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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Approximately how many does this recipe serve?
Hi Karen,
I made a batch of 15 balls (golf ball size) with this recipe. My little family of 3 (including a 2 1/2 years old) eat the whole batch for dinner 🙂 I hope you try those lovely balls they are delicious! Carine.
Made these today and they were good, but I added garlic and would add more cheese next time. Glad I found the recipe.
Hi Jill, Thanks for taking some time to share your feedback. I also love everything with more cheese 🙂 I will try to add garlic too next time! See you soon on the blog! Carine
What is 180 c , my oven only has degrees!
Hi Diane, 180 c is for 180 degrees (180C). Enjoy the spinach balls ! Carine.
180 c is Celsius not degrees we use in US. That would mean 356 F which is farenheit
Hi Erin,
I am based in New Zealand and we don’t use Farenheit degrees that is why I always write my recipes in Celsius degree. I googled it and yes 180C= 356F. Enjoy the recipe! Carine.
Hi Carine,
Just curious if your website is written in a different language than English? There’s just some grammatical blips here and there that make the wording a little off sometimes. Not trying to offend you or anything! Also, I lloooovvvveee these spinach balls❤️
Hi Cristina, I am French and French is my first language so all the recipe I do are firstly written in French in my kitchen. As I live in New Zealand for 5 years now I choose to write my blog in English. It is a daily challenge for me as it is not my first language so yes I know, there is some grammatical errors and I apologize for that 🙁 I really do my best here and I hope it does not cause you a problem to make my recipes. I love sharing my passion of cooking on this blog. I created the blog 2 years ago after I gave birth to my girl in New Zealand and trigger diabetes. This blog is my challenge to share my experiences in the kitchen while saving my fav recipe somewhere in English for my girl to read and show her friends when she grows up. Enjoy the spinach balls ! it is a hit in my house too. Carine xx.
You’re doing a fine job….some people….thank you for this recipe. I am trying it this weekend yeah!
Thanks my friend! Enjoy the spinach balls, you will love this I am sure! XOXO Carine.
I love reading your accent in your blog. I had a lovely lovely french couple stay as part of the WWOOFing programme and I read their emails in a memory of their accent. I feel the same lilt and rhythm in your writing and it is beautiful. thank you for sharing.
Bonjour ! What a lovely message. It took me a while before starting a blog in English. It would have been so much easier to write in French, of course. But with two kids born and raised in New Zealand this was my challenge. I am very happy that you understand my writing and recipes. I hope you love them. Can’t wait to read more of your comments. A bientot, Carine.
I believe your English is great! I’m very impressed
Thank you so much! it means a lot to me 🙂 Thanks for reading my blog and trying my recipes my friend. xoxo. Carine.
Thanks for Sharing this awesome recipes…….altought english is no your first language is great?
Thank you for your lovely comment! thanks to you for reading the blog and testing my recipes 🙂 Carine.
Hello, I am Australian and living in France, but my mum was a kiwi! So I really really admire your effort. It is never easy and you do very well. What cheese would you use here if you were in France (where cheddar is hard to find?) Mimolette? Gouda?
Hi Emily, Wow! what a lovely life story! Where do you live in France? I was born in East of France near Strasbourg but I spent lots of years studying in Lille and Lyon. I would recommend grated emmental or gruyere for a light cheese taste or for a stronger taste I will definitely use comte or beaufort! Mimolette doesn’t add much flavor when melted. I prefer to eat it raw with baguette 🙂 Enjoy the recipe and let me know which cheese you used! Carine.
I think it’s incredible that English isn’t your first language and you choose to blog in English despite that! I, for one, am so grateful that you do! I love your recipes and I probably wouldn’t be able to figure out how to make them otherwise, although I hope to learn French one day!
Thank you for sharing and being courageous enough to blog in a different language than your mother tongue. You’re an impressive blogger!
<3
Greetings from Austin, Tx!
Hi! Thank you SO much for this lovely comment. Indeed it is an effort to write in English but it helps me practice and improve. I live in New Zealand for 5 years now, mum of 1 and half – baby 2 is on the way – and I realize how much it is important to speak English well for them. My girl is 3 1/2 and already bilingual which such ease! I am so jealous! lol
Thanks for following the blog, reading my funny french-English post and most of all ENJOY the food and recipes! See you soon around. Bon appetit! Carine
I will definitely try this recipe!
These sound perfect! Do you have tips for making them ahead? I’m having a cocktail party:)
I am thinking of making these for a potluck
Christmas dinner. Have to travel 1.15 min away. Is the best way to store in cooler, then bake when there, or bake at home and keep in warmer. Also what dipping sauce do u recommend.
Thanks
Hello! Great potluck food idea! I would recommend to make them ahead, store on airtight plastic box – don’t stack them and leave some space between each to make sure the shape stay round and beautiful. Place the box(es) in a cooler and transfer in the fridge when you arrive to your destination. Bake them before serving following the recipe instruction.I personally love spicy dip or tomato based dip with spinach like chili mayo, tomato sauce, guacamole, my cold spinach avocado dipp or hummus. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. XOXO Carine.
Hi Tanya, You can make them in the morning and keep them in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. Then bake within 12 hours it should be fine. Or also, you can freeze the ball (un baked) on an airtight container. Then defrost few hours before baking them. That is how I do for my toddler afternoon snack. It defrost super fast about 2 hours. Enjoy 🙂
Hi Carina,
Can I use frozen spinach instead?
Hi Syakella, Sure! simply make sure you defrost them before use and squeeze out all the extra water. Then follow the recipe as usual. Enjoy !
Hello! How long do you bake these if you freeze them beforehand?
Hello! I simply place the frozen spinach balls on a baking tray – covered with baking paper – and bake them for about 15/18 minutes at 390F or until crispy/golden outside and pipping hot in the middle. You can also defrost them 2 hours before, they will be delicious both ways. Enjoy them 🙂 XOXO Carine.