Paleo Spinach Artichoke Dip

Folks often confuse paleo recipes with primal recipes, but this dairy-free dip is definitely a paleo recipe. People who follow a paleo lifestyle typically do not consume grains or dairy products, but people on a primal lifestyle sometimes use grass-fed butter, milk, or cheese. This dairy-free spinach artichoke dip is great for anyone on a paleo, vegan, or low-carb diet. It gets its creaminess from smooth cashews and paleo mayo, which is made out of olive oil, mustard, and vinegar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of raw cashews, soaked overnight
• 1 ¼ cups of paleo mayonnaise (see our recipe on slide 10)
• ¼ cup water
• 16 ounces of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped and drained
• ⅓ cup of onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Add the cashews, mayonnaise and water to a food processor. Blend for about 2 minutes.
3. Transfer the cashew mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and stir together.
4. Transfer the dip to an oven-proof dish and bake for 20 minutes.

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

If you enjoy tomato basil soup, you’ll love this sun-dried tomato dip. It features many of the same ingredients found in tomato soup recipes, but it’s thick enough that you can layer it on crackers, bread wedges, and vegetable slices. We like to top our sun-dried tomato dip with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and a dash of ground pepper. These toppings give the dip a sophisticated look that’s perfect for a semi-formal gathering.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of raw cashews, soaked in cold water for several hours (up to 24)
• 1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained, oil reserved
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 3 large garlic cloves
• large handful of basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or oil from the tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk

Preparation

1. Drain the soaked cashews and place them in a food processor with the drained tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic cloves, basil leaves, smoked paprika, salt, and oil.
2. Process until smooth, and slowly add almond milk to keep the mixture from getting too thick.

Guacamole

Guacamole is a staple at many parties. We like to eat it on tortilla chips and carrot sticks, but it also pairs amazingly well with tacos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. You can even put guacamole on a salad or sandwich.

Ingredients

• 3 Haas avocados
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
• 1 clove of garlic, minced

Preparation

1. Mash peeled avocados in a large bowl and slowly incorporate remaining ingredients.
2. Gently stir with a fork or spoon, leaving some lumps in the mixture.
3. Serve with tortilla chips or sliced veggies.

White Bean Hummus

Hummus is typically made from chickpeas, but we decided to swap them out for white beans in this tasty, heart-healthy recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup of fresh parsley
• 1 scallion, cut in small pieces
• 1 can of cannellini beans, drained
• 3 tablespoons of tahini
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Dash of salt

Preparation

1. Add ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth but thick.
2. Serve with pita bread, sliced veggies, or crackers.

Carrot Cashew Dip

We usually dip carrots in our dairy-free dips, but we decided to make them the star of the show in this carrot cashew dip. Pureed cashews create the illusion of dairy in this creamy, vitamin-packed dip recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup of raw cashew nuts
• ½ cup of water
• ¼ bouillon cube
• 1 tsp of miso paste

Preparation

1. Add the carrots, cashews, water and bouillon cube to a saucepan, then bring to boil.
2. Cover and steam for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and use a stick blender to puree the mixture.
4. Add the miso and stir, then season with Himalayan rock salt.

Vegan Cookie Dough Dip

We’ve hidden a secret ingredient in this protein-packed vegan cookie dough dip. Your kids will never guess that there are mashed chickpeas in the sweet dough!

Ingredients

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup of natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 3/4 cup of vegan chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Place chickpeas in a food processor and grind until smooth.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, saving chocolate chips for last.

Black Bean and Corn Dip

We consider this black bean and corn mixture to be a dip, but some people refer to it as a salsa. Regardless of what you call this healthy recipe, it tastes amazing on tortilla chips.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup of thawed frozen or fresh sweet corn
• 40 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped

Dressing

• 2 Tbsp. of olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp. of cumin
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1/2 tsp. of ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Prep the ingredients for the black bean and corn dip, and add them to a large serving bowl.
2. Mix gently until combined.
3. In a small bowl combine the dressing ingredients and pour over the veggies.
4. Toss gently until all of the ingredients in the dip are lightly coated.

Vegan Chocolate Dip

Vegan chocolate dip requires a few basic ingredients that you may already have in your pantry.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of coconut cream or coconut-milk yogurt, or 1 cup of cashew butter
• 1 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips or pure dark chocolate, melted
• Maple syrup, honey, or cane sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Garnish with slivered chocolate chunks or almonds.

Sweet Potato Dip

Sweet potatoes are a staple in many paleo and vegan diets. They’re healthier than white potatoes, and technically, they’re not even a potato. Enjoy the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes in this savory sweet potato dip. We love the way the ginger and dill enhance the sweet flavor of the sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, boiled and mashed
• ¼ cup coconut-milk or soy-milk yogurt
• 1 tsp garlic
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp tajin
• 1 tsp dill
• ½ tsp chives
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp flax oil
• ½ tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
2. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Paleo Mayo

Use paleo dip as a base for dairy-free dip recipes or enjoy it on its own. We like to dip our sweet potato wedges in tangy paleo mayo.

Ingredients

• 1 whole egg
• ½ tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of white wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp of dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp of sea salt
• 1 cup light olive oil

Preparation

1. Add all of the ingredients, leaving the oil for last, into a Mason jar or the jar that came with your stick blender.
2. Let the ingredients settle for several minutes, with the oil on the top.
3. Place your stick blender in the jar, and keep it on the bottom of the jar for at least 20 seconds.
4. When you feel the mayo emulsify, slowly move the stick blender up and blend the remaining ingredients in the container.
5. Stir with a spoon a few times and serve.