• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Browse Recipes
  • Resources
  • subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
Life Currents
Home » Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip

October 28, 2020 by Debi 1 Comment

  • Share
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Everyone loves a good cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip. A classic party snack that’s perfect for tailgating snacks month, and always gets rave reviews from family and friends. This delicious recipe comes with crock pot (slow cooker) instructions as well as oven baking instructions.

Spinach Artichoke Dip in a dark bowl with parsley on top. title on upper left of image

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

looking down into the bowl of the crock pot at the spinach dip
This dip can be made in the crock pot or the oven

Crock pot and oven instructions

I originally made this dip for the crock pot, which is super easy. But then I figured some people may prefer to bake it in the oven, so I tested it on the oven too, and it works both ways.

Slow cooker instructions: Make the cheesy spinach artichoke mixture as directed in the recipe card, and pour the mixture into the crock pot. Cover, and cook on high 1 & ½ to 2 hours or until warm through. You’ll get some nice browned edges on the sides of the crock pot too.

For the oven: Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a baking dish. Make the mixture as directed in the recipe card. Then, transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with additional cheese if desired. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

top down square crop image of spinach dip in a bowl
Serve with crackers, baguette slices, pretzel chips, fresh vegetables, pita chips, or breadsticks

How to soften cream cheese

This recipe calls for softened cream cheese. Yes, you can do it the old school way by placing it on the counter and waiting for it to soften.

But, if you live in a cold place, or if you’re concerned about food safety handing and making sure the cream cheese doesn’t go bad, here’s the quick way to soften the cream cheese.

Place the completely unwrapped package of cream cheese, or whatever portion of the package you want to use, in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 10 seconds or just until softened.

Remember microwave power can vary greatly. I have a 1300 watt microwave, so I always error on the side of under softening, and having to pop it back in for another 5 seconds or until it’s softened to my liking.

Recipe tips

Make sure you use cream cheese that’s softened to room temperature (see tips above). Then, be sure to mix the cream cheese and the half & half thoroughly for a couple minutes. You want a nice and creamy mixture.

spinach dip in a bowl with crackers in front of a crock pot

How to defrost spinach

Remove the frozen block of spinach from the paper box and place it on a microwave safe plate.

Microwave the spinach on high power for 3-7 minutes (microwave times will vary based on different power levels). Stir after every couple of minutes to try to break up any icy chunks. The spinach is done when there are no more icy spots.

Alternatively to microwaving it, you can thaw it under warm running tap water. Remove the frozen block of spinach from the paper box, and place the block in a mesh strainer and run it under very warm water. Feel around for icy chucks, and break them apart with your fingers.

How to drain the liquid off the spinach

For this appetizer dip you want the spinach to be pretty dry, so in order to get that, you’ll need to squeeze as much liquid out of thawed spinach as possible. There are a couple of ways the liquid can be drained off.

  1. Place the thawed spinach in a fine mesh sieve, and allow the liquid to drain. Then take a wooden spoon and press down on the spinach to press all the liquid out.

or

  1. You can also grab a handful of spinach and squeeze the water out of the spinach. Your hands will get a little messy, but that’s fine.

or

  1. (And this is my favorite method) Place the thawed spinach in a clean dry cotton cloth towel. Wrap the towel around the spinach and squeeze the water out of the spinach.

Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen?

Yes you can. About 20 ounces fresh spinach should cook down to about equal to 10 ounces of frozen spinach. To use fresh spinach, remove the stems and clean the leaves well. In a large skillet, add a couple teaspoons of olive oil and cook the spinach leaves until wilted, you may have to do this in batches. Chop the cooked spinach, and squeeze out any remaining moisture.

flat lay looking down into a bowl of spinach and artichoke dip served with crackers and garnished with parsley

Can I make this ahead?

This dip can be assembled up to 8 hours before you plan to serve it. Keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to oven bake or cook it in the slow cooker.

If you love this dip, you might also like these other dip recipes:

You can never go wrong with a hot cheesy dip, whether it’s Mexican Chili Cheese Dip, Cheesy Fiesta Spinach Dip, or Crock Pot Corn Dip.

Tailgating Snacks Month 2020 7th annual banner with fall leaves on a wood background
October is Tailgating Snacks Month on Life Currents – 7th annual this year! 2020

Let’s connect

If you like seeing my recipes subscribe via email in the upper right.
Or, connect with me on your favorite social media channel for recipes, photos, & much more:
Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter!
And find my shop on Amazon for recommendations on cool tools

If you try this recipe,
please come back & leave a comment below letting us know how it goes.
Share a picture & tag @lifecurrents on Instagram.
Or you can upload a “tried it” photo (I would love to see)
via the pin.

title on upper part: Spinach Artichoke Dip. Dip in a large bowl with crackers
don’t forget to pin this recipe!

Spinach & Artichoke Dip Recipe

top down square crop image of spinach dip in a bowl

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Debi
Everyone loves a good cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip. A classic party snack that’s perfect for tailgating snacks month, and always gets rave reviews from family and friends. This delicious recipe comes with crock pot (slow cooker) instructions as well as oven baking instructions.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prevent your screen from going to sleep.
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 154 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese softened
  • ¾ cup half and half
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 10 ounces frozen cut spinach thawed and well drained
  • 13 ounces quartered artichoke hearts rinsed, drained, and chopped
  • 2/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded

Instructions
 

  • Combine the cream cheese and half & half in a bowl until well blended. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
  • Crock Pot instructions:
  • Pour the mixture into the bowl of a 2 to 4 quart Crock Pot. Cover, and cook on high for 1 & ½ to 2 hours or until warm.
  • Oven instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a baking dish. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with additional cheese if desired. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Notes

Serve with crackers, baguette slices, pretzel chips, fresh vegetables, pita chips, or breadsticks.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 7gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 358mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 4823IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 218mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword artichoke, dip, spinach
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!
  • Share

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dips and Spreads, Gluten-free, Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot Tagged With: appetizers, artichoke, Cooking, crock pot, dip, Food, recipe, slow cooker, Snacks, appetizers, tailgating, spinach

You May Also Like

square crop of 3 cookies on a serving platter.
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Lace Cookies
square crop of biscuits piled up on a piece of parchment paper.
Chocolate Chip Biscuits
square crop of a blue bowl filled with pink strawberry cream cheese and some fresh strawberries.
Strawberry Almond Cream Cheese
about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

Previous Post: « Air Fryer Southwestern Egg Rolls
Next Post: October Is Tailgating Snacks Month 2020 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Min

    November 30, 2021 at 11:28 am

    5 stars
    I used fresh spinach and everyone loved it! Such a big hit at Thanksgiving!

5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents, where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes with some great desserts and other goodies mixed in! Read More >>>

Most Popular Recipes

square crop of a bowl of lemon cottage cheese pudding with a spoon on the side.
square crop looking down into a baking dish filled with pepper jelly topped cheese dip with crackers on the right.
square crop of creamy dressing in a glass jar with fresh cilantro and limes around it.
looking down on a bowl with two scoops of coconut sorbet in it.
square crop looking down on a small white bowl filled with ranch and surrounded by vegetables and a lemon wedge.
a Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes with a bite missing so you can see the filling.
A chip that's been dipped in cheese and the bowl of cheese is behind it.
looking fown in a cast iron skillet filled with White Bean Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi and a wooden spoon sticking out.
a white bowl filled with rice pudding that's topped witha s prinkle of cinnamon and there's a spoon in the pudding.

Footer

SEEN ON

as seen on

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

This month’s featured recipes: Bourbon Banana Bread, Crescent Roll Chicken Squares, Pecan Pie Muffins, and Flourless Chocolate Cookies.

Want to tip me? You can Buy Me a Coffee! And thanks!

© 2025 lifecurrentsblog.com. All rights reserved. Find my Privacy Policy Here.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Flipboard
  • Mix
  • Threads
  • X
  • Email

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.