This spicy vegan spinach artichoke dip comes together with just 9 ingredients. The dip gets its creaminess from cashew cream.
Do you serve appetizers before the Thanksgiving dinner, or do you forgo the small bites to leave room before the big feast? In my family, there’s no such thing as “saving room” for dinner. We just eat all the time. That’s why the appetizers are just as important as the main event.
For whatever reason, one of my sisters has brought a cheesy spinach artichoke dip to our last few family gatherings. It tastes quite good, but it’s so rich that 1/4 of that dip is a meal unto itself. I want to keep the spinach artichoke dip tradition alive during my Thanksgiving dinner this year with a dip of my own.
I made a lighter version by leaving out on the cheese and sour cream and mixing in some cashew cream instead. From tikka masala to cheesecakes, we’ve seen how cashew cream can be so versatile in the kitchen. It’s absolutely dreamy in this dip. It adds a richness and natural sweetness that pairs so well with the vegetables. I’ve been snacking on the dip over the last few days and spreading it on my morning toast with a heavy hand. It’s wonderfully addictive.
With Thanksgiving coming up in less than a week, how far along are you with your planning? I have 3 dishes down, but still have to tackle the dessert and figure out what I’m doing with the bird. Stay tuned to see what dessert I make!
MASTER MY MISTAKES / COOKING NOTES
- Get that Water Out! Make sure to squeeze the excess water from the spinach before chopping and mixing it with the rest of the ingredients.
- Heating the Dip: I like the serving the dip as is, but if you want it warmed, pop the dip in a 350 degrees F oven (175 degrees C) for about 10 minutes. Word of warning, the dip will turn a bit yellow once you bake it, but it still tastes fine!
- Try with homemade baked tortilla chips! This dip is great with homemade tortilla chips, too. Click here for the printable recipe, or check out my video tutorial!
TOOLS + INGREDIENT USED
- High-speed blender: To get the dip extra creamy, I like to use a high-speed blender. Alternatively, you can use a food processor or an immersion blender.
- Sauté pan
LOOKING FOR MORE VEGAN DIPS?
- Golden Turmeric Hummus
- Roasted Garlic Hummus, Jalapeño Hummus, and Carrot Harissa Hummus
- Muhammara (Syrian Red Pepper Dip)
Spicy Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 16 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 ounces (280g) baby spinach
- 1/2 cup (120ml) unsweetened soy milk (any non-dairy milk works also)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3/4 to 1 cup (150g) roughly chopped artichoke hearts (I used ones from a jar)
Instructions
- Soak cashews with water overnight or with boiling water for 1 hour.
- Heat a large sauté pan with the olive oil over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the minced garlic and let it cook for a minute. (Watch the garlic dance!) Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a high-speed blender or food processor, mix the cashews, soy milk, salt, cayenne pepper, and lime juice together until you get a creamy sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings to your liking. Set aside.
- When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess liquid from spinach. Give the spinach a rough chop.
- In a medium bowl, mix the spinach, chopped artichokes, and creamy cashew sauce together. Serve dip with chips, crackers, or your favorite vegetables!
Notes
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Amount for 1/12 of recipe: 153, Total Fat 11.8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 183.7.5mg, Total Carbohydrate: 8.4g, Dietary Fiber: 1.4g, Sugar: 2g, Protein 5.4g
- To make the turkey (as seen in the photos), cut 2 slices of cucumbers and 2 slices of olives for the eyes. For the nose, cut a baby carrot in half, crosswise. Take one half of the carrot and make 2 diagonal cuts to create a large triangle shape. For the feet, cut a carrot in half, lengthwise. Make small diagonal cuts on one end of the carrots to make the feet. For the wattle, slice a thin strip of red pepper.
traci | vanilla and bean says
Hooray!! Lisa, this looks so luscious and delicious, I don’t think I’d miss the cheese that usually accompanies this delicious appetizer! Cashews are simply amazing and I’m always finding new ways to use them. I’ve been drinking cashew milk in the mornings with a bit of matcha and it has been a game changer! No doubt Thanksgiving planning is underway and although I’m not cooking the big meal this year, there’s breakfast, dessert and Thanksgiving eve dinner to make, so I’m in those planning stages! I need to make this happen! Delicious my dear and love the food art! So cute! Have a beautiful weekend! 😀
Lisa says
I haven’t really caught on to the cashew milk thing, though I’ve been tempted to pick up a carton at the supermarket. Milk and matcha go so well together! Hope your Thanksgiving dinner planning is coming along well!
Melissa Falk says
We do fewer apps these days at family gatherings. That said, I would consider this dip a ameal on its own. I am not familiar with pilpelchuma but I will try to find it here in Chicago. Looks beautiful!
Lisa says
Thanks, Melissa! I picked up the pilpelchuma from Trader Joe’s! You can also use whatever spice blend you like, too!
Julia says
That dip is so cute! My kids would go crazy over that. I have always loved spinach and artichoke dip, especially at Thanksgiving. I love that you spiced it up.
Lisa says
Thanks, Julia!
Zainab says
So so cute!!
Lisa says
Thanks!!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
So fun! You are so creative. I love that this dip not only looks like it tastes incredible but it is a fun idea for Thanksgiving too!
Lisa says
Aww, thanks, Ashley!
Nutmeg Nanny says
This is on delicious looking dip! My brother is vegan so I’m always looking for a fun holiday recipe to make for him.
Lisa says
Thanks, Brandy!! Cashew cream works wonders to make dips creamy!
Sarah | Well and Full says
This is such an ingenious dip!! Spinach and artichoke was one of my favorites growing up, but I haven’t had it since I went vegan. I’m definitely going to give this version a try! 😀
Lisa says
Thanks, Sarah!! Yea, that cashew cream works wonders!
Heidi Choi says
This looks so delicious- especially since I have a milk allergy, I have missed having spinach and artichoke dip!! There is a typo though- is it supposed to be 1 tsp of kosher salt?? It doesn’t specify (it only says 1 Kosher salt). Also, what spices can you recommend since I can’t find the specified spice blend in my city. Thanks!!:)
Lisa says
Hi, Heidi! Thank you so much for pointing out the typo! Yes, it is supposed to be 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. I have updated the recipe accordingly. Can you find a cajun spice blend where you are? That would work wonderfully here, too!
Elaina D Barbaree says
There’s no serving size for this. Does it serve 6? 12?
I’m making it for a baby shower this weekend and need to know if 8 should double or triple the recipe for a crowd.
Thanks!
Lisa Lin says
Hi Elaina, this dip should serve about 6 to 8 people.
Lee K says
Can you adjust the nutrition information to be per serving (6 or 8) vs. 1/12 of the recipe?
Dee says
The recipe was easy to follow, and the results were AMAZING! The household LOVED it! Thank you.
Lisa Lin says
Dee, thank you so much for trying the recipe and for letting me know how it turned out! Glad your family liked it!
KERIANN says
Will this work well if I bake it in a bread bowl?
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Keriann! Honestly, I haven’t tried baking it in a bread bowl before, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you try baking it in a bread bowl, please let me know how it turns out!
Dee says
Hi- I baked it in fillo dough yesterday, turned out great!
Shannon G. says
This dip is amazing! It was a huge hit at Christmas this year. I highly reccomend using Cajun seasoning if you can’t find the spice blend she lists. I made it the day before and let it sit over night in the fridge, then I baked it the next morning, this totally ups the flavors. Even my dairy eating relatives loved it! Thank you 🙂
Lisa Lin says
Shannon, thank you so much for trying out the recipe!! I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed it! Reading this comment made my day. Hope you have a great week, and happy new year!
Shaylea says
Hello,
I’m hoping to make this for my birthday party, unfortunately, my best friend was deathly allergic to cashews and steers clears of them to this day (even though it’s been 5 years since she was no longer allergic to nuts). Do you know if I could use a different nut that would put her mind at ease?
Thank you 🙂
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for your question, Shaylea. I haven’t tried this with other nuts. The only things I could think of trying are sunflower seeds and almonds with the brown skins removed, like blanched almonds. If your friend is okay with eating dairy, you can also use a mixture of sour cream and greek yogurt. Hope this helps!
Erin says
I honestly never comment on recipe blogs but this dip is SO good! I just had to comment. Made it for a holiday party for a group that included two lactose intolerants and two vegans and EVERYONE loved it! So addictive. Make this.
★★★★★
Lisa Lin says
Erin, thank you so much for trying the recipe!! I’m so glad that you and everyone else at the party enjoyed it!!
Rebecca Regnier says
I made this with cashews and it was SO SO SO GOOD!!!
I like to limit the amount of lecithin I eat so was thinking of trying this recipe with macadamia nuts. Do you think that would be successful?
Lisa Lin says
Thank you so much for trying this, Rebecca! I think it might work with macadamia nuts!
Nanci says
I am allergic to nuts. This looks so yummy, Is there a similar recipe not using nuts?
Richa P Pandhi says
This was absolutely delicious
★★★★★
Briana says
I am wondering if this holds up for a day in the fridge if I make it ahead of time??
Lisa Lin says
The cashew cream does take on a gray-ish color overnight. You can definitely soak the cashews and leave them in the fridge until ready, but I wouldn’t blend them. If you don’t mind the slight change in color, you can just stir the dip before serving. That should blend some of the color.
Grace McAndrew Whitnah says
Hi, if I didn’t want to add oil to this recipe, would it still turn out well? thanks
Lisa Lin says
The oil is there to grease the pan to cook the garlic and spinach. If you want to avoid using additional oil, swap the garlic with garlic powder. Blanch the spinach in a pot with boiling water for a minute. Drain the spinach, and once it is cool enough to handle, squeeze most of the excess liquid from the spinach. Then, blend everything together.