This baked spinach balls recipe is super simple to make and full of great flavor. Unlike other spinach ball recipes, these bites of spinach are not made with bread crumbs or stuffing mix. Instead, they are packed with spinach and chopped almonds and they are gluten-free.
This recipe was originally posted in 2018, it's been updated for content and photos.
These spinach balls aren't just for spinach lovers, they are the perfect party appetizer that everyone will enjoy. If you prefer vegetable appetizers, try these sweet potato fritters.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's a healthy and tasty recipe filled with spinach and protein rich almonds.
- Spinach balls are super easy to make with only ten simple ingredients.
- They are the perfect finger food appetizer and can be made ahead of time.
Here is What You Will Need To Make This Healthy Spinach Balls Recipe
This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe, scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and instructions.
Ingredients List
Tools Neeed to Make Spinach Balls
How to make Baked Spinach Balls
Prepare the ingredients. Mince the onions, garlic and herbs with a knife or a food processor. Thaw and drain the spinach, shred the cheese, whisk the eggs and make the almond crumbles in a food processor or blender.
Step 1.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic. Cook them for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
Step 2.
Add the thawed and drained frozen spinach to the skillet and cook spinach with the onions and garlic until all of the moisture disappears.
Step 3.
Stir the nuts and spices into the skillet and cook for about five minutes; then stir in the parmesan cheese. Turn the heat off and place the mixture into a large mixing bowl and let it cool off for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 4.
Stir in the eggs and place the bowl into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, heat the oven to 350 degrees f and remove the mixture from the fridge. Roll the chilled spinach mixture into 1-inch balls and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 5.
Bake the spinach balls for 30 minutes until they turn golden brown and serve.
Total Estimated Time to Make This Recipe: 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (includes time to cool the mixture).
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Frozen chopped spinach. This is the best spinach to use in this recipe. It should be thawed and drained completely before cooking it (see the tips below for draining the spinach).
Almonds. Are mild tasting and they add a nice texture and protein to these healthy, gluten-free spinach balls. Almonds can be substituted with an equal amount of walnuts, pecans, cashews, or almond flour.
Parmesan cheese. Gives these spinach bites a salty flavor, and it can be substituted with your favorite shredded cheese such as cheddar, provolone, mozzarella cheese or feta cheese.
Fresh garlic. Can be substituted with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Onions. Can be substituted with ½ tablespoon of onion powder.
Fresh Herbs. Fresh sage and thyme can be substituted with 1 teaspoon dried sage and ¾ teaspoon dried thyme.
Recipe Tips
- Squeeze as much water as you can out of the spinach before adding it to the skillet.You can do this by placing the spinach into a strainer over a sink and pressing down on the spinach with a your hand or a spoon. Or, wrap the spinach in a paper towel and squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Don't skip the refrigeration step. Once the mixture is cold it's so much easier to form it into balls. If you are pressed for time, place the mixture into the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- You will get the best results for finely chopped almonds with a food processor or high-speed blender. If you don't have either one of those, you can use a sharp knife, but the almonds will not be as crumbly.
- The easiest way to form the spinach balls is to use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop.
Make Ahead Instructions
This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and there are a few ways to do it.
Prepare the spinach balls without baking them. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two days. Just before serving, heat the oven and place the unbaked balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
You can also bake the spinach balls ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the baked spinach balls in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes just before serving.
Storing and Freezing Spinach Balls
Store leftover spinach balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 4 days.
Freeze Spinach Balls - Arrange uncooked (or cooked) on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer. Once the spinach balls are frozen, remove them from the baking sheet and store them in a freezer container, such as a stasher bag.
Once it's time to bake them, place the frozen spinach balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 until done.
What to Serve Spinach Balls With
Spinach balls are more than an appetizer! Make up a batch of them and enjoy them for lunch stuffed into a crusty roll, with pasta topped with marinara sauce or a quick, healthy snack.
They also taste great dipped in a dipping sauce such as marinara sauce, homemade onion dip, ranch dressing or homemade blue cheese dressing.
Recipe Variations
Greek spinach balls - Skip the parmesan cheese and add a tablespoon or two of any combination of these to the spinach mixture: chopped kalamata olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and a sprinkle of oregano or Italian seasoning.
Vegan spinach balls - Replace the eggs with flax eggs (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water per egg) and replace the parmesan cheese with an equal amount of nutritional yeast.
Can fresh spinach be used to make Spinach Balls?
Yes, it can! Here is how to do it: add one pound of fresh spinach into a pan of boiling water, turn off the heat. The fresh spinach should wilt fairly quickly. Once the spinach starts to wilt, drain it and pat it dry. Add it to the pan with the onions and garlic; continue with the recipe instructions below.
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado or [Olive Oil]
- 1 12- ounce package of frozen spinach
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme or ¾ teaspoon dried
- ⅛ teaspoon of [nutmeg]
- 2 eggs beaten
Instructions
- thaw the spinach at room temperature or place it in a microwave to thaw. Once it is thawed out, set it aside
- heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the garlic and onions and cook them until they become translucent - about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and cook for about 5 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Mix in the nuts, sage, thyme and nutmeg; cook the mixture for a few minutes longer
- Add the parmesan cheese and mix it in well. Turn the heat off and allow the mixture to cool off for a few minutes before adding the eggs.
- Once the mixture is close to room temperature, add the two beaten eggs and stir well.
- Place the mixture in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This will firm up the mixture which will make it easier to form it into balls.
- Once the spinach mixture has been chilled, use your hands to form the mixture into ¾ inch balls and arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet, and bake for 30 minutes.
Notes
- Squeeze as much water as you can out of the spinach before adding it to the skillet. You can do this by placing the spinach into a strainer over a sink and pressing down on the spinach with your hand or a spoon. Or wrap the spinach in a paper towel and squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Don't skip the refrigeration step. Once the mixture is cold it's so much easier to form it into balls. If you are pressed for time, place the mixture into the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- You will get the best results for finely chopped almonds with a food processor or high-speed blender. If you don't have either one of those, you can use a sharp knife, but the almonds will not be as crumbly.
- The easiest way to form the spinach balls is to use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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