If you’re following a ketogenic diet, you know you have to start paying attention to your carb intake from the moment you wake up and cook up your usual groggy-eyed breakfast. The keto diet is essentially a lower-carb version of a low-carb diet. It doesn’t count calories but keeps a very watchful eye on the macros you consume every day. While the total amount varies from person to person, the ketogenic diet aims to limit total carbs to about 20 grams a day, while also eating a moderate amount of protein and lots of fats. The goal is getting into a state of ketosis, where your body burns fat rather than carbs for fuel
So what does this mean for breakfast? It’s helpful to start by knowing what you can and cannot eat on the keto diet. There’s a lot of standard breakfast fare that simply doesn’t fit the bill. For example, oats, cereal, and bread (with a couple exceptions! More on this below.) are off the table, as is yogurt, fruit, and starchy vegetables, of all which have too many carbs. But, rather than focusing on what you can’t eat, keep in mind that there of foods that really fit the bill for a tasty keto breakfast, including eggs, avocado, many kinds of meat and vegetables, and of course, keto bread.
Here are 10 great keto breakfast ideas to try right now.
1. 90-Second Keto Bread
Think of this quick keto-friendly bread like a mug cake version of a biscuit that happens to look a lot like an English muffin. Partner it with a couple slices of crispy bacon, an egg perhaps, and you’ve got a complete breakfast.
2. Breakfast Deviled Eggs
Does it feel like your egg routine is getting a little stale? Creamy deviled eggs topped with everything bagel spice is our favorite way to change things up.
3. Keto Loaf Bread
You might be following a keto diet, but that doesn’t mean avocado toast is out of reach. This low-carb bread is baked with almond flour instead of wheat flour, lots of eggs, and xanthan gum to help bind everything together and keep it moist and sliceable instead of crumbly.
4. Keto Pancakes
Pancakes probably seem out of the question on such a low-carbohydrate diet, but the wonderful news is that keto-friendly pancakes exist. The secret is a batter that’s mostly cream cheese and eggs, with just a little almond or coconut flour and baking powder to achieve a little lift with each cake. To keep them truly keto, enjoy them butter and berries in lieu of maple syrup.
5. Low-Carb Veggie-Packed Frittata
A frittata packed with all the low-carb vegetables in your crisper drawer is a seriously solid keto breakfast. Feel free to also add some meat to the situation, like cooked shredded chicken or pork, crumbled sausage, or bacon. Cheese is another nice addition, especially harder cheese like Parmesan and aged Cheddar, which tend to be lower in carbs but still deliver on flavor. You’ll want to pay particular attention to the vegetables you use. Stick to low-carb options like broccoli or greens and be strategic about the use of sweet vegetables like bell peppers.
6. Egg Wraps
While a classic breakfast burrito filled with eggs and meat won’t work for the diet, a wrap made from eggs and filled with meat most definitely is. These egg wrappers can be used to hold just about any fillings. Here they’re filled with ham and watercress, but combinations like turkey and spinach or prosciutto and arugula would be great too. As written, this recipe contains two tablespoons of flour, but for the keto diet, opt for low-carb flour alternatives like almond or coconut.
7. Bacon Gruyère Egg Bites
Have you tried the silky, custardy sous-vide egg and cheese bites from Starbucks yet? They’re sublime and incredibly keto-friendly. But these bites have a cult following, which means Starbucks tends to run out of them frequently. Plus, they can be a little costly. Well, now you can make them at home with a blender custard batter and a water bath for baking. These two details help to mimic that luxurious texture.
8. Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl
A burrito bowl built of cauliflower rice is a keto-friendly meal at any time of the day. Enjoy it for breakfast with any cooked chicken or steak you may have from dinner the night before or top it with a fried egg if you don’t have leftovers lying around. This recipe is a great place to start — just skip the black beans and corn to make it low-carb.
9. Low-Carb Veggie & Sausage Hash
Potatoes are common in most hashes, but they are in no way necessary for a delicious one. Load up a hash with sausage and low-carb veggies instead, like zucchini, cauliflower, radishes, or broccoli rabe. Then top it with a few eggs and dig in.