Aside from the misconception that bread is wholly banned on a ketogenic diet, another wide-spread—and fortunately untrue—idea is that sweets are forbidden.
Breathe a sigh of relief because there are many delicious dessert recipes available to us on a ketogenic diet, and many are very simple to prepare. We just have to make some minor adjustments to the traditional dessert ingredients often used, to ensure that the recipe is keto-friendly—no biggie.
Fortunately, almost all dessert recipes can translate to a low-carb, high-fat version. Plus, the baked goods and confections made with keto-friendly ingredients will still be delicious, without posing a threat to ketosis or our weight-loss efforts.
The truth is that there's no need to feel deprived of sweet treats on keto. Whether it's a creamy keto cheesecake, or a delicious and decadent maple pecan chaffle: there are many options to satisfy your sweet tooth and widdle your waistline.
We have many dessert recipes for you to try yourself and enjoy! Also, we'll share some ingredient swaps to keep your dessert macros in an ideal range, below.
There are so many ways to approach making keto desserts, but there are a few requisites and hallmarks you'll notice with all low-carb, high-fat desserts. You'll want to omit all refined sugars and stay away from grain-based (corn, rice, wheat) flours.
Swapping out refined sugars for sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, erythritol or xylitol and replacing grain-based flours with almond or coconut flour is your best bet.
Besides, the mentioned alternative ingredients are game-changers because they provide excellent results while keeping the carbs super-low.
More on the anatomy of an ideal keto dessert, a delectable treat that's rich in fat and minimal in carbs, below.
Also, if you’d like a completely personalized 28-day meal plan that will help you torch some extra pounds while eating decadent foods you once thought were off-limits, take our quick quiz to access your customized plan and start losing weight today!
What Are Keto Dessert Recipes?
A keto dessert recipe is usually characterized by the absence of many traditional baking ingredients like cane sugar and grain-based flour. Instead, a keto dessert uses a high-fiber flour that's also low in carbs and any number of sugar alternatives.
Eggs, butter or oil, and flavorful keto-friendly sugar alternatives are the holy trinity in the world of keto desserts. Some will also incorporate egg replacers, like that made by Bob's Red Mill, if they cannot tolerate or choose to abstain from eating eggs.
Honestly, the critical component for desserts in the minds of many on keto is the sweetener. Will the substitute taste as good as sugar, and will the substitute ingredient behave differently in recipes?
The promising point is that most of the keto-friendly sweeteners available today are undetectable in desserts and mimic the taste of cane sugar.
We have a whole post dedicated to the keto-friendly sugar alternatives that we recommend and why—along with how each differs in taste and how they impact the body.
Here's a quick primer on keto sweeteners below, just in case you're short on time!
In a nutshell, similar to fats: there are the good and the bad when it comes to sugar alternatives.
We highly recommend sticking to the following sugar-free sweeteners on keto:
- Stevia: We love stevia around here, especially since affordable options like the 365-brand produced by Whole Foods are free of any funky aftertaste.
- Monk Fruit: Mogrosides sounds like something a little scary, but it's actually an antioxidant compound that contributes to the sweetness of monk fruit. Who knew? Also, monk fruit is an excellent sweetener alternative for those on keto as it measures 1:1 to cane sugar, making it easy to swap in recipes without any trial and error.
- Erythritol: This sugar alcohol is often used in keto baking because it provides a pure sweetness, without any unpleasant aftertaste. Also, erythritol is commonly used in baked keto-friendly goods because it tastes very similar to cane sugar!
- Xylitol: Similar to erythritol, xylitol is often used in keto baked goods because it has no aftertaste. Xylitol also has antibacterial properties, which is why it's commonly used in toothpaste, and sugar-free gum or mouthwash.
- Swerve: A popular sugar alternative, Swerve, is a blend of erythritol and oligosaccharides—a fiber found in fruits and veggies that the body can't absorb, so it has no impact on blood glucose levels and zero aftertaste.
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Yacon Syrup: Aside from being a low-glycemic sweetener, yacon syrup also contains antioxidants. Plus, in addition to tending to a sweet tooth, yacon syrup provides potassium and fiber, along with helping to prevent insulin resistance.
While the noted sweeteners are all great options for anyone following a low-carb, high-fat diet, there are some sweeteners to avoid on keto. Here are some sweeteners to pass on when keeping carbs low:
- Aspartame or other artificial sweeteners
- Coconut Sugar
- Honey
- Palm Sugar
- Maple Syrup
- Maltitol
- Sucralose
- Splenda (contains dextrose and maltodextrin)
- Agave Syrup
- Cane Sugar (table sugar)
- Dates
- Dextrose
- Maltodextrin
We dedicated an article to the best and worst sweeteners to consume on a ketogenic diet. Click here to read our in-depth post, so you're informed about which sweeteners to use and how they impact the body.
Can I Eat Keto Dessert Recipes & Lose Weight?
Desserts, especially a variety of decadent fat bombs, can satisfy a craving and help keep us satiated on keto while we still consistently release body fat.
A ketogenic diet allows us to eat loads of indulgent foods while losing weight, and this holds true with desserts on keto. The crucial thing to remember is to use a sugar alternative, along with low-glycemic flour, as the base of all your baked desserts.
Also, eat desserts in moderation even though the treats are sugar-free. Calories still matter when trying to lose weight, and a deficit is required to achieve weight loss, so be mindful of your portions.
Here are some tasty, keto-friendly desserts to try:
- Strawberry cheesecake fat bombs (try making a version using our Keto Shake with our strawberry cheesecake flavor)
- Fudgy Brownies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Keto Ice Cream
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
What Keto Dessert Recipes Should I Avoid?
Mainly, you want to avoid any dessert with sugar or grain-based flour. Also, avoid desserts that contain problematic sweeteners like Maltitol as consuming it in large amounts can spike glucose levels and stall weight loss.
Also, stay away from desserts that contain high-glycemic fruits like bananas, pineapples, or mangoes.
Plus, avoid eating desserts that are made with keto-friendly sweeteners but trigger you to overeat. Some recipes that we love can cause us to overdo it a little, and we can't seem to eat just a little bit of it and then walk away. In these cases, it's advisable to pass on those items to prevent a binge.
The Best Keto Dessert Recipes
There are endless keto dessert options to enjoy, and here are some of our favorites:
- Irresistible Keto Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
- Keto Choc-Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs
- Chocolate Keto Pumpkin Fat Bombs
- Fudgy Peanut Butter Keto Fat Bombs
- Keto Mousse (4 Ways)
- Keto Chocolate Souffleè
The recipes mentioned above are a small sample of keto-friendly desserts to enjoy while keeping carbs low. Just know that it's virtually impossible to get bored with the abundance of low-carb desserts available.
Whether you're a chocoholic or a peanut butter lover, there are many treats to enjoy on a ketogenic diet, guilt-free.
Get Your 28-Day Custom Keto Meal Plan
While eating a diet rich in healthy fats, moderate protein, and low in carbs, determining an ideal meal plan to achieve your goals can feel a bit overwhelming.
No worries, we offer a 28-day customized meal plan targeted to help you hit your goals based on your current weight, dietary preferences, and your current activity level.
A customized keto meal plan eliminates any guesswork and ensures that you remain on track toward your weight-loss goals, without worrying whether you're eating a well-balanced diet.
Use an online calculator, like that provided by free sites like MyFitnessPal, to establish your ideal macronutrient targets, and then tweak your macros as needed based on your weekly results.
Beginning a new diet is a significant undertaking, but it can be simple with the aid of some critical tips. Take our quiz to learn more about best practices to prime your mindset and pantry for success on keto.
Our goal is to provide our Konscious Keto family with premium products and valuable information. Let us provide you with an individualized meal plan to support you throughout your weight-loss journey; we'll eliminate all the guesswork for you!
Our customized meal plans are affordable and comprehensive, and all the featured meals are geared toward helping you achieve and maintain nutritional ketosis. Take our simple quiz to access your personalized plan today.
Whether you're looking for new dessert recipes to impress your friends or need keto-friendly remixes of your favorite sugar-laden desserts to keep you honest—we've got you covered.
Also, aside from offering an array of keto dessert recipes, our customized meal plans include delicious savory options like keto cheesy Brussels sprouts with hamburger; a Tex-Mex breakfast skillet; and even a cheese shell beef taco. Our meal plan will keep you satisfied!
Also, we share several recipes on our site for free, like our golden keto cauliflower bake or our popular ham and gruyere keto casserole recipe. Go ahead and visit our recipe section to explore some of the mouth-watering offerings.
Summary
You may have been hesitant about giving the keto diet a try for fear of having to give up bread and desserts, but thankfully neither is necessary to succeed on a low-carb, high-fat diet.
You can enjoy an abundance of sweet treats on a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet with a few ingredient swaps and some minor portion control.
You can eat dessert every day on keto, but the majority of the food you consume should be filled with healthy fats and muscle-building proteins. Also, adding in a variety of low-glycemic fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to round out your meal plan.
The foods we eat have a significant impact on our wellness and our weight. Fortunately, the most surefire approach to winning at weight loss is to have an air-tight plan. Our customized meal plans are easy to follow and are an excellent tool to keep your eyes focused on your goals without having to overthink your program.
Learn more about the elements provided in our customized 28-day meal plan and let us handle all the planning for you. All you have to do is eat delicious meals every day and lose weight!
The sweetest moments in life are often those when we create lasting memories with friends and family, usually centered around traditional meals that evoke a sense of nostalgia.
Our keto-friendly desserts will encourage you to make some new memories that are sweeter still since they're full of flavor without the unwanted carbs!
Indulge with confidence by using the wide variety of low-glycemic sweeteners on the market, and get acquainted with using fabulous low-carb flours, like coconut or almond, and you'll soon emerge as your family's newest baker extraordinaire, keto-style!
Sources
- Low-Calorie Sweeteners. Alternative Sweeteners, Fourth Edition, 11–12. doi: 10.1201/b11242-3
- Low-Carb vs. Low-Fat. Clinical Nutrition INSIGHT, 35(10), 6. doi: 10.1097/01.nmd.0000361434.31442.bd
(2011). - Wani, M., & Bhat, T. A. (2019). Sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners. Jms Skims, 22(1). doi: 10.33883/jms.v22i1.439
- Wheless, J. W. (2004). History and Origin of the Ketogenic Diet. Epilepsy and the Ketogenic Diet, 31–50. doi: 10.1007/978-1-59259-808-3_2
- Sumithran, P., & Proietto, J. (2008). Ketogenic diets for weight loss: A review of their principles, safety, and efficacy. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, 2(1), 1–13. doi: 10.1016/j.orcp.2007.11.003
- Sutherling, J. E. N., & Mele-Hayes, D. (2004). How to Maintain and Support a Ketogenic Diet Program. Epilepsy and the Ketogenic Diet, 83–94. doi: 10.1007/978-1-59259-808-3_5