Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

This Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip uses just the right combination of flavorful ingredients to create a creamy, cheesy, lightened-up version of a classic appetizer.

Serve this better-for-you Spinach Artichoke Dip at your next holiday party or potluck with Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, Bacon Wrapped Dates, and Jalapeno Poppers.

Let me start by saying, this recipe for Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip may not be considered healthy by everyone. 

But what I can guarantee, is that this recipe is significantly lower in fat and calories than the classic recipe and my recipe for Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip.

By strategically using a few key ingredients, you can achieve the same cheesy, creamy, flavor of classic, decadent Spinach Artichoke Dip.  And whenever you a classic can be made a bit healthier, sign me up!

Whether served with tortilla chips, bagel chips, vegetables, or toasted bread, your guests will thoroughly enjoy and likely not even realize they are enjoying a healthier version of Spinach Artichoke Dip.  

Notes on Ingredients

When preparing a healthier version of a classic recipe, it is crucial to select your ingredients wisely, so that you can cut back on fat, sodium, calories, and cholesterol, without sacrificing flavor. For this Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe, I have tested many combinations of healthier ingredients and finally landed on perfection using the following ingredients.

• Greek yogurt: Instead of mayonnaise, this recipe replaces it with nonfat plain Greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt will give the dip the same creaminess that the mayonnaise provides, just minus the additional fat and cholesterol.
• Sour Cream: I do like to use a bit of sour cream to add some tanginess to the Spinach Dip. Use full-fat or reduced-fat sour cream or omit and use additional Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream, for any even lighter recipe. Just whatever, you do, DO NOT use fat-free sour cream, as it will not yield a creamy result after baking.
• Neufchatel Cream Cheese: The difference in flavor between full-fat cream cheese and the ⅓ less fat version of cream cheese in this recipe is insignificant. So save the fat and calories and use light cream cheese. Just do NOT use fat-free cream cheese, as the flavor and texture will not be the same.
• Cheese: To pack in flavor I use a combination of parmesan, feta, and mozzarella cheese. Feta may not be traditional in most Spinach Artichoke dips, but just like parmesan cheese, feta packs a huge flavor punch and therefore we can cut back the amount of mozzarella cheese with success.
• Lemon: A little bit of fresh lemon juice enhances and brightens the flavors in this dish.
• Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes: When cutting back on calories and fat in dishes, a great trick is to use a lot of herbs and spices to enhance the recipe. 
• Spinach: For the best results, use frozen, defrosted chopped spinach that has been squeezed dry of excess moisture.
• Artichokes: Use frozen, defrosted artichoke hearts, or canned, drained artichoke hearts instead of marinated artichoke hearts, which can pack in significant fat and calories to the dip.

How to make Spinach Artichoke Dip

• Place the defrosted spinach into a clean kitchen towel or piece of cheesecloth and give the spinach a good squeeze over a sink or bowl to remove the excess liquid. Do not skip this step, or your dip will be watered down and lack flavor.

• In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, and yogurt together until smooth. You can do this by hand with a spatula or with a handheld mixer at low speed. Be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature so that the ingredients will combine better and the dip will not be lumpy. 
• Add in the chopped artichoke hearts, drained spinach, parmesan cheese, feta, mozzarella, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt, and stir well to combine.

• Spread the spinach artichoke mixture into a baking dish. Pro-tip: Use a dish that you want to present this dip in so that it can go straight from the oven to serving.

• Bake until warmed through and slightly browned on the top.
• Serve this warm Spinach Artichoke Dip with chunks of fresh bread, tortilla chips, fresh veggies, or crackers, and watch it disappear!

Preparing in Advance

Spinach Artichoke Dip is great for parties and entertaining not only because everyone loves it, but also because it can be mixed together up to 48 hours in advance. 

• Prepare the recipe as written, up to baking. 
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. 
• When ready to bake, remove the dip from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while the oven is preheating. Don't skip this step, as you should NEVER put a cold baking dish into a hot oven, which can result in your dish cracking. 
• Once the oven has preheated, remove the plastic wrap and bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until warmed through.

Storage Directions

Leftover spinach dip can keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For best results, reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes before serving. This dip does not freeze well, as it will separate while defrosting.

You can also opt to get creative with your leftover spinach artichoke dip and serve it in the following ways: 

• Instead of using the ricotta spinach mixture to make Spinach Pizza, spread pizza dough with a thin layer of the spinach artichoke dip. Top with additional cheese and bake as directed. 
• Use the dip as a cold spread for a vegetable or turkey sandwich. 
• Toss the dip with cooked pasta and ½ cup of the cooking liquid for a delicious Spinach artichoke pasta.

More Party-Friendly Dips

• Rotel Sausage Dip
• Cream Cheese Taco Dip
• French Onion Chip Dip
• Hot Corn Dip

If you enjoyed this Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe, please leave a comment and review below.

This post was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2022.