Last Updated on July 1, 2022 by Olivia Wyles
You’re probably already skeptical when you landed here that there could be actual keto smoothie recipes. When you think of basic smoothies, you think of yogurt, milk, berries, and sugar. Well, there’s a keto version for that! Check out these easy keto smoothie recipes for a quick breakfast made in just 2 minutes with just a few ingredients.
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What is a Smoothie?
A smoothie by definition is a “thick, smooth drink of fresh fruit pureed with milk, yogurt, or ice cream.” You could also include vegetables in that mix by today’s standards. And even venture to add chocolate and protein supplements to that list. If it blends, it fits!
Smoothies have been a staple in the weight loss community since it’s a great way to get in a healthy breakfast and stay below your caloric deficit for the day.
Are Smoothies Even Allowed on the Keto Diet?
As I mentioned above, the basic smoothie components seem like they would contain a lot of sugar, thus making it not appropriate for a low-carb diet. But just like meal replacement shakes and protein bars, there are several keto-friendly ingredients that can be thrown together in the blender for an easy breakfast.
How to Make a Keto Smoothie
The instructions are super simple for making a smoothie appropriate for the ketogenic diet: just 3 easy steps!
- Combine your keto-friendly smoothie ingredients in a high-powered blender.
- Blend until smooth. If it gets too thick, add more liquid. If it’s too thin, add a nut butter or sugar-free Greek yogurt.
- Taste it to make sure the sweetness is to your liking.
And just for fun, add some garnish like extra berries or sugar-free whipped cream.
Easy Keto Smoothie Recipes
1. Keto Strawberry Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + ¼ cup Heavy Cream + 2 cups Ice + 1 cup Frozen Strawberries + 1 tablespoon Sugar-Free Sweetener + Blend well (6 net carbs)
2. Keto Green Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + 1 cup Baby Spinach + 1 cup Ice + 1 diced Avocado + 1 tablespoon Peanut Butter + 1 tablespoon Sugar-Free Sweetener + Blend well (6 net carbs)
3. Keto Avocado Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + ¼ cup Heavy Cream + 2 cups Ice + 2 diced Avocados + 1 tablespoon Sugar-Free Sweetener + Blend well (3 net carbs)
4. Keto Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + ¼ cup Heavy Cream + 2 cups Ice + 2 tablespoons Peanut Butter + 1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder + 2 tablespoons Sugar-Free Sweetener + Blend well (5 net carbs)
5. Keto Chocolate Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil + 1 cup Ice + ½ diced Avocado + 1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder + 2 tablespoons Sugar-Free Sweetener + Blend well (4 net carbs)
6. Keto Vanilla Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + ¼ cup Heavy Cream + 1 cup Ice + ½ cup Unsweetened Greek Yogurt + 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract + 2 tablespoons Sugar-Free Sweetener + Blend well (6 net carbs)
7. Keto Berry Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + ¼ cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk + ¼ cup Frozen Raspberries + ¼ cup Frozen Strawberries + ¼ cup Blackberries + Blend well (6 net carbs)
8. Keto Mint Chocolate Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond + ¼ cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk + 1 cup Ice + ½ cup Baby Spinach + ¼ cup Vanilla Protein Powder + ½ diced Avocado + 2 tablespoons Mint Leaves + 1 teaspoon Cacao Nibs + 2 tablespoons Sugar-Free Sweetener + Blend well (6 net carbs)
9. Keto Cinnamon Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + ¼ cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk + 1 cup Ice + 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil + ½ teaspoon Cinnamon + 1 tablespoon Flax Seeds + ¼ cup Vanilla Protein Powder + Blend well (5 net carbs)
10. Keto Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk + ¼ cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk + ¼ cup Pumpkin Puree + ½ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice + ¼ cup Vanilla Protein Powder + 1 teaspoon Sugar-Free Sweetener + Blend well (7 net carbs)
11. Keto Pina Colada Smoothie Recipe: Add to blender 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk + 1 cup Ice + ½ teaspoon Rum Extract + ¼ cup Pineapple Chunks + Blend well (8 net carbs)
Basic Keto Smoothie Template
Easy keto recipes like these have templates that can be customized to your tastes all day long. Chaffles, coffee creamers, and fat bombs all have similar templates. You’re the chef on your keto diet so make recipes you love!
The basic smoothie recipe template is as follows:
Base (Liquid) + Healthy Fats + Fruits/Veggies + Sugar-free Sweetener + Extras
The Base (Liquid)
Every smoothie needs some type of liquid to provide a standard base. The most ideal liquids are unsweetened keto-friendly milks.
The most popular liquids to include in your keto smoothie are listed below. The numbers below represent total grams of carbs per 1 cup.
- Almond Milk (1g carbs)
- Vanilla Almond Milk (1g carbs)
- Coconut Milk (1g carbs)
- Macadamia Nut Milk (1g carbs)
- Walnut Milk (1g carbs)
- Hazelnut Milk (1g carbs)
- Pea Milk (1g carbs)
- Flax Milk (1g carbs)
- Cashew Milk (2g carbs)
- Hemp Milk (3g carbs)
- Soy Milk (4g carbs)
Avoid these high carb milks: Cow’s Milk, Oat Milk, Rice Milk, Condensed Milk, Goat’s Milk, Sweetened Milk.
The Healthy Fats
A typical smoothie includes yogurt, but unless you are adding unsweetened Greek yogurt, it’s best to add a keto-friendly healthy fat to thicken it for a tasty, creamy smoothie. You can also add ice to thicken and bulk up your smoothie with no added carbs or calories. And protein powder works well for when you’re trying to hit your protein goal. If you prefer a thick smoothie, nut butters make the best thickeners.
The best healthy fats to add to your smoothie are listed below. The numbers below represent total grams of carbs per 1 tablespoon.
- Avocado Oil (0g carbs)
- Coconut Oil (0g carbs)
- MCT Oil (Medium-Chain Triglycerides) (0g carbs)
- Avocados (1g carbs)
- Butter (0g carbs)
- Full-fat Unsweetened Greek Yogurt (1g carbs)
- Peanut Butter (3g carbs)
- Almond Butter (3g carbs)
- Sunflower Seed Butter (3g carbs)
- Flax Seeds (3g carbs)
- Chia Seeds (4g carbs)
- Cashew Butter (5g carbs)
- Cacao Nibs (3g carbs)
The Fruits/Vegetables
There are not many low carb fruits due to the natural sugar content, but as a rule of thumb, the lowest carb fruits are berries. Berries are low glycemic and can be eaten on the keto diet in moderation. That’s where keto-friendly extracts come in handy.
On the other hand, there are a lot of low carb vegetables to choose from. Finding vegetables that taste like they belong in a smoothie is the hard part!
Below are the best fruits and vegetables to add in to your low carb smoothie. The numbers below represent net grams of carbs subtracting fiber per 1 cup.
- Kale (0g net carbs)
- Spinach (1g net carbs)
- Chard (1g net carbs)
- Cucumber (2g net carbs)
- Cauliflower (3g net carbs)
- Zucchini (3g net carbs)
- Avocados (5g net carbs)
- Blackberries (6g net carbs)
- Raspberries (7g net carbs)
- Strawberries (9g net carbs)
The Sweeteners
If adding fruit to your smoothie, you can probably leave out the sweetener. But if you prefer a sweeter tasting smoothie, here are the most popular low carb sweeteners to add below. As a general rule, powdered and liquid sweeteners work best for smoothies since they melt and blend well. These are not artificial sweeteners, but natural low carb sweeteners that are plant-based.
The sweeteners below are all around 0 grams of net carbs subtracting sugar alcohols per 1 tablespoon.
- Stevia
- Erythritol
- Monk Fruit Sweetener
- Yacon Syrup
- Xylitol
- Allulose
Extras
Extra ingredients are totally optional, but they will give your smoothie that extra flavor you may be missing. Examples include spices, extracts, juices, chocolate, and heavy cream.
You wouldn’t necessarily use a lot of these ingredients, but just enough to give it a more rich flavor or if you need an additional nutrient like protein. Protein powder comes in handy when you need that extra protein to stay satiated. But it’s also best to keep it keto simple! Don’t add too many extras or you’ll risk adding too many unnecessary carbs.
- Extracts like Vanilla Extract or Peppermint Extract
- Spices like Cinnamon or Nutmeg
- Coffee
- Sugar-free Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Coconut Flakes
- Heavy Cream
- Coconut Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Protein Powder like Bulletproof Collagen Powder
- Meal Replacement Powder like Keto Chow
- Pumpkin Puree
- Matcha
- Lime Juice
- Lemon Juice
The Tools
You just need 1 high-powdered blender and a glass or Blender Bottle.
- Blender: Vitamix or Ninja are recommended brands for a high-speed blender.
- Glass or Blender Bottle: Glass blender bottles are super handy and keep the flavor intact. Or serve in a Mason jar just for fun.
Meal Prep/Storage/Freezer Tips
It’s not recommended to freeze the prepared keto smoothie because of separation, but a better option is to add sliced fruits to a freezer bag and freezing instead.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you do choose to freeze the leftovers, pour into an ice cube tray or freezer bag for storage. If there are signs of separation after storage, re-blend the leftover smoothie quickly when you want to enjoy again.
Tips for Best Smoothie
- Start with simple ingredients. Keep it keto simple!
- Frozen fruit is preferred for cold smoothie that can be served immediately
- Vegetables take longer to blend smoothly
- Choose a high-powdered blender for smooth texture
- Ice is a carb-free and calorie-free way to add more bulk and texture
- Coconut milk ice cubes are a nice addition. Pour coconut milk into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight.
- Add healthy fats to thicken the smoothie
- Add more liquid to thin out the smoothie
- Use powdered or liquid sugar-free sweeteners because they blend better
- Berries are a low carb fruit option
- Almond milk is the best low carb milk option
- Add extras for flavor, but not too much since it add extra carbs.
If you need more breakfast ideas, make sure to check out 50 Quick & Easy Keto Recipes To Help You Get Started.
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