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
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About The Author
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!
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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Do you think I could use dried herbs and still taste right?
Of course! Any herbs works great in this recipe. I prefer the strong flavor of fresh herbs but in winter I tested frozen and dried herbs. Both works well. Enjoy! XOXO Carine.
Hi. My name is Wanda and I belong to the RHC. That is Recipe Hoarders Club. ?
I just came across your blog and this recipe. Sounds wonderful. We have made them with herb stuffing mix instead of Panko. I will try yours. I am sure that this will be added to my stash of recipes. I will look for others.
Hope the blessings of the Holiday Season is with you and your family.
PS. My hope is to live long enough to try all my recipes. I must be up to the age of 350!
Welcome on the blog ! I am glad you enjoy this recipe. Have a Merry Christmas too. XOXO Carine.
How long do you reheat these and at what temp if they are pre baked
Hello! If prebake I recommend you to rewarm at a lower temp 150C (300F) will be enough. Rewarm by 5 minutes burst on a baking tray. Check every 5 minutes until pippin hot in the middle. It should take more than 12-15 minutes. Enjoy! xoxo, Carine.
Hi, I ama vegetarian what can I use instead of egg and please can you help me with some vegetarian healthy recipes
I never tried this spinach balls recipe with a egg substitute so I am sorry, I can’t provide any options. There is lots of eggs in this recipe that makes them so soft and delicious. I would recommend you to try a different recipe on the blog. Click on the recipe tab and filter on vegan or vegetarian recipes. You will find plenty of inspiration on the log. Enjoy XOXO Carine.
Hi Carine, I made a double batch of these for toe holiday parties tomorrow and the day after (delicious). I thought I’d put them in plastic bags and refrigerate, and microwave them before leaving for the party. What do you think? Do you have a better idea? Merci!
Hello/Bonjour, I would not recommend to microwave them : they will soften and even be chewy. Simply put the frozen spinach balls on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Bake at hot oven 180C until crispy outside and hot in the middle – about 15-20 minutes. You can also defrost them an hour before but it is not necessary if you are in a rush 🙂 Enjoy and thanks for trying my recipes. Bonne journee et merci encore, XOXO Carine.
I made these today and they seemed a little bland. Is there anything you would suggest?
Hi, Thanks for testing my recipe on the blog !!! I am sorry you find the balls bland . Which cheese did you use ? Those spinach balls are very versatile depending very much on the cheese you are using. Some cheese have a stronger flavor and will definitely enhance the flavor of those balls. I would recommend to use grated emmental or grated parmesan or even old mature grated cheddar: those cheese had a delicious flavor to the balls – much more than a bland cheese like mozzarella or edam for example.
Others options are: increasing the garlic, the fresh herbs or use a stronger flavor herb like fresh parsley or dill.
Also, keep in mind that those balls are made to be dipped! Serve them with chilli mayo, hummus, guacamole or simple tomato sauce. They will taste delicious in any dip. Your guest will love it ! I hope this helps ! xoxo Carine.
I’ve always made these for parties and I serve horseradish sauce with them….everyone loves them!
Hi! Love these. Have recently started eating Keto and wondered is you could substitute the bread crumbs with almond flour? I guess that I could just try! Thanks!
Hi Colleen, I didn’t try almond meal I am sorry. It is less absorbent than breadcrumb so it may be moist and not hold as well. I heard that low carb followers use pork rind as a breadcrumb substitute. That maybe another option for you to explore! Let me know if you give it a try! I am sure many other reader will benefit from your experience 🙂 Thanks for reading the blog. xoxo Carine.
These were so good! We dipped them in a spicy Mayo….. Yum! Everyone loved it. Thank you for the recipe. The instructions were a cinch to follow.
Hi, What a lovely idea! I love dipping EVERYTHING ! Specially those spinach balls and spicy mayo sounds delicious ! Thanks for taking few minutes to comment and share this great idea. I hope you’ll find even more delicious recipes to try on the blog. xoxo Carine.
How long will these stay good (unbaked) in the freezer?
Hi, You can freeze them up to 3 months. Make sure you are using an airtight container or zip bag. If ice appears around the balls it will soften the balls when defrost. Enjoy ! XOXO Carine.
OMG! those are utterly delicious, what a great recipe <3
Can I use gluten free Italian season bread crumbs instead of Pablo?
Yes, sure! it will perfectly work with any regular breadcrumb.
These were pretty yummy! I did make some modifications to use up what I had in my CSA box. I made these with swiss chard and leeks. I used about a teaspoon of olive oil and sautéed about 1/4 cup of leeks and swiss chard stems. After about 5 minutes I added the chard leaves. I also threw in some fresh dried basil. I popped this mixture in the food processor and boom done. I stirred my veggie mix in with the panko, eggs, and parmesan. Thank you for the inspiration and great recipe!
I love Spinach Balls, I tried many recipes but this one is the BEST spinach balls I made. Thanks for the recipe.
These are so yummy. They’re a bit dry, but I used non-GF panko. That just means I need to eat them with dip!! 🙂
Has anyone tried this recipe with kale instead of spinach? If so, what was the result? I imagine you need a little more moisture since kale is a drier leaf. Any suggestions/experiences?
I did not try the recipe with kale myself. I wish some reader will reply to you very soon my friend. Thanks for reading the blog. xoxo Carine.
Love these. Thanks so much for the recipe. I have made these many times now and always get compliments. I use Italian seasoned Panko crumbs and Monterrey Jack cheese. I always use frozen spinach. Works great. I have a batch in the freezer like you do.
Thanks for your lovely comment! It makes me SO hapy when others family enjoy my recipes. Enjoy the spinach balls and others recipe on the blog! Thanks for being around my friend. xoxo Carine.
Made these last night, and my friends really liked them- they were delicious!
Hi, Thank you SO much for sharing your positive experience ! Those spinach balls are such a great party appetizer to share with family an friends! I hope you’ll find more delicious recipes on the blog. xoxo Carine.
This is an excellent recipe!! I changed it a bit because I didn’t have gluten free panko. I DOUBLED the recipe and used 1 C. almond meal, 1/3 C. coconut flour, and 1/3 C. peanut powder. They were a tad dry but if I had marinara sauce, it would’ve been perfect. Next time I’ll add an extra 1/2 C. cheese and remove peanut powder. The moisture from cheese oil might help with the dryness from using coconut flour.
Overall, they are delicious; the flavor is perfect, but only a tad dry due to my use of coconut flour.
Thanks again!
I am so happy you love my spinach balls recipe ! I love coconut flour too but I won’t suggest to use it in this recipe. Coconut flour is full of fibre and suck out all the moisture. It is a very healthy flour but it may remove the lovely moisture of those spinach balls. Thanks for reading my blog and trying my recipes. I hope you find even more delicious recipes on the blog. xoxo Carine.
I will definitely try this recipe! Look amazing.
Aloha Carine!
I was wondering, have you ever tried making them with kale or swiss chard? I grow most of my greens, but I do not grow spinach because it is hard to grow in Hawaii. I always have lots of swiss chard and kale on hand and I am always looking for new ways to use them in recipes. I may give it a try and let you know how it goes. I will try your recipe first!
Thanks,
Veroncia
Hi there
Debbie here,
I was also wondering about kale, have you tried it yet?
Would love to know, please would you or could you email me your thoughts or advice rather on using kale.
Many thanks
Regards
Debbie
Hi Debbie, Yes I did ! it works but you must trim the kale leaves very well – remove the hard part in the center of the leaves and then finely chop the leave. I prefer spinach as I found the kale balls a bit more dry. Enjoy the recipe ! Carine.
Aloha Veronica! You are such an inspiration ! I love gardening but I am not very good at it except for spinach that actually grows well in New Zealand 🙂 I am sure that this recipe will work well with others green leaves vegetables. I would simply recommend to chopped them in very small bites and maybe to pre-cooked the kale in boiling water to soften the leaves. Kale leaves are sometimes a bit tough and it may not taste as nice if not precooked. Make sure you squeeze out all the water – I use my hands and pat dry in absorbent paper. Also wait until the vegetables are cool to add them in the batter. I would be happy to know how it works with other green vegetables so if you try anything drop me a comment 🙂 I would love to hear your feedbacks or recipe adaptation to share with others! Have a lovely day ! Carine.