Easy Keto Creamed Spinach Recipe – Low Carb and Gluten-Free

This easy and cheesy Keto creamed spinach is going to be the perfect side dish for your next dinner. With only a few ingredients and less than 20 minutes to make, it’s so creamy and delicious. 

I feel like creamed spinach is one of those side dishes that people either love or hate. To tell you the truth I’ve always been in the hate column but it was pure ignorance since I’ve never even tried it before now. But I can now tell you that after giving it a fair try, it’s so stinking delicious!!!! 

What I like about low carb creamed spinach is that it can be used as a side dish or even as a dip for an appetizer. It serves two purposes. It also is totally Keto-friendly, making it perfect for anyone counting carbs.

If any of you are not quite sold on creamed spinach please give my easy recipe a try, I have a feeling you just might change your mind. 

What is Creamed Spinach?

Creamed spinach is a very common side dish that can be served with steak, chicken or pork. A recipe for creamed spinach starts off with fresh spinach (with the stems removed), and it’s smothered in a rich creamy cheese sauce. Typically it has cream, garlic, and lots of parmesan cheese.  A lot of the time you will find creamed spinach at good steak houses. 

Now my recipe may not be traditional, but this keto creamed spinach with the addition of cream cheese will have you never asking for a traditional recipe again. 

This recipe calls for 1 pound of fresh spinach. I know that sounds like a lot but trust me it’s not. 1 pound of fresh spinach will cook down to a small amount, and you should get about 4 servings out of it. 

Is Spinach Good for Keto?

Spinach is often described as a superfood and is frequently referred to as one of the healthiest foods for us to eat. It’s a pretty versatile vegetable and can be added to a countless number of recipes and eaten in a variety of ways. It is a powerhouse vegetable that rejuvenates your body with so many nutrients that you need, especially while on keto. 

It is a leafy green vegetable that originated in Persia. And surprisingly it’s related to beets and quinoa, weird right? 

What are the health benefits of spinach? There are too many to count, but I will list a few of them for you…

• Can benefit eye health
• Reduce oxidative stress
• Helps prevent cancer
• Reduce blood pressure levels
• Loaded with antioxidants that help with diabetes, decreasing heart problems, and helps fight aging

Spinach is also packed tons of vitamins and minerals including:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Folic Acid
• Iron
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin E  
• !8 different Amino Acids

Something to keep in mind though that while spinach has so many good benefits and is loaded with vitamins, there are actually a couple of potential downsides to it:

1. Blood Clotting – Spinach is very high in vitamin K1 which plays a big role in blood clotting in your body. So it can interfere with blood-thinning medication, people taking blood thinners should consult their doctor before eating a large amount of spinach.  
2. Kidney Stones – A kidney stone is caused by acid and mineral salt buildup and the most common is calcium stone. Spinach is high calcium, so anyone who is at high risk for kidney stones really should limit their spinach intake. 

So the bottom line is if you have kidney stones or blood clotting please limit your spinach intake and always consult a physician before adding too much into your diet. 

How Many Net Carbs are in Creamed Spinach?

This easy creamed spinach recipe is only 3.5 NET CARBS per heaping ½ cup, which I’d say is a pretty good size helping. But of course, if you want to lower your quantity to ¼ cup then it’s going to lower your net carbs to 1.75 per serving. 

What Ingredients are in Keto Creamed Spinach?

Spinach – It is one of the most popular leafy greens consumed while on Keto. 1 pound of fresh spinach is about 10 cups. Make sure to cut stems off first

Cream Cheese  – Instead of using flour, the cream cheese is used to help thicken the sauce

Heavy Cream

Parmesan Cheese 

Butter 

Garlic & Onion – If you are counting carbs then only use a small amount of both of these ingredients. 2 cloves of garlic and ¼ cup of chopped onion is a good amount. But if not counting carbs feel free to up the amount of both.  

Can I Use Frozen Spinach Instead of Fresh?

Even though I prefer using fresh spinach, you can choose to substitute it with frozen spinach if you want to. Make sure you use the same quantity of frozen that you would fresh. 

If you choose to use frozen spinach, thaw and drain it really well. Once it’s thawed, squeeze out the excess water.  

On the positive side, when using frozen spinach you can keep it stocked in the freezer and have it ready and available at any time. 

Can I Make Creamed Spinach Without Flour?

Yes, you can! In fact, our recipe doesn’t have any flour in it at all. Some recipes call for some type of flour to thicken it but honestly, it’s actually unnecessary. 

My low carb creamed spinach gets thick from simmering the heavy cream and then adding the cream cheese as a thickening agent. If you find that you want to make it even thicker, then adding a very small amount of Xanthan Gum to your sauce. 

Whether you are gluten-free or on keto, this creamed spinach is perfect for anyone following a special diet or not. 

How do you Make Keto Creamed Spinach?

Gather all your ingredients together.

Start by either cutting or picking off the stems of the spinach, then set aside.

Chop onion and mince garlic cloves.

In a pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter and saute garlic and onion until tender, should just take a couple of minutes. 

Then add the raw spinach. You may have to add it in batches depending on how big your pan is.

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Once all the spinach is added, let it cook down.

As soon as it’s cooked transfer to a colander in the sink to drain all the liquid. Set aside. 

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Melt the rest of the butter in the pan.

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Add cream cheese, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese. Stir for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. 

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When the sauce reaches the desired thickness, add the cooked spinach to the pan. Stir everything together. 

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Top with grated or shredded cheese and serve immediately. 

How to Thicken Creamed Spinach?

Heavy cream is the main ingredient used to thicken this gluten-free creamed spinach. Stirring continuously will help to thicken. But another key ingredient to thickening the spinach is cream cheese. Only a small amount is needed to do the job. I use about 2 ounces. 

Another option is adding a very small amount of xanthan gum. A very small amount I said…¼-⅛ teaspoon is all you need. It will help thicken up the sauce. 

Making Creamed Spinach in a Slow Cooker

It’s that time of year when the crockpot comes out and stays out for the next few months. That being said, this easy creamed spinach recipe just got even easier. 

Add all the ingredients to the crockpot (slow cooker) and stir them all together. Cook on high for 1-3 hours or on low for 3-5 hours. 

The nice thing about this slow cooker recipe is that it doesn’t need all day to cook, just a few hours and it’s all done. 

Variations on this Recipe 

You can add other ingredients based on your own taste buds to take this creamed spinach to the next level. 

For instance:

• Red pepper flakes to give it a little kick
• Mozzarella cheese
• A little bit of nutmeg
• A squeeze of lemon

Can I Make this Recipe Vegan?

I like to come up with vegan or dairy-free options for as many of my recipes as I can, but that being said I don’t think I can give you a vegan option for this creamed spinach recipe. I wish I could, but considering cream and cheese are 2 of the key ingredients. Sorry guys! 

What Goes Well with Creamed Spinach?

The nice thing about this keto creamed spinach recipe is that it goes with so many things!!   Here are a few ideas for you:

• Perfect Oven Roasted Turkey
• Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
• Pork Tenderloin
• Oven Roasted Prime Rib
• Grilled Steaks
• Low Carb Stuffing
• Spiral Ham

As I said, you really can serve it with whatever you want. It’s the perfect versatile side dish. 

Can I Make Creamed Spinach in Advance?

Yes, there is no problem if you want to make your keto creamed spinach ahead of time. Just keep in mind that it does taste a little bit better when made fresh, but it is still possible. 

Prepare the recipe as specified in the recipe card, but after it’s cooked, let it cool completely and then refrigerate for up to 2 days. 

How to Store Creamed Spinach 

To be honest, most of the time when I make this recipe for creamed spinach it doesn’t last very long at all. But if stored in an airtight container it should last about 3-4 days in the fridge. But after you make it, you might find that there aren’t many leftovers either. 

Can you Reheat Creamed Spinach?

After the low carb creamed spinach recipe has been cooked and refrigerated, it’s fine to reheat your leftovers the next day. You can reheat it on the stove by putting it into a pan over low heat while stirring it so it won’t stick.

Or you can simply put it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. 

Can You Freeze Creamed Spinach?

I don’t really recommend freezing creamed spinach because a lot of the time when you freeze creamy dishes they don’t defrost well at all. If you choose to do it anyway, you can thaw it out in a pan on the stovetop.

Adding a little more cream may be needed, and it should only take 10 minutes to thaw. 

Keto Side Dish Recipes:

If you’re in the mood for some other Low Carb Side Dishes, check out our:

• Roasted Green Beans
• Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
• Keto Mac and Cheese
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/Bacon

All of them are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will have your friends and family raving!

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