Copycat Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip

What’s better than a delicious dip when watching the Big Game? Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip when watching the Big Game! Here’s a copycat recipe so you can make this incredible Applebee’s Dip anytime you crave it right from the comfort of your own home.

This post contains affiliate links. That means I will earn a commission if you purchase a product (at no additional cost to you) through certain links on this page. These commissions help keep my kitchen lights on.

There are two snacks I love to munch on when watching football: Nachos and salsa and any type of Spinach Artichoke Dip. It’s probably no surprise that I decided to make this right before this year’s Super Bowl.

I’ve already shared my Super Bowl Nachos Supreme recipe and this year I really wanted to make a savory dip for my friends who don’t love nachos and spice as much as I do. (Can you believe such people exist?)

What Makes Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip So Unique?

I absolutely love the spinach and artichoke dip that my wife and I get at Applebee’s and have wanted to try making it for years. I tried once before and it didn’t come out quite the way I wanted.

I’ve tried some of the other recipes online, which were all good, but I felt there was something missing. There is a distinct flavor to the dip we get at Applebee’s that I wanted to copy.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it – it was subtle but nothing tasted exactly like it did at the restaurant, until I tried one small variation.

Tired of shopping for ingredients? Get everything you need for making healthy meals delivered directly to your door from EveryPlate!

So, if you want to make your own awesome dip at home that tastes just like the Applebee’s version, keep reading for my Copycat Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe.

This time I think I nailed the ‘missing’ ingredient!

Ingredients for Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip (Copycat Recipe)

This is a relatively simple recipe that utilizes very few ingredients

4 8 oz jars of Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce

1 Half-stick of Cream Cheese (prepared at room temperature)

1 Can of Large Artichoke Hearts in Water (this can will have between 5 – 7 full artichoke hearts). You can see from the ingredients picture above that I used six artichoke hearts for this recipe.

2 Cups of Fresh Spinach Leaves

2 Cups of Shredded 4-Cheese Pizza Blend containing Whole-Milk, Low Moisture Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano and Smoked Provolone (NOTE: If you can’t find the 4-Cheese Blend shown below, you can just use 1/4 cup of each of the aforementioned cheeses)

Important Notes About These Ingredients

Let me say a few things about these ingredients because I highly recommend that you follow my recipe exactly if you want to make a Spinach Artichoke Dip that tastes like a carbon-copy the Applebee’s version.

First off, please make sure to buy the Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce. This is the first key in duplicating the Applebee’s recipe exactly.

I have tried making this with regular Alfredo Sauce and it just doesn’t taste the same.

Next, please buy artichokes canned in water (not olive oil). This is VERY IMPORTANT.

As a matter of fact, I am convinced that these are the exact canned artichoke hearts used by Applebee’s.

Why Can’t I Just Use Fresh Artichokes In This Recipe?

That’s a good question and the first time I made this Spinach Artichoke Dip, I tried slicing my own artichokes. Here are a few reasons why this may NOT be the best approach if you are trying to copy the Applebee’s recipe exactly:

First off, Applebee’s is a chain restaurant that is preparing large quantities of food on a daily basis. They are certainly not peeling and cleaning their own artichokes!

Second, the yield from each individual artichoke (i.e. how much edible ‘heart’ you can extract varies greatly from one artichoke to the next) so you never know how many artichokes to buy.

Third, peeling and preparing your own artichokes will add significant Prep Time to this recipe and here at SeasonalCookbook.com, I am all about providing you with the most efficient ways to prepare the recipes I share.

Finally, it is also not easy to slice your own artichoke. If this is something you would like to try, please be careful and read these instructions on cleaning and peeling an artichoke before attempting!

So, What Exactly Is The Secret Ingredient To Making This Copycat Recipe?

Here it is…

It is using a specific 4-Cheese Blend of shredded cheeses that contains the following cheeses:

• Whole Milk Low-Moisture Mozzarella
• Parmesan
• Romano
• Provolone with Natural Smoke Flavor

It is the Shredded Provolone with the smokey flavor that I was missing the last time I made this recipe.

Want healthy, easy-to-prepare meals for every night of the week? Try EveryPlate – America’s Lowest Priced Meal Delivery Kit Service!

I could not find a ‘Shredded Smoked Provolone’ anywhere in the grocery stores near me, but I was able to find this Bowl & Basket 4 Cheese Pizza Shredded Cheese Blend that you see in the image below at a store near me.

I highly recommend that you use it if you are trying to copy my Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe exactly.

If you cannot find that recommended 4 Cheese Shredded Cheese Blend near you, simply buy it online.

As an alternative, you can use 1/2 cup of each of the following cheeses mentioned above: Whole Milk Low Moisture Mozzarella, Smoked Provolone, Parmesan and Romano.

Recipe Equipment Needed

1 Large Sauce/Saute Pan

1 Sharp Chef’s Knife

1 Small Casserole Dish (Bowl)

1 Spatula for mixing (not in pic above, but I found it handy when mixing the dip ingredients all together)

Some Simple Preparation Makes This Recipe Go Much Smoother

Chop your canned artichoke hearts and place on a plate

Those look so good!

Next, cut your 1/2 stick of Cream Cheese into small cubes and let sit until they reach room temperature. Cutting the cream cheese into smaller cubes helps it melt into the Garlic Alfredo sauce and allowing the cream cheese to reach room temperature, prevents it from clumping when cooked.

Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe Instructions

I will go into more detail down below in the Recipe Card section, but this is such an easy Dip to prepare I wanted to just give you the overview (including large images) so you can get starting making this ASAP!

Start by pouring 4 8 oz jars of Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce into your Sauce Pan over medium heat and let warm for 3-4 minutes

Next, add in your Cubes of Cream Cheese…

Mix well over Medium to High Heat to get the Cream Cheese to melt into the Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce (you will notice the sauce thicken).

As the cubed cream cheese melts into the Alfredo sauce it should look like this…

If you see a few unmelted clumps like in the picture above, just take a fork and whisk the clump until it breaks up and melts into the sauce.

Next, sprinkle 2 cups of your Shredded Four Cheese Blend on top (or 1/2 cup of the four separate cheeses mentioned above)

Stir the mixture with a large spoon or spatula to help the shredded cheese melt into the Garlic Alfredo Sauce

Tired of shopping for ingredients? Get everything you need for making healthy meals delivered directly to your door from EveryPlate!

Drop in your chopped artichoke hearts and begin mixing the artichokes hearts evenly (you can use a spoon or spatula)

Chop fresh spinach leaves and sprinkle on top.

The colors are so beautiful!

Continue to mix the artichokes and spinach into the Garlic Alfredo Sauce/Cheese mixture over medium heat until it looks like this…

Continue mixing over medium heat until the spinach and artichokes are thoroughly distributed and the dip is warm and thickened.

Slowly pour the dip from large sauce pan into a small casserole dish and garnish with crustini.

What To Serve With Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip

Certainly some warmed Italian bread (crustini) as shown in the photo above makes a great side for dipping.

Some thick tortilla chips like these are also incredible and can be used with this recipe or to eat with a nice salsa. (NOTE: If some of your friends prefer a milder salsa and some prefer spicy, try my 9 easy ways to make mild salsa spicy).

How Many Calories Are In This Applebee’s Spinach Artichoke Dip Copycat Recipe?

This recipe contains about 380 calories (or 380 kcal) per serving. You may see this number higher in other recipes or on the Applebee’s menu, but that is because those recipes also include the chips and, possibly, other sides.

Tired of shopping for ingredients? Get everything you need for making healthy meals delivered directly to your door from EveryPlate!

Is There a Low-Fat Version Of This Recipe?

There are a few things you can adjust to create a lower-fat dip, but these modifications may cause the recipe no no longer taste like an exact copycat of the Applebee’s dip.

You can use low-fat cream cheese in place of the regular cream cheese I used.

You can even use a lower-fat Alfredo sauce like this one if you want to cut down on the fat content in this recipe.

Have You Tried This Recipe?

Please let me know if you tried my copycat recipe for this amazingly delicious Spinach and Artichoke Dip that tastes just like the Applebee’s version.

Did I nail it? Do you have any suggestions as to what I could have done better? Please let me know in the comments below!