Whether it’s about staying cool in summers or warming yourself up during the chilly winter weather, drinks are the foremost choice of most people. But, sadly, they are also the first few things that one has to give up when following a diet or switching to healthy eating because of their high carb and sugar content.
Not anymore, though – not if you are on keto, at least!
Here, we have a wonderful selection of low-carb drink recipes for all those following the ketogenic diet:
Hot Drinks
1. Hot Chocolate
What’s winter without hot chocolate? A twist on classic wintertime favorite, this keto hot chocolate is low on carb, super easy to make, thick, rich, and oh so delicious. But, the best part is that you only need these 5 ingredients to make it:
Yields – 4 espresso-size servings
Net Carbs – 1 gram
- Dark chocolate (high-quality, preferably sugar-free): 6 ounces, roughly chopped
- Heavy cream: ½ cup
- Unsweetened almond milk: ½ cup
- Allulose (or any other keto-friendly sweetener): 1 tablespoon
- Vanilla extract ½ teaspoon
Directions
In a small saucepan, add almond milk, heavy cream and allulose (or whichever sweetener you are using) and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
As the mixture starts simmering gently, take it off heat and add chocolate and vanilla extract. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted.
Pour into small serving cups (espresso cups) and sip on this delicious goodness to experience instant warmth and coziness.
2. Low-Carb Pumpkin Spice Latte
Although fall is over, who said you cannot have pumpkin spice latte in winter? If you are a fan of the rich pumpkin-y flavor that this drink offers, don’t hesitate to have it at other times of the year.
For those on the keto diet, here we have a low-carb version that gives the same burst of flavors without any added sugar. To make this keto drink, you’ll need:
Yields– 1 serving
Net Carbs – 3 grams
- Brewed coffee (strong): ½ cup or Espresso: ¼ cup
- Unsweetened almond milk: ¾ cup
- Pumpkin puree: 2 tablespoons
- Heavy cream: 2 tablespoons
- Xylitol (or any other keto-friendly sweetener): 2 teaspoons
- Vanilla extract: ¼ teaspoon
- Pumpkin pie spice powder: ¼ teaspoon + more for sprinkling on top
- Whipped cream: for serving
Directions
Mix together almond milk, heavy cream, xylitol, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice powder in a small saucepan and cook the mixture on medium heat until it is hot.
Take off the heat and add the vanilla extract.
If desired, you can use a milk frother at this stage to make your latte frothy; just like the store-bought ones.
Add the brewed coffee or espresso in a large serving mug and pour the milk mixture over it.
Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice powder.
Enjoy this delectable drink with your favorite movie or Netflix show – sounds like a perfect recipe for a weekend winter night, doesn’t it?
3. Keto-Friendly Hot Buttered Rum Mix
Another great drink for a chilly night in or a weekend get together with your buddies, this warm and delicious keto hot buttered rum will make you fall in love with this classic drink all over again. Here’s what you need to make it:
Yields – 4.5 cups
Note: This recipe makes a big batch of the rum mix. You can adjust the recipe according to your requirements.
For Buttered Rum Mix
- Butter: 1 cup
- Heavy cream: 1 cup
- Swerve (powdered): 1 ½ cup
- Swerve (granulated): 1 cup
- Maple syrup (sugar-free): 3 tablespoons
- Ground cinnamon: ¼ teaspoon
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
- Ground nutmeg: ¼ teaspoon
- Ground cloves: 1/8 teaspoon
For the Drink
- Hot water
- Spiced rum
Directions
Add butter, granulated swerve, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix up the ingredients until the butter is creamy, swerve is dissolved, and the mixture is light and fluffy.
Now add powdered swerve, heavy cream, and all three spices. Mix again, on low-speed, until everything is well-combined and the mixture is smooth.
Your buttered rum mix is ready!
To Make the Drink
To make the rum drink, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of this buttered rum mix in a serving mug, followed by half a cup of hot water and 1 to 2 ounces spiced rum.
Give it a mix, taste and adjust the mix to rum ratio as per your taste.
To-da! There you have it – your homemade and keto-friendly hot buttered rum!
Cold Drinks
4. Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Offering a punch of citrusy freshness, this virgin cocktail is not suitable for keto dieters, but also for vegans. Moreover, it hardly takes 5 minutes to prepare this drink, making it an ideal choice for days when you are too busy or lazy to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Gather the following ingredients and get going!
Yields – 8 servings
Net Carbs – 2.1 grams
- Organic strawberries: 24, crushed
- Basil leaves: 48, stems removed and washed
- Mineral water: 2 liters (quarts)
- Lemon juice: from 2 lemons
- Alcohol-free stevia (optional): 16 drops
- Ice cubes: 2 cups
Directions
In a large jug, add the mineral water and 24 basil leaves and let them soak for up to 6 to 8 hours. While the soaking is recommended as it helps the flavor of basil leaves get infused in the water, you can skip it if you are short on time.
If you are skipping the infusion step, take half the quantity of basil leaves i.e. 24
Remove the top part of the strawberries and place them in a large bowl. Using a fork or a potato masher, roughly crush the berries. Now add lemon juice in the bowl and give it a good mix. If you are using stevia, add it to the strawberries and mix.
Add 2 tablespoons full of the strawberry mixture into a serving glass. Add 2 fresh basil leaves (not the soaked ones) and a few ice cubes. Pour the mineral water over the top, place a straw in the glass, and enjoy the refreshing and flavorful drink.
5. Blackberry – Vodka Cooler
Just what the name suggests, this drink offers a dose of freshness, along with delicious berry flavor. A perfect drink for summer parties, it requires you to mix up a few things. Let’s take a look at what you need for this berrylicious alcoholic keto drink:
Yields – 1 serving
Net carbs -2 grams
- Vodka: 2 ounces
- Fresh blackberries: 5
- Fresh mint leaves: 5
- Fresh lemon juice: 1 ½ tablespoon
- Powdered erythritol: 2 teaspoons
- Ground black pepper: ¼ teaspoon
- Soda water: as required
- Ice cubes: as required
Directions
Add all the ingredients, except the soda water and ice, in a cocktail shaker and muddle until mint and berries are crushed.
Fill serving glass with ice and strain the vodka mixture over it. Finally, add the soda water, top with a fresh mint leaf and a few blackberries and the fancy restaurant-quality drink at home!
6. Matcha Green Tea Frappe
This healthier, keto-friendly version of the Starbuck’s popular matcha green tea frappuccino gives you a perfect start of the day.
Yields – 1 serving
Net Carbs – 2 grams
- Unsweetened almond milk (or coconut milk for nut-free): 3/4 cup
- Heavy cream: 2 tablespoons
- Matcha Green Tea: ½ tablespoon
- Powdered erythritol (or any other keto-friendly powdered sweetener, optional): 1 tablespoon
- Vanilla extract (optional): ½ teaspoon
- Whipped cream without added sugar (optional): for topping
- Ice: 1 cup
Directions
Add all the ingredients, except the whipped cream in a blender and blend until you get a smooth mixture.
At this point, you can taste and adjust the flavors.
Pour into a serving glass or a mason jar, top with a dollop of whipped cream.
Viola! Your scrumptious keto-friendly matcha frappe is ready!
7. Chocolate Cauliflower Smoothie – The Ultimate Keto Breakfast
Cauliflower, in a smoothie?
Sounds weird, right?
But, take our word for it, it tastes as delicious as strange it sounds!
Cauliflower is one of the best low-carb food choices – one cup of the vegetable contains only 8 grams of carbohydrates. Along with it, it also offers a powerful blend of micronutrients. Together with milk, cocoa, and hemp seeds, it makes a power-pack healthy glass of drink to begin your day with.
Here’s how you can make this creamy and delicious breakfast smoothie:
Yields – 1 large or 2 small serving
Carbs – 19 grams (just about your daily carb allowance)
- Unsweetened almond or coconut milk: 1 cup (240 ml)
- Frozen cauliflower florets: 1 cup (85 grams)
- Hemp seeds: 3 tablespoons
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: ½ tablespoon
- Cacao nibs: 1 tablespoon
- Sea salt: a pinch
Directions
Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a serving glass and enjoy!
Get Going!
The goodness that a glass/cup of delicious drink offers is simply matchless. Whether you are looking for something that instantly refreshes you on a hot summer day or want to experience instant warmth and coziness on a chilly night, nothing can beat a good drink.
Try out these keto-drink recipes and we bet, you will fall in love with them, perhaps, more than the ones you had been drinking before switching to keto. Unlike most regular drinks that are packed with tons of added sugars and artificial flavors, keto drinks use natural sweeteners and rely on natural flavors.
All in all, keto drinks are the perfect choice for guilt-free indulgence.
Try out these low-carb keto drink recipes and let us know which one you like the best!