Asparagus Dip Recipe

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This easy Asparagus Dip Recipe combines fresh asparagus with cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic and onion, then bakes until hot and bubbly. It’s creamy, cheesy, ridiculously easy to make and a little different from the dips everyone else brings to the party.

I originally made this recipe back in 2013, and at the time, turning asparagus into dip had honestly never occurred to me.

Eating asparagus? Absolutely.

Dipping asparagus into something? Sure.

Making the asparagus itself into the dip? Nope.

But I love asparagus and tend to grab a bunch whenever I see it at the grocery store, so obviously I had to try it.

We loved it.

Actually, we loved it enough that I made it several more times pretty quickly and it became one of our favorite dips.

It’s warm and creamy from the cream cheese, cheesy from the Parmesan and has plenty of garlic without covering up the asparagus. And because I blend the asparagus right into the cream cheese mixture, it turns this gorgeous green color that looks especially pretty on a spring appetizer table.

Not that you need to wait for spring.

We’ve certainly never let the calendar dictate when we’re allowed to eat dip around here.

Why You’ll Love This Asparagus Dip

• Only five ingredients: Asparagus, cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic and onion. That’s it.
• Ready in about 20 minutes: The asparagus only needs a few minutes to cook, then the finished dip bakes for about 10 minutes.
• Hot and creamy: This isn’t a cold vegetable dip. It’s baked until the cream cheese and Parmesan mixture is hot and bubbly.
• Actually tastes like asparagus: The asparagus isn’t hiding in the background. It’s the star of the recipe.
• Great party appetizer: Serve it with crackers, toasted baguette slices, pita chips or fresh vegetables.
• Easy to customize: Blend the asparagus completely smooth like I do or leave it slightly chunkier if you prefer more texture.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll find the exact measurements in the printable recipe card below.

Fresh Asparagus

You’ll need 14 ounces of fresh asparagus.

Trim off the tough woody ends before cooking. The asparagus gets a quick three minute boil, followed immediately by a cold water bath.

That stops the cooking process and helps the asparagus keep its beautiful green color.

And that color is one of my favorite things about this dip.

Cream Cheese

Use one 8 ounce package of cream cheese and let it soften before making the dip.

Softened cream cheese blends much more easily with the Parmesan, garlic and onion and gives you a smoother finished dip.

Parmesan Cheese

Freshly grated Parmesan gives the dip plenty of salty, cheesy flavor.

Most of it gets blended into the dip, but I like sprinkling a little extra over the top before baking.

Garlic

Two cloves of minced garlic go into the dip.

Asparagus and garlic are already a fantastic combination, so this one was pretty much a given.

If you really love garlic, I certainly won’t be the person who tells you that you can’t add another clove.

Onion

You only need two tablespoons of minced onion.

It adds flavor without overwhelming the asparagus.

How to Make Asparagus Dip

1. Prepare the Asparagus

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

While you’re waiting, wash the asparagus and trim off the tough woody ends.

Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes.

2. Cool the Asparagus

Drain the asparagus and immediately transfer it to a bowl of cold or ice water.

This stops the asparagus from continuing to cook and helps preserve that bright green color.

Drain it well.

3. Make the Cream Cheese Mixture

Add the softened cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic and onion to a blender or food processor.

Blend until combined.

4. Add the Asparagus

Add the drained asparagus and pulse until it reaches the texture you want.

You can pulse it just a few times and leave some asparagus pieces throughout the dip.

Personally, I really blend it.

I love the smooth texture and especially that gorgeous green color you get when the asparagus is completely incorporated.

5. Bake the Asparagus Dip

Transfer the dip to a heatproof baking dish.

Sprinkle a little additional Parmesan over the top.

Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, until the dip is hot and bubbly and the top is lightly browned.

Serve warm with your favorite dippers.

Should Asparagus Dip Be Smooth or Chunky?

Either works.

The original recipe only requires pulsing the asparagus into the cream cheese mixture a few times, which leaves more texture.

I prefer blending mine considerably more.

That’s how I’ve always loved it because the asparagus becomes part of the creamy base and turns the entire dip this beautiful green color.

If you want little pieces of asparagus throughout your dip, stop blending sooner.

This is one of those situations where there isn’t a wrong answer.

Why Put the Asparagus in Cold Water?

The asparagus only boils for three minutes before going directly into cold water.

There’s a reason for that.

The cold water stops the asparagus from continuing to cook after it leaves the boiling water. That helps prevent it from becoming overly soft before the dip even goes into the oven.

It also helps preserve the bright green color.

Since we’re blending that asparagus into the entire dip, keeping the color is especially nice here.

What to Serve with Asparagus Dip

This dip is creamy enough that I like serving it with something that gives it a little crunch.

Some of our favorites include:

• Toasted baguette slices
• Crostini
• Crackers
• Pita chips
• Tortilla chips
• Pretzel crisps
• Bell pepper slices
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cucumber slices

For a party, put the warm asparagus dip in the center of a platter and surround it with a combination of bread, crackers and fresh vegetables.

Everyone can grab whatever they like.

Can I Make Asparagus Dip Ahead of Time?

You can prepare the dip ahead through the blending step.

Transfer it to your baking dish, cover and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake.

When it’s time to serve, sprinkle the additional Parmesan over the top and bake until the dip is hot and bubbly.

Because it will be starting cold from the refrigerator, it may need a little longer than the usual 10 minute baking time.

How to Store Leftover Asparagus Dip

Store leftover asparagus dip covered in the refrigerator.

For the best texture and flavor, I’d use it within about 3 days.

Because this dip contains cream cheese and Parmesan, it needs to stay refrigerated rather than sitting out for long periods between servings.

How to Reheat Asparagus Dip

You can reheat the dip in a small oven safe dish at 350°F until it’s warmed through.

For a small serving, the microwave works too.

Heat it in short intervals and stir between each one until it’s warm.

If you’re reheating the whole dish for another gathering, I prefer the oven because you can add another little sprinkle of Parmesan and get the top hot again.

Asparagus Dip Variations

The original five ingredient recipe is still my favorite, but there are a few easy ways you can change it.

Add Red Pepper Flakes

If you like a little heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic.

Add Lemon

A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice can brighten the asparagus flavor.

I’d start small because you don’t want to thin the cream cheese mixture too much.

Add Fresh Herbs

Fresh chives, parsley or dill would all work nicely with asparagus.

Make It Extra Cheesy

Add a little shredded mozzarella to the top with the Parmesan before baking.

Save Some Asparagus for the Top

Before blending, set aside a couple of asparagus tips.

Use them to garnish the finished dip after it comes out of the oven.

Asparagus Dip Recipe FAQs

Can I use frozen asparagus?

Fresh asparagus is what I’ve always used and what I recommend for this recipe.

Frozen asparagus generally contains more moisture and tends to be softer after thawing, which can affect the consistency of the dip.

If you experiment with frozen, thaw it first and drain it extremely well.

Can I make asparagus dip without a blender?

A food processor works perfectly.

If you don’t have either one, you could finely chop the cooked asparagus and mix everything together by hand, but the finished dip will be much chunkier than the version I’ve made.

Can I use canned asparagus?

I wouldn’t recommend it for this particular recipe.

Fresh asparagus gives us better texture, fresher flavor and that beautiful green color.

Do you serve asparagus dip hot or cold?

This asparagus dip is meant to be served warm.

After blending the ingredients, it’s baked at 350°F until hot and bubbly.

Can I use whipped cream cheese?

Regular block cream cheese is my preference because it gives the dip the thick, creamy consistency the recipe was designed around.

Can I double this asparagus dip recipe?

Absolutely.

Double all of the ingredients and use a larger baking dish.

The baking time may need to increase slightly, so use the appearance of the dip as your guide. You want it hot and bubbly with the Parmesan on top lightly browned.

What does asparagus dip taste like?

It tastes like asparagus!

Which seems obvious, but I don’t want to promise you that the cream cheese somehow disguises the main ingredient.

The cream cheese makes it rich and creamy while Parmesan, garlic and onion add plenty of savory flavor.

If you already love asparagus, this is a really fun way to serve it.

An Easy Asparagus Appetizer We’ve Made for Years

The funny thing about this recipe is that when I first came across the idea of asparagus dip, I couldn’t believe I’d never thought of it before.

I love asparagus.

I love dip.

Apparently putting the two together was the missing piece.

After that first batch, we made it several more times and it quickly became a favorite at our house.

More than a decade later, it’s still one of those recipes I love because it’s ridiculously simple but different enough that people notice it.

Five ingredients, about 20 minutes and one very green bowl of creamy, cheesy asparagus dip.

Sometimes that’s all an appetizer needs to be.

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