This article features seven recipe ideas for keto breakfast you can use to make up your weekly keto meal plan and which are sure to keep you full all morning long.
Sweetened cereals, fruity oatmeal, wheat-based pancakes, cupcakes, bagels, and banana smoothies are popular breakfast staples, but the problem is that they can’t be used as keto breakfast recipes.
What all these meals have in common is that they’re relatively high in carbohydrates. Carbs raise blood sugar up quickly, which can help boost their energy levels in the morning. If you’re on a keto diet, carb-laden meals are out of the question because keto, after all, is a low-carb diet. So, what’s a keto dieter to eat as their first meal of the day?
Below you will find seven keto breakfast recipes, and all with fewer than 10g net carbs per serving. Some are savory breakfast staples, while others are low-carb takes on your favorite sweet morning meals. But before you head to our amazing recipes to boost your breakfast with, let’s see what the ketogenic diet is all about.
About the Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet (keto) is a low-carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. On this diet, you eat 20-50g carbohydrates per day and up to 80% of your daily calories come from fat.
Eating this way forces the body into a metabolic state called ketosis where most of your energy comes from ketones – acidic molecules that serve as a backup fuel in times of starvation, illness, and on low-carb diets. The liver makes most of these ketones from fatty acids, which it derives from both dietary fat and the body’s own fat stores.
Most people that follow this diet do so to lose weight because keto enhances fat oxidation. However, there’s more to going keto than weight loss. A review of the therapeutic uses of the keto diet states that there is strong evidence this diet can help with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and epilepsy. The same review also found keto to be helpful for acne, cancer, PCOS, and neurodegenerative diseases.
However, following the ketogenic diet is no easy task. This diet turns the food pyramid upside down and requires careful planning and monitoring. One way people make transitioning into a low-carb lifestyle easier is by following low-carb meal ideas like the ones you’ll see below.
Seven Keto Breakfast Recipes for Each Day of the Week
These keto breakfast recipes are low-carb and high-fat. Many also provide a hefty dose of protein, which is great for curbing hunger. Some of these can double as a lunchtime snack, party meal, or even as dinner.
If you’re a keto beginner, start your first mornings with these 7 breakfast recipes.
1. Hard-Boiled Eggs with Ricotta
Egg-based breakfasts are perfect for the keto diet. Eggs are not only low in carbohydrates, but they are also high in fat and provide adequate levels of quality protein. This particular recipe provides an extra helping of protein from the ricotta cheese and that will keep you feeling full until lunchtime.
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs, whole
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 tbsp Ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp chives, fresh and chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Cook the eggs for 7 minutes in simmering water. Drain and immediately place in an ice bath. Once cooled, peel the eggs.
- Chop eggs into pea-sized pieces and place them into a medium bowl.
- Add the chives, ricotta, and butter to the chopped eggs and give it a stir to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories: 311
Fat: 27g
Protein: 13.6g
Net carbs: 1.3g
2. Coconut-Flax Waffles
Just because you’re eating low-carb does not mean you can’t enjoy some fluffy and tasty waffles. This recipe calls for flax meal instead of wheat flour and coconut milk to add flavor and a softer texture to the waffles. Serve these waffles with sugar-free maple syrup, berries, or a part of the butter.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 4 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 8 large eggs, whole
- 4 tbsp coconut milk
- 1⁄2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1⁄2 tsp baking soda
- 2-4 drops liquid stevia (optional)
- 1⁄2 cup flax meal
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a blender or large bowl if you’re using an immersion blender.
- Blend on high speed until you get a smooth batter — around 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat your waffle iron to medium-high heat.
- Pour the batter into your preheated waffle iron in accordance with manufacturer directions.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve hot with a low-carb topping of your liking.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories: 252
Fat: 19g
Protein: 15g
Net carbs: 1.1g
3. Lime-Avocado Smoothie
When you’re short of time and need a quick and easy on-the-go breakfast, make a high-fat and low-carb smoothie. On a keto diet, avocados replace bananas in smoothie recipes as a thickening ingredient. Their mild taste also pairs well with a wide range of flavors such as lime and basil like in this creamy smoothie recipe.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1⁄2 avocado
- 1⁄2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp basil
- 1 lime, juiced
Directions:
- Peel and pit the avocado.
- Add the avocado into your blender with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately or store in a mason jar or thermos flask.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories: 424
Fat: 43.1g
Protein: 3.1g
Net carbs: 4.8g
4. Hazelnut Pumpkin Pancakes
Hazelnut flour and pumpkin pair wonderfully in this simple and quick pancakes recipe. The macros ratio of these pancakes is also ideal for the keto dieter since one serving provides over 30g of fat and only 5g of net carbs. And at around 14g of protein per serving, these pancakes are bound to keep you full all morning long.
Preparation time: 12 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup of coconut milk
- hazelnut flour
- flax meal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- protein powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 drops stevia
- ½ cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
Directions:
- Whisk the eggs with cream and coconut milk.
- In a separate bowl, mix hazelnut flour, flax meal, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients well using a fork or whisk.
- Using an electric beater or whisk, blend the eggs and cream mixture with the dry ingredient. Slowly add the vanilla extract, stevia, and pumpkin puree.
- Optionally, you can place all the ingredients into a food blender and blend until you get a smooth batter.
- Place the batter aside and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a skillet. Pour a ladle of batter onto oil and cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer onto a plate and serve.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories: 397
Fat: 34.8g
Protein: 14g
Net carbs: 5.4g
5. Cream Cheese-Stuffed Peppers
These cream cheese-filled peppers are incredibly healthy and satiating. They’re also great as a lunchtime and snack option. It only takes a couple of minutes to prepare and make this dish, but you can make it a day ahead to save time in the morning.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves: 16 peppers
Ingredients:
- 16 colorful mini peppers
- cream cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp chopped dill weed
- 1 lemon, zested
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Halve the mini peppers and remove the seeds and membrane.
- Sprinkle peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat grill and cook the peppers for around 2 minutes on each side.
- Remove the peppers and arrange them on a large plate.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, garlic, dill, lemon zest, and a bit of salt and pepper.
- Stuff the grilled peppers with the cream cheese filling. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.
- Serve warm or store in the fridge.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories: 397
Fat: 34.8g
Protein: 14g
Net carbs: 5.4g
6. Goat Cheese Omelet
A carefree egg-based breakfast to make any time you don’t have the energy to make an elaborate meal. If you don’t have fresh goat cheese on hand, use any other fresh, crumbly cheese such as ricotta or cottage cheese.
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- soft goats’ cheese, crumbled
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp ghee
- Salt and pepper – to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Directions:
- Whisk eggs together with the parsley in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Melt the ghee in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add eggs and cook for approximately 4 minutes.
- Sprinkle with crumbled cheese.
- Fold the eggs in half and continue to cook for an additional minute.
- Serve warm sprinkled with chives.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories: 469
Fat: 38g
Protein: 29.5g
Net carbs: 1.7g
7. Meatballs with Yogurt
There’s no reason you can’t enjoy these aromatic meatballs with yogurt dip in the morning. They take only about half an hour to make and provide almost 300 calories per serving. Make them a day ahead and save any extras for lunchtime.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 15 meatballs (1 meatball = 1 serving)
Ingredients:
- 5lb. ground lamb
- 5lb. ground pork
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the yogurt:
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cumin
- Salt, to taste
Directions:
- First, make the yogurt dip by mixing all yogurt ingredients in a bowl. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Next, heat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all meatball ingredients in a large ball. Form walnut-sized balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
- Serve meatballs while still hot with the chilled yogurt.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories: 285
Fat: 25g
Protein: 13.4g
Net carbs: 1.2g
Conclusion
Your typical carby breakfast won’t work on a keto diet. After all, the goal of keto is to lower your blood sugar levels, and carb-rich breakfast simply won’t do that. That’s why many keto breakfast recipes lean on the savory side and are higher in fat than carbohydrates. But as you saw here, there are also low-carb versions of your favorite breakfast staples.
Add each one of the above keto recipes to your weekly meal plan and you’ll see that maintaining ketosis is easy-peasy. And if you don’t have the time to prepare them in the mornings, then you can make them a day or two ahead and reheat in the microwave if necessary. Many of these keto breakfast recipes yield more than 1 serving, so do keep that in mind as well and adjust the ingredients accordingly.
Did you find these keto breakfast ideas helpful or do you have a staple breakfast that you stick to most days on your keto diet?
References:
Author Bio: Sofia Norton is a driven, dedicated & team-oriented professional who works as a dietician expert at kissmyketo.com. She has more than 6 years of experience providing wellness and nutritional support in various capacities. After Sofia learned about food deserts as a kid, she became determined to devote her life to like to make healthy foods accessible to everyone, regardless of income or location. Sofia has traveled around the world, teaching nutrition to communities in extreme poverty. In her spare time, Sofia loves long bike rides and exploring local farmer’s markets.
