This is literally the best spinach artichoke dip you’ll ever have vegan or otherwise!
My mom used to make spinach artichoke dip all the time growing up. She would make it for holidays, when we were going to family gatherings or parties, for watching big sporting events, or just really anytime! It was always a hit and we never had any leftovers!!
Sadly, when I became vegan I couldn’t eat it anymore and honestly it was kind of tough to watch everyone else enjoy it when I couldn’t eat it. I remember a long time ago, my mom tried to recreate it vegan just for me, but it didn’t come out well.
But, that was almost a decade ago and times have changed! Vegan substitutes are better than ever and in many cases are just as good as their non-vegan counterparts.
For this recipe, I just copied my mom’s recipe almost exactly, but substituted the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and cheese for vegan versions!
Oh by the way, this vegan spinach artichoke dish isn’t the healthiest, which is something I try to be mindful of in my recipes. However, I just really needed to make this dish using this recipe to veganize a childhood favorite. In the future I may try to make it again using less processed vegan substitutes and use whole foods instead. That being said, its totally worth it for this recipe.
How to Make The Best (Vegan) Spinach Artichoke Dip
This recipe is so easy to make!
First, thaw out your chopped frozen spinach and squeeze all the water out of it. You can use a cheese cloth for this or use a fine mesh strainer and the back of a spoon or your hands to push the water out through the strainer. Next, chop your canned artichoke hearts and squeeze as much water from them as you can using the same method.
Then, mix together the vegan cream cheese, the vegan mayo, and the vegan yogurt. Next, fold in the shredded vegan parmesan cheese. Then add the onions, spinach, artichoke hearts, and the spices. Mix well and put into a small, shallow oven-safe dish, top with paprika for color. Bake for 30 minutes and voila, you now have the best spinach artichoke dip ready to be devoured (but its probably best to wait 10 minutes for it to cool down before digging in!).
Ingredients in The Best (Vegan) Spinach Artichoke Dip
Frozen Spinach: This is chopped spinach that has been blanched (briefly cooked in boiling water) and then frozen. Thawing and draining removes excess water and prevents the spinach dip from being watered down
Vegan cream cheese: It provides a creamy texture and tangy flavor. Its important to use Miyoko’s plain vegan cream cheese in this recipe. In my opinion, this is the most flavorful, tangy cream cheese out there today. Its cultured with bacteria like dairy based cheeses and it only has 4 ingredients (cashew milk, coconut cream, salt, and cultures). If you use a different brand, I can’t make any promises about it being the best anymore, but please let me know how it turns out it you do!
Vegan mayonnaise: It adds richness and creaminess to the dip. My favorite brand of vegan mayo is Hellman’s, but for this recipe I tried a new brand called Not Mayo, because it was on sale at the grocery store. Either of these brands will work great in this recipe.
Vegan yogurt: My mom’s original recipe used sour cream here, but I don’t like store bought vegan sour cream and I didn’t feel like making it from scratch for this recipe because I wanted to keep it simple. So I decided to swap it out for vegan yogurt which has a pretty similar texture to sour cream. It worked out perfectly. Make sure to get plain unsweetened vegan yogurt.
Shredded vegan parmesan: It contributes a savory, cheesy flavor. I used Trader Joe’s brand, but any brand should be good in this recipe.
Artichoke hearts: Artichoke hearts are the tender, edible portion of the artichoke, packed in water or brine. They add a unique flavor and texture to the dip.
Red onions: Red onions provide a sharp, slightly sweet flavor and a vibrant color to the dish.
Garlic powder: This is a ground, dried form of garlic, offering a concentrated garlic flavor without the need for fresh cloves.
Onion powder: Similar to garlic powder, onion powder is a convenient way to add onion flavor to the dip.
Red Cayenne Pepper: This is a ground chili pepper that brings a touch of spiciness to the dip.
Paprika: This spice, made from ground dried peppers, adds a smoky sweetness and a reddish hue to the dish.
Salt and Pepper: Gives a flavor boost to everything in the dish.
Why You'll Love The Best (Vegan) Spinach Artichoke Dip!
Amazing taste and texture: This spinach artichoke dip is absolutely addicting! It has a thick and creamy base and the simple spices combine with it to create an outstanding combination of flavors.
Crowd pleaser: If you bring this to a pot-luck or party, don’t plan on taking any leftovers home. Everyone is going to love dip and you for making it!
Easy to make: Just mix everything together and bake!
Gluten-free: This dish is vegan and gluten free!
The Best (Vegan) Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 10 oz package of frozen spinach thawed and drained
- 8 oz package of Miyokos plain vegan cream cheese softened
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ½ cup vegan yogurt plain, unsweetened
- 1 cup of shredded vegan parmesan
- 1 can artichoke hearts chopped
- ½ red onion diced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp red cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Use a cheesecloth to squeeze excess moisture out from the frozen spinach. If you do not have a cheesecloth, you can use a fine mesh strainer and the back of a spoon or your hands to press the water out. Repeat with the chopped artichoke hearts.
- Mix together the vegan cream cheese, vegan mayonnaise, and vegan yogurt. Then, fold in the shredded vegan parmesan cheese.
- Mix in the chopped artichoke hearts, chopped spinach, diced onions, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
- Spread the mixture into a small, shallow oven-safe pan, such as a pie pan or quiche dish. Sprinkle the top with paprika for color.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Serve with crackers, pita bread, or a veggie tray.
Did you try this recipe?
If you made The Best (Vegan) Spinach Artichoke Dip, I would really appreciate it if you could comment and leave a rating below. You can also share a photo and tag me on Instagram @thesunshinevegankitchen. I would love to hear all about your experience. Thank you so much!
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I love this recipe! My husband was so excited when he learned that I was making this – we hadn’t been able to enjoy spinach artichoke dip since before we became vegans! It was really easy and super yummy. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe as much as I did and were finally able to enjoy spinach artichoke again!! 💚