The BEST EVER Vegan Spinach Dip

GFGluten FreeOFOil FreeVVegan
4.72 from 7 votes
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This Vegan Spinach Dip is truly the BEST EVER. It tastes exactly like the original, but without the animal products. Bring it to your next event to wow your family and friends! Gluten-Free, Oil-Free option.

This Vegan Spinach Dip is the best vegan appetizer to please a crowd, vegan or not. It’s rich, creamy, and arguably the most delicious way to get your greens in. Plus, you can serve it either hot or cold, with any dippers of choice! 

Table of Contents
  1. Mom’s Spinach Dip Gone Vegan
  2. Ingredients for Vegan Spinach Dip
  3. How to Make Vegan Spinach Dip
  4. Serving Suggestions
  5. How to Store Vegan Spinach Dip
  6. Substitutions and Variations
  7. Recipe FAQs
  8. Vegan Spinach Dip Recipe
vegan spinach dip served in a white bowl with crackers and toasted crostini

Mom’s Spinach Dip Gone Vegan

Growing up, my mom used to make the BEST Spinach Dip for our family gatherings. And by “best,” I mean the store-bought powder mix. But hey, that stuff was tasty!

I don’t miss many non-vegan foods, but I did miss that dip. Until now! Thanks to a few plants, some vegan alternatives, and the best crackers and crostini for dipping, I no longer crave mom’s spinach dip. 

Not only that, but this vegan-friendly version takes just 20 minutes to make – perfect for game days, holidays, or any occasion that could use a rich and creamy, cold dip! Trust me, your non-vegan friends won’t be missing the real thing.

Ingredients for Vegan Spinach Dip

You’ll need just 7 simple ingredients and 20 minutes to make this homemade dip. Here’s a quick rundown on the key ingredients:

ingredients for vegan spinach dip laid out on a marble kitchen countertop
  • Leeks: Classic spinach dip is usually made with a leek soup mix which is not vegan. Instead, I like to use fresh leeks and just a touch of tomato paste for a similar flavor (and more nutrition, to boot!). 
  • Spinach: ​Frozen chopped spinach that has been thawed and drained completely is best. Here are 4 Spinach Defrosting Methods to Try
  • Water chestnuts: Essential for that classic crunch! 
  • Cream cheese: ​I strongly recommend using Kite Hill Cream Cheese for this vegan spinach dip recipe. It’s made from almonds, and is the most authentic Vegan Cream Cheese I have ever tasted! 
  • Silken tofu: ​Spinach dips are traditionally made with mayonnaise, but I like to use blended tofu for a lighter texture with a boost of added protein – but I promise you can’t taste it! 
  • Nutritional yeast: While optional, a sprinkle of nooch enhances the cheesy flavor and adds a must appreciated umami-punch!

How to Make Vegan Spinach Dip

a six image collage showing the preparation process of the vegan spinach dip
  1. Sauté the leeks and fresh garlic until fragrant. Transfer them to a large bowl, along with the drained spinach and water chestnuts. 
  2. In a food processor or high-powered blender, blend the vegan cream cheese, silken tofu, tomato paste, and sea salt until smooth. 
  3. Transfer the blended cream cheese to the bowl and mix to combine.
  4. Chill the dip for 15 to 30 minutes, then serve as desired.

Caitlin’s Cooking Tips

  • Squeeze all extra liquid from spinach. It is very important to make sure there is no excess liquid in your spinach once it thaws. I like to wrap the thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel or nut milk bag and squeeze firmly to wring out the liquid. A LOT of water should come out! 
  • Clean the leeks thoroughly. Leeks, while delicious, are notoriously dirty. If you’ve made my Comforting Vegan Potato Leek Soup, you’ve likely already mastered this process, but for those that are new to cooking with fresh leeks, knowing how to properly prep them can be intimidating. Simply chop off the root and upper dark green portion of the leek (and discard), then cut each leek in half lengthwise. Clean under running cold water, making sure to inspect and peel back all layers to check for hidden dirt.
vegan spinach dip served in a white bowl with crackers and toasted crostini, with a crostini scooping up a portion

Serving Suggestions

Spinach dip is one of my favorite easy appetizers and snacks to serve when hosting year round. It’s perfect for holiday parties, cozy movie nights, game days, and more. 

I personally love to serve my creamy vegan spinach dip cold with whole wheat crackers and savory crostini, but it’s also delicious served in a bread bowl with cubed bread, fresh vegetables like bell peppers or carrot sticks, tortilla chips, pita chips, or even Oven Baked Fries! You can also top it with vegan parmesan cheese for a cheesier dip! The sky is really the limit here. 

If you’re looking for more cold vegan dip recipes that make the perfect appetizer, you’ll also love this Vegan Seven Layer Dip and this Vegan French Onion Dip. Or, if you’re going the warm route, try this Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip, this Cheesy Vegan Crab Dip, or this Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip

How to Store Vegan Spinach Dip

This easy vegan spinach dip recipe can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Freezing is not recommended.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Oil-free option: ​Sauté the leeks and garlic in a small splash of broth and use an oil-free cream cheese (Kite Hill!). 
  • Gluten-free option: ​As is, this dip is naturally gluten-free. Simply serve with gluten-free dippers like gluten-free sourdough and crackers, or your favorite chopped veggies. 
  • Vegan cream cheese substitutions: If you don’t have access to vegan cream cheese in stores near you, substitute a homemade cream cheese, or use a mixture of blended soaked cashews mixed with vegan mayonnaise for that extra “tang.”
  • Warm dip variation: Return the combined spinach dip to the pan used to sauté the leeks and garlic, and warm, stirring occasionally, until fully heated. Serve directly in the pan, or transfer to a serving dish of choice and serve immediately while warm.
  • Halve the recipe: ​Serving a smaller crowd or a party of one? Cut the recipe in half!
vegan spinach dip served in a white bowl with crackers and toasted crostini, with a single crostini dug in the spinach dip bowl

Recipe FAQs

Can I add artichokes to this creamy dip?

If you’re craving a classic spinach artichoke dip, I highly recommend making this Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip recipe instead!

I only have fresh spinach. Will that work?

Raw spinach will work, but it needs to be cooked down until you have 5-6 cups of cooked spinach (measure after cooking!). I have not personally tested it, so I cannot say how much raw spinach you will need, but keep in mind that spinach shrinks a ton once cooked so you’ll need quite a bit.

Does spinach dip contain eggs? 

​Traditional spinach dip is typically made with egg-based mayonnaise. This version, however, is completely egg-free and dairy-free, and suitable for vegans or those with allergies!

What drinks go with spinach dip?

If you’re planning your menu and wondering what beverages work well with this appetizer, try anything from light, crisp beers, to Homemade Blueberry Lemonade, seltzer water, iced tea, to dry white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.

Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊

Vegan Spinach Dip

4.72 from 7 votes
Prep Time 13 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 people
This Vegan Spinach Dip is truly the BEST EVER. It tastes exactly like the original, but without the animal products. Bring it to your next event to wow your family and friends! Gluten-Free, Oil-Free option.

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 leek or sub one diced yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3-5 cloves garlic minced
  • 16 ounces frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained completely
  • 1 8 ounce can of Water Chestnuts diced
  • 8 ounces vegan cream cheese I recommend Kite Hill
  • 8 ounces silken tofu
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
  • Serving suggestions: crackers crostini, fresh bread, chopped veggies, etc.

Instructions

  • Clean the Leek: Chop off the root and upper dark green portion of the leek, then cut each leek in half lengthwise. Clean thoroughly under running cold water, making sure to inspect all layers for dirt. Dice the leek into small pieces.
  • Sauté Aromatics: Warm the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the leek and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large glass bowl. Add the drained spinach and water chestnuts and stir into the mixture; set aside to let cool.
  • Blend: Transfer the vegan cream cheese, silken tofu, tomato paste, and salt to a food processor or blender with a tamper. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the device with a spatula as necessary.
  • Combine: Transfer the blended cream cheese mixture to the bowl and mix well, until evenly combined with the veggies. Serve Chilled: Let the spinach dip chill in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes before serving as desired.
  • *Optional* Serve Warm: Return the spinach dip to the pan and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fully heated. Serve in the pan, or transfer to a different serving dish.
  • Storage: Vegan Spinach Dip can be made up to 2 days in advance; store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

  • Frozen Spinach: Make sure there is no extra liquid in your spinach once it thaws! I like to wrap mine in a clean kitchen towel (or nut milk big) and squeeze firmly to wring out any extra liquid.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 6gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 385mgPotassium: 359mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 6849IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 111mgIron: 2mg
Keyword: spinach dip, vegan spinach dip, vegan spinach dip recipes
Course: Appetizer
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: America, American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This dip was tasty! Silly me forgot the garlic and leek, which I’m sure would have only enhanced the dish, but it was still great! I swapped in extra firm tofu since that’s what I had on hand. Silken tofu, as the recipe includes, would be ideal. I needed to thin out the mixture with some water/non dairy milk.
    Also, if anyone wants to make their own homemade cream cheese, that worked out well for me! (I used 1 c cashews, 1 tbs ACV + lemon juice + 1 tsp salt). My preference led me to baking the spinach dip with a tiny bit of vegan cheese sprinkled on top (not necessary) and ate it with tortilla chips. I will make this dip again and be sure to include the leek and garlic! Some crusty bread on the side would be perfect, too! Thanks for the recipe, Caitlin!

  2. 4 stars
    This was pretty spot on for a vegan spinach dip. Although I think the tomato paste can be omitted since I didn’t care for its taste in the recipe.

  3. This is one thing I crave at our family events. Mostly because everyone is busy eating the non vegan version. I miss it so much so would love to try this.
    However vegan cream cheese is not something I can find..and I’ve looked hard.
    Is there something that i could substitute it with?

    1. Hey there! I like either the Kite Hill or Miyoko’s Kitchen Cream Cheeses, but Daiya will work in a pinch. All of these brands have store locators on their website! If it’s still not available in your area, you could substitute with a homemade cream cheese (there are several recipes online), or use a mixture of blended soaked cashews with vegan mayo for that extra “tang”

  4. 4 stars
    I made quite a few alterations to this because I think I’m used to a very unhealthy version lol! I added probably double the salt, about a tablespoon of garlic powder, 2ish tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. If I were to do it again, I would probably add fresh garlic at the beginning. Overall, it’s a good base recipe especially if you want something healthierz (if you don’t want it to be healthy, this is not the recipe for you ????)

  5. 5 stars
    Amazing recipe! I brought it for a farewell potluck for one of my good co-workers, and didn’t even tell them it was vegan! They loved it. I loved it! I felt good to eat something vegan without the expense of an anima and be able to share it with people that aren’t vegan also! Only thing was, It was a bit strong on the onion flavor, and mind you i cut out half of the leek in the recipe cause it doesn’t specific a size and mine was huge! It was still onion-y! Everything else worked out great tho! i was very happy how fluffy the dip came out after i let it sit for a minute cause it was a little watery looking when i was cooking it on the stove and hadn’t added the dry spinach and water chestnuts yet. SSSoooo goood! Great Job!

  6. 5 stars
    I’m just starting to be vegan. I made this and was very happy with results. I did add garlic powder & artichokes. So good!

  7. 5 stars
    Caitlin, what would be the conversion for/process to incorporate spinach if you were using fresh? Also, would the recipe be off if I switched out the water chestnuts for artichokes?

    1. Hi Marina! You could substitute the water chestnuts for artichokes, just make sure they are pickled or already cooked some. If you are using raw spinach, you will need to cook it down until you have 5-6 cups of cooked spinach. Unfortunately I have not tested the recipe this way, so I cannot tell you how much raw spinach you will need. Keep in mind that it shrinks down quite a lot in during cooking x

    1. I purchased it from the refrigerated section of my grocery store, but I have also seen it in boxes! Either will work.

  8. 5 stars
    I just made this to bring to my office holiday party tomorrow and I’m going to have to restrain myself from eating it all tonight. I followed the recipe pretty closely I just added some freshly ground black pepper at the end. If/when I make this again I might add some artichoke hearts. Great recipe!

    1. Hi Brianna, I have not tested any substitutions for this, but I imagine you could just replace it with more cream cheese!