This dairy-free spinach artichoke dip is hot, creamy, and savory with plenty of spinach and artichoke in every bite. Instead of dairy-based cream cheese and cheese, it gets its rich, cheesy flavor from a smooth blend of cashews, coconut cream, mayonnaise, and nutritional yeast.
It's naturally gluten-free and vegan as written, takes about 10 minutes to prep, and is ready in 35 minutes. Regular mayonnaise works equally well if you don't need the recipe to be vegan. serve it warm with tortilla chips, gluten-free crackers, vegetables, or a toasted gluten-free baguette.
Recipe Overview: Dairy-Free spinach artichoke dip
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🕒 Total Time: 35 mins
- 👥 Serves: 10, with a tested half-batch option in the notes
- Flavor: Rich, savory, cheesy and garlicky
- Method: Blend + bake
- ✅ Gluten Free: Yes
⚠️ Most Important Tip: Blend the creamy cashew base completely smooth before adding the spinach and artichokes. Then pulse only until chopped so the dip stays creamy and chunky instead of becoming a purée.
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FEATURED REVIEW ★★★★★
This dairy free spinach artichoke dip really does taste like the original! It's so cheesy and I love the combination of ingredients used in the base. It tastes just like a creamy cream cheese dip with a little mayo, believe it or not!
- Tasha
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Why This Recipe Works
- Creamy without dairy-free cream cheese. Cashews give the base body, coconut cream and mayonnaise add richness, and nutritional yeast adds savory, cheesy flavor.
- Fresh spinach keeps the prep simple. It goes straight into the dip without thawing or squeezing out water, then softens as the dip bakes.
- Pulsing preserves the texture. Blending the creamy base first and only pulsing the spinach and artichokes afterward keeps the dip smooth and rich with visible pieces of vegetables.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
You need 9 main ingredients plus salt and pepper to make this dairy-free spinach artichoke dip.
Raw Cashews
Raw cashews are soaked in hot water and blended to give the dairy-free cheese base richness and structure. You can use roasted cashews too, but the dip will have just a slight roasted nut taste.
I get my raw cashews from Trader Joe's. You can also buy gluten-free and celiac safe raw cashews at Nuts.com.
Canned Coconut Cream
The solid part of a can of coconut cream adds richness and creaminess, without a detectable coconut flavor. Use the solid part only, leaving the watery liquid behind. If there is no distinct solid part, refrigerate until complete separation occurs.
I've had good results with Thai Kitchen, Savoy, and Kroger brands of coconut cream.
I've also made this recipe with 8 ounces of dairy-free cream cheese in place of the coconut cream, which works well.
Artichoke Hearts packed in water
Use artichoke hearts packed in water, then drain and rinse them well. I've tested this recipe with marinated artichokes, but their vinegar flavor overwhelmed the creamy base, so I only recommend water-packed artichoke hearts.
More Ingredient Notes
- Vegan mayonnaise: I use vegan mayonnaise so the dip is completely vegan as well as dairy-free. Regular mayonnaise works just as well if you don't need the recipe to be vegan.
- Nutritional yeast: This gives the creamy base a savory, cheese-like flavor without adding dairy or store-bought vegan cheese.
- Fresh spinach: Fresh spinach goes directly into the blender with the artichokes, so there's no need to thaw or squeeze it dry first
You also need garlic, onion, olive oil, salt, and black pepper to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for full quantities.
How to make Dairy-Free Spinach Artichoke dip
Learn how to make dairy-free spinach artichoke dip in four easy steps.
- Soak the cashews: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for 5-10 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- Cook the onion and garlic: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic, turn off the heat, and stir for another minute.
- Blend: Add the coconut cream, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and drained cashews to a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Then add the cooked onions and garlic, spinach, and drained artichoke hearts. Pulse in short bursts, just until everything is evenly chopped and combined but still chunky.
- Bake: Pour the dip into an 8- or 9-inch baking dish. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the spinach artichoke dip is heated through, browning at the edges, and cheesy looking. Serve warm.
When you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review below. I always appreciate the feedback! ❤️
📖 Recipe
Dairy-Free Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ small yellow onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 cup canned coconut cream , solid part only
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach , loosely packed
- 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts packed in water (not marinated), drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Soak the cashews: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for 5-10 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
- Cook the onion and garlic: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic, turn off the heat, and stir for another minute.
- Blend: Add the coconut cream, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and drained cashews to a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Then add the cooked onions and garlic, spinach, and drained artichoke hearts. Pulse in short bursts, just until everything is evenly chopped and combined but still chunky.
- Bake: Pour the dip into an 8- or 9-inch baking dish. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the spinach artichoke dip is heated through, browning at the edges, and cheesy looking. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Expert tips
Let the top get golden. Bake the dip until it's hot and bubbling around the edges with a golden crust on top. That browned top adds extra savory flavor and is one of my favorite parts.
Blend the base completely smooth. The cashews should disappear into the coconut-cream mixture before you add the vegetables.
Pulse, don't purée. Add the spinach and artichokes only after the creamy base is smooth and use short pulses so the finished dip still has texture.
Adjust the onion and garlic for a creamier dip. For the smoothest version, blend all of the cooked onion and garlic into the creamy base. For more texture, pulse them in with the spinach and artichokes.
Making it for a smaller group? I've made a half batch in a loaf pan, which makes about 5 servings and works well when you don't need a full party-sized batch.
Tasha says
This dairy free spinach artichoke dip really does taste like the original! It’s so cheesy and I love the combination of ingredients used in the base. It tastes just like a creamy cream cheese dip with a little mayo, believe it or not!