Choosing a good keto milk is essential to your food journey, because most of us don’t like black coffee or dry low carb cereal…
But, opting for keto foods and low carb drinks can be overwhelming. Reading labels, calculating macros – There are so many high fat keto foods out there, it can make your head spin! What’s right? What’s wrong? What tastes good? Me ohhh my…
So, to simplify things, we made this list of low carb milk for you!!!
Because eating low carb doesn’t have to be overwhelming or tasteless — just grab a jug from the store and business as usual! Let’s dive in!
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Best 9 Keto Milk Choices
Finding the best milk for your lifestyle means reading labels and knowing what to buy! Each milk alternative has its pros and cons, just as traditional cow’s milk. That being said, they’re inherently healthy and delicious!
Here are the 9 best low carb milk choices:
Milk (Per 1 Cup) | Carbs | Sugar | Fiber | Net Carbs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Coconut Milk | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Cashew Milk | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Flax Milk | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Hemp Milk | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Almond Milk | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Soy Milk | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Whole Milk | 11.7 | 12.3 | 0 | 11.7 |
Skim Milk | 12 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Heavy Cream (1 Tbsp) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
**Note: The chart above is based on an 8-ounce serving of the unsweetened variety. Flavors, such as vanilla, may contain additional carbs and/or sugar.
What Are the Carbs in Milk?
Milk carbs are short chain carbohydrates (or sugars) called lactose.
Unfortunately for us low carb-ers, it isn’t as easy as making a “sugar-free” version, as these carbs play a pretty important role in the production of milk: they’re in charge of pulling water into the milk as it’s being made.
Here’s a rundown of how many carbs in COW’S MILK there are:
- Whole Milk: calories 149, carbs 12, fat 7.9, protein 7.9
- 2% Milk: calories 120, carbs 12, fat 4.9, protein 7.9
- Fat Free Milk: calories 91, carbs 13, fat 0, protein 9
FYI – There aren’t any carbs in heavy cream, so it can be used in recipes and even coffee!
How To Drink Milk On A Low Carb Meal Plan
Low carb milk is an AWESOME addition to any low carb meal plan! From cereal, to coffee to smoothies to cheese sauce, lots of recipe taste better with a little milk mixed in…
Here are some ways I use it:
Important Low Carb Smoothie Ingredient.
Another way to drink low carb milk on your carb-conscious journey is to put it in a keto smoothie or meal replacement shake. This is a great way to have your milk and drink it, too!
Just choose your favorite keto fruits and go to town. Or grab your favorite keto protein powder and make a meal replacement shake that’ll fuel your dayyy!
Using low carb milk in smoothies and protein shakes gives them that creamy velvety texture we crave, while making them yummy and satisfying.
Adds Liquid To Drier Flours.
Embarking on the low carb journey means embracing change. One of those changes usually includes cooking with keto flours and some of them don’t behave like traditional wheat flour.
For instance, cooking with coconut flour requires additional liquid because it’s a dryer flour. Using your favorite low carb milk is a great way to add liquid to those dryer low carb flours for moist tasty results.
Keto Milk Recipes
Finding recipes that call for low carb milk is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Just about any recipe that calls for milk can work with low carb milk instead.
Of course, milkshakes and smoothies are my favorites but there are literally tons of great recipes out there. To name a few…
- Keto Milkshake
- Chocolate Almond Milk
- Almond Milk Smoothie
- Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Can You Make Your Own Milk?
Milk isn’t new but many of the choices on the market are. As you know most store-bought milks have been over-processed and stuffed with unnecessary ingredients to stretch the shelf life and the profit margin.
Believe it or not, you can avoid all this by making your own milk at home with your favorite keto nuts. Learning how to make almond milk or how to make coconut milk really isn’t difficult at all.
The process is the same for any nut you choose…
Basically, all you have to do is soak the nuts for 12-24 hours to remove the phytic acid and other impurities. Rinse the nuts and discard the dirty water.
Next, add the nuts and clean water to your blender and blend thoroughly. Then, pour the mixture through a cheese cloth to remove the pulp. Voila! You’ve got clean homemade nut milk without unnecessary additives!
Can You Flavor Your Milk?
Making flavored low carb milk is as easy as adding your favorite ingredients into the mix…
- Use sugar free chocolate syrup for a low carb chocolate milk.
- Add strawberries and milk to the blender from a strawberry milk.
- Add keto peanut butter to the blender with either of the above for a little PB surprise!
The floodgates have opened, and the possibilities are endless!!!
7+ Keto Milk Choices
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream or full-fat coconut milk with liquid + solids
- 3/4 Cup Almond Milk
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tablespoons Cacao Powder* dutch process
- 1/4 Cup Swerve or Lakanto (see sweetener notes below) granular
- Pinch Kosher Salt
- 1 Small (201g) Avocado
- 1 Cup Ice
Recommended Toppings:
Instructions
- Toss all ingredients in the blender in the order listed above.
- Pour into a glass and top with your favorite toppings. (I poured a little sugar free chocolate in the glass before pouring the milkshake in). Enjoy!
Fans Also Made These Healthy Recipes:
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Lindsey's Tips
- Avocados. Go for haas! They’re higher in fat, creamier and WAY more delicious than regular (sorry Florida ?).
- Chocolate. I love Lily's chocolate chips for this (they make dark, semi-sweet, and milk) but you can always make your own low carb chocolate by following my recipe!
- Lakanto, Swerve, or Erythritol. I stick to Lakanto and Swerve which are a 1:1 swap with traditional sugar. If using a different brand of Erythritol, keep in mind it's 70% as sweet as sugar, so you may need to add more to taste.
- Milk. I swap between unsweetened light almond or coconut milk.
- Nutritional information is based on 1 shake if you divide this recipe into 2. It doesn't include whipped cream or chocolate syrup.
Nutrition
Conclusion
For all the healthy choices low carbers make to keep their diet in check, the type of low carb milk you choose and what you do with it may be one of the most important! Besides that, dreamy creamy smooth sweet flavor, it’s nice to have something besides water when you’re throwing down in the kitchen.
Plus, it makes that occasional milkshake and mid-week smoothie super velvety and magnificent. Milk is the cornerstone of many recipes in our carb conscious world, so choose a good one!
What’s your favorite low carb milk? What do you do with it? Let me know in the comments below!!