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About Creamy Spinach Dip
Recently, I had made my first dip ever with my Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip with Rotisserie Chicken. I had made this as part of my #hotshots2022 collaboration on YouTube, where the theme for the month of August was appetizers! I was really hooked on it, and it sure lasted awhile! I had been invited to participate in another YouTube collaboration called #crazyforcasseroles2022, so I knew right away that I wanted to try a spinach dip for that recipe! Whenever I see my aunt and uncle in Montreal, my aunt always prepares a delicious and creamy spinach dip recipe by Kraft. I honestly can’t stop eating it whenever I’m there - she makes it so well! It was about time I made my own, and wow I think I actually preferred this dip over the buffalo chicken dip - and if you know me you know I love chicken!
If you’ve wanted to try making a spinach dip for awhile, then try it for your next party and check this off your bucket list! The Bucket List is one of my themes in my Live to Cook one-month challenge! I explain more how having a theme can spark your inspiration and creativity in the kitchen in my Make Cooking Fun! free motivational guide! Get my 5 top tips to explore your potential in the kitchen and the Live to Cook challenge by signing up for my email newsletter! If you try this out for your challenge, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see and share your wonderful appetizers!
Be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post to see exactly how this spinach dip is made and to see how easy it is to whip up! At the time of writing this, the NFL season is kicking off with its second week, so if you’re reading this on Game Day and haven’t thought of what to make yet, then you can quickly get this together as a last-minute party option! Let’s get cooking!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Baked Spinach Dip!
I guarantee you’ll want to make this dip over and over again! Here’s why this will be a go-to for your next party!
- Minimal ingredients: We’ve only got a couple of cheeses, sour cream, spinach, and seasoning here. The star is the fried onions, so that may be the only thing you need to go out of your way to get. I totally recommend it, though!
- Warm and creamy: Who doesn’t love a piping hot cheesy casserole? You can indulge as you like with this dip!
- Easy recipe to make: The steps are really straight forward! The only cooking you need to do prior to baking is cooking the spinach.
- Vegetarian: There’s no meat in this dip, so it can be loved by many! You can add some meat if you’d like, and at the bottom of this post I give some ideas to adapt this base recipe.
- Make-ahead friendly: You can either prep the casserole and get it assembled before you’re ready to bake, or you can conveniently store the leftovers. I’ll explain exactly what to do depending on your situation!
- Versatile serving options: There are so many options for what to eat with this dip, and I’ll provide plenty of ideas!
- A crowd-pleaser! I’m sure there won’t be any leftovers if you make this at a party - it’ll disappear before your eyes!
Can I Use Frozen Spinach for This Baked Spinach Dip?▼
Yes, you may easily substitute fresh spinach with frozen.
Why Do You Cook the Spinach before adding it to the Dip?▼
Spinach contains a lot of water content. Adding as much as 11 ounces of raw, uncooked spinach will turn this dip into a soup. Cooking the spinach helps to drain all of its water as the spinach wilts. When you add the cooked spinach into the dip, the water will be gone and this won’t make your dip soggy!
What Cheeses are Used in Hot Spinach Dip?▼
The cheeses I’ll be using in this recipe are cream cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan. I’m using full fat cream cheese to get an excellent smooth and rich texture. Lower fat cream cheeses may split and be liquidy. Additionally, I recommend that the cream cheese be in the tub and not in a block.
You can certainly swap the mozzarella for Monterey Jack or Havarti if desired!
How Do You Thicken Spinach Dip?▼
Sour cream is the main ingredient that would help you to control the consistency. More would make the dip thinner, while less would make it thicker.
Can I Eat Creamy Spinach Dip Cold?▼
Why not? Let me know how you prefer the dip warmed up or cold. I usually served it hot so that the cheese was nice and molten, but I’ve dipped my finger in it cold and enjoyed!
What Goes in Cheesy Spinach Dip?
The ingredients for this Creamy and Cheesy Spinach Dip are quite minimal! Let’s review what’s needed here. For all ingredient quantities and the complete recipe instructions to save for later, scroll to the bottom to see the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD! The recipe card will also let you scale the recipe based on what size of casserole you have and how many mouths you’re going to feed! You can make this for a relaxing weekend treat or to serve a big game day party!
- Sour cream: Use full fat sour cream here. You could substitute with mayonnaise if you’d like.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese here for best results. I’m using the cream cheese in the container. I find the cream cheese in the block is hard and tastes bland, so get the soft cream cheese!
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is always recommended! The packaged cheese has no taste and it’s like sawdust! A big no-no!
- Mozzarella cheese: I use part-skimmed mozzarella. It will contribute to the stringiness of the dip and will give some great cheese pulls!
- Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic cloves that will be minced.
- Fried onions: These really transform this spinach dip and they make this recipe unique! I love the sweetness that comes from the onions, and the fact that they’re fried adds a nice crunch to balance out all that soft and gooey cheesiness and creaminess from sour cream!
- Salt and pepper: Always season to taste.
Equipment Needed
You won’t need much to make this baked dip with spinach! Let’s see the tools that you’ll need to make the best spinach dip easily - you probably already have everything!
- Pot
- Colander
- Sieve
- Casserole dish
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Garlic press
- Pepper mill
- Cheese grater
- Kitchen scale
- Mortar and pestle
- Spatula
How to Make Easy Cream Cheese Spinach Dip
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Fill a large pot of water halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Also, prepare a large bowl of water and add ice cubes to create an ice water bath.
Add spinach to the pot of water and cook for 2-3 minutes or they have wilted completely. Strain and then transfer to the ice water bath.
Add fried onions to a mortar and pestle and beat lightly to crush them into smaller pieces.
In another bowl, add the sour cream, cream cheese, 1/2 Cup of mozzarella, 1/2 Cup of Parmesan, fried onions, and garlic.
Strain the spinach and then squeeze tightly to get most of the water out. Add this to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients, and season with salt and pepper.
Mix well and then transfer to a casserole.
Using a spatula, even out the top and then add mozzarella and Parmesan.
Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese on top is molten.
Optionally, broil for 3-5 minutes to add some color to the cheesy crust. Serve hot and enjoy!
What Bread Should I enjoy This Warm Spinach Dip Recipe With?▼
Any crusty bread will be perfect with this dip. My favorites would include a ciabatta, baguette or a loaf of Belgian bread. Simply place the loaf in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the bread is warmed and lightly toasted. Slice and enjoy.
What Goes with This Recipe for Cheesy Spinach Dip?
Besides bread, you can serve this Spinach Dip with Cream Cheese in many ways! Here are some other suggestions:
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Peppers
- Pita chips
- Tortilla chips
- Mini baguette crisps
- Crackers
- Pretzels
What Do the Fried Onions Do and Can I substitute them?▼
Fried onions adds a subtle sweet and savory kick to the dip and the amount can be adjusted based on how strong of an oniony flavor you prefer. If you are unable to find this, you may substitute with onion powder.
Is This Spinach Dip Low Carb? How Can I make Spinach Dip Keto-Friendly?▼
Without the fried onions this spinach dip is low carb. You can omit the fried onions to have a creamy baked keto spinach dip if desired, and instead substitute with onion powder Furthermore, to keep this spinach dip low carb, ensure that you serve with veggies, such as carrot sticks, celery, peppers; or with a keto-friendly bread or cracker!
How to Use Leftover Spinach Dip
I’m sure this will be gone in a flash, but if you’ve made a lot for not many mouths then there may be extras! Of course you can keep enjoying
- Use it in a sandwich or wrap
- In a lasagna
- Toss in pasta
- A topping in burgers
- A filling in crepes
Spinach Dip Variations
This is a basic spinach dip recipe and it’s absolutely delicious! If you enjoyed this and want to build on this base, then I certainly encourage you to do so! Here are some ideas:
- Artichokes: Add two to three chopped artichoke hearts to make this a spinach artichoke dip.
- Make it spicy: Some chopped jalapeños with some hot sauce to add some heat here!
- Sausage spinach dip: Depending on your taste, you could cook up Bacon & Pork Sausage, Mild Italian Turkey Sausage, or Spicy Italian Calabrian Sausage and add it into the mixture.
- Mushroom: Sauté some crimini mushrooms and add them in the mix!
- Chicken dip: You could use rotisserie chicken or poach raw chicken breast and shred it. Another option is making Grilled Chicken and then shred it and add it into the mix.
- Bacon: Throw in some cooked, chopped bacon bits into the mixture.
- Swap the green: Instead of spinach, try using kale!
- Seafood: Add some sautéed butter-garlic shrimp!
Can I Make Spinach Dip with Cream Cheese ahead of time?▼
You definitely can! While this dip is best fresh, you can make it in advance to save some time.
To prep the casserole and have it ready to serve fresh, you can cook the spinach and place it in the ice water bath. Make the mixture and place it in the casserole with the cheeses on top. You can cover your casserole with aluminum or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
If you’ve got leftovers, you can either cover the casserole with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge, or transfer the leftovers into an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How Long is Cheesy Baked Spinach Dip Good For?▼
Your spinach dip will last 4 days in the fridge. You need to keep in mind that there are three cheeses and sour cream that may spoil! I recommend freezing the dip if you can’t finish it.
To Reheat Baked Spinach Dip
This dip can easily be reheated in the microwave! I just portion it out in a microwave-safe bowl or ramekin, and heat it for about 30 seconds to a minute, or until I see the cheese bubbling. To reheat it in the casserole, then preheat your oven to 350 F and allow it to heat for about five to ten minutes, or until you see the cheese bubbling and it is entirely warmed through.
Can I Freeze Creamy Spinach Dip?▼
Yes you can. Ensure that your casserole is freezer-safe and cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or store the remaining contents in an airtight container. Cheesy Spinach Dip will stay good in the fridge for about three months. Take the casserole or container out 24 hours before serving so it can naturally defrost.
Other Dip Recipes
- Easy Guacamole
- Authentic Pico de Gallo
- Chunky Mango Guacamole
- Fresh Black Bean Salsa
- Traditional Cucumber Raita
- Garlic Creamed Spinach
- Sweet & Spicy Tomato Chutney
- Sweet & Sour Tamarind Chutney
- Refreshing Cilantro-Mint Chutney
Why There Is No Mayonnaise in This Spinach Dip
Open almost any other recipe for a hot spinach dip and the base will be a cup mayonnaise whisked with sour cream. This one has no mayo in it at all. The body comes from 10 oz of cream cheese and 10 1/2 oz of sour cream instead, and the difference is easy to taste: mayonnaise brings oil and a slight vinegar tang that can turn greasy once it is hot, while cream cheese sets as it bakes and holds the dip together so it pulls rather than slumps off the bread.
The secret ingredient, and the one nobody guesses, is the 1/4 cup of fried onions. They get lightly ground in a mortar and pestle before they go in, which breaks them down enough to disappear into the mixture while leaving a savory, deep-fried sweetness running underneath everything else. It is what makes the dip taste more complex than a bowl of cheese and spinach has any right to, and it does the job that a packet of onion soup mix does in older recipes, without the salt.
On the cheese: 1 cup of mozzarella and 1 cup of finely grated Parmesan, each split in half so that half goes into the mixture and half goes on top. Mozzarella is there for the pull and Parmesan for the salt and the browning. If you want to push it richer, gruyère or fontina cheese swapped in for the mozzarella both melt beautifully and add a nuttier note, though you lose some of the stretch. A pinch of red pepper flakes stirred through is the easiest way to give it a bit of heat without changing anything else.
Getting the Water Out of the Spinach
This is the step that decides whether the dip is thick or watery, and it is worth being ruthless about. The 11 oz of spinach goes into boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, only until it has wilted completely, then straight into an ice water bath. The ice bath is not a nicety — it stops the cooking immediately, which keeps the spinach green instead of drab olive.
Then strain it and squeeze it, hard. Spinach holds a startling amount of liquid, and every bit of excess moisture you leave behind ends up thinning the dip and pooling at the edges of the dish in the oven. Squeeze it in your hands until no more water comes out, then squeeze it again in a clean kitchen towel if you want to be thorough. It should look like a dense, compact ball before it is torn up and added to the large mixing bowl with everything else.
Bake at 350F until the cheese on top is molten. Baking time depends on how deep your dish is, so go by the look of it rather than the clock — a shallow casserole gets there faster than a small deep one. A cast-iron skillet works well as the baking dish for the same reason it works for cornbread: it holds heat, so the dip stays hot on the table long after it comes out. The optional 3 to 5 minutes under the broiler at the end is the step most worth doing, because a browned, blistered crust on top against the soft dip underneath is most of the pleasure.
Serve it hot with the ciabatta or baguette slices the recipe calls for, cut thick enough to scoop without snapping. Hollowing out a round loaf into a bread bowl and pouring the dip into it is the party version, and the torn-out bread becomes the dippers. It makes 10 servings at about 225 calories each, which suits casual gatherings — it is a dish for a table where people are standing up and picking, not a plated course.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Creamy, cheesy, and irresistibly delicious, this baked spinach dip is the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer. Easy to make and ready in minutes, it belongs at every gathering.
Oven-baked
Rate this recipe ✦
20 min
Prep
25 min
Cook
45 min
Total
10
servings
easy
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- 2
Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Also, prepare a large bowl of water and add ice cubes to create an ice water bath.
Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Also, prepare a large bowl of water and add ice cubes to create an ice water bath.
- 3
Add spinach to the pot of water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they have wilted completely. Strain and then transfer to the ice water bath.
Add spinach to the pot of water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they have wilted completely. Strain and then transfer to the ice water bath.
- 4
Add fried onions to a mortar and pestle and beat lightly to crush them into smaller pieces.
Add fried onions to a mortar and pestle and beat lightly to crush them into smaller pieces.
- 5
In another bowl, add the sour cream, cream cheese, ½ cup of mozzarella, ½ cup of Parmesan, fried onions, and garlic. Strain the spinach and then squeeze tightly to get most of the water out. Add this to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients, and season with salt and pepper.
In another bowl, add the sour cream, cream cheese, ½ cup of mozzarella, ½ cup of Parmesan, fried onions, and garlic. Strain the spinach and then squeeze tightly to get most of the water out. Add this to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients, and season with salt and pepper.
- 6
Mix well and then transfer to a casserole. Using a spatula, even out the top and then add mozzarella and parmesan. Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese on top is molten.
Mix well and then transfer to a casserole. Using a spatula, even out the top and then add mozzarella and parmesan. Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese on top is molten.
- 7
Optionally, broil for 3-5 minutes to add some color to the cheesy crust.
Optionally, broil for 3-5 minutes to add some color to the cheesy crust.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
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2 comments
Do I have to cook frozen spinach first?
Hi Beverly! No you don't. However, make sure you let it completely defrost and squeeze out all the water so it doesn't make your spinach dip soggy. Thanks for your question and let me know if you have any others! Happy to help! Anadi
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