You’ve parted with a lot of things over the years. You gave up flare jeans and hair gel, and realized belts should be worn around your waist, not your rib cage. You waved goodbye to fads, apartments, and first cars, allowing them to collect dust alongside your ex-boyfriend’s flannel.
You know how to put a safe space between yourself and those things better left behind. So, when you started the keto diet, you knew what to do. You packed up your blue box of macaroni and cheese, removed the box of frozen waffles from the freezer, and threw out the boxes of opened cereal.
There were heartfelt goodbyes — and maybe a few tears — but you held strong. But now, there’s one thing that you never would you ever give up:
Snacks.
While you would sacrifice your Hulu subscription, gym membership, or morning coffee routine for the right cause, you could never give up your snacks. You may have tossed out crackers, cookies, and chips in your keto cupboard purge, but there must be a way to keep your snacks.
Which, of course there is. And we’re about to show it to you.
10 Keto-Friendly Snacks That Were Always Keto
We understand the tantalizing fear associated with giving up your snacks. We, too, practically became incapacitated by the thought of life without them. But then, we stood up, dusted ourselves off, and found another way.
But here’s the thing: There are plenty of low-carb snack options that are already keto-friendly. You just couldn’t think of them because you were too fixated on not throwing out your last bag of potato chips. Here are plenty of snack ideas, many of which you already enjoy, that fit perfectly into a low-carb diet:
- Hard-boiled eggs and a handful of almonds
- Red pepper strips with guacamole
- Celery sticks with peanut butter
- Hard cheddar cheese and salami
- Cucumbers with smoked salmon and cream cheese
- Ham and pickle roll-ups, with deli meat ham, cream cheese, and dill pickles
- String cheese and cashews
- Pork rinds or homemade veggie chips
- Beef jerky or salmon jerky
- A handful of low-carb berries, like blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries
Now that you know it’s possible, don’t you feel a bit better?
13 Keto Recipe Ideas: Snacks and Appetizers
If you feel like challenging yourself, there are plenty of keto snack ideas on the wonderful land of the Internet. Below, you’ll find 15 keto recipes that you can incorporate into your diet.
1. Cauliflower Pizza Bites
Image: The Little Pine
Remember those little bagel pizza bites you once devoured as a kid? These are like those — but a heck of a lot healthier. These pizza bites are made with a cauliflower base, then loaded with pizza sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and pepperoni. You’ll get a dose of veggies at snack time while writing a song to one of your favorite childhood treats.
2. Keto Peanut Butter Fat Bombs
Image: I Save A to Z
If you just started the ketogenic diet, you simply have to familiarize yourself with fat bombs. These small bites of heaven taste incredibly sweet but are actually loaded with healthy fats. This version requires just four simple ingredients: cream cheese, peanut butter, Swerve (a low-glycemic sweetener made with erythritol), and walnuts.
3. Easy Classic Keto Deviled Eggs
Image: Drive Me Hungry
Now that we think of it, we could have placed deviled eggs in the “snacks that were always keto” category. In case you never made them, deviled eggs are naturally gluten-free, come packed with protein, and have only one gram of carbs. This simple version is made with ingredients already found in your cupboard, like eggs, vinegar, mustard, garlic powder, and paprika.
4. Keto Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños in the Air Fryer
Image: My Life Cookbook
Looking for a keto-friendly appetizer to bring to your next party? No matter if you’re sharing them with a crowd or keeping them to yourself (while Netflixing on the couch, of course), you’ll simply love this recipe. Ready in just 15 minutes, these jalapeno poppers are surprisingly keto-friendly and packed with health benefits.
5. Schoolyard Snacks
Alright, this is the one “recipe” we’re not sharing on this list — mainly because it’s our little secret. We missed munching on cereal so much when we started keto, we made a product with just 1 gram of carbs per serving. Packed with protein, crunchy, and deliciously sweet, our top-secret recipe is one we’re not willing to share. But don’t worry, we’ll definitely share the end result when we ship our low-carb cereal to your front door.
6. Oven Baked Zucchini Chips
Image: Sip Bite Go
We know, we know — potato chips were one of the hardest snack foods to give up. But know this: Chips are nothing more than a vegetable fried or baked until crisp. Therefore, you can easily swap out a starchy vegetable for a low-carb one and make chips keto-friendly. That is precisely what you will do with this snack recipe, where zucchini slices are baked until they’re perfectly crispy.
7. Bacon Wrapped Avocado Fries
Image: Mama Bears Cookbook
Ok, we pinky-promise not all easy keto snacks come wrapped in bacon. But since when was that a bad thing? Instead of munching on high-carb French fries, enjoy this low-carb version. All you need is two ingredients — bacon and avocado.
8. Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
Image: Nyssa’s Kitchen
Before you went keto, hummus was one of your favorite summertime snacks. You were set with just a container of humus and a bowl of fresh veggies. Unfortunately, chickpeas do not fit into a keto meal plan, so hummus is out. Luckily, this paleo version swaps in cauliflower, bringing back one of your favorite snacks.
9. Green Smoothie Bowl
Image: Wholesome Yum
Smoothies make an excellent, post-workout snack option. They're an easy way to get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals while fueling you with protein. This recipe combines spinach (you can substitute kale or other leafy greens), collagen, avocado, coconut milk, and lemon juice into a healthy, surprisingly delicious treat. Top with hump seeds, coconut flakes, or chia seeds to complete your concoction.
10. Keto Chocolate Chip Muffins
Image: Pam's Daily Dish
When you think of keto, chocolate, candy, and other sweets are probably the last things that come to mind. Luckily, these low-carb muffins are completely keto-compliant, made with almond milk, eggs, almond flour, coconut oil, and sugar-free dark chocolate chips. At just 127 calories per muffin, enjoy one or two as a great keto snack.
11. Keto Rosemary and Olive Oil Hemp Seed Crackers
Image: Mad Creations
When it comes to snacking, nothing can compete with good ol' cheese and crackers. Luckily for you, these savory crackers contain just 2 grams of net carbs, but have a high fat content of 12 grams. Top with cream cheese, sardines, or the hummus listed above to enjoy.
12. Keto Maple Pecan Ice Cream
Image: Everyday Keto
What, you don't think ice cream counts as a snack? Listen, if you have never dipped your spoon straight into a pint as a late night snack, by all means skip this section. Now, for everyone who's telling the truth, know this: This incredible ice cream recipe is made with a low-glycemic sweetener (Stevia), so enjoying a small dish won't kick you out of ketosis.
13. Keto Granola
Image: Life Made Sweeter
While traditional granola is typically made with oats and other high-carb ingredients, this healthy snack is completely keto-friendly. You can use a variety of nuts and seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, pecans, walnuts, and macadamia nuts, mix them with coconut oil and monk fruit sweetener, add a dash of spices, and bake until slightly golden brown.
Your Favorite Easy Keto Snacks Were Always Keto-Friendly
Whether you’re looking for a simple replacement for cheese and crackers or need some show-stopping snacks to feed a crowd, you should now have a few ideas.
Looking for keto snacks doesn’t have to be complicated. Plenty of snacks you already enjoy — like homemade trail mix, celery and peanut butter, and beef jerky — were always low in carbs. Other snack ideas are a bit more in-depth, requiring you to bake some homemade veggie chips or prepare a few deviled eggs. Prep your snacks the way you would prepare breakfast or dinner ahead of time, sparing you a 3 p.m. hunger crash.
And, for the times when you find yourself in a pinch, keep a bag (or two, or three) of Schoolyard Snacks. Perfectly portable, you can fit a bag of this keto-friendly cereal in your desk or purse. Snag a quick bite to satisfy any snack cravings, and rest assured they won’t kick you out of ketosis.
