Cheesy, creamy spinach artichoke dip is the ultimate party appetizer and so easy to make in the oven! This is my favorite recipe to make for football season and get-togethers. It’s delicious served with tortilla chips, toasted bread slices, or crackers.

This hot spinach artichoke dip goes great with more appetizers on game day, like my chicken empanadas and baked taquitos. Also, try this creamy homemade vegetable dip for another savory dip option.

Overhead view of crostini next to spinach artichoke dip on a plate, next to more crostini on a platter and artichoke dip in a baking dish.

My Favorite Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

I don’t think many savory dips rival a classic homemade spinach artichoke dip. Especially when it’s baked in the oven. This gooey hot dip has a cheesy toasted top that gives way to melty layers packed with briny artichoke chunks and veggies. Made from scratch, it’s a million times better than even my favorite store-bought cold spinach artichoke dip, which tends to be heavy on the mayo. You won’t get that here. Every bite is still rich and creamy, but choc full of flavor and texture. I make this artichoke dip often, it became my go-to in college (and post years) whenever I needed to bring an appetizer to a get-together.

Why I Love It So Much

Serve when ready. This is a great appetizer to prepare ahead of time and simply heat in the oven before serving, making it a great option for everything from holiday gatherings to brunch with your best friends.
Warm and melty. Spinach artichoke dip is a classic and one of my favorite appetizers. This recipe is gooey and melty, full of flavor, and packed with creamy goodness.
A crowd favorite. On any given day I am not one you’ll find eating artichokes or even spinach really for that matter, but there is simply no resisting this dip.

Overhead view of spinach artichoke dip in a large baking dish with a spoon.

Ingredient Notes

These are some notes on the key ingredients I use to make my spinach and artichoke dip. You’ll find the printable recipe along with the full ingredients list and amounts in the recipe card after the post.

Onion – Mild white or yellow onion, or shallots. Dice the onion up small.
Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is best in terms of flavor. You could also use crushed garlic or, in a pinch, substitute ¼ to ½ teaspoon of garlic powder in place of each fresh clove.
Cream Cheese – Full-fat cream cheese (the kind that comes in bricks), softened to room temperature so that it combines easily into the dip.
Sour Cream – Also full-fat. Low-fat ingredients tend to make the spinach dip watery.
Mayonnaise – Choose your favorite brand of mayo from the store.
Spinach – This dip turns out great with frozen spinach. Make sure to thaw the spinach completely, and then drain the excess liquid and squeeze the leaves dry. Watery spinach will make the dip soggy.
Water Chestnuts – I love adding crunchy chopped water chestnuts to my spinach artichoke dip for extra texture. Canned works perfectly, just drain them first. If you don’t have water chestnuts or don’t wish to add them though, simply leave them out.
Artichokes – You can use canned or jarred artichoke hearts. Drain the liquid and chop them up into small pieces.
Cheese – I use freshly shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese. Please, shred and grate the cheese fresh from the block for this recipe! The cheese melts much more smoothly and your dip will be creamier as a result.

Can I Use Fresh Spinach?

Yes, you can make this spinach artichoke dip recipe with fresh spinach if you prefer. In this case, I recommend steaming or blanching the spinach leaves first before draining and pressing out the excess water.

Spinach artichoke dip ingredients with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

How to Make the Best Spinach Artichoke Dip

I’ve seen stove-top versions of this dip before, but I always come back to this baked version. It’s just so easy to mix up the ingredients and bake. There’s plenty of time to toast some baguette slices or ready a plate of crackers for dipping while the artichoke dip is in the oven, so it really is the ultimate party dip.

Follow the recipe steps below, and scroll down to the recipe card for the printable instructions.

Sauté the onions and garlic. While the oven preheats to 350ºF, get your diced onion and garlic sautéeing in a large skillet with butter. Let the onions cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until they’re softened and fragrant.
Mix the base of the dip. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo in a large bowl until that’s well mixed. A few lumps are OK.

Diced onions and garlic sautéing in a skillet with butter. — Sauté the onions and garlic.

The creamy dip base combined in a glass bowl. — Sauté the onions and garlic.

Combine. Add the onions and garlic to the creamy base along with your drained spinach, water chestnuts (if using), and chopped artichokes. Season the dip with salt and pepper, and fold that all together along with ½ cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese.

Spinach artichoke ingredients combined in a glass bowl. — Combine the ingredients.

Spinach artichoke dip combined in a glass bowl with a spoon. — Combine the ingredients.

Fill the pan. Spread the dip into a greased 11×7” baking dish, and sprinkle over the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake. Bake this spinach artichoke dip at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes until it’s browned and bubbly. Afterward, serve with your favorite crackers, chips, and dippables. See below for ideas.

Spinach artichoke dip inside a ceramic baking dish. — Transfer to a baking dish.

Spinach artichoke dip topped with shredded cheese inside a ceramic baking dish. — Transfer to a baking dish.

Baking Tip

If you notice that the top of the dip is browning too much in the oven, cover the dip lightly with aluminum foil while it finishes baking. On the other hand, if your dip needs more color after it’s baked, pop it under the broiler for a minute or two. Just make sure to keep a close eye on it. The broiler can make the cheese go from browned to burnt quickly!

Make It In the Slow Cooker

If you own a crock pot or slow cooker, this is a great recipe to make in advance. I love making slow-cooker spinach artichoke dip when I need to keep my hands (or oven) free leading up to a party. It’s very easy:

Prepare the dip as directed and add it to the crockpot or slow cooker instead of a baking dish.
Cook on High for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or on Low for 2 to 4 hours until it’s bubbling at the edges.
Lastly, add the parmesan cheese and mozzarella topping and cook, covered, for another 15 minutes to melt the cheese before serving.

Overhead view of baked spinach artichoke dip in a ceramic dish next to a platter of crostini.

Serving Suggestions

I serve this warm and creamy spinach artichoke dip with Triscuit crackers and toasted baguette slices, also called crostini, see below. It’s also great with tortilla chips (make sure they’re sturdy), pita chips, and even veggies and crudités.

To make your own crostini, slice a baguette loaf into ½” slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet, brush them with a little olive oil or garlic butter, and bake in the oven at 400ºF until the bread is toasted and golden.

A hand dipping a crostini into melty spinach artichoke dip inside a baking dish.

Proper Storage

Make-ahead. To prep this artichoke dip the day before, assemble the ingredients in the baking dish as directed. Cover and refrigerate the dip overnight. The following day, take the dip out 30 minutes ahead of time to take the chill off before baking.
Refrigerate leftovers. Store the baked dip covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat. I highly recommend reheating leftover spinach artichoke dip in the oven. Bake it under foil at 350ºF until it’s warmed through. Avoid reheating this dip in the microwave as it can split and turn greasy.

Spinach Artichoke Dip