fat, Greek yogurt is a natural swap for sour cream or mayo in this dip recipe.
- Reduced-fat cream cheese – There is no difference in flavor or texture when you swap low-fat cream cheese (also called Neufchatel cheese) for full fat. However, I don’t recommend fat-free cream cheese because that will not provide the best result.
- Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese – If you can grate the cheese fresh, that will give you the best flavor, but purchasing already grated cheese will work fine.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, and salt – This seasoning blend is my favorite for preparing hot spinach artichoke dip.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – in a way, this is my secret ingredient. A small pinch of crushed red pepper gives this dip a little kick that has everyone loves.
FAQs
This cream cheese-based spinach artichoke dip should be consumed hot. It’s easier to dip vegetables or pretzels in and spread on bread.
Sure, but you’ll need to cook the spinach down and drain the liquid before adding it to the other ingredients. Also, you’ll need to use a hefty (16 ounces or more) container of spinach for this dip recipe. Regular or baby spinach will work. Also, I recommend chopping the spinach before cooking it.
Unfortunately, no, you can’t. Since this dip is made with dairy products, bacteria can multiply and spoil if left out overnight.
Cooking Tips
Squeeze the water out of the spinach – after you thaw the frozen spinach, use a mesh strainer to drain as much liquid as possible before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. I will use my hands or spoon to squeeze the spinach to remove the liquid. This step is essential because too much water from the spinach will turn the dip soupy.
Use frozen or canned artichoke hearts – Either way, make sure to drain the liquid before adding to the other ingredients.
Don’t use marinated artichokes – this will add oil and add a vinegar flavor to the dip.
Use fresh garlic – To keep this spinach artichoke dip simple, I’ll reach for the granulated garlic. However, I’ve also grated 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic into the dip, which is equally delicious.
Process the spinach and artichokes into small pieces – If you want small pieces that blend nicely into the cream cheese and greek yogurt, add the artichokes and spinach into the food processor and pulse a few times.
Control the spice – crushed red pepper flakes add a nice kick to this party dip but leave it out if you don’t want a spicy dip.
Make it extra cheesy – You can also stir in some a 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese with the parmesan cheese.
How to Make This Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe?
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place cream cheese, greek yogurt. Spinach and artichokes into an eight or 9-inch baking dish and cook for 20-25 minutes. This step helps the cream cheese soften and allows you to mix all of the ingredients easily.
If the cream cheese is soft, you can skip this step, mix all of the ingredients, and then continue with the rest of the recipe. I find it easier to heat the cream cheese first, but do whatever is easier for you.
Stir the cream cheese, Greek Yogurt, spinach, and artichokes together until blended.
Then stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and spices. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
Place back in the 350-degree oven for another 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If the dip starts to get too brown on top, then loosely cover with foil.
Take out of the oven and serve hot.
Can I make this in the crock pot?
A common question about spinach artichoke dip is whether or not you can prepare it in a crockpot.
Yes, you can. There are a couple of ways to do this.
- Prepare the recipe entirely in the oven, and then put it into a slow cooker to keep warm. This allows you to prepare the dip ahead of time and simply warm it up when it’s party time.
- Or place all of the ingredients into a crockpot and cook on low for 2-3 hours. At about 1 hour of cooking time, stir the dip and then let it continue cooking. After 3 hours, keep the dip on the warm setting.
What to serve with this healthy party dip?
I love to serve spinach artichoke dip in a bread bowl and then have crackers, pretzels, baguettes, vegetables, and other dipping options available.
Other ways to use leftovers
If by some chance you have leftovers, or maybe you saved a little extra in the refrigerator for later, here are other delicious options to enjoy healthy spinach artichoke dip.
- On a bagel – slather some on an everything bagel with a thick slice of tomato for a delicious breakfast.
- Stuffed in a chicken breast – This takes chicken from boring to amazing!
- With a turkey burger – Spread some dip on a roll or keep it low carb and just eat on the burger. Either way, it’s delicious.
- Stir some in pasta – Okay, we are starting to get off the healthy train here, but if you need some creamy, comforting pasta, stir some dip into fettuccine or penne. Trust me; you’ll thank me later.
How to Store the Recipe
Make it entirely ahead of time, store it in an airtight container, and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Cover with foil and heat up in the oven for 20 -30 minutes or until hot. You can also place it into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until hot, stirring halfway through so it heats evenly. The time to heat will depend on the amount of dip you’re warming up.
To freeze, combine all of the ingredients into a casserole or disposable dish and freeze. You don’t need to cook the dip thoroughly. Take the dip out 1-2 days before you plan to make it, and let it thaw in the refrigerator. Continue with recipe. You might need to add extra cooking time to the dip if it’s still a little frozen or cold.
You can also cook directly from frozen, but you’ll need to add an extra 20 minutes or so of cooking time to the recipe. I recommend covering the dip with foil and then removing the foil during the last 10- 15 minutes of cooking time.
Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese
- 1 (8-ounce) package of 1/3 less fat cream cheese also called Neufchatel cheese
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt this is equal to a 5.3-ounce container
- 1 (10 -ounce) package frozen chopped spinach thawed and completely drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can of quartered artichoke hearts drained and chopped into small pieces.
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the cream cheese, greek yogurt, spinach, and artichoke hearts in an 8 or 9-inch baking dish. Cook for 20-25 minutes.
- Take out of the oven and stir together until the cream cheese, yogurt, and vegetables are blended.
- Then stir in the Romano cheese, granulated garlic, onion powder, crushed red pepper, and salt to the cream cheese mixture. Taste for salt and add more, if needed.
- Place the dip back into the oven and cook for another 30 – 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve hot or warm with bread, pita, pretzels, or vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Healthy Appetizers
Have you tried this Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it!
Kristin says
Hello, does the recipe actually call for 2 blocks of cream cheese, one regular and one less fat?
Tammy Overhoff says
yes 2 blocks of cream cheese. I just made this over the week and everyone loved it!