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!
I originally published this recipe on February 18, 2015, but I thought it was time to give this vegan spinach artichoke dip a little update with new photos, and simpler instructions. The ingredients haven't changed much (except for adding 1 extra clove of garlic, and 1 extra tablespoon of nutritional yeast- I couldn't help myself). Hehe. Everything else is the same, I was just able to tweak the instructions to make this recipe even quicker and easier to prepare. Check out the notes as I've also added the option to sub the water for plant-based milk to make this dip even creamier, and added make-ahead and freezer instructions.
This is one of those appetizers where people are gonna be asking for the recipe and they'll question if it's really vegan. It's so darn cheesy and creamy it's difficult to believe that this dip is dairy-free!
Ingredients:
Raw Cashews: raw cashews are my favorite nut to use as they blend into a creamy rich cheesy sauce. Use raw cashews (instead of roasted) as they are softer and easier to blend. If you need to substitute them you can instead use blanched almonds, macadamia nuts, or raw sunflower seeds. Boil these nuts or seeds for 10 - 15 minutes before blending to ensure they are softened and can blend into a smooth creamy sauce. (See step 1 of the recipe).
Tapioca Starch: also called tapioca flour is what thickens this dip into the amazing stretchy, gooey, cheesy texture. I highly recommend using this ingredient for the best results. You can find it in most grocery stores, health food stores, or on amazon. In a pinch, you can sub about 3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch for the tapioca starch, but the texture will be slightly different.
Nutritional Yeast: nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast, that is added for flavor. Vegans love it and use it often as it has a cheesy nutty flavor. Bonus points, it's also good for you! These days many grocery stores carry it, but if yours doesn't you can find it at health food stores, or on amazon. I highly recommend picking some up if you plan to make more vegan recipes as you will find it's very commonly used, but in a pinch you can omit it in this recipe (the dish will taste slightly less cheesy).
Apple Cider Vinegar: adds a slight tang to cream cheese dip, but in a pinch, you could sub lemon juice.
How to Make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip:
Softening the cashews (optional):
Softening the cashews first helps them blend. If you have a high-powered blender you can skip this step, but if not, this step is important to get a smooth and creamy cheese sauce. To soften the cashews add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using. If you prefer you could alternatively soak the cashews overnight in a bowl of water instead.
To make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip:
Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
To your blender add the cashews, 2 cups water, plant-based milk, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Blend, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until it is completely smooth. The liquid will be a thin milky consistency. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or similar sized oven safe pan over medium-high heat. (See notes for baking dish options). Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and begins to brown.
Reduce the temperature to medium heat. Pour in the cashew mixture, and use a spatula to stir the mixture continually to ensure it doesn't burn.
At first, the liquid will be very watery, but keep stirring and cooking and it will begin to form clumps, and will quickly thicken into gooey cheesy deliciousness.
Once the dip has mostly thickened but there are still some milky areas, (about 3 - 5 minutes of cooking) remove from the heat and stir in the spinach and artichokes. If you are using fresh spinach it may be difficult to mix, but not to worry, the spinach will cook down in the oven and will melt into the dip.
Bake the vegan spinach artichoke dip:
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes, until gooey and bubbling. If the dip gets too thick, you can thin it by adding a splash of plant-based milk or water as needed. Optionally you can brown the top by placing it under the broiler for a few minutes, keeping a close eye so that it doesn't burn. Serve hot with crackers, sliced baguette, pita chips, celery sticks, or any dippers you prefer.
Optionally you can garnish this vegan spinach artichoke dip with red pepper flakes or vegan parmesan cheese.
This Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip is...
- Creamy
- Cheesy
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly
- A party pleaser!
More Delicious Vegan Dip Recipes:
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.
Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews (softened if needed, see step 1)
- 2 cups water (see notes)
- ½ cup plant-based milk (such as oat or soy)
- 7 tablespoons tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 2 cups frozen spinach (or 4 cups fresh baby spinach)
- 1 ½ cups marinated artichoke hearts drained and roughly chopped
- Bread, tortilla chips, cracker veggies, or pita triangles for dipping
Instructions
Softening the cashews (optional):
- Softening the cashews first helps them blend. If you have a high-powered blender you can skip this step, but if not, this step is important to get a smooth and creamy cheese sauce. To soften the cashews add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
To make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip:
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- To your blender add the cashews, 2 cups water, plant-based milk, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Blend, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until it is completely smooth. The liquid will be a thin milky consistency. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet or similar sized oven safe pan over medium-high heat. (See notes for baking dish options). Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and begins to brown. Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the cashew mixture, and use a spatula to stir the mixture continually to ensure it doesn't burn. At first, the liquid will be very watery, but keep stirring and cooking and it will begin to form clumps, and will quickly thicken into gooey cheesy deliciousness. Once the dip has mostly thickened but there are still some milky areas, (about 3 - 5 minutes of cooking) remove from the heat and stir in the spinach and artichokes. If you are using fresh spinach it may be difficult to mix, but not to worry, the spinach will cook down in the oven and will melt into the dip.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes, until gooey and bubbling. If the dip gets too thick, you can thin it by adding a splash of plant-based milk or water as needed. Optionally you can brown the top by placing it under the broiler for a few minutes, keeping a close eye so that it doesn't burn. Serve hot with dippers of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
More Vegan Game Day Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Elly Vance says
My daughter in law and I made this for our guys and everyone loved it so much! Hard to believe it is vegan and the fellas were impressed by the texture. Can this recipe be assembled ahead of time and pulled out of the fridge to bake while we prepare other items for lunch? I will be feeding a hungry after church crowd and they would appreciate a quick meal! Thank you!
Oh, just saw you recently married!! Congratulations on your new lifetime adventure! You and your handsome groom make a lovely pair!
Helen Vuletin says
Hi Sam, I'm a fellow T.O. gal. I'm going to make this recipe using rainbow swiss chard because that's what I have fresh in my fridge. I will let you know how it turns out. I'm newly vegan for about 1 month and a half now. Love your recipes. We had a double batch of the oven-baked zucchini fritters last night and demolished them in one sitting 🙂
Cindy Wall says
Wow! Why have I waited so long to make this! It was soooo good. Happy I made a double batch of ooey gooey mozzarella as the family was snacking on it before the dip was ready. I used the cookbook version recipe with sautéed onions and garlic. My daughter bought the artichokes from the olive bar that included some red peppers and I really liked the color it added to the dip. Make this! XO
Steph says
This has been my go-to recipe for holidays and parties for several years because everyone, vegan or not, loves it and it's always one of the first dishes to disappear! I always have to make a double batch to ensure there will be some left in the fridge for me the following day ;P Thank you, Sam!
Meggie says
Honestly this exceeded my expectations and craving for this dip! Tasted way better than the dairy versions I've has in the past. Was great to heat up the leftovers and eat. Awesome recipe thank you so much for developing this.
Marie says
I love this recipe!! It tastes better than the dairy variety to me! I wish I could upload a photo, it's so pretty! But delicious is what it's all about and this recipe delivers that in spades!
Sam Turnbull says
You can share recipes on Instagram and tag me @itdoesnttastelikechicken if you like 🙂
Dawn Zacha-Miller says
Hi! I don't know what I may have done wrong, but this did not work out for me---it got dumped into the garbage and I was really bummed! I wasted a lot of precious groceries, in these crazy times, and a lot of time making it... I wanted to like it! Love your blog and will keep trying--happy to take any advice on how to make it better.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Dawn! It's really difficult to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you, especially without any info on how you prepared it. Maybe it's just not to your taste? I hope you enjoy other recipes!
Bud says
Sam, I Just tried the Spinach an Artichoke dip recipe today for the First time and WOW! It FAR EXCEED what I imagined it might taste like, I Only made enough dip for one so instead of a double batch I ohnly made a single batch of the vegan mozzarella but it was Very easy to just HALF the other ingredients for the dip & it turned Out PHENOMENAL! Looking forward to making another Dish when we have Company to eat it ALL!
Miriam says
Just made it. Soooo Yummy!
Sydney Manuel says
I would like to make this using store bought vegan mozzarella but u didnt indicate amount of cheese needed for recipe. Pls advise. Thank u!
Donna Flumerfelt says
Hi! So I'm planning on making this for a small gathering Saturday. What size iron skillet? And did you coat it prior? I also have a 16 oz oven safe ramekin & wondered if that would work? Can't wait to try & share!! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Any oven-safe dish that is big enough to fit all the ingredients will work wonderfully. I'm sure your 16oz dish will be perfect 🙂
Sal says
I was sad =\ it didn't have much flavor to me. It didn't give me that dip type of feel. My boyfriend liked it though and had two servings.
Sam Turnbull says
Sorry you didn't enjoy it!
Nicki says
Great recipe! I also added 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast for flavor and because I added frozen spinach, I had to bake mine quite a bit longer, but it came out bubbly and delicious! I baked it with the lid on at first so it wouldn't dry out and lid off at the very end to brown the top. Water chestnuts would also be great in this dish if you're into those. Will make this one again! YUM!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you loved it!
Cristina says
Could you make this in a crockpot? I’ve made it a few times on the oven and I love it!
Sam Turnbull says
I'm sure you could! I don't have a crockpot so I can't give guidance tho.
Maggie says
Made the version from the cookbook and loved it! We used blanched almonds because my son is allergic to cashews. The leftovers turned kind of grayish in the fridge though... is this because of the artichokes? I used canned, not marinated.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it! Hmmm... that's never happened to me, so yes, maybe that's the reason. Sorry I can't be more help!
Sydney says
If you used a cast iron pan that could be why. I’ve noticed food turning gray in the cast iron if it sits in the pan too long.
A says
It sounds like you are cooking acidic foods in cast iron, which causes metal to leach out of the pan and into your food. In small doses (from cooking non-acidic foods) this can be a healthy source of iron, but if you’re cooking acidic foods like tomatoes in cast iron (especially regularly) you can end up getting iron poisoning.
Yulca says
Finally tried this tonight - yummy! Now I can't stop fantasizing about putting it on a deep dish pizza...
Sam Turnbull says
Oh wow! That would be epic!
Kansas says
This is one of my favorite recipes of yours! I use the recipe from your cookbook. It is SO good. I keep thinking how I want to make it for non vegans to show them how good vegan food is but both times I've made it I just ate it all myself! The cashew mozzerella is SO good!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's so awesome, Kansas. From my experience, non-vegans love this too and get excited about how it's so much better for them as well!
Lee T. Ward says
Hey Sam, my spouse and I just love you!! Ok, question on making the double batch can I make that all at once or does it have to be 2 separate ones. I tried to scroll through, didn't see the answer but of course I could have missed it. Thanks Lee/CJ..
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks, Lee 🙂 The double batch can absolutely be made all at once! Enjoy!!
Mardy says
I made the recipe in your book last night for Thurs. Night Fooball and the serving for 6 was devoured by only 2! LOL! That is how good this recipe is! You so totally rock Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Bahahaha! Love it!!!
Caitlin says
I’ve made this twice now - once for a potluck full of carnivores and once just now just because :p. I don’t remember if I used tapioca starch for the cheese but I used corn starch this time around and it worked perfectly!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Caitlin 🙂
Kyle Pappalardo says
Hey! I'm very excited to finally try this recipe out. I have made many vegan cheeses before, but I do have one question.Since it will be baked after making the cheese. Do you heat it to be gooey first or does that step happen in the oven? Maybe that's a silly question but I'm second guessing myself.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Kyle, I'm not sure I understand the question, but you prepare the vegan mozzarella according to the directions, then add it fully prepared with the other ingredients to this recipe. The mixture will get gooey and hot in the oven. Hope that helps!
Michelle says
I want to make enough to feed 24 people (so to fill a crockpot), is it calculating correctly that I would need 8 batches of the Melty Vegan Mozzarella & 48 artichoke hearts? That seems to be much more than other sites suggest so I just want to verify before I make such a large amount!
Sam Turnbull says
I'm sure you could get away with much less and still feed everyone! I've never made it for 24 so I'm not sure 🙂
Maya says
I made this from the recipe in the book. Good taste.... I did something wrong mine came out lumpy, but I will try again
Sam Turnbull says
The spinach and artichokes will add some lumpy texture, but if the problem was the cheese being lumpy then it just needs to melt longer in the oven. Hope that helps!