Gosh. I had no idea I was going to get the reaction that I did when I innocently posted a casual shot of my pre-baked creamed spinach on Facebook last night. Yikes. I used to get that reaction in my pre-keto life when I posted cupcakes, but spinach?? Who knew. Everyone wants creamed spinach it seems.
I’ve written about my dodgy history with spinach before. Given my early hatred of the green stuff, that I even contemplated creating a keto Creamed Spinach is bizarre miraculous. The contemplation happened while I was Atlanta this last week. I made my now-annual trip to Ruth’s Chris to eat lamb chops and a double serve of creamed spinach, and enjoyed it so much I decided I wanted to eat creamed spinach more often than once a year. That decision required me to create a low carb version. So I did. Little did I know that lovely readers the world over were also anxious for Baked Creamed Spinach.
As soon as I got back to Seattle, and after a good nights sleep, I legged it down to the grocery store to buy a ridiculous amount of fresh, green spinach goodness. Plus an onion. Then I set to work.
As if 2lbs of spinach and a splash of coconut weren’t enough, I added some whipped egg whites to amp up the nutrition, and conjured up a soufflé-style version of Baked Creamed Spinach that really rocked my world. It is thick, creamy, and entirely delicious. I don’t mean to brag, but I liked it even more than Ruth Chris’ regular version. No, really. More flavor and a thicker consistency. We love that.
Like my Green Smoothie recipes, you can cram a spectacular amount of veggies into your body with this Baked Creamed Spinach recipe. Great veggies. Veggies that will make your body absurdly happy. Veggies that will support your health and fat-loss goals like nothing else.
This Baked Creamed Spinach is even good cold the next day. Or re-heated. I know – in a very rare occurrence – I had leftovers. Even I can’t eat 2lbs of spinach and 1lb of onions in one sitting. Well, I expect I could’ve done had I not also had a fantastic grass-fed steak on my plate to polish off.
If you are not a spinach lover, I urge you to try this once and see if your taste buds can’t persuade you to change your mind. Creamed Spinach is what did it for me. I just wish I hadn’t waited so long. Mmmmm, Baked Creamed Spinach.
Baked Creamed Spinach
Author: Carrie Brown | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 40 mins | Total time: 45 mins | Serves: 4 – 6
What You Need
- 2lb / 900g fresh spinach
- 1 TBSP coconut oil
- 1lb / 450g onion, chopped
- 2 tsp konjac flour (glucomannan powder)
- 2 cups / 1 pint unsweetened thin coconut milk
- 1/4 cup / 2 fl oz heavy cream
- sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 egg whites
What You Do
- Place the spinach in a large lidded pan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until completely wilted.
- Drain spinach well and chop finely.
- Melt the coconut oil in the pan, add the chopped onions and cook until transparent.
- Place the konjac flour in a small bowl and quickly whisk in 1 cup of the thin coconut milk.
- Add the konjac milk mixture to the pan and stir into the onions until the mixture has thickened.
- Stir in the other cup of thin coconut milk, cream, sea salt and pepper, ground nutmeg, and chopped spinach, and stir well until completely mixed.
- Reduce heat to low and let simmer until the egg whites are ready to add.
- Whisk the egg whites on high until very stiff.
- Remove the pan from the heat and quickly and carefully fold in the stiff egg whites.
- Tip the spinach mixture into an ovenproof dish and place in the oven at 350F for 30 minutes until the top has just started to brown.
Top Recipe Tips
- Konjac flour takes a minute or two to thicken, so don’t panic if it doesn’t immediately turn thick like cornstarch would. A little patience, like a little konjac flour, goes a long way.
- To add extra fat, beat the yolks from the eggs into the thin coconut milk before you add the konjac flour, then proceed with the recipe.
- Check out the Ingredients Guide for information on ingredients.
- Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?
Helpful Cooking and Recipe Links
- Come laugh and learn with us over at The Kitchen Podcast
- Come hang out in The Keto Kitchen Facebook Group
- For lots more great recipes check out our scrumptious cookbooks!
Podcast Episodes
ShelleyYour green smoothies do it for me!
carrieThanks for the smoothie love, Shelley!
StefanieI don’t love spinach but sound interesting enough to try! Do you know if trader Joes sells konjac flour?
carrieHi Stefanie – I am sure that TJs does NOT sell Konjac flour. I get mine online, but have seen it at Super Supplements. It is generally found in the vitamin departments. Hope that helps!
SheenaThis recipe looks awesome. Would it work with frozen spinach that has been thawed out?
carrieHi Sheena – I think it would, but I would thaw and drain it well before using. Enjoy!
CherylI had all the ingredients on hand so I made this for dinner tonight! It’s absolutely delicious! I LOVE spinach but don’t normally like creamed spinach because it’s too rich but this was perfect with just a touch of cream. I do think I under-seasoned my spinach mixture and next time will add a little more salt. I also “gilded the lily” with a sprinkling of grated guyere on top before I popped it in the oven. I think this will be a weekly staple at my house. Thanks, Carrie!
carrieMmmmm, Cheryl – cheese! 🙂 So glad you loved this – your body will thank you!!
JillIs there a replacement for konjac powder?
carrieHi Jill, Konjac flour is the replacement for cornstarch or regular flour. If you are not avoiding starches you can use either one of those, although you will need to use a larger amount. Hope that helps!
PamalaWOW…just finished your creamed spinach. It was great. I should confess…I modified the recipe due to not having all the ingredients required and yet it was still so good. Added argula with spinach, used flax meal in place of konjac flour and skipped the optional cream. Oh and I “baked” on cooktop in dutch oven. Thank you for the idea. Will definitely make again.
carrieHi Pamala – so glad you loved it! I would encourage you to get some konjac flour in your pantry – it really is awesome. Thanks for taking time to write a note.
T4B 014: Thermomix Lunch Menu and 'Pantry Basics'... Linseeds! - The 4 Blades[…] go with this, was a side of baked creamed spinach which we didn’t use the Thermie for. However, the recipe called for a stiff egg white which is so […]
Green Smoothie – Chocolate Raspberry » Carrie Brown | Living a SANE Life[…] same day I also concocted SANE Baked Creamed Spinach. This meant that in the course of two days I downed 42 oz – that’s almost 4 lbs […]
GigiWhat is “thin coconut milk?” Is this the canned coconut milk in the supermarket? If not, where would I find it? thanks!
This recipe looks yummy, I want to try it.
carrieHI Gigi – thin coconut milk comes in a carton and is usually with the almond and other nut milks at the grocery store. It is think like cows milk but whiter. Hope that helps!
NancyHi Carrie. Your baked creamed spinach dish looks amazing. I can’t wait to make it. I remember years and years ago I use to buy Stouffer’s frozen spinach soufflé
and couldn’t get enough of it. This looks like a healthy alternative. I was wondering if I could use something else other than konjac flour.
Thank you.
carrieHi Nancy – Konjac flour is by far the best substitute that I have found for cornstarch or wheat flour for thickening. I highly recommend that you get some for your pantry as you’ll be using it often 🙂 You could try using garbanzo bean flour but the taste and texture won’t be as good
HelenHi Carrie could you use ground almond instead of konjac flour??
carrieGround almonds will not thicken nearly the same way as konjac four does. I think you will be disappointed. I highly recommend you getting some konjac flour in your pantry. You use very little so this tub will last you forever! It is the best SANE thickener – by far – that I have found.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005F9W9JQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005F9W9JQ&linkCode=as2&tag=foodifootn-20
Hope that helps!
80 Vegetable Side Dish Recipes {and a Challenge Update} - A Delightful Home[…] Baked Creamed Spinach @ Carrie Brown […]
baked creamed spinach | optimising nutrition, managing insulin[…] baked creamed spinach recipe is from Carrie Brown’s Maramalade and Mileposts […]
Becky SearlsAre there alternatives to konjac flour? What does it do in this recipe? Act as a thickener? Is it low carb?
Baked Creamed Spinach | Ketovangelist Kitchen - KETO | LCHF[…] Creamed Spinach has quite the history attached to it, which if you’ve a mind to, you can read about here. It is also quite the famous Baked Creamed Spinach, appearing in both Jimmy Moore’s […]
Carol MooreWould Guar gum be a reasonable substitute for the Konjac powder? I already have that in the pantry…
carrieHi Carol – no. Xanthan and guar gums are not intended for thickening and you will almost certainly end up with a slimy dish. I highly recommend you get yourself some konjac as a pantry staple. It is BY FAR the best keto thickener.
Lilian TiroHi, Carrie, I found your Baked Creamed Spinach through the Keto Clarity book by J. Moore. I don’t have Konjac flour. If it is just to thicken sauce, can I use Arrowroot powder? It is paleo friendly and gluten free as well.
carrieHi Lilian! Arrowroot powder is pure starch (or carbs), so if you are keto you should avoid arrowroot. I highly recommend you get some konjac flour for all future keto thickening!