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Creamed spinach is one of those love-it-or-hate-it foods. I actually always thought I fell into the latter category. But, with Thanksgiving around the corner (tomorrow!), I thought I’d sneak in one more low carb side dish for your holiday table. And, when I figured out how to make creamed spinach with cream cheese, I discovered it tastes absolutely delicious. If you or one of your family members is on the fence about it, I hope this low carb keto creamed spinach recipe will convert you, too!
What Is Creamed Spinach?
Creamed spinach is a classic side dish popular for the holidays and at steakhouses.
The basic ingredients to make easy creamed spinach are – not surprisingly! – spinach and either milk or cream. Other popular additions to creamed spinach include garlic, Parmesan or other cheeses, nutmeg and various herbs.
What Does Creamed Spinach Taste Like?
The best creamed spinach recipe should taste rich, creamy and cheesy! Even if you are not a huge fan of spinach, these aspects make it totally delicious.
Is Creamed Spinach Keto? Healthy?
Sometimes creamed spinach is thickened with flour, but this is actually unnecessary. It’s really easy to make naturally gluten-free, low carb creamed spinach.
My version of creamed spinach with cream cheese gets thick simply from simmering the heavy cream. The cream cheese also acts as a thickener.
So, this is a keto creamed spinach recipe without any specialty ingredients. And, the whole family will enjoy it whether they are following a special diet or not.
The natural ingredients make it a healthy dish in my book, though it’s definitely not low fat if that’s what you are looking for.
How To Make Creamed Spinach with Cream Cheese (without Flour!)
As a holiday dish, it may sound like the method for how to make creamed spinach should be complicated. That couldn’t be further from the truth!
It only takes 15 minutes to make this low carb creamed spinach recipe. And, it’s a great side dish to add to your table that won’t require turning on your oven.
To make this easy creamed spinach, simply saute the garlic, then the spinach. Add the cream, cream cheese, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook for a few minutes to thicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan to serve and you’re done!
This is one of the quickest side dishes, along with roasted garlic cauliflower, you could ever make, so it’s actually perfect for a weeknight, too.
Do I Have To Use Baby Spinach?
No, any fresh spinach will work. But, baby spinach will have a more mild flavor and is less bitter than full grown spinach.
Can I Use Frozen Spinach?
Yes, you can! Feel free to substitute 10 oz fresh spinach with 10 oz chopped frozen spinach instead.
If you use frozen spinach, thaw and drain well first. Squeeze it to get rid of extra water.
After that, the saute time after adding the spinach will be shorter, but the time after adding cream will be the same.
Can I Make Creamed Spinach in Advance?
Yes, you can! Low carb creamed spinach does taste slightly better fresh, but making it ahead is doable.
The process for how to make creamed spinach in advance is super simple. Prepare it as directed and cool completely. After that, refrigerate for a day or two.
When you are ready to serve your keto creamed spinach, just reheat in a pan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
How Long Does Creamed Spinach Last?
The instructions for making this easy creamed spinach recipe ahead say to make it 1 to 2 days ahead. If you are serving it for guests, this is best.
However, if you just want to store leftovers for your family, you can get away with a bit longer.
In an airtight container, creamed spinach with cream cheese will last about 3 to 5 days. The reheating process is the same as above, but don’t be surprised if the color isn’t as bright as when it’s fresh.
What Does Creamed Spinach Go With?
The great thing about easy creamed spinach is it goes with just about anything! Here are a few ideas, both holiday and not:
- Garlic herb butter turkey for Thanksgiving
- Filet mignon for a special meal
- Crispy baked chicken thighs for weeknight dinners
- Slow cooker chicken wings for an effortless dinner
- Slow cooker pot roast for a classic pairing
Reader Favorite Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers also made these similar recipes after making this one.
Tools To Make Low Carb Creamed Spinach:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Wood saute spatula – So cute and perfect for creamed spinach!
- Large wok – Either a wok or saute pan will work, but a large wok will make it easier to fit all the spinach in there. This one also heats up evenly, which is a big plus.
RECIPE CARD
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Easy Low Carb Keto Creamed Spinach Recipe
How to make creamed spinach in 15 minutes! This easy, low carb keto creamed spinach recipe with cream cheese needs just a few common ingredients.
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Instructions
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Heat butter in a large saute pan or wok over medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant.
Add spinach. Saute for 2 to 4 minutes, until wilted. If the pan is too full to stir at first, cover it for a minute or two, which will let the spinach at the bottom wilt. Then you can start to stir in a folding motion.
Add heavy cream, cream cheese, sea salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir constantly until the cream cheese melts, then cook a few minutes until thickened.
If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for serving.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/2 cup
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Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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101 Comments
Audrey Harrington
Easy and good. I only had frozen spinach but I squeezed the water out and it was very good. Want to try with fresh next time.
Melissa
Can you use frozen spinach?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Melissa, Yes. Just let the spinach defrost and squeeze out the excess water first.
Dianna
Delicious!! One of the best recipes I have tried!
Ericka
This is absolutely delicious and easy to make. We’ll definitely be making this again. I had no problem with the sauce thickening, although I did use a little less than the indicated amount of cream. (I don’t know that it wouldn’t otherwise have thickened, though, as I’ve only made it once.)
Maureen Voll
Just made this for dinner. I should have made a double batch! I was counting on hubby not wanting it…so more for me, but he loved it as well! Looks like this is part of our menu going forward. Seriously, so good and so easy!
Melissa
I did it two times with and without the heavy cream. Taste 10 times better without it.
Amanda
Hi
Can you make this ahead and refrigerate overnight then reheat? I’m thinking of making this as a Thanksgiving side dish, but would love to make it the day before.
Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Amanda, Yes, you can make this in advance. There is a section in the post called ‘Can I Make Creamed Spinach in Advance’ that goes over the details of doing this. Enjoy!
Amanda
Oh my goodness, I don’t know how I missed that clearly labeled section! Thanks for pointing me to it!
Eileen
This creamed spinach was better than any I’ve had at expensive steakhouses!! It was so easy and it was excellent! Everybody loved it It I used fresh baby spinach and don’t think it would have been as good if I used frozen.
Terina R.
The taste of this dish was fabulous! I did use chive and onion cream cheese instead of regular. We all really liked it! The only unfortunate thing is I couldn’t get the sauce to thicken. We had to serve it in little bowls because it was so runny. Not sure if anyone else experienced this. Aside from the flavor of the cream cheese, I followed the recipe exactly.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Terina, Did you make this recipe with fresh or frozen spinach? If it was frozen it may have needed additional time to cook the excess water out and thicken the sauce.
Echo
This is a great recipe! I used a 12 oz. bag of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed well), and left the remaining ingredient measurements as they were written. The result was quite literally the best creamed spinach I’ve ever had. This recipe is perfect, and I have eaten this version of creamed spinach 3 times since I discovered it, each time it was awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this.
Cindy
I thawed a bag of chopped spinach thinking I’d use it in smooties but couldn’t get in the mood for a smoothie. Decided I needed a vegetable with dinner tonight and found this recipe. It was really easy and really good. My son had his with tortilla chips, he loves spinach dip that’s heavy on the spinach with no artichokes so he used it for a dip. When it was done cooking I topped it with quite a bit of shredded parmesan cheese, then after it melted went ahead and stirred it in.
Alexis
I made this tonight since I had some spinach in the freezer and all the ingredients. It came up amazing!!! I didn’t change a thing, it is perfect to me!
Thank you so much for posting it!!
Carolyn Ekkert
Absolutely loved this recipe, a new go-to. It tastes like weekend but comes together like weeknight. I had mine last night with a greek marinated pork chop. Kids loved it, too. Only change I made was I stirred a little extra shredded Parmesan in during cooking and also sprinkled some on top at the end. Creamy and delicious.
Eric
Hi, I couldn’t see any video link to view, as there isn’t any image to click to view it, can you check?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Eric, The video for this recipe is located in the recipe card. If you cannot see it, please make sure you aren’t viewing the page in ‘Reader Mode.’ You can verify this in your browser settings.
Robin
DELICIOUS! I squeezed the juice from one fresh lemon into it at the end and, in my opinion (and my daughter’s), that put this recipe over the top!
Mel
I made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly only subbing 10oz of frozen spinach for fresh. I measured 1/2 a cup and there’s no way I’m going to be able to get 4 servings out of this. Maybe 2.5. Is that correct?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Mel, Frozen spinach should give you the same yield (4 1/2 cup servings).
Candi
Very delicious!
Suzanne Musso
Just made this for dinner, truly delicious. I had to stop myself going back for more. I like mine with a little added nutmeg also I will cut back on the salt next time. But I will definitely make many more times again. Thank you.
Dawn
Amazing!!
Elizabeth Lampman
This was sooooo delicious. Definitely will be part of our regular rotation.
Danielle W.
Maya, this is an A+ recipe! I have loved creamed spinach for years but had no idea how easy it was to make on my own! I wanted to eat the whole recipe. Your blueberry muffins have been my favorite recipe of yours since I began the keto lifestyle in 2018, but this one may be my new favorite — or at least my new favorite savory recipe. Thank you!!
Julie
Can this be frozen? If so, at what point in the prep or cooking process? I have some fresh spinach that needs to be used but too much for me to eat in a couple of days. Thanks!!!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Julie, I would freeze the spinach after the sauteeing/wilting process. When you want to prepare creamed spinach, you can take out the amount you need and add the dairy to it.
Pam
I don’t much care for spinach as just a vegetable, but I do like it in a smoothie or in a dip. That has changed! I made this recipe last night and we both loved it! And it is so quick and easy! My husband said to keep this recipe handy! Thanks so much for sharing it! I’ve tried several of your recipes and have liked every one of them so far.
Betsy
I found this recipe to be too watery unfortunately.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Betsy, It sounds like it needed to cook longer to reduce the liquid.
Amanda
Hi, I’m looking to make tonight. If I used this 8 ounce bag of spinach what would the measurements be for the rest of the ingredients? Thank You.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Amanda, Change the servings for the recipe from 4 to 3 and it will give you more accurate measurements for the amount of spinach you have on hand.
Stephanie
So delicious!! Everyone loved it 🙂 I added some onion powder and a little cayenne for an extra punch. Will definitely make this again, thank you!
Kurt
This was great! I have since tried this by substituting some (or all!) of the creme cheese with goat cheese, making it a bit more hearty.
Kristi
I ABSOLUTELY LLLOOOVVVEEE THIS RECIPE!! It was SO good! My mom had never had creamed spinach before, other than when she was a child (then she hated it) and she loved it! So easy to make! Thanks for the recipes!!
Kristi
The only thing that I would change is the serving size. I ate an entire recipes worth of this and I still wanted more!!
Judy
We enjoyed this tonight with salmon. I used sour cream in place of the cream and cream cheese. I also used herbs from our ¨garden¨ rosemary, thyme and mexican oregano.
Debora
Outta HWC, ok to make without?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Debora, It would be too thick without it so you’d need something else to thin it out. Maybe almond milk or coconut milk? You’d need less of these than the HWC, since they are thinner.
Leah
This was delicious! I did put about 1/4 Cup of parm in the spinach and sprinkled some more on top. Made ahead and stuck in the oven to warm before serving. Thank you for sharing this!
Jeanne Wise
Trying to understand how 10 oz of baby spinach is 16 cups? Looking to try your recipe….
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jeanne, This is a chopped, loose measurement. If you start with 10 ounces, it will be fine no matter what final measurement you get from chopping.
Jeff Hull
This is first delicious but simple and healthy. Best I have very had. We used this as one of our sides to a steak dinner at home. We will be making this again very soon.
Colleen
Tried this tonight and it’s an instant hit. Loved it.
Amanda Counts
Well, this rocked as usual! This is the first creamed spinach recipe I’ve tried at home and liked. Thanks for another success!
Barbara
Delicious recipe and so easy to make. We’ve been eating it al least twice a week since I found your recipe and my husband never liked cooked spinach. Thank you for sharing.
S Rushing
How many does this recipe serve?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi, This recipe serves 4. Enjoy!
Nicole
While you sounded skeptical about creamed spinach, I really enjoy it and am glad for a keto recipe for it. As you mentioned, many variations – I skipped the Italian seasoning, used a teaspoon of chicken bouillon instead of salt, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Yum! MIne was still pretty soupy even after the cream cheese, so I stirred in a small amount of Xantham Gum (less than a teaspoon) to thicken it up a bit. My soupiness probably due to using fresh spinach and putting in some extra, as it seemed like plenty of sauce to wilt and coat more spinach with basically no extra carbs. Thanks!
Alaska Hungry
Really good and easy, I like sautéing the spinach over boiling. Maybe will add a little more cream cheese next time.
Marjorie Gauntt
Delicious!
Barbara Robison
I am terribly allergic to spinach. Can I substitute swiss chard?
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Barbara, that should work fine but the flavor will certainly be different.
Pam61
Delicious! Easy! What else is there to say???? Thanks for this recipe, and it will definitely be a frequent side in our family. Gonna put it on our Thanksgiving side dish list for sure!
Libby
Oh my! This was so delicious, I could have eaten the whole thing. I have a saying for food that not only tastes good but really hits the spot–“It makes my heart sing.” Well, this creamed spinach made my heart sing.
Christy
My husband and I really loved this recipe but it was just a little too salty. Any advice for next time. I definitely plan to cook this again. The cheesy part was great !
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Christy, You can omit the salt next time around. Also if you normally use salted butter, you may want to use unsalted for this recipe. Enjoy!
Megan Stevens
SUCH comfort food!! Thank you for such a reliable and yummy recipe!!
Linda
Oh yum! Creamed spinach is my favorite and every time there’s creamed spinach, I’ll be the first in line. Glad I can make this at home now.
Katherine
Mmmm creamed spinach!! I’ve actually been sauteing spinach a lot lately, but creamed spinach would be a fantastic treat!
Jean Choi
Love creamed spinach and this looks so perfect!
Raia Todd
Sounds like the perfect side for the holidays!
Marlene Gallemore
Oh my, so incredibly delicious!!! I should of made 3 batches…Thank you!
Mary Mastrogiacomo
Hi having trouble getting it to thicken. Doubled all ingredients for a large group. Any suggestions?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Mary, you could melt in a little more cream cheese. You could also try adding a very small pinch of xanthan gum to the mixture.
Jake
This is a great recipe! I made 1 change and added a bit of ground clove. It gave it an awesome after taste. We served it over a center cut pork chop. It was amazing!!
Bev
Love this recipe!
Angelica
Love ittt!!
Robin Skidmore
Another winner! I use this as a meal hack now. I’ll add different things I have – mushrooms, onions, peppers, a little bacon, chicken, you name it – as a way to up the flavor and keto-value of an otherwise redundant stir fry. I always have spinach, heavy cream, and cream cheese on hand so it’s a no-brainer!
Shabena
It was delicious. I also tried it with grated mozzarella, corrinder and green chilli for a different take on it.
Ms Emily T Hua
freakin amazing – thank you! – fit right into my keto plans!
Amber N Boles
The calorie count is 274 per half cup ?
Wholesome Yum
Correct, Amber!
Julie
Very good. I used with canned spinach. Thanks for sharing. I’ll definitely make this again.
Valerie
This recipe was delicious. I added chopped mushrooms.
Miriam Rosales Hernandez
Yes I did and it is great! Then you for sharing so many good recipes
Barbara
How many servings will this recipe feed?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Barbara, It makes 4 servings.
Susan
Delicious! We loved it! Even my non Keto husband loved it and had seconds!
Yvonne Fisher
This is the second time I’ve used this recipe. Easy and delicious! Has anyone tried adding a little nutmeg too it?
Fergy
This was great— super easy! I made a seasoning change– I didn’t have Italian seasoning, so I used Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning blend (Sea salt, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, coriander, onion, garlic, paprika & chili pepper. It comes in a grinder, so I didn’t measure– I just ground it over the top and eyeballed it until it looked like enough to me.
Really good— I’ll make this again. Thanks for posting it
Marcey
Left out the Italian seasoning, but it was fabulous, and the leftovers would work really well folded into an omelet.
Amy
My husband LOVES creamed spinach (frozen from the box ), I’ve never been a fan. This recipe has changed my mind forever!!! I made it last night for his birthday. He was afraid it was going to be watery. Let me tell you, it was creamy, delicious and super fast!!! Try it you won’t regret it!!!
Wendy
This was easy to make. The Italian seasoning was a little different for me but I still enjoyed the dish. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us and I look forward to trying some others soon.
Honey
Another fabulous wholesome yum recipe. Made it exactly as written minus the salt. Served it with that basil pesto butter salmon that comes in Costco’s fresh meat dept in the oven-ready pan. I wasn’t looking forward to tonight’s dinner, because I’m a casserole/lasagna kinda girl and the idea of a chunk of meat on my plate is yuck at best. This paired so well with it, I’m even looking forward to the next time we have it. Thank you!!!
Monica Benavidez
This was incredibly easy and delicious! Better than a steakhouse.
Marla D
This creamed spinach was sooo yummy – thank you !
Iffy
This is AMAZING!!! Delicious and soooo filling! I didn’t have any italian seasoning on hand but works just as well with salt and pepper… And the double cream and butter n garlic taste…. Thank you very much for this recipe.
Jennifer
Super super great and super easy! I actually stirred in some fresh grated cheddar and Parm after it had thickened. My fiancé ate the whole pot!
Hope
Fabulous, loved it!
Nicole
This is so good, love it. So easy and tasty.
Angela K
This is so good! I’m bringing it to Christmas dinner, but made it for the first time today as a trial run. It is creamy and delicious and I love the addition of the Italian spice. I have a feeling this will work it’s way into my regular rotation!
Patricia Swenson
I honestly think the reason I LOVE Keto is getting to have creamed spinach! This is a delicious recipe and is made at least 3 times a month. I even use it in my spinach quiche!
Jessica Seitz
Just WOW! I love this recipe. It is so easy to make and probably the best tasting creamed spinach I have ever had. Way to go!
Jo
Super yummy!
Bonnie Loftspring
You will love this idea for vegs that need to be squeezed. I thaw frozen spinach in microwave, pour off what I can, put in French Coffee Press, and press. Voila, nicely separated.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Love this! Thank you for sharing, Bonnie!
Denay DeGuzman
This creamed-spinach recipe is super scrumptious!!! It’ll be enjoyed by the whole family tomorrow evening. Happy USA Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Abeer Rizvi
This looks so rich and creamy without all the guilt!