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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast/Brunch

    Fresh Spinach Quick Bread with Buttermilk

    May 3, 2020 By Monika Last Updated February 7, 2021 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This no-yeast, no-knead spinach bread is made using fresh spinach, buttermilk for a light, fluffy texture and a moderate amount of cheese for a savoury finish. Perfect for breakfast/brunch, with soup/stew or as a snack.

    You might also like this quick and easy sun dried tomato soda bread.

    Side view of spinach bread with slice behind on top of parchment.

    This savoury spinach bread is a fantastic way to add more vegetables into your diet.  It’s also a great way of adding colour to your savoury bakes.  Apart from the spinach, which needs a little preparation, all the other ingredients are simply whisked and stirred together so this bread comes together very quickly.

    Spinach bread ingredients

    I used a generous amount of fresh spinach which only needs to be chopped roughly and then briefly blitzed to a finer consistency before being stirred into the batter. It is important to use fresh rather than frozen spinach in this recipe as you are likely to get different results using frozen.

    I used buttermilk which is my go-to ingredient when it comes to creating light and fluffy textures in bakes and pancakes (see for instance healthy blueberry pancakes with buttermilk).  It worked really well in this marzipan cake recipe as well as moist chocolate banana cake.  And it works equally well in this spinach bread recipe.

    Spinach bread slices topped with cottage cheese and chives.

    Why this recipe works

    • It’s nutritious and low in fat.
    • It takes minutes to put together.
    • This recipe is an easy and delicious way to make the whole family eat more veggies.
    • It’s perfect for breakfast/brunch, lunch with soup or stew, or as a snack

    Step-by-step recipe instructions

    1.Start by preheating the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease and line a 23 cm (9 inch) loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

    Roughly chop the spinach and place in the food processor.

    Chopped fresh spinach in blender bowl.

    2. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.

    Chopped spinach mixture in blender.

    3. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and onion granules and stir thoroughly using a whisk.

    Flour and spice in large metal bowl with green whisk on top.

    4. In another large bowl whisk together the eggs, oil and buttermilk until smooth.

    3 eggs and buttermilk in large white bowl.

    5. Add most of the grated cheese (leave some for sprinkling on top) and spinach and stir until thoroughly mixed.

    Grated cheese, chopped spinach and egg mixture in large white bowl with spoon.

    6. Combine the dry and wet mixtures and stir only until the dry ingredients are no longer visible. The batter will be thick.

    Spinach egg mixture with flour in large white bowl with spoon.

    7. Pour into the prepared pan, smooth out the top with a spatula or spoon and scatter the remaining cheese over the top. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour.

    Unbaked bread in loaf pan lined with parchment.

    8. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes then lift out of the pan with the paper and place on a rack.

    Top down view of baked bread in loaf pan.

    Top tips and FAQs

    • Ensure your spinach is dry before placing in the food processor. Pat dry using paper towel if necessary. I do not recommend using frozen spinach in this recipe. (I used spinach in a similar way in this quinoa egg muffins recipe).
    • You can use either regular of reduced fat cheese.
    • I used onion granules for added flavour but you can also add half a teaspoonful of garlic granules especially if you want to serve this bread with soup or stew.
    • Do NOT overstir the batter or your bread might be a little dense.
    • Serving suggestions: Delicious on its own, with cottage cheese, salmon spread, smashed avocado or a drizzle of sun dried tomato pesto.
    • Store wrapped in paper for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze entire loaf or individual slices by placing them on top of a tray in a single layer and freezing for 2 hours then transferring the slices into an airtight container to freeze for up to 3 months.

    Side view of bread with spinach on top of parchment.

    You might also like

    • Easy Whole Wheat Breadsticks with Cheese
    • Beetroot Bread with Walnuts
    • Whole Wheat Banana Date Bread
    • Cauliflower Muffins with Cheese, Kefir & Chives

    Check out also this collection of healthy breakfast recipes as well as easy tips for eating more veggies for breakfast.

    Keep in touch!

    If you make this quick bread with spinach I'd love to know how it turned out for you. What toppings did you use? Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

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    Recipe

    Side view of spinach bread with slice behind on top of parchment.

    Fresh Spinach Quick Bread with Buttermilk

    This no-yeast spinach bread is made using fresh spinach, buttermilk for a light, fluffy texture and a moderate amount of cheese for a savoury finish. Perfect for breakfast/brunch, with soup/stew or as a snack.
    4.84 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Snack
    Cuisine: vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 220kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • 23 cm/9.5'' loaf pan

    Ingredients

    • 4.23 ounces (120 g) fresh spinach roughly chopped
    • ⅔ cup+2tsp (170 ml) buttermilk
    • 3½ tablespoons (50 ml) vegetable oil
    • 3 large eggs room temperature
    • ½ cup (70 g) mature cheddar heaped, coarsely grated
    • 2 cups less 2tsp (240 g) all-purpose/plain flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ⅓ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
    • ½ teaspoon onion granules and fine sea salt each

    Instructions

    • Start by preheating the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease and line a 23 cm (9.5'') loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
      Roughly chop the spinach and place in the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
    • In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and onion granules and stir thoroughly using a whisk.
    • In another large bowl whisk together the eggs, oil and buttermilk until smooth. Add most of the grated cheese (leave some for sprinkling on top) and spinach and stir until thoroughly mixed.
    • Combine the dry and wet mixtures and stir only until the dry ingredients are no longer visible. The batter will be thick.
    • Pour into the prepared pan, smooth out the top with a spatula or spoon and scatter the remaining cheese over the top. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour (or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).
    • Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes then lift out of the pan with the paper and place on a rack.

    Notes

    • Ensure your spinach is dry before placing in the food processor. Pat dry using paper towel if necessary. I do not recommend using frozen spinach in this recipe. 
    • (I used spinach in a similar way in this quinoa egg muffins recipe).
    • You can use either regular of reduced fat cheese.
    • I used onion granules for added flavour but you can also add half a teaspoonful of garlic granules especially if you want to serve this bread with soup or stew.
    • Do NOT overstir the batter or your bread might be a little dense.
    • Serving suggestions: Delicious on its own, with cottage cheese, salmon spread, smashed avocado or a drizzle of sun dried tomato pesto.
    • Store wrapped in paper for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze entire loaf or individual slices by placing them on top of a tray in a single layer and freezing for 2 hours then transferring the slices into an airtight container to freeze for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1549IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 2mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!

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    2027 shares

    Comments

      4.84 from 12 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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    1. Brenda Cromwell says

      August 05, 2023 at 12:59 am

      4 stars
      I made this today. Instead of buttermilk, aged cheddar cheese and onion granules, I used sour cream, grated Parmesean and garlic powder. I used a tad less of the measurement for the garlic powder, because mine is really strong. For the spinach, I used a left over take out container of spinach sauted in garlic and olive oil that was hanging out in the fridge. It all came together very well. The only concern I had is the way the last ingredient, sea salt, is written in the recipe. It's tacked on at the end of the measurement for onion granules, and I almost missed it. My bread would have tasted pretty flat without it. It would be more helpful if the recipe were written 1/2 tsp onion granules, 1/2 tsp sea salt.
      Very delicious recipe. Thank you, Monika!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        August 08, 2023 at 9:49 pm

        I am glad the recipe worked even with the swaps, so thank you for letting me know. Regarding the way I've listed the ingredients I know that people don't like long lists so sometimes I take little shortcuts. But you are right, salt is pretty crucial in this recipe and I am glad you didn't miss it:)

        Reply
    2. Molly says

      June 11, 2023 at 11:51 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious bread! I like to substitute the spinach for foraged greens, like dandilion or nettle. Yummy!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        June 12, 2023 at 8:41 pm

        Sounds interesting:)

        Reply
    3. Valerie says

      June 18, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      5 stars
      We LOVE this recipe. ( see my comment above). We bake it regularly - I’m wondering if anyone as tried using baby kale or baby arugula in lieu of the spinach? Or in addition to?

      Curious -

      Thanks again for a fabulous recipe!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        June 20, 2022 at 1:58 pm

        Thanks again for your feedback, Valerie! I haven't tried it with kale or arugula, but I don't see why it couldn't work. Perhaps next time you make it use half spinach half kale or arugula. If the combination works try using more kale/arugula than spinach the following time.

        Reply
    4. Valerie says

      March 23, 2022 at 2:13 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is AMAZING - this is my 5th time baking this! My apologies for not commenting sooner -

      I’ve taken to baking two smaller/shorter loaves- and making biscotti type slices - drizzled with olive oil and light toasted to accompany bowls of soup ( which we have most evenings) or a hearty stew!

      We love this - as do the family and friends I’ve shared some with !
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        March 23, 2022 at 10:15 am

        Hi Valerie, thank you for letting me know, I am glad you made this recipe your own. I love the way you serve it! Must try that myself:)

        Reply
    5. Veronica says

      January 18, 2022 at 5:45 pm

      4 stars
      This is a very good bread. I did not use cheese and I did use frozen spinach that I defrosted and left out to drain. It worked out just fine, the bread is very soft and fluffy however. I enjoyed the texture for what I was serving, but if you are expecting something more like a dense loaf you wouldn't want to use this recipe. I've made this twice, the second time I added curry powder and it was a welcome addition.

      Reply
      • Monika says

        January 19, 2022 at 10:59 am

        You make a good point about the texture of this bread being quite fluffy - it would be denser if this was a yeast-based bread. I like the idea of adding curry powder into the batter! Thanks very much for the feedback:)

        Reply
    6. Julie Whitaker says

      May 23, 2021 at 12:03 pm

      Do you have to use buttermilk? Will other milk products work like whole milk?

      Reply
      • Monika says

        May 23, 2021 at 4:26 pm

        I haven't tried using regular milk so I am not sure about the results, but I am guessing the bread wouldn't be as fluffy. Besides you'd need to use less milk but since I haven't tried it I am not sure about the exact amount. What you can try, however, is use kefir or pourable yogurt instead of the buttermilk.

        Reply
      • Amber Da Ponte says

        June 04, 2021 at 3:43 am

        You can make a buttermilk by using milk and lemon juice. And let it set. I'm not sure of the measurements but I'm sure you can find it online :).

        Reply
    7. Amber says

      May 07, 2021 at 11:02 am

      This bread looks great! Am I able to substitute the oil for something else maybe Greek yogurt?

      Reply
      • Monika says

        May 07, 2021 at 11:11 am

        The only substitute I would recommend is olive instead of vegetable oil. There is already buttermilk in it so I do not recommend adding yogurt.

        Reply
    8. Chandre Luther says

      October 27, 2020 at 5:49 am

      5 stars
      Thank you, absolutely stunning bread😁

      Reply
      • Monika says

        October 27, 2020 at 10:43 am

        Glad you liked it and thank you for the feedback:)

        Reply

    Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking.

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