Whip up this easy from-scratch Spinach Dip in minutes for a delicious and unforgettable appetizer! This creamy dip is perfect for serving in a bread bowl, with a variety of vegetables, or with an assortment of crackers. Be sure to add this addictive dip to your next party menu – it’s an absolute crowd pleaser!
Years ago, I wanted to make a spinach dip recipe, but every single one I found online called for a packet of ranch seasoning mix. On a particularly busy football-watching weekend in the fall, I finally put together a homemade version and absolutely LOVED it. This disappears quickly anytime I serve it for a party and people are usually left tearing off chunks of the bread bowl after all of the dip has vanished. It takes only minutes to make and you can serve it with a wide variety of dippables.
The best thing about this particular dip? It’s highly possible that you have every single thing you need in your pantry and refrigerator/freezer already. Also, it’s ridiculously addicting, even for those who aren’t veggie lovers!
The Ingredient List
Spinach: I use frozen spinach in this dip and it’s essential to drain all of the excess liquid out before mixing it into the dip.
Mayonnaise: Makes a deliciously creamy base for the dip.
Parmesan cheese: Gives the dip all the cheesy goodness you love in a dip.
Shallot + Garlic: Adds fresh sweet onion and garlic flavor to the dip.
Spices: A blend of salt, pepper, and cayenne gives this dip a delicious flavor!
Yogurt: The fresh Greek yogurt adds a nice tang and additional creaminess to the dip.
Frozen vs Fresh Spinach
Frozen Spinach
I enjoy using frozen spinach for this recipe because it’s something I typically always have on hand. To prepare the spinach from frozen:
Heat the spinach: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the block of frozen spinach until it’s soft and no big icy chunks remain about 1 to 3 minutes. If you don’t have a microwave, submerge the package of frozen spinach in a bowl of warm water, replacing the water as needed until it has thawed (this can take 20 to 30 minutes).
Drain the moisture: Place the spinach in a clean kitchen towel, gather it up in a ball and squeeeeeeeeze until all of the excess moisture has been removed.
Fresh Spinach
If you have fresh spinach on hand, don’t like the frozen spinach, or just want to try making the dip with fresh spinach here is how to prepare fresh spinach for the dip:
Heat the spinach: In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add 1-pound of fresh spinach to the pot and cook until the spinach wilts and cooks down to a dark green mush, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Tip: If the spinach does not fit in the pot, add as it cooks down until you have added the whole pound of spinach to the pot.
Drain the moisture: Place the spinach in a clean kitchen towel, gather it up in a ball and squeeeeeeeeze until all of the excess moisture has been removed.
How to Make the Dip
This is one of the easiest dip recipes (that doesn’t include a seasoning pouch) you’ll ever make!
Thaw the spinach: The first (and most important) step is to thaw and drain your spinach. See notes above for full details on how to thaw or how to use fresh spinach.
Stir together ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together the chopped spinach, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne until completely combined.
Fold in yogurt: Gently fold in the Greek yogurt until thoroughly incorporated.
Let the dip chill: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Serve in a bread bowl or with fresh vegetables, crackers, and more.
What to Serve it With
I LOVE serving this in a bread bowl! It takes only a few minutes to hollow out a round loaf of bread and cut it into cubes (and it always gets ooooh’s and ahhhh’s). If you go that route (and you should, so easy!), you can serve it with cubed bread and assorted crackers and vegetables.
Here are a few vegetable ideas you might want to try:
Carrots
Radishes
Cucumbers
Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers
Broccoli
Cauliflower
You can also try a few of these cracker ideas:
Pretzels, pretzel sticks, pretzel thins
Tortilla chips
Thick ridged potato chips like Ruffles
Ritz Crackers
Melba toast
Bagel chips
Can you serve it hot or cold?
This easy spinach dip is best served cold. If you are looking for a hot spinach dip, I’ve got you covered! Check out the Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe here on the site. One of my most popular recipes!
Storing and Making Ahead
Make-Ahead: You can absolutely prepare this ahead of time; you can mix it up, cover and refrigerate up to one day in advance. It’s good for about three days in the refrigerator, but I recommend only making it a day in advance so it’s at peak freshness!
Storing: Keep the leftover dip in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I would suggest storing the dip separate from the bread and your best bet is to eat the bread the same day you serve the dip.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing it, however, because the yogurt and mayo can break down a bit when thawed and cause the dip to be runny.
If You Like This Spinach Dip Recipe, Try These Next:
Say hello to your new favorite dip! This creamy spinach dip comes together in minutes and is perfect for serving in a bread bowl, with vegetables, or with a variety of crackers. This easy dip is an absolute crowd pleaser!
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Whip up this creamy Spinach Dip for the perfect appetizer for any occasion! Serve this dip in a bread bowl or serving bowl with a variety of vegetables and crackers.
In a large bowl, stir together the chopped spinach, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne until completely combined. Gently fold in the Greek yogurt until thoroughly incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Serve in a bread bowl with reserved bread cubes, or simply serve in a bowl with fresh vegetables, crackers, tortilla chips or pretzels. Leftover dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes:
Fresh Spinach- To make this with fresh spinach, use 1 lb of fresh spinach. Cook down until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Drain completely before using in the dip.
Make Ahead- You can absolutely prepare this ahead of time; you can mix it up, cover and refrigerate up to one day in advance. It's good for about three days in the refrigerator, but I recommend only making it a day in advance so it's at peak freshness!
Storing- Keep the leftover dip in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I would suggest storing the dip separate from the bread and your best bet is to eat the bread the same day you serve the dip.
Freezing- I don't recommend freezing it, however, because the yogurt and mayo can break down a bit when thawed and cause the dip to be runny.
This is absolutely delicious! Tastes like something from a restaurant. I only had about half the yougurt needed so I substituted the rest with sour cream (it’s all I had!) and it is still great. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us, Michelle. Pinning!
For help extracting the water from the frozen spinach I place it in the salad spinner. Can’t wait to try this recipe as I do have all those things and dislike the prepackaged spice items.
This was SOOO good. Will be making it for the coming Super Bowl game. I am not easy to wow, but trust me, I am wowed and I think my guests will be wowed as well. Thanks Michelle
I was craving spinach dip and found your recipe. I already had all of the ingredients. Made it up and it is so good. I will be keeping this recipe bookmarked.
I just made this in triplicate since my spinach came in 15 oz bags (& I bought 2). I have enough for my work party tomorrow and for my boys to eat. I have never used plain greek yogurt in a recipe and was surprised at how good it is. I like it much better than sour cream. I added a little more parmesan cheese just because my boys wanted it. But it is a great recipe and I’ll definitely use it again!
I made this from scratch version of spinach dip and it is wonderfully delicious! My daughter-in-law has multiple food allergies and cannot eat most pre-packaged ingredients like powdered vegetable soup mix which is how I always used to make this dip. What a wholesome, fresh and easy alternative!. Thank you brown-eyed baker!
I found this while looking for a new dip for a 4th of July picnic. It was delicious and the dish was scraped clean! Just what any cook likes to see! :) Thanks so much for a great recipe!
I am looking forward to trying this recipe! This might be a silly question but is the recipe still good if it is baked in the oven? What would you recommend for baking time if it is served hot?
Hi Cindy, I have no idea how this would turn out if baked, I have not tried it. It really is meant to be a cold dip; if you are interested in a hot spinach dip, you might want to check out this recipe: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/08/26/artichoke-spinach-dip/
Hi Michelle, I found your spinach dip recipe on Pinterest recently, and I’ve already made it twice, once as an appetizer for the Oscar’s and again less than a week later. Needless to say it’s already a new favorite. It’s an inspired use of Greek yogurt and I love how easy it is to put together with frozen spinach, which makes it both an effortless and delicious appetizer.
– Michael
This sounds really good! I don’t like package ingredients much either. I love making your recipes, but was wondering if you could add the nutrional information at the end of the recipes. Thank you in advance for all that you do!
I personally love your food math ;) there are veggies in it, and yogurt, it’s practically diet food! Don’t worry sister, I’ve got your back ;) also I love love love serving spinach dip in a bread bowl, especially if it’s pumpernickel bread!
Hi Kaycee, I’m not sure how it would taste using ALL yogurt and no mayo. I would try to still include some mayo (a smaller proportion?) or a mix of cream cheese and sour cream for consistency.
This sounds wonderful! I don’t have the Greek Yogurt though, so I will probably put cream cheese in its place. I do have the fresh boule though that I can put the dip in. How wonderful! I hope it tastes as good as it sounds. :) Thank you!
I had been in the same boat around Christmas time. I was looking everywhere for a spinach dip from scratch, no dry mix packet, but I could not so I broke down and went with the packet. BUT now I won’t have to do that again! Thanks for sharing!
I always make mine from scratch! I’ve also added diced sautéed carrots, leeks and fresh spinach. Mostly because I always buy organic baby spinach. I just strain it in a fine mesh strainer and let it cool down before adding to the mixture. I also add finely diced celery for that crunchiness. And a dash or two of Maggi.
Happy Super Bowl!
Michelle, we are on the same wavelength…with a “from scratch” Spinach Dip! Yours looks fabulous and it just isn’t a gathering at our house without this classic dip as everyone loves it. Thanks for sharing!
I am so excited for this! I have made the dips with the mix and love them, but avoid making I because using a dry mix is such a turn-off. This looks like a great alternative!
I think you could do it with fresh spinach; you could steam or sauté it, then just make sure you cool it and squeeze any extra liquid out, just as you would the frozen stuff.
I tried this with fresh spinach and it was delicious. It wasn’t like a traditional spinach dip because I used a food processor to chop the spinach, then I added (and processed) the remaining ingredients. It was more like a smooth green dip, but the taste was perfect. I also used it as a dressing for a root vegetable salad — really wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
welcome to brown eyed baker!
Hello and welcome! I'm Michelle and I believe anyone can learn to confidently make recipes worthy of celebration.
I love this spinach recipe.. This is so easy to learn. I will surely try this at home. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.
This spinach dip recipe is really awesome and yummy. I really like it. Thank you for sharing it.
This is absolutely delicious! Tastes like something from a restaurant. I only had about half the yougurt needed so I substituted the rest with sour cream (it’s all I had!) and it is still great. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us, Michelle. Pinning!
For help extracting the water from the frozen spinach I place it in the salad spinner. Can’t wait to try this recipe as I do have all those things and dislike the prepackaged spice items.
Can u use sour cream instead of the yogurt?
This was SOOO good. Will be making it for the coming Super Bowl game. I am not easy to wow, but trust me, I am wowed and I think my guests will be wowed as well. Thanks Michelle
CAN THIS BE MADE TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE
I was craving spinach dip and found your recipe. I already had all of the ingredients. Made it up and it is so good. I will be keeping this recipe bookmarked.
I am on here in search of a recipe with NO SEASONING PACKET! It’s not so easy to find! This one sounds great, thanks for this!
I just made this in triplicate since my spinach came in 15 oz bags (& I bought 2). I have enough for my work party tomorrow and for my boys to eat. I have never used plain greek yogurt in a recipe and was surprised at how good it is. I like it much better than sour cream. I added a little more parmesan cheese just because my boys wanted it. But it is a great recipe and I’ll definitely use it again!
This was awesome! So glad not to have to use soup mixes (filled with who knows what). Irresistible! Thank you.
This looks great & super easy to make, thanks for sharing!!
Rebecca | http://www.peppermintdolly.com
I made this from scratch version of spinach dip and it is wonderfully delicious! My daughter-in-law has multiple food allergies and cannot eat most pre-packaged ingredients like powdered vegetable soup mix which is how I always used to make this dip. What a wholesome, fresh and easy alternative!. Thank you brown-eyed baker!
I found this while looking for a new dip for a 4th of July picnic. It was delicious and the dish was scraped clean! Just what any cook likes to see! :) Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Do you need to cook the thawed spinach or throw it in raw if using the frozen kind?
Hi Vivien, No, you don’t need to cook it, just make sure it’s thawed and drained.
Try adding/substituting Feta Cheese. It completely takes it to another level. I went with 1/4 cup parm and 1/2 cup feta. (I love feta).
I am looking forward to trying this recipe! This might be a silly question but is the recipe still good if it is baked in the oven? What would you recommend for baking time if it is served hot?
Hi Cindy, I have no idea how this would turn out if baked, I have not tried it. It really is meant to be a cold dip; if you are interested in a hot spinach dip, you might want to check out this recipe: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/08/26/artichoke-spinach-dip/
Michelle – I am wondering if we can substitute out mayonnaise and use a replacement. Let me know
Hi Vimal, You could use sour cream if you’d like.
Hi Michelle, I found your spinach dip recipe on Pinterest recently, and I’ve already made it twice, once as an appetizer for the Oscar’s and again less than a week later. Needless to say it’s already a new favorite. It’s an inspired use of Greek yogurt and I love how easy it is to put together with frozen spinach, which makes it both an effortless and delicious appetizer.
– Michael
made this spinach dip for A Super Bowl party. I loved it!!!! everybody else did, too! it’s like an old friend from the seventies!
This sounds really good! I don’t like package ingredients much either. I love making your recipes, but was wondering if you could add the nutrional information at the end of the recipes. Thank you in advance for all that you do!
I personally love your food math ;) there are veggies in it, and yogurt, it’s practically diet food! Don’t worry sister, I’ve got your back ;) also I love love love serving spinach dip in a bread bowl, especially if it’s pumpernickel bread!
Spinach + greek yogurt = totally healthy!
I could eat this for dinner. Looks so good!
Is there a substitute for mayo? Sour cream or maybe more Greek yogurt?
Hi Lib, I didn’t try it with any substitutes. Maybe a blend of cream cheese and sour cream?
That looks delicious!!! Spinach dip is one of my favorites, but I’ve never made it.
Thanks for posting a great looking dip without a package. Those dried soup recipes are always a little weird!
This looks perfect for Super bowl Sunday! Do you think it would taste alright if I increased the amount of Greek yogurt and eliminated the mayonnaise?
Hi Kaycee, I’m not sure how it would taste using ALL yogurt and no mayo. I would try to still include some mayo (a smaller proportion?) or a mix of cream cheese and sour cream for consistency.
Thanks! I’ll try it that way and see how it comes out! :)
Looks so good presented in the hollowed out roll!
There’s nothing like a good spinach dip! Thanks.
I have been wanting to make my own Spinach Dip for so long, I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Totally delicious sounding and not hard. Thanks. Love your recipes.
This sounds wonderful! I don’t have the Greek Yogurt though, so I will probably put cream cheese in its place. I do have the fresh boule though that I can put the dip in. How wonderful! I hope it tastes as good as it sounds. :) Thank you!
sour cream would be a better replacement for Greek yogurt than cream cheese
I had been in the same boat around Christmas time. I was looking everywhere for a spinach dip from scratch, no dry mix packet, but I could not so I broke down and went with the packet. BUT now I won’t have to do that again! Thanks for sharing!
Love that you made it completely from scratch!
I love making spinach dip, it’s my go-to appetizer (to eat AND make!). Serving it in a bread bowl makes it looks so classy :)
This is hands down my favorite dip. I love this recipe!
This dip looks delicious!
I always make mine from scratch! I’ve also added diced sautéed carrots, leeks and fresh spinach. Mostly because I always buy organic baby spinach. I just strain it in a fine mesh strainer and let it cool down before adding to the mixture. I also add finely diced celery for that crunchiness. And a dash or two of Maggi.
Happy Super Bowl!
Michelle, we are on the same wavelength…with a “from scratch” Spinach Dip! Yours looks fabulous and it just isn’t a gathering at our house without this classic dip as everyone loves it. Thanks for sharing!
Of course everyone does the maths that way…nothing fuzzy about it
I am so excited for this! I have made the dips with the mix and love them, but avoid making I because using a dry mix is such a turn-off. This looks like a great alternative!
Any idea if this would work with fresh spinach?
I think you could do it with fresh spinach; you could steam or sauté it, then just make sure you cool it and squeeze any extra liquid out, just as you would the frozen stuff.
I tried this with fresh spinach and it was delicious. It wasn’t like a traditional spinach dip because I used a food processor to chop the spinach, then I added (and processed) the remaining ingredients. It was more like a smooth green dip, but the taste was perfect. I also used it as a dressing for a root vegetable salad — really wonderful. Thanks for sharing!