Spinach Artichoke Twice Baked Potatoes that are so creamy and packed with “cheesy” flavor that you’ll never believe they’re dairy free! They’re also Paleo, Vegan and Whole30 friendly, and make a great side dish or meal along with a salad. Leftovers reheat well too!
It’s official – twice baked potatoes are my new and current FAVORITE. I know, I’m easily swayed by new recipes, BUT, trust me – after tasting these creamy, “cheesy” spinach artichoke twice baked potatoes, twice baking will be the only way you’ll want to bake. Your potatoes, that is. Don’t try baking your muffins or cookies twice or anything silly like that – you’ll be really sad.
I’ve been dying to make another recipe with the spinach/artichoke combo ever since I created my yummy baked dip. I also FELL IN LOVE with my sausage pizza twice baked sweet potatoes and have been meaning to follow up with something similar, however, I wind up having too many ideas and can’t commit.
And then, of course, it hit me. After rejecting most of my ideas in both categories, the lightbulb moment came, and the reality of these potatoes were perhaps even BETTER than the fantasy. I wound up creating a filling that will please a lot of people – it’s Paleo, Whole30 and Vegan! This might in fact be the first savory recipe that happily falls into all three of those categories, and I’m definitely inspired by how delicious these potatoes turned out.
The method is just the same as with traditional twice baked potatoes – bake, scoop, mix, fill, and bake again. The filling is where all my dreams came true – it tastes truly creamy and cheesy, with lots of spinach, artichoke, onion and garlic flavor (almost like my old favorite spinach pies!) without any dairy at all. The secret is in the right mix of coconut cream, lemon, ghee or butter-flavored coconut oil (for vegan), nutritional yeast, and seasoning.
Nutritional yeast is my secret “cheesy” weapon for many recipes on the site. It blends right in with the other ingredients and lends a subtle cheesy flavor without overpowering anything at all. I’ve used it on roasted potatoes, in mashed potatoes, on chicken, and in egg casseroles, and, my kids have never once questioned a “weird” flavor – BUT, they do love it, even though they have no clue what they’re eating. As for the “green things”, we are still working on those.
These twice baked potatoes work as a side dish, appetizer or even a meal along with a good salad. They keep well in the refrigerator and also reheat well in the oven or toaster oven, so you can make them ahead of time for the week! You can also bake them the first time and make the filling ahead of time, and then simply fill and bake when you’re ready to eat. Very versatile and forgiving! Are you ready for some healthy comfort food?! Let’s cook!
Spinach Artichoke Twice Baked Potatoes {Paleo, Vegan, Whole30}
Spinach Artichoke Twice Baked Potatoes {Paleo, Whole30, Vegan}
Ingredients
- 4 small/medium russet potatoes
- 5 oz container fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 of a 14 oz can artichoke hearts check ingredients
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small can 5.3 oz coconut cream*
- 1.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp ghee or butter-flavored coconut oil***
Instructions
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Rub the potatoes with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt if desired, Bake the potatoes at 400 for 1 hour or until soft inside****
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Once cooled, cut each potato open lengthwise and scoop out the inside, leaving a thin layer.
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You will use the inside of 3 of the potatoes, discard the inside only of the 4th, or save for another use**
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Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil. Add the onions and cook until soft, then the garlic and cook until just softened.
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Add the chopped spinach and sautée, stirring until wilted, then add the chopped artichoke hearts and a sprinkle of salt and cook one more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Mash or blend together the insides from 3 potatoes with the coconut cream, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, ghee or coconut oil, plus 3/4 tsp of salt
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Combine the potato mixture with the spinach artichoke mixture, then scoop into the hollowed potatoes
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Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes or until beginning to lightly brown. Remove from oven and serve hot. You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days - they reheat in the oven or toaster oven really well!
Recipe Notes
*You can use the equivalent amount of coconut cream from a larger can of chilled coconut milk - the solid part is the cream, you can blend before using.
**You will fill all 4 potato skins so make sure you only discard the scooped-out inside of the 4th one.
***If you use coconut oil (for the vegan version), choose the refined kind (flavorless) or refined with butter flavor
****If you're short on time, bake the potatoes ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to proceed with the recipe.
Nutrition
Recommended Products for My Spinach Artichoke Twice Baked Potatoes:
Want more paleo and whole30 potato recipes? Try one of these!
Sausage Pizza Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Crispy Baked Fries with Chipotle Ranch Dip
Tell Me!
What should I make next with spinach & artichokes?
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I was wondering what nutritional yeast is? I didn’t think any sort of yeast would be Whole 30 compliant. What purpose does it serve in this recipe? I’m new to this and want to make sure I’m following the rules! 🙂
Thank you for posting all of your yummy recipes! I look forward to receiving them in my email!
nutritional yeast is a seasoning that tastes sort of cheesy, adds great flavor and it’s Whole30 compliant as long as you don’t dump tons of it on your food! Here’s a link where they mention it: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/
Okay so I tried these and they came out doughy and gummy!! So weird. I followed it exactly. What did I do wrong? My husband is still eating them but it just wasn’t what I expected lol
It’s possible that you mixed the filling too much. Cooked potatoes, especially with cream/fat added, can become gummy if you overmix them.
Hello, Love your site, have passed it one to all my friends..Question..I am doing Paleo and I’m really confused as they say white potatoes are not allowed..Help
White potatoes are in the gray area since for some people they don’t work, say if you have blood sugar issues or are trying to lose weight or are very inactive. However, if you are relatively active and healthy white potatoes are absolutely fine, they are also allowed on the Whole30 program which is a strict form of Paleo for 30 days. It’s an individual matter so do what’s best for you and your health.
Potatoes are not paleo. You could try subbing sweet potatoes which are.
These look SO good! Also, I’m thrilled you used white potatoes because I just cannot get behind sweet potatoes no matter how hard I try. Bring back the white potato I say! 🙂
For this particular recipe white potatoes are sooo yummy 🙂 Good to switch it up sometimes!
I cannot wait to try these! I need to get artichoke hearts immediately.
I know you’ll love them!
These look soooo creamy it’s crazy that they’re vegan! YUM!
Yes! Could barely believe it myself 🙂
This might be my favorite recipe of yours yet. I adore spinach and artichoke dip and potatoes are my spirit animal so this one sings to me on so many levels. Of course you know I’m gonna add cheese because I gotta be me,
Oooh they would be good with cheese too, of course!
White potatoes are not paleo! And they are also not good for you. Shouldn’t miss lead those that are new to Paleo that white potatoes are ok.
You are mistaken – although they do fall into the “gray area” of Paleo depending on your health situation, white potatoes are a nutrient dense, whole food considered Paleo by many, plus they are Whole30 compliant. White potatoes can especially be beneficial for Paleo runners for the extra energy (carbs), which is one reason I’ve embraced them. Please see the following:
https://www.thepaleomom.com/potatoes-friend-foe-paleo/
http://whole30.com/2014/07/new-whole30/
This looks amazing!!
Does the coconut cream make this taste at all like coconut? I really don’t like the taste. Do you think I could substitute almond milk?
You can probably use almond milk without much difference, but it won’t be as creamy. I didn’t notice the coconut flavor but if you’re sensitive to it probably try the almond!
Another great nut milk is cashew–it is creamier than almond and is even more neutral tasting 🙂
Yup, love cashew milk 🙂
I have made these twice in the past week, so delicious!! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Oh yay! So thrilled you liked them!
If you bake them the night before how should you reheat them the following day to prepare the recipe?
Thank you!
Hi! If you simply bake them the first time the night before, you might not need to do anything differently proceeding with the recipe. If you make the whole thing the night before, I would simply warm in a 400 degree oven loosely covered with foil. Hope you like them!
Ghee is still dairy, no?…clarified butter? These looked so delicious but the coconut cream was a turn off for me personally, making it too oddly sweet, maybe cashew cream could be substituted?
There is a vegan option to substitute butter flavored coconut oil (delicious, by the way, and dairy-free) for the clarified butter in the Whole30 version. As for the coconut cream, I didn’t find it to be sweet, however cashew cream would be a good sub for those who don’t like coconut.
thank you, I will give the butter flavored coconut oil a try…never had it 🙂
I would be interested in using tapioca flour or arrowroot to thicken so that the coconut cream isn’t needed and it can still be thick – also potato flour would probably be really good replacement
I hope it works for you if you try that, sounds yummy 🙂
Why don’t you use all four scooped out potatoes? The recipe sounds very good, but the pictures look like the filling is a little skimpy.
You could use the 4th as well if you want more filling, it just seemed like too much with all the spinach artichoke mixture 🙂
Made these, and they are SO delicious. I didn’t have coconut cream, so I subbed almond milk, and upped the ghee to 3 tbs. Added some black pepper to potato mixture, too. It feels indulgent to eat white potatoes every once in a while. 🙂 Thanks for the amazing recipe, Michele!
This is my first week on Whole30 and I am so excited to have found this recipe. Might be the best potato I’ve ever had. Will be adding this to my permanent rotation. Thank you so much!
Have you ever made these and froze them until you are ready to eat? Wondering how they would do to be frozen/reheated.
Thanks!
I haven’t and I’m not sure if they’d be able to handle it without staying mushy…if you try it let me know!
I made these and froze a couple to try reheated and they tasted just fine! Great recipe!
That’s so great to know! I’ll have to try it myself that way too when short on time 🙂
Loved these! Xtra carbs needed for me! Running and doing whole 30 are pretty miserable without extra potatoes. I didn’t have ghee or an onion(oops?) so instead I used the entire can of artichoke hearts and maybe a smidge more nutritional yeast. Flavor is great and I’d make them again this way. Thanks!!!
So glad you liked them! I think it’s a very forgiving recipe too, which helps 🙂
These are soo good. I tried them first while on whole30 and even though I am not longer on the diet I have made these numerous times. Awesome recipe.
Thrilled you like them! One of my favorite recipes too 🙂
Can these be meal prepped? How long do you think they would last in the fridge already made?
That’s a tricky one since the filling might not stay creamy once refrigerated – not sure. I would recommend pre-baking the potatoes (the first baking), then prepping the filling during meal prep, then assembling and baking for the second time the day of 🙂
I find it amusing that so many people who comment, haven’t actually tried the recipe! I always read reviews before trying a new recipe and it just makes me chuckle. Anyway, I just put these in the oven for the 2nd bake and the filling is TO DIE FOR!!!! I am on day 23 of my Whole30 and this is the first recipe that I am drooling over! …. ok just took them out of the oven, and ate one!!!!! AMAZING!!! Company worthy! Thank you so much for this recipe! I can’t wait to eat another one tomorrow morning with an egg on top!!!
Haha! Well I’m VERY glad you liked this! Best kind of comments/reviews 🙂
All I can say is WOW!! These are phenomenal. We have a VERY picky teenage vegetarian in the house and I am on a constant mission to find healthy meals for her. I was skeptical while making these (mostly because of the coconut cream), but she (and I) could not get enough of these! These will most definitely be in our regular rotation. Thank you for sharing with us ?
Any suggestions/ creative ideas on what I could do with the remaining filling? Seems I made a bit too much (ooops), but *so* glad i have extra… just not sure what I can do with it!
These are incredible just made them will definitely be a keeper!!
That’s great!!
Do you think i could use cashew cream instead of coconut cream? I am not sure if one is like the other because I haven’t used it before but I have it and don’t have coconut cream.
Thanks!
Could I use frozen spinach as
Well?
Yup, just make sure the water is squeezed out 🙂
these were absolutely delicious. I could eat it all in one setting (but I didn’t). I am excited to have the leftovers for lunch
That’s great! So happy to hear you enjoyed them!
WOW! These are indeed phenomenal! I’m on Day 36 of my Whole30 and this is definitely going into the regular rotation! Creamy and delicious! Even my fiance loved them and he’s not easy to please when it comes to potatoes without cheese and sour cream! Thank you for continuing to share wonderful recipes that help the rest of us get through our Whole30 journey!
So happy you liked it!
Just made these today and omg so so good!! This is week 1 of whole30 for me and will love having this once a week! I substituted the coconut cream for homemade mayo and used a coarse sea salt for the potatoes which too the skins to another level of salty goodness! Thank you!
Ah these look so delicious!! Could the nutritional yeast simply be left out of this recipe? I read a previous comment that mentioned the yeast adds the cheesy flavor…I have someone who is not a fan of cheese, so wondering if it would be okay left out? Thanks!
Yup no problem to leave it out.
Thank you, Michele! I was wondering myself how crucial the nutritional yeast would be since I have MTHFR and have to avoid nutritional yeast due to the folic acid. Could I just add some good quality grass fed cheese? How much would you recommend? Seems I’m drawn to a lot of your recipes that call for this ingredient! LOL But I can’t wait to try! I’m loving your blog! 🙂
Had a couple potatoes on hand that I needed to use and made these tonight. They were SO good. I tried the filling before putting them in the oven for the second bake and I couldn’t wait to eat them. So so good.
So happy you liked it!
Hi thank you for the receipe , sounds amazing. Would it be ok to leave the ghee out? Thanks
I am going to try to these tonight, but plan on adding turkey sausage to make them a full meal (and to satisfy the male in the house). Any considerations need to be made? I plan to brown the sausage and add to the mixture around step 7. I also assume I will have plenty of filling leftover (maybe to eat with eggs in the AM?)
That should be great, I think it will work just fine and you’ll just have more filling leftover, which you can use however you like!
If the recipe calls for Nutritional Yeast than it isn’t Whole30 approved since the yeast is gluten-free but not grain-free. I guess I can just leave that part out or substitute it
Nutritional yeast is indeed Whole30 approved: https://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/
Was absolutely delicious. Thank you! Do you have any other vegan whole 30 recipes?
I’m so glad you enjoyed! I do have a few, probably 5 I’d say? To see all of them you can use the search bar (on the desktop version of the site) and type in Whole30 vegan 🙂
I made these and they were so delicious! I paired then with a veggie burger for a complete meal and was completely satisfied! Thank you for sharing
Sounds great! So happy you enjoyed!
i’m currently half way through my 3rd round of whole30 and was so tired of all my recipes. This was like a breath of fresh air! I made your recipe as is and I thought it was perfect!! thank you so much for this!
We tried these tonight and they are amazing. I love following all of your recipes! Everything I have made is just amazing
We tried these tonight with pork chops and all 3 of my kids (1.5, 7, 10) loves them! I’m on day 22 of Whole30 and these were just the amount of “cheesy” (but not really) that I needed.
Definitely adding this to our regular rotation! Who can pass up a way to get kids to eat spinach and artichoke?!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Awesome! So happy you all liked it 🙂
I threw some seared chicken on top of mine for extra protein. Very delicious!
Sounds perfect! Happy you enjoyed 🙂
tonight is my third time to make these and this is the first whole30 recipe that i’m taking to share with others at a wedding reception. i hope that’s a good enough endorsement for anyone on the fence about trying this recipe!i love it.
Wow that’s amazing, thrilled to hear it!
found these on pinterest and made them last night (with the butter flavored coconut oil) for my mom’s birthday. she loved them and wants to make them on easter now! we also did the stewed cinnamon apples with the coconut butter – omg, so good.
What does the nutritional yeast add for the recipe?
Flavor 🙂
By far, the best W30 recipe EVER. I made these for the first time a few months ago, and they’ve been on a near-constant rotation ever since. I always get sad when I realize I’m out of artichokes, lol.
I love the leftovers – I use them as “mashed potatoes” alongside a protein at a later meal (or two)!
I love this recipe so much, I make it weekly! The scooping and refilling is usually more work than I have time for, so I beat everything together including the skins, put it in a square dish, and bake as mashed potatoes instead. Thank you for a fabulous dish!
This is different and delicious. I used it as a main dish. The second time I made them my guests were late and they stayed in the oven longer and got crispy and lightly browned and were excellent.
unfortunately ghee is not vegan, wonder if you could use just vegan butter
Made these tonight, turned out great!! Thank you for the recipe !:)
Michele, thank you for this. My girlfriend recently went vegan. Made this for her and she loved it -Joe
OMG! We’re pescatarian and decided we need a reboot so we are on a Whole30 menu for 30 days. Today is day 3. I am not a fan of cooked spinach but my wife loves it so we made this recipe yesterday and it knocked our socks off!! It is so good and creamy and “cheesy”, we could eat it everyday! The only thing we did different is used all 4 potatoe insides and the whole can of artichoke hearts. I added a little veggie broth for consistency.
Delicious! Dairy has been bothering my husband lately, and I had some leftover baked potatoes in the house, so I was delighted to find this recipe. I used a bag of baby spinach, kale, chard, and the potatoes turned out well. Will be making this again. Thank you!
Is there anyway to make this recipe omitting any oils, ghee or butter?