Baked Spinach Dip
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Gooey baked spinach dip is cheesy and the perfect appetizer for parties, the holidays or movie night. Warm and creamy, this dip is a mix of three kinds of cheeses melted together into a delicious appetizer you’ll want to keep dipping in!
Table of Contents
Why We Love Baked Spinach Dip
- Great Party Appetizer! – Hot spinach dip is perfect for holiday parties, game days or just for movie night,
- Classic Recipe – This creamy spinach dip is always a crowd pleaser, and the creamy gooey cheese is always a huge hit. Cheesy dips are almost always one of the favorites on the table and disappear fast!
Ingredients For Baked Spinach Dip
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- spinach frozen, defrosted for the dip
- cream cheese softened
- sour cream
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- mozzarella cheese divided
- parmesan cheese
How To Make Baked Spinach Dip
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with spray cooking oil.
- Place the frozen spinach in a heatproof bowl. Defrost it using the defrost setting on a microwave, checking it about every minute and draining any excess water.
- Wrap spinach in a cheese-cloth or a thin kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as possible then place in a colander. Let it continue to drain in the colander. The spinach will stain the towel. See notes at the bottom of the page for more tips.
- In a large bowl add the cream cheese and sour cream. Mix together until smooth, you can use an electric mixer for this step or blend it by hand.
- Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the cream cheese mixture and mix until smooth.
- Break up the spinach with your hands or a wooden spoon in a bowl, making sure it is very well dried as you do. Add the spinach, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese to the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
- Spread the spinach dip into the prepared baking dish. Bake the dip for 20 minutes.
- Top with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Return the dip to the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let it cool for a few minutes, then dip and enjoy!
Sometimes I will move this dip to another dish, especially if we plan to dip right out of the dish. The casserole dish will be very hot, and that can sometimes be tricky especially if you have young children. It always looks a little prettier in the dish you baked the dip in though.
Can I Make This Spinach Dip Ahead Of Time?
Yes you can totally prep the spinach dip up to 24 hours in advance except for the last 1/4 cup of cheese on top. Cover the pan with either a lid or aluminum foil then place it in the fridge.
When you are ready to heat the dip you can pop it in the oven and bake. Top it with the last 1/4 cup of cheese after baking and melt it in the oven, then the dip is ready to serve.
Does Frozen Spinach Need To Be Cooked For Dip?
The spinach frozen in the bag is already cooked. Frozen spinach does still have some water in it that you must remove when defrosting, but you do not have to cook the spinach if it is frozen.
You could defrost the spinach in a calendar with warm water if you prefer this method to the microwave, and then dry it well until all the water is gone.
Why Is My Spinach Dip Runny?
Too much wate left in the spinach will cause the dip to be watery and runny.
It is very important to defrost and dry the spinach really well if using frozen spinach.
If using fresh spinach you must cook the spinach in a pan until it wilts to get all the water out of it.
What Do I Serve Spinach Dip With?
Spinach dip can be served with all kinds of yummy dippers. Usually food that is crunchy or are at least sturdy like a chewy piece of bread work best to hold up to the hot cheesy dip. Here are a few ideas.
- crackers – firmer crackers will work better than a cracker that crumbles easily
- bread – pick a bread that is thick and chew, then cut into slices or large cubes. Baguette slices and sourdough bread both work well.
- tortilla chips – thicker chips tend to work best
- pretzels – especially waffle or large flat pretzels
- bell pepper cut into thick strips
- baby carrots or carrot sticks
- bagel chips
- pita chips
I have a post that gives ideas for what to dip in hummus. Most of the ideas in that post also work for spinach dip if you need more ideas.
Other Cheesy Spinach Dip Variations
- Plain yogurt or plain greek yogurt can be swapped for sour cream.
- Chopped up cooked bacon (bacon bits work as long as it’s real bacon) or even cooked chicken can be added to this dip.
- Artichoke hearts can be added to this dip. I recommend using artichoke hearts from a jar, drying them well, then chopping them and adding them to the dip before baking.
- Try serving in a bread bowl! You can hollow out a large loaf of chewy bread and put the dip mixture inside! Bake the dip covered with aluminum foil and you can serve it right inside the bread, a crowd favorite!
- This cheesy dip also goes great with other warm dips like pepperoni dip or buffalo chicken dip.
- Try stuffing leftovers of this cheesy spinach dip in a cheesy chicken calzone in place of the ricotta mixture!
How Long Will Baked Spinach Dip Last?
Expect baked spinach dip will last for about 3-4 days when stored in the refrigerator in a covered airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
I have found that if my spinach dip gets crumbs in it from dipping crackers or bread directly into the dip it is more likely to go bad faster. While crumbs can’t always be avoided, if you use a serving spoon to portion the dip onto individual plates the leftover dip is more likely to last a little longer.
More Party Food Recipes
Pigs In A Blanket (Air Fryer Or Oven!)
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pinwheels
BBQ Chicken Wings (In The Crock Pot!)
Baked Spinach Dip
Ingredients
- 10 ounces spinach frozen, defrosted for the dip
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ¼ cup mozzarella cheese divided
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with spray cooking oil.
- Place the frozen spinach in a heatproof bowl. Defrost it using the defrost setting on a microwave, checking it about every minute and draining any excess water.
- Wrap spinach in a cheese-cloth or a thin kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as possible then place in a colander. Let it continue to drain in the colander. The spinach will stain the towel. See notes for more tips.
- In a large bowl add the cream cheese and sour cream. Mix together until smooth, you can use an electric mixer for this step or blend it by hand.
- Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the cream cheese mixture and mix until smooth.
- Break up the spinach with your hands or a wooden spoon in a bowl, making sure it is very well dried as you do. Add the spinach, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese to the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
- Spread the spinach dip into the prepared baking dish. Bake the dip for 20 minutes.
- Top with remaining ¼ cup cheese. Return the dip to the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let it cool for a few minutes, then dip and enjoy!
Notes
Drying The Spinach
Whatever towel or cheesecloth you use will stain green. You can use paper towels to dry the spinach but it will take several rounds of paper towels to dry the spinach. You want to remove as much water as possible from the spinach dip as otherwise it can make your dip too watery. If you are having trouble getting the water out of the defrosted spinach, you can place the spinach in a pan and sautee it until most of the water is out of it.Using Fresh Spinach
You can use fresh spinach but you will need to cook it before adding it to the dip. Get a large skillet or even a large 4-6 quart pot. Turn the stovetop over medium heat. Add handfuls of spinach to the pan and cook until it shrinks. This means the water has been cooked out of the spinach. Continue adding portions of spinach to the pan in handfuls until all the spinach has cooked down. Place the spinach on a layer of paper towels. Dry it well and allow the spinach to cool before adding it to the dip.Browning The Cheese
If your dip isn’t as golden brown as you would like you can place the dip under the broiler for a minute as long as your dip is in a metal pan or a porcelain pan. A glass or Pyrex baking dish can shatter under the high heat of the broiler and should not be placed under the broiler ever!Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
