In case you were wondering, the answer is yes. Yes, you should make and devour this immediately.
This is the kind of scrumptious comfort food dip, I need to get through freezing – Yes it really is still winter – February. Scratch that, this is the kind of scrumptious comfort food dip, I need to get through ANY and EVERY party, social occasion, friends stopping by – Yes I am vegan, yes this really is vegan, yes I know it doesn’t taste vegan, nope there isn’t any soy in there (not that it will give your husband man boobs like you are asking), no apology necessary for eating the whole thing, that’s what it’s there for – occasion.
This is one of those appetizers where people are gonna be asking for the recipe and they are gonna be asking how much cheese is in this thing. It’s so darn cheesy, creamy, and delectable, with lots of spinach, artichoke and onion action going on. I mean can you even tell there is bread under that thick coating of dip lusciousness ↑ ? The dip just devoured my bread like a good dip should.
Ah, there it is. This is for sure going to be one of my go-to recipes for company, now when is the party starting?
To make this recipe, you will need a double batch of the Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozarella recipe. You can make this ahead of time, or you can make it right before making the dip (it only takes 15 minutes to whip up).
Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
Finely chop the onion, and drain and chop the artichoke hearts. Mince the garlic, and grab your bag of spinach.
Toss the mozzarella, onion, artichokes, garlic, spinach, non-dairy milk, salt, and pepper in a cast iron skillet or oven proof dish. Stir it up. It might not mix very well, but that doesn’t matter, it will come together in the oven.
*Note, for a soy free dip make sure to use a soy free milk such as almond, oat, or rice milk.
Bake for 20 minutes, stopping half way to give it a stir. If it is a little too thick for your liking you can add a bit more non-dairy milk and mix it in for desired consitency. Once it is fully cooked, you can brown the top for added wow effect. Turn your broiler on, and pop it under the broiler for 3 minutes or less. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Serve with all things dippy, and don’t be surprised when it disappears quickly!
- A double batch of the Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella recipe. (Can be made in advance or right before making the dip)
- 2 6oz Jars Marinated Artichoke Hearts (or 1½ cups)
- ½ Medium Yellow Onion
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Cups Frozen Spinach
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Nondairy Milk (more if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt (optional)
- Several grind of pepper
- Bread, chips, veggies, or whatever you want to use to dip!
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
- Make a double batch of Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella. You can do this ahead of time and keep the mozzarella in a air tight container in the fridge until you are ready to use it, or you can make it right before creating this recipe. It only takes 15 minutes!
- Drain the artichoke hearts and roughly chop them. Finely chop the onion, and finely the garlic.
- Add all of the vegan mozzarella to an oven safe dish, along with the artichoke hearts, onion, garlic, spinach ½ cup non dairy milk, salt, and pepper. Give it a stir. It will probably lumpy and not really come together, but that's totally cool.
- Pop it in the oven for 20 minutes, stopping half way to give it a stir. If it gets to thick, thin it my mixing it a bit extra non-dairy milk.
- Once fully cooked, you can brown the top if you like. Turn your oven to broil, and put under the broiler for 3 minutes. Check continuously so that it doesn't burn, it browns fast!!
- Serve right away with bread, chips, veggies, or whatever you like to dip with.
Featured Ingredient: Artichokes! 113 Days, 55 Recipes to go.
Bon Appetegan,
Sam.
This looks amazing!! Question-when you say 2 cups spinach, does that mean two cups frozen spinach before you squeeze it dry?
That’s right! Enjoy 🙂
First things first ive had this recipe pinned for freakibg ever and FINALLY made it the other night for a girls get together.. it was INSANELY delecious! None of the other guests could guess that it didnt contain any dairy!! Great recipe that will now be my go to!! Thanks sam you da bomb dot com!
Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it, Samantha. Great name by the way 😉
Thank you! I make this for EVERY gathering!
Yay! That’s wonderful to hear. So happy you love it so much, Linnea!
I’m planning to prep this recipe for my partner 60th birthday Saturday. What kind of non dairy milk taste best for this recipe?
My go to is soy. Enjoy!
Recipe looks great! Will the onion and garlic stay raw if i don’t cook it before hand? I’m such a picky eater and hate raw onions & garlic! Thanks!
Just chop them finely enough and they should cook up just fine in the dip. If you are very concerned, you can always cook them ahead of time if you like. Enjoy!
Simple and simply awesome. I used fresh watercress instead of the frozen spinach – just threw it in there from the get-go too. Yum.
Oooh that sounds lovely. So happy you enjoyed it!
Question if you already have vegan mozzarella the how much do you need in this recipe?
I’m assuming you mean you have a store-bought vegan mozzarella? If that’s the case, this recipe is only designed to be used with my melty stretchy gooey vegan mozzarella recipe, which has a very different texture than the store-bought ones. It can’t really be substituted. Hope that helps!
Have you ever tried making it with the gooey nacho cheese instead of mozzarella?
I haven’t myself. It might be too many flavours, but you are welcome to try it, and if you do, I would love to hear what you think! 🙂
how about re-heating this? microwave? oven? thinking of bringing to a potluck
If you have access to an oven, I would bring the dip prepared up to the point of putting it in the oven, and cook it there. Hope that helps 🙂
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I think I can finally commit to the vegan or plant based lifestyle I’ve been striving for!!!! My sister and I have a special bond over her spinach dip that is to die for, but obviously we’ve always felt like crap after eating it. Now that we have an alternative, that I think might even be BETTER than her original, we can keep that bond going and feel great doing it!!!
Everything you make looks absolutely amazing, THANK YOU!!!!!!
Aww yay!! That’s so wonderful. So very happy you can continue your special bond and feel good while doing it! 😀
Would this work cooked in glass instead of cast iron?
Yes, just make sure it’s an oven safe dish.
Hey!
I absolutely love the sound of this recipe and all of the comments give amazing feedback so I’m definitely keen to give it a try! However, I’m hosting a vegan brunch in a few weeks time and was wondering whether this dip would be suitable to serve in a ‘bread bowl’?
Thank you,
Emily ☺️ (@naturally.whole)
Hi Emily,
It would be delicious in a bread bowl! Just cook according to directions, then when you remove it from the oven scoop it onto the bread. Enjoy!
Sam, I am just waiting for some of my needed items to arrive . Can hardly wait to make this and start eating it. Thank you for the recipe, I imagine it is going to be a go to recipe for me! Matilda
Yay!! I hope you love it Matilda. 😀
Should I defrost and drain the Frozen spinich?
No need! If it is in a block, just break it up into smaller pieces. 🙂
Last question – can it be made and mixed with the cheese ahead of time, and then just popped in the oven when needed?
Yep, that should be no problem. Enjoy!
Wow!! This dip is absolutely amazing and delicious. I’m definitely adding this to my list of go to recipes. So good!
Yay! So happy you loved it Char 🙂
I have made this recipe twice now and both times it has come out wonderful! Soo creamy and delicious!
Oh yay! So very happy you love it Danielle 🙂
Made this with fresh spinach (before i looked at the comments where it said cook your spinach first! I put mine into my food processor and just whirred it up and added everything else and whirred a bit more.
Then baked and ate. It was delicious if a bit heavy on the spinach (I added a bunch which I think in retrospect was just a teeeeeny bit more than two packed cups!) But… it was very yummy and I will make it again.
So happy you enjoyed it Maureen 🙂
THANK YOU! I made this for our Easter dinner today and it was a HUGE hit with the vegans and the meat-eaters! No one could believe it was dairy-free! We’re looking forward to doing more dishes with your mozzarella recipe, too. This dip has already been put on the menu for a wine tasting we are hosting in a few weeks! Thanks again! 🙂
That’s so awesome! So happy it was such a success. Thanks for sharing Stephanie 🙂
I made this last night and it was sooooo good! We got so full from it that we almost couldn’t eat dinner. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Haha! So happy you loved it so much Sophie 🙂
Do you have a recommendation for a nut-free cashew substitute? I made this for my boyfriend and I, who are vegan, but my best friend is also vegan and allergic to nuts. I want to share it with her!
Ooo that’s a tough one. Possible silken tofu, or coconut milk might work, but those would really change the recipe. I’m afraid I can’t think of a direct substitute. 🙁
I just made it with pureed tofu and it was perfect, though I did add an extra pinch of nutritional yeast since tofu lacks flavor alone. I feel like you could sub any protein for the cashews and it would be fine because the texture of the dish comes from the tapioca and the flavor from the nutritonal yeast. I’m going to try chickpeas or sunflower seeds next time. 🙂
Great idea Layla! I will have to give that a try myself.
Can your friend do seeds? Sunflower or sesame seeds may work…
I haven’t tried this but they may work. I imagine you would have better luck with sunflower seeds than sesame seeds, as sesame seeds are stronger in flavour. 🙂
What about sunflower seeds?
Can you use fresh spinach? Thanks!
Yes, I think it would work, just cook your spinach first before using. Enjoy!
I thought I had to say goodbye to cheesy dips when I went vegan, but here we are! Delicious, beautiful to look at, and fun to make.
Yay! So happy you love it. You definitely do not have to give up on cheesy dips, not when you have cashews and tapioca starch in your life! Haha.
Looks awesome! Go Vegan!!
Haha! Thank you! I agree 🙂
I just made this recently and wow I was impressed! I was never a huge fan of the traditional cheese-laced, gut-busting standard American version, but this proved to be far better than any others I have tried! Thank you for the creativity in the kitchen and for sharing your creations. 🙂
Aww thank you Kristin!! So very happy you loved it so much!
I have been waiting for the occasion to make this, and now I’m wondering, why the heck did I wait so long?! I brought this to our neighbors Super Bowl get together and it was a hit. Everyone knew we were vegan and wanted to know what was in it. I tried to wait to tell them after they had a bite, because sometimes I feel like people get weirded out when they hear stuff like tapioca starch, and nutritional yeast, but they were not detoured! This got more attention than the pulled pork sliders the host made! Score for Vegans! Whoot whoot!
Oh I love that story!!! Score for the vegans for sure! So very happy you and the Super Bowl party loved the dip 🙂
Very yummy everyone loved it! Needed some spice so I added Chulola 🙂 thank you so much for sharing 🙂
You’re very welcome Monet, so happy you loved it!
Omgosh, this is AMAZING. I made this last night and my fam had NO CLUE it was vegan! Thank you for the mozzarella “cheese” recipe too!!it is yummylicious! Oh, I used fresh spinach instead
Haha! I love that! Win for the vegans!!! So happy you and your fam loved it so much Lori 🙂
I made this recently and I was so glad I doubled it. I used it on a baked potato the next day much to my SO dismay because I finished it! I will be making this again soon! YUM!
Yay! Love that you doubled it and still ran out. Haha. On top of baked potato? Yum!! That’s such a good idea !!
This recipe looks amazing and your blog is beautiful!
Aww thank you Demetra! So happy you enjoy it, very much appreciated 🙂
Can I make this ahead of time and refrigerate for a couple days? I’m also thinking of putting it in a little crock pot! Great idea to whomever posted that comment.
I should specify that I would mix all the ingredients and bake/heat it up on game day.
Hi KEF, yep that should be no problem at all. Just heat up to bubbling and delicious when you are ready to serve 🙂
Great. Thank you! I mixed it up yesterday and will bake it this weekend. I have to say the mozarella cheese sauce tasted amazing just dipped with tortilla chips! I had to stop myself from eating too much of it so I’d have some left for the spinach dip. 🙂
Haha that’s awesome! So happy you loved the mozzarella, hope you love the spinach dip too 🙂
Welp, this was AWESOME!
I did add quite a bit of pepper and salt, and they day I made it, had it with a dash of Chipotle hot sauce. I took this to a NYE party and never should have said it was vegan – it was only touched by one other person and I was disappointed. However, my disappoint turned to elation the next day when I used this – and an avocado and tomato pesto – to make an oven baked grilled cheese sandwich that is out of this world!
Vegan comfort food at its very best!
Oh I hate when that happens, say it’s vegan and everyone is scared… Not sure why people get scared of plants, but not of the body parts in their food. AmIright!? So happy you loved it anyways Angie! 🙂
I tried this for the first time on Thanksgiving and it was so good. The Mozzarella was the best I have ever had/made.
Yay!! So happy you loved it Jessie. 😀
I made this a few weeks ago and it turned out awesome! I’m wondering if anyone has tried to make this in advance and freeze it until they’ve needed to bake it?
That’s great Amber! I am so glad you liked it. I haven’t tried freezing it, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work… If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out. 🙂
Made this tonight for tomorrow’s Halloween Party. I have not baked it yet, (going to do it tomorrow) but I couldn’t stop sampling! It is SO GOOD! I made the mistake of making the Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella for the first time tonight for this recipe…I couldn’t stop sampling that either! AMAZING!
Haha! Awwww that’s awesome!! So happy you are already enjoying the recipes 🙂
Do you think this could be made in the little crock pot specifically made for dips or will the texture get strange? I’m having a small get together where a few guests are vegan and I want to be a good hostess but I’m nervous I’ll mess it up. I have no experience with vegan cooking and I’m not sure how the Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella would be with the constant low heat but I’d like it to be something people can snack on throughout the day without it getting cold/hard.
Hi Tara,
Welcome to vegan cooking! It’s really not as difficult as it seems, I promise! Yes, I think your little crockpot would work perfectly. Keep the heat on low so it doesn’t burn. I don’t think there will be any problems with the vegan cheese. If it starts to get too thick, just stir in a little more non-dairy milk. Enjoy!
I’m new to vegan eating and cooking. What exactly is Unsweetened Nondairy Milk? Can you provide a link to a brand so I know what to look for in the store?
Hi Jill,
No problem! Almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, oat milk, the list goes on! Non-dairy milks are very common these days and can be found in any grocery store. They’re either in the refrigerator section with the cows milk, or they can be found in boxes on a shelf, usually in the health food section. Here is a picture of several different brands. I recommend trying several different types until you find your favourite. My fav is soy, and my parents fav is almond, and my best friends is coconut. You can use any non-dairy milk to replace cows milk in any recipe. When cooking savoury dishes, just make sure to use an unsweetened variety that doesn’t have any flavouring (such as vanilla or chocolate), otherwise your dishes may taste a little funny. You can also make your own milks at home, like my Cashew Milk recipe. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.
Ah! Thank you. My brain wasn’t going there (for whatever reason). I already use Almond milk so voila! 🙂 I’m looking forward to trying this recipe out.
No problem! I hope you enjoy it!
Wondering what would happen if I left the spinach out? Should I add more artichoke hearts to compensate?
Hi Margie,
I haven’t tried this, but I would think it might be a little lacking so I think increasing the amount of artichokes would be a great idea. Enjoy!
Thanks…I’ll give it a try. I’m looking forward to trying it as I’ve not had any good experiences making my own vegan cheese.
We used just one box of frozen drained spinach and 2 14 oz cans of artichokes (not the oil marinated kind). It was outstanding! I’m sure you could do three cans of artichokes and no spinach. We added more garlic and some Tabasco. We like ours with a little kick. Also sprinkled the top with paprika. It cooked up beautifully and bubbly in my 12 inch cast iron skillet. It was the STAR of our first vegan Thanksgiving dinner!
Oh yay!! That’s so awesome! I am so happy you loved the recipe so much. I hope you had a fabulous vegan Thanksgiving!
Wow! That stuff is delicious. I neglected to thaw and squeeze my frozen spinach so mine was a little bit runny but still AMAZING. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I think I’m going to be bringing that to potlucks from now on and not telling anyone it’s vegan!
Haha that’s awesome!! You are super welcome Amy! Tell us how the sneaky potluck goes 😉
Potluckers love this! Several carnivores said that they actually preferred it to the traditional recipe because they didn’t feel weighed down and bloated after eating it. I’ve also used this recipe to make a spinach artichoke pizza – delish (just spread on par-cooked crust, super easy). Do you know if leftovers freeze well?
Spinach artichoke pizza!! You’re a genius Amy! I love that ever since I switched to being vegan, I never feel weighed down and bloated anymore. I am secretly laughing when everyone is groaning and unbuttoning their pants after a large meal. Meanwhile, I am full of energy!
Hello, I was wondering if I could use daiya cheese in this recipe? Looks so yummy!
Hi Mckenna,
Welcome! I’m not sure, I have never tried daiya cheese in this recipe. The homemade mozzarella is a pretty unique texture, so I am sure it would be different, but it might still work…
Let us know how it turns out if you give it a go.
I have made this now 5-6 times and it never gets old. This recipe is brilliant!
Awww shucks, thanks Lisa!!! I am so happy you love the recipe so much! Thank you for leaving such a lovely comment. 😀
OMG – that’s about all I can say about this recipe!!! Sam… this was absolutely delicious! If I knew it was going to turn out so incredibly well, I wouldn’t have made anything else for dinner. I just wanted to eat this. I made this just as an “extra” to go with our main course; but it was sooooo awesome… I hardly ate any main and just kept picking away at this. Thank you. I cannot wait to make this again this weekend and serve it up for all our meat-eating family members (of course, I’ll tell them afterward that it’s all vegan delicious goodness!). This was so easy and will be a mainstay in my recipe repertoire.
Ah! Best comment of the week!!!! Well that just made me feel like a million bucks! So very happy you enjoyed the recipe so much Srivani. I hope your meat-eating family members love it too 😉 Thank you for making my day!
Loved this, more importantly my carnivore husband loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Yay!! I love showing carni’s how delicious vegan food is. So glad both you and your husband loved it KY!
This looks amazing! I have a quick question…is it 338 calories per serving? Or for the entire dip? Thanks for all you do!
Oh my goodness!!! Thank you so much for pointing that out. You made me curious about why it was so many calories without even any added oils, and so I entered the info in again into the nutrition anylizer thingy, and way better results came out! Check it out by clicking here. 146 calories!! Woot woot! I have no idea what I did wrong the first time, but I am so glad you asked. Thanks Olivia!
Yeah right if I made this I would definitely be the person that eat’s the whole thing in one sitting! Love the browning on the top, yum! Looks very omni friendly too! I just discovered your blog and think you’re hilarious by the way!
Woo hoo! Now I get to tell my clown boyfriend, that I am the one who is funny!! Muhahaha.
And I totally ate most of the dip when I made it the first time, shhh don’t tell. So happy to meet you Nicole 🙂
YUM! I’m asking myself just how soon can I make this? It’s even cold in Florida today. Hell, it’s cold everywhere – hell may just be freezing over – I mean gooey VEGAN artichoke dip? And I just checked out my husband – flat as a board and Vegan for over a year! No man boobs ha ha.
Ha!! Love the non-man boob report! My boyfriend also is man boob-free. Aren’t we lucky ladies?
It’s f-f-f-freezing here. My car won’t start, I just want to huddle up and make dip. Or go to Florida…. I vote Florida!