Make the classic appetizer a little better for you with this Healthy Spinach Dip. Yogurt instead of mayonnaise and herbs and spices instead of a packaged soup mix make it delicious — and good for you, too.
Munchies, appetizers, starters, aperitif, whatever you want to call them, those little snacks to whet your appetite before a meal are some of my favorite foods.
Often we make a meal of little apps. A cocktail party can be so delicious!
Whether you’re gearing up for a big game day or want to make your holiday table more festive or simply want to have friends over for a meal, you’re going to want to have a few little bites available to your guests as they gather in your home and await the main dish.
Oftentimes, hostesses lean toward traditional, albeit not-that-good-for-you favorites, like spinach dip, cheese balls, chips, and potato skins. You can do better.
One thing that I try to avoid these days are processed foods and seasoning packets. Instead, I create my own mixes from scratch with herbs, spices, and fresh ingredients.
One of my favorites to make from real foods is Spinach Dip
This cousin of the traditional favorite still boasts spinach, but the sour cream and mayonnaise have been replaced by plain yogurt and cream cheese. Vegetable soup mix, often laden with MSG, gives way to dried herbs and spices.
This updated Healthy Spinach Dip allows you to keep the ingredients on hand in your pantry and freezer without a lot of extra junk ingredients.
Is Spinach Dip Healthy?
The traditional spinach dip may be “not so healthy,” but that doesn’t mean we can’t produce some new and improved versions of old favorites.
I spent a little time to health-ify my favorite spinach dip. How could I up the nutrition without sacrificing flavor?
I used yogurt instead of heavy cream, sour cream, or mayonnaise and swapped in dried herbs and spices as opposed to a packaged seasoning mix full of preservatives to make this dip a bit healthier.
What Are The Ingredients For Spinach Dip?
Traditional spinach dip made with sour cream, mayonnaise and a packaged commercial mix.
Basically it’s no so healthy. I lightened this dip up by using plain greek yogurt instead. I added cream cheese to give it a little body as well as thawed frozen spinach and dried seasonings (like onion, thyme and celery).
How To Make This Healthy Spinach Dip:
- Combine yogurt and cream cheese in food processor or stir until smooth in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in onion, celery flakes, thyme, parsley, garlic, and pepper. Transfer to mixing bowl.
- Stir in spinach. Chill for several hours before serving.
- Serve with vegetable dippers and whole grain crackers.
Can You Make Spinach Dip Ahead Of Time?
Absolutely! This dip needs to be made at least a couple hours ahead of time to allow all the flavors to blend well. You can make it up to 3 days in advance, buying yourself some extra time on party day.
Just prepare then store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve!
What are other healthy appetizers I can make?
We really enjoy these healthy spins on traditional favorites. They take just a few minutes to make and pack just as much punch, if not more, than the junk food classics.
In this video, I share some other ideas for healthifying your pre-meal munchies.
It’s not too hard to combine homemade items with a few store bought items for simple and delicious food that isn’t too bad for you.
How to make this cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on cream cheese, I buy several packages. Same goes for frozen spinach and yogurt.
- Do a price comparison. I know that ALDI is the best place to buy ingredients like frozen spinach and cream cheese when there isn’t a great sale elsewhere. I keep track of prices so that I know who has the best deal where.
- Buy spices in bulk. Buying herbs, spices, and dried vegetables (like celery and onion) is cheapest in bulk at your local health food store. You aren’t committed to buying a large container. You can actually buy just what you need.
Tools I use to make this recipe easy:
This is a pretty straight-forward dish. You don’t need any fancy equipment. However, having some good basic kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.
- fine mesh strainer – for rinsing and draining the spinach
- A food processor – for mixing the yogurt and cream cheese
- Pyrex pint-sized glass bowls with plastic lids – for storing the prepared dip
- Rubber spatula – to make sure you don’t waste a bit of the good stuff
A healthier spinach dip that is a cinch to throw together!
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 8 ounces cream cheese (could use low fat) softened
- 1 Tablespoon onion flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried celery flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 package frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry
Combine yogurt and cream cheese in food processor or stir until smooth in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in onion, celery flakes, thyme, parsley, garlic, and pepper. Transfer to mixing bowl.
- Stir in spinach. Chill for several hours before serving.
- Serve with vegetable dippers and whole grain crackers.
- This dip needs to be made at least a couple hours ahead of time to allow all the flavors to marry together. But you can also make this up to 3 days in advance. Just prepare then cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve!
- Calories are based on 1 cup of dip
Images by Boston Girl Bakes.
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I can not wait to try this! We like to make a big bread bowl and serve it with the bread that was hollowed out of the bowl – yum!
Mmmmm!!! Looks delish. Thanks for sharing this with us. I can’t wait to see your other recipes 🙂
I like the pesto hummus idea. I have some pesto ice cubes & hummus stashed in the freezer. I’ll just thaw them together the night before. Cold in the center will help it stay colder longer when out on the table!
🙂 Allie
Ah, thank you so much for a healthier spinach dip! It’s one of my favorites but I will admit, the last time I made it, I was so not digging the vegetable soup seasoning packet. 😛 So excited to try this one!
So I printed out this recipe. Could you clarify the carrot? Is there carrot in this? It’s no in the ingredients list but it’s in the directions
“Stir in onion, carrot, celery flakes, thyme, parsley, garlic, and pepper.”
🙂 Allie
@AllieZirkle, sorry! I was still thinking it through when I typed it and then changed it when I made it. Guess I missed that part when I edited it. LOL. I had originally envisioned adding 1 Tablespoon grated carrot. But, then when I made it, I didn’t do that. I think it would be good in it since it’s a tangy dip. The sweetness of the carrot might add a nice element. Let me know if you try it.
Yogurt! Brilliant! I was looking for an alternative to heavier cream cheese dips- this is perfect!
What type of yogurt did you use? I’m curious if Greek yogurt will work?
I used Trader Joe’s Greek yogurt this time. I used fage last time.
I don’t think I’ve actually ever made spinach dip (with the soup mix or otherwise), but I do enjoy eating it. Haven’t had it in awhile though… I’m putting this recipe in the box and will make it soon. Thanks!
Hi, how many ounces or what size pkg of frozen spinach please? My store carries both the small “brick” type as well as the looser 16 oz bag of chopped spinach.
My apologies for the delay. The brick size is perfect.
Thanks for the recipe! I’m wondering if I would be able to use fresh spinach instead?
That could be tricky. There’s a lot of moisture in fresh spinach that will mess with the integrity of the dip and make it soggy. I wouldn’t recommend it. Frozen spinach is really cheap. Just be sure to squeeze out all the water.
I’m thinking when I make this I will use dill in place of the celery. Do you think it will have the same zip?
Sounds like a great adaptation!