Creamy, thick, and loaded with sharp cheddar and jalapenos, these lupin meal keto grits deliver real grits texture, at 3.1g net carbs and 13.8g protein. I saute the jalapeno in butter first, boil the lupin meal in water and heavy cream for about 5 minutes, and I let the cream cheese and cheddar stir in off the heat.
I tried every low carb grits substitute before I landed on lupin meal, and nothing else comes close. Cauliflower grits? I made them at least five times, adjusting ratios each time, and every batch tasted like cheesy cauliflower rice. Not bad on its own, but if you're expecting grits, it's a letdown. Lupin meal has a coarse, grainy texture that actually mimics real cornmeal. The first time I stirred a batch together I couldn't believe how close it was.
I've been cooking with this ingredient for years across multiple recipes, and I know how it behaves. It thickens fast once it hits boiling liquid, so stir right away or you'll get clumps stuck to the bottom. My ratio is 1 cup lupin meal to 2 cups water and 1 cup heavy cream. That gives you thick, creamy grits without being too dense. If you want them thinner, add a splash more water, but don't skip the cream entirely or the texture goes chalky.
One thing I picked up from a reader: wait a full minute after pulling the pan off heat before adding the cream cheese. I used to stir it in right away and got little white clumps scattered throughout. That extra minute lets the temperature drop just enough for everything to melt smooth. Small detail, but it's the difference between silky grits and lumpy ones.
The jalapeño and sharp cheddar combo is how I make these most often, but this recipe works as a blank canvas. I tried smoked Gouda after a reader swapped it in, and it's genuinely better than cheddar for certain moods. More depth, a touch of smokiness that plays off the natural nuttiness. Poblano peppers or roasted hatch chiles are great if you want pepper flavor without the heat. A reader used hatch chiles and said the smokiness the lupin meal picks up from a cast iron is on another level. I believe it, because this base absorbs whatever flavors you cook it with.
For breakfast, I top a bowl with a fried egg and hot sauce, or pair it with mini frittatas for extra protein. I swap mornings between this and keto oatmeal when I want variety. These keto grits work for dinner too. I serve them alongside green beans and bacon or next to shrimp for a proper shrimp and grits situation. The batch makes enough for leftovers, and they reheat well with a splash of cream stirred in.
Why Lupin Meal Makes Better Grits
These grits are creamy, thick, and the closest I’ve gotten to real cornmeal texture on keto. Ground lupin beans replace cornmeal here, cutting carbs down to just 3 g net per serving. The beans have a slightly nutty flavor, and once butter, cheese, and toppings go in, that nuttiness disappears completely.
Most low carb grits recipes use cauliflower. I’ve gone that route and it just tastes like cheesy cauliflower rice (similar to cauliflower fried rice). Not bad, but not grits. Lupin meal gives you actual grits texture with that familiar coarse bite. I switched years ago and haven’t looked back.
I make these for breakfast with a fried egg or as a side for shrimp and grits night.
Is Cornmeal Keto Friendly?
No. One cup of yellow cornmeal has 84.9 g net carbs, so it’s not even close to keto friendly. I checked this early on when I was looking for a way to make grits work, and the numbers took cornmeal off the table immediately.
Ground lupin beans have only 4 g net carbs per cup because they’re mostly fiber. That fiber content is also great for gut health, which is a nice bonus. The swap is what makes the entire recipe possible.
What Are Lupin Beans?
Lupin beans (lupini beans) are yellow, protein-packed beans common in Mediterranean, Latin American, and North African cooking. They’re low in net carbs and grind down into a meal or flour, which is why they’ve become popular for keto baking and cooking. I use lupin meal across several of my recipes wherever I need a cornmeal-like texture.
I get asked all the time about lupin meal vs lupin flour vs lupin flakes. The meal is what you want for grits. It has the coarser grind that gives you that grainy bite. Lupin flour is ground too fine and will give you something closer to mushy porridge. If you can only find flakes, run them through a food processor until you get a coarse, sandy consistency. That works too.
Ways to Customize Your Grits
I’ve tested a lot of variations here. If jalapeños are too spicy, try crumbled bacon or sauteed mushrooms stirred in at the end. Scallions add a nice bite. Cajun seasoning gives the whole bowl a kick if you want to go that direction. I’ve even spooned these into warm keto tortillas with scrambled eggs on top for a breakfast taco situation.
For plain grits, just skip the jalapeños and cheddar. Butter and salt on their own are enough when you want something simple.
What to Serve with Grits
Grits are mild enough to pair with just about anything. The classic move is buttery garlic shrimp on top. Shrimp and grits is iconic for a reason, and shrimp is naturally low carb. I also serve these next to sausage and eggs, fried chicken, or a simple piece of grilled fish.
In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced jalapeño and cook until softened (2-3 minutes).
2
Cook lupin meal
Add lupin meal, water, heavy cream and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until lupin grits have thickened and no longer liquid.
3
Say cheese grits
Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese and cheese into the grits until combined.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/6 of recipe
Calories
408
Fat
32.8g
Protein
13.8g
Total carbs
11.1g
Net carbs
3.1g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use corn extract to make these taste more like real grits?
I've seen this tip floating around and it makes sense. A drop or two of corn extract stirred in at the end would add that authentic corn taste without any extra carbs. The lupin meal already nails the texture, so the extract just fills in the flavor gap. I haven't tested it myself yet, but it's next on my list.
Where can I buy lupin meal?
I buy my lupin meal online. Kaizen is the brand I use most, and it's easy to find on Amazon. Some specialty health food stores carry it too. Make sure you're getting meal, not flour. The flour is ground too fine for grits and will give you a mushy result.
Can I freeze keto grits?
I've frozen batches and they hold up well. I portion them into individual containers before freezing so I can grab one at a time. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm on the stove with a splash of water or cream. They thicken a lot as they cool, so you need that extra liquid to bring them back to the right consistency.
Can I make this recipe dairy-free?
I've made these with coconut cream in place of heavy cream and it works. Use a dairy-free cheese that actually melts (I've had the best luck with Violife cheddar shreds) and skip the cream cheese or swap it for a dairy-free version. The coconut cream adds a subtle sweetness that pairs well with the lupin meal.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
I keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They firm up a lot as they cool, which is normal. I reheat on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of cream or water stirred in until they loosen back up. Microwave works too, but stovetop gives me better control over the consistency.
What can I use instead of jalapeños if I want less heat?
I've used poblano peppers when I want pepper flavor without the bite, and they work great. Diced bell peppers are another option if you want to skip spice entirely. You can also just leave the peppers out and go with plain cheddar grits, which is how my kids prefer them.
What toppings work best with these grits?
My go-to is a fried egg and hot sauce, but these can handle almost anything. I've done crumbled breakfast sausage, bacon bits, sauteed mushrooms, and a dollop of sour cream. For dinner, shrimp with garlic butter on top is the classic combo. I also like pulled pork over a bowl of these when I have leftovers from a weekend cook.
Is grits keto friendly to eat?
Traditional grits are not keto. They are made from cornmeal, and one cup of yellow cornmeal has 84.9 g net carbs. My version swaps in lupin meal, which brings a serving down to 3.1 g net carbs, so I eat these grits on keto without a second thought.
What is a low-carb substitute for grits?
Lupin meal is the best low carb substitute for grits I have found. It has a coarse, grainy texture that mimics real cornmeal, unlike cauliflower, which just tastes like cheesy cauliflower rice. I cook 1 cup lupin meal with 2 cups water and 1 cup heavy cream, and each serving comes out to 3.1 g net carbs.
I’m still learning keto substitutions and this was my first recipe using lupin meal, which I’d ordered two weeks ago and been circling ever since. I expected the usual problem with low-carb grain substitutes, where the texture is close but always slightly off in a way you can’t stop noticing. That didn’t happen. The lupin meal absorbs the cream and water in a way that builds real body, not just thickness, and I figured out partway through that the ratio is what makes it work: it needs all the fat from the heavy cream to smooth out. The cream cheese step was the one I almost rationalized away, but it does something the cheddar alone can’t do. That slight graininess in the lupin meal disappears when the cream cheese goes in, which I couldn’t really explain until after I’d already eaten half of it. Reheated mine the next morning with a little extra cream. Came back together just right. Still going back and forth on the jalapeño. Probably just going to keep making it both ways.
I buy mine online, Kaizen brand on Amazon is what I use. Some specialty health food stores carry it, but I’ve never found it at a regular grocery store. Make sure you grab meal and not flour.
That smell when the jalapeño hits the butter is still catching me on batch seven, I stop what I’m doing every time without meaning to. I’ve learned it thickens up fast once you pull it off heat, faster than I realized the first few times, so now I keep it a little wetter than I think I want and let the cheese do the rest. Annie, the lupin meal texture in this is better than I thought it would be and that’s entirely your fault because now I’m hooked. Four stars, would be five but I want three jalapeños in there and I’ve just been doing it myself.
Serve this under a fried egg. Made my first bowl plain, dropped one on top as a total afterthought, and now I can’t eat it any other way. Lupin meal was a complete mystery to me going in, and I spent more time reading the comments than actually cooking, but 3 grams of net carbs was convincing enough. Sharp cheddar, cream cheese, and somehow it all tastes like the kind of thing that should cost fourteen dollars on a weekend brunch menu.
I eat mine with a fried egg almost every time and never thought to put that in the post. Hot sauce too. The fourteen dollar thing is not an exaggeration.
Something finally clicked on batch four. The lupin meal has a faint earthiness that threw me off the first few runs. Salt harder than feels right and go the full two cups of sharp cheddar, that’s it. Four stars not five, because the texture is its own thing and you can feel it, but once you stop comparing it to stone-ground you’ll stop caring.
Diane, the stop-comparing advice is what I should put at the top of the post. Lupin meal is doing its own thing. And the salt push past what feels right is real, I go heavier than feels safe the first time and it needs all of it.
Thick and pulling from the spoon the way real grits do, and I actually set the bowl down for a second just to register it. Wrote grits off year one of keto. This is the one.
That pull is the whole thing. Lupin meal was the only thing I tested that actually nailed it, everything else went gluey or thin. Try it with shrimp and garlic butter on top sometime, Lorraine.
Six batches in and the move nobody’s talking about is doubling the cream cheese. I went to 2 oz on batch three just to see what would happen, and the texture jumped from good-but-dense to silky in a way the 1 oz version never quite hit. The lupin meal has more body to it than regular grits, and the extra cream cheese closes that gap. I’ve also been cracking a fried egg on top right before serving so it’s a full breakfast, and honestly the yolk cutting into the cheddar layer is as good as you’d think. The 3g net carbs means I can do this two mornings in a row and not think twice. Batch seven is Saturday.
2 oz is going in the recipe notes. Lupin meal has more texture to smooth out than regular grits, and the extra cream cheese closes that gap. Egg on top is what I do too.
Dry-toasting first, I’ve done that with coconut flour but never thought to try it here. The nuttiness probably cuts through all that cream and cheddar the same way the jalapeño does.
My wife grew up in Georgia and is picky about her grits. She had one bite of these and just looked at me like I had some explaining to do. The jalapeño and sharp cheddar come through just right.
Threw crumbled chorizo in right at the start, before the lupin meal, and let it cook down with the butter and jalapeño so all that fat rendered into the base. Wasn’t sure if the extra grease would throw off the texture, but it actually made the whole thing creamier, and there was this smoky depth underneath the sharp cheddar I didn’t see coming. The lupin meal absorbs fat differently than regular cornmeal. Just holds onto it without going heavy. Topped it with a fried egg and I was thinking about that bowl all day. Already doubling the jalapeño next time because the heat mellows way more than I expected once the cream and cheese go in. Making this every Saturday now.
Rendering the chorizo in the butter first changes the whole base. Fat rendered from the meat carries flavor in a way adding it later doesn’t. And jalapeño heat does mellow once cream and cheese go in. I go heavy.
Made a big batch Sunday, reheated all week. They do thicken in the fridge, but a splash of heavy cream when warming brings the texture right back. Day two the jalapeño hits harder, which I actually prefer.
I’ve tried cauliflower ‘grits’ twice and convinced myself they were fine, which is my personal code for not fine. Lupin meal was different. The texture when the heavy cream thickens with the butter is actually creamy (not performing creaminess). Sharp cheddar stirred in at the end and I stopped second-guessing it. More lupin meal already on the way.
Grew up in Georgia eating grits every Sunday morning, and the day I went keto I just said goodbye to them. That was almost two years ago. Found this a few weeks back and made it expecting something that would be close enough but not really the same. The lupin meal cooks up with this thickness I wasn’t prepared for. I added extra jalapeño and used Kerrygold butter and an aged sharp cheddar I had on hand, and it came together close enough to what I remembered that I sat there a minute longer than I needed to. Two years of telling myself grits were just off the table, and this undid that. Going in the Sunday rotation.
Swapped the jalapeño for roasted hatch chiles and the smokiness the lupin meal picks up is on another level. Cast iron first if you have one, the char level really matters here.
Take it off the heat and wait a full minute before adding the cream cheese. I poured it in too soon on my first try and got little white clumps throughout. Second batch was completely silky and honestly this is the most comforting thing I’ve eaten all winter.
That clumping gets everyone the first time. The pan holds heat way longer than it looks like. I started waiting a full minute too, makes all the difference.
The lupini meal has a course texture and will give a consistency similar to grits. I haven’t tried using the flour but imagine that it would give a mushy consistency instead.
