January 5, 2021

Celebrate National Keto Day with easy recipes sure to satisfy any craving

WATCH: Everything you need to start keto

Whether you've done the keto diet for months or just decided to try a new routine for the new year, there's no shortage of delicious, diet-friendly recipes to keep you excited about what you're eating.

Cookbook author and recipe developer Carolyn Ketchum has created a wide range of flavorful recipes that are both low in carbohydrates and suitable for diabetics and dieters alike.

The bestselling author shared five of her top keto-friendly recipes with "Good Morning America" from her blog, All Day I Dream About Food.

Whether you're looking for a savory dinner dish or a sweet treat for dessert, check out Ketchum's full recipes below to add to your keto menu rotation.

Keto Almond Flour Pancakes

Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food
Almond flour pancakes made by Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food.

Whip up a batch of Ketchum's batter that comes together in no time with the help of a blender to create fluffy and delicious, keto, grain-free and dairy-free pancakes -- or waffles.

Servings: 10 servings (20 pancakes total)

Ingredients

4 large eggs

3/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup avocado oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (about 250g)

1/4 cup Swerve Sweetener

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Additional oil for the pan

Directions

In a large blender, combine the eggs, almond milk, oil, and vanilla. Blend 30 seconds to combine. Add the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt and blend again until smooth. Let the batter rest 5 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and lightly grease with a little oil. Use about 3 tablespoons of batter for each pancake and spread into a 3- or 4-inch circle. Cook the pancakes until bubbles begin to appear on the tops and the edges are set and dry, 2 to 4 minutes.

Carefully flip the pancakes and continue to cook until golden brown on the second side, another 2 to 4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed.

To make as waffles: Preheat the waffle iron and lightly grease.

Add about 1/3 cup of the batter to the center of the iron and gently spread to the edges. If you have a large, deep Belgian-style waffle maker, you will need to add more batter.

Close the lid and let cook until puffed and golden brown on both sides. The time will vary depending on your waffle iron.

Remove the waffles and repeat with the remaining batter. You will get about 8 regular 8-inch circular waffles or ten 4-inch square Belgian-style waffles.

Easy Taco Pie

Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food
Easy low-carb and keto taco pie from Carolyn Ketchum's blog All Day I Dream About Food.

"This low-carb taco pie is ridiculously easy to make and incredibly delicious," Ketchum said of the "perfect weeknight dinner" that can be enjoyed with the whole family.

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons taco seasoning or one packet taco seasoning

6 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, I used Cabot Chipotle Cheddar for an extra kick!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a glass or ceramic 9-inch pie pan.

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, about 7 minutes, breaking up clumps with the back of a wooden spoon.

Add taco seasoning and stir until combined, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook a few minutes longer until sauce is thickened.

Spread beef in prepared pie pan. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over beef.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake 30 minutes, or until center is set and cheese is browned.

Remove and let sit 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Top with sour cream, chopped tomatoes and chopped avocado, if desired.

Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Total Time: 21 mins

Servings: 6 servings

This one-pan dish gets baked in a cast-iron skillet, and is a simple and delicious keto dinner that can be ready in 25 minutes or less.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, divided

12 ounces broccoli, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

3 cups cooked chopped chicken (about 1 1/4 lbs)

Directions

Set a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once melted, add the broccoli and sauté until bright green and just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove the broccoli to a bowl.

Melt the remaining butter in the pan and add the garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer, then cook until reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and all of the parmesan until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the broccoli and the chicken and top with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.

Preheat the broiler. Set the pan about 6 inches from the heat and broil until the cheese is beginning to brown, 2 to 5 minutes (depends on how intense your broiler is!).

Homemade 'Thin Mint' Cookies

Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food
New York keto cheesecake topped with a berry sauce.

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 20

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups almond flour

1/3 cup cocao powder

1/3 cup Swerve Sweetener

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg, slightly beaten

2 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Coating:

1 tablespoon coconut oil, butter, or 1/2 ounce cocoa butter

7 ounces Lily's dark chocolate or other sugar-free dark chocolate (such as 90% Lindt chocolate), chopped

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, cocao powder, sweetener, baking powder and salt. Add in egg, butter and vanilla extract and stir well until dough comes together.

Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper to desired thickness, but no more than 1/4-inch thick. Lift off top piece of parchment and set aside.

Using a 2-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and lift gently. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet. Gather up scraps of dough and reroll until too little is left to roll out.

Bake cookies until firm to the touch, 20 to 30 minutes (this will vary depending on how thinly you rolled your dough). Remove and let cool. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.

For the chocolate coating: Place a metal bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, not allowing the bowl to touch the water. Melt the oil and chocolate together in the bowl, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the peppermint extract.

Dip the cookies into chocolate, using two forks to turn over and fully coat cookie. Lift out the cookie and gently tap the fork on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate, then place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.

Refrigerate until fully set and enjoy!

New York Style Keto Cheesecake

Check out Ketchum's full recipe for this classic dessert on her blog here.

All recipes reprinted with permission courtesy of Carolyn Ketchum, All Day I Dream About Food.