Gluten Free Spinach Spaetzle

If you’ve never had Gluten Free Spinach Spätzle, you’re in for a treat. These soft little dumplings - known as Spinatspatzeln in Austria and Northern Italy - are made with a simple dough enriched with spinach and cooked into tender, irregular noodles. They’re comforting, incredibly satisfying, and one of the most beloved dishes in Alpine cooking. Whether you serve them with browned butter, plenty of cheese, or a rich cream sauce, this spinach spätzle recipe is a delicious way to bring a little Alpine comfort to your table.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I’ve tested this Gluten Free Spinach Spaetzle recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, and my own gluten free all-purpose flour blend. For the first time ever, I couldn’t detect any difference or run into any issues with any particular flour. They all work beautifully! Make sure your gluten free flour blend contains xanthan gum, which helps bind the spaetzle dough. This is not a recipe I would use Caputo Fioreglut or my Cup4Cup Copycat Recipe since both of those blends are very high in starch.

Spinach: I prefer using fresh baby spinach to make the spinach puree vs using frozen spinach. It appears the color is more vibrant and the end product more flavorful. Make sure to pick through the spinach and remove any big stems if needed.

Eggs: Eggs help bind the batter and give the Spätzle their signature tender yet slightly chewy texture

Nutmeg: I like to add a tiny pinch of freshly grated nutmeg to my Spinach Spaetzle batter. It adds a subtle warmth and depth and keeps the Spätzle from tasting flat. It’s also something my mom and grandma have always done.

Recommended Tools

You probably already have most of the basic tools you need to make this Gluten Free Spinach Spaetzle recipe. The only special item you’ll want aside from a Food Processor or Blender is some kind of Spätzle maker.

I use a Spätzlehobel, which is like a grater. The batter is pushed through small holes in a hopper. Another option is a Spaetzle Maker Lid. A lid one can lay right on top of the pot with the boiling water and use a small bench scraper to press the dough into the hot water. There is always a Food Mill (we call it Flotte Lotte in Austria) which also works. Just make sure the insert has large holes to make sure your gluten-free spaetzle are a proper size. Some people also use a potato ricer but personally, I am not a fan of it.

Recipe Testing Notes

To be honest, this Spinach Spätzle recipe would have been a lot easier to develop if frozen spinach purée (like we have in Austria) were available at grocery stores. Since it’s not something you commonly find in the US, I had to come up with a way to make spinach purée without turning it into a whole production.

My first test used thawed frozen spinach blended with water. It worked okay, but frozen spinach seems to be mostly stems, so it didn’t blend as smoothly as I wanted. The result was Spätzle with little green specks instead of that smooth, vibrant color I was hoping for.

For round two, I tried using frozen spinach with less water and more spinach. The color improved, but the puree was still too chunky for my taste. Granted, I don't own a $700 blender, so that might be the issue all along?

Finally, I switched from frozen to fresh baby spinach. I blanched it quickly in boiling water for 30 seconds, then blended it into a puree with some additional water. The result? Gluten Free Spinach Spaetzle with a vibrant green color and a more pronounced “spinachy” flavor.

Homemade Spinach Puree

To make a homemade spinach purée, you’ll need a blender or food processor. I like using a small food processor for this.

1. Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch for 30 - 60 seconds until just wilted and bright green.
2. Step 2: Immediately transfer the spinach to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. This keeps the color vibrant. (This is optional)

3. Step 3: Weigh the blanched spinach and add enough water to bring the total weight to 200 grams. If the spinach retained enough water from blanching, you may not need to add any.

4. Step 4: Transfer the spinach to your blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

5. Step 5: The purée should be smooth, thick, and easy to mix into your Spätzle batter

Gluten Free Spinach Spätzle Dough

I recommend making the Spinach Spaetzle dough in a bowl, using a spoon or a Danish dough whisk to mix it. The dough should be thick and sticky which is exactly what you want. This slightly loose texture helps the spätzle drop easily into boiling water and gives them their signature tender, slightly chewy bite.

1. Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the gluten free flour, kosher salt, and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix the ingredients.
2. Step 2: Add 200 grams of spinach puree and two large eggs to the dry ingredients.

3. Step 3: With a dough whisk, whisk the ingredients together until a thick, sticky dough forms. I like to whisk my dough for about 2 minutes (with a few breaks).
4. Step 4: Allow the spinach spatzle dough to rest for about 10 minutes while you get the water to a boil.

Cooking Instruction

While the spinach spatzle dough rests, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use a pot at least 4–6 quarts in size and salt the water as you would for pasta.

1. Step 1: While the spinach spätzle dough rests, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil
2. Step 2: Once the water is boiling, set a spätzlehobel over the pot. (If you’re using another tool, follow its instructions.)
3. Step 3: Spoon some dough into the sliding box (hopper), filling it about halfway to two-thirds full.

4. Step 4: Push the hopper briskly back and forth over the holes. The dough will press through and drop into the boiling water in little irregular noodles - exactly what you want.
5. Step 5: Cook the gluten free spinach spaetzle until they float. Once they float, allow them to boil for an additional 1-2 minutes.

6. Step 6: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the spätzle to an ice bath to stop the cooking and keep them from getting mushy.

7. Step 7: Once cooled, transfer them to a colander to drain while you cook the remaining spaetzle dough.

How to Store Leftover Spinach Spaetzle

Refrigerator: Let the gluten free spinach spaetzle cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 - 4 days. If you want to prevent them from sticking together, toss them lightly with a little melted butter or oil before storing.

Freezer: Spätzle freeze surprisingly well. Spread the cooked and cooled spätzle on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until firm. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to ONE month.

Reheating: The best way to reheat spätzle is in a skillet with a little butter until warmed through and lightly golden. You can also briefly drop them into simmering water for about 30–60 seconds to heat them up.

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.