It’s not really Thanksgiving until someone brings out a delicious plate of cream cheese spinach dip! This keto spinach dip has just 1g net carbs per serving, so we’ve got plenty of reason to be thankful this year.
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Enjoying cream cheese spinach dip and other luxuries around the holiday season is a delight, and we’ve managed to create a keto-friendly version that’s a perfect addition to a Thanksgiving table. Tangy cream cheese and parmesan cheese make this dip unbelievably moreish and creamy, with only 1 gram of net carbs per serving!
Our keto spinach dip with cream cheese is delicious when eaten with simple raw vegetables or spread thickly on a slice of keto bread. Using powdered garlic and onion allows the dip to be flavored subtly and avoids the common acrid taste raw fresh onion can bring. Delicately seasoning and flavoring the cream cheese dip allows each ingredient to be tasted with every mouthful, resulting in a beautifully balanced side dish the entire family will love.
Taking a mere 5 minutes to put together, this spinach dip is a quick and breezy showstopper that can be made in a flash and stored in the fridge ahead of time. Winter is a busy season for many, but there’s something so comforting about having wholesome, flavourful dishes on standby in the pantry or fridge to turn to at a moment’s notice, and this heavenly dip is one of them.
Keto Spinach Ingredients
- Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves: Vibrant forest green spinach leaves are an integral part of a cream cheese spinach dip, bringing a silky texture and subtle flavor. Fresh baby spinach leaves are ideal for this recipe as they aren’t too large with chunky stems, which could interfere with the otherwise smooth texture of the dip.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is such a diverse ingredient, able to be utilized in both sweet and savory dishes. It’s essentially the base of this recipe, creating a thick, luscious texture ideal for dipping, spreading, or slathering on keto crackers. Full-fat cream cheese is best to use as it generally doesn’t contain a mountain of ingredients such as added sugar and flavorings and also tends to be far less watery than low-fat cream cheese.
- Parmesan Or Pecorino Cheese: Our keto cream cheese spinach dip is technically a double cheese recipe since both cream cheese and hard cheese are required. Parmesan or pecorino cheese can be grated into the dip as both have a similar texture and flavor profile. As pecorino cheese is made from sheep’s milk, it has a slightly softer and creamier texture but lacks the robust tanginess of grated parmesan.
- Olive Oil: A drop of olive oil is needed to sauté the baby spinach for a few minutes before adding the leaves to the creamy dip. As the oil is simply used to help soften and wilt the spinach, there’s no need to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic is an intense ingredient, able to transform recipes, but a little goes a long way! Dried or powdered garlic can have a strong flavor that is able to dominate recipes. Still, our spinach dip only contains a small amount, enough so garlic can be tasted and recognized as a background hum of earthy flavor.
- Onion Powder: Similar to garlic, onion powder has a bold flavor that can quickly become overpowering. Adding just a small sprinkling of onion powder to the dip brings another level of savory flavor and prevents any bitter aftertaste. Using dried herbs and spices means less time cooking and more time enjoying delicious keto-friendly dishes with loved ones.
- Sea Salt And Black Pepper: Seasoning is a big part of cooking, with sea salt and black pepper being our choice for this dip. Sea salt cuts through the thick cream cheese, while black pepper adds woody undertones and background heat.
How To Make Keto Cream Cheese Spinach Dip
Making our keto cream cheese spinach dip takes 5 minutes, with next to no effort involved. The only equipment needed is a mixing bowl and a frying pan to soften the spinach leaves. If you know guests are on the way or friends and family turn up unexpectedly, this dip is a quick and easy dish to serve up!
Step one: Add olive oil to a frying pan and sauté the baby spinach leaves for 2-3 minutes before seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.
Step two: Once the spinach has wilted, take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool while preparing the rest of the dip.
Step three: Combine the cream cheese, parmesan/pecorino cheese, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Step four: Add the cooked and cooled spinach into the bowl and mix well, combining all the ingredients together to create a thick, green-speckled dish. Serve the dip at room temperature with raw, sliced, keto-friendly vegetables, crackers, or low-carb bread.
Tips And Variations
Keto Bacon And Cream Cheese Spinach Dip: There are many variations of cream cheese spinach dip, but for an even more luxurious edge, it’s possible to add some golden nuggets of crispy bacon. Not only does bacon bring mouthwatering saltiness, but it also adds color and texture, making for a filling and satisfying side.
Cream Cheese Spinach Dip With Mozzarella: Many cheeses are keto-friendly, and although both parmesan and pecorino work perfectly with the silky spinach, mozzarella is also a delicious cheese that fits well. For mozzarella to achieve a dreamy, melted texture, it needs to be cooked, so baking the dip for 10-15 minutes in the oven and allowing it to cool will create the luscious, stringy mozzarella texture we all recognize and love.
Cream Cheese Spinach Dip With Sour Cream: For the ultimate tangy spinach dip, add a few spoons of sour cream to the mixture. This will loosen the thick texture of the cream cheese a little and bring a welcomed fresh tang to match the parmesan and cream cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Thicken Cream Cheese Spinach Dip?
Using full-fat cream cheese is an ideal starting point for creating a thick spinach dip, but if you’re struggling to reach a spreadable, dippable texture, there are a couple of things worth trying. Slowly adding more cream cheese to the mixture can help thicken the texture, but be sure to add small quantities at a time. Draining any excess water from the cooked spinach will help prevent excess liquid from entering the dip, making it runnier and looser than desired.
How Long Does Homemade Spinach Dip Last In The Fridge?
Once stored in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator, homemade spinach dip should last for 3-4 days. Allow the dip to cool completely before putting it in the fridge, as the residual heat from the cooked spinach can warm it up.
How Many Carbs Are In Cream Cheese Spinach Dip?
Our keto cream cheese spinach dip contains only 1g of net carbs per serving, making it suitable for the keto lifestyle. Using full-fat and low-carb ingredients means this dip can be enjoyed by those following a keto lifestyle who want to avoid carb-laden dishes and enjoy keto versions instead.
📖 Recipe
Cream Cheese Spinach Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves
- 4 oz Cream Cheese full fat
- ½ cup Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the spinach for 2-3 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool down a bit.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese with the parmesan or pecorino cheese and season with a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the spinach and mix well. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is calculated based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe we provide. Erythritol and other sugar-free sweetener carbs are not included in the carb counts. Net carbohydrates are the total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber.
Copyright
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