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Skinny Hot Spinach Dip Recipe

November 2, 2016 by Jeanette 32 Comments

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Skinny Hot Spinach Dip - this healthy dip is high in protein and great for an after-school snack or party

This Skinny Hot Spinach Dip is a deliciously light dip that is packed with nutrition and protein. Great for an after-school snack, Game Day, or parties.

Skinny Hot Spinach Dip - this healthy dip is high in protein and great for an after-school snack or party

I came up with this Skinny Hot Spinach Dip recipe four years ago as a healthy after-school snack for my youngest son.  I still remember him telling me it was the best dip ever!

Cottage Cheese – The Secret Skinny Ingredient

This skinny hot spinach dip contains a secret ingredient that can make your creamy dips healthier while packing a punch of protein. Low-fat cottage cheese stands in for the typical cream cheese and mayonnaise that you often find in spinach dip recipes. The trick is to puree the cottage cheese. Pureed cottage cheese is thick and creamy like cream cheese. I’ve used pureed cottage cheese to make Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits too.

Here’s what I found out when I compared the nutrition labels for 1% Cottage Cheese and regular Cream Cheese.  One cup of Regular Cream Cheese has 800 calories, 72 grams of fat  and 16 grams of protein. Light Cream Cheese has 420 calories, 31 grams of fat and 21 grams of protein. And one cup of 1% Cottage Cheese has 163 calories, 2.3 grams of fat and 28 grams of protein.

Skinny Hot Spinach Dip - this healthy dip is high in protein and great for an after-school snack or party

Every day after school, I try to make my son a hearty healthy snack because he is starving when he gets home. If we have leftover Cincinnati chili, I might make Cincinnati chili refried bean dip. My son also loves loaded turkey taco nachos and 9 layer Mexican dip.

Skinny Hot Spinach Dip - this healthy dip is high in protein and great for an after-school snack or party

I usually try to sneak in some vegetables during snack time, so this Skinny Hot Spinach Dip is a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies. Although this recipe is enough for 2-3 adults, my son ate the entire bowl by himself. That is an entire box of frozen spinach!

Health Benefits of Spinach

Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K, and folic acid, and a very good source of manganese, potassium, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2.

Spinach contains twice as much iron as most other green vegetables, and is also one of the most alkaline-producing foods, which helps regulate body pH (pH 5.50-6.80). *

Spinach contains a high amount of oxalate, so individuals on a low-oxalate diet (e.g., individuals with a history of kidney stones) should avoid eating too much spinach.

Skinny Hot Spinach Dip - this healthy dip is high in protein and great for an after-school snack or party

Give this Skinny Hot Spinach Dip recipe a try next time you’re hungry and need something filling but healthy to munch on. My original recipe used Parmesan cheese, but I have also used pepper jack cheese for some heat.

Here’s the original photo of this recipe from four years ago.

Skinny Hot Spinach Dip

If you want to try more healthy dip recipes using cottage cheese, check out my

Skinny Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Skinny Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip © Jeanette's Healthy Living

and Light Jalapeno Popper Dip.

Light Jalapeno Popper Dip - this lightened up version of a favorite dip is perfect for Game Day!

Philly Cheesesteak Dip

Skinny Hot Philly Cheesesteak Dip © Jeanette's Healthy Living

Skinny Hot Spinach Dip
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Skinny Hot Spinach Dip

This was so good and very easy to make. It's a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables at snack time without them even thinking about it. Serve with tortilla chips, carrot sticks and celery sticks. Double or triple the recipe for a party.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 -3
Calories 216 kcal
Author Jeanette

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 1% low fat cottage cheese
  • 10 ounce box frozen chopped spinach thawed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion minced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 -1 jalapeno pepper seeded, minced
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 roasted red pepper chopped, optional
  • paprika for garnish

Instructions

  1. Place cottage cheese in a food processor and process until smooth.
  2. Squeeze excess water from defrosted spinach; reserve.
  3. Heat oil in a skillet. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper, and saute until onions are soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add nutmeg, spinach, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until warmed through. Turn off heat and add pureed cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and roasted red pepper. Stir until warmed through.
  4. Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with a little paprika, if desired.

Recipe Notes

For a spicier dip, use shredded pepper jack cheese.

Nutrition Facts
Skinny Hot Spinach Dip
Amount Per Serving
Calories 216 Calories from Fat 104
% Daily Value*
Fat 11.6g18%
Cholesterol 21.8mg7%
Sodium 568mg25%
Carbohydrates 12.4g4%
Sugar 5.7g6%
Protein 18g36%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.


This recipe is part of Food Network’s Fall Fest event featuring spinach. Be sure to check out the following recipes from all my friends participating in this event.

Feed Me Phoebe: October Evening Lentil Soup With Spinach
And Love It Too: Grain-Free Spinach Pie
Cooking With Elise: Baby Spinach Salad With Cranberries, Spiced Pecans and a Maple Vinaigrette
Virtually Homemade: Three Onion Dip With Spinach
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Spinach
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Whole-Wheat Pasta With Spicy Spinach and Peanut Butter Pesto
Thursday Night Dinner: Spinach Ice Cream
Cooking Channel: Fresh Spinach in Indian Recipes
Daily*Dishin: Spinach-Sausage Saute With Pan-Fried Gnocchi
Delicious Lean: Spinach Leaf Roll Ups
Bacon and Souffle: Baby Spinach Pizza With Sopressata and Sriracha
FN Dish: Stuff It With Spinach

* Source: The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, Michael Murray

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Filed Under: appetizers, dips and sauces, gluten-free, green leafy vegetables, healthy choices, Holiday Appetizers, vegetarian Tagged With: cottage cheese in dip, cream cheese substitute, Food Network Fall Fest, healthier football snacks, healthy dip, healthy spinach dip, hot spinach dip, skinny spinach dip

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Comments

  1. Elise Johnson says

    October 3, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    Jeanette, this looks fabulous! Appreciated all of the stats, too and THAT TIP about putting the cottage cheese in the blender — fabulous!

    Reply
  2. Nancy/SpicieFoodie says

    October 3, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    Hi Jeanette,
    This looks scrumptious! I love spinach but it’s a challenge, for me, coming up with new recipes for it. I can’t wait to try this. Love that it’s a healthier dip. Your red pot is too cute:)

    Reply
  3. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

    October 3, 2012 at 2:15 pm

    Definitely a keeper. I love spinach, but usually in salads or stir-fries.

    Reply
  4. Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says

    October 3, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    What a great tip Jeanette – I didn’t know that either about cottage cheese so don’t worry – you weren’t alone in the dark!

    Reply
  5. Kalyn says

    October 3, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    I have used the food processor to make cottage cheese into a creamy mixture like that, but hadn’t done the numbers. Impressive difference!

    Reply
  6. Matt 'mmwine' Horbund says

    October 3, 2012 at 9:18 pm

    That looks awesome! And the fact that it’s a bit healthier than normal is exciting! Cheers!

    Reply
  7. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

    October 3, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    I love spinach dips and this looks so good!

    Reply
  8. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

    October 4, 2012 at 12:10 am

    This looks amazingly delicious. We love spinach dip!

    Reply
  9. Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry says

    October 4, 2012 at 2:14 am

    I love spinach dip and this looks super tasty and healthy!

    Reply
  10. Joanne says

    October 4, 2012 at 8:22 am

    My boyfriend keeps trying to BEG me to make him football food…and now I feel like I can finally indulge him by making this dip!

    Reply
  11. Jeanette says

    October 4, 2012 at 8:35 am

    This is definitely a favorite around here – and it qualifies for football food, even better! Have to buy more spinach just so I can make this. My son asked for it last night, but alas, I had run out of spinach.

    Reply
  12. Dixya @ Food, Pleasure and Health says

    October 4, 2012 at 9:59 am

    such a great idea to use the cottage cheese. this is a great dip for the sporting events or appetizer:)

    Reply
  13. Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies says

    October 4, 2012 at 10:02 am

    I hate cottage cheese too–the only way I will eat it is when it’s pureed! 😀 It makes a good filling for stuffed shells too. This is such a great game day recipe!

    Reply
  14. Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says

    October 4, 2012 at 10:46 am

    looks like a great football recipes to me!

    Reply
  15. Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says

    October 5, 2012 at 9:32 am

    Oh my goodness, doe that ever sound GOOD!

    Reply
  16. France @ Beyond The Peel says

    October 5, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    Well darling you are not alone. I had never thought of blending it until creamy, but it’s brilliant. I’ll be trying that trick out and this yummy skinny dip too.

    Reply
  17. Lisa | With Style and Grace says

    October 5, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    I always love a good skinny dip! 😉

    Reply
  18. Jeanette says

    October 5, 2012 at 11:50 pm

    I’m so excited to discover that cottage cheese can be used as a substitute for cream cheese – great for other skinny recipes. I just made this spinach dip again today – love that my kids are getting a healthy snack that includes some veggies ;).

    Reply
  19. EA-The Spicy RD says

    October 7, 2012 at 11:24 am

    Love this dip, but then again I love, love, love cottage cheese too! I haven’t convinced my kids to love spinach yet, but I’d happily snack on this yummy dip!

    Reply
  20. Jane Bonacci - The Heritage Cook says

    October 8, 2012 at 11:29 am

    Fantastic analysis Jeanette. My husband hates cream cheese and this may be the solution I’ve been looking for! Can you use it in sweet desserts as well as savory dishes? Fantastic choice for the Fall Fest!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      October 8, 2012 at 1:46 pm

      Thanks Jane – yes, cottage cheese puree is a great substitute for cream cheese in sweets too. The person who taught me this trick actually made a strawberry cheesecake parfait with pureed cottage cheese that was sweetened. She used lots of vanilla to add extra flavor.

      Reply
  21. Laureen @FoxKitchen says

    October 10, 2012 at 2:16 am

    A healthy Spinach Dip? You can count me in!

    Pinned and shared 🙂

    Reply
  22. Sasha says

    December 23, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    My mom just made this dip. Followed all the steps to your recipe. It was yummy!!!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      December 26, 2012 at 11:31 pm

      Sasha – so glad your mom enjoyed this dip! We make this almost once a week and my kids love it. I appreciate your feedback as I’m always interested to hear back from readers who try my recipes to see if they enjoy them as much as my family.

      Reply
  23. TraceyD says

    December 25, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    This was delicious! Even my mom liked it who is not a big fan of spinach dip. It was devoured at our Christmas Eve bash. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      December 26, 2012 at 11:30 pm

      Tracey- thanks so much for trying my recipe and letting me know how it turned out. This is a favorite of ours and I just made another version for our Christmas Eve Open House – Skinny Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip with Fontina Cheese. So glad it worked out for you all!

      Reply
  24. Johanna says

    January 8, 2013 at 10:47 pm

    hi, Thank you so much for the recipe! Btw, does it have to be frozen spinach? Is fresh baby spinach okay?

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      January 9, 2013 at 7:30 pm

      Johanna – I use frozen spinach for ease. You could certainly use fresh spinach, but I would blanch it as it will shrink considerably. You’ll want to use roughly the same weight as the amount I use in this recipe.

      Reply
  25. Adrienne says

    June 22, 2013 at 7:46 am

    I made this for my book club last night and it was a hit. It was so easy to make too. I’ll definitely be making it again.

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      June 27, 2013 at 8:41 pm

      Adrienne, so glad you liked this recipe. My friends have made it numerous times and loved it.

      Reply
  26. Marry says

    November 19, 2013 at 8:50 pm

    Hi Jeanette-Do you think I could make this dip a day before serving it and reheat it? I am swamped with Thanksgiving preparations.

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      November 19, 2013 at 10:18 pm

      Hi Marry, I think it should reheat fine. Just make sure you cook the liquid out of the spinach completely.

      Reply

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