Mom’s Healthy Spinach Balls Recipe

These healthy spinach balls are an easy, freezer-friendly appetizer for game days, holiday parties, potlucks, and everyday snacks. Onion, garlic, mushrooms, and savory herbs give these gluten-free bites incredible flavor without any cheese.

This spinach balls recipe has been in my family for decades. My mom made them for holiday appetizers and potluck dinner parties, and my sister and I usually helped—measuring herbs, cracking eggs, and forming the mixture into balls with our hands. The savory aroma of baking spinach balls wafting through the house still makes me nostalgic.

As my dietary needs evolved, I remixed the recipe to make it healthier. I swapped butter for olive oil, breadcrumbs for quinoa, omitted the parmesan cheese, and added shiitake mushrooms for extra umami flavor. I can say, without a doubt: this version is just as delicious as the original.

Now that my mom is gone, my sister and I make a double batch together at least once a year to keep the family tradition alive—and we always freeze some for later. I often reheat them for lunch to serve alongside a bowl of Creamy Broccoli Soup.

“I made your spinach ball recipe for our Christmas hors d’oeuvre event. Everybody loved them, especially my sister-in-law and young niece.” – Dori L.

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Why You’ll Love These Spinach Balls

• Freezer-friendly – Great for batch cooking and easy to reheat. They’ll keep for 3–4 months in the freezer. (My Canned Salmon Patties are perfect for this, too!)
• Gluten-free & dairy-free – Nourishing without sacrificing flavor or texture.
• Great way to use up leftover quinoa – Chilled quinoa works best.
• Convenient for parties or snacks – Makes 3–4 dozen bite-sized balls
• Nutritious – Great source of fiber, protein, and greens.

Ingredients

• FROZEN SPINACH – Thaw overnight, then use a fine-mesh strainer to drain as much excess water as possible. Spinach is often on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen List, so buy organic if you can.
• QUINOA – I recommend cooking it in low-sodium chicken, beef, or veggie broth for more flavor.
• ONION & GARLIC – Add savory flavor to this spinach balls recipe.
• FRESH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS – Add bulk, fiber, and subtle umami flavor. If you don’t like mushrooms, leave them out, but the recipe won’t yield as much.
• EGGS – Act as the binder to hold all the ingredients together. I haven’t used an egg replacer, so if you try it, let me know how it turns out.
• EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL – Any high-quality EVOO will work, but I recommend Wild Mushroom and Sage Infused Olive Oil (this link gets you 10% off your first purchase). The flavor is an absolute game-changer.
• GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR – I use cassava flour. It’s very dry, which helps absorb excess moisture, ensuring your spinach balls keep their shape.
• HERBS – Make this recipe a crowd pleaser. I use dried oregano, basil, and thyme for convenience, plus some fresh sage.

 See the recipe card below for quantities and instructions.

Substitutions

• Brown rice for quinoa: Cooked and cooled brown rice also works in this recipe, but quinoa has more protein, cooks faster, and yields a better texture overall.
• Two large shallots will work in place of the onion for a slightly milder flavor.
• Gluten-Free 1:1 baking flour is a fine substitute for cassava flour.
• If you prefer to use all fresh or all dried herbs, use a 3:1 ratio (fresh to dried).
• If you don’t have celery salt, use 1 teaspoon of regular salt. (See my guide for the Best Salt for Cooking)

Tips

• Cook the quinoa the day before for the best texture. If making the day of, let the quinoa cool completely before adding (pop it in the fridge for even better results).
• Finely chop the onions, but avoid over-chopping. If they’re roughly chopped, the pieces will fall out. If they’re minced, they’ll get too watery.
• Make your own celery salt. Mix equal parts fine sea salt or iodized salt with ground celery seeds.

How to Make Spinach Balls

Prepare the Quinoa

Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Don’t skip this step—quinoa can be sandy!

Cook it according to the package instructions. 1 cup of dry quinoa yields slightly more than 2 cups cooked.

Assemble the Spinach Balls

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line two rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.
2. Drain the spinach by pressing it into a fine mesh strainer with your hands. If the mixture is too wet, the balls won’t hold together, so press out as much water as possible.
3. Add the cooked quinoa and spinach to a large mixing bowl.
4. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the stems and finely chop the caps. Add to the quinoa and spinach mixture.
5. Add the chopped onions, garlic, herbs, and seasonings to the mixture, followed by the flour. Stir until evenly combined.
6. In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs and oil together, then pour the mixture over the spinach and stir to combine. If the mixture appears runny, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
7. Using a tablespoon and your palm, form the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them in rows on the parchment-lined sheet pans.
8. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the spinach balls are firm, the quinoa is golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer.
9. Cool slightly on a wire cooling rack before serving warm or at room temperature with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky finishing salt.

Spinach balls can be served warm, room temperature, or cold straight from the refrigerator. Once refrigerated, they’ll lose their crispy exterior unless reheated in the oven.

Storing, Freezing & Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in a glass or silicone container with a tight seal for 3-4 days.

To freeze, let them cool completely on a wire rack before placing them in a freezer-safe container. I use silicone pouches to reduce plastic exposure and prevent freezer burn. Press as much air as possible out of the pouch to reduce ice formation.

Reheat chilled or frozen spinach balls in the oven at 400º F until warmed through, about 12-15 minutes

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This recipe was originally published on December 22, 2023. It was last updated August 29, 2025.