This healthier spinach artichoke dip is made for the health-conscious consumer who doesn’t want to sacrifice taste or flavor. It’s modified to be higher in protein and lower in fat while still having the creamy, flavorful taste found in traditional recipes. Perfect for a tailgate, party, appetizer, or even leftover as a protein-packed snack.
Spinach artichoke dip is my all-time favorite savory dip. I’m not talking about the cold, store-bought variety. I like it warm, creamy and right out of the oven. Unfortunately, despite it having spinach and artichoke hearts, it’s not exactly the healthiest snack dip. That’s what inspired this recipe creation.
This healthier spinach artichoke dip has more protein, fewer grams of fat and so much flavor. That means you can feel good about eating more. It’s the perfect to take to a party, tailgate or serve as an appetizer.
How To Make A Higher Protein Spinach Artichoke Dip
The secret to boosting the protein without sacrificing taste and texture is in the blend of dairy products. The main ingredient is cottage cheese, but you’d never know it! That because once blended, it transforms into a smooth liquid that makes a perfect base for the creamy sauce.
What Ingredients Are In This Healthier Spinach Artichoke Dip?
Most tradition spinach artichoke dip recipes use mayonnaise, sour cream and full-fat cream cheese to obtain the creaminess this dip is known for. While delicious, there are more nutritious ways to create the creamy texture and rich flavor. The secret is in the type and blend of dairy products used.
This healthier spinach artichoke dip uses a pureed reduced-fat cream cheese and cottage cheese blend in place of the sour cream and mayonnaise to create the same rich, flavorful sauce.
Cottage Cheese
I used a 2% milk fat cottage cheese in this recipe. You can also use a whole fat (4% milk fat) cottage cheese. Either will work fine and since it gets blended with other ingredients, you won’t notice a difference in the taste or texture. The difference in the total fat grams per serving is less than 1 gram per serving.
Reduced-Fat Cream Cheese
I almost always use the 1/3 less fat cream cheese in my recipes. It’s an easy way to cut down on calories and fat without altering the taste.
Spinach
I used a box of frozen spinach. You’ll want to take it out of the freezer a few hours before making the dip so that it is thawed. Drain the spinach well, then chop it into pieces.
Marinated Artichoke Hearts
When I made this the first time, I chopped the artichokes into pieces but really wasn’t mindful of how big they were. The feedback from my teenage taste-testers was that they didn’t like the large chunks of artichokes. Dicing them into smaller pieces was better accepted. Smaller pieces also make it easier to scoop up the dip.
Garlic & Green Onions
These two ingredients add loads of flavor to the dip. I used jarred minced garlic but you can also use fresh garlic clove that has been minced. Yellow or sweet onion can be substituted for the green onion, if needed, but you will want to use less. Those varieties are more pungent and could over-power the flavor if you are not careful.
How To Make Healthier Spinach Artichoke Dip
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees so that it’s warm and ready once you combine the ingredients.
Once you have all of the ingredients prepped, making the dip is super easy. To start, put the cottage cheese, cream cheese, liquid from the artichokes, onions, garlic and pepper in a food processor and process until blended.
Once smooth, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.
Add the chopped spinach, diced artichoke hearts and Parmesan cheese to the bowl with the blended mixture.
Use a spoon to combine the ingredients, making sure the mixture is well combined.
Transfer the mixture to an 8×8 or 9×6 baking dish. You can also split the mixture in half and bake it in two smaller casserole dishes. Once in the baking dish, sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the top, then transfer to the preheated oven.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese. Keep a close eye on the dip while under the broiler. You want it to be bubbly and start to brown but you don’t want it to burn.
Once done, remove from the oven. Serve with tortilla chips, crusty bread, crackers or raw veggies.
How Many Calories are in Spinach Artichoke Dip?
Using reduced-fat cream cheese and cottage cheese in play of mayonnaise and sour cream reduces the calorie and fat content significantly, compare to traditional recipes. This healthier spinach artichoke dip also provides more protein, calcium, potassium and other beneficial nutrients. I calculated the nutrition facts based on a serving size of ¾ cup because let’s face it, 2 tablespoons of this dip just isn’t enough to satisfy!
One serving (½ cup) of this healthier spinach artichoke dip provides 140 calories, 10 grams of protein, 9 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of fiber, and only 9 grams of total fat and 3.5 grams of saturated fat. It also provides more calcium and potassium to help meet your daily recommended needs.
If you love spinach artichoke dip, give this recipe a try. You won’t even realize it’s been modified!
Looking for other healthier, protein-packed ideas for your next party or tailgate? Check out my popular Healthier Buffalo Chicken Dip, Crab Stuffed Mushrooms or make Cocktail Meatballs using my Simple Turkey Meatballs recipe.
Healthier Spinach Artichoke Dip
Equipment
- 8x8 or 9x6 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese (2% fat)
- 4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
- 10 oz spinach, thawed, drained and chopped
- 12 oz jarred or canned artichoke hearts, drained (do not discard the liquid)
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp green onion, chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper, ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Put the cottage cheese, cream cheese, liquid from the artichokes, onions, garlic and pepper in a food processor and process until blended and smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Add the chopped spinach, diced artichoke hearts and Parmesan cheese to the bowl with the blended cheese and stir well to combine.
- Transfer mixture to an 8x8 or 9x6 baking dish then top with the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese and bubble. Serve with tortilla chips, crusty bread, crackers or raw veggies. Enjoy!
Notes
- Recipe Makes = 4 cups
- Serving Size = 1/2 cup
- Servings per Recipe = 8
I haven’t made spinach artichoke dip in so long, looks delicious and bonus *healthy*
Thanks, Michelle. You’ll love this one. It has many of your favorite ingredients!
I love this recipe! I make this and your healthier buffalo chicken dip all the time for parties. 😊
Thank you! Two of my favorites, too!
Sounds delicious!! I love subbing in cottage cheese to up the protein and decrease calories!
Totally Agree!
This looks amazing! I am so excited to try this for Superbowl Sunday this weekend for my roommates!
Thank you! I hope it’s a big hit. Love that you are cooking!
Made this for my Super Bowl party. It was a delicious and a huge hit!
Yay! So glad it was a hit! It’s great as a leftover snack if you had any left.