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Dairy-Free Creamed Spinach (Keto, Paleo, Vegan)

Dairy-free creamed spinach made with caramelized onions, garlic, and coconut milk makes for a nutritious side dish that happens to be paleo, vegan, low-carb, and keto.

Dairy-Free Creamed Spinach with caramelized onions, garlic, and coconut milk - a healthy side dish! | TheRoastedRoot.net

Is creamed spinach a part of your holiday feasts? 

While my family hasn’t habitually included creamed spinach to our repertoire, I do enjoy a good cooked green. 

This dairy-free creamed spinach recipe replaces heavy cream and parmesan cheese with full-fat coconut milk and some lemon zest. The result is a rich, tasty, nutritious side dish that goes along with just about any main entree!

If you don’t do fresh dairy, such as milk or cream but you do consume fermented dairy, such as cheese, you can absolutely add grated cheese to this dish for an even tastier result! My recommendations for cheese selection are parmesan, gouda, or gruyere.

Make it for your Thanksgiving or Christmas gatherings!

How to Make Dairy-Free Creamed Spinach:

Heat the avocado oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion begins turning brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Dairy Free Creamed Spinach

Add the garlic and continue sauteeing another 2 minutes

Reduce the heat to low and add the flour, lemon zest, nutmeg and sea salt and stir well to combine.

Slowly pour in the coconut milk, stirring constantly.

Creamed Spinach made dairy-free

Continue cooking and stirring until mixture is very thick (if adding cheese, do so now).

Add the baby spinach to the pot and stir it into the thick sauce as best you can.

How to make dairy-free creamed spinach

Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes to allow spinach to wilt. Remove the cover and stir well until spinach is completely wilted and is well-integrated into the sauce.

Taste the creamed spinach for flavor and add more sea salt to taste. 

Dairy-Free Creamed Spinach makes a nutritious vegan side dish

Serve with your main entree and enjoy!

Recipe Adaptations:

  • Use collard greens instead of spinach.
  • Add 1 cup grated parmesan, gouda, or gruyere cheese.
  • If you’re a garlic lover, consider adding more garlic or even a bulb of roasted garlic.

More Healthy Side Dishes:

Cream thy spinach!

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this Dairy-Free Creamed Spinach, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

Dairy-Free Creamed Spinach with caramelized onions, garlic, and coconut milk - a healthy side dish! | TheRoastedRoot.net
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4.43 from 38 votes

Dairy-Free Creamed Spinach

Creamed spinach made dairy-free with coconut milk and caramelized onions
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Side Dishes & Snacks
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 149kcal
Author: Julia

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the avocado oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion begins turning brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sauteing another 2 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to low and add the flour, lemon zest, nutmeg and sea salt and stir well to combine.
  • Slowly pour in the coconut milk, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture is very thick (if adding cheese, do so now).
  • Add the baby spinach to the pot and stir it into the thick sauce as best you can. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes to allow spinach to wilt. Remove the cover and stir well until spinach is completely wilted and is well-integrated into the sauce.
  • Taste the creamed spinach for flavor and add more sea salt to taste. Serve with your main entree and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6 | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
Recipe Rating




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Holly

Friday 17th of November 2023

Just made this tonight for dinner. This is the best cream spinach. We had it with meatloaf. It’s amazing. My husband and kids love it. This will definitely be on our dinner menu

Julia

Saturday 18th of November 2023

Ooh, I bet creamed spinach is so great alongside meatloaf! Thanks so much for sharing, Holly! xo

Natalie

Tuesday 10th of May 2022

This was SO good! Thank you! I used a paleo flour, and frozen spinach that I cooked and drained first. I also used coconut cream rather than coconut milk, because that's what I had. Turned out awesome!! Even the kids loved it!

Julia

Tuesday 10th of May 2022

I'm so thrilled to hear it, Natalie! Thanks so much for sharing!! xo

Brenda Jarrard

Saturday 11th of December 2021

Um, where do you incorporate the flour?

Mary

Wednesday 25th of November 2020

Has anyone tried to double triple recipe. Or using a 40 oz bag of spinach from Costco. Just wondering how the measurements increase.

Shirley

Wednesday 6th of November 2019

I used to love creamed spinach, but hadn't thought of it for years. My mom made it for us every once in a while. I am sure we put up a fight at first, until it became a favorite. Thank you for the recipe. This will have to be back on the menu!

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