Keto Creamed Spinach

Keto Creamed Spinach is an easy, cheesy side dish with tender spinach in a rich cream sauce. It has the creamy texture and savory flavor you expect from steakhouse creamed spinach, but it is made without flour or cornstarch to keep the carbs low.

It is ready in about 15 minutes, so you can make it for a weeknight dinner, holiday meal, or special occasion. Serve it with Pan Seared Steak, Air Fryer Roasted Whole Chicken, or Pan Seared Scallops to complete the meal.

Why You’ll Love This Keto Creamed Spinach Recipe

I love creamed spinach because it turns a simple vegetable into a rich, flavorful side dish. It is also a great way to serve spinach to someone who may not enjoy it plain or sautéed.

• Ready in about 15 minutes: You can make this quick side dish while the rest of dinner cooks.
• No flour or cornstarch: Heavy cream, cream cheese, and Parmesan make the sauce thick and creamy.
• Low in carbs: Each serving has about 2 grams of net carbs.
• Rich, steakhouse-style flavor: It tastes like a restaurant side dish without the higher-carb thickeners.
• Easy to adjust: Add more spinach if you prefer less sauce or adjust the cheese to suit your taste.

Ingredients Needed

• Fresh baby spinach: Fresh spinach can go straight into the cream sauce. It shrinks quite a bit as it cooks, so add it in batches if your skillet looks full.
• Heavy cream: This makes the sauce rich and creamy without needing flour or cornstarch.
• Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese. Cut it into smaller pieces so it melts more quickly.
• Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan melts smoothly and adds plenty of savory flavor.
• Shallots: Shallots have a mild onion flavor. Finely chopped yellow onion also works.
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds flavor to the cream sauce.
• Black pepper: Add this to taste.
• Salt: Wait until the end to add salt since Parmesan is already salty.

Fresh or Frozen Spinach

You can make this recipe with fresh or frozen spinach, but the order of the steps changes slightly. Fresh baby spinach can go directly into the finished cream sauce. Add it by the handful, letting each batch wilt before adding more.

When using frozen spinach, add it to the skillet after sautéing the shallots and garlic. Cook it until it is completely thawed and most of the released water has evaporated. Then, add the heavy cream, cream cheese, Parmesan, and seasonings. Give the frozen spinach enough time to release its moisture before making the sauce. Adding the dairy while there is still excess water in the pan can leave your creamed spinach thin.

For a lighter spinach side without cream or cheese, try my Sautéed Spinach. It is another quick skillet recipe made with garlic, butter, and lemon.

How to Make Keto Creamed Spinach Without Flour

Soften the shallots

Cook the shallots until they are soft and slightly translucent. Add the garlic once the shallots are nearly done. You only need to cook the garlic until you can smell it.

Cook off the water from frozen spinach

Skip this step if you are using fresh spinach. Add the frozen spinach to the skillet with the shallots and garlic. Let it thaw in the pan, then continue cooking until most of the released water has evaporated. The bottom of the skillet should no longer look wet before you add the cream and cheese.

Make the cream sauce

Stir in the heavy cream, cream cheese, Parmesan, and seasonings. Keep the heat low enough that the sauce gently simmers instead of boiling. The cream cheese should melt completely, and the sauce should look smooth. It is ready when it lightly coats a spoon.

Wilt the fresh spinach

If you are using fresh spinach, add it a little at a time after the cream sauce is smooth. Gently fold each handful into the sauce as it wilts and makes more room in the skillet. Take the pan off the heat once the spinach is tender and evenly coated. Cooking it too long can make it release more water and lose its bright color.

How to Keep Creamed Spinach From Getting Watery

Spinach naturally releases water as it cooks. A few small steps will help keep the sauce thick and creamy:

• Add frozen spinach to the skillet after cooking the shallots and garlic.
• Sauté frozen spinach until it is thawed and most of the released water has evaporated.
• Do not add the cream and cheese while there is still excess liquid in the pan.
• Let a thin sauce simmer for a few minutes before adding fresh spinach.
• Add fresh spinach in batches instead of crowding the pan.
• Stop cooking once the spinach has wilted.
• Let the finished dish rest for a few minutes before serving.

If the sauce gets too thick, stir in a small splash of heavy cream. If it is too thin, let it simmer uncovered over low heat while you stir.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Add more spinach

This recipe has plenty of creamy sauce. Add more spinach if you want more greens and a little less sauce in each bite.

Make it lighter

Replace some of the heavy cream with chicken broth. You can also use a little less cream cheese or Parmesan, but the sauce will not be quite as thick.

Add more flavor

A small pinch of onion powder, Italian seasoning, or nutmeg works well. Nutmeg gives the dish a more traditional steakhouse-style flavor.

Taste before adding salt

Parmesan can make the sauce salty on its own. Taste the finished spinach before adding any extra salt.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make ahead: Prepare the creamed spinach one or two days before serving and store it in the refrigerator.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to three or four days.
• Microwave: Reheat it at medium power in short intervals, stirring between each one.
• Stovetop: Warm it over low heat and stir often. Add a splash of heavy cream if the sauce is too thick.
• Freezing: The dairy sauce can separate after freezing, so this recipe is best served fresh or refrigerated.

Keto Creamed Spinach FAQs

What to Serve With Keto Creamed Spinach

Keto creamed spinach works with chicken, beef, pork, turkey, and seafood. Use these ideas to turn it into a complete low-carb dinner.

• Chicken: Serve it with Air Fryer Whole Chicken, Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings, Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs, or Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs.
• Beef: Make a steakhouse-style dinner with Pan Seared Steak or Air Fryer Steak. You can also serve it with Ninja Foodi Pot Roast.
• Pork: Add smoky barbecue flavor with these Keto Ribs.
• Turkey: Serve it with Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast for a smaller holiday meal or an easy turkey dinner.
• Seafood: Try it with Pan Seared Scallops or Pan Seared Halibut.