Instant Pot Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

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This Instant Pot Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip has a few tricks up its sleeve, but I promise you won't be sad about the healthier ingredient swaps!  Creamy, rich, and cheesy — it's so good!

Never thought HEALTHY Spinach Artichoke Dip could be a thing?  Yeah, me neither.

It is one of those dishes I wait in suspense for all year because I know at Christmas my sister-in-law Nikki is going to bring her famous Spinach Artichoke Dip and I'm gonna indulge to my heart's content.  I enjoy every bite, but it inevitably leaves my body feeling heavy and bleh.

Don't worry Nikki, I'll still be eating my weight in your dip this season, but I decided it was time to see if I could turn this popular appetizer into something veggie-loaded, and dare I say, GOOD FOR YOU.

Well, my friends, I did it 🙂

Oh, it's so good!

In fact, this is a direct quote from my test-taster neighbor:

“Oh, my heck!  I can't for the life of me decide what you've substituted here, but it's every bit as good as any spinach artichoke dip I've ever tasted!  You nailed it! And if this means I can have it more often, then I LOVE YOU!”

I died of happiness when I received that text 🙂

It's creamy to the max, busting with cheesy flavor, and loaded with marinated artichokes and spinach without being heavy with butter, excessive cheese, mayo, cream cheese, and bacon grease (or whatever ingredients go into a classic version, haha!)

In fact, I ate half the batch for dinner one night with a bag of whole wheat crackers and didn't feel one ounce of nausea after I did so.

Wanna know the secret ingredient that delivers so much creaminess without a bazillion calories?

CAULIFLOWER.

Yep, I'm swapping your bacon lard for cauliflower, and you're gonna like it.

The cauliflower gets pressure cooked until super soft, then blended into a creamy, dreamy sauce.  This takes the place of ingredients like cream cheese or mayo that you'll find in other versions.

I'm so excited to bring this one to you, my friends!

Looking for more veggie-loaded sides + appetizers? Here are some of my favorites: Black Bean Hummus with Corn Salad Topping, Instant Pot Honey Glazed Carrots, Instant Pot Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT HEALTHY SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

• BRING ON THE VEGGIES:  Loaded to the brim with cauliflower, artichokes, spinach, and scallions.  Now that's a great appetizer!
• BETTER FOR YOU:  I won't pretend to know how many calories are in the classic version; I've never looked it up.  That's like looking up how many calories you just ate in a 6-layer piece of chocolate cake — I don't wanna know.  But considering the ingredient swaps I've done here, I can assure you that this version is gonna be better for you.
• MAKEAHEADABLE:  You can mix it up a day or two before you need it and reheat it in the Instant Pot or in the oven.  More on that below.
• TESTER APPROVED:  I was a tad anxious offering up a healthier spin on this recipe, so I called in some taste testers.  The consensus?  High praise all around (including that great quote above)!  Both my sister and I agree that it DOES NOT taste EXACTLY like our sister-in-law's, but we would be thrilled with either at the Christmas Day feast.

HOW TO MAKE SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

1. Pressure cook the cauliflower and garlic
2. Blend with cheese to make a sauce
3. Blanch spinach
4. Combine chopped artichokes, spinach, yogurt, and cheese sauce in a bowl
5. Scoop into a baking dish and add an extra sprinkle of cheese and red pepper flakes
6. Bake in oven until browned (or follow tips below for heating it through in the Instant Pot)

CLICK FOR RECIPE CARD BELOW WITH DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• USE SHARP CHEDDAR:  We aren't using a lot of cheese here, so make sure you use an extra-sharp cheddar for extra flavor.
• USE WHOLE MILK OR 2% YOGURT:  Fat-free yogurt can separate when it's heated, so I use a whole milk or 2% yogurt just to be safe.
• USE MARINATED ARTICHOKE HEARTS:  Marinated artichokes have a better taste and texture, in my opinion.  I place them in a strainer and give them a quick rinse to remove excess oil.  You can use canned or the kind packed in water, but they won't have quite the flavor of marinated.
• BAKE VS. PRESSURE COOK:  You have two options for heating your dip through.  I like to bake it until the top is golden brown because I just love crispy cheese bits.  But if oven space is limited, put the dip in a pressure-cooker-safe dish and heat it up in the Instant Pot.  Either method will work great for dip that's been refrigerated as well.
• DIPPERS:  The dippers can make or break a spinach artichoke dip.  I love the classic sliced and toasted baguette, but raw veggies or sturdy whole-grain crackers are also delicious.
• TRY IT COLD:  That might sound a little strange, but I wanted to mention that this dip is really good cold too.  Slathered on a toasted Whole Wheat Bagel . . . mmmm.

HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE 

• STORE:  Cool dip to room temperature then cover with plastic wrap or transfer it to a sealable container.  Store in fridge for up to 4 days.
• REHEAT:  Dip can be baked at 400°F until heated through or pressure cooked for 12 minutes.
• FREEZE:  I have never tried freezing this dip, but won't necessarily say that it's a horrible idea.  I think it could work.  It might be a tad runnier, but I think a quick stir would have it back to being dip-worthy.

MAKE AHEAD TIPS

• Up to 3 days in advance, chop the cauliflower, artichoke hearts, and scallions and shred the cheese.
• Dip can be completely made up and scooped into a baking dish or pressure-cooker-safe dish and refrigerated until it's ready to be served.  Simply reheat using one of the methods described in the recipe card.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH HEALTHY SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

• CARBS:  Crackers, baguette slices, pita chips, pretzels, breadsticks, etc.
• VEGGIES:  Raw vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, olives, etc.

VARIATIONS

• PESTO SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP:  Add a scoop of regular or sun-dried tomato pesto for a fun twist.
• CHICKEN SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP:  Add a cup of shredded rotisserie chicken — this is really good!
• VEGETABLE LOVERS ARTICHOKE DIP:  Add sautéed onions, peppers, and/or mushrooms.
• SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP GRILLED CHEESE:  Okay, now this is just amazing.  Especially with some shredded chicken or ham thrown in the mix.   If you have leftovers, try this!

So what do you think? Are you game for trying a healthier version of this famous dip?

My favorite thing ever is finding little tricks to make calorie-laden food laden with veggies instead.

Come back and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

MORE INSTANT POT APPETIZER RECIPES

• Apple Cranberry Brie Bites
• Apple Fig Compote (turned into brie bites — yum!)
• Butternut Squash Nacho Cheese Dip (served with chips or veggies)

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

• Instant Pot
• High Speed Blender
• Steamer Basket

Recipe inspired by this amazing dip on Love and Lemon.

Instant Pot Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Super creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip made with good-for-you ingredients and lots of vegetables.

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 cups small cauliflower florets (or use a 12 oz bag of prewashed)
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ cup white cheddar cheese (plus extra for topping)
• ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese (plus extra for topping)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 6 ounces fresh spinach
• ½ cup whole milk or 2% Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 (14-ounce) jar whole artichoke hearts in oil, drained, patted dry, and chopped
• ⅓ cup chopped scallions
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Toasted baguette or crackers, for serving
• Chopped parsley for garnish, optional, to make it pretty

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  This dish could be a  1 ½ quart dish, pie plate, 8×8 pan, etc. 
2. Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker pot.  Place cauliflower and garlic in a steamer basket and place it inside the pot.
3. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 2 minutes.
4. When cooking is complete, use a quick release.
5. Dump cauliflower and garlic into a blender and add white cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and dijon mustard.  Blend until smooth, set aside to cool.
6. Press sauté on the Instant Pot to bring water to a simmer.  Add spinach to the boiling water to wilt, (this will take about 30 seconds) then use a slotted spoon to scoop it from the water and place it on a paper towel-lined plate.  Let it cool a bit so you can handle it (you can put it in the fridge or freezer to speed this up). Use a clean towel or paper towels to squeeze extra water out of the spinach, then roughly chop.
7. To a large bowl add cauliflower cheese sauce, spinach, yogurt, chopped artichoke hearts, and scallions.  Stir to combine.
8. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with a bit more cheddar and parmesan cheese.  Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
9. Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is browning and it’s lightly bubbling.  If you let it bubble too aggressively, the yogurt could break/separate.
10. Another option for heating it through is to spread it into a pressure cooker safe dish, add a cup of water to the pressure cooker, place a trivet inside, and set dish with dip on top of the trivet.  Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes, followed by a quick release.  Place under the oven broiler to get that browned, cheesy topping, if desired.
11. Garnish with chopped parsley to make it pretty and serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers.

Notes

• Definitely use SHARP cheddar cheese.  We don’t use a lot of it here, so we need that strong flavor.
• Use whole or 2% yogurt.  Lower-fat or fat-free yogurt might separate when it’s heated in the oven (although I haven’t tested this, so it’s possible it could be fine).  Full-fat sour cream will also work.
• Also a great dip for raw veggies or crackers. 
• I prefer to BAKE the final dish because I simply can’t resist the top layer of browned cheese, but you can definitely heat it up in the Instant Pot.  Make sure to use a pressure cooker safe dish and follow the alternative directions above.
• The dip can be made a couple of days in advance and heated through in the oven or pressure cooker right before serving.

Keywords: Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip, Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip, Healthy Appetizer

Marci

Welcome! I’m Marci, wife to my motorcycle dream man and mother of 3. I have a passion for creating and cooking delicious masterpieces in my kitchen and am ecstatic to share my discoveries on TIDBITS! I like my food tasty, wholesome, memorable, and always, ALWAYS followed by dark, salty chocolate.

I love to see what you're cooking from my blog! Show me your creations on Instagram using hashtag #MARCITIDBITSFor more TIDBITS food talk, join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube