If you are searching for non-dairy keto recipes, you've come to the right place! Learn about how to follow a dairy-free ketogenic lifestyle before digging into our favorite dairy-free keto recipes.
Is the keto diet dairy-free?
Keto can absolutely be dairy-free. A ketogenic diet isn't necessarily about what foods you eat or don't eat, but rather the state of reaching ketosis, which can be achieved by reducing carbohydrate consumption.
Dairy products, like heavy cream, cheese, and cream cheese, are often low in carbs and found in many keto recipes and products, but eating dairy is not essential whatsoever to being successful on a keto diet.
What keto foods can I eat if I'm dairy-free?
Follow the standard guidelines of eating a keto diet without incorporating dairy products. Include foods in your daily menu such as:
- Healthy Fats: olive oil, avocado oil, tallow, and coconut oil.
- Protein: beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, seafood, and organ meat.
- Non-Starchy Vegetables: leafy greens, broccoli, and cauliflower.
- Some Fruits: coconut, blueberries, and raspberries.
Many keto recipes and store-bought keto products contain dairy, so be sure to carefully check ingredient lists before cooking or purchasing. You will want to skip anything with ingredients like butter, whey, cheese, cream cheese, cream, lactose, or casein.
Common dairy-free keto ingredient substitutions
If you are following a low-carb diet and are preparing your dairy-free keto meal plan, consider trying these substitution suggestions:
- Butter: Coconut oil and beef tallow are entirely dairy-free and are often a 1:1 substitution for butter in savory recipes. For desserts and baked good recipes, it would be best to stick with coconut oil as tallow will likely alter the flavor of the resulting dish. Ghee is a lactose-free option that can be used in lactose-free keto recipes. It is an excellent option if you are trying to reduce or eliminate dairy from your diet, though, be aware that ghee can still trigger reactions for those with severe dairy allergies.
- Cream Cheese: If you can eat nuts, try an almond milk-based cream cheese instead of dairy cream cheese. Almond milk cream cheese has become more widely available for purchase at grocery stores in the past few years.
- Heavy Cream: Sometimes, canned coconut cream (the thick part at the top of canned coconut) can be substituted for heavy cream. You can even find canned coconut cream at some grocery stores, too. If you're hoping to make this substitution in a particular recipe, read through the recipe post to see if this is a listed suggestion as heavy cream and coconut cream aren't always a 1:1 substitution, but it can work! Canned coconut cream is also delicious blended into hot coffee.
- Sour Cream: Mayonnaise is a fantastic dairy-free alternative for sour cream. It can often be a 1:1 replacement for sour cream.
To start preparing your dairy-free keto meal plan, look through 20 of our favorite recipes that don't include dairy ingredients and are low in carbs.
Dairy-Free Keto Main Dishes
1. Keto Pepper Steak Stir Fry
This keto pepper steak stir-fry made with sliced sirloin steak can be prepared and served in only 20 minutes. Serve alongside or on top of cauliflower rice for a delicious and nutrient-dense weeknight meal that the whole family will love.
Per serving: 297 calories, 20g fat, 4g net carbs, 26g protein
Get the full recipe from Low Carb Yum.
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2. Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
If you have an Instant Pot and need an easy low-carb and dairy-free recipe, this beef and broccoli is a fan-favorite. The meat used is boneless chuck roast that is browned in an Instant Pot, and then raw broccoli is steamed separately to ensure it stays whole yet tender.
With minimal net carbs per serving and no added dairy products, this makes for a great dairy-free keto dinner.
Per serving: 248 calories, 12.4g fat, 3.9g net carbs, 32.1g protein
Get the full recipe from Real Balanced.
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3. Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs
If you are short on time and ingredients, this frozen chicken thighs recipe is perfect for you. The recipe requires just two ingredients: chicken thighs and store-bought jarred salsa.
You'll cook the chicken thighs right from frozen, no thawing required, and the resulting meat is tender, juicy, and filling.
Serve atop some cauliflower rice and alongside some sliced avocados for a flavorful meal.
Per serving: 153 calories, 4g fat, 3g net carbs, 22g protein
Get the full recipe from Cook Eat Paleo.
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4. Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl
Egg Roll in a Bowl is a wildly trendy dish in the low-carb community. Imagine all of the delicious ingredients of an eggroll without the high carb egg roll wrappers.
This particular recipe is especially popular as the time required to make it is minimal, and the resulting flavor is mouthwatering.
If you like to meal prep, make this recipe in advance and eat for a filling dairy-free keto lunch throughout the week.
Per serving: 212 calories, 8.7g fat, 7.3g, 25.1g protein
Get the full recipe from the Sugar Free Londoner.
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5. Keto Creamy Shrimp Curry
This creamy shrimp curry is one of our favorite no cheese keto recipes. Although it doesn't contain any dairy products, this dish is surprisingly creamy and flavorful.
Instead of including heavy cream, coconut cream is used, which yields a delicious texture and serves to enhance the flavor of the final dish!
Combined with spices, this keto curry is always a hit at the dinner table.
Per serving: 417 calories, 33g fat, 4g net carbs, 26g protein
Get the full recipe from My Keto Kitchen.
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6. Sweet and Spicy Glazed Salmon
This sheet pan salmon is cooked with a simple glaze made with sweet red chili sauce, sriracha, and ginger. Garnish each salmon filet with chopped green onions and serve alongside your favorite low-carb vegetable, like bok choy.
If you enjoy Asian-inspired cuisine and want to add more salmon to your diet, you'll absolutely want to choose this recipe for tonight's dinner!
Per serving: 202 calories, 7g fat, 6.5g net carbs, 22.5g protein
Get the full recipe from Skinny Taste.
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7. Keto Teriyaki Chicken
Chicken thighs and broccoli come together in this flavor-packed dish that is keto-friendly and free from dairy ingredients.
Of the many easy dairy-free keto recipes available online, we particularly like this one because it's straightforward to make in advance, freeze, and reheat to eat later.
It's a dairy-free keto freezer meal that the family is sure to love!
Per serving: 179 calories, 5g fat, 5g net carbs, 27g protein
Get the full recipe from Joy Filled Eats.
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8. Easy Grilled Salmon
This grilled salmon is a dairy-free recipe that can be altered to fit your specific lifestyle goals. The original recipe is written with a marinade that includes honey, so for a keto-friendly version of that sauce, omit that.
You'll also likely want to limit or altogether not include the salsa on top, but in small portions, the salsa can fit nicely into a ketogenic diet.
This recipe is on our list of low-carb dairy-free recipes because of the ease of preparing and how delicious the grilled salmon is without any addition of dairy products.
Per serving: 101.75g calories, 3.75g fat, 5.25g net carbs, 11.5g protein
Get the full recipe from Easy and Delish.
Dairy-Free Keto Appetizers and Side Dishes
9. Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Vegetarian and dairy-free, this keto appetizer is an Italian-inspired dish that combines delicious flavors from canned artichoke hearts and spices, like minced onions, chives, and red pepper flakes.
If you are preparing a meal for a low-carb date night, this small dish will make for a great starter course!
Per serving: 216g calories, 21.8g fat, 1.7g net carbs, 1.4g protein
Get the full recipe at Peace, Love, and Low Carb.
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10. Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Minimal ingredients are required to make this appetizer recipe that is both dairy-free and keto.
You'll only need to boil the green beans, cook the bacon until just cooked throughout and not too crispy, then group together some green beans, secure the bundles with bacon, bake, and then brush each with a deliciously sweet sauce.
If you need an even quicker option or if you don't have raw green beans on-hand, frozen green beans will work perfectly here!
Per serving: 72 calories, 5g fat, 2g net carbs, 3g protein
Get the full recipe from the Keto Cooking Christian.
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11. Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Skewers
Three ingredients. Smokey barbecue flavor. Bacon. What could be better?! This keto appetizer recipe is fun, delicious, and satiating.
To make them, you'll just need to cut the chicken into strips, skewer them, wrap each piece of chicken with a slice of bacon, brush with some sugar-free BBQ sauce, bake, and enjoy!
Per serving: 158 calories, 4.6g fat, 0.2g net carbs, 28g protein
Get the full recipe from Officially Gluten Free.
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12. Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls
This appetizer recipe features smoked salmon wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber and is then garnished with fresh dill and capers.
With only three instruction steps to follow, this is a simple-to-prepare and healthy small bite that could be served as an appetizer for a keto meal at home or as a dish-to-pass at a holiday or gameday party.
Per serving: 102 calories, 7.34g fat, 1.7g net carbs, 4.69g protein
Get the full recipe from All Day I Dream About Food.
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13. Buffalo Deviled Eggs with Crispy Bacon
A keto-friendly and dairy-free recipe, these deviled eggs are taken to the next level with buffalo flavor and extra crispy bacon.
To make the filling, you'll need mayonnaise, an ingredient commonly thought to contain dairy, but is actually entirely dairy-free as it's made with a combination of oil and eggs.
Per serving: 197 calories, 17.6g fat, 0.8g net carbs, 8.2g protein
Get the full recipe from Irena Macri.
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14. The Creamiest Cauliflower Mash
The best low-carb substitute for creamy mashed potatoes? This dairy-free keto recipe for creamy cauliflower mash! Simply steam the cauliflower, blend with coconut cream, season, and serve!
It's lusciously smooth and the ultimate lactose-free and dairy-free side dish to pair with dinner.
Per serving: 40 calories, 2g fat, 2g net carbs, 2g protein
Get the full recipe from Stem and Spoon.
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15. Confetti Salad
Colorful, healthy, and full of vitamins and minerals, this salad can be served as a side dish and would be the perfect accompaniment to an outdoor summer meal.
We like this salad since it's very customizable with your favorite low-carb vegetables and with the vegetables you currently have on-hand.
The oil-based dressing is lightly sweetened and amps up the flavor of the raw vegetables just right!
Per serving: 108 calories, 9g fat, 4g net carbs, 1g protein
Get the full recipe from Sugar Free Mom.
Dairy-Free Keto Desserts
16. Keto Peanut Butter Cups
If you enjoy peanut butter cups and are looking for a low-carb variety made without dairy, this recipe for keto peanut butter cups will satisfy your craving!
Made with keto-friendly peanut butter, cocoa powder, and stevia, these chocolate bites are keto-friendly and perfectly sweetened.
You'll even notice a surprising ingredient, psyllium husk powder, which is high in fiber and adds a delicious texture to this dairy-free dessert.
Per serving: 74 calories, 6g fat, 1g net carb, 6g protein
Get the full recipe from Keen For Keto.
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17. Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake
If you enjoy chocolate cake or are looking for a dairy-free birthday cake recipe, try this one!
Made with coconut flour, this gluten-free dessert is sweetened with an erythritol blend and topped with a drizzle of homemade chocolate ganache.
Per serving: 166 calories, 14.4g fat, 4.2g net carbs, 5g protein
Get the full recipe from Sweet As Honey.
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18. Low-Carb Coconut Blondies
Dairy-free, and made without almond flour, this recipe for keto blondies is always a hit at parties! Instead of heavy cream, coconut cream is used, and the recipe is sweetened with monk fruit sweetener, a keto-friendly sweetener that is very popular amongst low-carb bakers.
To make this dessert, you'll need to prepare the batter, which is made with ingredients like coconut flour, coconut oil, powdered monk fruit sweetener, canned coconut cream, eggs, sprinkle coconut flakes atop the mixture, bake, slice, and serve!
Per serving: 152 calories, 12.3g fat, 1.6g net carbs, 2.8g protein
Get the full recipe from Real Balanced.
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19. Keto Chocolate Pudding
Pudding almost always contains dairy products, but not this chocolate pudding recipe! Made without heavy cream, this dish is just like the real thing, yet is dairy-free and lactose-free!
It requires only three ingredients and four recipe instructions steps to follow. You can have it prepped and in the refrigerator to chill in just 10 minutes!
Per serving: 205 calories, 19g fat, 6g net carbs, 2g protein
Get the full recipe from Healthy Recipes Blog.
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20. Coconut Panna Cotta
Panna cotta is a surprisingly straightforward dessert to prepare. It is almost always made with heavy cream, so to make it dairy-free and still maintain that creaminess we know and love about panna cotta, you'll need coconut milk.
To make it, you'll need water, gelatin, full-fat coconut milk, and sweetener. Once chilled, you'll have a delectable creamy panna cotta to enjoy as an after-dinner treat!
Per serving: 128 calories, 13g fat, 1g net carb, 1g protein
Get the full recipe from Two Sleevers.
Following keto without dairy is possible
It may seem like dairy is an essential component of a ketogenic diet, but you can absolutely be successful with eating low-carb without eating dairy products!
Stick with the ingredient substitutions we suggested. Then, to make things as easy and straightforward as possible, choose the recipes we've shared with you as they are specifically written to be dairy-free and keto.
