This Savory Spinach Artichoke Cheesecake is a fun and delicious party appetizer! Includes Oven + Instant Pot Instructions.
There’s a local restaurant here in Florida that makes the most amazing savory cheesecake appetizer. Holy cow this stuff is legendary!
Because I’m often serving a small crowd of family and friends, I needed a way to make it at home without having 5 million slices of cheesecake leftover.
Long live the mini springform pan!
At 4 and 1/2 inches this adorable little cheesecake pan makes the perfect serving of savory spread and gets some major bonus points for presentation! You can bake it in the oven or whip it up in your trusty pressure cooker but whatever you do, get this cheesecake in your face stat!
Savory Spinach Artichoke Cheesecake
Savory Spinach Artichoke Cheesecake
Ingredients
- ½ cup frozen spinach (thawed + squeezed dry)
- ½ cup cream cheese (not fat-free)
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup jarred artichoke hearts
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 large egg
- 2 TBSP chopped green onion
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
OPTIONAL CRACKER CRUST:
- ¼ cup of crushed whole grain ritz-style crackers
- 1-2 TBSP melted butter
TOOLS NEEDED
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Fill a baking/casserole dish with water and place it in the bottom rack of your oven. Place the second rack in the center.
- Measure out your ingredients, then walk away. This recipe works best when at room temperature. Be sure to fully drain and strain both your spinach and your artichokes. This will prevent the soggification of your masterpiece.
- Prep your springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and lightly greasing the sides with butter.
- Combine cream cheese, ricotta, and feta in your food processor.
- Pulse just a few times to mix gently.
- Next add your egg, spinach, artichoke, garlic, salt and garlic powder and gently pulse enough to incorporate.
- Lastly, add the chopped green onion and fold into the mixture.
- If you're making a crust add that to the springform pan first. Finely crush crackers and combine with melted butter. Spread evenly onto the parchment paper at the bottom of your spring-form pan and top with your cheesecake filling.
- Skipping the crust? Simply pour your cheescake into the springform pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes.
- When finished, the cheesecake will be golden around the edges and wiggle a little when the pan is gently nudged.
- Turn off the oven but leave the cheesecake inside to cool down slowly to prevent cracking.
- After an hour has passed, remove from the oven.
- Place the springform pan on a plate, cover with a paper towel then wrap in foil. Pop it in the fridge to set for a minimum 3 hours to set the shape. Alternatively you can make it the night before and let it chill while you sleep. A few friends have mentioned they serve theirs warm straight from the oven and haven't had issues with it losing shape, so totally feel free to dive in right away!
- It can be stored in the fridge up to 2 days in advance, making this a perfect make-ahead appetizer!
- Ready to dig in? Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top and pop the cheesecake back in the oven for 15-30 minutes and serve hot alongside toasted crostini, croissants, tortilla chips, or your favorite buttery crackers. Broccoli, celery, and carrot sticks should also be present for good measure. (I'm certain there's a law stating so!) Garnish with crumbled feta or shaved parmesan cheese if you're feeling fancy.
Notes
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS:
Make as directed above, cover it with a paper towel then foil, and cooked it on the trivet with 1.5 cups water for 35 mins high pressure with 19 mins NPR. Using a 7-inch springform instead of the 4 inch mini? Double the mini recipe from the recipe card above and you’re good to go! Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!Nutrition
FOR A LARGE CHEESECAKE
For a 9-inch springform pan and a sassy savory spinach artichoke cheesecake that’s fit for an extra-large party or potluck, try the measurements below and bake for in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 90 minutes or until cheesecake has set and jiggles just slightly in the center. Turn off the oven, crack the door open an inch or so, and allow to cool slowly in the oven for an hour. Since the 9 inch is so large, I set a long baking dish filled with water on the rack below it to steam the cheesecake and prevent cracking.
WARNING: this makes a boatload of cheesecake and is probably enough to feed an entire neighborhood.
- 1 + a half (8-9 ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed + squeezed dry
- 2 cups cream cheese (16 ounces)
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 + 1/4 cups feta cheese
- 1 cup of jarred artichoke hearts (marinated in oil or packed in water)
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp of salt
9-inch ritz cracker crust (optional)
- 6 oz ritz crackers (32 crackers)
- 1/4 cup melted butter, extra if desired
Follow recipe instructions from the recipe card above and use either an extra large food processor or a stand mixer. I use a processor for the mini and my kitchenmaid mixer for the large cheesecake.
Instant Pot Instructions
Thanks to fellow IP addict Gail, I now know this bad boy can be made in the pressure cooker too! Um… amazing! I’ll be trying this next week for sure with my handy dandy Instant Pot! Here are Gail’s super helpful instructions to convert the recipe from oven to IP:
Make as directed, cover it with a paper towel then foil, and cooked it on the trivet with 1.5 cups water for 35 mins high pressure with 19 mins NPR.
Using a 7-inch springform instead of the 4 inch mini? Double the mini recipe from the recipe card above and you’re good to go!
so . . . how was it?!
In-freaking-credible! Remember that annoying happy dance I spoke of? Still doing it. I’m certain at this point it doubles as my cardio for the day. Recipe testing three rounds of this bad boy was mahhhhvelous!
I think Paul and I have currently consumed enough spinach to merit Popeye-like muscles, complete with a sassy anchor tattoo.
Sure you can convert this to plan-jane spinach dip for your holiday party…. but then you’d have to deal with the social atrocity of complete strangers double-dipping their faces off. Not to mention the cringe-worthy inevitability of losing a broken chip in the dip bowl, thus leaving you with the decision to fish it out with another chip or be the heathen who left soggy chip remnants in what was once a pristine bowl of dip.
Eff that. Make the cheesecake. It’s fancy-schmantsy, uber impressive, and everyone gets their own slice to attack with the veggie/carb of their choosing. Everyone wins. Well everyone that was on-time to the shindig.
That guy who showed up late? He’s left to nibble the stray cheesecake crumbs and the lone carrot that someone most likely licked and left behind.
The moral of the story? Make the cheesecake. Eat the cheesecake. Long live the savory spinach artichoke cheesecake!
our favorite Instant Pot recipes:
- Instant Pot Black Bean Dip
- Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup (Instant-Pot + Slow Cooker)
- Smoky Chipotle Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili
sensational spinach recipes:
- Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Spinach Spaghetti Squash
- Fresh Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl
- Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Peppers
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If you get a chance to try this savory spinach artichoke cheesecake, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
I made this today for guests that are coming tomorrow. The top turned very brown. I will reduce the cooking temps next time, or cook it a shorter amount of time. I had leftover, so put it in a small ramekin and baked that too. We haven’t tried it yet, so will update this post after tomorrow.
Jenn, this sounds great. How long should I bake the 7-inch version?
Hi Linda! Since the thickness is similar you should be able to bake it around the same timeframe but just a wee bit longer. I baked mine for 1 hour but depending on oven temperament (I’ve had some feisty ovens over the years lol!) you may find that you want to give it an extra 5-10 minutes to set the center or possibly even 5 min less if your oven runs super hot and the edges start to brown a bunch. I usually do a jiggle test for the cheesecake and judge how golden the edges are (we don’t want it super dark) and how wet the center looks when jiggled. I would check it around 50/55 min and then give an extra 5-10 min as needed? Where you are altitude-wise may also affect things a bit.
When do you removed the springform pan? Before you put it in the refrigerator and wrap it in foil? Or after you reheat it ?
Hey Christina! After reheating works best so it maintains shape.
This looks & sounds delicious. I don’t have a springform pan. Can I use a 8 x 8 baking dish instead?
Hi Shelley! Are you trying to make the big one or the little mini one? Also oven or Instant Pot? It can totally be made in the oven in a baking dish, you’ll just want to get the right recipe sizing (I can try to help with that) and I would line the bottom and sides with parchment paper (and a little DIY sling like you make with brownies) so you can remove it easily from the pan without any sticking. Let me know and we’ll try to figure it out! xo
Hi Jenn,
Can I substitute chopped or shredded zucchini in place of the spinach?
Thank you for any help you can give me.
Susan
Good morning Jenn!
Do you think I could use cubed zucchini for a substitution for the spinach? The garden is exploding with zucchini this summer and saw your recipe and wanted to see if I could make this delicious-sounding recipe.
Thank you and have a great week!
Susan
Hi Susan! The flavor profile and water content of zucchini is drastically different from spinach so I’m not sure how it would work flavor/texture wise without testing and tweaking the recipe. I do have a bunch of zucchini recipes to help you use it all up though! My favorite use for it lately is to make fried rice with added sautéed zucchini – it’s SO GOOD!
Question – are the artichokes in water or oil ? Thank you
Hi Brooke! I used canned artichokes packed in water.
Can this be frozen after baking the first time?
Thanks,
Val
Hi Val! Cheesecakes typically can (at least all the sweet ones I’ve seen can) but I haven’t tried freezing this one yet. (We always devour it, lol!)
Your directions call for 1/2 cup frozen spinach, squeezed dry. Since the spinach compacts so much when squeezed dry, do you use 1/2 cup before, or after, squeezing it dry? There would be a big difference. Thanks!
Fantastic question, BJ! I usually measure it after squeezing but fluff it up a little first before measuring (so it’s not super packed in the measuring cup, brown sugar style). After adding it to the cheese mixture if it looks like it needs extra spinach I’ll swirl a little more in, to taste. Hope this helps! xo
Can you use mozzarella instead of feta? I know they aren’t the same at all, but when I typically make spinach artichoke
Dip I use mozzarella and Parmesan so I’m unsure about the feta?? I like feta, so I can see how that would make this yummy though.
Hey Lindsey! I can’t imagine it without the feta (feta and spinach are a dream combo for me) but you’re welcome to try mozzarella. The feta adds some extra salt/flavor so just adjust accordingly and you should be good to go!
Can anyone please tell me if this is good at room temperature after it cooks? I would love to take this to our local winery as one of our appetizers but would like to know if it has to be served “hot.”
Thanks in advance!
Hey Dawn! So personally I like this one when it’s still warm, but I’ve had others report they enjoyed it even after it reached room temp sitting out. Also, I have a Savory Pumpkin Basil Cheesecake Spread that I like even when it’s room temperature so that one gets my vote!
i have maybe a silly question, but, why does it need to set in the FRIDGE Only to reheat to serve? Wouldnt this undo the setting? Can it be served straight from the oven/ip?
Nora you may absolutely serve straight from the oven. I’ve always let my cheesecakes set in the fridge to maintain shape but I’ve had friends eat it right away and still have great results!
At what point did you remove the springform pan? If I make this two days in advance, should I leave the pan on until after I reheat it? Thanks – this looks amazing!
I remove it from the pan just before serving. If you’re making it fully in advance [cook time, cool time, and all that jazz] simply wrap the cooled cheesecake in the springform pan in plastic wrap and place it on a plate in the fridge until you’re ready to serve or unwrap it from the springform pan and place it in a bowl that’s larger than the cheesecake is and cover the top. You basically just want to make sure it’s protected in the fridge and doesn’t get smooshed by another family member who’s rooting around for a snack haha! Hope that helps! Oh — and I usually store mine in the springform so when I reheat it I don’t accidentally dent the cheesecake. I’m clumsy like that 😉 Hope you LOVE it!
I had this at a restaurant once and fell IN LOVE with it!! The restaurant closed and I desperately needed the recipe. This was on point exactly. ..so THANK YOU!
This looks absolutely delicious! I HAVE to try this!!! Thanks for sharing!
This looks amazing and love all of the ingredients! YUM! Thank you!
How creative is this?!?!?!? I love it, and I’m almost certain I have everything I need in the fridge to make it! Squeeeeee!
Um, loving this idea. Completely. It’s such a great thing to take to a Christmas party!
Jenn, you’ve done it again! A-FREAKING-MAZING! You have me wanting to stuff my face right this very instant! And it’s 10:30 am and I’m at work. 🙁 Your recipes always look delcious, and your presentation skills are PHENOMENAL!
OOH YOU SO SO HAD HAD ME at restaurant recreation.
and the husband.
Man, that looks so good. You have me craving spinach cheesecake and it is only 9 am. So want to make this. By the way, your samosa twice baked potatoes are a family staple in my house. 🙂
Very cute!
I was definitely one of those kids snacking on spinach artichoke dip all day on THursday… good stuff….
I saw “cheesecake” and was like, “but HOW”, I love this!! I will totally be making this for our Christmas party 🙂
I’m going to need this. I am also going to need those little toasts. I happen to have my own hand model who can feed me…did you try this with hot sauce? did you die of happy?
YUM! I absolutely love artichoke dip. Mmmm 🙂
that looks so savory and delicious!!! I may have to indulge!!