An easy cold spinach dip that is made without mayo and with cream cheese! It is one of my top party dips and so easy to whip up. I like to make it ahead of time and then add it to a freshly cut bread bowl when guests arrive!
Cold Spinach Dip With Cream Cheese (no mayo!)
7 minutes!
That’s all you need to make this cold spinach dip! And maybe some hungry bodies!
It’s one of those recipes that you’ll want to whip up again and again!
This recipe is the best cold spinach dip I have come across. (And I’ve tried a lot!) My version is made with cream cheese AND sour cream, NO MAYO at all! Any appetizer dip that is easy to make ahead and can be served cold (or room temperature) is a winner in my house!
I added this spinach dip to a sour dough bread bowl and typically serve it with veggies and sometimes pita bread on the side. Simple, creamy and so delicious!
How To Make Spinach Dip With Cream Cheese
There are a few staple ingredients that almost every spinach dip has. You can use all of the following ingredients or just a few. The top 2 are “staples”. Either way, spinach dips are super versatile so you should feel free to add and substitute ingredients as you please.
Spinach Dip Ingredients
Spinach dips typically contain some or all of the following ingredients:
- chopped frozen spinach OR fresh spinach leaves
- cream cheese (Philadelphia is my favorite. Full fat or fat free)
- mayo (this is found in most recipes)
- sour cream (it is amazing in almost every dip)
- shredded cheeses (experiment with multiple cheeses)
- seasoning (onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, nutmeg, etc.)
- tomatoes (adds some color and sweetness)
- red peppers (adds some color, sweetness AND crunch)
- sauteed onions
- caramelized onions
- fresh garlic
- water chestnuts (adds a fresh crunch)
How to INTENSIFY the flavors of you spinach dip!
You can intensify the flavor of you spinach dip by adding any of the following:
- Worcestershire sauce
- Cayenne seasoning
- Hot sauce
- Chili powder
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- paprika
- Dijon/Mustard Powder
- Soy Sauce
- Knorr dried soup mixes
Thawing Your Frozen Spinach
For this spinach dip recipe, I recommend purchasing FROZEN chopped spinach leaves!
Why? Because they are super cheap AND do not require you to cook them down. If you used raw spinach leaves, you would need to cook them down OR chop them up before you add them to your dip. Especially if your spinach leaves are super large.
Here are some tips on ‘Defrosting Chopped Spinach’.
Squeezing Your Frozen Spinach
You are going to need to defrost your frozen spinach first. Then you need to SQUEEZE all of your water out of your thawed spinach before you add it to your dip! I like to use a thin towel, cheese cloth OR paper towels to do this. If you don’t squeeze the water out, your dip will be watery!
The video shows you HOW to properly squeeze out your spinach!
Fresh Spinach vs. Frozen Spinach
Fresh spinach will work in this recipe BUT you will need to chop it down before you go any further. Some fresh spinach leaves are so large, if you just throw them in the dip as is, you’ll get a “stringy” spinach dip…and trust me…no one likes “stringy” spinach dips. You can also saute your fresh spinach before you add it to your dip. It will help the leaves to break down a bit resulting in wilted spinach which is what you want for this dip.
How To Make Your Spinach Dip “HEALTHY”
You can easily swap out the full fat versions of both the cream cheese and sour cream for the fat free versions. Another way to cut fat is to use PLAIN YOGURT instead of sour cream! It will stay just as creamy! If you use Greek yogurt, your dip may be too thick so keep this in mind when swapping!
What Do You Serve With Spinach Dip?
Everyone has their own dipping go-to’s. I like serving this dip with multiple dipping options to satisfy all my guest’s dietary needs. Most men go for the more substantial dippers. You know..the ‘carby’ dippers, like bread or crackers! So think about who you’re serving.
These are my favorite items to serve with a spinach dip:
- Tortilla Chips
- Pita Chips
- Mini Crostinis
- Grilled pita bread (this is my favorite dipper!)
- Crackers
- Celery
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
How To Make A Spinach Dip BREAD BOWL
Get yourself a nice round loaf of sour dough bread. If you can’t find sour dough, any round loaf will work!
Then cut out the inside using a large serrated knife. Point the knife on a downward/inward angle and cut a circle around the top portion. Be careful not to cut too much off the top!
Then, using your hands, pull off the top. Rip out any extra breading inside the loaf. You want to create a hole. Be careful not too cut or rip out too much. All you need is a medium sized hole to fit the dip inside.
Here are 8 more dips you can make in a bread bowl!
Can You Make This Cold Spinach Dip Ahead Of Time?
Why of course you can! You can make any dip ahead of time. The real question is, “Can you pull this straight out if the fridge as guests arrive??
YES!
Because this spinach dip recipe is a COLD spinach dip that can be stored in the fridge until your ready to serve it! Hooray to not reheating something for a change! 🙂
How Long Does Homemade Spinach Dip Last?
It is best to stick to the 3-4 day rule. Most dips will stay fresh as long as they are kept in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container!
Can Leftover Spinach Dip Be Frozen?
Yes! Cream cheese freezes well. Just place your dip in a freezer-friendly container and place a piece of saran wrap directly over your dip and place the top on the seal it. Then freeze as is. It should stay fresh for up to 6 weeks.
Total Cost of This Spinach Dip
Frozen spinach: $0.98
Cream cheese: $1.59
Sour Cream: $1.00
Seasonings: $0.50
Tomatoes: $0.75
Total Cost: $4.74 (the bread bowl is additional)
Other COLD party dips you might like!
Easy Cold Spinach Dip With Cream Cheese
Easy Cold Spinach Dip With Cream Cheese (in bread bowl)
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz. Package Cream Cheese
- 1 10 oz. Package Frozen Chopped Spinach (1.5 cups squeezed) ((thawed))
- 1 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 2 Medium Tomatoes (1 cup) ((Small Diced))
- 2 Scallions (1/3 cup) ((Chopped))
- 1/2 Tsp. Onion Powder
- 1/2 Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 Tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tsp. Salt (*or to taste)
- 3/4 Tsp. Pepper
Fresh Round Loaf of Ciabatta or Rye Bread (Optional)
Instructions
- Thaw spinach and squeeze out ALL excess water using a towel or paper towels. (You can defrost in the microwave if you need to do it quickly)
- Add spinach and all other ingredients to a mixer and mix until fully incorporated.
- Prepare your bread bowl if using. Cut off the top and scoop out the middle.
- Add dip to desired serving bowl and serve cold with veggies, crackers, bread and/or pita!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Follow me!
What serving size was used for nutrition calculation?
I base this recipe off of 8 people.
Use diced red peppers instead of the tomato
That is a great idea! 🙂
A great find. I did add a dash of garlic powder & grill mates chipotle/roasted garlic for a kick. Tomatoes on hand were heirloom cherry for a variegated color. Thanks for your website.
That’s a great idea! Glad you like it! Appreciate the comment! 🙂
Everything is better with cream cheese. How long dose it last in the refrigerator. I’m having a barbeque on Monday.
Thanks Kim! I couldn’t agree more! Assuming your cream cheese and sour cream are not about to expire, you can def. make this 3-4 days ahead of time! Let me know how the dip goes!!
What a great idea to serve this inside a bread 🙂
It makes it so much more festive! 🙂
Looks so tasty! And the best part, when you’re done you can eat the bowl 😉
Oh yeah! 😉
Spinach dip is one of my all-time favorite things! I love your variation with the cold cream cheese- perfect for summer!
Me too Julie! Thank you!
This looks so delicious! I absolutely love cold dips in the summer time. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Nikole!! Me too! 🙂
Great dip…perfect to enjoy watching the World Cup.
I couldn’t agree more! 😉
Love the colours in this dip. I just know it will be delicious so saving it for our next gathering. Thank you!
Thanks Amanda!!