The ketogenic diet, a high-fat, very low-carb diet, has gained immense popularity for its potential health benefits, including weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and even seizure management in children with epilepsy. This article serves as a ketogenic diet cookbook, offering a variety of recipes, helpful tips, and tricks to make your keto journey both delicious and successful.
Understanding the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is characterized by a high intake of fats, moderate protein consumption, and a very low carbohydrate intake. This drastic reduction in carbs forces the body to enter a metabolic state called ketosis, where it starts burning fat for fuel instead of glucose. When the body burns fat, it produces ketones, which become the primary energy source.
It is important to note that the ketogenic diet should not be started without supervision and guidance from a medical professional, especially for children.
Delicious Keto Recipes to Try
This collection of recipes offers a wide array of options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, ensuring that you can enjoy a diverse and satisfying keto diet.
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken
Bacon and ranch is a flavor combination that many people adore. This Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken recipe might become a weeknight staple.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Cauliflower fried rice is a keto-friendly alternative to traditional fried rice. It's a great way to enjoy a comforting classic while reducing your carbohydrate intake. Whether you’re skipping carbs, trying to eat more vegetables, or are just looking for a lighter side dish, this cauliflower fried rice is a great option.
Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Spaghetti Squash
This recipe combines the comforting flavors of cheesy broccoli cheddar with the nutritional benefits of spaghetti squash, creating a satisfying and keto-friendly meal.
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Cauliflower can be used as a culinary master of disguise in pizza crust. This recipe offers a gluten-free and healthy alternative to traditional pizza crust.
Keto Chicken Parmesan
Enjoy a classic Italian dish without the carbs. This Keto Chicken Parmesan recipe is a delicious and satisfying option for a keto-friendly dinner.
Lemon-Brown Butter Salmon
This recipe combines the rich flavors of brown butter with the healthy fats of salmon, creating a delicious and nutritious keto-friendly meal.
Read also: Wine on a Keto Diet
Keto Beef Stew
Making beef stew keto-friendly only means a couple simple swaps. This Keto Beef Stew recipe is silky and comforting. In this keto recipe, the lack of thickener is compensated by really reducing the stew to create something rich.
Cowboy Butter Steak
This recipe calls for searing a bone-in ribeye, then basting it with a zesty, smoky butter until the outside has a perfectly brown crust, and the inside is tender and medium-rare.
Garlicky Greek Chicken
This recipe offers a flavorful and protein-packed option for a keto-friendly lunch or dinner.
Keto Pork Chops
This recipe provides a simple and delicious way to enjoy pork chops while staying within your ketogenic guidelines.
Cacio E Pepe Egg Noodles
Cacio e pepe is a FAVORITE pasta dish. This lightened-up version calls for making your pasta from scratch-the good news is it's SO much easier than it sounds. All you need is a good nonstick pan. It's so simple and yet so fun to make and, of course, absolutely delicious.
Read also: The Keto-Brain Fog Link
Philly Cheesesteak Lettuce Wraps
Enjoy the classic flavors of a Philly cheesesteak without the bread. These lettuce wraps are a quick and easy keto-friendly meal.
French Onion Pot Roast
This recipe combines the comforting flavors of French onion soup with the heartiness of pot roast, creating a delicious and satisfying keto-friendly meal.
Keto Beef Stroganoff
This recipe offers a creamy and flavorful twist on a classic comfort food dish, all while staying within the guidelines of the ketogenic diet.
Feta & Herb-Crusted Salmon
This recipe is a flavorful and healthy way to enjoy salmon while adhering to your keto diet.
Keto Bacon Chicken Thighs With Garlic Cream Sauce
This recipe is a rich and flavorful dish that combines the savory goodness of bacon and chicken thighs with a creamy garlic sauce.
Keto Mac & Cheese
This version takes out all the trouble children (ahem, PASTA) without sacrificing flavor. The pork rind topping is totally optional, but it adds a pleasant crunch.
Keto-Friendly Sweets and Treats
Who says you can't enjoy desserts on a keto diet? These recipes offer delicious and guilt-free ways to satisfy your sweet cravings.
- Apple Cobbler
- Avocado Brownies
- Birthday Cupcake
- Blueberry Yogurt Bunnies
- Caramel Pecan Tarts
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Cheesecake
- Chocolate Brownie
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Chocolate Nut Fudge
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
- Chocolate Pudding
- Churros
- Cinnamon Graham KetoBar
- Cinnamon Pecan Cookies
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Coconut and Peanut Butter Candies
- Creamy Jell-O®
- Creme Brulee
- Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Festive Jell-O Cup
- Gummy Bears
- Iced Pumpkin Cake
- Ice Cream Cone
- Frozen Fruity Cream Cheese Treats
- Fudge Brownie
- Jell-O Parfait®
- Key Lime Pie
- Lemon Almond Cake
- Marshmallows
- Marshmallow Cereal Treat
- Nut Bars
- Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Pumpkin Fudge Pops
- Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake
- Raspberry Meringue
- Snickerdoodle Cookie
- Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream
- Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Sunflower Bar
- Strawberry Valentines
- Sugar Cookies
- Vanilla Cream Cakes
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Watermelon Sorbet
- Whoopie Pie
Modified Ketogenic Diet (MKD) Recipes
The modified ketogenic diet (MKD) recipes should only be followed if specifically prescribed the MKD by your medical team.
- Birthday Cupcake
- Broccoli Cheddar Discs
- Cauliflower Parmesan Sticks
- Cheese Pizza
- Chicken Bites
- Chocolate Glazed Donuts
- Oatmeal & Raspberries
- Waffles
Helpful Tips & Tricks for Keto Cooking
These tips and tricks will help you navigate the ketogenic diet with ease, ensuring that your meals are both delicious and nutritionally sound.
Fat Hiding Tricks
- Combine weighed heavy cream and mayonnaise with weighed raw eggs, cook the mixture in a pan to form fluffy scrambled eggs.
- Add weighed canola oil to weighed yogurt; the oil will completely absorb and blend into the yogurt.
- Mix weighed room temperature butter into weighed creamy peanut butter. This not only helps hide fat, but also increases the volume of the spread.
- Add weighed canola oil into weighed liquid heavy cream. Use a milk frother (used to make cappuccinos) to emulsify the two together perfectly. Can be served as a drink!
Cooking Tips
- When weighing your ketogenic ingredients in one bowl, always start with the dry ingredients. Try to form small mounds of the dry ingredients while weighing to allow for easy removal if the weight goes over.
- The liquid ingredients (heavy cream, oil, etc.) should be weighed in a separate bowl individually. The reason for this is because if you weigh two liquids together and go over on the weight, you will not be able to safely remove the one liquid due to them mixing together.
- Always be sure to use nonstick cooking spray (any brand). Ketogenic foods tend to stick more than regular foods due to their high fat content. It’s important that no food residue is left behind on any cookware to avoid losing nutritional value.
- Dry seasonings can be used on the ketogenic diet as a “free” ingredient (single dry seasonings only, not pre-packaged mixes). In large quantities, fat tends to mask the natural flavors of foods that we know and love, therefore we encourage you to season the foods with dry seasonings to make them tasty and enjoyable. Especially salt!
- Ketogenic foods generally freeze very well, however the reheating process can be tricky. When reheating foods, the fats always tend to melt first, which is the main component for ketogenic foods. The best way to reheat keto foods is in the oven or on the stove top.
- When baking ketogenic foods, never fill molds all the way to the top (¾ full is ideal). During the baking process, the heat may make the fat separate from the recipe, creating a pool of fat on the top. If the recipe is filled all the way to the top, the melted fat will go over the edge and result in loss of nutritional value.
The Ketogenic Diet Cookbook: Developed by the Ketogenic Diet Team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
The ketogenic diet may be a treatment option for kids with epilepsy who are not successfully treated with medication or are not candidates for surgery. This is a very high-fat diet that has been used for almost 100 years to treat epilepsy. Approximately two-thirds of children have a greater than 50% reduction in seizures, and up to 25% can become seizure free. The Dietary Treatment Program in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Neuroscience Center takes a team approach to establishing a child's ketogenic diet plan, with expert input from neurologists, dietitians, skilled nursing staff and social workers.
Keto Meal Planning Made Easy
Sample 5-day menu plans will show you just how versatile and exciting the keto diet can be. With nutritious options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, and snacks, you can easily explore which recipes are best suited for your unique nutritional needs and satisfy your daily macro requirements.
Cook Along with Bridget and Julia
Enjoy mastering a new recipe while tuning in to and following along with new episodes of America’s Test Kitchen with all-new recipes. Every recipe that has appeared on the show is in this cookbook, along with the test kitchen's indispensable notes and tips. You’ll also find a shopping guide that shows what ingredients the ATK Reviews team recommends so that you can re-create the exact dish you see on your screen.
New and Improved Shopping Guide
Enjoy mastering a new recipe while tuning in to and following along with new episodes of America’s Test Kitchen with all-new recipes. Every recipe that has appeared on the show is in this cookbook, along with the test kitchen's indispensable notes and tips.
Explore Recipes by Category
- Meal Type: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Dinner
- Dietary: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
- Ingredient: Chicken, Pork, Salmon, Steak, Vegetarian
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