Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

When it comes to crowd-pleasing appetizers, vegan spinach artichoke dip is one of my favourites to make. It’s up there with my loaded potato skins, Buffalo cauliflower wings, and vegan Southwest egg rolls as a staple at our game day watch parties. Just wait. Serve this at your next gathering, and folks will be scraping the baking dish clean!

Spinach artichoke dip isn’t just for parties, either. When I first came up with this vegan recipe, Gav and I happily ate it by ourselves. I then used the leftovers as a creamy, cheesy filling in sandwiches, as a pasta sauce, and even as a topping for baked potatoes.

Traditional artichoke dip recipes use a lot of dairy in the form of melted cheese, milk, and more cheese. To give this classic appetizer dip a vegan revamp, I made a few easy ingredient swaps, like soaked cashews, vegan Parm, and nutritional yeast, that still keep this dip savoury, creamy, and delicious like the original.

Why This Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe Works So Well

So let’s talk about those simple swaps! Here’s how this recipe transforms a classic dip into an irresistible, dairy-free version.

• Cashews make it creamy. Cashews are the secret ingredient in my creamy tomato pasta and cauliflower mac and cheese, and they’re key in this vegan spinach artichoke dip. When soaked and pureed, cashews add a creamy, dairy-like texture to any recipe.
• Rich, cheesy flavors. Nutritional yeast and vegan Parmesan bring that signature “cheesy” flavor to this vegan dip, while lemon juice brightens it up just enough.
• Thick and gooey. Tapioca starch acts as a thickener, giving this vegan spinach artichoke dip an ooey-gooey texture similar to melted cheese.

Notes on Ingredients

It’s time to gather your ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy vegan spinach dip (please scroll to the recipe card for the exact measurements):

• Fresh spinach – I like using fresh spinach and wilting it, but thawed frozen spinach can be substituted.
• Artichoke hearts – I recommend using canned artichoke hearts, rather than the oil-packed marinated artichokes.
• Raw cashews – Soak these overnight like you would when making cashew cream, then give the cashews a good rinse with cold water.
• Vegan milk – Any unsweetened, unflavoured variety you like.
• Nutritional yeast – A popular ingredient in vegan cheese recipes, nutritional yeast has a nutty, salty, savoury, umami flavor reminiscent of aged cheeses, like Parmesan.
• Onion and garlic powder – These add lots of savoury flavour. 
• Paprika – Sometimes, for a spicy kick, I’ll swap paprika with chili flakes or cayenne.
• Lemon juice – You could also use white or red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
• Vegan Parmesan cheese – Either store-bought or make homemade vegan Parmesan.
• Tapioca starch – An optional ingredient, but it does give the dip a cheesier texture.

How to Make Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ready for a creamy, cheesy dipping experience? Preheat the oven to 400ºF while you prepare your dip:

• Blend the ingredients. Add the cashews, vegan milk, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, lemon juice, vegan Parmesan, and tapioca starch to a blender and blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until completely smooth.

• Sauté the spinach and artichokes. Next, wilt the spinach in a pan over medium heat and drain any excess liquid. Return the pan to the heat and stir the artichokes into the spinach with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes.
• Combine and bake. Add the spinach-artichoke mixture to a baking dish with the blended sauce and stir to combine. Season to taste, then bake the vegan spinach artichoke dip at 400ºF for 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle extra Parmesan on top, and serve.

Tips for the Best Vegan Artichoke Dip

• Don’t forget to soak the cashews. Soaking is key to achieving a supremely creamy consistency. You’ll also want to use raw, not roasted, cashews.
• Puree completely smooth. You don’t want bits and chunks of nuts in your spinach artichoke dip! Use a high-speed blender and make sure the mixture is absolutely smooth before you add it to the baking dish.
• Make it in an oven-safe skillet. If you cook the spinach and artichokes in a skillet that’s safe to go in the oven, you can skip the step of transferring the veggies to a baking dish.
• Pop it under the broiler. Although this is optional, it gives your spinach dip a toasty finish. You can add some vegan Parmesan over the top first, or another melty vegan cheese.

Recipe Variations

• Add crunch: Like crunchy water chestnuts in your spinach artichoke dip? Feel free to add those if you’d like.
• Different cheese: Swap the vegan Parmesan for a vegan shredded cheese. Cheddar is great for a more pronounced flavour, or try mozzarella for a milder option.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this dip with pita chips, crackers, tortilla chips, breadsticks, on crostini, slathered atop fresh bread, as a veggie burger topping, or tossed with pasta. The possibilities are endless!

How to Store Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Store leftover vegan spinach artichoke dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. (You can also make it in advance and store it wrapped in the baking dish.)
• Reheat. You can reheat spinach artichoke dip in the microwave or in a 350ºF oven until it’s warmed through, or eat the leftovers as a cold dip.
• Freeze it. Since there’s no dairy in the recipe, this vegan dip freezes well. If you’d like to freeze your spinach artichoke dip, store it wrapped in the baking dish or in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.

More Vegan Party Appetizers

• Sambusas
• Vegan Charcuterie Board
• Vegan Whipped Feta Dip
• Air Fryer Veggie Chips
• Perfect Homemade Hummus

Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan spinach artichoke dip, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!