This fresh take on the iconic comforting spinach and artichoke dip uses fresh herbs and goat cheese in place of spinach and rich dairy. The herbs are blitzed into whipped goat cheese for big herby flavor, mixed with the tang of lemon and artichokes and the hot sweetness of honey drizzle and Aleppo flakes.


close up of whipped goat cheese dip garnished with fresh herbs, honey and Aleppo flakes and served with slices of carrot, radish and kohlrabi.

Why this recipe works

Fresh goat cheese makes a great alternative to richer dairy products used for dips because of its tangy flavor, creamy texture and lower fat content. I’ve been blitzing lots of fresh herbs into everything these days, and so, naturally, I wanted to create a goat cheese dip with lots of herbs in it. I love the flavor artichokes bring to my Tuna with Zesty Artichoke and Goat Cheese Pasta Sauce, and when I realized it tasted great cold as well as warm, it inspired me to riff off of that sauce to create this dip. Finally, the iconic combo of spinach and artichokes in the classic cheesy dip was a bit of an inspiration as well, though I took this dip in a super healthy, light tasting direction. It’s great right after making it or after chilling.

serving up goat cheese dip with honey drizzle, fresh herbs garnishing the edges and cut up carrots, radishes and kohlrabi for dipping.

Ingredient notes

  • Goat Cheese– oh glorious goat cheese. I’ve loved this cheese my entire life, but as I ate less cheese over time, I forgot about it! It’s much lower in fat and salt than other hard cheeses and has a wonderful tangy flavor. Any fresh goat cheese, a.k.a. chevre will do.
  • Artichoke Hearts- known for their nutritional properties, from prebiotic inulin fiber to magnesium, and the ability to help lower cholesterol and blood sugar, artichoke hearts are blitzed finely, along with the herbs at the start of the process.
  • Fresh herbs- I feel dill is required, to give the dip its signature flavor, but the other herb can vary. I happen to like carrot tops a lot, but parsley or cilantro have stronger flavor. These will be blitzed into oblivion at the start of the process.
  • Mustard- I’m using an herb mustard as it compliments all the herbs in the dip, but a plain dijon will also work fine.
  • Honey- some of the honey is added to the dip for a tinge of sweetness, and the rest is heated and drizzled over the top.
  • Lemon juice- along with the mustard, this adds some acidity and complements the artichoke.

Step-by-step instructions

Above: the ingredients for the dip are simple, many in your pantry/fridge at any given moment. On the right is a reminder to pulverize the herb stems as well as the leaves in the food processor. Taste them! They are good. Here you see carrot tops on top of the other herbs and artichoke hearts. However, you can blitz all the herbs first, then add the artichoke hearts.

The process to make this dip is simple, but specific, in order to get the ingredients to blend and the goat cheese to whip smoothly.

Side note: if you are serving a crowd bigger than 6, I recommend doubling the recipe. With that volume, you will also find all the ingredients blitz and whip that much easier based on the volume.

First you place your fresh herbs as is, in the food processor and pulse for 10-20 seconds until them are finely chopped. At this point you can add in the artichoke hearts and do the same.

Next add the goat cheese by the spoonful, through the feed tube, with the processor running, so it will incorporate more easily.

blended goat cheese ingredients in the food processor.

Next add the lemon, honey, mustard, salt and pepper and run the processor for 10-20 seconds until it looks smooth and green. If it seems stiff, you can thin it a bit with some or all of the yogurt.

Garnish with fresh herbs, drizzle with warm honey and sprinkle with Aleppo flakes, unless you are not a fan of the heat of chili flakes. You can serve right away or chill for a few hours or overnight.

serving up goat cheese dip with fresh herbs and veggies for dipping.

Above: with or without the honey drizzle, this dip is gorgeous with loads of fresh herbs, arugula from the garden and other fresh vegetables to dip. It’s equally yummy dipped with crackers or chips, but it’s lightness makes it an especially good dip for veggies.

Tips for making and serving this recipe

  • Blending process- this is important in order to get the smooth texture and green color. The herbs and artichokes are blitzed very finely first, followed by the goat cheese added while the processor is running, and finally the liquid ingredients which help it to blend very smoothly.
  • Consistency- pay attention to how loose the dip gets as you add in the liquid ingredients. Since the cheese can vary in moisture as well as how much lemon juice you’ll get from your 1/2 of a lemon (around 2-4 tbsp), the dip can get more drippy or remain stiffer, depending.
  • Optional yogurt-this is only added if needed to loosen up the dip.
  • Serving- the lightness of the dip makes it perfect for dipping veggies into. Crackers or chips work as well. Garnishing with lots of fresh herbs from the garden, if you have them, makes for a beautiful presentation. I even add a bed of arugula around the dip bowl for looks 🙂
honey drizzled over the goat cheese dip.

Related recipes

Try some of my other dips such as White Bean, Artichoke & Radish Dip or Whipped Feta Tahini Dressing 

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close up of whipped goat cheese dip garnished with fresh herbs, honey and Aleppo flakes and served with slices of carrot, radish and kohlrabi.

Whipped Goat Cheese Artichoke Dip with Herbs, Lemon, and Honey

5 from 1 vote
Servings6
Calories74
This fresh take on the iconic comforting spinach and artichoke dip uses fresh herbs and goat cheese in place of spinach and rich dairy. The herbs are blitzed into whipped goat cheese for big herby flavor, mixed with the tang of lemon and artichokes and the hot sweetness of honey drizzle and Aleppo flakes.
Kitchen Tools
  • 1 food processor, or blender, needed to make sauce

Ingredients
 

  • 1/4 cup fresh dill (reserve some to garnish)
  • 1/4 cup parsley or carrot tops!
  • 1/2 can artichoke hearts (rinsed, half for sauce, half for dish)
  • 4 oz. fresh goat cheese (a.k.a. chevre)
  • 1 tsp herb mustard (any dijon darker mustard)
  • 3 tsp honey (2 for dip and 1 to drizzle as garnish)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp finely ground white pepper (sub ground black pepper)
  • 1/2 lemon (juiced )
  • 2 pinches Aleppo pepper flakes for garnish (sub red pepper flakes)
Optional add in if dip is too thick
  • 2 tbsp non-fat Greek yogurt (see notes)
Dipping Veggies
  • your choice of cut up veggies (I used carrots, radishes and purple kohlrabi)

Method:
 

  • Add the fresh herbs to food processor and pulse/blend, scraping down sides, until the herbs are finely chopped, for about 10-20 seconds.
  • Add the artichoke hearts (fully drained and pressed a bit on paper towels to remove excess liquid) to the food processor and continue to blitz until they are well blended finely, another 10 seconds or so.
  • With the processor turned on, drop the goat cheese by the spoonful through the feeder tube until it is all added. Blend for 10-20 seconds if possible (may need the liquids). Stop and scrape down the sides with spatula.
  • Turn processor on again and add the mustard, honey and lemon juice one at a time, making sure the blending is occurring, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
  • At this point your dip should look green, smooth and slightly runny as in the photos, so that you can dip into it. It is lighter and less fatty, hence a tad runnier than other dips. Because there are variations in water content of goat cheese, amount of lemon juice in half a lemon, etc, the dip can vary from slightly runny to slightly stiff. If too stiff, you can add in some or all of the yogurt to thin it out.
  • I like to garnish with fresh herbs, then drizzle the honey (which I microwave 20 seconds so it is runny), and sprinkle a good amount of Aleppo flakes for a little heat! Serve immediately or chill for a few hours or overnight. It will stiffen some after chilling, but not too much, since there is little fat in the dip.
  • Chop/slice up your vegetables to dip as shown. Can dip whatever veggies, crackers, etc. that you like, of course.

Notes

Optional Greek yogurt- sometimes this dip whips up more runny than other times, which you can control with the amount of lemon juice. If a batch you whip up feels a bit too stiff, you can add in some or all of the 2 tbsps of Greek Yogurt.

Nutrition (an estimate)

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg | Magnesium: 8mg | Net Carbohydrates: 4g
How’d it go?Please take a minute to scroll down and comment/rate this recipe! If it didn’t meet your expectations, please let me know.
5 from 1 vote

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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    This dip is such a great way to infuse goat cheese with lots of herb flavor and the green color makes for a great presentation. I love the tangy herb flavor, and as you will see, I often include lots of fresh herbs in my recipes. 😊