Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip (vegan, dairy-free)
Spinach artichoke dip is an all time crowd-favorite appetizer. This healthier version mixes spinach, artichoke hearts, onions, garlic, mayonnaise and cashew cream, and then it’s baked til’ golden. It’s unbelievably delicious, highly addictive, and no one will know it’s dairy-free!
When you think of a classic spinach artichoke dip, you’re probably expecting a super cheesy type of dish. But what if I told you that you can create this same effect without dairy?
I whipped up this creamy and garlicky dip with none other than soaked cashews (to create a cashew cream) and my homemade mayonnaise. This combination melds together to form an irresistibly smooth and luscious texture – making it one tasty and timeless appetizer. And if you’ve made my Vegan Alfredo Sauce, you know that I love cashews as a replacement for cheese.
Spinach Artichoke Dip Ingredients
To prepare this dip, you’ll need just a handful of ingredients and about 15 minutes of time.
- Cashews – 1 cup of raw cashews soaked overnight
- Mayonnaise – 1 ¼ cup
- Water – ¼ cup
- Spinach– 16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, and drained
- Artichoke Hearts – 13.5 oz artichoke hearts, chopped and drained
- Onions– ⅓ cup onions, finely chopped
- Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
- Salt and Pepper – ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper
These simple ingredients make this recipe dairy-free, paleo and Whole30 friendly. And if you use a vegan mayonnaise, it’s easily vegan friendly as well. Perfect for everyone!
Note: For those who can tolerate small amounts of dairy, I recommend adding goat cheese to this recipe. I love goat cheese as it’s more easily digestible. Just add 4 ounces to the recipe. It will add some of that cheesy flavor while keeping the overall recipe healthy.
Is Frozen Or Fresh Spinach Better?
When it comes to spinach in this recipe, you can either us frozen or fresh. I prefer frozen as it’s faster and easier.
- For frozen spinach – make sure to thaw completely, and then squeeze all the liquid out.
- For fresh spinach – steam it first, blanch in ice water, and then squeeze all the liquid out.
How To Make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
In just 4 easy steps, you’ll have the ultimate spinach and artichoke dip. Here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Blend the cashews, mayonnaise and water in a food processor for 1-2 minutes, until creamy.
- Stir the cashew mixture and remaining ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish and bake for 20 minutes.
The recipe makes about 4 cups of spinach artichoke dip, which is the perfect quantity for a party!
How To Serve This Dip
What’s a dip without its crunchy side kick? While there’s a few options, I highly recommend my herbed cassava tortilla chips for a savory combination.
But if you’re looking for something more refreshing, fresh cut veggies such as cucumber slices or celery sticks will be just as delicious.
Make Ahead and Reheat Later
Need to prep this the day before? No problem. Just cover and refrigerate the mixture overnight, then pop it into the oven for baking when you want it.
Also, if you find yourself with leftovers (which you probably won’t), you can freeze it and save for another day. This dip should last about 3-4 days if stored properly in the fridge in a tightly sealed container.
More Vegan Appetizer Dips
Need more than one dip that’s dairy-free? Here are a few more of my favorites:
Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip (vegan, dairy-free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
- 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup water
- 16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 13.5 oz artichoke hearts, chopped and drained
- 1/3 cup onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
- Add the cashews, mayonnaise and water to a food processor. Blend for 1-2 minutes, or until creamy.
- Use a spatula to transfer the cashew mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and stir together.
- Transfer the dip to an oven-proof dish and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, cucumber slices or other vegetables.
Lisa's Tips
- If you tolerate some dairy, adding 4 ounces of soft goat cheese makes it super creamy and keeps it healthy!
- Make sure to squeeze out all liquid from the spinach and artichoke hearts, as you don't want it watery.
- I love the mini casserole dish you see pictured and it fits the quantity of this dip perfectly!
- If you want to make this vegan, make sure to use a vegan mayonnaise option.
Nutrition
Recipe originally published February 2016, but updated to include new photos and information.
Hey, I wanna try this, but I only have roasted cashews at home. Would that make a difference as opposed to using raw cashews in the recipe?
I don’t typically recommend roasted cashews as they can flavor the recipe.
Hi there! I am not vegan, looking for recipes because my nephew’s GF is vegan…doesn’t Mayo contain eggs? Is this recipe truly vegan? I don’t want to serve something as vegan that really isn’t, I’d feel terrible! Thanks for any guidance!
Hi Kate – For this recipe to be vegan, you can use a vegan mayo :) Otherwise, the rest of the recipe is good to go.
Let me start by saying that I am a full fat, heavy cream-in-my coffee type of girl and the Whole 30 by it’s very nature goes against everything I believe in. But I am now a convert. I’m on day 11 and decided to try this recipe as both my boyfriend and I like Spinach Artichoke dip and it’s not something I’ve ever made before. I am dairy and added-sugar free and cannot believe I haven’t caved. I thought I would hate this but I had hope. I wanted to hate this, because in doing so I could justify my anti-non dairy bias. But I did not. I loved it. My boyfriend liked it, but I really enjoyed it. What it lacks in cheese and gooey goodness it makes up for in flavor. It was creamy, thanks to the cashews. My intention was to have it as an appetizer before dinner. But we enjoyed it so much and were so full that we opted instead for a smoothie for dessert and called it a night. I served it with dehydrated veggie “chips” and it was yummy. Look forward to trying other recipes.
Happy to hear this turned out to be a recipe you loved Maddie! Excited to see what you make next :)
Omg, this recipe is soooo good! I added some vegan mozzarella cheese to it as well.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Ashley!
Wow, this dip is amazing! I added some nutritional yeast but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I will definitely make again!
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this dip Elle :)
This was really good. Will make again
Glad you enjoyed this recipe Jean!
I am lactose intolerant so I was really excited to give this a try. I have tried vegan spinach artichoke dips before and this was not nearly as good. This recipe has a really strong mayonnaise taste so I didn’t enjoy.
Hi Jen – sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe. Hopefully you’ll like some of my other recipes better!
I can’t wait to try this recipe out for the Super Bowl! One question – have you experimented with adding any nutritional yeast or store-bought dairy free cheese? Just curious, as I’m eager to make the most out of what I have lying around my kitchen! Thanks!!
Hi Emily – Yes, you can certainly use either of those items in this recipe to give it that cheesy flavor as well. I use nutritional yeast in my vegan alfredo sauce recipe. :)
Hey! Just a couple things- your homemade mayonnaise recipe includes eggs, and this means the recipe isn’t vegan. But you can substitute veganaise or a vegan homemade mayonnaise :) also, goat cheese doesn’t contain the high levels of lactose that cows milk does, and is more homogenized… meaning it’s easier to digest and doesn’t instigate the symptoms of lactose intolerance as much. Sheep’s milk cheeses (like feta!) and Greek yogurt are even better options than goat cheese because they are almost completely lactose free :)
Do you have to use frozen spinach or can it be fresh?
Hi Vallari – you can use fresh and saute it down as well. I have a separate video on how to do that!
I love this dip, and I want to make it for a friend who is lactose intolerant but is allergic to cashews. Is there another dairy free base for this dip?
Hi Anna – unfortunately, I’ve only tried this with cashews as the base. Sorry!
I love all your food recipes
HI! Great recipes! Do you think this would work without artichoke? Maybe replace the artichoke with spinach? My husband wants a dairy-free spinach dip for Christmas, he doesn’t artichoke. Thanks for your help and recipes!!!
Hi Emily – yes, no problem on that swap! Enjoy!
This recipe is SO good that I constantly crave it and want to make it again and again. Lisa nailed the flavors of this recipe, it tastes exactly like indulgent restaurant dip that is not nearly as healthy!!! If you enjoy spinach artichoke dip, you absolutely need to make this recipe!
Thrilled to hear this spinach artichoke dip was a success :)