21 Vegetarian Keto Recipes

While quality protein and healthy fats are certainly at the core of keto, a vegetarian keto diet is completely doable.

Whether you’re a full-on vegetarian or just trying out meatless Mondays, there are plenty of high-fat, low-carb vegetarian recipes out there. And yes, they can still help you achieve your keto goals from weight loss to improved cognitive function.

Best of all, if you know the right recipes to whip up, your keto vegetarian meal plan can be both nutritious and delicious.

All the below recipes are not only vegetarian, but they’re also paleo-friendly and gluten-free.

#1 Low-Carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is an all-time classic, but the traditional recipe is a no-go on keto due to the high carb count of macaroni. The solution? Switch out that pasta for some cauliflower, and you’ve got yourself a delicious, creamy, low-carb mac and cheese meal.

Recipe Type: Lunch/Dinner

#2 Zucchini Pancakes

Zucchini pancakes offer a fantastic way to add a little more nutrition to your breakfast. Each pancake contains only one net carb, and also provides five grams of protein. Ingredients like spinach, chia seeds, and coconut flour add to the nutrient density making this a well-rounded vegetarian keto breakfast option.

Recipe Type: Breakfast

#3 Avocado Brownies

Brownies are a favorite among chocolate lovers, but of course, following a keto diet, you can’t just go for any old brownie recipe. These low-carb, gluten-free brownies have a little extra love in the form of avocados to provide you with some health-promoting monounsaturated fats[*]. They’re pretty much the perfect keto-friendly dessert.

Recipe type: Dessert

#4 Veggie Keto Frittata

This frittata is loaded with veggies — red bell peppers, eggplant, carrots, onions, zucchinis — you name it. If you’re trying to get more vegetables in your diet without having to eat salads all day, this is the way to go. Each serving of this veggie frittata is only seven delicious carbs. Pro tip: If you want a little extra flavor, you can top your frittata with a sprinkle of feta cheese.

Recipe Type: Breakfast

#5 Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli cheddar soup is the perfect meal for a cool Fall or Winter evening. This recipe calls for chicken or beef broth, but it tastes just as flavorful with veggie broth. This creamy delight comes with only four net carbs per serving, and 21 grams of fat — so you’ll be nothing if not satisfied. Serve with a side of your favorite keto cracks or dip with some keto bread.

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

#6 Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Spin dip, anyone? This creamy appetizer is packed with cheesy goodness coming from cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, mozzarella, and parmesan — wow. You can use this dip as a side dish on its own, or chop up some celery, carrots, and broccoli and use it as an appetizer.

Recipe Type: Appetizer/ Side dish

#7 Vanilla Protein Waffles

Waffles are a Sunday morning classic, but most varieties are carb-heavy, with little to no protein or fat. These vanilla protein waffles turn traditional waffles on their head with 20 grams of fat, 17 grams of protein, and only 4 net carbs per serving.

Top with some keto-friendly whipped cream, monk fruit syrup, or blueberries.

Recipe type: Breakfast

#8 Crispy Kale Chips

Kale chips are one of those recipes that sounds great in theory, but can often fall short in practice. Are they cooked enough? Did you burn them? How much seasoning do you need?

This simple recipe cuts through the chaos and gives you the perfect step-by-step guide to make store-bought quality kale chips (at a fraction of the price). The best part — one cup of this keto snack is only three grams of carbs.

Recipe Type: Snack/ Side dish

#9 Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

Typically, mozzarella sticks fit squarely into the “once in a while treat” category. But what if you could switch up a few ingredients and actually make mozzarella sticks a healthy snack? That’s exactly what this recipe does. Switching out bread crumbs for almond flour, plus choosing a high-quality oil like coconut oil transforms greasy mozzarella sticks into a fresh and flavorful snack.

Recipe type: Snack/ Appetizer

#10 Creamy Avocado Pesto Green Sauce

Making your own dressing or sauce is one of the best ways to ensure quality in your meals. It’s easy to whip up your own veggies and cook your own main dish — but the sauces and dressings usually come store-bought. Unfortunately, most store-bought sauces have hidden sources of sugar in the mix.

This versatile, creamy avocado pesto sauce goes great on a salad, or even on top of some cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash. You can pretty much drizzle it on anything — and of course, there are no sneaky sources of sugar in this recipe.

Recipe type: Sauce/ Dressing

#11 Garlic Lemon Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini noodles (or zoodles, if you like), are one of the best secret weapons for a keto dieter. You can switch out pretty much any noodle recipe with zucchini noodles and be good to go. This recipe is both light and flavorful and comes in at only eight net carbs per serving.

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

#12 Easy Almond Flour Bread

Every keto dieter needs their go-to keto bread recipe. This simple recipe has only four ingredients; almond flour, butter, coconut oil, and eggs. And with only 2.2 net carbs per serving you can enjoy to your heart’s content.

Use this keto bread to make sandwiches, serve with soup or salad, or you could even pan fry it with some cheddar cheese for a delicious keto grilled cheese.

Recipe type: Side dish

#13 Dairy-Free Keto Quiche

If you avoid dairy on your vegetarian diet, this keto quiche is for you. You can fill it with all your favorite veggies, and top it with some avocado or salsa for some Mexican flair. Otherwise, you can enjoy it as-is — either way you’re sure to be satisfied.

Recipe type: Breakfast

#14 Green Bean Casserole

This delicious, cheesy, creamy casserole can be served as either a main dish or a side dish, depending on what you have planned. The chicken broth can be replaced with veggie broth, and you can also feel free to add in any other veggies that are calling to you. One serving of green bean casserole is only four net carbs, and 133 calories, so eat up.

Recipe Type: Side Dish/ Dinner

#15 Coconut Fat Bombs

These coconut cheesecake fat bombs are rich in healthy fats and contain only three simple ingredients — cream cheese, coconut butter, and stevia (or monk fruit). This recipe takes only five minutes to prepare (plus freeze time), and each fat bomb comes in at only one net carb. In other words — if you’re looking for an easy recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth — this is it.

Rich in healthy fat

Recipe type: Dessert

#16 Double Chocolate Muffins

If you’re looking for an on-the-go keto breakfast, these double chocolate muffins fit the bill. Bake them ahead and enjoy them as your quick and easy breakfast option all week. With 12 grams of protein per muffin, they also make a fantastic afternoon snack to keep you going.

Recipe type: Breakfast

#17 MCT Oil Sugar-Free Cinnamon Smoothie

There are plenty of vegetarian smoothie recipes out there. However, not every smoothie contains MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides). MCTs provide an excellent source of fuel when you’re in keto because they go directly to your liver to be transformed into energy that your body can use. If you have a big morning ahead of you and are looking for a solid energy source, this is the smoothie for you[*].

Recipe type: Breakfast

#18 Roasted Eggplant Chips

Eggplant chips make a tasty and satisfying keto snack that’s ready in just 30 minutes. You can switch up the spices depending on your preferences, but the salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and garlic that this recipe calls for come together perfectly.

Recipe type: Side dish

#19 Lemon Cashew Cookies

Making cookies with nut butter is one of the greatest keto hacks out there. Cashew butter is super creamy, giving this lemon cashew cookie a fantastic mouthfeel. This recipe is ready in just 22 minutes, with each cookie containing just 140 calories with four net carbs. Serve with some almond milk or coconut milk for dipping.

Recipe type: Dessert

#20 Spicy Cauliflower Keto Buddha Bowl

This keto Buddha bowl is a smorgasbord of flavor and nutrition. As a vegetarian, you’ll want to skip the collagen powder — but otherwise, this bowl makes the perfect keto lunch or dinner.

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

#21 Brown Butter Buffalo Bites

These brown butter buffalo bites are the perfect stand-in for buffalo wings. Made with cauliflower instead of chicken, these bites give you all the flavor of traditional wings with none of the meat or wheat.

Serve these up as an appetizer at a party, or make a bunch and enjoy them for lunch.

Recipe type: Lunch/ Snack

Takeaway

Choosing to follow a ketogenic diet doesn’t mean you have to give up your morals or start eating foods that don’t work for your body. There are plenty of vegetarians that do excellent on keto, and even more vegetarian recipes than you could imagine.

At its core, keto is a diet that should be rich in low-carb vegetables, which also includes an abundance of healthy fats and high-quality protein.

So when you’re looking to pull together a keto meal plan, whether your vegetarian or not, try out some of these delicious meatless recipes.

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21 Vegetarian Keto Recipes - Perfect Keto (2024)

FAQs

What is the macro ratio for vegetarian keto? ›

Choose vegetarian foods that are low in net carbs, and make sure your overall diet has a macro ratio that falls within the parameters of the standard keto macro. That means 55-60 percent fat, 30-35 percent protein and 5-10 percent carbs.

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What is easy lazy keto? ›

A lazy keto diet consists of low-carb foods like meat, fish, full-fat dairy and non-starchy vegetables, but limits high-carb foods such as bread, potatoes, sugary snacks and some fruits. If you've tried the keto before and found it too tedious, lazy keto could be a good compromise.

Is keto possible for vegetarians? ›

Can vegetarians get into ketosis? Yes. These diets are not mutually exclusive and, with proper planning, you can build a high-fat low-carb diet that keeps you in ketosis without eating meat, seafood, or poultry. The main idea is to include protein-packed veggies and pair them with high-quality fats.

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How do I convert to keto? ›

If you struggle to get into ketosis, here are a few tips that can help you get there:

Eat 20–50 grams of carbs per day. ...
Track your carb intake. ...
Limit eating out at restaurants. ...
Be aware of hidden carb sources. ...
Increase your intake of high quality fats. ...
Try intermittent fasting. ...
Exercise more.

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How many carbs should a vegetarian eat a day on keto? ›

Most vegetarians eat animal products like eggs and dairy but avoid meat and fish. Meanwhile, the ketogenic diet is a high-fat diet that limits carb intake to 20–50 grams per day. This ultra-low-carb intake prompts ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body starts burning fat for fuel instead of glucose ( 1 , 3 ).

How many carbs should a vegetarian eat on keto diet? ›

Many keto dieters simply aim for less than 50 grams of total carbohydrates or 20 grams of net carbs (total carbs–fiber) as a reliable way to enter ketosis. This often involves limiting nutrient-dense plant-based foods rich in carbohydrates, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

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What is the simplest keto meal? ›

Olives, nuts and charcuterie plates are brilliant keto-friendly nibbles to kick off your meal. Then stick with high protein mains like a chicken Ceasar salad, steak, or grilled fish, and swap out starchy, carb-heavy sides for vegetables if possible.

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Why am I gaining weight on lazy keto? ›

Without tracking the amount of fat you're taking in, you're unlikely to get your body to make the transition. Possible weight gain. Since there is no calorie restriction on the lazy keto diet, it is totally possible to binge and actually gain weight on this diet.

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What is dirty keto? ›

In essence, dirty keto is a variation of the keto diet (a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet) that allows you to consume whatever you want as long as it meets your macro goals. While it still reduces carb intake, it does not pay attention to the nutritional value of the fats and protein consumed.

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Can I eat peanut butter on keto? ›

Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.

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What protein can vegetarians eat on keto? ›

Low-carb vegetarian proteins: Tofu, seitan and tempeh — Although tempeh is higher in carbs than tofu and seitan, it's also high in fiber, so the net carbs (AKA the total grams of carbs minus the grams of fiber) make it keto-friendly.

Will a 16 hour fast put me in ketosis? ›

Additionally, note that forms of intermittent fasting that have shorter windows of fasting ranging from 12–18 hours per day may not reach this state, as ketosis may not be achieved with fasts lasting less than 24 hours unless you also follow a very low carb diet.

How do I know I'm in ketosis? ›

Having ketones in the blood is probably the most definitive sign that someone is in ketosis. Doctors may also use urine and breath tests to check for ketone levels, but these are less reliable than blood samples. A special home testing kit allows people to measure their own blood ketone levels.

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What foods get you into ketosis fast? ›

Eating a diet rich in fat while also limiting carbs prompts your body to burn fat, rather than glucose, for fuel. That's the basis of ketosis. People following a ketogenic diet get 75% of their calories from fats, which ideally should come from avocado, nuts, olive oils, and other unsaturated, or healthy, fats.

What is the best macro ratio for keto? ›

Generally, popular ketogenic resources suggest an average of 70-80% fat from total daily calories, 5-10% carbohydrate, and 10-20% protein. For a 2000-calorie diet, this translates to about 165 grams fat, 40 grams carbohydrate, and 75 grams protein.

What should my macros be vegetarian? ›

What macro ratio is best for me? As with most things in health and fitness, the answer is, “It depends”. Most of my vegan nutrition coaching clients aim to get half their calories from carbohydrates (whole, nutrient-dense sources whenever possible), 25-30% from healthy fats, and 20-25% from protein.

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What should macro percentages be on keto? ›

Ketogenic. Macros: 5% carbs, 25% protein, 70% fat. Who is the Keto diet for? This diet is generally for people who are free from any serious medical conditions and who want to lose weight and feel better in general.

What should my keto macros be set at? ›

On a Keto diet, you consume 55 to 75 percent of your calories from fat, 15 to 35 percent from protein, and less than 10 percent from carbohydrates. Keeping your macros in these ratios helps keep the hormone insulin low, signaling your body to burn fat and enter ketosis.