The “Dirty Keto” version of high-fat, low-carb dieting promises the same fat-burning results as mainstream keto. The only difference? You can get fat, protein and other macronutrients from any source — including foods like fast-food burgers and sugar-free candy. Dirty keto recipes have gained popularity because they taste great while promoting weight loss. But does dirty keto really work?
Related: Download our free Keto Recipes for Beginners Cookbook & Meal Plan now
While dirty keto may help you lose weight in the short term, it’s not a long-term solution for getting high-quality nutrients in your diet. At the same time, adopting a “clean” ketogenic diet (such as the Bulletproof Diet) doesn’t mean you have to eat salads all the time, either.
Your diet should give you the freedom to enjoy delicious food — including dessert — without sacrificing results. And with the right ingredients, you can make recipes that only taste like cheat food while maximizing your performance.
These dirty keto recipes aren’t so dirty after all — while they taste sinful, they’re loaded with healthy fats, nourishing protein, and sweeteners that won’t spike your blood sugar. Whether you crave bread and chips or donuts and ice cream, these dirty keto recipes are a clean way to silence your cravings.
Related: New to keto? Get your complete guide here
Clean keto recipes: Bread and chips
Collagen Keto Bread
Swap your packaged low-carb bread for this upgraded clean keto recipe. Skin-smoothing collagen protein blends with whipped egg whites, coconut oil, and xanthan gum for a fluffy loaf with zero carbs per serving. Use it to make toast and sandwiches like regular bread, with none of the extra preservatives.
Keto Butter Crackers
Image via This Mom’s Menu
Premade low-carb crackers can be expensive, but this clean recipe uses keto kitchen staples to create a more budget-friendly alternative. Butter, egg whites, and almond flour bake up into flakey, salty crackers perfect for snacking and dips. Make sure your butter is grass-fed to keep this dirty keto upgrade Bulletproof.
Rosemary Keto Bagels
Avoid the yeast and mystery starches in store-bought bagels. This recipe uses add-ins like psyllium husk and xanthan gum to bake up a chewy, spongy bagel without the unwanted extras.
Zucchini Nacho Chips
Image via Maria Mind Body Health
Even low carb chips can contain inflammatory yeast or protein powders from grain-fed cows. This keto recipe gives you the same crunch and zesty flavor of cheesy store-bought chips without the harmful ingredients. Simply fry thin slices of zucchini then toss with spices for the perfect crunchy snack. Fry in heat-safe grass-fed ghee or beef tallow to make this recipe more Bulletproof.
Coconut Flour Tortillas
Image via Keto Connect
Avoid the gluten and preservatives in packaged low-carb tortillas with this not-so-dirty keto recipe. You only need one bowl, egg whites, coconut flour, baking powder, and spices to cook up perfectly thin and pliable tortillas with less than 3 net carbs each. Grease your pan with grass-fed ghee to make this recipe ultra-Bulletproof.
Clean Cookie and Pastry Keto Recipes
Keto Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Glaze
When the cake craving hits, don’t settle for pre-made snack cakes with “natural flavors,” inflammatory starches, and damaged proteins. This recipe cleans up the dirty keto approach with a moist coconut flour batter and a silky chocolate glaze. With rich flavor like this, you won’t believe it’s just 5 net carbs per slice.
Keto Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
You may spot low-carb and sugar-free ice cream in your grocery store’s freezer case. Take one look at the ingredients, though, and you’ll find artificial colors, potentially moldy corn products, and sucralose that can harm your gut bacteria. This version tastes like a dirty keto recipe, but sweetens the results with grass-fed butter, collagen protein, and simple flavors like cocoa powder and cinnamon.
Chocolate Cinnamon Keto Donuts
Image via Divalicious Recipes
Make perfect cake-like donuts without starchy gluten-free flours or inflammatory dirty keto ingredients. With a simple batter and a buttery cinnamon glaze, this recipe pairs well with your morning coffee at 5 net carbs per donut. Use ceylon cinnamon and full-fat coconut milk from a BPA-free can for more Bulletproof results.
Keto Edible Cookie Dough
Scoop up sweet cookie flavor without turning on your oven. This clean keto recipe blends vanilla collagen protein with crunchy cacao nibs for a delicious (and totally nostalgic) keto snack.
Apple Pie Fat Bombs
These fat bombs capture warm apple pie flavor in one melt-in-your-mouth bite — and only tastes like a dirty keto recipe. Real apples and cinnamon blend with grass-fed butter and sweet crust-like pieces for a delicious way to round out your macros. (Plus, only one net carb apiece.)
Double Chocolate Chip Keto Cookies
These chewy cookies take the same amount of prep and ingredients compared to dirty keto cookies — and the results are packed with nutrients and rich flavor. With a dough made out of almond meal, gut-loving collagen protein, cocoa powder, and melty chunks of dark chocolate, this recipe bakes up into a sinful-tasting dessert with benefits. Just 2.5 net carbs per cookie.
Cleaned-up dirty keto drink recipes
Keto Muddled Strawberry Margarita
Will alcohol kick you out of ketosis? Maybe. But if you do drink on a ketogenic diet, this margarita is a good alternative to dirty keto recipes that may contain higher toxin levels and inflammatory sugar substitutes. Mix muddled strawberries with xylitol, sparkling water, lime juice, and tequila for a sweet, boozy drink with 1 net carb.
Keto Copycat Starbucks White Drink
The original Starbucks “white drink” recipe uses dirty keto ingredients like heavy cream and a sucralose-based syrup. Since these foods can upset your stomach, this recipe makes a few swaps to clean things up. Brewed peach white tea blends with coconut milk and upgraded sweeteners for a more keto-friendly copycat with 1 net carb.
Breakfast Paleo & Keto Strawberry Milkshake
Image via Gnom-Gnom
You won’t miss dirty keto add-ins like heavy cream or peanut butter with this recipe. Ripe strawberries and coconut milk blend into a sweet pastel shake perfect for dessert (or breakfast). Choose full-fat canned coconut milk for your dairy and get fresh, organic strawberries to make it more Bulletproof. (And enjoy chia seeds in moderation, since they can irritate your stomach.)
Keto Frozen Lemonade Slushie
You can make this recipe faster than the time it takes to grab a sugar-free Slurpee at the convenience store. This dirty keto upgrade uses fresh lemon juice blended with birch xylitol and almond milk for a slurpable afternoon treat with 3 net carbs.
Keto Tea Soda
Image via Healthful Pursuit
With the right amount of fizz and sweetness, this recipe is tasty enough to break your diet soda addiction. Instead of dirty keto sweeteners and colorings, this recipe combines chilled tea with liquid stevia and bubbly mineral water. The result is fancy enough for parties, but simple enough to enjoy every day.
Clean keto candy recipes
Homemade Gummy Candy
Image via Whole New Mom
Some sugar-free candy may seem safe (especially on dirty keto), but can contain the wrong sugar alcohols that could spike your blood glucose. This recipe uses stevia, which ranks much lower on the glycemic index, combined with lemon juice and gelatin for a chewy 3-ingredient gummy candy that still satisfies your sugar cravings. Make sure your gelatin comes from a pastured source to keep this one Bulletproof.
Keto Caramel Sauce
Drizzle on ice cream, spread on bread, or eat straight out of the jar — no matter how you mix it, this recipe is perfect for dirty keto lovers. With healthy fats from coconut cream and grass-fed ghee, this sauce cooks up into a sweet, golden sauce you’ll want to enjoy with everything. Best of all, each serving is under 2 net carbs.
Sugar-Free Marshmallows
Image via Wholesome Yum
Use this recipe to get all the chewy, gooey fun of marshmallows without the dirty keto ingredients. A mixture of gelatin, powdered erythritol, vanilla, and stevia allows these marshmallows to cook up into sweet, springy squares with almost zero carbs. Use pastured gelatin to stay Bulletproof.
Keto Chocolate Fudge
Image via Keto Summit
This clean keto recipe gets healthy fats from dark chocolate and coconut butter. Heat them together with vanilla and stevia or erythritol and freeze for a totally satisfying dessert with no mystery ingredients. Each square is just 2 net carbs.
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