The Best Creamed Spinach
We’re sharing The Best Creamed Spinach Recipe we’ve ever made! A wonderful green side dish for the holidays, you can easily make this creamed spinach in the slow cooker.
Creamed. Spinach.
These two words tend to have a strong impact on most people. Either a cringe effect or a sigh of cozy nostalgia.
Today I’m serving up The Best Cream Spinach Recipe, in my humble opinion. It’s easy to make, either quickly on the stovetop or simmering all day long in a crockpot.
This recipe offers a vibrant, grassy note with nutty Parmesan cheese, garlic, and spice. The texture is rich and luxurious. This is the perfect way to eat spinach in the cooler months.
I think even the most resistant spinach eater might have a change of heart after tasting this creamed spinach!
The Best Creamed Spinach Recipe
When I’m in a hurry I make it on the stovetop in less than 20 minutes. However for big celebration meals, when I need all my burners for other dishes, I start this easy Creamed Spinach Recipe in the slow cooker and let it simmer all day.
It tastes amazing and rounds out comforting meals and holiday feasts, which tend to feature mostly brown foods. If you are someone who can’t serve a meal without a green vegetable, this Slow Cooker Creamed Spinach recipe is a true winner.
Forget the green salad that will, no doubt, be overshadowed on the Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter table. This year serve creamed spinach along with your sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, Thanksgiving stuffing, and ham.
Your family will thank you!
What You Need to Make Creamed Spinach
- Frozen chopped spinach
- Butter
- Sweet onion
- Garlic Cloves
- All-purpose flour
- Whole milk or Heavy Cream
- Salt
- Ground nutmeg
- White pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese
That’s it! You’ll love the rich, creamy texture that these ingredients create, blended with fragrant garlic and spices that are perfect for the holidays.
How To Make Creamed Spinach in a Slow Cooker
1. Sauté – Take the time to cook the chopped onions and garlic in a large skillet before adding them to the slow cooker. Although your onions will cook in a crockpot, they often end up with a rubbery texture and metallic taste. Place the butter, chopped onions, and garlic in a skillet. Set over medium heat and sauté to soften for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the flour and stir well to break up the clumps.
2. Dump – Scoop the onion mixture into the crock of a large slow cooker. Add the frozen spinach, milk, salt, nutmeg, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cover and turn on low.
3. Slow Cook – Slow cook for 8-10 hours until the mixture simmers and thickens. Make sure to stir it every few hours so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
4. Serve. When ready to serve, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
Get the Full Recipe Below For The Creamed Spinach (From Frozen). Enjoy!
Stove Top Instructions
1. Cook the onions and garlic in butter as directed above, but do so in a large deep saute pan.
2. Add additional ingredients to the saute pan (Step 2) and bring to a simmer.
3. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken.
4. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is This Side Dish Recipe Gluten-Free?
No, but you can easily adjust this creamed spinach to be a gluten-free recipe. Just substitute rice flour for the all-purpose flour.
How do you make a Dairy-Free, Vegan version?
Swap thick canned coconut milk for the milk and vegan butter substitute for the butter.
Is This Easy Creamed Spinach Recipe Ketogenic?
No. However, if you removed the flour altogether, it would be. Substitute cream for the milk to provide extra fat and a rich luxurious texture.
Can I Use Fresh Spinach?
Yes, you can use fresh baby spinach leaves. Buy the same weight in ounces. Because fresh is not as compact as frozen spinach, you will just have to add it little by little mixing in more as it wilts down.
Can you make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes, you can make creamed spinach up to three days before servings. Rewarm in a crockpot or on the stovetop.
Can you freeze this recipe?
Yes. Just make sure to thaw it slowly at room temperature before rewarming. If wrapped well, it can freeze for up to 4 months.
LOOKING FOR MORE SAVORY SIDE DISHES?
- Southwest Cornbread Stuffing
- The Ultimate Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Beer
- Fluffy Southern Cat Head Biscuits
- Best Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Oven Roasted Vegetables with Maple Glaze
- Honey Butter Roasted Carrots
- Crispy Kale and Quinoa Salad
See the printable recipe below for nutritional information, including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and calcium percentages.
The Best Creamed Spinach Recipe
Ingredients
- 36 ounces frozen chopped spinach (four 9-ounce boxes)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 3/4 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place the butter, chopped onions, and garlic in a skillet. Set over medium heat and sauté to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the flour and stir well to break up the clumps.
- Scoop the onion mixture into the crock of a large slow cooker. Add the frozen spinach, milk, salt, nutmeg, white pepper and cayenne pepper. Cover and turn on low.
- Slow cook for 8-10 hours until the mixture simmers and thickens. Stir every few hours. When ready to serve, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This creamed spinach recipe is so delicious and so EASY to make! Love this as a side dish for almost any dish.
It’s so nice to have yummy slow cooker side dishes on hand, so convenient for when hosting! Thank you.
I love how easy and tasty this recipe is! I love a good crockpot recipe where I can dump ingredients in and let it cook!
Looks bomb, looking forward to making it! If I half the recipe would it be same time and temp?
Hi Tayyabba!
Yes, you can half it with no major change in cooking time.
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Can this recipe be doubled! If so, would you change anything!
Hi Patti!
Yes, if your crockpot is large enough you can double the recipe. You might need to add 1-2 hours of cook time.
Such an amazing spinach dish, and super easy to make in the crockpot!
Not a comment. Just a question. Must I use frozen spinach? I use fresh vegies almost exclusively. I know it would take a pile of fresh spinach and I would probably take a while to cook out the water before proceeding, but other than that is there a problem?
Hi Katherine,
Yes, you can use fresh. You will just have to add it little by little mixing in more as it wilts.
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
We loved this dish! I will be making it again soon!
Awesome! I love spinach recipes! This one is on point! Thanks for sharing! :)
My husband LOVES creamed spinach. This is such a great, easy recipe! It’s going to make a great side dish for Thanksgiving.
I’ve always been a lover of this dish. It does carry a nostalgic feeling for me but it’s really good too.
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Hi Sommer,
Another question. What would be the effect if I swapped the milk for heavy whipping cream?
Hi Sara,
It would just make the base a little thicker. Go for it! :)
How would it change the cooking time in the crock pot if I don’t use frozen spinach, but instead use fresh?
Hi Sara,
It should cook in about half the time if the spinach is fresh.
Looks too good! Can I use fresh spinach? If yes, what would be the equivalent amount?
Hi Sadaf,
Absolutely! You will still need to use 36 ounces of spinach, it will overflow the pot at first but will cook down quickly.
Looks delicious!
Spinach is delish!
I loooove cream spinach! What size crock pot did you use in the picture? I’m just wondering if I’d be able to use by 9×13 casserole crock pot without it over flowing. Also in the pictures, it looks a little soupy. Do you think if I let the spinach thaw a little and squeeze out some water it’d make it less soupy or too dry? What if I only used 1/2 a stick of butter to cut down on the fat?
Hi Adrian,
I used a 6 quart slow cooker. 9 X 13 inch pans are about 3 quarts. So even though the crock isn’t full to the top, I think you might need a larger pan. You can squeeze out the liquid if you like, but the spinach does firm up a little as it cools. As for butter, feel free to adjust to your liking. Happy Cooking!
This recipe looks great. Would you have the same results if you left off the flour? Thanks!
Hi Margie!
If you take out the flour, you might want to substitute something like cornstarch or arrow root powder as a thickener.
This looks so good, but for just my husband and I it might be too much, just wondering if you have ever frozen it in smaller servings after cooking? I am a big believer of cooking once and eating multiple times………..I will try it next week and let you know
Hi Marilyn,
I haven’t tried that, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work! :)
So good! does the recipe change at all if I use fresh spinach.
I’m wondering if I am doing something wrong, my milk to spinach ratio seems off. Should the spinach be covered in the crockpot or mostly exposed?
This spinach is so tempting!!!
I have never had creamed spinach (isn’t that funny?!) but this looks really good!
Anytime the crockpot can do the work for me I’m in!
Do you thaw the frozen spinach before adding to the crockpot?
Hi Veronica!
You just drop it in frozen and let the slow cooker thaw it for you. :)
Yum! Pinning for Thanksgiving! Love that you can throw it in the crock pot and forget about it till dinner.