Spinach Balls – Keto Appetizer 1g Net Carbs
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 09/24/2015 - Last updated on 03/29/2024
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These spinach balls are the best keto appetizer with a delicious cheesy chewy texture and spinach garlic flavor.
Plus, the recipe is gluten-free, so all your friends can enjoy them!
What Are Spinach Balls?
Spinach balls are one of the most popular appetizers, perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it works for any occasion! It’s a small cheesy ball filled with grated cheese, eggs, and spinach. It’s the ball version of my Spinach Fritters.
The classic original recipe uses panko breadcrumbs as a binder.
Here I am sharing with you both recipes, the original recipe for the purists and the keto spinach ball recipe using a combo of healthier flour, almond flour, and psyllium husk for a delicious side dish.
How To Make Spinach Balls
Keto spinach balls are a variation of my original recipe using low-carb flours instead of panko breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
Let’s see the ingredients you need to make this healthy appetizer.
- Spinach – fresh or frozen, both will work well. Always measure spinach once cooked, drained, and chopped for precision. Spinach is a perfectly keto-friendly vegetable, with only 0.3 grams of net carbs per 100 grams!
- Eggs
- Grated mozzarella – any hard grated cheese such as cheddar cheese would work, but mozzarella creates the most impressive cheesy effect. Mozzarella made from cow milk, goat milk, or buffalo milk have between 0 and 0.7 grams of net carbs per ounce, so very keto-friendly.
- Almond flour – or almond meal if you prefer. If you’re not sure how to choose the right flour for your keto diet, read my keto flour guide! For the non-keto version, use bread crumbs instead.
- Whole psyllium husk – husk is 100% fiber. It gives a chewy texture to the balls and holds the ingredients together into a lovely round shape. Don’t use Metamucil fiber supplements in my recipes. This is not the same product as whole psyllium husk fiber. Metamucil is a husk powder that is not suitable for baking keto bread. It will turn food dry, purple, or blue.
- Fresh herbs – it’s optional but highly recommended to boost the flavor. The best herbs are parsley or cilantro (aka coriander).
- Garlic salt – or fresh garlic and salt, but I’m lazy sometimes, and both result in a delicious spinach ball. You can also add some onion powder and black pepper.
Instructions
This is a no-fail recipe, really. If you have a large mixing bowl and you are not scared to get your hands a bit dirty, here you go!
You are a few minutes away from making the most delicious appetizer for your next party.
Preparing The Spinach
Prepare the spinach by placing the leaves in boiling water and letting them cook for 3 minutes.
Then rinse them in a colander under cold water. You can even place them in a large bowl with ice to shock them and keep all the nutrients and colors.
Preparing The Spinach Balls
Chop the spinach leaves into small chunks.
Combine the chopped spinach with beaten eggs, grated cheese, fresh herbs, salt, garlic powder, almond flour, and psyllium husk in a mixing bowl.
Combine the spinach ball batter with a spoon or a silicone spatula until it’s well distributed.
Cooking The Spinach Balls
Form about 22 spinach balls with your hands from the mixture and place them on a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled parchment paper.
You can also use a small cookie scoop to make 1-inch balls.
Bake them at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 30 minutes.
You know they are ready when they are golden on the top.
Storage Instructions
You can store the cooked spinach balls in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
They can also be frozen in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place them in small zip-lock bags with a serving per bag.
Rewarm them in the oven or in an air fryer. You don’t have to thaw them before reheating the spinach balls.
Serving Spinach Balls
Spinach Balls are a great appetizer that you can serve with any of the healthy dips below.
I also recommend treating your guests with some other appetizers such as my Broccoli Cheese Balls, my Keto Broccoli Tots, or my Keto Garlic Bread.
It’s also the perfect pairing to my delicious meat recipes:
- Cast-Iron Chicken Breast
- 4-Ingredient Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Blackened Chicken
- Broiled Pork Chops
- Keto Chicken Tenders
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are not on a keto diet and are looking for the original spinach ball recipe, simply replace the combo of almond flour and psyllium husk with 1 cup of panko crumbs and reduce the amount of grated cheese to half a cup.
I recommend looking at the recipe card where both recipes are displayed.
These are perfect appetizers to make ahead for Christmas or any party. Follow the steps below to freeze them with success.
– Lay the balls, uncooked, on a plate covered with parchment paper
– Leave half a thumb of space between each ball to prevent them from sticking together.
– After an hour, transfer into an airtight plastic box.
It’s clearly your best alternative to potato chips for your next party!
You don’t have to defrost these balls in a microwave.
Place the frozen balls onto a baking tray covered with baking paper. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20-30 minutes or until golden.
Yes, these can totally be cooked in an air fryer. Place them in the basket on one single layer (so you might need to make two batches).
Cook them in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
Best Dips For Spinach Balls
The cheesy spinach bites are way better hot and dipped into the sauce! I recommend the following spinach ball dipping sauce options:
More Keto Appetizers
If you like keto-friendly appetizers, you’ll love the following recipes:
I hope you enjoyed this new recipe. If so, share a picture of your creation on Instagram with me!
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Leave a comment below or head to our Facebook page for tips, our Instagram page for inspiration, our Pinterest for saving recipes, and Flipboard to get all the new ones!
Spinach Balls
Ingredients
KETO SPINACH BALLS RECIPE
- 6 cups Fresh Spinach Leaves trimmed, washed. Makes 2/3 cup packed cooked spinach
- 3 large Eggs beaten
- 1 cup Grated Mozzarella or a combo of parmesan and mozzarella
- ¼ cup Chopped Fresh Parsley or herb of your choice (optional but flavorsome!)
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 2 tablespoons Whole Psyllium Husk
ORIGINAL RECIPE
- 6 cups Fresh Spinach Leaves trimmed, washed. Makes 2/3 cup packed cooked spinach
- 3 large Eggs beaten
- ½ cup Grated Mozzarella or a combo of parmesan and mozzarella
- ¼ cup Chopped Parsley or fresh herb of your choice (optional but recommended!)
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Gluten-free Panko Crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Trim and wash the fresh spinach leaves.
- Place the leaves in a large mixing bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover the bowl with a lid and set aside for 3 minutes.
- Rinse the spinach with cold tap water. Drain and, using your hands, squeeze all the remaining water. You should measure 2/3 cup (160 g) of packed cooked spinach leaves. If you are using frozen spinach, defrost, and measure this quantity.
- Place on a chopping board and finely chop the cooked spinach. Transfer into a mixing bowl.
- Add beaten eggs, grated cheese, fresh herbs, salt, garlic powder, almond flour, and psyllium husk (or panko gluten-free crumbs if you are making the original recipe). You can also add salt and pepper if your cheese is not very salty. I didn't add any salt.
- Combine with a spoon until it forms a batter from which you can form balls.
- If too moist, add slightly more almond flour or crumbs until easy to roll a ball with your hands.
- Place the balls on a non-stick cookie tray covered with baking paper, leaving a half-thumb between each bite. You should be able to make 22 spinach balls. One ball is about 1 tablespoon of batter.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20-30 minutes or until golden on the top.
- Serve immediately with dips like sugar-free tomato sauce, guacamole, mustard, or tzatziki.
Freeze
- Freeze on a plate covered with parchment paper. After 1 hour, they are frozen enough to be transferred into an airtight container. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- You don't need to defrost the balls before baking. Place them on a tray covered with parchment paper and bake as regular.
Notes
Tools
Getting Started What Is Keto? Macro Calculator Sweetener Converter Intermittent Fasting Keto Fruits Keto Vegetables Keto Flours Fighting Keto Flu Healthy SweetenersWant My Kitchen Equipment?
Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
Disclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.
The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.
You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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Thankyou for Ths recipe
My pleasure! I am so glad you enjoy the spinach balls XOXO Carine
We’ve been making traditional spinach balls for years. The keto version is excellent. I kinda spilled black pepper in the mix this time and have no regrets. The results were fluffier than the traditional and had flavor without being spicy and inaccessible for folks. My traditional recipe is all parmasean, but I like the mozzarella texture. This is a winner with my keto partner.
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! I am so glad your partner love them too. I can’t wait to read your next recipe feedback on here. XOXO Carine
After baking, so they have to be stored in the refrigerator? Or can I keep them out in an airtight container?
You can bake the spinach balls and store them in the fridge in an airtight container. My kids love them cold, I like to rewam mine in the oven at 150C for few minutes until they crisp again. They are softer and chewier cold and I don’t recomment rewarming in the microwave or it is very soft and chewy. Oven is the best ! Enjoy, XOXO Carine.
I see both Keto and Original Spinach in the recipe but I was wondering is the Nutritional Information for the Keto Recipe or the Original Recipe. I do a mix of Clean and Dirty keto. And these sound delicious but I wanted to be sure which it was listed for. Thank you
Nutritional information is for the KETO spinach balls of course 🙂 I keep the original recipe published for people who follow me since a very long time and don’t track carbs. Enjoy ! XOXO Carine.
I made a vegan-ized version of the recipe with vegan cheese and flax egg. Super delicious!
It worked w/flax eggs???!!! wonderful! any tips on it? thanks!
I personally didn’t enjoy the flax egg option, they spread a lot, but happy to get feedbacks from others 🙂 always nice to have egg free options
This is so great to hear that it can be vegan-ised!Love it and thanks for sharing here. XOXO Carine.
Hi Carine, I was just wondering if you have ever replaced the panko crumbs with oatmeal- just trying for a slightly healthier version but don’t want to lose out on flavour!
Not yet but that is a clever idea! I am sue it will be very healthy and work well too. Enjoy! XOXO Carine.
Haven’t tried these yet but look delicious!
Can you cook, then freeze, and then reheat later after being frozen? Plan to do for a party next eeekend, and need to transport a distance. Thanks!
They are delicious and the perfect appetizers to freeze and reheat later. Simply put the frozen spinach ball on a baking tray covered with parchment paper, they will defrost as you drive to the party and even if not completely defrost it is ok to bake them as is. It may take few more minutes to get crispy but as soon as they gets golden and crispy out side, check the middle and if cooked through you are good to serve with some delicious dipping sauce. Enjoy the recipe and have a great party. XOXO Carine.
Hi Carine!
I will be making these for Christmas Eve. So excited. However, I will be using fresh spinach. I’m not sure how to chop this? When fresh spinach wilts, its hard to chop. Should I chop it first fresh. Then add the boiling water?
Thank you for your response.
Stacie
Hi Stacie, sorry for such a late reply! I am busy myself cooking for all the family for Christmas. I would recommend you chop them before cooking, it will be much easier. Enjoy the spinach balls, Merry Christmas, XOXO Carine.
Hello! These look great! I haven’t made them yet but im considering to do so for my family Christmas party. Only problem is that I have to travel over 2 hours to go to the party. I likely won’t be able to use the oven when I get there because they will be cooking other things. Can I use the mircorwave to reheat these?
Hello, I won’t recommend to microwave them it will get chewy and soft you will loose all the delicious texture. I would recommend you bake them on arrival, store them in an airtight container in a cold bag. Then ask people to make you a tiny place in the oven, they won’t regret it ! Those are bomb appetizers for the holidays 🙂 Enjoy, XOXO Carine.
flat in taste unless you use feta cheese and add some anise and shallots….substitute panko with self rising flour,it gets them more fluffy…. apart all it needs a spicy dip next them;if you don’t like tzatziki mix plain greek youghrt with some feta and cheese spread,add smoked paprika,salt,chilli,and a bit of olive oil-then you have a really tastefull dish with spinach balls
Thanks for trying the recipe. I am sorry it was not your taste but you should not replace panko crumbs by flour, that i what give them the perfect texture and a different flavor too. Thanks for sharing your comment and trying the recipes here anyway. I hope you enjoy more of them. XOXO Carine.
Can these be made without bread crumbs?
No it won’t hold togerther. You must use either panko crumb or regular crumb. Thanks. XOXO Carine
Can these be left in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking?
Yes sure, no problem at all. I would recommend you place them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap to avoid them to dry out or store in an airtight container. You can also freeze them. Enjoy the recipe. XOXO Carine.
Great recipe. I made a bunch of these for my party last week with some Emmental cheese that I made at home. They were a hit.
Awesome! I also love those spinach balls as a party appetizer. So easy to make and tasty. Thanks so much for trying my recipes and taking some time to write such a beautiful feedback. Enjoy the blog recipes. XOXO Carine.
Hi Carine,
Do you think I can substitute panko crumbs for bread crumbs? As I don’t have any on hand…
I am pretty sure it will work well! Enjoy the spinach balls and all the recipes on the blog. XOXO Carine.
Spinach Balls are sooooooo good! I love that these are simple, basic, flavorful and only 23 calories per ball! Hooray!!
I am so happy you love my spinach balls ! Enjoy the blog recipes and thanks for trying my recipes. XOXO Carine.
I made this recipe today. I didn’t have eggs, so used 2 “flax eggs” (1 TBSP ground flax + 1/4 cup water for each) and a TBSP fresh lemon juice. I served them to friends. They ate the entire batch. (Haha. Actually I doubled the recipe at the start and froze half into balls, so secretly, I’m all set for the next event!) 🙂
I am so glad to have a egg free version of my recipe thank to YOU! You are amazing ! Thanks so much for sharing this here! XOXO Carine.
Hello! Is it possible to put these in the microwave to warm up? I have a pot luck at work and we don’t have an oven. Thank you!
Is this recipe keto friendly? 🙂
Hello! Unfortunately note that one except if you use ground pork rinds instead of the breadcrumbs. I did not try myself as I am vegetarian but some followers said it works well and it will be totally low carb+keto this way! Enjoy the low carb recipes on the blog! XOXO Carine.
Can I bake these and THEN freeze them? I am working on new lunch ideas for my toddler so it is ideal for me to pull cooked items out of the freezer to pack in his lunch as they get warmed up at lunch time by the daycare staff.
Yes sure you can. I understand, my girl is 5 and I am the same with her lunchbox. I did freeze those baked spinach balls many times for my kids too. I defrost the day before – or honnestly 2 hours before are enough 🙂 They love them cold or lukewarm. I rewarm them on a sandwich press sometimes – they flatten a bit but well the kids love it anyway 🙂 Enjoy the recipe ! XOXO Carine
ENFIN une recette que je peux manger sans frustration! Je souffre de diabète gestationnel, il est rare de trouver une recette qui contient tout ce que je dois manger (féculents, protéines et légumes) et qui ne soit pas redondante! .
Merci!!
Hi! Bonjour, Je suis ravie de lire votre message en Francais et de savoir que vous appreciez cette recette. Ma maman a un diabete de type 2 et j’ai egalement eu un debut de pre diabete apres la naissance de mon premier bebe. Je suis donc sensible a l’equilibre de mes reccettes en proteines, glucides et bons sucres dans mes desserts. Je teste toutes ces recettes avec ma petite famille, et je n’ai plus de pre diabetes avec cette alimentation. Je vous en souhaite tout autant. Vous devriez trouver beaucoup de recettes faciles et equilibres pour vous inspirer. Merci de me lire et de tester mes recettes. A bientot ! Carine.