Author: In case you were wondering, the answer is yes. Yes, you should make and devour this immediately. This Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe is a fan-favorite recipe! Cheesy, gooey, creamy, and absolutely delicious. The perfect appetizer for game day, a BBQ, movie night, or anytime you want to impress. No one will know it's vegan!
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 as a good dip should.
This recipe is easy to make and can be prepped ahead of time if desired. Assemble the dip through the assembly step, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, give it a good stir and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes as needed since the dip will be cold.
How to Make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease a 2- to 3-quart baking dish.
Sauté the onion in olive oil until softened, then add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
To make the cheese sauce, blend the cashews, plant-based milk, water, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper until completely smooth. The sauce will look thin and milky at this stage-that's normal.
Add the sautéed onion and garlic, chopped artichoke hearts, and well-squeezed spinach to the baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over top and stir everything together. Again, the mixture will look very thin before baking, but it thickens into a creamy, gooey dip in the oven.
Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring well every 10 minutes and scraping the thickened mixture from the edges back into the dip. Once creamy and gooey, give it one final stir, smooth the top, and broil for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden.
Serve hot with toasted baguette slices, pita chips, tortilla chips, crackers, or fresh vegetables.
This Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip is...
- Creamy
- Cheesy
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly
- A party pleaser!
More Delicious Vegan Dip Recipes:
Baked Brie Dip (vegan)
Vegan Buffalo Tofu Dip
Easy Vegan Whipped Feta Dip
Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip
Vegan Ranch Veggie Dip
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon Appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the vegetables:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 oz / 398 ml) artichoke hearts packed in water, drained well and roughly chopped
- 5 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very well
For the cheese sauce:
- 1 cup raw cashews, softened if needed (see notes)
- 2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk, (such as soy or oat)
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch, (also called tapioca flour)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- For serving: Toasted baguette slices, pita chips, tortilla chips, crackers, or fresh vegetables
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 2- to 3-quart baking dish (such as an 11 × 7-inch dish).
- Sauté the onion and garlic: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- Make the cheese sauce: Add the cashews, plant-based milk, water, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. The sauce will look thin and milky at this point.
- Assemble the dip: Add the sautéed onion and garlic, artichokes, and spinach to the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over top and stir well to combine. The mixture will look very thin at this point, but don't worry! It will thicken and become creamy and gooey as it bakes.
- Bake the dip: Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring well every 10 minutes and scraping the thickened mixture from the edges back into the dip. The sauce will gradually thicken and become creamy and gooey.
- Broil: Give the dip one final stir and smooth the top. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully, until lightly golden on top.
- Serve: Serve hot with toasted baguette, pita chips, tortilla chips, crackers, or fresh vegetables.
Notes
- To soak: Add the cashews to a bowl, cover with cool water, and soak for 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse well before using.
- To boil: Add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, until softened. Drain and rinse well before using.
S DeVoe says
Simple and simply awesome. I used fresh watercress instead of the frozen spinach - just threw it in there from the get-go too. Yum.
Sam Turnbull says
Oooh that sounds lovely. So happy you enjoyed it!
Erin says
Question if you already have vegan mozzarella the how much do you need in this recipe?
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Aislinn says
Have you ever tried making it with the gooey nacho cheese instead of mozzarella?
Sam Turnbull says
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! 🙂
Rhiannon Rees says
how about re-heating this? microwave? oven? thinking of bringing to a potluck
Sam Turnbull says
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 🙂
Kayla says
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!!!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww yay!! That's so wonderful. So very happy you can continue your special bond and feel good while doing it! 😀
Kayla says
Bahahaha!! I always read the comments section of your recipes. I saw this one and thought "holy crap! That sounds just like me!!!". It totally was me almost a year ago. Tired mom loser moment right here! I'm making this as an app to bring for A vegan Thanksgiving dinner tonight. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Bahahaha! Hilarious!
jdecor says
Would this work cooked in glass instead of cast iron?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, just make sure it's an oven safe dish.
Emily says
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)
Sam Turnbull says
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!
Matilda Harter-Parish says
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
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! I hope you love it Matilda. 😀
Caitz says
Should I defrost and drain the Frozen spinich?
Sam Turnbull says
No need! If it is in a block, just break it up into smaller pieces. 🙂
Caitz says
Last question - can it be made and mixed with the cheese ahead of time, and then just popped in the oven when needed?
Sam Turnbull says
Yep, that should be no problem. Enjoy!
Char says
Wow!! This dip is absolutely amazing and delicious. I'm definitely adding this to my list of go to recipes. So good!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved it Char 🙂
Danielle says
I have made this recipe twice now and both times it has come out wonderful! Soo creamy and delicious!
Sam says
Oh yay! So very happy you love it Danielle 🙂
Maureen Cram says
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.
Sam says
So happy you enjoyed it Maureen 🙂
Stephanie says
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! 🙂
Sam says
That's so awesome! So happy it was such a success. Thanks for sharing Stephanie 🙂
Sophie says
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!
Sam says
Haha! So happy you loved it so much Sophie 🙂
Casey says
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!
Sam says
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. 🙁
Layla says
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. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Great idea Layla! I will have to give that a try myself.
Ana says
Can your friend do seeds? Sunflower or sesame seeds may work...
Sam Turnbull says
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. 🙂
Harmoni says
What about sunflower seeds?
Moose says
Can you use fresh spinach? Thanks!
Sam says
Yes, I think it would work, just cook your spinach first before using. Enjoy!
Emily Folse says
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.
Sam says
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.
No Udder Protein says
Looks awesome! Go Vegan!!
Sam says
Haha! Thank you! I agree 🙂
Kristin says
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. 🙂
Sam says
Aww thank you Kristin!! So very happy you loved it so much!
Ashleigh says
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!
Sam says
Oh I love that story!!! Score for the vegans for sure! So very happy you and the Super Bowl party loved the dip 🙂