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Coleslaw is one of those foods that you wouldn’t suspect to have added sugars. At face value, you might think most coleslaw is keto friendly because you’ve got low carb vegetables and a good fat source if it’s mayo based. But, unfortunately most coleslaw recipes have some added sugar that make them not suited for a low carb diet. This tangy Low Carb & Keto coleslaw makes the perfect keto side dish to bring to picnics or to serve up with keto barbecue.
Is Coleslaw Keto and/or Low Carb?
Coleslaw’s base is carrots, red, and white cabbage. But many coleslaw recipes are not low carb.
Why? Most coleslaw recipes add in sugar to the recipe to give coleslaw its lightly sweet taste.
So instead of using sugar, my keto and low carb coleslaw uses Powdered Monk Fruit Erythritol to give my coleslaw the familiar sweetness without adding carbs.
What is in this Keto Coleslaw Dressing?
Keto coleslaw dressing is very similar to other coleslaw dressings. Unlike most coleslaw dressing, I don’t add sugar, of course, because it adds carbs. My coleslaw includes mayo, apple cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, celery seeds, and garlic powder.
For sweetness, I add Granular Monk Fruit Erythritol. This 1:1 sweetener adds as much sweetness as regular sugar without the added carbs.
And if you want to, you can add onion powder to the dressing. Not everyone likes the taste of onion powder, so if you don’t, you can exclude it and still get an amazing coleslaw dressing.
What are some Variations for Keto Coleslaw Dressing?
There are some variations you can make and still make keto coleslaw dressing. For example, you could use avocado as the fat instead of mayo.
If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, you can use lemon juice. Or, you could use a different style of vinegar.
Also, you can adjust the spices used as desired. If you don’t like garlic flavor? Don’t add the garlic powder. Or, if you love garlic flavor, you can add more. You can add more flavors to suit your desires.
You can also add thinly sliced onions if you want to add some additional onion flavor. I intended to keep this recipe quick so I opted to use a bit of onion powder instead of sliced onions.
Finally, you can substitute Monk Fruit Erythritol for other no carb sweeteners. I use Monk Fruit Erythritol because it has a 1:1 ratio to sugar. You could use sweeteners such as:
- Plain Erythritol
- Plain Monk Fruit
- Allulose
- Stevia
Tip: Look for 1:1 ratios to make recipe conversions easier
How to Make Keto Coleslaw
Keto coleslaw is easy to make. I shortcut the chopping process (who has time for that?) by using a bag of premade coleslaw veggies. All you have to do is open the bag and pour it into the bowl with the dressing ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. You should mix it until well combined. Then, dump in the bag of coleslaw veggies and toss with a silicone spatula until coated.
You could instead dump the coleslaw into the large bowl and combine the dressing ingredients in a smaller bowl. Then you could pour the dressing on top and toss it together.
How Many Carbs are in Low Carb Coleslaw?
Regular coleslaw is not keto friendly. Most coleslaw recipes call for sugar. This can bring coleslaw carb counts up to over 7 grams of net carbs.
While that doesn’t seem like a lot, Coleslaw is meant to be a side dish, not a meal.
My keto coleslaw has 2 grams of net carbs. So you can enjoy my keto coleslaw, in moderation, whenever you would serve coleslaw. See below for some meal planning ideas.
What is more keto-friendly mayo coleslaw or vinegar coleslaw?
Vinegar or mayo based coleslaw are both keto friendly if they are sugar free. Mayo has only 0.1 grams of net carbs. Most of its calories come from fat, which is considered keto-friendly.
Vinegar has 0 carbs. This means that vinegar is also keto friendly. However, vinegar also has no fat. This means you’d have to get your fat from other sources.
Both vinegar and mayo are good choices, so really it comes down to your taste preference. I really prefer mixing the two since I think the combo of tangy and creamy is a good fit for coleslaw recipes.
If you like vinegar based coleslaw better, you could omit the mayo.
How to Make Keto Coleslaw into a meal
Coleslaw is an excellent addition to any barbeque. One of my favorite pairings for keto coleslaw is on a pulled pork sandwich. To keep that version low carb, you can pair my Keto BBQ Pulled Pork with a low carb bread, such as Sola Bread or Smart Buns.
It also pairs well with Bacon Wrapped Cola BBQ Chicken Kabobs or Keto Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Cola BBQ Ribs.
Keto Slow Cooker or Ninja Foodi Ribs (Recipe + Video)
Get this recipe
Keto Bacon Wrapped Cola BBQ Chicken Kababs
Get this recipe
And for an added treat, you can enjoy either recipe, my keto coleslaw, and Keto Corn-free Bread.
Ingredients
- 14 oz bag coleslaw mix a 12-16 oz bag will work fine
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1.5 tbsp Powdered Monk Fruit Erythritol
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder optional
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing
- Add the coleslaw mix. You can serve immediately, but this tastes best when refrigerated for at least 2 hours
Kristy says
What is the serving size????
Davinah says
Hi Kristy,
There are about 3 cups of coleslaw in a bag so a serving is about 1/2 cup.
Thanks,
Davinah
Suzanne says
This is fantastic! I’ve been hungry for coleslaw and all of the recipes I found had sugar. Thank you!
Davinah says
Hi Suzanne!
Happy you enjoyed this! Thanks a lot for stopping back to let me know.
Best,
Davinah