The White Russian is known for its rich and creamy taste, with the coffee liqueur adding a touch of sweetness and coffee flavor to the mix, gained significant notoriety when it was featured in the 1998 cult classic film "The Big Lebowski," where the film's main character, "The Dude," played by Jeff Bridges, is a fan of the cocktail. While White Russian cocktails aren’t what someone might initially consider to be a keto-friendly drink, this keto white Russian cocktails has all the creamy flavors of a classic White Russian cocktail without the guilt of sugar and carbs.
This article will guide you through creating a keto-friendly White Russian, allowing you to indulge in this classic cocktail without derailing your low-carb lifestyle.
Introduction: Reimagining the White Russian for Keto
For those eating (and drinking) low carb, you were probably pretty bummed to find that most cocktails are carb and sugar bombs. By replacing traditional ingredients with low-carb alternatives you can still enjoy your favorite cocktail. The main difference between this recipe and traditional White Russian cocktail recipes is that this recipe uses a low carb sweetener like Stevia and it passes on adding Kahlua (one single shot of Kahlua has nearly 30 grams of carbs).
What is a White Russian?
A white russian is a cocktail made with vodka, cream and coffee liqueur.
Why a Keto White Russian?
Traditional white Russians have about 21.5 g of sugar per serving. The number of calories in a White Russian can vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients used and the serving size. The total calories in a standard White Russian is approximately 540 calories. If you’re eating (and drinking) low carb, you were probably pretty bummed to find that most cocktails are carb and sugar bombs.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Key Ingredients for a Keto White Russian
All you need is 3 ingredients for a keto white Russian drink.
- Vodka: Stick to low calorie spirits, like vodka, whiskey, rum, gin, and tequila.
- Heavy Cream: The key to the creamy texture.
- Cold Brew Coffee/Espresso: For that essential coffee flavor.
- Low-Carb Sweetener: Lakanto, Swerve, or Erythritol. I stick to Lakanto and Swerve which are a 1:1 swap with traditional sugar. If using a different brand of Erythritol, keep in mind it's 70% as sweet as sugar, so you may need to add more to taste.
Step-by-Step Keto White Russian Recipe
Making a keto white Russian is easy and quick. No need for any special shakers or blenders for this drink.
- Combine the ingredients. Add vodka, cold brew, and sweetener to a rocks glass, and stir until sweetener dissolves.
- Add ice. Add ice ¾ of the way up the glass, and pour heavy cream over the top.
- Stir. Stir until the sweetener has completely dissolved.
- Serve. Serve in an old fashioned glass over ice and add additional cream or sweetener to taste and preferred creaminess.
Detailed Recipe Example
- 1 oz vodka
- 1 oz rum
- 1 oz cold espresso
- 3 drops vanilla extract
- 8 drops caramel stevia
- Top with the heavy cream, stir and enjoy.
- Add some ice to a tumbler glass and layer it with the vodka and rum first.
- Add ice to a 7-9 oz tumbler or an old fashioned glassover the ice add the vodka, rum, espresso, vanilla and caramel stevia.
- Add ice, and pour heavy cream (3 ounces) over the top.
Taste and adjust the sweetness of the cocktail to your liking.
Variations and Twists
The fun is just beginning! Check out other satisfying ways to jazz up my keto white Russian cocktail below.
- Add a splash of pumpkin spice syrup or liqueur to your White Russian for a seasonal twist.
Tips and Considerations
- Sweetness: Taste and adjust the sweetness of the cocktail. You may want to mix the cocktail in a larger glass and then pour over ice in a tumbler or old-fashioned glass. If using a different brand of Erythritol, keep in mind it's 70% as sweet as sugar, so you may need to add more to taste.
- Quantities: you may prefer less alcohol and more coffee or cream in your cocktail.
- Glassware: Pro Tip: This drink is often served in a tumbler often called and old-fashioned glass. Some vary in size and may not fit all the quantity of ingredients in this recipe.
- Sweetener: Use powdered sweetener, as granular won't dissolve into the alcohol.
When to Enjoy a Keto White Russian
When should you drink a keto white russian? A keto white Russian can serve as an after-dinner dessert or an evening cocktail, especially if you need a little pick me up during a night out. You may even enjoy it on an afternoon at home instead of a coffee.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Alcohol and Keto: Important Points
Alcohol can be a touchy subject for some keto dieters. Diabetics can drink alcohol in moderation but it's still important to drink responsibly and monitor your blood sugars to see how alcohol affects you personally. If you are also trying to lose weight, alcohol may affect your progress.
While this white russian cocktail has certainly been made 100% keto-approved, I don’t recommend having more than 2 drinks at a time. One reason for this is the cold brew coffee, which contains caffeine. That said, I think it’s perfectly fine to have one cocktail every so often, but it’s probably best not to indulge every day.
Keto-Friendly Drink Mixers
If you prefer mixed drinks, then here are the most common keto-friendly drink mixers that you can use. Wine is also keto-friendly as long as you stick with dry wines.
Why This Recipe Works: The Keto Advantage
What makes this drink keto-friendly? We remove the use of coffee liqueur which full of sugar and replace it with rum and espresso along with vanilla and caramel stevia. Making this low carb cocktail only 1g of carbs per drink.
This keto white Russian recipe contains only 1g net carb per cocktail. As you can imagine, coffee liqueur is loaded with sugar - 11.4 g in one ounce! This bad boy?
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