There are few meals that are more important to families than Thanksgiving dinner. A major aspect of this annual holiday stems around full plates of delicious and comforting food to be enjoyed with those we love and care about most.
But, with the ever-popular (and high-carb) dishes, like stuffing, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie, it can feel altogether impossible to enjoy a plate or two of Thanksgiving dinner while following a keto diet.
That said, if you choose the right ingredients and follow the recipe instructions just right, your Thanksgiving dishes can taste just like the favorites you grew up enjoying, yet contain minimal carbohydrates or inflammatory ingredients.
To effectively reduce the carbohydrate content in keto Thanksgiving recipes, it’s essential to use ingredients that are high in fiber or altogether very low in total carbohydrates. Examples of ingredients like these would be cauliflower, almond flour, coconut oil, and keto-friendly sweeteners, like monk fruit sweetener and erythritol. With these types of ingredients, the fiber will decrease the total net carbohydrate content, thereby making the dish compliant with a keto diet.
While this all may seem complicated, the ingredient substitutions from the “classic” recipes to the low-carb recipes are actually quite straightforward, and a majority of the ingredients are widely available at local grocery stores, so you don’t have to spend hours driving all over town to different health food stores to just get a few items.
So, if you follow a low-carb diet and are looking for keto Thanksgiving recipes that taste like the recipes you grew up eating and cooking, you’re going to want to make a note of all of the recipes included in this post!
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1. Bacon Green Bean Casserole
If you grew up eating and loving green bean casserole, then this is the recipe for you! Made with all of the flavors you crave in this traditional Thanksgiving dish, this recipe is delicious, yet low in carbohydrates, making it the ultimate Thanksgiving side dish choice for your low carb Thanksgiving meal!
To keep the carbohydrate content as low as possible, instead of using fried onions to top this casserole, you’ll find crushed pork rinds, which contain virtually no carb content, which add the perfect amount of flavor and crunch, especially after being crisped up in the oven! Plus, we can’t deny that our favorite part about this recipe is the addition of bacon!
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 60g finely crushed pork rinds
- 1 tsp minced onion
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 4 slices bacon
- 12 oz green beans, ends trimmed
- ¼ cup sauvignon blanc
- 2 tbsp bacon grease
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
- 1 ½ oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 388
- Fat: 30.6g
- Net Carbs: 4.9g
- Protein: 25.4g
Get the recipe from Real Balanced.
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2. Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
If you’ve ever been on the fence about whether you like Brussels sprouts or not, this recipe will be sure to sway you! When prepared correctly, Brussels sprouts are a deliciously earthy vegetable that are bursting with flavor, high in fiber, and full of essential vitamins and nutrients, like vitamin K, which is important to include in our diet to maintain healthy bones.
Creamy and cheesy, this Thanksgiving side dish includes only straightforward ingredients that are keto-friendly and full of flavor! From start to finish, you can prepare this dish and have it on your holiday table in under thirty minutes. With a dish as simple to make as that, you’ll want to make this recipe over and over again!
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup shallots, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 32 oz bag of fresh Brussels sprouts, cored and halved
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- pinch black pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 3⁄4 cup heavy cream
- 3⁄4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded or grated
- ½ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded or grated
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- fresh parsley, minced for garnish
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 311
- Fat: 25g
- Net Carbs: 7g
- Protein: 11g
Get the recipe from Chunky Chef.
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3. Oven Roasted Turkey Legs
What would your Thanksgiving meal be without the turkey?! Central to conventional Thanksgiving dinners, serotonin-boosting turkey, when prepared correctly, can be the highlight of any meal!
With only simple ingredients, this recipe is both keto-friendly and nutrient-dense! These oven roasted turkey legs are absolutely mouth-watering and will leave you wanting seconds (or maybe even thirds)! The key to succulent turkey legs is in the preparation, and when you follow this recipe, your resulting dish will be fall-off-the-bone flavorful and moist!
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 medium turkey legs
- 2 tbsp duck fat or peanut oil/other animal fat
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp Ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 382
- Fat: 22.5g
- Net Carbs: 0.8g
- Protein: 44g
Get the recipe from Ruled.me.
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4. Ultimate Keto Gravy
What is a Thanksgiving meal without covering your entire plate in gravy?!
For many, homemade gravy is their favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner! If you’ve never made it before, you may not know that gravy is simply a thickened sauce made from the drippings of meat, some form of stock, either homemade or store-bought, herbs, and spices and is a delicious topping on virtually all savory holiday main courses and side dishes.
While you may have never realized it before, conventional gravy is actually very high in carbohydrates as it’s typically thickened with white flour. This recipe, however, does not use any flour whatsoever, yet is thick and flavorful!
It is an especially brilliant recipe as it’s both keto-friendly and paleo-compliant, unlike almost all gravy recipes, as they are typically made with high-carb flours and other ingredients to thicken the sauce.
This gravy, however, is free from any added flours or thickeners and, instead, gains its gravy-like consistency through the preparation of the ingredients. Take a look at the recipe to learn more!
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 medium white onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp freshly sage, chopped or any herb of choice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup dried porcini mushrooms
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream or coconut milk
- 2 cups bone broth or chicken/vegetable stock
- ½ cup water to soak the mushrooms
- salt and pepper to taste
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 130
- Fat: 11.2g
- Net Carbs: 4.7g
- Protein: 2.1g
Get the recipe from Keto Diet App.
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5. Cranberry Pecan Cauliflower Rice Stuffing
Are you looking for keto Thanksgiving sides? If so, you are going to want to keep this recipe on-hand!
Traditional Thanksgiving stuffing is very high in carbohydrate content as it’s typically made with cornbread, which is not an optional ingredient when following a low-carb, ketogenic diet.
This recipe, on the other hand, is made with low-carb and nutrient-dense cauliflower, an ingredient that is a staple in many people’s keto diets! If you aren’t a fan of cauliflower, though, we promise that you will still love this recipe!
With the variety of flavor components from the sugar-free dried cranberries, to the pecans, and even to the herbs and spices, every bite of this stuffing will have you wanting more!
Makes 10 servings
Ingredients:
- 3⁄4 cup raw pecans
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 6 cups riced cauliflower
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, ground
- 2 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ low carb sugar-free dried cranberries
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 127
- Fat: 10g
- Net Carbs: 3.2g
- Protein: 4.4g
Get the recipe from Peace Love and Low Carb.
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6. Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce
A Thanksgiving meal isn’t complete without the inclusion of sweet and tart cranberry sauce! Did you know the cranberries are native to North America and have historically been used for both food and medicine? Because of this, it’s believed that cranberries have been a part of Thanksgiving meals for as long as we’ve celebrated the holiday!
While cranberry sauce is usually made with fruit, sugar, and juices that are high in carbohydrates, this recipe is low in net carbs, yet doesn’t skimp on the flavor you know and love! To sweeten this cranberry sauce, powdered sweetener that is free from net-carbs and calories is used. Anyone who eats this cranberry sauce will be so surprised to learn how low in carbs each serving is!
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 12 oz whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup powdered erythritol sweetener
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp fresh orange zest
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 20
- Fat: 0g
- Net Carbs: 4g
- Protein: 0g
Get the recipe from Savory Tooth.
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7. Sweet Herb Keto Thanksgiving Turkey
This recipe is perfect for the Thanksgiving dinner host who plans to cook an entire turkey for their guests!
Unlike traditional Thanksgiving turkey recipes, this recipe, in particular, will give your taste buds extra flavor they didn’t know they needed! How, you ask? Some sweetness stemming from monk fruit-sweetened syrup! Once you try this version of holiday turkey, you’ll never go back to the bland recipe you used to use!
Makes 24 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ gallon of water
- 1 ½ cups pink salt
- 6 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp whole coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 18-20 lbs whole turkey, patted dry, neck and giblets reserved for stock, liver reserved for stuffing
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 12 oz Lakanto keto maple syrup
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 555
- Fat: 27g
- Net Carbs: 0g
- Protein: 69g
Get the recipe from DrJockers.com.
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8. Sausage Jalapeño Skillet Cornbread
Every bite of this skillet cornbread is packed with such delicious flavors that you’d never guess how low in carbs it really is! Made with low-carb coconut flour and almond flour, unlike traditional cornbread, this recipe is a perfect option for those who do not eat grains and who follow a ketogenic diet.
As an added component to really put this dish at the top of your “Must Make Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes” list, the addition of jalapenos and sausage create the ultimate flavor combination! At only 4.44 grams of net carbs per serving, you can enjoy a slice or two of this spicy, protein-packed cornbread and remain in ketosis!
Makes 10 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill coconut flour
- ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill almond flour/meal
- 1⁄3 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp xanthan gum, optional
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 12 oz sausage, cooked and crumbled
- 3 to 4 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 260
- Fat: 18.86g
- Net Carbs: 4.44g
- Protein: 12.28g
Get the recipe from All Day I Dream About Food.
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9. No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
What would Thanksgiving dinner be without (several pieces of) pie?! Of course, you cannot go without pumpkin pie with a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top!
This recipe is especially necessary at your Thanksgiving gathering as the pies are personal-pan-sized and they don’t require any baking! It doesn’t get much easier than that! To make this recipe, you will need all of the “typical pumpkin pie” ingredients, but, instead of white flour for the crust, you’ll be using low-carb almond flour and flaxseed meal, two ingredients that are regularly used in keto baked goods.
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
Crust
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ½ cup flaxseed meal
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 25 drops liquid stevia
Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1⁄3 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp butter
- ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 25 drops liquid stevia
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 267.88
- Fat: 25.66g
- Net Carbs: 3.06g
- Protein: 5.14g
Get the recipe from Ruled.me.
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10. Low-Carb Pecan Pie
Made to mimic the pecan pie you grew up eating at your family’s Thanksgiving gatherings, you would never guess that this recipe is ultra low in carbohydrates! Like other keto Thanksgiving desserts, this pecan pie is made with gluten- and grain-free almond flour and coconut flour, which are both low in carbs and don’t sacrifice taste!
To make this pecan pie recipe, you are going to want to have a variety of low-carb sweeteners on-hand to ensure the sweetness is on par with the classic pecan pie. Following the recipe instructions exactly will result in a pecan pie so luscious and delicious, you’ll be wanting to make a second batch right away!
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
Crust
- ¾ cup blanched almond flour or pecan meal
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup coconut oil or butter
- ½ cup Just Like Sugar or Swerve
- 1 tsp stevia glycerite
- ¼ tsp Celtic sea salt
- 1 egg
Filling
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup erythritol or Swerve
- 1 tsp stevia glycerite
- 1 cup Nature's Hollow xylitol syrup
- 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups pecans
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
- Calories: 229
- Fat: 20g
- Net Carbs: 1.8g
- Protein: 7.7g
Get the recipe from Keto Adapted.
