Spinach Spätzle
Spinach Spätzle is a healthy and wholesome variety on your dinner table that will also delight your guests. A colorful addition to your dinner table!
Some recipes feel like a breath of fresh air—familiar, yet full of life. Today, I found myself craving something hearty but wholesome, and Spinach Spätzle came to mind. It’s a vibrant twist on the traditional German Spätzle, flecked with green and packed with flavor
And if you add a little cheese and crispy onions on top, it turns into a cozy casserole that’s perfect for any season.
Some popular Spätzle makers you can order here on Amazon
Frozen or fresh washed Spinach 
Cook down Spinach leaves. Drain liquid 
If necessary, mix in food processor or blender 
Stir Spätzle batter to a smooth consistency 
Drop Spinach Spätzle dough into boiling water 
Spinach Spätzle will be done when they swim on top 
Remove and rinse in cold water 
Heat oven to 400F. Stack Spätzle with additional melting cheeses. 
Cook for 20 minute, then add refried onions in the last minutes
I had a bag of frozen spinach in the freezer and a quiet afternoon ahead—just the right moment to bring this dish to life.
🥬 Why Spinach Spätzle?
This version of Spätzle is a nourishing change of pace. It’s still comforting and satisfying, but with the added goodness of Spinach. Whether you use fresh or frozen, the result is a beautiful green dough. It cooks into tender little Spaetzle. They are perfect for layering with cheese or serving alongside roasted vegetables.
👩🍳 Step-by-Step: Making Spinach Spätzle
1. Prepare the Spinach
I warmed up 1 lb of frozen spinach slowly in a small pot, then stirred in 3 finely chopped garlic cloves and removed it from the heat. If you’re using fresh spinach, cook it down first, add the garlic, and blend it all in a food processor until smooth.
Fresh Spinach can be substituted with the frozen kind. Most varieties of frozen Spinach come in 10 oz packages and needs to be drained once it’s thawed because it will produce a lot of water. A 10 oz package of frozen Spinach is the equivalent about a 1 pound bunch of fresh Spinach leaves.
2. Make the Dough
In a large bowl, I combined:
• The spinach-garlic mixture
• 4 medium eggs
• 3¼ cups white flour
• A pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg
I stirred everything together until a thick, sticky dough formed. If it felt too stiff, I added a splash of milk to loosen it. Then I let the dough rest for 30 minutes, giving the gluten time to relax and the flavors to meld.
3. Cook the Spätzle
I brought a large pot of salted water to a boil and turned the heat to medium-high. Using my Spätzle maker (though a board and knife work just as well), I scraped small portions of dough into the water. The little dumplings dropped in and, after a minute or two, floated to the top—ready to be scooped out.
Transferring them to a sieve, I rinsed them with cold water to stop the cooking. A final rinse ensured they were clean and ready for the next step.
4. Make the Sauce
In a separate bowl, I stirred together:
• 1 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream as a substitute)
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan (or melting cheeses like Swiss or Cheddar)
• A dash more salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste
I dropped the warm Spätzle into the sauce and stirred gently until everything was coated and creamy.
5. Bake to Perfection
I transferred the mixture into a greased casserole dish, sprinkled a bit more cheese on top, and baked it at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes. The edges turned golden, and the aroma filled the kitchen.
For a final flourish, I added French’s Fried Onions on top and baked for another 5 minutes until crisp and irresistible.
🧅 Serving and Savoring
I served the Spinach Spätzle hot, garnished with a few fresh herbs. It was creamy, savory, and just the right balance of indulgent and nourishing. The spinach gave it a beautiful color and earthy flavor, while the cheese and onions added richness and crunch.
A Dish That Feeds Body and Soul
Spinach Spätzle is more than a recipe—it’s a reminder that comfort food can be vibrant and wholesome. Whether you’re cooking for family, friends, or just yourself, it’s a dish that brings warmth to the table and joy to the cook.
Fried Onions from scratch:
Cut the onions in rings, very thin with a knife or Mandoline food slicer. Heat the oil on high in a saucepan. Mix some flour with a little paprika powder and turn the onion rings in it. Drop into the hot oil and fry with constant stirring until medium brown. Lift the fried onions with a sieve, drain well and let cool down, spread out on paper towel. Sprinkle with salt a little
Also try Cheese or Käse Spätzle
Spinach Spätzle
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups white flour
- 4 medium eggs
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 lb frozen spinach, or substitute with fresh leaf spinach
- Milk if necessary
- 1 dash salt and pepper
- 6 oz. French’s Fried Onions as topping
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup Creme Fraiche, see notes for substitute.
- 1 dash of nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan (or melting cheeses like Cheddar or Swiss)
Instructions
- Warm up slowly the frozen spinach in a small pot.
- Add the garlic and remove from the heating source.
- (If using fresh spinach, cook it down first, add the garlic and then then mix it in the food processor)
- Combine the spinach and garlic mixture, eggs and flour, then stir or knead.
- Add a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- To make the dough more fluid add some milk.
- Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot with water to boil. Add some salt.
- With a Spätzle maker (or use a knife scraping dough down the board) drop the dough into the boiling water. Turn heat to medium high.
- When the Spätzle swim on the top, remove, place in a sieve and rinse with cold water.
- Add the Creme Fraiche or substitute and the Parmesan or other melting cheeses. Taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Drop the Spinach Spätzle into the Sauce and stir
- Place the Spätzle with addition cheese in a casserole bowl
- Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
- If you decide to use French fried onions, place it on top now and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Notes
A substitute for Creme Fraiche is one cup whole cream and one tbsp. buttermilk kept in a ja for 24 hours, stir. An easier version would be sour cream mixed with whole cream.
