Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (2024)

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving .

Just because Thanksgiving is commonly known as a day of eating, it does not mean that you have to break the carb bank doing it.

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (1)

I truly believe that followers of a low carb and/or sugar free diet can still enjoy Thanksgiving.
This is because there are plenty of great food ideas out there that do not call for consuming a lot of carbs. However, you can still wear the elastic waist sweats if you choose to! 🙂

By the way, you should know that the majority of carbohydrates that are consumed are not coming from the turkey itself.

When baked plain, turkey nets out at about zero, or close to zero, carbs.
It is the bread and the dessert that you probably be worried about however!

Here are some tips for anyone asking how do you make Thanksgiving dinner easier.

Obviously, most anything that you can do or make in advance to make your Thanksgiving day flow by easier helps. This mean making what you can make a head of time and freeze or store is so very helpful!

Here are some more helpful tips for you.

  1. Designate what you can. That is, if someone asks if they can bring an appetizer, let them. It will not only make your life easier with one less thing to have to think about, it will make that person feel useful and thus, good vibes will be known. By the way, you can always suggest or provide your own low carb or healthy appetizer to serve in addition to theirs.
  2. Planning is essential. That is, plan your menu in advance and then make a list of all of the ingredients that you will need for that menu. Shop for what you can a week ahead of time because, we all know what the grocery stores look like the week of Thanksgiving. uuugggg... I should also remind you that because low carb and sugar free diets often need special ingredients, you should get those ingredients in advance rather than at the last minute.
  3. Do just what you need to do and not necessarily to impress the masses. Seriously, those folks that you see on TV or in magazines with those amazing Thanksgiving dinners with everything that you have never made or even tried, have put that visual together for the op. Think more about the folks and the memories and not so much about having to spend the entire day in the kitchen.
  4. Think about clean up before you even make the mess. Moms know that you clean as you go when you are working in the kitchen. Those photos and memes that you see with the Thanksgiving dinner dishes stacked up all over the kitchen probably did not take place when a mom was in charge in the kitchen. To be honest, I am way to tired to clean up the kitchen after I have eaten my Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Recipes that are Sugar Free or Keto Low Carb friendly.

Appetizers

Low Carb Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (2)

These Low Carb Cheddar Crackers kind of remind me of the famous ones that come in the big box
However, these crackers do not have all of the carbs in them like the ones that come in that big box.
Also, you can make these tasty crackers yourself in your own kitchen. This means that you can add the ingredients that you want to add and know exactly what you are adding.

Low Carb Jalapeno Cheese Crisps.

I first discovered my love for crisp cheese snacks the first time that I went on a low carb diet.

This is such an easy recipe to make. What I also like about this recipe is that it can be personalized by adding seasonings and other ingredients to it!

Sugar Free Homemade Peanut Butter.

You may be wondering why I would add peanut butter here.

Peanut butter makes for a great spread on crackers or a dip for celery. Plus, kids, and my dogs, love peanut butter!

Bread

Keto Coconut Flour Bread

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (5)

This coconut bread recipe is one of the few bread recipes that are friendly to many kinds of diets.

Because we do not add any sugar to this recipe, this coconut bread is sugar free. However, this bread recipe is also friendly to other diets including low carbohydrate, keto, and gluten free diets.

Low Carb Bread Machine Bread

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (6)

I must say that owning that bread machine was not a bad thing for me to do.
What I mean is that placing all of the ingredients into something that I could set a timer on in order to wake up to warm bread was really nice. Especially nice was the smell of that baking bread on a weekend morning when I was getting out of bed.

Low Carb Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits

This recipe for Low Carb Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits has been a very popular recipe.

I like that this is the perfect biscuit to serve at dinner, especially a holiday or special occasion of dinner. Everyone seems to like this copycat biscuit that can also be made low in carbohydrates.

Sides

Low Carb Cauliflower Gratin

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A recipe for Low Carb Cauliflower Gratin that tastes good.

This recipe is a great alternative to the usual potato gratin side dish recipe as well.
I love all of the delicious alternative recipes that can be made with cauliflower.

Low Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (9)

Rice has a lot of carbohydrates in it which is why I prefer to make Low Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice.

Plus, I think this cauliflower fried rice is easier to make (yay for lazy!). I will also mention that I had a mom email me to tell me that her kids were all over this recipe!

Pies

Sugar Free Blueberry Pie

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (10)

This recipe does not feature a frozen blueberry pie filling nor is it a no bake blueberry pie.
Technically, this truly is a homemade blueberry pie recipe. Only, it has been modified to be both easy to follow and made without adding sugar to it.

Almost Sugar Free Sweet Potato Pie

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (11)

This Almost Sugar Free Sweet Potato Pie recipe is perfect for your holiday dining table.

I was surprised that this Sweet Potato Pie can be made without all of the added sugar.
This pie is probably not for the low carb diet folks however.

Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (12)

Technically speaking, pumpkins do not have a whole lot of sugar in them by nature.
Once cup of cubed pumpkin has about three grams of sugar in it.
We should also mention that pumpkin pie is really the standard (well, and pecan pie..) pie to seve on Thanksgiving.

No Sugar Added Pecan Pie

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (13)

Because, it is possible to make a pecan pie without adding a bunch of sugar to it.

This pie is by no means perfect when it comes to pecan pies. However, it contains pecans, is a pie, and has no added sugar. Regular pecan pie contains a lot of corn syrup and sugar in it. No added sugar pecan pie does not.

Cookies

Sugar Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (14)

We all know that Snickerdoodle cookies are so popular this time of the year!

However, pumpkins are also pretty popular during the season.
What I like about these cookies, other than the fact that they are cookies, is that pumpkin says fall like Snickerdoodles say holiday cookie baking. This cookie reminds me of a bridge from fall to the holidays (make a double batch?).

No Added Sugar Fruit and Oatmeal Cookies

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (15)

This is a great tasting oatmeal cookie that is made without adding sugar to it.

But, adding a bit of fruit does make this cookie both more colorful and more flavorful.
This is the kind of a cookie that does a good job at pleasing multiple age groups too!

Sugar Free Double Espresso Cookies

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (16)

I like that this cookie does not look or taste like other cookies.

That is, if you are looking for a different kind of cookie to serve, this is a good choice.
Plus, this double espresso cookie is popular with the coffee crowd.

3 ingredient peanut butter cookies

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (17)

This 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies says 'easy' like no other cookie.

When you only need three ingredients to make a cookie, you know that that it is a good day.
Plus, kids like this cookie too!

Sugar Free Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (18)

This Sugar Free Soft Pumpkin Cookie is like an old fashion cookie that grandma may have made.

It is a soft cookie that works well with crowds.
I like how this cookie is different from other pumpkin cookies which makes it an even more interesting cookie to serve up.

The Best Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (19)

This sugar free chocolate chip cookie has been a very popular cookie around here.

It is a recipe that is based upon a basic chocolate chip cookie only. However, my sugar free chocolate chip cookie has options for keto and low carb variations in addition to simply being sugar free.

By the way, I have many chocolate chip cookie recipes.

I like to prove that sugar free, keto, or low carb dies are not a reason to to skip chocolate chip cookies.
You can see my sugar free, keto low carb friendly, chocolate chip cookie recipes here.

Keep up to date with my recipes

You can check out my guide on baking with sugar alternatives on Amazon

I have some great tips on which alternatives may work in a recipe that you may be working on.

Be sure to follow me on facebook and subscribe to my recipes via email to keep up to date as well.

Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (20)
Low Carb and Sugar Free Recipes for Thanksgiving (2024)

FAQs

What can a diabetic eat at Thanksgiving dinner? ›

Non-starchy veggies should fill half of your plate (plus, the veggies will add festive color to your meal!) and lean protein, like turkey or plant-based proteins, should fill one quarter. Finally, fill up the last quarter of your plate with carbohydrates (carbs), such as mashed potatoes or whole grains.

How do you survive Thanksgiving on keto? ›

A few general tips for making your Thanksgiving keto-friendly: Swap out mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower, nix adding any flour to thicken recipes like green bean casserole or creamed spinach, and load up on the low-carb veggies like Brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash, and mushrooms.

Should I break keto for Thanksgiving? ›

There Are Plenty of Conscious Ways to Have a Keto Cheat Day

Or, if it's Thanksgiving, don't offer to cook green beans or turkey (which are already keto-compliant). Instead, bring a low-carb pumpkin pie or make mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes.

Is stuffing ok for diabetics? ›

Be careful with your intake and portion sizes of high-carb sides and desserts. Stuffing is made up mostly of bread, of course you may have this staple Thanksgiving side item but it is important to limit yourself to a smaller serving.

What foods can diabetics eat freely for dinner? ›

Dinner ideas when you have diabetes
  • lasagne and salad.
  • roast chicken and vegetables, with or without potatoes.
  • beef stir-fry and vegetables, with or without brown rice.
  • chicken tortillas and salad.
  • salmon and vegetables, with or without noodles.
  • curry with chickpeas and brown rice.

What happens if you quit carbs cold turkey? ›

You Might Feel Dizzy and Have Headaches

It will switch to breaking down fat into ketones, an alternative to glucose. This puts the body into ketosis, or a state with elevated ketones, which have side effects such as dizziness, weakness, fatigue and headaches.

What is keto for the lazy person? ›

What To Eat on a Lazy Keto Diet
  • Certain fruits: Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
  • Full-fat dairy: Butter, cheese, and cream.
  • Grains: Brown rice and quinoa.
  • Healthy fats: Avocados and coconut, olive, and nut oils.
  • Non-starchy vegetables: Bell peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, and leafy greens.
Nov 15, 2023

What are the golden rules of keto? ›

The basic rules of keto are eating few carbohydrates and emphasizing fat with a moderate intake of protein. In order to be in a state of ketosis, you will likely have to track the amount of carbohydrates you eat by weighing out your food.

What is healthier than turkey for Thanksgiving? ›

Try it out on Thanksgiving by substituting tofu for your turkey. Tofu can be cooked in a variety of flavorful ways and comes with a ton of nutritional benefits including a lot of calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin B, and protein.

What is a healthier alternative to turkey? ›

While people may joke about Tofurky, many vegans and vegetarians vouch for it. “Tofurky is a soy-based turkey substitute that can be a healthy alternative on your holiday table,” says Palumbo. Some say it has a mouthfeel similar to meat, and the tofu it is made of packs a protein punch almost as big as turkey's.

What happens if you eat too many carbs on keto? ›

The bottom line. You should avoid cheat meals and days on the keto diet. Consuming too many carbs can kick your body out of ketosis — and it takes several days to 1 week to get back into it. In the meantime, your weight loss may be disrupted.

What is the hardest day of keto? ›

Pro tip: If possible, I recommend starting the keto diet on a Thursday, as days 3 and 4 are usually the hardest part of the transition.

How many carbs will kick you out of ketosis? ›

Eating more than 50 grams of carbs may disrupt ketosis.

With keto diets, however, carb restrictions vary from person to person. Some people can eat more and still stay in ketosis, whereas others may need to restrict their carb intake more in order to stay in ketosis.

Can a diabetic eat turkey cold cuts? ›

While deli turkey is not the best choice, unprocessed turkey breast without the skin is great. Turkey breast has almost no fat to speak of, and no saturated fat. It's an extremely low calorie protein option full of niacin and selenium.

Can Type 2 diabetics eat ground turkey? ›

Ground turkey transforms into burgers, soups and more to create a dinner that's low in saturated fat, sodium and calories. Recipes like Pita Panzanella Salad with Meatballs and Italian-Style Turkey & Penne Skillet make eating for a diabetes-appropriate diet delicious and satisfying.

What are the three meals for diabetics? ›

Eating a carbohydrate-rich breakfast followed by a substantial lunch and a small dinner — the so-called "three-meal diet" (3Mdiet) — promotes weight loss and significantly improves glucose control in type 2 diabetes, a randomized, controlled trial suggests.

Can diabetics eat turkey and cheese sandwich? ›

Lean chicken, turkey, fish, low-fat dairy products and plant-based protein options (like seitan, tempeh and soybean patties) are all great options. For lunch, a turkey and lettuce wrap perfectly combines protein (from the turkey and low-fat cheese) with lots of fiber (from the wrap and vegetables).

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