Spinach Artichoke Dip is a creamy, cheesy appetizer made with spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Inspired by the Applebee’s favorite, this easy copycat dip can be made quickly in the Instant Pot or prepared in the slow cooker for parties and gatherings.
Spinach Artichoke Dip has always been one of my favorite appetizers to order at Applebee’s, which is why I wanted to make my own version at home. I’ve been making this recipe for years, and I love how creamy and cheesy it turns out without needing a lot of prep.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Applebee’s-inspired favorite I can make at home.
- Instant Pot or slow cooker options depending on how much time I have.
- Creamy and extra cheesy with three different cheeses.
- Easy party appetizer that’s great for sharing.
- Simple ingredients with very little prep.
- Great for game day and holidays when I need a warm dip for a crowd.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Frozen Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen spinach. Your original Instant Pot version has been made with the spinach going in frozen, so I would not tell readers they must thaw it first. Your older comments actually confirm you’ve made it successfully from frozen many times.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use shredded Parmesan cheese for plenty of cheesy flavor. Grated Parmesan can also be used.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Shredded mozzarella melts into the dip and gives it that creamy, cheesy texture.
- Chicken Broth: Adds moisture and flavor and provides the liquid needed for the Instant Pot. Vegetable broth can also be used.
- Artichoke Hearts: Use one can of artichoke hearts, drained well. Your original recipe uses artichokes packed in water.
- Real Mayonnaise: Use real mayonnaise for the creamy base. Do not substitute Miracle Whip or another salad dressing.
- Sour Cream: Adds creaminess along with a little tang to balance all that rich cheese.
- Cream Cheese: Creates the thick, creamy base that makes this spinach artichoke dip so rich.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds savory flavor throughout the dip. Garlic powder can be substituted if needed.
- Onion Powder: Adds extra savory flavor without adding pieces of onion.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Optional, but perfect if you want just a little heat.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How To Make Spinach Artichoke Dip
Instant Pot Directions:
- Add the chicken broth, minced garlic, and drained artichoke hearts to the Instant Pot.
- Add the spinach, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion powder, and cream cheese. Do not add the Parmesan or mozzarella yet.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing.
- Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook HIGH pressure for 4 minutes.
- When the cooking time is complete, carefully perform a quick release of the pressure.
- Open the lid and stir the mixture until the cream cheese and other ingredients are well combined.
- Add the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and stir until completely melted and the dip is hot and creamy.
- Stir in the red pepper flakes, if using, then transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm with your favorite dippers.
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Add the chicken broth, minced garlic, and drained artichoke hearts to the slow cooker.
- Add the spinach, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion powder, and cream cheese. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until hot throughout.
- Add the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the dip is smooth and creamy.
- Stir in the red pepper flakes, if using.
- Switch the slow cooker to Warm and serve with your favorite dippers.
Add Garlic and artichoke 
Add spinach, mayo, cream cheese, and broth 
Do a Quick Release 
Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan
Tips I Found Helpful
- I add the Parmesan and mozzarella after cooking. I’ve found they melt right into the hot dip and give me the creamy consistency I want.
- I use real mayonnaise. I don’t use Miracle Whip or salad dressing in this recipe because it changes the flavor.
- I don’t thaw my frozen spinach for the Instant Pot. I add it frozen, and it works perfectly for me.
- I drain the artichoke hearts well before adding them so I’m not adding extra liquid to the dip.
- I give everything a really good stir after cooking. Once the cream cheese is mixed in and the shredded cheeses melt, the dip comes together and gets nice and creamy.
- When I make this in the slow cooker for a party, I switch it to Warm after it’s finished. It keeps the dip hot and makes it easy for everyone to help themselves.
- I adjust the red pepper flakes depending on who I’m serving. I can leave them out or add a little when I want some extra heat.
More Dip Recipes I Love 💙
FAQs about Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Spinach Artichoke Dip is a creamy, cheesy Applebee’s-inspired appetizer made with spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Make it quickly in the Instant Pot or use the slow cooker for an easy party dip that stays warm for serving.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 10 oz box Frozen Spinach
- 6 oz Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 8 oz Shredded Mozzarella
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 14 oz can artichoke hearts
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Add the chicken broth, minced garlic, and drained artichoke hearts to the Instant Pot.
Add the spinach, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion powder, and cream cheese. Do not add the Parmesan or mozzarella yet.
Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook HIGH pressure for 4 minutes.
When the cooking time is complete, carefully perform a quick release of the pressure.
Open the lid and stir the mixture until the cream cheese and other ingredients are well combined.
Add the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and stir until completely melted and the dip is hot and creamy.
Stir in the red pepper flakes, if using, then transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm with your favorite dippers.
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Add the chicken broth, minced garlic, and drained artichoke hearts to the slow cooker.
Add the spinach, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion powder, and cream cheese.
Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until hot throughout.
Add the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the dip is smooth and creamy.
Stir in the red pepper flakes, if using.
Switch the slow cooker to Warm and serve with your favorite dippers.
Notes
For the Instant Pot method, I add frozen spinach directly to the pot without thawing it first.
Drain the artichoke hearts well before adding them to the recipe.
I use real mayonnaise, not Miracle Whip or salad dressing, because it changes the flavor of the dip.
For both cooking methods, I add the Parmesan and mozzarella after cooking and stir until the cheese is completely melted and the dip is creamy.
When using the slow cooker for a party, I switch it to Warm after the dip is finished so it stays hot for serving.
Red pepper flakes are optional and can be adjusted depending on how much heat you like.
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Oh My Gosh Thank You So Much for Sharing this Amazing Artichoke & Spinach Dip Recipe, I Really Appreciate it! I Love Artichoke & Spinach Dip, Especially the Way Applebees Makes it! This is Perfect to Make for Any Occasion Really So Thanks Again for Sharing! Have a Blessed Day My Friend! – Jana
The Instant Pot Artichoke and Spinach Dip Applebee’s Copycat recipe looks astounding. I cannot wait to taste your special recipe. I thank you so much for the directions on this delicious treat.
What is the serving size and how many calories per serving? Thanks
1 bite = 10,000 calories…..followed by a trip to ER…..
Did you chop the garlic before adding it to the instant pot? Thanks for sharing – it looks delicious!
You can but you don’t have too
This was great!! I did chop the garlic before adding to the pot. I also added some red pepper flakes before serving!
Made this today! Super good. I follow recommendations to 1/2 the Parmesan cheese and it tasted great. I was wondering what the red spice included in your video but not listed as an ingredient. Thanks!
In the video you only put in one bag of parm cheese (6 oz) but your recipe calls for 16 oz.
which is it? 6 oz of parm or 16 ?
Thanks!
Oh my god, I didn’t watch a video. I’ve just asked if that was too much cheese.. I need to read the comments next time.
Yup just put 16oz in and now have cheese dip. Lesson learned
Do you cut up the artichokes or leave them whole?
I put them in whole 😉
Do you have to thaw and drain the spinach or do you just put it in the pot frozen?
You can do frozen
@Adventures of a Nurse, I did 5 mins and my spinach was still frozen. Adding more time, hopefully it turns out.
I am thinking it did not come to pressure I have made this a ton of times it always works with frozen sorry
There’s a red spice shown in the video that isn’t listed in the ingredients. What is is and how much? Thank you!
They were out of frozen spinach. Think I could used canned if I drain it and chop it?
Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe. We had a death in the family this morning and I needed something quick and comforting to bring to the family while they visited and mourned. It was much appreciated and so quick too! I didn’t have much left to bring home!
A 10 oz. Box of spinach seems like a lot! Is that really how much you used?
Thanks for sharing!
Can I freeze a portion of this dip for a later time? Maybe use a crockpot to warm up later?
I was wondering this same thing. Did you freeze it? If so, did it warm up ok?
Are the artichokes in oil or water? Thanks, nt
mine was in water
Does it need to be frozen spinach or can it just be normal spinach? Thanks!
any spinach 🙂
Is it 16 oz weighed or 16 oz as in 2 cups? I’m weighing it out and it is a ton of cheese!
When you put the garlic, chicken broth do you sauté it or just keep adding the rest of ingredients
Thanks
Angie
Thanks for this delicious recipe! I made it for a potluck tonight and I had none left to bring home. It was cleaned out within minutes. I used two six ounce bags of parm and it was still nice and cheesy. I might cut back to just one six ounce bag next time just to be cheap.
In your video, there’s a red spice added in. Is that paprika? I can’t imagine it’s cayenne pepper.
Has anyone made ahead and froze it or reheated it?
Followed your directions exactly. After 4 minutes, the spinach was still frozen. :-/
When you say 16oz parm and 8oz mozzarella do you mean 2 cups and 1 cup? Seems like a lot if it’s based on weight. Thanks in advance.
There was steam in the video when the rest of the ingredients were added. Do you put the garlic and chicken broth on sauté? Also, what is the red stuff?
Can this recipe be baked in the oven or crockpot?
Hi
Making this on Christmas
What is the red spice?
Did you use 3 bags of Parmesan cheese for 16 oz? The video shows one bag added
Thank you for your feedback ?
Merry Christmas
People keep asking about the red spice. The only artichokes where I am come with the spice on it. It wasn’t added, it came with the artichokes.
Can I double this recipe?
I doubled mine and it worked well. This recipe was bland. Needs more garlic and I’m thinking that red spice from the video? I’m going to add cayenne pepper for my next batch and see what that does
Did you double broth when you doubled it?
I just made a double batch and doubled everything in the recipe. Turned out really thick and cheesy.
Very good close to the real applebees but next time i will use WAY less cheese!! I think 6oz – 8oz parm cheese is all you need. Was it a type-o in your recipe??
Do you drain the juice off the artichokes before putting them in or strain them first?
In reading the recipe, I do not see instructions on when to add the cheese – parm & mozzerella?
In the instructions (not on the recipe note card but above it) it says to stir in immediately after the quick release.
It says to add cheese immediately after the QPR. This is listed above in her notes before the recipe page.
I don’t like frozen spinach. If I use fresh would I need to add liquid to compensate for this?
nope should be the same.
Is it really sixteen ounces of Parmesan cheese? I only see you dump in a 6 oz bag in the video.
Just curious, did anyone else have spinach that was still partially frozen after the 4 min & QR? I just had to turn it back on for a couple minutes.
Yes, mine was still frozen. Next time I will use 1/2 the parm. cheese and cook maybe 2 minutes longer.
No, but my frozen spinach wasn’t in block form. I’ve made this 3 times already.
The instructions right above the nutritional facts leaves out the steps when to add the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. I use the instructions at the very top and it worked perfectly
This was amazing!
You didn’t say when to add the cheese?
Love this recipe however – just noticed today – the recipe directions don’t indicate when to add the parm & mozz cheeses! ?
I tried this tonight bc I was dying for some spinach artichoke dip. It did not thicken, it was basically a ball of cheese surrounded by liquid. Next time I will def. alter the cheese to broth ratio. Flavor was there though!
Mmmm. This is so good! Even the cats loved it!
Thanks!
The red spice sprinkled on top just looks like crushed red pepper.
Thank you for sharing it’s my favorite dip
Can I do this in my crock pot??
I made this for Fourth of July and it was amazing! Thank you!
Does the frozen spinach not provide to much liquid after thawing/cooking?
Does this need to be served warm or can I make this now and serve it later cold?
Absolutely delicious. We loved it. The only modification we will make next time is to add a teaspoon of Tabasco because we like spicy food. Definitely will make again. Thank you!!!
Can I make 1/2 will it come out the same
Can I use fresh spinach? If so, should I add water? Also, can this be made ahead and heated?
Made this today for my family and I was a huge hit. Thank you
I had SUCH a craving for this today. I could not rest until I got to the store and got my ingredients.
The funny thing is I don’t like Spinach, Artichokes, Sour Cream or Mayonnaise but when you put them all together in this recipe it is fantastic!
I had made this one time before today and its definitely on my list to make for the upcoming Holidays.
Thank you for another great recipe.
did you chop/mince the garlic cloves?
Can I use a slow cooker
Can I use a slow cooker to make this spinach artichoke dip
I hope this is the recipe i have looked for, for years!.Someone maxe it at work and this sounds pretty close to the taste i remember. I sure hope do. You have great recipes.
I want to make this for thanksgiving, can I make the day before.
The flavor is good, but in all honesty the dip wasn’t even warm. My cream cheese was still in a block after the high pressure of 4 minutes. I ended up using the saute function to get it hot and then used the slow cook function to keep it warm.
Great recipe! I read through quite a few before deciding on this one. It’s wonderful.
I have an 8qt Instant Pot and the burn code appeared so I cancelled and added another cup of broth then restarted. The very bottom was scorched but I had anticipated that so when adding the cheese I avoided scraping the bottom. It was easy to pour into another container thus leaving scorched stuff in the pot. No problemo at all.
We decided to put it on baked potatoes for dinner instead of chips or bread although that will happen another time. This time we added steamed broccoli on the side along with a small garden salad. Very filling and all healthy foods filled protein and calcium and vitamins and minerals.
I really appreciate that you posted this recipe. My mom & I LOVE this dip! HOWEVER I’m seriously disappointed that you aren’t answering several questions posted here with regards to cold spinach, cheese not melting, etc.. But MOSTLY about the amount of the cheese! Please answer these questions. I note that you are monitoring this post and have answered some of the questions, but NOT the ones I noted. I use organic when I can, and don’t want to ruin this recipe because I put in the wrong amount of cheese. Again, thank you so much for the work you put in replicating the wonderful S/A dip!!
The spinach will not be cold I used frozen
Trust me I made this so many times it will work 😊 the cheese was by oz
So it’s Sixteen ounces of Parmesan cheese by weight correct?
Thank you!!! Red spice?, Can it be frozen and reheated?, Amount of parmesan cheese (comes in bags 6oz or container 10 oz). Seems like a typo but not confirmed. Excited to try but would be nice if the most asked questions were answered. Frustrated but glad you shared what should be a delicious recipe!
Answering my own questions. No red spice in recipe or video. I made this and it is delicious but too much so I quartered and froze. Take a container out of freezer in morning and cook at 400 for 20 minutes in afternoon. Still delicious and great to know it can be made ahead of time.
Michael did you end up using Sixteen ounces of Parmesan cheese by weight or less? Thanks
Did you squeeze the spinach dry?
No
This was delicious! Very thick and creamy. My spinach was still a little frozen when it was done too but I just stirred everything and it was just fine.
My question is what is the best way to reheat this dip? Microwave? Instant pot on saute? Crockpot?
So easy and a big hit at my party. I used one bag of grated parmesan and a bag of fresh spinach. The spinach filled the instant pot but cooked down and was just right.
What can you use if you don’t have an instant pot as you call it? Can you use a crockpot? If so how long ypu let it cook?
Hi, I was wondering what size instant pot you used to make the recipe. Does it matter what size you have? Sorry I new to the instant pot world. Thank you
I have used both sizes for this recipe 🙂
My spinach was still frozen after 4 min.. will cook longer next time so sad it didn’t turn out.
That makes no sense. not sure what happened.
I made this tonight. It is excellent!
Should the parm cheese by 6oz or 16oz? When I’ve made this the taste is delicious but it is very thick. Thanks for the clarification!
Fabulous and ridiculously easy. I used a bag of fresh spinach. It filled the pot but cooked down and was just right. This was so good it convinced my friend to buy an Instant Pot. 😂
Are canned artichokes less vinegary than bottled (I assume pickled?) Used a jar instead of a can once for a recipe, and it turned out terrible.
Hi. Reading the IP artichoke and spinach dip recipe and I have a question. One ingredient is ‘16 Oz Shredded Parm cheese ‘. Don’t you mean Grated Parmesan cheese? (In a shaker). Please clarify. Thanks.
Susan
shredded
Can this be frozen??????
Yes
Do you actually put the frozen block of spinach into the IP or thaw it first?
Thanks
Frozen
Hi. Loved this dip. I really love Applebee’s dip and was so happy to come across it. My first time making it, everyone loved it. Someone even said they pay me to make a whole thing for them lol. I did adjust my ingredients though cause I was cooking some other dish with similar ingredients. My only question is does it matter if it frozen chopped spinach or leaf spinach? I’ve been using leaf spinach.
No you can use either
I just got an instant pot – when you say to add the ingredients to the instant pot, do you mix them together inside or simply place them unmixed?
I took the time to read through AAAALLLL the comments to make sure I wasn’t duplicating anyone else’s question….
Has anyone tried to add jalapeños to this? I LOVE artichoke jalapeños dip… if so, how many… fresh or canned??
Confused! Is it 16 or 6 ounces of Parmesan cheese in the spinach and artichoke dip? Thanks.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was fast and easy to make. It’s the perfect last minute party dish
Made this today for the game , wow! It was amazing and we topped ours with homemade pico de gallo. Off the charts . I did not use 16 oz of Parmesan, I only used 5 oz, which is what came in the container . 8 oz would be perfect . I used quartered artichoke hearts . Good stuff !
We dumped all the leftovers over chicken breasts and baked it. BEST DINNER EVER!!! Everyone cleaned their plates and I was actually excited for leftover lunch the next day 🙂
Hello. What if I do not have an insta pot but still want to create this dip?
Used my instapot for the first time and made this! Its delicious! Just like applebees! Thanks you!
Tried to use the print version. The instruction portion doesn’t show up on it. Kind of annoying.
Sorry I will try to fix
way too cheesy for me; if i wanted to make a ton, i’d double the spinach. but this made a bucket, as it was. i only put in 5 oz of parm. it tasted good; i just like more spinach in my spinach dip. i’ll make it again, to my own personal specifications. thanks for the jumping off place!
16 oz of parm cheese! I only added 6… and here I thought i loved cheese 😜
Really?… Why not just go to applebees… Make your own recipe…
This recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it at home. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us.
I have made this recipe 5 or more times and I make it in a pot over the stove, cook about 10 minutes.