7 Delicious Low-Carb Thanksgiving Recipes (keto approved) - BioTrust (2024)

Holidays can be stressful. And not just if the thought of all of your in-laws in one room gives you anxiety. For example, the never-ending indulgence in foods can leave you feeling like a tick ready to pop!

Rather than avoiding any and all of the festivities, why not be the one to prepare healthy low-carb Thanksgiving recipes that everyone can enjoy guilt-free?

Whether you’re a party of one or two, looking for healthy holiday options that will provide you meal prep the whole week, or you’re hosting a large gathering, these recipes are sure to be crowd pleasers and leave you with lots of room for dessert.

If you’re looking to up the nutritional value of any of these recipes even more, you may choose to add one scoop of Keto Elevate™ or one scoop of Ageless Multi-Collagen protein powder™, depending on your preference. I have also added a scoop of Vanilla Cream Low Carb protein powder blend to my pie crusts on occasion, but truth be told, I haven’t yet tried with this particular recipe. If you decide to try it, please let me know how it turns out!

Let’s get to the low-carb Thanksgiving recipes already!

Top 7 Low-Carb Thanksgiving Recipes

1. Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 1 bundle of asparagus
• 1 package of bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wrap one slice of bacon around each stalk of asparagus.
3. Place each stalk onto a baking sheet.
4. Bake in oven for approximately 20 – 25 minutes or until bacon is cooked (brown and crispy).
5. Enjoy!

Chef Note: In our house, we love to top asparagus with hollandaise sauce, and this is no exception! You can make your own using a few simple ingredients (i.e., egg yolks, butter, lemon juice, and salt and pepper).

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Nutrition Facts:
4 servings

• Calories: 83
• Total Fat: 5 g
• Total Carbohydrate: 4.4 g
• Fiber: 2.4 g
• Protein: 6.5 g

2. Butternut Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (peeled, cubed)
• 1 head cauliflower (chopped)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp garlic
• 4 tsp Stevia
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping:

• 2 cups pecans
• 1/3 cup stevia (or sweetener of choice)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp garlic
• 2 Tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, toss together butternut squash, cauliflower, melted butter, garlic, cinnamon, and salt and pepper.
3. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on prepared baking sheet(s).
4. Roast in the oven for about 30 – 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until squash is soft and golden.
5. Pulse ½ cup pecans in food processor until almost powder-like consistency.
6. Chop remaining 1 1/2 cups pecans.
7. Place both in a small bowl.
8. Add sweetener, cinnamon, and garlic.
9. Stir in butter until the mixture is crumbly.
10. When the vegetables are done roasting, remove them from the oven (but don’t turn the oven off).
11. Puree vegetable mixture in a food processor until smooth.
12. Add pureed vegetable mixture to a casserole dish.
13. Sprinkle topping crumbles evenly on top.
14. Roast casserole in the oven for about 20 minutes until the top is golden.
15. Enjoy!

Chef Note: I have also used almonds and walnuts in place of pecans. You can use whatever you prefer or what you have on hand.

Butternut Squash Nutrition Facts:
8 servings

• Calories: 282
• Total Fat: 25.5 g
• Total Carbohydrate: 15.5 g
• Fiber: 5.6 g
• Protein: 4.4 g

3. Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:

• 8 oz spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Sauté spinach over medium heat.
2. Using a spatula, squeeze out excess water as spinach is cooking.
3. Once spinach is wilted, add garlic and butter.
4. Add sour cream and allow mixture to come together.
5. Gently fold in parmesan cheese and allow to melt.
6. Enjoy!

Creamed Spinach Nutrition Facts:
4 servings

• Calories: 82.2
• Total Fat: 6.8 g
• Total Carbohydrate: 3.25 g
• Fiber: 1.25 g
• Protein: 3 g

4. Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 12 oz of whole, fresh cranberries
• 1 cup powdered sweetener (I used erythritol)
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest

Directions:

1. Bring erythritol (or other sweetener) and water to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Add cranberries, stirring with the liquid.
3. Bring back to a boil and reduce to medium heat.
4. Cook until the cranberries have split open and the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
5. Add orange zest.
6. Enjoy!

Cranberry Sauce Nutrition Facts:
4 servings

• Calories: 82
• Total Fat: .1 g
• Total Carbohydrate: 14.4 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: .33 g

5. Low-Carb Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of Low-Carb Bread (I used Ezekiel), cubed
• 12 oz Italian sausage (I prefer spicy/hot or sage)
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp sage
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Spread bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake for 2 to 3 hours, until dried and crisp.
3. Let sit out overnight to continue to dry.
4. Sauté sausage in a skillet until just cooked through, about 6 minutes.
5. Remove sausage and drain.
6. Sauté celery, onion, garlic, sage, and salt and pepper in the same skillet until tender, about 5 minutes.
7. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish and add chicken broth.
8. Cook in 350-degree oven F for 35 minutes until top is crusty and brown.
9. Enjoy!

Low-Carb Sausage Stuffing Nutrition Facts:
12 servings

• Calories: 240
• Total Fat: 9 g
• Total Carbohydrate: 27 g
• Fiber: 5.3 g
• Protein: 12 g

6. InstantPot® Turkey

Ingredients:

• 8 lb turkey
• Several sprigs of fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley
• Salt & pepper
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 medium carrot, quartered
• 1 stalk of celery, halved
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 stick butter

Directions:

1. Prepare your InstantPot, and pat the turkey dry.
2. Mix together all of the herbs and seasonings, then rub the mixture over the turkey.
3. Place the turkey (cavity side up) into the InstantPot, then pour the chicken broth inside.
4. Add vegetables around the turkey.
5. Put the lid on, seal it in place, and close the vent.
6. Cook the turkey on high for one hour.
7. When it’s done, remove the turkey from the pressure cooker and allow to rest.
8. Once it has cooled enough for handling, slice it open.
9. Enjoy!

Chef Note: I like to pop my turkey into the oven for about 20 minutes to get it nice and crisp on the outside.

Chef Note: While nothing beats the one-hour record-breaking cooking time of a standard-sized turkey in the InstantPot, you could always prepare as stated above and cook for approximately 12 minutes per pound in a roasting pan in the oven.

Chef Note: If you are cooking for one or two, you might try a Cornish Game Hen or two. They are the perfect size for a small celebration.

InstantPot® Turkey Nutrition Facts:
4 servings

• Calories: 587
• Total Fat: 33.5 g
• Total Carbohydrate: 7 g
• Fiber: 1.74 g
• Protein: 62 g

7. Classic Apple Pie (Low Carb)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp Stevia (or your choice of sweetener)
• 3 large apples, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup Stevia (or your choice of sweetener)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp coconut flour, sifted
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Crust: place first five ingredients into a food processor and blend until the mixture becomes a ball of dough.
3. Press half the dough into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan.
4. Bake for 5 – 6 minutes and remove from oven.
5. Filling: place apples, 1/2 cup sweetener, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, butter, and coconut flour in a large bowl and mix until apples are evenly coated.
6. Spoon apple filling into the pie crust, and flatten the top of the apples as much as possible.
7. Top crust: roll the remaining half of the dough between two large sheets of parchment or wax paper or plastic wrap.
8. When it is less than 1/4-inch thick and large enough to cover the entire pie, place it gently on top of the pie and pinch the edges of the top and bottom crusts to seal it. OR….you can slice into stripes and do a crisscross pattern or any fancy pattern you like.
9. Evenly brush the beaten egg over the top of the pie. *If you choose to cover the entire pie with crust, cut small holes into the top to release steam while baking.
10. Bake on a middle rack for 30 – 40 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown.
11. Enjoy!

Chef Notes: The crust, since it is low carb, will not be the same consistency of a regular pie crust or one you would purchase pre-made from the store. If you are not sure you can handle making a crust, it is totally fine to take the help where you can get it and buy a pre-made store-bought one. I promise I won’t tell anyone!

Classic Apple Pie Nutrition Facts:
12 servings

• Calories: 197
• Total Fat: 16 g
• Total Carbohydrate: 11 g
• Fiber: 3.5 g
• Protein: 3.3 g

Recommended

Cristina Powell, PN1, ME-3, CMS

Cristina is a Metabolic Effect L3 Nutrition Consultant and a Precision Nutrition L1 Nutrition Coach. Cristina's passion is to help others discover how great their bodies are meant to feel through healthy eating and an active lifestyle. In her free time, Cristina enjoys drinking the CrossFit kool-aid, soaking up the sun on the coast of the Carolinas, and raising her two amazing daughters, who are active in soccer, tee-ball, basketball, and CrossFit Kids. She enjoys creating great-tasting recipes and helping others adopt a healthy lifestyle.