This creamy, garlicky, copycat spinach dip recipe tastes just like the Parmesan Crusted Spinach dip from Longhorn! It’s cheesy, flavorful, and freezer-friendly!
We love to recreate restaurant favorites at home for a fraction of the price! Try these delicious copycat appetizers that will impress any crowd, like our Shrimp Fritto Misto (it actually reminds me of the Wild West Shrimp Appetizer from Longhorn, too) and this creamy Uno’s Shrimp Dip, to name a few.
Longhorn Spinach Dip Recipe
The longhorn spinach dip is much more flavorful and has a stronger garlic flavor than a spinach artichoke dip (for instance, Applebee’s).
Our family went out to eat at the Longhorn Steakhouse this past week, and I intentionally brought some of the leftovers home to recreate them at home. The Longhorn Parmesan crusted spinach dip reminded me of an Alfredo sauce rich in garlic flavour and packed with spinach leaves.
The parmesan crust added great texture and flavour to the super creamy dip.
When recreating the recipe, I used my Spinach Dip Recipe as the base to recreate Longhorn’s spinach dip.
I wanted to infuse more of that garlicky flavour that I tasted in theirs, and use sharper cheeses for more flavor. Trust me, this copycat Longhorn spinach dip is identical, if not better (according to my family, the homemade version tasted even better to them)!
My first attempt at the dip was with fresh spinach. However, I’ve made it with frozen spinach too, and it works either way.
Mise en Place
Ingredients:
- A large, deep skillet
- Small baking dish
- rubber heat-resistant spatula
Longhorn Spinach Dip Ingredients:
The key to a creamy, Gooey Spinach Artichoke Dip is to use cream cheese and block cheeses. Many pre-grated cheeses contain cellulose, an anti-caking ingredient.
- Spinach- fresh or frozen spinach can be used. Just make sure you throughly squeeze out the liquid from frozen and thawed spinach before using. If using fresh spinach wilt the chopped leaves on a skillet to down size it.
- Garlic- adds lots of good flavour, I use fresh garlic cloves and dried garlic powder to bring out the dip flavour.
- Olive Oil- is used to sweat the fresh garlic and bring out the flavors.
- Cream cheese is what makes this dip super creamy.
- Heavy cream thins out the dip as the cheeses tend to make it thick.
- Grated Sharp Cheeses- I used 3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese (Kraft) and white cheddar that I grate on a box grater. You can grate your own parmesan cheese for more flavour. To make a four cheese spinach dip use 3/4 cup of parmesan and Romano cheese, 3/4 cup of grated white cheddar and 1/4 cup of grated provolone.
- Seasonings- salt, peppers, and garlic powder make this spinach dip so flavorful.
- Parmesan crust is a flavorful, crispy crust made of Panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
How To Make Longhorn Spinach Dip:
Making a spinach dip like Longhorn is not complicated and is very easy to make at home.
- Chop the fresh spinach or squeeze out frozen and thawed spinach in a colander to remove excess liquid.
- Heat a deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and sweat the fresh garlic until fragrant.
- Add the spinach and heat until softened and thoroughly heated (about 1 minute). Stir in the cream cheese and melt it.
- Add the remaining dip ingredients and stir until heated through and bubbly.
- Transfer dip to a small baking dish.
- Make the parmesan crust by combining the Panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Sprinkle it over the top of the dip and broil in the middle of the oven for about 4 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp.
- Serve with crispy bread like Crostini, pita chips, or deep-fried pita bread cut into triangles (like Longhorn).
Pro Chef Tip
Pro Tip: Restaurants use Salamander ovens, which heat to high temperatures and are used for toasting and keeping dishes warm. I find that broiling the dip in the middle rack of the oven is the best way to heat it evenly.
How To Make Crispy Flatbread Chips from Pita Bread:
Cut up Pita bread or naan bread into wedges. Deep fry the pita bread in 350-375°F oil (175-190°C) for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crisp. This is exactly how Longhorn serves their Spinach dip, with pita bread chips.
How To Keep Spinach Dip Warm for a Crowd?
This spinach dip recipe can stay warm in the crock pot until you’re ready to serve it! Follow the instructions on the recipe card and then transfer to a slow cooker instead of a baking dish. Set it to low for 2-4 hours. To make the Parmesan crust, simply spread the mixture over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast the mixture and slide it right into the slow cooker as a topping. Honestly, this dip is so good without the crust, too!
Can You Freeze Spinach Dip?
Yes! This creamy spinach dip freezes well. You’ll want to make the dip in a skillet as directed in the recipe card and cool. Once cooled, transfer the dip into a quart-sized freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.
To reheat: Thaw dip overnight in the fridge and transfer to a baking dish. Top with the parmesan crust and broil as instructed. Leftover dip freezes just as well, so if you find yourself with too much dip, pack it up and freeze it with the parmesan crust too; it stirs into the dip just fine.
Ways To Serve Longhorn Spinach Dip:
This Longhorn spinach dip recipe is so delicious and can be used in many ways!
- Stuff leftovers into pasta shells or butterflied chicken breasts!
- Make lasagna with this garlicky spinach dip!
- Spread it over pizza crust for a white sauce pizza with tomatoes (yum)!
- Stuff it in omelettes or add it to frittatas.
Longhorn Spinach Dip Recipe
Equipment
- 1 deep skillet
- 1 small baking dish
Ingredients
Ingredients for Spinach Dip:
- 6 oz spinach (or 6-oz of frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and liquid squeezed out)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic (1 tablespoon, minced)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (I used Kraft)
- 3/4 cup white cheddar cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Parmesan Crust:
- 2 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese (I used pre-shredded cheese in a 5-oz bag)
- 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
Directions:
Chop spinach, or if using frozen, thaw and squeeze out any excess liquid.- Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When heated, add the minced garlic and sweat for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Stir in the spinach and heat thoroughly (about 1 minute). Add the cream cheese and melt it.
- Once the cream cheese is mushy and melted, add the remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine and heat thoroughly (heavy cream, parmesan, white cheddar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder).
- Transfer the spinach mixture into a baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix together the parmesan crust ingredients (Panko, parmesan cheese, and melted butter). Sprinkle evenly over the spinach mixture.
- Broil the dip on the middle rack of the oven until bubbly and the crust is golden brown (4 minutes on high).
- Serve with pita chips.
Notes
- Recipe Yield: This spinach dip makes about 2 1/2 cups of filling.
- Serving size: 1 serving is about 1/3 cup of spinach dip.
- To make a four-cheese spinach dip: use 3/4 cup of Parmesan and Romano cheese, 3/4 cup of shredded white cheddar, and 1/4 cup of grated provolone. I usually have Parmesan and cheddar on hand.
- This spinach dip works well with fresh or frozen spinach.
- To freeze spinach dip, cool it and transfer it to a quart-sized freezer bag. Keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat as instructed in step 7.
- Longhorn spinach dip is served with crispy flatbread chips, using pita bread.
- To make crispy flatbread chips using pita bread: Cut up Pita bread or naan bread into wedges. Deep fry the pita bread in 350-375°F oil (175-190°C) for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crisp. This is exactly how Longhorn serves their Spinach dip, with pita bread chips.
- Use any crisp bread or chips that you have on hand for dipping, like crostini, pita chips, or crackers.
