There are sooo many reasons to love a good artichoke and spinach dip! Right? But what if I told you that you can have your favorite appetizer with added healthy fats? This Artichoke & Spinach Dip w/Avocado is just that and ….it’s dairy free!
So here’s how this dip evolved. I had a couple of avocados that were very firm. They had been sitting around this house for a few days and didn’t seem to want to ripen up as quickly as I would have liked. One of them showed some softening on some sides so in efforts to “speed up the process”, I wondered what would happen if I just stuck it in my Vitamix and hoped it would turn into a creamy guacamole.
Then. I thought, ‘What if I add a little cream “cheese” to help the process?” And of course, while I was at it, I decided it would be yum to toss in some spinach ….then artichokes and welp, there you have it – the Artichoke & Spinach Dip w/Avocado {Dairy Free} was born! I’ve already made this a few times and it’s gobbled up each and every time! I actually took this to Concerts in the Park for our family but I had several others dip into it and kept going – which was a good thing but at the same time, it meant less for us. Haha.
A few years ago, I made this Broccoli & Artichoke Dip and I remember thinking that I would love to have the cream cheesey flavor and vibe when eating a dip like this but back then, there wasn’t a dairy free cream cheese that I liked. Kite Hill has some great Cream Cheese Spreads and honestly, you can’t really tell the difference so if you aren’t eating cream cheese due to allergies or don’t digest dairy well, I highly suggest Kite Hill!
Back to this Artichoke & Spinach Dip w/Avocado {Dairy Free}. This couldn’t be an easier recipe to pull together. Seriously. You plop it all in the blender and done. Bake for a bit and you’re good to go! I love it straight out of the oven but it was great at the park too and it had been a bit chilled as we put it into the ice chest ….and yet still, so-so good!
Tell me — if you make this dip, what will be your favorite scooping utensil? We have been using paleo crackers. And I believe we used plantain chips too! But it dawned on me that I could use veggies too (duh) ….so some sliced cucumber, celery, bell pepper pieces and even broccoli crowns! But please, what’s your pleasure. Do tell!
- 1 8oz Kite Hill Cream Cheese Style Spread (or regular cream cheese if you tolerate it)
- 1 small avocado
- 1 1/2 cups packed spinach leaves
- 1 14 oz can quartered artichokes
- 1 large garlic clove (2 cloves if you're a garlic lover)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whirl all ingredients in blender!*
- Scoop into medium sized baking dish & bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
- *If you prefer the chunkier artichokes, place the cream "cheese" and avocado in blender ....give it a whirl, then add in spinach, garlic and salt and give it another whirl. Pulse in the artichokes to your liking.
