By Emma Hartley, Food EditorReviewed & updated July 2026
Warm, cheesy, and impossibly creamy, hot spinach artichoke dip is the appetizer that vanishes first at every party. Tender spinach and artichoke hearts are folded into a rich, bubbly blend of melted cheeses, then baked until golden and irresistible. I've stopped bringing anything else to gatherings because this is the dish people actually crowd around — serve it with crusty bread, crackers, or chips and watch it disappear.
It's a make-ahead dream and comes together in one bowl, making it the easiest crowd-pleaser to add to any spread.
What you’ll find insideCurated by Emma · 6 min readWhy you'll love this recipe
- Creamy and cheesy. Rich, melty, and totally addictive.
- Party favourite. Always the first appetizer gone.
- Make-ahead. Assemble now, bake when guests arrive.
The make-or-break step: squeeze everything bone dry
There is exactly one way to ruin this dip, and it's water. Frozen spinach holds an astonishing amount of liquid, and canned artichoke hearts are packed in brine — and if any of that moisture goes into the bowl, it leaches out as the dip bakes and leaves you with a thin, watery, sad puddle instead of a thick, scoopable dip. So the single most important step, more than any cheese choice, is to squeeze the spinach and chop-and-press the artichokes until they're genuinely dry. For the spinach, wrap the thawed leaves in a clean kitchen towel or several paper towels and wring hard over the sink — you'll be shocked how much water comes out, often half a cup or more. Pat the chopped artichokes dry too. Get this right and the dip bakes up thick, creamy, and golden; skip it and no amount of cheese will save the texture. It's two extra minutes that decide the whole dish.
Tips for the best results
Squeeze the spinach and artichokes very dry so the dip isn't watery. Use room-temperature cream cheese for easy mixing, and reserve a little mozzarella for the top so it browns beautifully. Bake until bubbling at the edges and golden on top, then serve warm.
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
A warm, cheesy, creamy baked dip loaded with spinach and artichoke hearts.
☆☆☆☆☆
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 10 oz (285 g) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Step 2. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in the garlic, Parmesan, and 1 cup of the mozzarella.
- Step 3. Fold in the well-squeezed spinach and chopped artichokes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 4. Spread into a baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
- Step 5. Bake 22-25 minutes until bubbly and golden. Serve warm with bread, crackers, or chips.
Make-ahead, dippers, and keeping it warm
This dip is built for entertaining. Assemble it up to two days ahead, cover, and refrigerate — then bake when guests arrive (add a few extra minutes if it's going in cold). For serving, it stays luscious longest if you keep it warm: a small slow cooker on the "warm" setting holds it perfectly through a long party, since the dip firms up as it cools. As for dippers, give people a mix of sturdy options that can stand up to a thick dip — toasted baguette slices and crackers for crunch, tortilla chips for scooping, and fresh vegetables like sliced peppers, cucumber, and endive leaves for a lighter, lower-carb option. A squeeze of lemon or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes over the top just before serving wakes up all that richness.
Make it your own
Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a handful of chopped roasted red peppers, or a splash of hot sauce. Use fresh spinach (wilted and squeezed dry) when you have it, or swap some cheese for white cheddar or fontina for extra depth.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make it ahead? Yes — assemble it, cover, and refrigerate up to 2 days, then bake when ready (add a few minutes if cold).
Why is my dip watery? The spinach or artichokes weren't squeezed dry enough. Wring the spinach in a towel and pat the artichokes dry before mixing — they hold a lot of hidden liquid.
What do I serve with it? Toasted baguette, crackers, tortilla chips, or fresh vegetables all work beautifully.
How do I keep the dip warm at a party? Transfer it to a small slow cooker set to "warm." The dip thickens as it cools, so gentle heat keeps it scoopable for hours.
Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen? Yes — wilt it in a pan first, then squeeze it dry just like the frozen kind. You'll need a large amount of fresh, as it shrinks dramatically.
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Further reading & trusted sources
Where recipes usually go wrong
Squeeze every drop of water out of the spinach — wet spinach is exactly why the dip turns watery and splits. A clean towel wrung hard does more than the recipe lets on.
Emma thinks a recipe has failed if it needs a long backstory before the ingredients — so hers get straight to the point, with the small technique notes that actually change how a dish turns out. She leads The Nourish Kitchen’s recipes and food guides, writing each one to work in a real, busy kitchen rather than a photo studio. AI tools help with research and drafting, and a human checks every recipe for clarity and food safety before it publishes. Nutrition figures are honest estimates, never guarantees.