You can make a keto sauce from almost anything, but whether you’ll love it or not depends on 2 things- the flavour and consistency.
But here’s the thing, most of the sauces that we know and love contain some type of sweetener to give it that extra kick- from ketchup to BBQ sauce to tomato sauce. And the thickeners that they use aren’t exactly low carb.
So let’s explore some keto-friendly ingredients that you can use to sweeten and thicken your sauces. Then I’ll give you some amazing keto sauce recipes that you can add to your collection.
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Best Keto Sweeteners For Sauces
The top 3 keto sweeteners are stevia, erythritol, and monk fruit powder.
Stevia is a leaf that is naturally sweet. It’s used both as a sweetener and a sugar substitute, and it contains no nutrients. You have to use stevia in moderation because it can be up 200 times sweeter than sugar!
It still manages to be 5 carbs per 100g (I promise that you won’t need that much), and it has a glycemic index of 0, which means it doesn’t affect your blood sugar level like regular sugar would.
Monk Fruit is another natural option that you can use as a keto sweetener. It’s derived from a fruit and luckily, also has a glycemic index of 0. Depending on the source, however, this one can have between 0-25g carbs per 100 grams, which still isn’t that bad, but you want to be sure so you can just check the labels.
Erythritol is more of a sugar alcohol, instead of a sugar. But it’s not an alcohol either. What!?
This means it’s plant-derived but it has been manufactured to get that specific compound. Sugar alcohols are actually found in products that are labelled ‘sugar-free’.
So why do we use this over all of the other types of keto sweeteners?
Erythritol has the least blood sugar impact and it’s not completely absorbed by the body.
It can come in a granulated or powdered form to give you some options. Aside from keto sauces, it can be used in baking, as a powdered sugar replacer, and virtually anything sweetener-related.
Now the other part of our sauce equation is the thickener. Most keto sauces use yogurt, cheese, and heavy creams.. If you want to try some other savoury sauces, here are some things that you can consider.
Best Keto Thickeners For Sauces
So, this is where things get kinda tricky because traditional thickeners are just- pure carbs. We’re not interested.
So we did a little digging and found some creative options that will give your sauces that thickness and creaminess that you love.
Xanthan gum and guar gum- These are vegetable gums that were mostly used in Asia as a thickener and have recently become popular in the West.
Despite the name, they aren’t actual gums, even though too much can make your sauce gummy instead of creamy. Just be sure to sprinkle a little bit over the top (or add with water) and add more in small amounts, if needed.
Xanthan gum can also be used to thicken smoothies and puddings.
Arrowroot powder- This LCHF powder is a great cornstarch replacement in sauces. Well, anything really because it’s super versatile. (It doesn’t work well with dairy though)
Don’t worry, it’s also keto approved, with a carb count of 3g in 1 tsp. It’s also gluten-free and you can hardly taste it. Which is good because you don’t want anything to overpower your sauce.
Heavy cream is another great way to add thickness without using any carbs at all. It’s definitely keto-approved, and it can add a delicious creamy flavor.
Reducing method is a great method that’s best if you got caught without a thickener or if you wanna keep things natural. I need to master this method, but so far, it’s the most delicious way to thicken a sauce. Super flavorful if you have the time.
You can also experiment with coconut flour, almond flour, and greek yogurt.
Now to the fun part…
Best Keto Sauce Recipes
Enjoy this during the holidays as a delicious keto sauce to go along with your turkey and other keto thanksgiving sides.
Ready for some spicy and savory goodness? This recipe does call for monk fruit or stevia, and it’s also gluten-free. Recipe by Low Carbology.
This recipe is perfect for summer. It contains 1.7g carbs in 1 pint so you can make one batch and enjoy it for a while. Get the recipe from How-to-This-and-That.
This is a great option if you want to avoid sugar completely. It’s loaded with flavor and you don’t have to cook it! It also has 3g of net carbs per serving, which makes it even better.
Get the recipe from I Breathe I’m Hungry
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Want something quick and easy? This sauce is perfect when paired with seafood. It uses a low carb ketchup for a sweetener and some additional flavor. If you wanna check it out, here’s the recipe from Ruled.me.
That’s it for our keto sauces and keto sweeteners!
If you didn’t already, you can read Keto, Coffee, and Cocktails to get some great coffee and cocktail recipes to power up or wind down.
And if you’re new to the low carb/ketogenic lifestyle, be sure to check out the Keto Diet Guide and read some of our most popular posts to get you started.
- Keto Guide for Beginners| How to Start Keto
- How to Know if a Low Carb Diet is Right For You
- How to Lose Weight With Intermittent Fasting