This Keto Creamed Spinach is an easy low-carb side dish that goes great with grilled steaks, chicken, or salmon!
Ready for the best low-carb side dish you’ll ever have? This Keto Creamed Spinach is a staple recipe you’ll turn to again and again, we promise!
I love spinach and I have always loved spinach even as a kid. Popeye the Sailor Man was my favorite cartoon, and he was strong to the finish ‘cuz he eats his spinach. One Christmas I even asked Santa for a can of spinach (I just realized how I must have sounded like an Appalachian Oliver Twist to the mall Santa) but I needed the spinach to go along with my temporary anchor tattoo and bubble pipe to complete the ensemble.
Anyway, whether or not you are a fan of spinach this recipe makes an excellent side dish. It’s perfectly cheesy with just a bit of nutmeg and can accompany your favorite chicken, steak, pork, or seafood entree.
Kale gets all the spotlight, but spinach is an amazingly delicious (and often undervalued) superfood. Spinach is packed full of magnesium, folate, and manganese especially when compared to other leafy greens.
For more information on how awesome spinach is, check out the links below:
- The Health Benefits of Spinach – BBC Good Food
- Spinach Nutrition: The Vitamin K Powerhouse – Dr. Axe
- What is Spinach Good For – Dr. Mercola
What’s in Keto Creamed Spinach?
- butter
- onion
- garlic
- spinach
- heavy cream
- parmesan
- cream cheese
- nutmeg
- salt & pepper
It’s a super simple ingredient list but makes the best creamed spinach you’ll ever have!
How to make this recipe plant-based and dairy-free – 2021 update
Since we went plant-based, we’ve tried this recipe a few times and have had great success with making it dairy-free. Here’s the swaps you’ll want to make:
- Butter – we use Miyoko’s
- Heavy cream – unsweetened plain almond milk does the trick
- Parmesan – we adore Violife parmesan!
- Cream cheese – Kite Hill is our go-to
Pretty simple!
What to serve this spinach side dish with:
Any grilled protein is delicious with this but you can also use the creamed spinach as a filling for salmon or chicken! Try it, it’s delicious!
How to store keto creamed spinach:
This recipe will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Simply reheat on the stovetop with a little extra cream.
Keto Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter dairy-free if plant-based
- 1/4 small onion thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lb baby spinach
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Violife parm for dairy-free
- 2 ounces cream cheese dairy-free if plant-based
- Pinch nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a 10.5" cast iron skillet, once hot add in the garlic and onion. Cook 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add in the spinach and cook 3-4 minutes until it's reduced in size. Add in the heavy cream and cream cheese, cook until the spinach is very wilted then stir in the parmesan, a pinch of nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
For extra decadence, use Mascarpone instead of cream cheese
Great idea Tim!
what serving size did you use for the nutrition info?
Nutritional info is for one serving
Silly question but… is the Parmesan cheese the kind the green container (grated) or freshly grated? And can I use a combination of both? Thank you!
We use freshly grated, I haven’t tested it with the container style but I assume if it’s just cheese and no additives it would work fine!
What is the quantity for one serving? Thanks
The serving size is listed at the top of each recipe – hope this helps!
Alex – this spinach is outstanding! I had it along with your recipe for cast iron steak – which was also spot on! I am starting my Keto journey tomorrow for the first time – and this meal was perfect to set me off on the right track! Our recipes are inspiring! Thank you!
How did you get all that spinach into a 10.5" pan? I used a 12" after eyeballing the bag, and it still fell over the edges of the pan onto the stove, and made it impossible to stir until I put a lid on it to start the wilting process! I’d go 12" with high edges, at a minimum–Or maybe a Dutch oven?
To add on to my previous post–We do love this recipe, and have now made it several times. Just can’t come close to getting it in a 10.5" pan.
I literally eat this multiple times per week. Thank you!
I cooked this today and it was wonderful. Had it with fresh yellow squash and baked catfish fillets.
This was so good. I used rainbow chard because my garden has blessed me with a ton of it but even with that change this had a unique flavor. I will definitely be making this again!
This was so delish my hubby asked me to make it again 3 days later. Served with steak the first time. Last night I poured it on top of skillet cooked chicken fillets (cooked with a little butter, white wine, and capers). Added provolone cheese to the hub’s portion – broiled it until bubbly and golden brown. He’s slowly starting to like keto 🙂
without the serving size the nutrition info is fairly useless
Hi Ed, the number of servings is listed at the top of the recipe card.
Tasted great but The spinach made it a little to watery. I going to cook spinach separately in pot of water for a few minutes and wring out on cheesecloth. Then add it to pan of ingredients.
Wonder why the spinach made it watery? You’re not supposed to add any water.
Hello, I would love to try your recipe, I just have one stupid question. It calls for 1 1b spinach. If I were to buy bagged spinach, how many ounces would one lb equal? 10oz bag? Thank you! This recipe sounds amazing!
Hi Tracy, 1 lb equals 16 ounces.
This was SO easy to make and absolutely delicious!!! I used it to top a grilled burger (with no bun). It was perfect! I will be making this every week. YUM!!!!!
Delicious and easy to make.
You don’t give any instruction to chop the spinach so am really hoping that I have done it correctly, currently trying to wilt 500g of Baby Spinach.
Would frozen spinach work? Thanks.
We wouldn’t recommend it as it will be very watery.