This classic dairy-free spinach artichoke dip is made with our signature cheeseless cheesy base and loaded with artichoke hearts and spinach. This savory appetizer is classy and snack-ish, and a perfectly legit replacement for the original.
Use vegan mayonnaise to make it vegan. This appetizer is black tie ready and sure to impress!
Dairy-Free Spinach Artichoke Dip is an excellent appetizer for Game day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Superbowl, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, or date night. It's versatile and can be dressed up as a fancy appetizer or served as a snack-ish hors-d'oeuvres.
For another delicious dairy-free dip, check out my Dairy-Free Buffalo Chicken Dip (with vegan cauliflower option). Both dips pair well with chips, Crispy Baked Cottage Fries, a Gluten-Free French Baguette, and Gluten-Free Artisan Bread.
For more versatile appetizers, check out my Gluten and Dairy Free Charcuterie Board, Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings, Canned Chickpea Hummus, Black Bean Hummus, Healthy Trail Mix, Date Balls, and No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls.
Jump to:
How to make it (with photos)
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
This dairy-free spinach artichoke dip uses 9 simple whole food ingredients plus salt and pepper.
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 helps to add richness and creaminess. Use the solid part only. If there is no distinct solid part, refrigerate until complete separation occurs.
I recommend Thai Kitchen, Savoy, and Kroger brands of coconut cream. There are a lot of lower quality brands on the market these days, unfortunately.
Artichoke Hearts packed in water
Do not use marinated artichoke hearts. The vinegar is too strong in the marinated version and will overpower the entire dip. Choose canned artichoke hearts packed in water.
More Ingredient Notes
- onion + garlic - Onion and garlic help to replace some of the dairy flavors that are missing and they meld nicely with the other flavors in this dish.
- mayonnaise - Regular or vegan mayonnaise can be used in this recipe, and they are both equally delicious. This entire recipe is vegan if you use vegan mayonnaise.
- nutritional yeast - Nutritional yeast is a common dairy-free cheese flavoring and works nicely in this recipe.
You also need fresh spinach, olive oil, salt, and black pepper to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make dairy-free spinach artichoke dip in four easy steps.
- Cashews: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. To a small bowl, add the cashews and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften. Then drain thoroughly.
- Onion + garlic: Meanwhile, to a large frying pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onion has softened and turns translucent. Then add the garlic and stir in. Turn off the heat and continue to stir for 1 more minute to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Blend: To a high speed blender, add the solid coconut cream, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and drained cashews. Blend until smooth and creamy. Then add the cooked onions and garlic, spinach, and drained artichoke hearts. Blend in pulses until the mixture is chunky and uniform (pulsing means to blend in many short bursts).
- Bake: Pour the mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie or cake pan, then bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the spinach artichoke dip is heated through, browning at the edges, and cheesy looking. Serve warm with chips, bread, or whatever you like!
Expert Tips
Make amazing dairy-free spinach artichoke dip on the first try with these expert tips.
Bake until it has a crust.
The best flavor in this dip can be found in that browned, slightly bubbling outer crust! make sure to bake it until golden brown on top for best flavor and texture. Check out the photos in this post to see the desired final look.
Make creamier or chunkier to fit your preference.
For a creamier spinach artichoke dip, blend the cooked onions and garlic in with the mayonnaise, coconut cream, and cashews until very smooth. For a chunkier dip, add all the cooked garlic and onions in with the artichokes and spinach, and pulse until uniform and chunky.
For somewhere in the middle, blend half the cooked onions and garlic in with the creamy ingredients and pulse the other half with the artichokes and spinach.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this Dairy-Free Spinach Artichoke Dip. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftover dairy-free spinach artichoke dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm through before eating leftovers for best taste and texture.
Instead of coconut cream, you can use 8 ounces of a dairy-free cream cheese alternative.
If you don't have cashews or can't eat them, you can substitute an equal amount of almonds or half the amount of an unsweetened nut or seed butter with a fairly neutral taste (not peanut butter, for example). This could be ¼ cup of unsweetened almond butter, ¼ cup of unsweetened cashew butter, ¼ cup of unsweetened sunflower seed butter, or ¼ cup of tahini. Each of these will impart a slight flavor, but it won't be enough to overpower the dish.
Related dairy-free appetizers to consider...
Looking for other dairy-free appetizer recipes and game day recipes like this dairy-free spinach artichoke dip? Check these out:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card or comment field below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Dairy-Free Spinach Artichoke Dip (vegan option)
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 mayonnaise , regular or vegan
- 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
- Cashews: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. To a small bowl, add the cashews and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften. Then drain thoroughly.
- Onion + garlic: Meanwhile, to a large frying pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onion has softened and turns translucent. Then add the garlic and stir in. Turn off the heat and continue to stir for 1 more minute to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Blend: To a high speed blender, add the solid coconut cream, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and drained cashews. Blend until smooth and creamy. Then add the cooked onions and garlic, spinach, and drained artichoke hearts. Blend in pulses until the mixture is chunky and uniform (pulsing means to blend in many short bursts).
- Bake: Pour the mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie or cake pan, then bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the spinach artichoke dip is heated through, browning at the edges, and cheesy looking. Serve warm with chips, bread, or whatever you like!
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!