Annie Lampella Recipe Developer

Keto Cheese Recipes You Won't Believe Are Low-Carb

Almost every cheese is keto-friendly. The trick is knowing which one to reach for, and which to leave on the shelf.

Keto-Friendly 0gNet Carbs 113Calories 7gProtein 9gFat

Nutrition per 1 oz

148 keto cheese recipes

Low carb ham and Swiss ziti casserole served on a plate with creamy melted cheese, spinach, and diced ham.

Crispy orange cottage cheese chips cut into triangles and coated in a bold, Dorito-style seasoning.

Individual Mexican lasagna bowls topped with avocado, pico de gallo, and sour cream in glass containers.

A stacked sandwich made with crispy cheese bread, turkey, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato slices.

A mini pizza in a ramekin topped with pepperoni, basil and parmesan cheese.

New to keto? Short answer: yes, cheese is keto, with most natural cheeses at 0 to 1g net carbs per ounce. Full breakdown: Is cheese keto? →

I have tested cheese in more keto recipes than I can count, and I have strong opinions about it. Most of them come down to two questions: which cheese for which job, and what to never put in your cart.

The cheeses I keep stocked

Sharp cheddar is my everyday workhorse. I melt it into casseroles, stuff it into peppers, and eat it straight off the block when I need something fast. Mozzarella is what I reach for when I need stretch: fat head dough, keto pizza, lasagna. Cream cheese is the backbone of my keto baking. Parmesan is the seasoning cheese, and a tablespoon of the finely grated stuff adds more flavor to a dish than almost any spice I own.

Buy the block, not the bag

The one rule I repeat more than any other: buy block cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch (usually potato starch or cellulose) that adds carbs and, worse, stops it from melting cleanly. I have made sauces with bagged mozzarella that turned grainy and gummy instead of smooth. A box grater takes 60 seconds. It is worth it.

Why cream cheese earns its own shelf

Full-fat cream cheese has about 1g net carbs per 2 tablespoons, low enough that I treat it as a near-zero ingredient. It is what makes keto cheesecake taste like real cheesecake, and combined with shredded mozzarella it becomes fat head dough, which unlocks bagels, pizza crust, and cinnamon rolls. Always go full-fat. The reduced-fat tubs add stabilizers and carbs and bake worse.

The cheeses to skip

Watch out for the processed ones: American singles, Velveeta, spray cheese. They are cheese-adjacent products with added starches and sometimes sugar, and they can run 1 to 3g net carbs per serving. Real cheese from the deli counter or the dairy aisle is almost always the better call.

In a hurry? Get the quick answer: Is cheese keto? →

Written by Annie Lampella, Pharm.D., a pharmacist and recipe developer who has followed keto for 14 years.
More about Annie →

Common Questions About Keto Cheese

Is cheese keto?

Yes, cheese is keto. Most natural cheeses have 0 to 1g net carbs per ounce, along with plenty of fat and protein. Full breakdown: Is cheese keto? →

Is cream cheese keto?

Yes, full-fat cream cheese is keto-friendly at about 1g net carbs per 2 tablespoons. It's one of the most useful ingredients in keto baking. it's the base for fat head dough (used in bagels, pizza, and cinnamon rolls), cheesecake fillings, and creamy sauces. Stick with full-fat. Reduced-fat cream cheese has more added stabilizers, more carbs, and worse texture in baked goods.

How much cheese can you eat on keto?

There's no hard carb limit for cheese since most natural cheeses are essentially zero net carbs. The practical limit is calorie density. Cheese runs 90-120 calories per ounce, so it adds up quickly. If your weight loss has stalled and you're eating 4-6 oz of cheese a day, that's 360-720 calories from cheese alone before counting anything else. I've had clients who couldn't figure out why they weren't losing until they tracked their cheese intake. It's not a carb problem, it's a calorie density problem.

Is mozzarella keto?

Yes. Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella has close to 0g net carbs per ounce and is one of the most useful cheeses in keto cooking. Fresh mozzarella is around 1g per ounce. The main reason I keep mozzarella stocked is fat head dough. Combined with cream cheese and almond flour, shredded mozzarella forms a dough you can actually shape and bake, which opens up a lot of recipes that would otherwise be impossible to make keto.

Why does pre-shredded cheese have more carbs?

Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents, usually potato starch or cellulose, to prevent the shreds from clumping in the bag. That starch adds carbs. Depending on the brand, a quarter-cup of pre-shredded cheese can have 1-2g net carbs compared to nearly 0g for the same amount of freshly grated block cheese. The other issue is melting. The starch coating prevents the cheese from melting smoothly, so sauces can turn grainy. Always grate from the block.