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Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving this year or just bringing some dishes to the main event, I can help you cut carbs and sugar this holiday season with these Keto Thanksgiving recipes. This post includes everything from the Thanksgiving turkey with low-carb remakes to traditional sides like cauliflower mac and cheese and cranberry sauce to keto-friendly appetizers for your guests to enjoy while the meat roasts. And, because I hope you know I love keto desserts, there are so many options like my Keto Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars too! No matter what your goals are this holiday season, I know that you’ll be able to use these recipes to craft the perfect Low Carb & Keto Thanksgiving Dinner Menu.
What’s with this Keto Thanksgiving Recipes Menu?
In theory, holiday meals are about the people around the table. However, in reality, holidays are the worst when it comes to how we eat.
I mentioned this before in my Keto Candy post, but I am not the Keto Police. You can opt, just like I do, to choose what you eat during the holidays.
But, I decided to share this post to help those who want to stick to keto over the holidays, and those who just want to make adjustments to their menu to cut carbs and sugar.
Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
How to Not Gain 10lbs because “it’s Thanksgiving!”
For me, and maybe you’re better at this, my “just one meal” on Thanksgiving used to turn into weeks of poor eating that undermined all of the progress I made. So, if you’re looking for strategies to help stay on track this holiday season, here are some tips that worked for me:
Decided which dishes I wasn’t willing to give up
My grandmother’s recipe for cornbread stuffing is one dish I need in my life “as is”. I only have it on Thanksgiving and I don’t bother finding a replacement. Do you have a few dishes that you just want to enjoy as is?
Made Less Food
I am often the host of Thanksgiving dinner. This means that I control how much food is available. I cut the amount of food that I made in half and purchased takeout containers for my guests.
For me, this meant I had just enough for 1 day of leftovers after my guests took things home.
Replaced some favorites with keto versions
I cook a ton of keto-friendly foods. So, I know which things are perfect replacements for the real thing.
And, fortunately for me, many of the desserts that I make are one-to-one substitutes. Specifically, my keto cheesecakes that are filled with sugar taste exactly like the keto cheesecakes that I make with sugar replacements. So, I just swap some regular versions with the keto-friendly version.
Healthy Keto Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
How to Use these Keto Thanksgiving Recipes to Make the Perfect Dinner Menu
As I mentioned, you can use this post to craft the perfect dinner menu. To do that, I recommend the following for mixing and matching recipes in this post:
- Choose 1-2 proteins from these Main Dishes
- Pair those with 1-2 Appetizers for your guests to enjoy while the meat roasts
- Add 1-2 Vegetable Side Sides to go with your turkey
- Choose 1-2 Rolls, Sauces or Stuffing
- Choose 1-2 Desserts
Need recipes for Christmas?
Even though they are a month apart, it seems like Christmas is so close to Thanksgiving. I’m not sure about you, but I tend to make fewer and more casual recipes for that dinner.
If you’re preparing for Christmas, then you can check out my Ultimate Keto Christmas Dinner Menu as well as these keto Christmas cookies to bake.
Thanksgiving Main Dishes
While turkey may be the traditional meat on your Thanksgiving table, you might want to give my Pressure Cooker Pot Roast a try. The flavor is exceptional, and it can really give your guests a break if they have more than one gathering that weekend.
Feel free to serve chicken or even a simple turkey breast if your family is smaller.
Pressure Cooker Pot Roast – Dr. Davinah’s Eats
Keto Thanksgiving Turkey -My PCOS Kitchen
Easy Cast Iron Whole Roasted Chicken – Strength and Sunshine
The Best Brined Whole Turkey – Easy & Delish
How to Spatchcock a Chicken – Whole New Mom
Easy Baked Sirloin Roast with Herb Rub – Beauty and the Foodie
Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast – Dr. Davinah’s Eats
Appetizers
I try not to go overboard on appetizers while the bird is cooking, so I don’t overeat across the entire day, but sometimes you just need something to munch on, especially if you serve your meal later in the day.
Shrimp and bacon make for hearty flavors in small packages. You could even serve just appetizers as a fun take on the main meal, maybe in between Black Friday deal shopping!
Low-Carb Roasted Pumpkin Salad – Simply So Healthy
Savory Bacon Cranberry Cheese Tartlets – Beauty and the Foodie
Easy Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Appetizer – The Foodie Affair
Keto Shrimp Guacamole and Bacon – Low-Carb with Jennifer
Keto Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Mash – Cleanish Living Katie
Low-Carb Mini Bacon Chive Cheeseballs – Simply So Healthy
Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus – Wholesome Yum
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms – The Foodie Affair
Vegan Almond Feta Cheese – Whole New Mom
Easy Cheese Ball Recipe with Cream Cheese, Bacon & Green Onion – Wholesome Yum
Zero Carb Thanksgiving Platter – Step Away From the Carbs
Thanksgiving Side Dishes & Vegetables
Some people say the table wouldn’t be complete without green bean casserole, so I made sure to find one that was Keto-friendly.
You can also simply roast vegetables like Brussels sprouts, which would fit just about every single dietary need. Going Keto for Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be complicated.
Creamed Spinach – Dr. Davinah’s Eats
Garlic Butter Mushrooms – Chef Not Required
Keto Brussels Sprouts Casserole – Simply Stacie
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese – Dr. Davinah’s Eats
Low-Carb Pecan Stuffing – Simply So Healthy
Sauteed Green Beans – Dr. Davinah’s Eats
Keto Cauliflower Stuffing – KimspiredDIY
Instant Pot Rutabaga Mash – Recipes from a Pantry
Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts – To Simply Inspire
Riced Cabbage – Low Carb Africa
Keto Green Bean Casserole – Yellow Glass Dish
Keto Mashed Cauliflower – Wholesome Yum
Rolls, Sauces, Stuffing & Gravy
How amazing do these Parmesan Bread Bites look? Your guests won’t even know they are eating Keto, and everyone will get to break bread together. Cranberry sauce is another strong tradition, and you can easily make it sugar-free to fit keto or simply to make sure you save your sugar for dessert!
Keto Cranberry Sauce – Dr. Davinah’s Eats
Keto Gravy – Dr. Davinah’s Eats
Keto Parmesan Garlic Bread Bites – Dr. Davinah’s Eats
Keto Pull-Apart Clover Rolls – Beauty and the Foodie
Easy Roasted Red Pepper Dip and Marinade – Savory Spin
Herb Sausage Stuffing – Keto Cooking Christian
Keto Hawaiian Sweet Rolls – KimspiredDIY
Easy Keto Thanksgiving Desserts
Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without pumpkin – so I’m sharing my bars. Plus, to keep the pumpkin theme, I found a mousse and a pie!
You won’t miss the extra sugar, but you’ll still get the satisfaction of a sweet bite to end the day. I won’t tell if you come back for seconds! I might even want to serve the Blueberry Cobbler as breakfast the next morning.
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