The ketogenic (keto) diet is making waves all across the world. Numerous people have lost a significant amount of weight while on keto. But its restrictions can make it monotonous. Experts suggest dieters keep updates with new keto recipes to break the monotony of the diet.
It is a simple high protein, low carbohydrate and high-fat formula that causes the body to undergo ketosis that essentially uses fat to burn calories. However, one must understand that like every diet, the keto diet recipes also aim at weight loss through a calorie deficit. Following the keto diet recipes to scale also ensures that the individual is aware of how much food is being consumed.
15 Innovative Keto Diet Recipes Worth A Try
Finding new and novel keto diet recipes is fairly easy. With the large number of people attempting to adopt the ketogenic lifestyle, innovative keto recipes are being curated and shared every day. We bring you simple keto diet recipes that require minimal ingredients and are so delicious that you will forget you are on a diet. These keto recipes will make sure that all your breakfasts, lunches, snacks, dinners, drinks and desserts are 100% keto-friendly and scrumptious too.
1. Keto Pancakes
Need some keto-friendly breakfast ideas? This delicious pancake recipe is a must-try.
Nutritional Content (Per Serving): Fats: 21 gms | Carbohydrates: 7 gms | Protein: 8.8 gms | Fibre: 3 gms | Calories: 220
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 50 ml of avocado oil (plus some more for greasing the pan)
- 100 ml of almond milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sweetener(of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 250 gms almond flour
- A pinch of salt
Method:
- Run the wet ingredients (avocado oil, vanilla extract, almond milk and eggs) in a blender for 30 seconds.
- Add the almond flour, sweetener, salt and baking powder and blend again till everything is well incorporated.
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan and grease it with some oil.
- Pour a ladle full of the batter on the pan to make a 4-inch pancake. Bubbles will begin to appear on the keto pancakes.
- Let it cook for 2 minutes or till the corners begin to look dry.
- Carefully flip the pancake and let it cook on the other side.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter, greasing the pan at regular intervals.
2. Keto Bread Recipe
Do you miss bread while on keto? Try this recipe with almond flour and coconut oil.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 14 gms | Carbohydrates: 4 gms | Protein: 7 gms | Calories: 160
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 45 mins
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Salt as per taste
- 225 gms almond flour
- 100 gms butter (melted)
- ½ teaspoon gelatin powder/powdered flaxseeds (alsi) – optional
- 1.5 tablespoons coconut oil
Method:
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Add the oil and butter to the eggs and beat again.
- Mix in the almond flour, salt, gelatin powder/powdered flax seeds (alsi) and baking powder to make a thick mixture.
- Add the mixture to a greased cake tin/loaf pan and place it in the oven for around 40 minutes.
- Insert a toothpick or knife into the bread. If it comes out clean, the bread has evenly cooked.
- Wait for the bread to cool. Cut into slices and enjoy or store in an airtight container.
Coconut flour can be used to replace almond flour in this keto bread recipe.
3. Keto Dosa With Chutney
This Keto-friendly dosa recipe replaces the rice flour for the batter with almond flour.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 22 gms | Carbohydrates: 5 gms | Protein: 9 gms | Calories: 220
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
For The Dosa:
- ½ cup of almond flour
- ½ cup of grated cheese (mozzarella/parmesan/cheddar)
- ½ cup of coconut milk
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil/ghee
For The Chutney:
- ½ cup of coconut flesh (fresh or frozen)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 4-5 curry leaves (kadipatta)
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ inch ginger
- 1 green chilli
- 1 dried red chilli (optional)
Method:
Dosa:
- Mix the almond flour, salt, cheese, coconut milk and asafoetida (hing) in a bowl to form a batter. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
- If you feel that the batter is too thick, add some water and adjust the consistency.
- Heat a pan (tawa) and grease it with oil/ghee. It is recommended to use a non-stick tawa. The pan should not be very hot or the dosa will disintegrate while you spread the batter.
- Pour a ladle full of the batter and spread it in circular strokes until you have the desired thickness.
- Let the dosa become crisp before you take it off the pan. You will notice that the dosa will begin to lift up from the sides once cooked.
Chutney:
- Take the coconut, salt. Ginger and green chilli in a grinder jar. Add some water and blend it all together to make a thick chutney.
- Transfer the chutney in a bowl.
- Heat a small pan for the tadka. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds (rai), asafoetida (hing), curry leaves (kadipatta) and the red chilli.
- Once the mustard seeds have spluttered, take the pan off the heat.
- Add the tadka to the bowl of chutney and give it a nice mix.
4. Keto Pizza
This yummy pizza recipe will help you upgrade your keto cooking with ease.
Nutritional Content (Per Serving): Fats: 12 gms | Carbohydrates: 8 gms | Protein: 20 gms| Calories: 225
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
- 500 gms shredded cheese – mozzarella/parmesan/cheddar (divided)
- 2 tablespoons of cream cheese
- 1 large egg
- 250 gms almond flour
- 1 teaspoon oregano/mixed Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Tomato sauce (refer to keto pasta recipe, store-bought pizza sauce works too)
- 5-6 basil leaves
Method:
- Heat 400 gms of shredded cheese and cream cheese in the microwave till they melt.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- To the melted cheese mixture, add the egg, seasoning, baking powder and almond flour. Make a dough.
- Place the dough ball in between 2 parchment papers and flatten to the desired thickness of a pizza crust with a rolling pin (belan). You can also roll the dough in between two sheets of thick plastic.
- Place the crust on a greased pizza tray and put it in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Spread the tomato sauce on the crust, add some basil leaves and the reserved shredded cheese.
- Place in the oven for 5-7 minutes or till the cheese melts.
- You can add as many toppings of your choice as you like to this keto pizza recipe.
5. Keto Soup
Rich in nutrients, this keto soup recipe is a great meal option.
Nutritional Content (Per Serving): Fats: 2 gms | Carbohydrates: 12 gms | Protein: 2 gms | Calories: 85
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Ingredients:
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- â…“ cup of bell pepper (chopped)
- â…“ cup of cauliflower (chopped)
- ¼ cup of onion (chopped)
- â…“ cup of French beans (chopped)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 300 ml of chicken/vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon oregano or mixed Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
Method:
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan or kadhai.
- Add the garlic and onions. Cook till the onions are translucent.
- Add the rest of the vegetables, stock, salt, pepper and seasoning.
- Let the keto soup boil on low flame for 15-20 minutes or till all the vegetables are cooked.
6. Keto Salad
Packed with the goodness of different ingredients, this salad is both filling and tasty.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 21gms | Carbohydrates: 36 gms | Protein: 9 gms | Calories: 350
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
For The Keto Salad:
- 100 gms quinoa
- 200 ml of water
- 1 packet/bunch of kale
- ½ avocado
- 1 tablespoon feta cheese/ cottage cheese (paneer)
- â…“ cup of red pepper (chopped)
- â…“ cup of cucumber (chopped)
- ¼ cup of onion (chopped)
For The Keto Salad Dressing:
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon of mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
Method:
- Boil the water in a saucepan or kadhai and add quinoa to it. When the water is almost evaporated, put the lid and let it simmer on low flame for 5-7 minutes.
- Turn off the flame, fluff up the quinoa with a fork and let it rest.
- Steam the kale leaves on the stove or microwave. This will get rid of the bitterness of the kale.
- Once steamed, run the kale under cold water. Tap dry the leaves, roughly chop or tear them and place them on a plate.
- Top the kale leaves with the quinoa, diced avocado, onion, red pepper and cucumbers.
- Bring together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and mustard with a whisk in a bowl.
- Pour the keto salad dressing on the salad and give it a gentle toss.
- Crumble the feta cheese/paneer on the salad.
7. Keto Pasta
Yes, you can eat pasta on the keto diet. And here’s a great recipe for you to try.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 14 gms | Carbohydrates: 10 gms | Protein: 35 gms | Fibre: 4 gms | Calories: 450
Preparation Time: 30 mins (excluding the resting time for pasta)
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
For The Pasta:
- 1 egg yolk
- 250 gms low-fat mozzarella cheese (cheddar or parmesan cheese can be used instead of mozzarella)
For The Sauce:
- 1 can tomato puree
- Salt as per taste
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
Method:
- Add the cheese to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high heat for about a minute. If the cheese hasn’t melted completely, microwave in 30-second intervals till completely melted.
- Wait for the cheese to cool down a little. It needs to be just warm to mix the egg yolk without cooking it.
- Mix both ingredients until a smooth yellow dough is formed.
- Line the counter with baking paper, place the dough on it and place another sheet of baking paper on top. You can also use two sheets of thick plastic for this.
- Use a rolling pin (belan) to flatten the dough to the desired thickness of the noodles.
- Cut the noodles into strips after removing the baking paper/plastic on top.
- Refrigerate the noodles for 8-10 hours.
- For the sauce, add the tomato puree to a saucepan or kadhai.
- Add all the ingredients and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes for the flavours to come together.
- Boil a pot of water (without salt) for the pasta. Slowly add the pasta and let it cook for 1 minute. If the pasta cooks for too long, the cheese will melt.
- Drain the pasta and run it under cold water. Allow the pasta to cool a little and become firm.
- Plate the pasta and pour the sauce on top.
8. Keto Chicken Biryani
This Keto Chicken Biryani recipe is low-carb Indian food at its best.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 7 gms | Carbohydrates: 12 gms | Protein: 31 gms | Calories: 180
Preparation Time: 40 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of roughly grated cauliflower florets
- 150 gms boneless chicken breast (vegetarians can use diced mixed vegetables)
- 4 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (quantity can be altered as per taste)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Lemon and coriander leaves (dhaniya) for garnish (optional)
Method:
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes and marinate with the ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala. Keep it aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil/ghee in a pan and cook the chicken completely. Keep stirring the chicken so it cooks evenly.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and keep it aside.
- In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil/ghee and cook the chopped onions until they are golden brown.
- Add the grated cauliflower (cauliflower rice) to the onion and season with salt, turmeric and chilli powder.
- Constantly stir the cauliflower rice until tender.
- Mix the chicken with the cauliflower rice, put a lid on the pan and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Garnish the biryani with lemon slices and chopped coriander leaves (dhaniya).
9. Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
This keto-friendly recipe is one of the best low-carb, sugar-free desserts.
Nutritional Content (Per Cookie): Fats: 10 gms | Carbohydrates: 4 gms | Protein: 2 gms | Calories: 90
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons sweetener (of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 250 gms almond flour (fine)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- A pinch of baking soda
- 3 tablespoons of milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Mix the almond flour, baking soda, salt, sweetener and chocolate chips in a bowl.
- Add the milk, oil and vanilla extract. Make a dough.
- Use a cookie scoop or manually divide the dough to make five balls. Place them on a greased baking tray.
- Cook in the middle section of the oven for 12-15 minutes.
- Let these keto chocolate chip cookies cool completely before enjoying them.
10. Keto Paneer Bhurji
This Indian scrambled cheese recipe is a favourite for many.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 40 gms | Carbohydrates: 3 gms | Protein: 20 gms | Calories: 400
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
- 150 gms paneer
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tomato (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil/ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 3-4 curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon coriander leaves (dhaniya)
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Crumble the paneer roughly with your hands. You can also choose to grate it.
- Heat a pan and add the oil/ghee to it. Once the oil/ghee is hot, add the cumin seeds (jeera) and curry leaves.
- Once the cumin seeds (jeera) have spluttered, add the chopped onion. Cook till the onions are translucent.
- Add the chopped tomato to the onions along with salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder.
- Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or till the oil separates from the masala.
- Add the paneer to the pan and give it a good mix.
- Cook the paneer bhurji on low flame for 7-8 minutes or till it is completely cooked.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (dhaniya) and serve.
11. Keto Dalgona Coffee
A sensation in recent times, this whipped coffee is certainly keto-friendly.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 16 gms | Carbohydrates: 8 gms | Calories:160
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of milk of choice (hot or cold as desired)
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 2 tablespoons sweetener of choice (quantity can be adjusted to personal liking)
Method:
- Take the coffee, sweetener and hot water in a bowl.
- Blend using a hand mixer till it forms a thick, creamy froth. You may also choose to whisk the ingredients by hand, which will take considerably longer.
- Take the milk in a glass/mug and top it with the whipped coffee.
12. Keto Noodles
These noodles are made from zucchini and taste delicious.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 17 gms | Carbohydrates: 1 gms | Protein: 12 gms | Calories: 210
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25mins
Ingredients:
- 1 big zucchini
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 80 ml of milk of your choice (unsweetened)
- 100 gms parmesan cheese (grated)
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 0.5 teaspoon psyllium husk (isabgol) or powdered flaxseeds (alsi)
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
Method:
- Use a spiralizer or a peeler for making zucchini noodles. If you do not have a spiralizer, you can use a peeler to make flat zucchini noodles.
- In a pan, add the butter and lightly saute the garlic till it is aromatic.
- Reduce the flame and add cream and milk. Let it come to a boil.
- In a small bowl, whisk the psyllium husk (isabgol) or powdered flaxseeds (alsi) and little water to make a liquid free of lumps. Slowly add it to the boiling sauce. Let it thicken.
- Add the salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.
- Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency, turn off the flame.
- Pat dry the zucchini noodles. Gently stir fry them in a pan for 2 minutes. They should retain the crunchy texture.
- Plate the zucchini noodles and pour the sauce on top.
- Garnish these keto noodles with parmesan cheese if required.
13. Keto Ice Cream
The best part of a keto diet is that you still get to eat your favourite desserts!
Nutritional Content (Per Serving): Fats: 35 gms | Carbohydrates: 5 gms | Protein: 2 gms | Calories: 190
Preparation Time: 20mins (excluding freezing time)
Ingredients:
- 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk
- 100 gms of sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Any other flavours of choice
Method:
- Mix all the ingredients together till they are well incorporated.
- Churn the ice cream using an ice cream maker and freeze.
- For making the ice cream without an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in ice cube trays.
- Once frozen, thaw them just a little and blend them using a regular blender.
- Freeze again for 1-2 hours.
14. Keto Porridge
A simple, warm and filling recipe, keto porridge is rich with the goodness of coconut.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 50 gms | Carbohydrates: 5 gms | Protein: 10 gms | Calories: 320
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon psyllium husk (isabgol) or powdered flaxseeds (alsi)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream
Method:
- Add the coconut flour, psyllium husk (isabgol) or powdered flaxseeds (alsi), salt and egg to a bowl and combine.
- Heat a saucepan or kadhai on low heat. Melt the butter and slowly add the coconut cream.
- Add the prepared mixture to the pan in a slow stream.
- Keep stirring while you cook on low heat to form a creamy porridge.
- You may choose to serve your porridge with fruits, nuts, coconut shavings or chocolate chips.
15. Keto Coconut Barfi
If you are missing traditional sweets on keto, here’s the perfect recipe for you.
Nutritional Content: Fats: 14 gms | Carbohydrates: 2 gms | Protein: 4 gms | Calories: 300
Preparation Time: 45 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of coconut milk
- 2 cups of grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- A pinch of cardamom (elaichi) powder
- 4 tablespoons sweetener (of choice)
- A few chopped almonds for garnish (optional)
Method:
- Add the coconut milk, sweetener and grated coconut to a bowl and keep it aside for 30-40 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a pan (kadhai). Using a non-stick kadhai is recommended for this recipe.
- Add the coconut milk mixture to the ghee. Cook the mixture on low flame for 7-10 minutes. Keep stirring constantly so the mixture does not stick to the pan and burn.
- Take a deep plate (thali) and grease it with ghee. Put the coconut mixture in the thali while hot and spread it till desired thickness is achieved.
- Let the mixture set in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
- Cut the barfi into any shape of your liking.
Although the keto diet may seem restrictive because of the controlled carbohydrate content, its benefits outweigh the challenges. Besides, the allowance of fat means that there is no ban on cheese and butter, which are totally taboo in other diets. The successful implementation of the keto diet enables a person not only to lose the excess weight but also tackle other health problems like acne, type 2 diabetes, cardiac issues and PCOS to name a few. Hence, the keto diet is a perfect answer for people looking for a solution to improving their overall health and fitness.