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The beloved spinach artichoke dip as we know it gets bulked up with protein in this delicious cottage cheese dip recipe! You get the same great flavors and rich creamy textures, but with the nutritional benefits of cottage cheese and plain Greek yogurt.
Table of Contents
I love a good spinach artichoke dip. (So much, in fact, that I even made this yummy Spinach Artichoke Chicken Skillet to honor it.) But all of those rich blends of sour cream, mayo, and cream cheese can really weigh you down. (Especially as we age, amirite?) But cottage cheese is becoming more and more popular as a high-protein option in recipes and, as luck would have it, it works beautifully in dips! One of thoses dips being—you guessed it—spinach artichoke dip. With that, this cottage cheese dip was born.
Looking for more healthier appetizer options? This Texas caviar is incredibly addicting, and this easy taco dip is loaded with fresh vegetables, making it a nice and balanced choice. People also rave over these healthy taco stuffed mini peppers, which bring lean but tasty ground chicken to the mix.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a healthier option—Each serving has 5 grams of protein and just 3 grams of fat per generous scoop, as opposed to the usual 13 grams of fat in a regular spinach artichoke dip.
- It’s delicious—Despite the healthy spin, the deep flavors and rich textures we love about a spinach artichoke dip remain. Even people who aren’t necessarily looking for a healthier option will enjoy this dip.
- It’s easy—This cottage cheese dip comes with simple ingredients and unfussy prep.
Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Artichoke hearts—Be sure to get artichoke hearts in water, not brine or oil—they’ll bring a different flavor to the dip.
- Spinach—We’re using frozen spinach in this recipe, thawed and squeezed.
- Cottage cheese—Go for full fat since it’s heartier. Curd size doesn’t matter as the cottage cheese is blended smooth anyway.
Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Add tomatoes—Diced grape tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes can add a nice zest to this recipe. You could even mix in a few tablespoons of salsa!
- Seasoning—Instead of dried parsley you could use homemade Italian seasoning. You could also use 1/2 tsp of garlic powder in place of the two cloves of garlic.
- Other proteins—For a heartier non-vegetarian dip, you could add a bit of pulled chicken or some savory ground sausage to the mix.
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Cottage Cheese Dip
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400º F and prepare a small casserole dish (6 x 9″, 8 x 8″—something around this size). Add the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to a stand blender and blend until smooth.
Step 2. Add the mayonnaise, minced garlic, half of the artichokes, and half of the spinach to the blender or food processor. Blend again until smooth.
Step 3. Transfer the mixture to your baking dish. Stir in the remaining chopped artichokes, spinach, onion powder, dried parsley, sea salt, pepper, and half of the shredded mozzarella. Stir well until it’s all blended, then spread the mixture out into an even layer in the dish.
Step 4. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the dip, followed by the grated parmesan. Place it in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. If you want to brown the cheese a bit, set the broiler at the end and let it broil for a minute, or until the cheese slightly browns. Serve with tortilla chips, crostini, or crackers.
Recipe Tip
If you prefer a smooth dip with no texture, you can add all of the spinach and artichokes into the blender on Step 2. I like some chunky texture there, which is why I only blend half.
How to Serve This Dip
Just like a classic spinach artichoke dip, this cottage cheese dip is great with tortilla chips, crostini, or crackers. If you’re looking for other dips to serve alongside it, I recommend some nice and fresh homemade baba ganoush, homemade hummus, or homemade tzatziki. These are nice and light, and go great with the same chips and crackers as well as fresh veggies.
Storage & Reheating
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- To reheat, simply pop it in the microwave and heat it up in 20-second increments until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
On its own, cottage cheese has a neutral flavor. With that it welcomes anything from salty crackers to crisp veggies and fruits. For this spinach and artichoke cottage cheese dip however, I recommend tortilla chips, crostini, crackers, or sturdy vegetables like carrot sticks and cucumber spears.
Plain cottage cheese isn’t generally considered to be high in fat, though you still want to eat it in moderation. It offers up a lot of nutrients such as protein, calcium, potassium, and vitamin B12.
Cottage cheese contains probiotics which promote a happy gut, but you want to make sure you stick to unflavored and unsweetened cottage cheese. Also be sure to check labels to ensure there are live and active cultures in the cheese.
More Healthy Dip Recipes to Try…
If you try this Spinach Artichoke Cottage Cheese Dip, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Spinach Artichoke Cottage Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup full fat cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
- 14 oz can of artichoke hearts packed in water; drained, squeezed to rid of excess water, and patted dry with a paper towel, I don't recommend artichoke hearts packed in brine or oil
- 10 oz frozen spinach; thawed and squeezed to rid of excess water, then patted with a paper towel
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º F. Prepare a small baking dish (6 x 9″, 8 x 8″—something around this size).
- Thaw the frozen spinach in the microwave as per the instructions on the package. Once thawed, transfer the spinach to a colander in the sink or over a bowl to let excess liquid drip out. Once it's cook enough to handle, squeeze it hard in bunches numerous times to release excess liquid. Using a cheesecloth is helpful if you have one. Get as much liquid out of the spinach as possible, then roughly chop it on a cutting board; set aside.
- Drain the artichoke hearts and give them a good squeeze to rid of excess water and moisture. Gently pat them with a paper towel, roughly chop them, and set aside.
- Dump the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt into a stand blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the mayonnaise, minced garlic, half of the artichokes, and half of the spinach to the blender. Blend again until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to your baking dish. Stir in the remaining chopped artichokes, spinach, onion powder, dried parsley, sea salt, pepper, and half of the shredded mozzarella. Stir well until it’s all blended, then spread the mixture out into an even layer in the dish.
- Sprinkle the rest of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the dip, followed by the grated parmesan. Place it in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. If you want to brown the cheese a bit, set the broiler at the end and let it broil for a minute, or until the cheese slightly browns.
- Serve with tortilla chips, crostini, or crackers.
