Low Carb Thanksgiving Menu

Planning a Thanksgiving menu that’s both festive and low carb doesn’t have to be stressful. Whether you’re fully committed to a keto lifestyle or just trying to lighten things up this holiday season, we’ve gathered 25+ delicious low carb Thanksgiving recipes to make your holiday meal feel complete—from appetizers and mains to sides and even dessert.

keto thanksgiving dinner recipes collage

Most of the recipes are from our own kitchen (tried, tested, and Whole Lotta Yum approved!), and we’ve also included a few favorites from other trusted low carb food bloggers. You’ll find everything you need to build a holiday menu that fits your goals without missing out on the comfort food you love.Low Carb Thanksgiving Menu

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite family traditions. We usually stick to our core holiday favorites, but I love mixing in a few new low carb dishes each year to keep things interesting—and delicious!

If you’re trying to serve a healthier holiday meal without sacrificing flavor, this sample low carb Thanksgiving menu is a great place to start. And if your guests can pitch in by bringing a dish? Even better!

One of my go-to holiday appetizers is a simple meat and cheese board with a few low carb veggies added in. No one ever guesses it's low carb, and it’s always a hit.

Here’s our suggested low carb Thanksgiving menu structure:

2–3 appetizers
Roast turkey (or turkey breast if you want something easier!)
2–4 hot side dishes (based on party size)
One salad
Bread or rolls (low carb for some, regular for others)
1–2 desserts

Holiday Meal Planning Tips

Feeling overwhelmed by hosting a holiday meal? After cooking Thanksgiving dinner for over 20 years, here are my best tips to simplify the process and actually enjoy your day:

Skip the whole bird. Nervous about cooking a big turkey? Roast a few turkey breasts instead—it’s easier, quicker, and just as tasty.
Let people help. Most guests want to contribute—whether it’s bringing a side dish, helping prep, or cleaning up.
Prep in advance. Bake casseroles and desserts 2–3 days ahead whenever possible.
Set the table early. Do it the day before to save your sanity.
Use shortcuts when needed. Not everything has to be homemade—store-bought appetizers like olives or cheese trays are totally fine.
Free up oven space. Cook some dishes in the Crock Pot, Instant Pot, or air fryer.
Delegate. Put older kids or your spouse in charge of simple tasks so you're not doing it all alone.

Low Carb Main Dish Ideas

Whole roasted turkey

best roast turkey recipe 1 healthy and perfect for the holidays

If you're cooking for a crowd, making a whole roasted turkey in the oven is the way to go. You'll love our easy, tender, and juicy turkey recipe stuffed with citrus.

Herb Roast Turkey Breast

herb roasted half turkey breast recipe sliced and ready to serve

If you're cooking for a small group, our roast turkey breast recipe in the oven is the way to go. You'll love the herb butter that coats the entire breast while baking. Dare I say you won't even need gravy?

Air Fryer Turkey Breast

If you're cooking for just a few people and you have an air fryer, our popular and crispy air-fried turkey breast cooks in under an hour!

More of Our Air Fryer Turkey Recipes

Air Fryer Cornish Hens

herb cornish hens air fryer recipe on a platter with fresh herbs and lemon

If you aren't a turkey lover, making air fryer Cornish game hens is a great alternative for Thanksgiving. Allow ½-1 hen per person. For a small group use your air fryer, otherwise, you can bake this entire recipe in the oven too.

Low Carb Thanksgiving Side Dishes (Hot)

Loaded Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

keto cauliflower mashed potatoes loaded with bacon and cheese

You have to have mashed potatoes at your Thanksgiving meal but don't want the carbs. You won't believe how creamy and addictive our keto cauliflower mashed potato recipe is, the consistency is similar to mashed potatoes since we mix in cream cheese, cheese, and garlic. Make ultimate potatoes or top with keto gravy.

Keto Sausage Stuffing

learn about drying out bread for stuffing image of stuffing

Our keto stuffing recipe with sausage hits it out of the ballpark! No one will ever know this is a keto dish. We show you how to make your own dried bread cubes with keto bread. It takes a bit of time, but it's totally worth it and all of the steps are super easy.

Low Carb Green Bean Casserole

green bean casserole with cream cheese sauce after cooking

Casseroles were popular in my house growing up. But a low carb, gluten-free, keto green bean casserole?! Count me in.

It's rich, creamy, and perfect for the holidays, made with a cream cheese sauce instead of canned mushroom soup. Serve fried onions on the side or make our keto fried onions.

Pureed Butternut Squash

mashed butternut squash keto in a white bowl ready to serve

You'll seriously love our low carb mashed butternut squash. So creamy and flavorful, you won't even miss sweet potatoes. This is not a strict keto recipe, but is low carb. To reduce the carbs puree half squash and cauliflower together.

Keto Baked Mac N Cheese

baked cauliflower mac and cheese in a bowl with a spoon

In some parts of the country, having Mac N Cheese on the holiday table is the norm, if you're missing it from your Thanksgiving table this year, make a lower carb version with our keto friendly mac n cheese recipe using cauliflower. The cheese sauce is amazing!

Keto Roasted Radishes

Before you turn up your nose at the thought of roasted radishes, you'll be surprised to hear that radishes are actually the closest-tasting cooked vegetable to our dear old friend the potato! Even our kids loved these low carb baked radishes.

Brussel Sprouts with Cream Sauce & Bacon

keto brussel sprouts casserole after baking in the oven

This simple Brussel sprouts casserole is made with roasted Brussels sprouts combined with a creamy cheeese sauce and bacon. I promise, even Brussels sprouts haters will love this casserole.

More Hot Sides

Asparagus with brown butter hollandaise sauce - Low Carb Maven
Low carb "sweet potato" casserole - Wholesome Yum
Our original 2018 post had cauliflower mash recipes from Evolving Table and Keto Connect.

Low Carb Holiday Salads

While the hot veggie dishes are often prominent during the holidays when you're looking for keto Thanksgiving recipes, we suggest serving a cold salad on the side too. Here's a handful of the best everyone will love and no one would ever guess they are low carb.

Keto Broccoli Salad

broccoli salad recipe with bacon in a wood bowl

Here’s another keto take on the traditional raw broccoli salad, which is a holiday classic for many families. Don't be put off by the raw broccoli, it's seriously amazing. It's also the most popular salad on our website with over 500K reshares.One of the most popular recipes on our site!

Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

A spinach salad with hot bacon dressing was always one of our favorite holiday salads, we've adapted our family recipe to make it keto friendly.

Shaved Brussel Sprouts Salad

brussel sprouts salad with bacon perfect salad dish with family and friends

If you didn't realize you can eat Brussels sprouts raw, you can! The best way to serve them is thinly sliced and tossed with flavorful ingredients such as bacon, blue cheese, and our apple cider vinaigrette like we did in our shaved Brussel sprouts salad.

Sugar-Free Thanksgiving Sauces

The only two keto Thanksgiving recipes you need as far as holiday sauces go are cranberry sauce and gravy. We've included our two favorite recipes for both.

Low Carb Cranberry Sauce

If you thought you had to skip the cranberry sauce for a keto Thanksgiving, have no fear, keto friendly cranberry sauce is easy to make and cooks in just 15 minutes.

It's very yummy on turkey, chicken, keto biscuits, and more. This is definitely something you should add to your keto Thanksgiving menu.

10 Min Make Ahead Keto Gravy

low carb gravy 4 easy and healthy gravy recipe

If you can't live without gravy, and I feel ya there, we created a fantastic easy keto gravy you can make ahead that just takes 10 minutes. It's rich and thick, just the way you'll like it. We show you how add a touch of drippings on turkey day if preferred.

Sugar-Free Thanksgiving Desserts

To plan an entire low carb holiday meal, don't forget the keto Thanksgiving recipes like a dessert or two that no one will even know is sugar free. While pumpkin is traditional, there's multiple other options if you want a variety.

Keto Crustless Pumpkin Pie

If you're looking for an AMAZING keto pumpkin pie recipe, be sure to try our crustless recipe, it's highly rated. You can either bake it in a pie pan, bake it in individual muffin tins to make mini desserts, or bake them in ramekins.

Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

keto pumpkin mousse layered with whipping cream

More Dessert Ideas

low carb pumpkin cheesecake - Foodie Affair
low carb pumpkin pie with an almond flour crust - Briana Thomas
low carb pecan pie bites - Joy Filled Eats

Low Carb Holiday Appetizers

You'll just need a couple of keto Thanksgiving recipes that are appetizers for your low carb holiday. Two hot dishes and something simple like veggies and cheese are great options. You don't want to stuff the guests before dinner even starts.

Hot Artichoke Green Chili Dip

4 ingredients, 15 minutes, and one happy chef. This mild artichoke green chili dip puts a kick in your guests' steps and a smile on their faces.

Antipasto Skewers

Boursin Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers

Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon and Cream Cheese

easy stuffed mushrooms recipe on a cutting board

Low Carb Charcuterie Board

Our favorite holiday appetizer is just putting together a meat and cheese board. All of the ingredient ideas for our low carb charcuterie board are keto friendly, other than the sliced apples (our son's favorites).

We love to shop at Trader Joe's when making a charcuterie board, they're hands-down the cheapest plus have a fantastic variety.

More Appetizer Ideas

BBQ Bacon Wrapped Smokies - Ruled.me
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms - Snappy Gourmet

Low Carb Breads

Low Carb & Keto Dinner Rolls

What's a holiday meal without the dinner rolls and butter? You don't have to skip out just because you're on a health mission for yourself. This recipe uses almond flour and the bread-like texture turns out beautifully.

Find the recipe on Low Carb Maven

Low Carb Biscuits

Also made with almond flour, these biscuits work wonders with keto gravy, or honestly a little Thanksgiving biscuit sandwich.

Keep in mind this recipe is low carb, wheat and grain-free only.

Find the recipe on Heart of a Country Home

Cheesy Cauliflower Muffins

These little cauliflower muffins are adorable and so tasty! You can alter the amount of cheese you use, depending on how much you love cheesy foods. They make for a great appetizer, snack, bread-like side dish, and anything else you can think of, really!

Find the recipe on Kirbie's Cravings

FAQ: Low Carb Thanksgiving Tips

Q: What do you eat on a low carb Thanksgiving?

A low carb Thanksgiving includes turkey or turkey breast, low carb side dishes like cauliflower mash or green bean casserole, a leafy salad, and sugar-free desserts. Many classic dishes can be made low carb with a few smart swaps.

Q: What is a good substitute for mashed potatoes on keto or low carb?

Cauliflower mash is the most popular substitute. You can also use pureed butternut squash, roasted radishes, or a cauliflower-squash mix for variety.

Q: Can I still have gravy on a low carb diet?

Yes! Traditional gravy thickened with flour or cornstarch isn’t low carb, but you can make keto-friendly gravy using broth, butter, and xanthan gum or arrowroot powder.

Q: What low carb desserts are good for Thanksgiving?

Crustless pumpkin pie, sugar-free pecan pie bites, and pumpkin cheesecake mousse are all delicious options. Many of your favorites can be made low carb with almond flour and sugar alternatives.

Q: Can I serve bread on a low carb Thanksgiving menu?

Absolutely! Offer almond flour rolls or low carb biscuits for low carb guests, and have regular bread on the side for others if needed.

More Low Carb Holiday Recipes

Be sure to save the low carb Thanksgiving recipes pin to Pinterest for later!

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