Ranch Spinach Dip Bread Bowl
Easy, creamy, and delicious spinach dip in a bread bowl is the perfect appetizer for any occasion. 5 minutes and 5 ingredients are all you need to make it and an edible serving dish too!

When I start planning a party, I start by thinking about what to serve. Usually before I even decide why I’m having a party, or who I am going to invite.
I might even go as far as plan a get together where I only invite two people: myself and a bowl of spinach dip! Does this make me weird?
Nope, not after you try this spinach dip! You too might be having a quiet night in with just you and this handsome bread bowl of yumminess. Like I have had with this beer cheese dip bread bowl, LOL
Even better is that this recipe only uses 4 ingredients! 5 if count the bread bowl, but who’s counting, right?!?!
Like this easy appetizer? Check out my spinach artichoke dip, this Mississippi Sin dip, and my broccoli dip. Warm and cheesy!
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Bread – Use any kind of bread in a decent sized loaf. I love this in sourdough, but pumpernickel, rye, or a brown bread is great too. Something with a nice crust so it holds up to the creamy dip.
- Spinach – The original dip uses frozen spinach and that’s perfectly fine. If you have fresh, you can use it. You can even leave it raw, as it will wilt a little in the sour cream. You can also saute it with garlic. Just be sure to drain it well.
- Seasonings – Ranch seasoning is the best option here but if not you can substitute a vegetable dip seasoning packet.
- Water chestnuts – These are for crunch and totally optional. They are in the original recipe but you can break the rules and leave them out if you like. Use jicama or radishes if you prefer.
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How To Make Spinach Dip In A Bread Bowl

- In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, spinach, water chestnuts, and seasoning. Stir to combine.

- Place it in the fridge to chill while you prepare the bread bowl.

- Using a serrated knife, carefully cut around the top, leaving a roughly 1 inch lip. Cut it out and remove part of the inside bread, to make room for the dip. Save the lid and extra bread.

- Fill the bread bowl with the chilled dip, cut the lid into bite size pieces, and spread around the bowl to serve.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Serving Suggestions
This dip is so delicious I can eat it all by itself with a spoon. But, if other people are coming over, I need to share it. So I serve it with
- Bread pieces from the loaf
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sliced cucumbers
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli florets
- Crackers
- Chips (thick potato chips, tortilla chips, pita chips)
- Crostini
Storage
This dip can be made up to two days in advance as long as you store it in and airtight container in the fridge. Store the dip separately from the bread and add it right before serving to keep the brea from getting soggy.
Because of the dairy in the dip, I wouldn’t let it sit out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. I don’t think you will have to worry about it being around for that long anyway!

Technically, you can. Just give it a stir to remix when it’s thawed out. If it gets a little watery, you can place it in a colander lined with paper towels until it’s nice and thick again. Personally, I never freeze mine. It’s so easy to make there is no need to freeze it.
Frozen and chopped is easier but if you want to use fresh spinach, just cook it and drain really well.
If you don’t feel like using water chestnuts, feel free to add celery, onions, artichoke hearts, or even pecans!

Hot vs Cold
This dip is traditionally served cold. But you can make it hot if you like. Check out this spinach artichoke bread bowl dip that is a baked dip.
You can also place all the ingredients in a small slow cooker or mini crock pot and turn on low for 1 hour, stirring often.
Tapas Tips & Tricks
- Frozen chopped spinach is the easiest to use but fresh also tastes great cooked with garlic.
- Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese for a more intense flavor.
- Serve this in a regular serving dish with crostini or crackers and forget the bread bowl.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!

This Ranch Spinach Dip Recipe in a Bread Bowl will quickly become your new favorite appetizer, if it isn’t already!

Ranch Spinach Dip Bread Bowl
Ingredients
Spinach Dip
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 8 ounces water chestnuts
- 10 ounces chopped spinach
- 1 ounce ranch seasoning
Bread Bowl
- 1 French bread round loaf top cut off and hollowed out
Garnishes and Dippers
- tomatoes small snack size
- celery trimmed and cut into sticks
- carrots snack size
- broccoli trimmed and cut into bite-sizes florets
- bread pieces cut into bite-sized pieces
- cucumbers sliced
- green onions trimmed
Instructions
- Mix the spinach dip by combining the sour cream, water chestnuts, spinach, and ranch seasoning.
- Cover and store in the fridge for an hour.
- While the spinach dip is chilling, make the bread bowl.
- Trim the top of the bread bowl by cutting at a 45 degree angle around the top being careful not to cut all the way to the bottom.
- Remove the top and pull out a large portion of the bread inside making a "bowl" inside.
- Cut or tear the top of the bowl into bite-sized pieces for dipping.
- When the dip is chilled, scoop into the bread bowl.
- Serve with bread pieces and your favorite veggies and chips.
- Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
{Originally published 6/4/19 – photos and notes updated 05/05/25}
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Definitely 5 ⭐ – Made this once before for a work event .. it was gone in minutes and the compliments are still coming! So thank YOU for sharing and making me a hit! I’ve decided to add it to my Thanksgiving appetizers ☺️
I am so glad! It’s one of our favorites too! And I love that the bread bowl is eaten and no dishes to clean:)
I made this for a neighborhood potluck and found it very quick and easy. After about a half an hour after I set it out, my neighbors were scraping the bread bowl for the last traces of dip. I’m definably making this again!
so glad you like it!!
Does this recipe call for frozen spinach..do you thaw it out and squeeze it ?
How about the seasoning…can you use the package of ranch seasoning from the package? If so how much..1 package ? If not how much is 1oz of seasoning? 2 tablespoons???
Frozen spinach is best. I thaw it and squeeze as much water out of it as possible. The packets are one ounce but if you have the shaker bottle or are making your own it is 3 tablespoons of seasoning mix.
When making this Dip, I Found using “Portuguese Sweet Bread”, Round loaf bread is the Best!… The Portuguese Explorers, were the first Europeans in the Hawaiian Island. Leaving Many Delicious Recipes for the Native Hawaiians to Enjoy!…. (So, Technically It’s “PORTUGUESE, Sweet Bread!…. “NOT HAWAIAN” Sweet Bread!…
I Grew Up Eating this Delicious Staple, in Rhode Island, And, Massachusetts….
Just, for the Record, this Bread, was Originated in “PORTUGAL”!….. “NOT HAWAII”!…. “WHAT”, Recipes have the HAWAIIANS, Produced?….. NADA!…. It Was All brought to their Islands By Explorers, from Europe or, Asia!….
Bon Appetite!….
Loely photos! and great recipe, keep it up 🙂
We always have a shaker bottle of HV Ranch seasoning in the cupboard. Super grateful for that, because I needed a quick appetizer this weekend, and I had everything on hand for this spinach dip! Thank you for the quick recipe!
This is a brilliant idea! I hate opening a whole package of an ingredient and only need a portion of it. This is going to come in so handy for tailgating!
This was so so good! I keep my pantry stocked with the bottle of ranch seasoning! We love it!
This was so delicious. I loved using the shaker, it made it so easy!! 5 minutes for an app, and I’m sold.
This spinach dip is a party pleaser. We can’t wait to dig into that bread bowl! Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning is a staple at our house too, and the shaker works super well to season popcorn!
This is one of my favorite party snacks!! I didn’t know they carry the shaker seasoning now! I need to make this for fathers day!
4 ingredients for the win! Made this at the last minutes and was so happy to have doubled it! We DEVOURED IT!
This looks fantastic! And ooh that bread bowl, that’s the best part with all that dip soaked in – yum!!!
We love ranch and this product makes everything so much more convenient! Your dips are amazing and this one will definitely be at our next party!
This is such an awesome appetizer idea! I love that you put the dip in a bread bowl!
I love hos easy this dip is! Just 4 ingredients sounds perfect to me! And, you need a bowl either way, so the bread bowl isn’t an ingredient. LOL
Love this dip, it’s so easy and so good! Leftover bread bowl? Delicious! 🙂