Classic Knorr Spinach Dip

Of all the dishes I carry into a football party, this cold spinach dip is the one I’m scraping the bottom of before halftime. My take on the classic Knorr spinach dip keeps the creamy, savory flavor everybody already knows, with a few habits I’ve picked up over the years: I squeeze the spinach until it’s nearly bone dry, chop the water chestnuts small so every chip gets a little crunch, and make it the night before so the flavors have time to settle in. It stirs up in one bowl in about 15 minutes and makes about 4 cups.

Creamy spinach dip in a blue bowl with celery and crackers

A Quick Look At The Recipe

  • Recipe Name: Spinach Dip
  • Main Ingredients: frozen chopped spinach, sour cream, Mayonnaise, Knorr Vegetable recipe mix, water chestnuts, green onions
  • Why You'll Love It: Spinach Dip is creamy, cool, and loaded with flavor thanks to spinach, sour cream, mayo, and Knorr mix. Perfect with chips, veggies, or served in a bread bowl, it’s a party favorite that’s quick to make and always disappears fast.

Serve it in a bowl surrounded by crackers and crunchy vegetables, or spoon it into a bread bowl when you want it to look like you went to a little more trouble than you did. If you’re after a warm, bubbly dip instead, my creamy, cheesy spinach artichoke dip is the one to make.

The Secret Is Dry Spinach

The one step that makes or breaks this dip is getting the water out of the spinach. Frozen spinach holds a surprising amount of liquid, and if it stays in, the dip turns thin and watery as it sits in the fridge. Thaw it completely, then press it in a fine-mesh strainer or squeeze it with your hands until hardly any more liquid comes out. It’s amazing how many kitchen tools you can do without when you just get in there with your hands. It’s the same reason I drain any salsa before layering it into my Tex Mex dip.

Ingredients for Spinach Dip

Ingredients for spinach dip: frozen chopped spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, green onions, Knorr vegetable recipe mix, and optional water chestnuts
  • Frozen chopped spinach: I thaw mine overnight in a zip-top bag in the fridge, then squeeze out every bit of liquid I can.
  • Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix: Making spinach dip with Knorr vegetable mix is what gives it that familiar savory flavor, and the packet adds little bits of dried vegetables throughout. It’s usually shelved with the dry soup mixes.
  • Sour cream and mayonnaise: Regular sour cream and mayonnaise keep the dip thick and creamy.
  • Water chestnuts: These are optional, but they add a nice little crunch. If you’re not a fan, slivered almonds give you that same crunch.

You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.

Helpful Tips Before You Start

  • Move the spinach from the freezer to the fridge the night before so it’s fully thawed when you’re ready to mix.
  • Snip the green onions right over the bowl with kitchen shears. It’s quicker than chopping and saves you a cutting board.
  • Chop the water chestnuts small so every chip gets a little crunch without a big chunk.
  • Give the dip at least 2 hours in the fridge before serving. Overnight is even better, and it leaves you time to roll up a batch of bacon wrapped dates stuffed with cheese.

How to Make Spinach Dip With Knorr Vegetable Mix

Frozen chopped spinach thawing in a zip-top bag

1Thaw and Squeeze the Spinach

Let the spinach thaw completely, then press out as much liquid as you can using a fine-mesh strainer or your hands. When it’s ready, it should look crumbly and feel nearly dry.

Pressing the liquid out of thawed spinach in a fine-mesh strainer
Thawed spinach squeezed dry in a white bowl
Spinach, green onions, sour cream, mayonnaise, and vegetable mix in a blue mixing bowl

2Stir Everything Together

Add the spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, vegetable recipe mix, green onions, and water chestnuts to a large bowl and stir until everything is evenly mixed.

Spinach dip stirred together in a blue mixing bowl
Spinach dip in a bowl surrounded by crackers, carrots, celery, and chips

3Chill and Serve

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dip for at least 2 hours so the flavors can blend. Give it a quick stir and serve it with your favorite dippers.

Serving Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl

For a bread bowl, slice the top off a round loaf, pull out some of the soft bread inside, and spoon in the dip right before serving. Cut the bread you pulled out into cubes and set them alongside for dipping.

Spinach dip served in a round bread bowl
Overhead view of spinach dip in a bread bowl with crackers and vegetables

Crackers, tortilla chips, carrot sticks, and celery all work great here. For a full party spread, set it out next to Rotel cream cheese sausage balls, a bowl of spicy pimento cheese, and a tray of homemade cheese wafers.

Dipping a carrot stick into spinach dip in a bread bowl

More Party Dips and Appetizers

Spinach Dip FAQs

Is this spinach dip served cold?

Yes, this one is meant to be served cold, straight from the fridge. That’s part of what makes it so handy for parties, since it can wait in the fridge until your guests walk in the door.

Can I make spinach dip the day before?

Yes, and I think it’s even better that way. An overnight rest in the fridge gives the seasoning time to soften and blend into the sour cream, so the flavor tastes fuller the next day. It also leaves your oven free on party day for warm appetizers like stuffed pizza sticks.

Why did my spinach dip turn watery?

Almost every time, it’s because the spinach still had too much liquid in it. Squeeze it until it’s nearly dry before mixing, and the dip will stay thick in the fridge.

Can I leave out the water chestnuts?

Absolutely. The dip is just as good without them. For a little crunch without water chestnuts, stir in slivered almonds instead.

Spinach dip in a bread bowl with celery, carrots, and a cracker

Southern Plate Recipe

Classic Knorr Spinach Dip

This classic Knorr spinach dip stirs together frozen spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, green onions, and Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix in about 15 minutes. Chill it for at least 2 hours, then serve it with crackers, chips, vegetables, or in a bread bowl.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 16 servings (about 4 cups)

Ingredients 

  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry
  • 16 ounces sour cream
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 (1.4-ounce) package Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix
  • 8 ounces water chestnuts drained and chopped, optional (or slivered almonds)
  • 3 green onions chopped

Instructions

  • Thaw the spinach completely, then press out as much liquid as you can using a fine-mesh strainer or your hands until it is nearly dry.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, vegetable recipe mix, water chestnuts, and green onions until evenly combined.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, to let the flavors blend. Stir before serving with crackers, chips, or fresh vegetables.

Notes

Yield: Makes about 4 cups of dip.
Storage: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving.
Bread bowl: Spoon the dip into a hollowed-out round loaf right before serving so the bread stays firm.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cold spinach dip, knorr spinach dip, make ahead appetizer, party dip, spinach dip
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

67 Comments

  1. The dip looks yummy! As for your brother’s restraunt, it is right down from my house. He has some wonderful bar-b-que. My kids loved the sign and start laughing on the way to and from school every morning. They keep wanting to know we can go get some possum.

    As as a note, his advertising for you is how I found your site, so it is working!

    Thanks!
    Tanya

  2. Christy, I’ve lived in Alabama all my life (55 years) and I have absolutely no interest in football…so, you’re certainly not alone!! Oh, I get the look of total horror when I say that I’m neither an Alabama nor Auburn fan…nor football in general!!! I live in a “mixed” family…my brother (who lives in Tallahassee nowadays) is a HUGE Alabama fan and my daughter is a rabid Auburn fan, so much so that one of the very first thing she taught each of her daughters to say when they first started talking was “War Eagle!”…although, much to her horror, her older daughter (just turned 12), has defected to Alabama!!! So, my job in our family is to play the role of Switzerland…I have to remain neutral, in order to provide counseling on any given Saturday!!

    Oh, and here’s a shocker…my husband, of 28 years, isn’t a football fan either!! Truly a match made in heaven!!

    Anyway…I LOVE your site and all the awesomely delicious recipes I find. Oh, and my daughter loves this Spinach Dip SO much, she’s been known to kinda hide it so it doesn’t all get eaten up!!

    Keep up the great work!!
    Judy

  3. Try adding fine shredded white cheese in this dip. It is my sister in laws favorite! We eat it at all events.

    Gotta run I smell the bread burning! 🙂

  4. Don’t feel too bad Christy … my best friend lives and works in Alabama, but she’s a HUGE LSU fan! Can you imagine what she goes through at work???

    I love Atlanta too. I have a strong feelin’ that you and I could do some major credit card damage in Atlanta!! 🙂

  5. This was my mommy’s favorite recipe to make at all of our big family gatherings. I have probably had it 100 times and it’s still one of my favorite things to eat. Served in a bread bowl and a sliced french baguette along side. Yum-O!!!

    Thanks for bringing back such great memories, Christy!

    Btw….”Foozball is da deb-il” quoted from “The Waterboy” I dislkie and know nothing about football either. LoL

  6. Hate football and water chestnut! WEll that looks good. I use that soup mix for a yummy shrimp and crab dip I make!! I agree it is best if you make it the night before.

  7. Hi, just wanted to put my two cents worth in, I don’t like football either and neither does by husband………so we don’t watch it on TV at all. I am going to try the spinach dip, really looks yummy…I would like to try it in a bread bowl……also will get us some crackers too. Hope everyone has a great day…..

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