Keto enthusiasts talk a lot about enjoying bacon and butter without worry… but don’t forget about low carb nuts! Nuts are one of many options to add to your keto food list. They are loaded with healthy fats and minimal carbs, but only if you choose the right kinds. Learn about the best nuts for keto here, as well as carbs in nuts and recipes to enjoy keto nuts.
Are Nuts Keto Friendly?
They’re a staple in many diets, but are nuts keto? Absolutely — at least, most nuts are keto diet nuts. They are generally high in fat and low in carbs, so you can easily fit them into a carb restricted lifestyle. If you’re following a keto diet, you’ll probably include nuts in it. We’ve talked about keto fruit and keto vegetables before, but how many carbs in nuts? It depends on the variety you get — we’ll discuss that below!
What Nuts Can You Eat On Keto?
Some have more carbs than others, but generally you can eat any variety of nuts on keto. Be sure to watch your portions and carb counts, especially if you follow a strict keto plan (see the differences in the keto diet tips guide).
The Top 11 Keto Friendly Nuts List
What nuts are keto? Many of them are. This list is complete with recipes and where to find them. I’ve gathered recommendations below that have no sugar lurking.
1. Almonds
Almonds are very keto friendly! They are a great choice of low carb nuts, and you can enjoy them as whole nuts, nut flour, almond milk, and more. One of their most popular uses for keto recipes is blanched almond flour, which can replace white flour in many baked goods.
Carbs In Almonds:
Raw almonds have 6.1g total carbs and 2.6g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Keto Almond Recipes:
Almond Flour Pizza Crust – Finally, a dairy-free pizza crust for all to love!Almond Flour 90-Second Bread – Bubbles up just like real bread.Almond Milk Ice Cream – Super creamy, never hard.Almond Flour Crackers – Crisp and crunchy with a few ingredients.French Almond Cake – Nutty, with a light glaze on top.
Find more keto almond flour recipes here.
Buy Almonds Online:
Super fine blanched almond flour – This one has the best taste and texture for recipes – it’s the only one I use, and it makes a big difference.Almonds – Raw, whole almonds for snacking or recipes.Blanched almonds – Skin-free almonds for smoother results in recipes.Almond butter – This one has no sugar or salt added, so you can customize the salt to your recipe.Almond milk – This one is shelf-stable and unsweetened. (You can also make your own homemade almond milk instead.)
2. Brazil Nuts
Are Brazil nuts keto? Most definitely — in fact, they are one of the lowest-carb nut options.
Carbs In Brazil Nuts:
Brazil nuts have 3.3g total carbs and 1.2g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Buy Brazil Nuts Online:
Brazil nuts – Raw Brazil nuts here, perfect for a fast low carb snack.
3. Coconuts
Are coconuts keto nuts? Absolutely! Coconuts are some of the best nuts to eat on keto because of their quality fat content.
Carbs In Coconuts:
Dried, shredded coconut has 6.7g total carbs and 2.1g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Keto Coconut Recipes:
Coconut Flour Sugar Cookies – Super soft (and actually sugar-free!)Microwave Bread With Coconut Flour – Much like 90-second bread.Baked Coconut Shrimp – Crispy and naturally sweet.Keto Coconut Macaroons – If you like this keto nut, you’ll love these cookies!Coconut Curry Chicken – A warm, saucy dish with aromatic spices and coconut milk.
Find more keto coconut flour recipes here.
Buy Coconut Products Online:
Coconut flour – The best organic coconut flour for better results in recipes! It’s the only one I use.Coconut flakes – Delicious for topping and baking.Coconut chips – A crunchy, totally natural snack! Get unsweetened ones.Coconut butter – Like any other nut butter, get one made only from the nut to keep it keto friendly.Coconut oil – A delicious choice for dairy-free cooking and baking.Coconut milk – One of the best shelf-stable keto milk options. Get it unsweetened.Coconut cream – It’s thicker than plain coconut milk, so it’s ideal for sauces, soups, and smoothies.
4. Hazelnuts
Do hazelnuts count as low carb nuts? Absolutely. You can easily fit these nuts into your keto diet.
Carbs In Hazelnuts:
Whole hazelnuts have 4.7g total carbs and 2g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Keto Hazelnut Recipes:
Sugar-Free “Nutella” – The best keto Nutella swap ever!Keto Protein Bars – Loaded with nutty flavor from ground hazelnuts.Keto Lava Cake – Complete with a gooey chocolate hazelnut filling.
Buy Hazelnuts Online:
Hazelnuts – Crunchy, with a naturally toasty flavor.Blanched hazelnuts – Skip the work of blanching and removing the skins yourself.Hazelnut butter – Just like peanut butter or almond butter… but with hazelnuts instead. (Always get it unsweetened!)
5. Macadamia Nuts
These mellow keto nuts are easy to enjoy when living low carb. In fact, they are often touted as the best type of nuts for the keto diet, because they are exceptionally low in carbs.
Carbs In Macadamia Nuts:
Raw macadamia nuts have 3.9g total carbs and 1.5g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Keto Macadamia Nut Recipes:
Keto White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies – Complete with succulent keto white chocolate chips!Keto Fat Bombs – Nuts add a boost of healthy fat to these chocolatey bites.Homemade Basil Pesto – This recipe was originally made with macadamia nuts! I’ve since changed it to say any kind of nuts, but macadamias are still my favorite to use here.
Buy Macadamia Nuts Online:
Macadamia nuts – Keep it simple with these buttery, raw nuts.Macadamia nut butter – Super smooth and high in fat — try this unsweetened version.Macadamia nut milk – A creamy nut milk alternative.
6. Peanuts
Peanuts have more carbs than many other keto nuts, but you can still enjoy them in the right quantities.
Carbs In Peanuts:
Dry roasted peanuts have 6g total carbs and 3.7g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Keto Peanut Recipes:
Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cups – So sweet and easy to make!Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie – Rich and creamy, without the sugar.Keto Peanut Butter Fudge – Make a batch and enjoy all week long — it’s just 4 ingredients.No Bake Frozen Peanut Butter Pie – Complete with a cookie crust.Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Protein Cookies – These bake up super chewy!
Buy Peanuts Online:
Peanuts – These keto nuts are ideal for snacking and topping.Peanut flour – Adds peanutty flavor without a runny or oily consistency.Peanut butter – As long as you get it unsweetened, with peanuts as the only ingredient, peanut butter is keto friendly.
7. Pecans
Pecans are keto friendly nuts, too! In fact, they’re one of the best low carb nuts you can have.
Carbs In Pecans:
Pecans have 3.9g total carbs and 1.2g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Keto Pecan Recipes:
Keto Candied Pecans – Loaded with sweet, spiced flavor… and no sugar!Kale Brussels Sprout Salad With Pecans – Lots of delicious taste and texture in one bowl.Keto Cheese Ball – Pecans add the perfect crunch to this cheesy recipe.
Buy Pecans Online:
Pecans – Snackable and satisfying.Pecan butter – Another keto nut butter option! Did you know you could get this?
8. Pili Nuts
Are pili nuts the best nuts to eat on keto? They might be! Pili nuts are low carb nuts with the highest fat content you can find. Their flavor is kind of like a cross between almonds and macadamia nuts.
Carbs In Pili Nuts:
Pili nuts have 1.1g total carbs and 1.1g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Buy Pili Nuts Online:
Pili Nuts – Try snacking on these buttery salted nuts!
9. Pine Nuts
Pine nuts are keto nuts, but they’re a little higher in carbs. They still have a delicious taste, especially toasted, and since they are often used as a garnish in recipes (try them over baby kale salad or your favorite keto soup), they fit into a keto diet easily.
Carbs In Pine Nuts:
Pine nuts have 3.7g total carbs and 2.7g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Buy Pine Nuts Online:
Pine Nuts – Use them for toasting, sprinkling, salads, and more.
10. Pistachios
These nuts fall on the outer rim of keto diet nuts. Since pistachios have much higher carbs than the other low carb nuts listed above, you’ll need to watch portions more closely. You’ll definitely want to limit these, but since they are often eaten by removing the shell, they are a good snack to eat slowly. The shells help with portion control.
Carbs In Pistachios:
Raw pistachios have 7.7g total carbs and 4.7g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Buy Pistachios Online:
Pistachios – Get them in the shell so they take longer to eat. 😉Shelled pistachios – A more convenient way to enjoy these keto friendly nuts. Save these for recipes instead of snacking.
11. Walnuts
Walnuts are mid-range when it comes to carbs in nuts. Not the best, far from the worst — and definitely tasty. They are also high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids [*].
Carbs In Walnuts:
Walnuts have 3.9g total carbs and 2g net carbs per 1-ounce serving [*].
Keto Walnut Recipes:
Spring Mix Salad With Walnuts – These keto nuts pair perfectly with the blueberries and goat cheese in this salad.Keto Banana Nut Muffins – Banana flavor and walnuts — the perfect combo. (No real bananas needed!)Broccoli Cranberry Salad With Walnuts – A hearty salad with sweetness and crunch.
Buy Walnuts Online:
Walnuts – Crunchy and raw, for all your nutty recipes.Walnut butter – Just like other keto nuts, you can get this one as a nut butter too! Stick with a plain variety.
Keto Nuts Chart: Carbs In Nuts & Nut Butter
Do nuts have carbs? They sure do – but you can make an informed decision about which keto diet nuts are best for you with this handy chart.
Keto Nuts List: Carbs In Nuts
Not all carbs in nuts are the same. This handy chart lets you see the differences in one place.
Keto Nut Butter List: Carbs In Nut Butter
Are nuts high in carbs when ground into nut butter? It depends — use this table to tell which nut butters have the most carbs. If you like flavored nut butter or blends, this is the one I recommend for the best nut butter for keto. Use code WHOLESOME to save 15%!
Low Carb Nuts To Avoid
Most of these look like they have really good keto macros. So, are nuts keto no matter what? Not really. Some nuts are not worth enjoying very often, because their carb counts are simply too high.
Cashews: Why Are They Not Keto Friendly?
Cashews aren’t the best nuts to eat on keto by a long shot. In just one ounce, raw cashews contain 8.6g total carbs and 7.6g net carbs. [*] Since their net carb count is so high for such a small portion, you’re better off with the other keto diet nuts listed above.
Conclusion: Are Nuts Keto?
Yes, many nuts counts as keto nuts! However, they’re not a carb-free food. Calories and carbs in nuts can add up fast, so always watch your portions. Use the list of best nuts for keto above to see how each one can fit into your daily macros.
