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    Home » Recipes » Low-Carb Keto Dinner Recipes

    Quick Keto Creamed Spinach with Bacon (Spinach Carbonara)

    Published: Feb 12, 2014· Modified: Nov 11, 2022· By Libby Jenkinson May contain affiliate links.

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    5-INGREDIENTS COOKBOOK STARTER PACK JUMP TO RECIPE
    collage of how to make creamed spinach recipe

    The easiest keto creamed spinach recipe you will ever make. It only needs a few simple ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes. Even your picky eaters will ask for seconds.

    Serve as a side dish, as the main dish, or even puree it into soup. It also makes a great keto dip for vegetable sticks.

    Made with fresh spinach, cream cheese, and bacon and only 2.6 grams of net carbs per serving.

    collage of how to make creamed spinach recipe
    Easy keto creamed spinach with bacon.

    It's such a versatile recipe, it can be made with any leafy green. Spinach, kale, swiss chard, and silverbeet all work beautifully

    Whether you call it keto creamed spinach or keto spinach carbonara, it's a great way to increase your intake of leafy greens.

    Jump to:
    • Is spinach keto?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving
    • Storage
    • Variations
    • Recipe FAQ
    • More favorite keto recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Keto Creamed Spinach Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Is spinach keto?

    protein charts for vegetables

    Nutrition facts: 1 cup of fresh spinach only yields 1 gram of protein.

    Nutritional values from cronometer.com

    Yes, spinach is a very low-carb vegetable that is commonly eaten on a low-carb diet or keto diet.

    Spinach has wonderful health properties and is high in fiber, low in carbs, and contains vitamin c. But contrary to popular belief, spinach is not high-protein.

    It can be tricky to get enough protein if you are a vegetarian or vegan and watching your daily carb intake, so you need to know which are the best high-protein vegetables and high-protein fruits to choose.

    Ingredients

    labelled ingredients to make keto creamed spinach
    A few simple ingredients to make keto creamed spinach recipe

    This keto creamed spinach recipe is very easy to put together and requires just a few simple ingredients.

    • spinach - fresh baby spinach or any other leafy green of your choice. You can also use defrosted and drained frozen spinach.
    • spring onion - I prefer the more mild flavor this provides over a typical onion, but you could use either in a pinch.
    • cream cheese - look for a variety that is plain and full fat.
    • butter - you can use salted butter or unsalted butter. Adjust seasoning to your tastes.
    • bacon - this ingredient adds so much flavor to the fresh spinach! You can use whatever cut you have, but I prefer to enjoy crispy bacon so I go with a thinner cut.
    • minced garlic - crushed fresh garlic or garlic powder.

    See the recipe card below for exact quantities. Season the dish to your liking with salt and pepper.

    Instructions

    Let me show you how easy it is to make this keto creamed spinach recipe.

    STEP 1: First, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Then, add the sliced spring onion, minced garlic, and diced bacon. Fry until the bacon is cooked.

    bacon and garlic in a frying pan
    Add bacon, minced garlic, and spring onion.
    bacon frying in a pan
    Fry until the bacon is cooked.

    STEP 2: Next, add finely chopped fresh spinach to the frying pan. I usually use fresh baby spinach, but if you can find frozen spinach that's chopped, that works too! You'll just want to microwave it separately, then squeeze it in paper towels to remove the excess water before you add it to the pan.

    chopped spinach frying in a pan
    Cook the chopped spinach on medium heat.

    STEP 3: Cook the spinach for a few minutes until it's wilted.

    adding cream cheese to spinach in a frying pan
    Add cream cheese or sour cream.

    STEP 4: Add the cream cheese. Stir until the spinach cooks, the cream cheese is melted and everything is mixed together. Serve immediately.

    That's it! You've made easy low-carb creamed spinach.

    This recipe sounds amazing, right?

    frying pan with keto creamed spinach
    The best creamed spinach recipe (gluten-free).

    Serving

    This is one of my favorite keto side dish recipes because this dish is incredibly fast and incredibly versatile. Whether you follow low-carb keto or not, there are so many ways you can enjoy this keto creamed spinach!

    • Side dish - I often serve this as a side dish to meat such as keto garlic pork chops, a roasted whole chicken, or air-fried pork chops. The creamy flavor pairs very well with roasted meats.
    • Cream sauce - I've also thinned this out a bit with a bit of heavy cream (see below) and made this into a lovely sauce that can be poured right over meats or other veggies.
    • Soup - toss this keto creamed spinach in the blender and you are left with a lovely hearty soup that fits into any low carb lifestyle.
    • Dip - make this an appetizer and serve it with raw low-carb vegetable sticks such as sliced radishes, celery, peppers, cauliflower, and broccoli. People won't be able to get enough of this creamed spinach keto dip!

    Storage

    keto creamed spinach in a small glass bowl
    Keto creamed spinach recipe (family-friendly).

    Keto creamed spinach is a great make-ahead meal if you don't want to serve it immediately. You can store this dip in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

    You can also freeze this recipe too. Allow it to cool completely and freeze in an airtight container and enjoy it within 3 months.

    Variations

    Craving something a little different? Here are a few ideas for how to mix up this easy creamed spinach recipe.

    • Make it even more cheesy - add some parmesan cheese into the pan as you are melting the cream cheese. While you can add any cheese you like, I enjoy this dish best with parmesan cheese.
    • Thin it out - want to create a thinner cream sauce? Add a splash of heavy whipping cream, or heavy cream to the dish.
    • Make it spicy - add some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeno to this keto spinach dip to turn up the heat. It's delicious!

    However you serve this creamed spinach, your family is sure to love it. Enjoy!

    Recipe FAQ

    Do I have to use baby spinach?

    You can use fresh spinach, frozen spinach, kale, silverbeet, Swiss chard, or any other favorite leafy vegetable.

    Can I use frozen spinach?

    Yes, simply defrost and squeeze out any water from your spinach before adding it to your frying pan.

    Can I make creamed spinach in advance?

    yes, you can make it and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    How to defrost spinach?

    To defrost a bag of frozen spinach, leave it on the countertop at room temperature for a few hours, or remove it from the packaging and place it in a microwave-safe bowl and use the defrost function. Once thawed, squeeze out as much water as you can to make sure you end up with a delicious creamed spinach.

    Why is my sauce watery?

    You need to make sure you have squeezed out all the water as you can when you use frozen spinach and allow the creamy sauce to simmer until thick. You may also add xanthan gum for a really extra creamy sauce.

    Can I use almond milk instead of cream cheese?

    No, you need the yummy healthy fats in cream cheese to help the sauce thicken. Almond milk will be too watery to use.

    More favorite keto recipes

    If you love this easy keto creamed spinach recipe and want more way easy keto vegetable side dishes or main dishes that use spinach, these are all perfect for your low-carb keto diet.

    There are also some amazing recipe roundups so you can quickly see the best keto side dishes for pork, best keto side dishes for chicken, easy keto side dishes for salmon, and quick keto side dishes for beef.

    • Keto spinach pie (gluten-free pastry)
    • Keto creamed leeks (with garlic)
    • Keto creamed Brussels sprouts
    • Spinach stuffed chicken (baked keto chicken)
    low-carb and keto cookbooks

    📖 Recipe

    keto creamed spinach in a small glass bowl

    Please rate this recipe.

    4.9 from 14 votes

    Keto Creamed Spinach Recipe

    The easiest keto creamed spinach recipe you will ever make. It only needs a few simple ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes. Serve as a side dish, as the main dish, or even pureed in the blender for an easy soup recipe.
    Servings: 5
    NET carbs: 2.5g
    Author: Libby Jenkinson
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 5 minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes
    Category: Appetiser. Side Dish. Vegetables
    Diet: Diabetic. Gluten Free
    Egg free. Gluten Free. Grain free. Keto. LCHF. Low Carb. No Sugars. Wheat Free
    Review Recipe Print Pin Email

    Calculate ingredients

    Adjust servings: 5
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    Ingredients

    • 1 spring onion (scallion) finely diced
    • 2 slices bacon diced
    • 2 cloves garlic minced crushed
    • 55 g (½ stick) butter
    • 500 g (1.1 lb) spinach washed and finely diced
    • 50 g (1.8 oz) cream cheese

    Equipment

    • Frying pan

    Instructions

    • Fry the spring onion, garlic, and bacon in the butter until bacon is cooked but still soft.
    • Add the spinach and continue to cook for a few minutes, continuously stirring.
    • Once the spinach is cooked and wilted, stir the cream cheese through until it is melted and coating all the leafy greens.
    • Serve keto creamed spinach as a side dish or in a bowl for a main dish.
    © Copyright Ditch The Carbs

    5-INGREDIENTS COOKBOOK

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    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Creamed Spinach Recipe
    Serving Size
     
    1 serve ( serves 5)
    Amount per Serving
    NET carbs
     
    2.5
    g
    Total Carbohydrates
     
    4.8
    g
    2
    %
    Fiber
     
    2.3
    g
    10
    %
    Sugar
     
    0.9
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    4.8
    g
    10
    %
    Fat
     
    13.9
    g
    21
    %
    Sodium
     
    235.5
    mg
    10
    %
    Potassium
     
    601.2
    mg
    17
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    9811.4
    IU
    196
    %
    Vitamin B1
     
    0.1
    mg
    7
    %
    Vitamin B6
     
    0.2
    mg
    10
    %
    Vitamin B12
     
    0.1
    µg
    2
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    28.9
    mg
    35
    %
    Vitamin D
     
    0.1
    µg
    1
    %
    Vitamin E
     
    2.4
    mg
    16
    %
    Vitamin K
     
    489
    µg
    466
    %
    Calcium
     
    115.6
    mg
    12
    %
    Folate
     
    196.8
    µg
    49
    %
    Iron
     
    2.8
    mg
    16
    %
    Magnesium
     
    81.9
    mg
    20
    %
    Selenium
     
    3.8
    µg
    5
    %
    Zinc
     
    0.7
    mg
    5
    %
    % Daily Value*
    -
    Calories
    154.4
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    YOUR HOLIDAY PANTRY & GIFT GUIDES

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    Approximate nutrition information is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. For the most accurate nutritional data, use the actual ingredients and brands you used in your preferred nutrition calculator.

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    I'm Libby Jenkinson MPS. A registered pharmacist, Health Coach, Cert.Adv Nutrition, mother of 3 and founder of Ditch The Carbs and Low-Carb Practitioners.

    Learn more about me →

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Claudia

      September 02, 2022 at 3:30 am

      5 stars
      Really nice. As I don't like the chunky texture, I used my stick blender for nice smooth texture.

      Reply
      • Libby Jenkinson

        September 08, 2022 at 12:30 pm

        5 stars
        Brilliant, Claudia! I love creamed spinach used as a dip. Yummo.

        Reply
    2. sandy

      July 12, 2022 at 1:52 pm

      5 stars
      i i cant find the print button

      Reply
      • Libby Jenkinson

        July 13, 2022 at 3:11 pm

        5 stars
        There is a list of icons, and one of them is a printer with PRINT next to it. This is a direct link for you.

        Reply
    3. Pam

      March 04, 2018 at 6:14 am

      I love your recipes, but I do have one comment. When printing the recipes, could you add in the size of the serving unless it's obvious like the Scotch Eggs. For myself, and possibly others, I think it would be super helpful to know this. Otherwise, I love your recipes and the ones I've tried and absolutely awesome. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        March 04, 2018 at 10:15 am

        Hi Pam, all recipes show how many serving each recipe makes. For some recipes that will be 6 slices of pizza for example, or 12 cupcakes. The nutrir=tion shown is per serving, per slice, per cupcake ... Hope that helps 🙂

        Reply
    4. djnikkik

      June 18, 2017 at 4:53 am

      I LOVE this recipe! What a tasty way to get in some fantastic, nutritious leafy greens! Will become a favourite I think and goes great paired with your Keto Spinach Stuffed Chicken 🙂 Just one question, is the weight of the leafy greens in the recipe before they've been trimmed, or while the heavy stems are still attached?

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        June 19, 2017 at 3:24 pm

        It's with the heavy stems and all for the spinach carbonara..

        Reply
    5. michaelac

      September 22, 2016 at 4:06 pm

      Not sure that calling it Carbonara is right, since the carbonara sauce is egg and parm. cheese. Sounds good, just need to give it a different name.

      Reply
    6. loedi20

      August 06, 2016 at 7:02 pm

      What the heck is silverbeet..? Is it low carb?

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        August 08, 2016 at 1:41 pm

        I think it's what others may call swiss chard. Any leafy green is fabulous in this recipe.

        Reply
        • Kaye

          August 29, 2016 at 11:59 am

          Also, but incorrectly, called spinach in Australia. Not the English spinach.

          Reply
    7. Amanda Wright

      September 14, 2014 at 5:37 pm

      Made this for lunch because I had all the ingredients, was so delicious! Husband said it was "trucking great" too...hahaha ☺

      Reply

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