Easy Creamed Spinach
This Easy Creamed Spinach is a classic steakhouse side that’s Keto friendly, has a super creamy texture and absolutely loaded with cheesy flavor.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love this Creamed Spinach Recipe
- Classic steakhouse Keto friendly side
- Super creamy texture and cheesy flavor
- Easy to make in just 10 minutes
- Loaded with healthy fats
- Family friendly
This easy low carb side uses frozen spinach to make things much easier. And you could certainly use fresh spinach if you’d like, as well as a few other substitutions that I mentioned down below.
If you’ve had creamed spinach in a restaurant or steakhouse before, you know how rich and delicious it is. This low carb creamed spinach version is every bit as good, so you will not be disappointed in the least!
If you love spinach as much as I do, check out some of my favorite Keto spinach recipes like Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole, Salmon Piccata with Spinach, Spinach Artichoke Dip and Italian Sausage and Spinach Quiche, just to name a few.
🛒 What’s in Keto Creamed Spinach
- Spinach
- Heavy cream
- Mascarpone cheese
- Cream cheese
- Asiago cheese
- Garlic
- Butter
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
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🔪 How to Make Low Carb Creamed Spinach
Defrost the spinach and squeeze every bit of water out that you can, making sure it is as dry as possible.
Next, add the butter to your skillet over medium heat.
Once it has melted, add in the garlic and sauté for about 10-15 seconds, being careful not to burn it.
Tip: If your garlic cooks too long and develops any color, discard it, wash out your pan and start over. Garlic that’s been browned becomes extremely bitter and will ruin your entire dish.
Once the garlic has finished sautéing add in the heavy cream, mascarpone, cream cheese, salt and pepper and mix until the cheese has all melted.
Stir in the asiago cheese just until incorporated.
Add in the spinach, mix it together until the spinach is well distributed, then simmer (uncovered) on low for 5 minutes, or until thickened to your liking.
Serve warm with extra asiago cheese grated over the top.
What Can I Serve with Creamed Spinach?
Creamed spinach will pair nicely with just about any protein you like, but here are some of my favorites:
- Cast Iron Steak and Mushrooms
- Lemon Chicken
- Grilled Ribeye with Compound Butter
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Pan-Seared Filet Mignon
How to Store Leftover Spinach
Not that you are likely to have any leftovers of this delicious, low carb creamed spinach, but if you do, you can store it in the fridge for a few days in an airtight container or freeze.
Substitutions for Keto Creamed Spinach
- If you can’t find mascarpone, you can use all cream cheese. This will change the total carb count so be sure you take this into account if you are counting carbs.
- For a more “soupy” version of creamed spinach, all you have to do is add a little more heavy cream. Be sure to add a little more salt as well.
- This recipe uses Asiago cheese, but you can substitute with Parmesan or Romano cheese if that’s what you have on hand.
- If you prefer to use fresh spinach instead of frozen, you’ll need to remember that one pound of fresh spinach is the equivalent to one 10 oz. package of frozen.
Why is Spinach Good for a Low Carb or Keto Diet?
It really should come as no surprise that because most of the carbs in spinach consists of fiber, it is considered a cornerstone vegetable for Keto.
Is Creamed Spinach Good for You?
In addition to being low in carbs and high in fiber, spinach is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. To learn about all the other healthy benefits of spinach, check out this article on Healthline.
Is Creamed Spinach High in Carbs? How Many Carbs in Keto Creamed Spinach?
There are only 3 net carbs in a cup of cooked spinach, which definitely makes this an excellent choice for your low carb diet!
How Do you Thicken Creamed Spinach?
No actual thickening agent is needed in this low carb creamed spinach recipe because the 3 cheeses are enough to thicken the sauce to the perfect consistency.
Does Creamed Spinach Contain Cheese?
Yes, that’s what makes it so amazingly delicious and creamy! In this recipe, I use 3 types of cheese: cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and asiago cheese. Be sure to refer to the substitutions section above if you have trouble finding any of them.
More Keto Side Dishes
- Easy Coleslaw
- Cauliflower “Potato” Salad
- Easy Broccoli Salad
- Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
- Buffalo Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese
- Cheesy Roasted Asparagus
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Easy Creamed Spinach
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 2 – 9 ounce packages of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup cream cheese, room temperature
- 2/3 cup grated asiago, or parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Defrost the spinach and squeeze every bit of water out that you can, making sure it is as dry as possible. Heat a skillet over medium and sauté the garlic in the butter for about 20 seconds, careful not to burn it.
- Add in the heavy cream, mascarpone, cream cheese, salt and pepper and mix until the cheese has melted. Then add in the grated asiago. Add in the spinach and simmer (uncovered) on low for 5 minutes, or until thickened to your liking.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving with a grating of asiago cheese over the top. Store leftovers in the fridge for a few days or freeze.
Recipe Notes
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
© Copyright for Keto Cooking Christian LLC. Please use the share buttons to share on social media, but please do not copy/paste the recipe.
Rate this Recipe*Originally published on February 9, 2019, updated on March 8, 2023 with new photos and helpful tips.
This has become one of our favourite Christmas vegetable side dishes for the past three years. Even the young kids eat it!
That is so awesome to hear. I often make this dish at Christmas as well or anytime I am serving one of my steak dishes.
I have always loved creamed spinach and this recipe looks easy enough. Thanks for the helpful hints and substitution info.
You are so welcome! I love it also!
Have you ever tried a little nutmeg in creamed spinach? It takes the flavor to another level!!
No, but it sounds like I should. 😊
I can’t wait to make this Creamed Spinach again! It was so tasty! I cook just for myself now so decided to cook some wild rice to go with it. This turned out to be a good combination. Delicious! Thanks, Julianne, for all the love you put into your recipes!
You are so welcome and thank YOU for the sweet comments.
Looks amazing! Going to defrost now and make it tomorrow, thank you!
Thanks so much! I think you’re going to love it.
Just made this now and it is delicious. My mascarpone had gone bad, so I just use extra cream cheese and a little nutmeg also at the end thank you.
You’re so welcome. I used cream cheese sometimes too and it’s always amazing.
Delicious and easy to make
I am all about easy side dishes! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
I was really true to doing Keto for the past year but with health issues recently have fallen off the wagon I am not fond of cooking which is another issue How do I push myself to get back to it I felt so much better while on Keto Help!!!!!
So many people find themselves in your same shoes. Once you have veered away it can really be hard for some to get back on track. I wrote an article with some tips you may find helpful.
https://ketocookingchristian.com/how-to-restart-keto-after-cheating/
I made this exactly as written and it is absolutely delicious! So much better than other spinach au gratin recipes I have made. It’s a winner!
Awesome, thanks for letting me know and I’m glad you liked it!
What is considered a serving size, please?
1/6th of the entire recipe is a serving.
What is a serving? One cup? Half cup?
What would you substitute for marscapone? Riccotta?
I would say cream cheese would be a better substitute.
I have a lot of kale in my garden and made creamed kale… yummy! Just another idea using the same ingredients. Just make sure to cook the kale a bit as it’s a bit more sturdy than spinach is!
Great idea to use kale in place of spinach, thanks for sharing!
Hello Keto Cooking Christian, wondering how I can make this using fresh spinach? Will I start with the garlic and spinach first?
Hi Sandy,
I would actually sauté the spinach before the garlic, add it in batches as the spinach wilts. Once all the spinach has been added, remove any excess liquid then make a well in the center of the pan, add in a little butter and sauté the garlic. Then continue with the rest of the recipe. I hope that helps you and if you do make it, please let me know how it turns out!
Thank you, I’ll be sure to do that!