30 Delicious Keto-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes to Add to Your Dinner Menu
Swap cauliflower for potatoes, spinach for romaine, and get ready to double down on that turkey.
Putting on an incredible Thanksgiving dinner can seem like a major challenge if you're new to the ketogenic diet — all those carb-loaded stuffings, sweet potatoes, and pies are just staring you in the face, daring you to cheat. But, alas, there are so many smart keto swaps you can make to this classic holiday spread, if you only know where to look. As any experienced keto dieter would tell you, Thanksgiving is all about that turkey, and you can gobble up as much turkey as you want (even going for the fattier dark meat). Finding the best side dishes and sweet treats to balance out your meal is a bit trickier, though.
The keto diet is all about maintaining your state of total ketosis, meaning your body is in a metabolic mode that burns through fat as its daily fuel rather than glucose found in carbs. You'll have to eliminate many Thanksgiving classics to successfully stay keto, as anything with excess sugar or carbohydrates will be off limits. You'll reach for low-carb vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage; plenty of cheesy and creamy treats; and sweet treats made with faux sugars like stevia. If you're new to keto, our master guide to the keto diet can even help you plan your entire Thanksgiving meal from scratch.
But home cooks can manipulate these ingredients to make tit-for-tat substitutes for many of their favorite Thanksgiving staples. Here, we're sharing the most ingenious recipes that reinvent Thanksgiving classics to be keto-approved — indulge a few of these decadent, fat-filled side dishes and desserts. They'll even have your non-keto friends and family swooning with delight! Take a peek at our favorite keto-approved Thanksgiving recipes.
Smoked Salmon Fat Bombs
This crave-worthy app is like a bagel and lox, minus the carb-heavy bagel; its loaded with so much creamy goat cheese and butter that no one will miss the bread.
Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
Kick off the meal with this creamy soup, made with keto-friendly cauliflower. It’s not only delicious, but also loaded with potassium, vitamin C, and omega-3 fatty acids. The shredded cheese is the perfect finishing touch.
Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
If you’re jealously eyeing the mashed potatoes, make this keto-friendly side instead. It’s gloriously cheesy, mixed with cheddar, cream, and butter. Who needs all those carb-heavy potatoes, anyway?
Bacon-Cheese Deviled Eggs
Everyone’s favorite finger food is a keto dieter’s delight — the eggs provide both fat and protein, and the Swiss cheese and bacon provide the flavorful punch.
Thanksgiving is just one of the many holidays this season keto dieters need to prepare for, and the food and health experts at Good Housekeeping have created the ultimate holiday savior: Our 14-day meal plan guide! As reviewed by experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute, this guide is carefully designed to help you shop at the supermarket and make holiday swaps that much easier. Download the guide now!
Tomato and Mozzarella Bites
Keep yourself busy with these savory cheesy bites while the turkey is roasting in the oven — they'll be a perfect pre-feast snack as guests arrive, and even non-keto dieters will love them.
Get the recipe for Tomato and Mozzarella Bites »
RELATED: 25 Delicious Keto Side Dishes
Keto Veggie Stacks
It might be the single vegetable-only item you tuck into all night, but these fresh crudités are delicious alongside a pre-dinner aperitif. Keep these chilled before dinner begins, as they can stay firm for up to an hour while serving guests.
4-Ingredient Keto Everything Biscuits
Any Thanksgiving feast isn't complete without a warm roll of some kind, and these super fast biscuits are a keto dieter's dream. Feel free to slather them in extra butter.
Keto-Friendly Gravy
The key to whipping up a luxurious keto gravy for the entire table is using your turkey (and bacon grease!) drippings. Instead of traditional flour, though, you'll need to reach for a keto-friendly replacement like coconut flour or flaxseed meal — or, in this recipe, xanthan gum, which makes this sauce quite smooth indeed.
Garlic Butter Mushrooms
Looking for that pop of wow! to accompany your turkey and keto gravy alternative? Bingo: These roasted baby Portabello mushrooms and cremini bites are velvety smooth and ultra luxe for any gravy on the table.
Almond Butter Fudge
Kids and adults, keto and non-keto eaters alike will go crazy for this fudgy, creamy dessert (you can swap in peanut or cashew butter if you prefer). Best of all, it takes just 10 minutes to throw together.
Queso Dip
Thanksgiving isn’t just about the turkey — it’s about spending down time with family and friends. This spicy, cheesy dip, served with low-carb veggies or keto crackers, is the perfect snack while you’re all hanging in the den in front of the football game.
Kale Salad With Sesame Tahini Dressing
This tahini sauce is a magical dressing made from rich oil, making it a perfect addition to any keto spread. If you're dying for something green, kale is a good choice — but enjoy carrots sparingly, as they contain small amounts of natural carbohydrates.
Nutty Green Beans and Asparagus With Bacon
Mixing asparagus and green beans together creates a unique texture in one bite, especially since fresh shallots and chopped almonds compliment these veggies with a hard crunch.
Get the recipe for Nutty Green Beans and Asparagus With Bacon »
RELATED: How to Make the Best Asparagus Ever
Lemony Brussels Sprout Salad
Substituting a mound of lettuce for low-carb shaved Brussels sprouts is a great idea. Pecorino cheese and almonds add to the satisfying crunch of this side salad.
Brussels Sprout Casserole
How to get your kids to try vitamin-filled brussels sprouts? Mix them with bacon, cheese, and cream, of course.
Everything Cheese Balls
Another excellent snack to graze on before the main course is served, especially since these party-sized balls can be kept in the fridge for up to a week before Thanksgiving.
Nutty Shortbread Cookies
You may be so filled up from your keto-riffic Thanksgiving dinner that you just want a sweet nibble for dessert. These crispy cookies—made with almond flour and ground hazelnuts—are just the bite you’re craving.
5-Ingredient Chocolate Chia Pudding
A great fiber-packed option as a post meal treat, Jessica Hylton's shortcut chocolate pudding clocks in at 16g of carbohydrates, which is just under a full day's worth of a keto dieters' allowance. You can take a handful of grams off this total by swapping maple syrup for stevia drops, making it even more manageable in your lineup (and super healthy for your gut!).
Cauliflower au Gratin
While a classic au gratin involves some sort of breadcrumb, you'll love the suggestion of a keto spin in a bacon crumble finish (same texture!). You'll make the cheese sauce using almond flour, which is a keto-friendly substitute for traditional flour, too.
Marisa Cohen is an editor in the Hearst Lifestyle Group’s Health Newsroom, who has covered health, nutrition, parenting and culture for dozens of magazines and websites over the past two decades.
Zee Krstic is a content strategy manager for Hearst Magazines, leading audience acquisition and affiliate revenue growth for Country Living, House Beautiful, ELLE Decor and VERANDA. He previously served as Health Editor for Good Housekeeping between 2019 and 2023, covering news, wellness trends and executing product reviews in conjunction with the Good Housekeeping Institute. Prior to joining Hearst, Zee fostered a background in women's lifestyle media with seven-plus years of digital editorial experience, including as a site-wide editor at Martha Stewart Living. Zee currently produces design and lifestyle service content as a contributor; he has written about food and dining for Time, among other publications.
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