Spinach Artichoke Dip

This lightened spinach artichoke dip will not disappoint. It’s creamy, savory and pairs perfectly with fresh veggies, whole-grain crackers, or baked pita chips.

Apr 08, 2025

Aah, spinach artichoke dip – creamy, cheesy, and oh so yummy. An American classic hors d’oeuvre that blends spinach and artichokes into an ooey gooey mixture of mayonnaise, cream cheese, sour cream, and grated Parmesan. Once heated, the dip transforms into a rich, savory, flavor-packed concoction that is off the charts delicious.

When you think about spinach artichoke dip, “healthy” isn’t usually one of the descriptors that comes to mind. Sure, there’s spinach and artichokes, but the copious amounts of mayo, cheese, and sour cream in the dip come with a big calorie price tag. So, how can we lighten this calorie-heavy treat without losing the amazing flavor and velvety texture we expect?

One thing that 20 plus years of healthy recipe development has taught me is that using a combination of regular and reduced-fat ingredients is a great way to cut calories without sacrificing taste. Two reduced-fat ingredients I used in today’s dip were cream cheese and sour cream. I realize that reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free foods have gotten a bad reputation over the years and with good reason – most don’t taste very good. However, I think reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream are two exceptions.

When it comes to taste and texture, I find that the Philadelphia brand of reduced-fat cream cheese (also called Neufchatel) is indistinguishable from full-fat cream cheese. Two brands of reduced-fat sour cream that I really like are Daisy and Breakstone. Both have the creamy texture and hint of tartness you’d find in full-fat sour cream. Beyond their great taste, both reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream contain a third fewer calories than their full-fat counterparts.

The ingredient I opted to go full fat with was the mayonnaise. In my opinion, the taste, texture, and creaminess of regular mayo is far superior to the reduced-fat version. The way to keep the calories in check when using full-fat mayo is to moderate the amount. My spinach artichoke dip contains just a 1/4 cup of mayonnaise.

With a few simple and undetectable ingredient substitutions, it is possible to create healthier versions of your favorite hors d’oeuvres. I analyzed a traditional spinach artichoke dip recipe and found a 1/4-cup serving had close to 250 calories. My lightened dip has under 100 calories. That’s a nice savings.

To your health,

Darlene

Full disclosure – I did not receive payment or free product from any company mentioned in this post.

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SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

Yield: 12 servings

Serving Size: 1/4 cup dip

Prep: 15 minutes

Ready: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package (10 ounce) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can (14 ounce) artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, mix Parmesan cheese (setting aside 2 tablespoons), cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until well blended. Stir in spinach and artichokes.
Transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish and sprinkle top with reserved 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 350-degree F oven until dip is heated through and begins to bubble; about 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve this delicious dip with fresh vegetables, whole-grain crackers, or baked pita chips.

Nutrition Information per serving (dip only)

96 Calories, 8 g Total fat, 3 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 17 mg Cholesterol, 216 mg Sodium, 3 g Total carbohydrate, 1 g Dietary fiber, 1.5 g Total sugars, 0 g Added sugars, 4 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 105 mg (8%) Calcium, 0 mg (0%) Iron, 67 mg (2%) Potassium