Laura Fuentes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Eat Healthy
  • Quick Meals
  • Pancakes
  • About
  • Pasta Night
  • Best Chicken Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Eat Healthy
  • Quick Meals
  • Pancakes
  • About
  • Pasta Night
  • Best Chicken Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Snacks

Baked Spinach Balls with Parmesan

By Laura Fuentes Updated Sep 9, 2024

5 from 29 votes

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

Cheesy, spinach balls that taste like spinach dip are the real deal and a delicious way to get your family to eat their leafy greens. 

Not convinced your family will want to eat anything with green in it? Try these savory bites. Spinach, breadcrumbs, cheese, and garlic butter all rolled up and baked to perfection, what’s not to love?

spinach balls on a plate with ranch dressing

Healthy Spinach Balls

Made with real ingredients and frozen spinach, these bites are a great idea when you need a quick appetizer or something to pack for lunch outside of a sandwich.

We all know spinach is an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients, and this is one of those few spinach recipes anyone will gladly inhale and ask for more. 

Ingredients

These spinach bites taste like a cross between spinach dip and Italian stuffing- super delicious and a lighter option at only 115 calories a serving. You’ll find the ingredient measurements in the recipe below, but here’s a peek at everything you’ll need to make these bites:  

  • Butter: for cooking the onions while adding delicious flavor.
  • Onion: any onions you have around, chopped.
  • Garlic: one clove adds tons of flavor and aroma.
  • Spinach: for this recipe, I use frozen spinach. It has already been chopped and steamed, so that’s one less step. Thaw and wring before adding it to the mix.
  • Breadcrumbs: use regular or gluten-free.
  • Eggs: help hold all the ingredients.
  • Grated Parmesan cheese: make these spinach balls deliciously cheesy while helping hold the ingredients.
  • Salt and pepper: for seasoning.
bowl of spinach bite ingredients

Making Spinach Balls Step-By-Step

One recipe yields about 40 to 45 spinach balls with two per serving, so you can feed a crowd or depend on them to fuel at least 2 lunches for the entire family. Here’s how to make that happen: 

  1. Prep 
    Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  2. Make the Garlic Butter 
    In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat. 
  3. Make the Spinach Mixture
    In a large bowl, combine the spinach, breadcrumbs, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and butter mixture. Stir to combine. 
  4. Grab a Scoop
    Using a cooking scoop or tablespoon, scoop the mixture into your hands and roll into a ball. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough. 
  5. Bake until Golden Brown
    Bake the spinach balls for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before serving. 

Watch how this simple recipe comes together in the video below:

If you’re making these spinach bites for lunches, bake them ahead and store the batch in an airtight container for up to a week. When you’re ready for bite-size cheesy goodness, pop them in the microwave and pack into lunch containers with dipping sauce on the side. BOOM!

spinach balls, shaped and on a baking sheet

How to Serve Spinach Balls

I often serve these as a party appetizer, side dish or pack for easy lunches. There is no wrong way to enjoy them.

Since they’re made with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, marinara is my family’s sauce of choice. You can do Ranch or another favorite sauce, and I made sure to leave a few recommendations for yummy dips below.

If you want to turn them into a substantial dinner, treat them like meatballs and serve them with tomato sauce and spaghetti. Don’t be surprised when your family asks for second helpings.

spinach balls on a baking sheet

Can You Freeze Spinach Balls

To freeze, you will make the recipe as directed but omit the baking step. Place them onto a baking sheet, leaving space in between each bite. Freeze for 4 hours or until solid, then transfer to a large zip bag and keep frozen for 3 months.

Large plate of spinach balls with dipping sauce

Spinach Balls Dipping Sauce

Spinach balls are made to be dunked into sauce and in case you can’t decide what to serve them with, here are a few of my favorite options: 

  • Homemade Ranch Dressing
  • Jalapeño Ranch Dressing
  • Crockpot Tomato Sauce
  • Greek Hummus

Still can’t decide; why not make all 4?! You won’t regret it, and any leftover tomato sauce or dressing can be used for other lunches and dinners in the week. 

Baked Spinach Balls with Parmesan

Servings: 20
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Cheesy, spinach balls that taste like spinach dip are the real deal and a delicious way to get your family to eat their leafy greens. 
5 from 29 votes
Print Pin

Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained*
  • 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and stir. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the spinach, breadcrumbs, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and butter mixture. Stir to thoroughly combine.
  • Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the mixture into your hands and roll into a ball, and place them on the baking sheet.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Notes

Yields: 40 spinach balls

Equipment

The Best Homemade Kid’s Snacks on the Planet
sheet pan with lid cover
baking sheet with cover
Sheet Pan Dividers

Nutrition

Serving: 2 balls | Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3568IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 1mg

More Snacks

  • tuna deviled eggs
    Deviled Eggs with Tuna
  • watermelon pizza topped with yogurt and berries
    Watermelon Fruit Pizza
  • Air Fryer Zucchini Chips with No Breading
  • closeup view of round post-workout snack bars
    Homemade Grab the Gold Bars Recipe

Comments

    5 from 29 votes (28 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Amelia says

    April 24, 2024 at 3:13 pm

    5 stars
    As someone who is obsessed with spinach and artichoke dip, these pass the picky eater test! My three kids loved how bite sized these were and we ate the whole first batch

    Reply

Hi! I'm Laura.
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, mom of three, and the woman behind the world’s best pancakes—here to help you ditch the mealtime drama with recipes your family will actually eat.

More about me →

Let's Be Social!

Facebook Pinterest Instagram YouTube
5 Secrets to Healthy(er) Family Meals

Fresh Favorites

  • large stack of fluffy pancakes with slice of butter on top
    Best Fluffy Pancakes Recipe
  • rotisserie chicken alfredo
    Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo
  • three hard shell tacos
    How to Make Taco Shells
  • 4 fillets of baked cajun salmon served with roasted potatoes and broccoli
    Baked Cajun Salmon

Trending Now

  • large stack of pancakes topped with a slice of butter. a small bottle of maple syrup behind the stack of pancakes.
    How to Make Pancakes Without Eggs
  • copycat canes nuggets and fries with texas toast and two sauces
    Copycat Cane’s Chicken Recipe with Homemade Cane’s Sauce
  • large plate of freshly baked mixed chicken pieces
    Juicy Baked Chicken Pieces
  • creamy garlic sauce in a large pot with pepper on top
    5 Ingredient Creamy Garlic Sauce

Footer

Browse

  • Start Here
  • Eat Healthy in 30 Days
  • Weekly Family Meal Plans
  • Recipe Index

Useful Links

  • Contact
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT © 2025 LAURA FUENTES · DESIGN BY FUENTES MEDIA

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.