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This Keto Creamed Spinach Recipe is easy, cheesy, and the perfect copycat side dish for those who enjoy it at a steakhouse or Boston Market. I keep the carbs in creamed spinach low by making it without flour, whole milk and cornstarch. This easy recipe is ready in about 15 minutes and perfect for the whole family.
Why Make Low Carb Creamed Spinach
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and more, but some don’t like it plain or sautéed.
Creamed spinach is one of my favorite ways to get picky eaters to eat them.
Besides that, here’s some other reasons to make this creamed spinach recipe:
- Easy side dish recipe: whether you make it for a busy weeknight, meal prep, or a relaxing weekend afternoon, this easy recipe with simple ingredients only takes 15 minutes to make.
- No cornstarch flour as a thickening agent: One benefit of using heavy cream, Parmesan Cheese, and creamed cheese is that this creamed spinach recipe does not need a thickener like cornstarch or flour to make it creamy or to get that creamy texture that you love. By skipping those, it’s also a great option for those who need a gluten-free option.
- Fraction of the carbs: places like Boston Market and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse offer cream spinach as one of their side dishes. Since they don’t list all the ingredients, it’s hard to tell how many carbs are in their creamed spinach, but one estimate is that their versions have at least 10 grams of carbs. This recipe has about 3g.
- Versatile side dish: This is one of my absolute favorite keto side dish recipes because it has a ton of flavor, and it goes perfectly with chicken, ribs, seafood or steak (especially, my Beef Top Sirloin)
Ingredients Needed
Here is what you need to know about the ingredients to make my Keto Easy Creamed Spinach recipe successfully:
- Parmesan Cheese: I’m using the fresh variety that you can pick up in the refrigerated cheese section of the market. The grated kind looks just like the kind that you can pick up for Italian dishes. I get it fresh since it has a milder flavor and is less processed and salty.
- Cream Cheese: full-fat cream cheese
- Heavy Cream: Some creamed spinach recipes use whole milk or half and half, both of which have more carbs than heavy cream. So, I’m using heavy cream to cut carbs. It also tastes delicious!
- Salt: You can add additional salt if you want to, but the parmesan cheese adds some salty flavor naturally. I’d only add salt to this recipe at the very end after tasting it.
- Black Pepper
- Fresh Baby Spinach: Fresh spinach is a bit easier to work with because you don’t need to thaw and remove the extra liquid first. If you opt for frozen spinach, be sure to thaw it in the pan first to remove as much moisture and excess water as possible.
- Shallots: I use these because they have a milder flavor, but regular yellow onions would work too.
- Minced Garlic
How to Make Creamed Spinach with Flour
- Sauté the shallots & garlic in a large skillet (photo 1).
- Make the cream sauce by adding the spices, heavy cream, cream cheese, and Parmesan Cheese to the pan. The longer you cook the sauce, the more it will reduce (photo 2).
- Add in the spinach to the cream sauce & cook until wilted (photos 3 – 4).
Top Cooking Tips & Recipe FAQs
- Reheating & Storage: Store any leftover low-carb creamed spinach in an airtight container for the next day (up to 3-4 days). When I’m ready to enjoy the dish, I simply pop it in the microwave for 1 minute on medium heat.
- Fresh is Best: You can use either fresh or frozen spinach. But, I find fresh spinach works best since frozen spinach is already wilted.
- Lighter variation: If you want to make this dish a little lighter, a good idea is to start by replacing some of the heavy cream with chicken broth. You can also use less cream cheese, and then reduce the overall cheese amount to your personal preference.
- Extra Flavor (Optional): Add a little bit of onion powder and Italian seasoning to your cooked spinach to taste.
- Add more spinach: this version is super creamy. But, you can add more spinach if you wish. I generally, buy my spinach in bulk. Then, I use some and freeze the rest for things like smoothies.
My easy keto, low carb creamed spinach recipe contains 2 net carbs per serving. In terms of calories, each serving has 238 calories. But, the majority of the calories come from fat and some come from protein, which makes the creamed spinach keto-friendly.
If you are using frozen spinach, you can add it into your pan after you sauté your onions and garlic. By sautéing it before making the cream sauce, you’ll be able to thaw it in the pan and remove some of the liquids.
Recipes to Serve with Creamed Spinach
This Creamed Spinach pairs well with several entrees. If you are stuck on ideas, here are a few of my favorite dishes to pair it with:
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast
- Keto BBQ Ribs
- Pressure Cooker Pot Roast
- Oven-Fried Crispy Wings
- Pan Seared Scallops
- Air Fryer BBQ Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Ninja Air Fryer Steak [+Video]
Keto Creamed Spinach Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/3 cup Shallot, sliced thinly
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Organic Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 oz Cream Cheese
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 10 oz Spinach, I used fresh and 10 oz was 2 bags
- 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt to taste, optional
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute until they are translucent (~2 minutes).
- Turn the pan heat to medium low. Then, add the heavy cream, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and black pepper to the pan. Use a silicone spatula to incorporate the ingredients. You want the cream cheese fully melted.
- Add the spinach to the pan and mix it with the sauce. You want to cook this until it is slightly wilted.
- Taste the Creamed Spinach and decide if you'd like to add a pinch of salt (~1/8 tsp). Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Reheating & Storage: Store any leftover low-carb creamed spinach in an airtight container for the next day (up to 3-4 days). When I’m ready to enjoy the dish, I simply pop it in the microwave for 1 minute on medium heat.
- Fresh is Best: You can use either fresh or frozen spinach. But, I find fresh spinach works best since frozen spinach is already wilted.
- Lighter variation: If you want to make this dish a little lighter, a good idea is to start by replacing some of the heavy cream with chicken broth. You can also use less cream cheese, and then reduce the overall cheese amount to your personal preference.
- Extra Flavor (Optional): Add a little bit of onion powder and Italian seasoning to your cooked spinach to taste.
- Add more spinach: this version is super creamy. But, you can add more spinach if you wish. I generally, buy my spinach in bulk. Then, I use some and freeze the rest for things like smoothies.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!
