Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and, of course, a feast. For those following a ketogenic or low-carb lifestyle, navigating the dessert table can be tricky. But fear not! With a little creativity and the right recipes, you can enjoy delicious and satisfying Thanksgiving desserts without derailing your diet. This article offers a variety of keto-friendly dessert options that will please even the most discerning palates.
The Keto Thanksgiving Dessert Dilemma
Most Americans traditionally indulge in carbohydrate-heavy dishes during Thanksgiving. However, cutting out the bloated feeling and the effects of over-eating is wonderful. Making most of the starchy things keto-friendly, grain-free, and sugar-free is a great way to indulge in the holiday without the guilt. Even with over-indulgence, nutritious food won’t take you into the holiday plus eight pounds dilemma.
Key Ingredients for Keto Desserts
Keto desserts rely on specific ingredients to maintain their low-carb status. Understanding these ingredients is key to successful keto baking:
- Almond Flour: Almond flour works great for keto desserts and is a favorite option.
- Keto-Friendly Sweeteners: Keto sweeteners can be tricky and sometimes complicated. To keep things simple and delicious, use Powdered Erythritol Sweetener. Some recipes use monk fruit-A fruit from South China that is super sweet but does not impact blood sugar levels. Some other recipes use Swerve which is a sugar substitute brand that uses erythritol and oligosaccharides.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk: This provides a creamy texture and healthy fats.
- Avocado: Offers filling, good-for-you fats, particularly in chocolate desserts.
- Psyllium Husk: Used in some recipes for added fiber and binding.
Keto Dessert Recipes for Thanksgiving
There's a lot to love about Thanksgiving-aside from spending time with close family and friends, of course. But if we’re being completely honest, we’re most looking forward to the delicious pies and other decadent desserts. These mouthwatering, low-carb desserts are made of satisfying high-fat and high-fiber ingredients so you stay full for hours and keep your blood sugar levels stabilized. That’s right-you don’t have to make different sets of holiday desserts to please a crowd. These delicious, keto-friendly treats will bring everyone together. Here are some recipes that use sugar-free sweeteners, so you’ll likely need some ingredients you may not have used before!
Creamy Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake
This creamy keto pumpkin cheesecake is low-carb, refined sugar-free, and can be made into bars or slices. These cheesecakes are one of the favorite keto desserts. To get the right texture and to ensure the batter mixes well, use the eggs and cream cheese at room temperature. After baking the cheesecake, cool in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours to ensure clean slices.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Recipe:
- Base: Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper or grease with butter; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine melted butter and erythritol, mix until fully blended. Add almond flour and pumpkin spice; stir until combined. Transfer mixture to 8x8 pan and press evenly mixture on the bottom of the pan. Cook in the oven for 10 mins, then set aside to cool.
- Filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and Erythritol until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, and spices. Beat together until well combined. Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and bake for 40 minutes or until the edges are firm but the middle still jiggles slightly (it will appear dry completely across the top).
- Pumpkin Puree: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut the pumpkin in half, stem to base. Remove seeds and pulp. Cover each half with foil. Bake foil side up, 45 min - 1 hour, or until tender. Scrape pumpkin meat from shell halves and puree in a blender.
No-Bake, Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie
Fall flavors abound in this no-bake dessert that is a serious game-changer. No dairy and no nuts! (Keto, Paleo and Vegan).
Sugar-Free Chocolate Pie
Here's a sugar-free chocolate pie that won't blow your diet but tastes SO satisfying. The pie is extra silky from coconut cream and almond butter and richly flavored with cacao and dark chocolate. The crust is buttery and crisp without the hassle of conventional recipes.
Maple Pecan Tarts
With a crisp shortbread cookie crust, luscious maple butter filling and crisp toasted pecans, these bars are absolute BLISS to sink your teeth into.
Keto Pumpkin Pie
This holiday dessert has a buttery crust, a SILKY smooth rich custard -- perfectly spiced for maximum pumpkin flavor.
Pumpkin Muffins with Pecan Crumble Topping
These Keto Pumpkin Muffins are packed with pumpkin spice flavor and topped with a pecan crumble topping!
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Keto Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
These amazing Keto Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are bursting with flavor and contain about 2 net carbs each!
Keto Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
These delicious Keto Cranberry Cheesecake Bars have rich layers including an almond flour shortbread cookie crust, vanilla cheesecake, low carb cranberry sauce and a pecan crumble.
Keto Peanut Butter Brownies
These Keto Peanut Butter Brownies are packed with fudgy chocolate and swirled with a rich peanut butter cheesecake layer! All low-carb and keto approved!
Keto Sheet Pan Cookies
These Keto Sheet Pan Cookies have just 1.5 net carbs each and require no chilling!
Keto Double Chocolate Sheet Pan Cookies
These rich Keto Double Chocolate Sheet Pan Cookies have just 3.6 net carbs each and require no chilling!
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Cranberry White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
These Cranberry White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are the perfect low carb cookie!
Espresso Truffles
These rich Espresso Truffles are the perfect sugar-free treat to satisfy your dessert cravings!
Keto French Silk Pie
Try this Keto French Silk Pie for a decadent low-carb dessert!
Keto Peanut Butter Cheesecake Truffles
These Keto Peanut Butter Cheesecake Truffles require just 6 ingredients and no baking! These low carb delights are about 2.5 net carbs each and perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth!
Keto Caramel Mocha Cheesecake Bars
These decadent three layer Keto Caramel Mocha Cheesecake Bars are the perfect sweet treat! Each bar contains just 2.5 net carbs!
Almond Butter Truffles
Looking for a low-carb treat that’s quick, easy, and perfect year-round? These Almond Butter Truffles are just what you need!
Pecan Pie (with Almond Flour Crust)
Next to pumpkin pie, pecan is a Thanksgiving favorite. This pecan pie recipe has an almond flour crust and the ooey gooey caramel filling you crave.
Almond Biscotti
End your Thanksgiving feast on a sweet note by serving these delicious almond biscotti with a cup of coffee or tea. It’s made of finely chopped almonds, almond flour, psyllium husk, and erythritol, which all get the keto stamp of approval.
Panna Cotta
Dairy-free and low-carb, panna cotta is an Italian dessert that’s made of gelatin and sweetened cream. It also happens to make the ultimate keto dessert that will bring everyone around the dessert table. This recipe uses five simple ingredients, including full-fat coconut milk and stevia to satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you full.
Chocolate Pudding
Chocolate lovers will appreciate this rich and decadent vegan pudding. Avocado offers filling, good-for-you fats and cacao powder provides health-boosting flavonoids. Serve in separate sundae glasses and top with grated dark chocolate, coconut whipped cream, and ground cinnamon for a festive finishing touch.
Crustless Cheesecake
Dense and creamy, this New York-style cheesecake has a smooth texture that just melts in your mouth. Each bite is so satisfyingly rich you won’t miss the crust.
Gingerbread Cake
Guests will never want to leave your kitchen, thanks to the heavenly smell of ginger, cinnamon and cocoa wafting from this festive cake. It’s not only made with simple pantry ingredients, but it takes just 20 minutes to bake in the oven. One cake is good for nine servings, so you can easily make two and have more than enough for seconds to go around.
Avocado Brownies
These rich and fudgy brownies are sure to take the spotlight on your dessert table from adults and kids alike. Avocado and sunflower seed butter make the brownies extra rich and creamy, while banana flour and flaxseed keep it low-glycemic and fiber-rich.
Other Thanksgiving Keto-Friendly Dishes
If you still look forward to stepping off the keto train for the weekend, step off with fresh fruits and starchier vegetables you’ve been avoiding and eat the carbs that still love you back.
- Sausage balls are a Southern tradition, new, and very easily made grain-free. Italian Sausage Balls with Almond Flour are a unique take on the southern sausage ball.
- Kale Salad - This is more of a paleo choice with figs and butternut squash, but it’s one of the ways to stretch the diet and eat some healthy fruits you might be missing.
- Shuck the candied sweets for a salad with apples, pecans, and a few roasted diced sweet potatoes.
- There is no way not having cranberry sauce.
- Mashed Cauliflower is a great substitute for mashed potatoes.
- Roasted turnips are a great addition.
- Green bean casserole is a great option.
- Sweet potato biscuits made with grain-free options.
- Stuffing made with grain-free biscuits.
Additional Dessert Ideas
- Pumpkin Icebox Cake
- Pecan Pie Brownies
- Layered Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding
- Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Cinnamon-Sugar Party Mix
- Mini Chocolate Pecan Pies
- Pie Spice Roasted Apples
- Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle Tart
- Cinnamon-Scented Icebox Cake
- Baked Applesauce Donuts
- S'mores Brownies
- Ricotta-Orange Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
- Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
- Tiramisu Dip
- Apple Pie Cupcakes
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Apple and Thyme Galettes
- Apple Pie Sorbet
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cranberry Hand Pies
tags: #keto #thanksgiving #desserts #recipes