SUMMARY
Who says culinary decadence can’t be part of your keto journey? These keto-friendly food recipes for snacks, breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert are rich and satisfying. Best of all, they won’t take you out of ketosis.
If you are on the keto diet, you might be thinking that your favorite comfort foods (we’re talking pizza, fries, chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies) are off-limits. And in a way, they are, traditionally.
Yet, by using some keto swaps, such as monk fruit, stevia or erythritol as sweeteners (which do not spike blood sugar or disrupt ketosis), you can enjoy some comforting, decadent dishes that are all keto-approved.
And there are even some strange creations out there with cool names, like the “chaffle” for a keto-friendly waffle (made of cheese and/or eggs!), as well as other fun recipes that give you “fast food” or dessert-like options all while staying in ketosis. So, you don’t need to feel deprived on the diet whatsoever and can satisfy your food cravings anywhere, anytime.
Here are 21 awesome keto-friendly food recipes to get you started!
Table of Contents
Keto-Friendly Snacks
Keto Breakfast
Keto Lunch
Keto Dinner
Keto-Friendly Desserts
Keto-Friendly Snacks
These keto fries are made with high-fat avocado to provide healthy unsaturated fats and protein to boost satiety, as well as almond flour and flaxseed meal to add in extra fats and get you that crispy, fried texture you crave, but in a keto-friendly way.
And there’s a rich balance of spice and herbal notes from the cilantro, pepper, garlic, chili, and cayenne powder. Add in a creamy dipping sauce, like a yogurt-based one.
Time: 35 minutes
Keto Three Cheese Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Cups
These mini cups make a great snack or appetizer, and they are portable, so you can grab one or two and eat on the go. Plus, the cauliflower makes a terrific low carb pasta alternative, and the cheeses keep it together and provide fat for keto. Add in more seasonings, like fresh herbs, or go with some spice for a kick. Instead of crust, go with prosciutto for the wrap, too!
Time: 40 minutes
Mozzarella sticks are great for game day or a fun Sunday outing with friends, but they are usually super high in carbs and sodium—not great for keto. Yet, this makeover has perfectly portioned bite-sized pieces and keeps them crunchy and crispy with a cheesy gooey center. Dip in unsweetened marinara that is keto-approved or another creamy sauce.
Time: 15 minutes
Nachos are basically chips covered in tasty toppings like beef, avocado, sour cream, beans, cheese, and more. And while avocado, sour cream, cheese, and beef are all keto-approved, the chips themselves are not, and neither are the beans. So, you’ll need to swap out.
These nachos use a blend of cheeses to create the chips—they have that crunchy texture you want but without all the carbs. Pile on the seasonings for extra flavor.
Time: 45 minutes
These cups are made from pepperoni, or salami, itself as the “cup” and then the cheese and toppings, like high-fat olives, go inside for a delicious pizza “bite.” Make a big batch at once to have on hand for snacks!
Time: 15 minutes
Keto Breakfast
The chaffle is the perfect breakfast for lazy Sunday mornings or weekdays where you wake up with a sweet tooth and want to grab one from the freezer, re-heat, and drizzle with keto syrup. It’s made with cheese and eggs, and this recipe calls for unflavored collagen, to give some good protein to enhance satiety in the morning hours.
You can make them savory, with herbs and spices and bacon, or sweet, with whipped cream and berries. Plus, this recipe has a handy guide to the art of making the chaffle in general, the variations, uses, and methods for storage.
Time: 10 minutes
Absolutely Scrumptious ‘Fried’ Chicken and Waffles
This version of fried chicken and waffles is gluten-free and keto-friendly, and it still tastes crispy and delicious. Use pork rinds and almond flour for the breading, and go with a sugar-free syrup for some sweetness.
Time: 40 minutes
Fatdough is a keto creation that is basically a “bread” or dough for your favorite comfort foods, like pizza or bagels, but with keto ingredients, like cheese and eggs. This recipe lets you enjoy a bagel with cream cheese and lox when on keto without racking up the carbs! Pepper with seeds and garlic for an “everything bagel” feel.
Time: 20 minutes
Low Carb Chocolate Protein Pancakes Recipe
This remix of a breakfast pancake is modified to be low in carbs and sugar to make sure you don’t drop out of ketosis. Not only are these pancakes super-indulgent from the chocolate but they also have the benefit of being packed with protein. To sweeten these up and keep blood sugar balanced toss in some erythritol, or fun toppings like whipped cream, berries, and dark chocolate, and keto-friendly chips.
Time: 20 minutes
Cookies for breakfast? Usually what would be a non-starter on keto now becomes a viable option with this amazing makeover recipe. This morning treat has keto chocolate chips for a rich, deep flavor and sweetness, as well as almond butter to hold it together and provide a steady supply of fats for ketosis. Keep them in the fridge for a week—you can enjoy and make a big batch for meal prep!
Time: 18 minutes
Keto Lunch
You can totally have a pizza pie for lunch on the keto diet as long as it’s made with psyllium husk for the dough, or from veggies, like cauliflower, or cheese. And this one uses eggs, psyllium husk, and cheese, to match that gooey, comforting taste and texture we all love in pizza. Each pizza is also under 500 calories.
Time: 5 minutes
There is no reason to give up a burger for lunch if you crave it—just ditch the bun for a lettuce wrap. You can add your favorite toppings—like veggies, a high-fat condiment like a keto mayonnaise or “pink” sauce, and even some bacon slices. The lettuce holds it all together nicely and keeps it low in carbs but high in flavor.
Time: 25 minutes
Cauliflower Crusted Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food for lunch. Yet, it’s super high in carbs from the bread. To enjoy this on keto you can use cauliflower and cheese to make a substitute dough, and then add in MORE cheese for the filling, along with some herbs or spices for an extra kick. This one tastes nice and crispy on the outside.
Time: 55 minutes
Keto Dinner
Chicken pot pie usually is packed with carbs, but this version is low in carbs and high in fats to keep you in ketosis while still letting you indulge the crispy, creamy texture that comes with this craving. The biscuit topping is crunchy and buttery, made with almond flour and flaxseeds to keep it keto-approved. Throw in some delicious keto-friendly veggies and some sour cream on top to take it up a notch.
Time: 40 minutes
Keto Lasagna With Zucchini Noodles
Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food for Italian night at home but pasta has way too many carbs to keep you in ketosis. This version uses zucchini noodles as a great swap for pasta but the cheese and meat keep it rich and indulgent. The top is nice and crispy—just look at that charred, burnt heaping on cheese on top!
Time: 45 minutes
Keto Chili Dog Pot Pie Casserole
Damn—if anything means “comfort” and “bizarre” on keto it is this recipe. Not only do you get the flavors of a casserole and pot pie together but also some chili dogs, and without any of the carbs or sugar. Use grass-fed dogs for higher nutritional quality and make those biscuits super flaky and buttery to really indulge. The crispy cheese on top is just the icing on the cake.
Time: 40 minutes
Keto-Friendly Desserts
Chocolate Avocado Pudding Recipe
This tasty and silky dessert is ready in just two minutes (how easy is that?) and is under 400 calories a serving, so it won’t tip you overboard. Plus it uses avocado for some good fats and protein, which will provide a smooth, luscious texture of a mousse or pudding for dessert. Use some stevia to sweeten and vanilla for a kick.
Time: 2 minutes
Grab your food processor and ice tray and whip up a delicious, light and fruity strawberry “nice” cream for dessert. Freeze coconut milk ice cubes overnight and then all you need to do is add to a blender or food processor to break it down and create a tasty ice cream. Use Unsweetened full fat coconut milk to keep sugar low. And the freeze-dried strawberries and stevia sweeten it without kicking you out of ketosis.
Time: 5 minutes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cake
A gooey, warm molten lava cake generally is not keto-approved. This decadent dessert is usually high in carbs and sugar and has a ton of calories a serving! Yet, this one swaps out those keto-busters and replaces them with fat from nut butter and remains sugar-free, with Swerve sweetener (which will not elevate blood sugar). For this recipe, use unsweetened chocolate with some whipped cream and keto-friendly ice cream.
Time: 22 minutes
Fat bombs are known in the keto world as being a high in fat and sweet (or savory, but usually sweet) “ball” or “bite” of something delicious that’ll hit the spot for a craving without kicking you out of ketosis.
These give you the cheesecake flavors but without the “cake” part and the carbs, and there’s some dusting of chocolate to take it up a notch. Use cream cheese and heavy cream to make them rich in texture.
Time: 15 minutes
A classic American comfort dessert, apple pie is made with pie crust, which is definitely off-limits when you’re keto. Plus the apple filling inside is practically all sugar! So, this makeover is a gift for keto fans. What’s inside? Zucchini—with some apple pie spice for flavoring on top (without the sugar!). Shocked at that, huh? And use Swerve or erythritol as a sweetener for the crust itself, too.
Time: 2 hours
