Nuts are an excellent snack option on a ketogenic diet. It’s really important to know the best nuts for keto, as some are higher in carbs than others. Be aware that nuts are really easy to overeat as they are so delicious. It might be worth tracking macros when you are consuming nuts to make sure you aren’t going over on your carbs without realising.
Best Nuts for Keto
Not all nuts are created equal when it comes to macros and the keto diet. The great thing for you is we have done the research for you. All of the nuts below are excellent keto options, but even on this list, some are better than others. If you are looking for the lowest carbs nuts to include in your ketogenic diet look for Brazil nuts, pili nuts, pecans, macadamias and hazelnuts.
Pili Nuts
Macros per 100g Calories 700 protein 10g Total Carbs 3g Net Carbs 0g Fat 80g
Pili nuts are one of the best nuts for keto. Never heard of pili nuts? Neither had we until about 18 months ago. We had heard Jimmy Moore talking about them on his podcasts, but had no idea where to get them in Australia. When travelling in Hong Kong, we found some randomly. I can’t even remember where we found them now. Once we tried them, we fell in love with their creaminess.
Favourite uses of Pili Nuts
Pili Nuts – Pili nuts are the perfect keto snack. At 3g total carbs per 100g these are the best nut for keto. All I can say, if you havent tried a pili nut yet, I highly recommend them.
Brazil Nuts
Macros per 100g Calories 659 Protein 14g Total Carbs 12g Net Carbs 3g Fat 67g
Brazil nuts are one of the under appreciated best nuts for keto. The are really low in net carbs and are high in selenium. Selenium is a trace mineral that assists with cognitive function and fertility. It has also been reported that selenium is good for thyroid conditions.
Favourite uses of Brazil nuts
- Whole Brazil Nuts – If you are looking for a great low carb nut for a snack try brazil nuts.
- Keto Trail mix – You can make a great keto trail mix by mixing some brazil nuts with some of your other favourite low carb nuts and add some seeds like pumpkin seeds. This is great to chuck in your backpack if you are headed out for the day or are going for a hike.
Pecans
Macros per 100g Calories 691 Protein 9g Total Carbs 15g Net Carbs 5g Fat 78g
Pecans have become our favourite nut. At 5g net carbs, they are an excellent low carb option. Since starting our ketogenic journey we have fallen in love with the delicious flavour of pecans and we love using them in our cooking, especially baking.
Favourite uses of Pecans
- Baked goods – We love creating recipes with pecans. Our two favourite recipes are the pecan cheesecake muffins and the keto blondie.
- Pecan pie Oatmeal – If you are missing oatmeal or pecan pie on a ketogenic diet, you have to try this pecan pie oatmeal. It’s warming and so tasty, you won’t even miss the oats.
- Pecan Butter – Another great item to have in the pantry when you are in need of a snack.
- Whole Pecans – We store our pecans in the fridge to avoid them turning rancid. We usually have these on hand for our keto baking and are one of the nuts I enjoy snacking on if I need a snack.
Macadamias
Macros per 100g Calories 718 Protein 8g Total Carbs 14g Net Carbs 6g Fat 75g
We absolutely love macadamia nuts in Australia. They are grown in Northern NSW and Southern Queensland and Australian macadamias are delicious. Salted macadamias are a favourite in our house. When we were travelling in Hawaii we found some delicious Maui Onion and garlic flavoured ones that we loved and snacked on during our vacation.
Favourite uses of Macadamias
- Whole macadamias – Perfect for a snack or to add to our keto granola.
- Macadamia butter – This nut butter from Fbomb is very popular in the US and we are jealous that we are unable to get access to them in Australia. They use all clean ingredients and come in the perfect sachet for travelling, hiking or even just to have in your bag when you are out and about.
- Macadamia milk – Macadamia milk to is excellent dairy free alternative to cows milk. It’s lower in carbs than almond milk and we find it less watery than almond milk. It is readily available in the supermarket now and you can also make your own.
Hazelnuts
Macros per 100g Calories 628 Protein 15g Total Carbs 17g Net Carbs 6g Fat 60g
Hazelnuts are another nut we have fallen in love with since starting a ketogenic diet. Well, we have always loved nutella, but thats more sugar than hazelnuts. In the summer we love roasting them and adding them to salads for some crunch.
Favourite uses of Hazelnuts
- Nutella Fat Bombs – If you miss nutella on a keto diet like we do, these are a a delicious high fat substitute.
- Whole Hazelnuts – Hazelnuts have become a favourite nut for us to snack on. Erika has also become a fan of adding some roasted hazelnuts to our salads.
- Hazelnut Milk – If you are looking for a dairy free milk alternative, give hazelnut milk a try. It is going to be a lower carb option to almond milk and a delicious addition to your hot drinks like coffee, chai or tea.
- Hazelnut Butter – Another great nut butter option. When looking for a keto friendly nut butter it’s important to look for one that only has nuts in the ingredient list. When looking for hazelnut butter, I like the nuts to be roasted as it enhances the flavour.
Coconut
Macros per 100g Calories 354 protein 3.3g Total Carbs 15g Net Carbs 6g Fat 33g
Is coconut a nut? In my research I found it can actually be classed as a nut, seed or a fruit. I wasn’t sure if we should include it in this list because of that. I decided it’s such a popular keto option, so we had to include it. There are so many ways to consume coconut and we have many different forms of coconut in our pantry.
Favourite uses of coconut
- Coconut fat bombs – Coconut is a very popular ingredient in many fat bombs, especially the sweet ones. These coconut fat bombs are delicious and we love to keep some in our freezer for an after dinner treat.
- Bulletproof tea – coconut & Chai – I love this bulletproof tea. I don’t drink coffee and have always felt like I have missed out, but I do love chai. So Erika set out to make me a bulletproof using coconut milk. It’s creamy and delicious, perfect on a cold winters day.
- Coconut flakes/shredded coconut – We always have both of these products in our pantry. Coconut flakes are great to sprinkle on your chia pudding. Shredded coconut is always on hand for when we want to make our keto granola.
- Coconut milk/coconut cream – Canned coconut milk and cream are great to have on hand for making curries and sauces. They are also great for making smoothies.
- Coconut butter – When travelling we love to pack some of the Artisana travel packs in our carry on. They are so filling and satisfying. A hot tip for these, make sure you soften it up before consuming as the texture is not great if you don’t work it to a soft paste in the packet first.
- Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is great for cooking. When choosing your coconut oil make sure it’s extra virgin. Many people love to use coconut oil for bulletproof drinks as well. This will become a staple in your keto pantry.
Almonds
Macros per 100g Calories 579 Protein 21g Total Carbs 21g Net Carbs 9g Fat 50g
Almonds are absolutely delicious. I usually try to limit my consumption of almonds as they are reasonably high in carbs for a ketogenic diet. That said, we love to use almond flour in our baking and we really enjoy almond butter as a treat.
Favourite uses of Almonds
- Smokey Romesco Sauce – This delicious sauce uses almonds and peppers and we love to use it with seafood for an amazing pop of flavour.
- Muffins – We love to use almond flour/meal in our muffins. Our pecan cheesecake muffins and breakfast muffins, both use almond flour and are an excellent breakfast or lunch option.
- Almond Flour – Almond flour is one of the staples in our pantry. We always have some in the pantry for when we feel like experimenting in the kitchen, or if we are craving baked goods.
- Almond Butter – We love to travel and these almond butter sachets are perfect to throw in our carry on luggage in case we get hungry or are craving a snack. These are excellent as they are unsweetened and only contain almonds also they are organic, which is always a bonus.
- Whole Almonds – Even though we don’t snack on almonds very often, we always have whole almonds in the pantry for snack emergencies or for making keto granola.
- Almond Milk – Almond milk is a great dairy free option and is great in our chocolate fat bomb smoothie. It’s really easy to make your own, but if you are short on time or just can’t be bothered you can usually find it in the long life milk section and/or the fridge section next to the cows milk.
Walnuts
Macros per 100g Calories 654 Protein 15g Total Carbs 16g Net Carbs 9g Fat 76g
Walnuts are a nut we don’t use very often. They are nice to add to a salad. They are higher in carbs than pecans, so I would usually choose pecans for the lower net carbs.
Favourite uses of Walnuts
- Whole walnuts – If you like the flavour of walnuts, these are great to top salads with.
- Keto Granola – With our keto granola you can use any of our favourite nuts. So, if walnuts are some of your favourites, or that’s what you have in the cupboard, go for it.
- Walnut Butter – We love having nut butters on hand for travelling and for when we are craving a treat.
Nuts are a great keto food. It’s important to remember that not all nuts are created equal on a ketogenic diet. If you are looking for the best low carb nuts go for pili nuts, pecans or brazil nuts.
We would love to hear your best nuts for keto suggestions. Did we miss any of our favourites? We are always looking for new and creative ideas. Please let us know your favourite nuts and their uses in the comments below.
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