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Spinach Balls – Keto Appetizer 1g Net Carbs

4.86 from 478 votes
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This recipe may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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!

Keto Spinach Balls in a small ramekin.
Table of contents

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.

Spinach Balls

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.
spinach balls

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:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Your Original Spinach Balls?

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.

Can I Freeze And Make Spinach Balls Ahead?

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!

How Should I Defrost Them?

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.

Can I Cook Them In The Air Fryer?

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).

Easy spinach appetizer

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:

I hope you enjoyed this new recipe. If so, share a picture of your creation on Instagram with me!

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KETO SPINACH BALLS 1 g net carb per serve easy, healthy, gluten free #keto #spinach #spinachballs #glutenfree #appetizers #lowcarb #cheesy

Spinach Balls

1gNet Carbs
These cheesy Spinach Balls are the best easy appetizer to impress your guests. It's made very quickly using only a few wholesome ingredients.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Yield: 22 balls
Serving Size: 1 ball
4.86 from 478 votes

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
This recipe may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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

Spinach measurement:  you need about 6 cups of fresh spinach. It makes about 2/3 cup (160 g) of cooked, squeezed, and packed spinach. It is ok to use frozen spinach as long as you have 2/3 cup cooked, squeezed, packed spinach.
Cheese options: you can replace grated cheddar but mozzarella, parmesan, Colby, Emmental, or any hard grated cheese you love.
Herbs options: these spinach balls are delicious with fresh parsley, dill, or basil. Use your favorite herb, or mix it!
Psyllium husk: Don’t use Metamucil fiber supplements in this recipe. It 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.
Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetashoneyrecipes
Serving Size: 1 ball
Yield: 22 balls
Serving: 1ballCalories: 49kcal (2%)Carbohydrates: 1.8g (1%)Fiber: 0.8g (3%)Net Carbs: 1gProtein: 3.4g (7%)Fat: 1.6g (2%)Sugar: 0.3g
Carine Claudepierre

About The Author

Carine Claudepierre

Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook and many ebooks, 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!

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    235 Thoughts On Spinach Balls – Keto Appetizer 1g Net Carbs
    1 2 3 6
  1. 5 stars
    Thanks for this recipe. I accidentally doubled the cheese. I used a combination of cheddar and mozzarella. I cooked them in the air fryer. They are/were delicious!

  2. 5 stars
    Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I just made these for the first time and they are so tasty. I baked them in my silicone mini muffin pan and the recipe made 24. I baked them at 375 for 20 minutes and they were done to perfection. The only thing I changed was I added onion powder and omitted the salt. I made the almond flour version, but I think I will try the panko version using crushed pork rinds in the future.

  3. 5 stars
    These are great! I didn’t have psyllium so I substituted 1 tsp. of xanthan gum and it worked perfectly. I also crumbled a couple of pieces of bacon and threw in about 1/2 tsp dried dill and these balls are delicious. I’m dipping these babies in tartar sauce and I might just eat too many,

  4. Hi these sounds delicious, but i am vegan and dont eat eggs, could i sub , flax eggs
    thanks so much!!

  5. 5 stars
    This is the second time I’m making these this month. They kept in the fridge for atleast 2 weeks and the flavor and texture was still delicious when reheating. These are the perfect snack to grab when the munchies hit.

  6. 5 stars
    I made this last night. Soooooo easy, filling and delicious. Will definately make this again and soon. Excellent.

  7. 5 stars
    I really liked these! I am always looking for new recipes to help me get spinach in my diet, this was great. I dipped them in low carb marinara sauce so yummy and filling.

  8. 5 stars
    Made it today, for the first time.
    Just in oven … I am sure my family will like new healthy snack.
    Thank you 😊

  9. Poor rating because reader is left to estimate how much of the ingredients to use. For example, how many eggs? How much flour? How much salt and pepper,Etc…..
    Otherwise looks very tasty.

    • The amount of each ingredients and the instructions to make this recipe appears just before the comment section where you wrote this message. I think you scrolled down to far, just scroll up ! Enjoy

1 2 3 6

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