Breakfast food is amazing. Whether you eat it for the meal it’s intended for or sneak in any opportunity you can to eat pancakes for dinner, it’s hard to mess up breakfast. Unfortunately, many breakfast recipes are loaded with carbs. Not to mention your favorite toppings, like syrup and whipped cream, add even more sugar to your palette (and your waistline). It’s time to revolutionize breakfast — and make it healthier at the same time. Are you looking for low carb breakfast recipes you can count on? Look no further.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, cut back on your sugar intake, or finally get your blood sugar under control, breakfast is the ideal place to start.
What are the benefits of a low carb breakfast?
Low carb foods either don’t contain carbs at all (such as meat) or contain large amounts of fiber without copious servings of sugar (like vegetables). The more you can incorporate foods like these into your diet — especially your breakfast — the healthier you will become.
Researchers can’t seem to agree on whether or not following a low carb diet is effective for long-term weight loss in every human being. However, cutting refined carbohydrates like added sugars from your diet can significantly improve your health in both the short- and long-term.
Let’s look at some breakfast recipes that will stabilize your blood sugar, keep you full all morning, and restore your love for the most important meal of the day.
1. Low-carb breakfast vegetable frittata
Have you ever struggled to cram more servings of vegetables into your day? A frittata is one of the easiest recipes to make this delicious dream come true. Vegetables are bursting with fiber yet still low in net carbs, so this broccoli and spinach masterpiece will serve you well.
Broccoli, Spinach, Tomato, and Red Pepper Frittata (makes 4 servings)
Prep time: 25 minutes
- 8 eggs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup red peppers, chopped
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded or grated
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup broccoli, steamed and chopped
- 1 cup spinach
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until fully combined. Stir in chopped red peppers, cheddar cheese, and black pepper.
In a cast iron skillet, melt butter. As butter melts, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat chopped broccoli and spinach in the skillet until soft.
Remove skillet from heat, pour in egg and red pepper mixture and top with cherry tomatoes.
Bake frittata in oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until middle of the frittata is solid.
Remove frittata from oven, let cool, slice, and serve with hot sauce (optional).
2. Low-carb muffins made with cottage cheese
We bet you have never thought of cottage cheese a replacement for flour. This unique baking ingredient will give your breakfast muffins a texture and taste you won’t have to resist.
Flourless Egg and Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins (makes 24 small muffins)
Prep time: 40 minutes
- 10 eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- Hot sauce to taste (optional)
- 2 cups full-fat cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup Colby Jack cheese
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 cup ham, diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, diced (you can use a milder pepper if desired)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with foil cups. Spray each cup with oil to prevent sticking.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and hot sauce of choice (optional).
Add in cottage cheese, spinach, ham, Colby Jack cheese, and peppers.
Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop egg and cottage cheese mixture into oiled muffin tins. Bake muffins for about 30 minutes. Let cool before serving.
3. Avocado with eggs
Do you love eggs? Are you still obsessed with avocado? This recipe combines the two and bakes them into one of the most delicious creations you’ve never tasted.
Baked Avocado and Eggs (makes 6 servings)
Prep time: 25 minutes
- 3 avocados, halved and seeded
- 6 eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Create a small well in the center of each avocado half. To do this, use a spoon to scoop out two tablespoons of flesh from each avocado half.
Making sure to keep the yolks intact as you go, carefully crack 1 egg into each small well. Season each egg yolk with salt and pepper, if desired.
Transfer avocado halves to parchment paper on top of baking sheet. Slide into the oven and bake about 15 minutes, or until each egg white sets but the yolks still appear runny.
Remove from oven, garnish with chives (if desired) and serve immediately.
4. A flourless breakfast pizza
Whoever said you couldn’t have pizza for breakfast lied to your face. Shame on them.
Cauliflower Breakfast Pizza (makes 4 servings)
Prep time: 1 hour
- 12 ounces riced cauliflower
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 5 large eggs
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 sausage links, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
- Fresh herbs of your choosing (optional)
In a large microwave safe bowl, place riced cauliflower head and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave cauliflower on high for 10 minutes.
While cauliflower cooks, line a sieve with a tea towel and place it over a bowl. Carefully transfer cooked cauliflower to the lined sieve and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a cast-iron skillet while you wait.
Using the tea towel, squeeze as much liquid out of the cauliflower as possible. Then, place the dry cauliflower to a different bowl. Add in mozzarella, 1 large egg (save the rest for later), garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir all ingredients together until combined.
Transfer to the greased cast iron skillet, firmly and evenly pressing it into the bottom to create a crust. Bake 20 minutes, or until its edges are golden brown and its middle feels firm.
Once the crust is finished cooking, sprinkle 1 cup cheddar cheese and sausage onto it. Crack the remaining 4 eggs over the crust and distribute evenly on top of the cheese and sausage. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese on top and season with more salt and pepper.
Bake pizza 8 to 12 minutes, until your eggs are cooked enough (to your preference). Once you remove it from the oven, add avocado slices, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Let cool slightly before slicing and serve hot.
5. Creamy, flourless pancakes
Cream cheese isn’t always the best choice of spread when smearing it onto a carb-rich bagel. Add it to your pancake batter, though, and you’re in good shape.
Easy Cream Cheese Pancakes (makes 4 medium pancakes)
Prep time: 15 minutes
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Place all ingredients (cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon) in a blender and pulse until smooth. Let rest for about 2 minutes.
Grease a skillet with cooking spray and place on medium high heat. Pour 1/4 of the egg and cream cheese mixture onto the hot skillet. Cook 2 minutes, until golden brown. Flip to other side and cook 1 minute.
Repeat with remaining 3/4 of the pancake batter. Serve with fresh blueberries.
6. Low carb oatmeal
Making your own oatmeal doesn’t just taste better — it’s better for your belly.
Simple Breakfast Oatmeal (makes 2 bowls of oatmeal)
Prep time: 15 minutes
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1/3 cup coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons low-carb sweetener of your choice
- Berries for a topping (optional)
Toast coconut flakes and chopped almonds 2-3 minutes.
In a bowl, add chia seeds, shredded coconut, coconut flakes, and almonds. Then add almond milk, water, low-carb sweetener, and vanilla extract. Mix all ingredients together until well combined. let sit 5 to 10 minutes.
Top with berries (if desired) and serve.
7. Fourless waffles
Keeping your carb intake at a minimum when you love waffles seems like an impossible task. Don’t worry, though — you can combine two of your breakfast favorites into one. Instead of white or even whole wheat flour, use rolled oats.
Flourless Oatmeal Waffles (makes 4 waffles)
Prep time: 12 minutes
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat a waffle iron.
Place oats, cornstarch, brown sugar, and the rest of the ingredients (in order) into a blender. Blend until the oats break down and the batter is completely smooth and slightly frothy.
Follow your waffle iron’s instructions to determine how much batter to pour in for each waffle and how long to cook each waffle.
Serve warm using berries and Greek yogurt as optional toppings. You can also freeze each waffle and toast it later for a quick breakfast on a busy morning.
8. Ham and onion omelet
Let’s get back to basics. This simple, easy to prepare omelet certainly won’t disappoint.
The Ultimate Ham, Cheese, and Onion Omelet (makes 1 omelet)
Prep time: 20 minutes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup ham, chopped
- 3 large eggs
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon cow’s milk
- Parmesan cheese, grated
In a skillet on medium heat, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion in the oil until slightly softened and browned. Cook about 6 minutes, occasionally stirring.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and milk. Once the onions are done cooking, transfer them to a plate so you can use the skillet again.
Increase the skillet’s heat to medium high heat and add the egg mixture. The eggs will start to set. Once that happens, lift the edges of the omelet slightly with a spatula. Tilting the pan, the leftover uncooked egg will run beneath the cooked egg.
Once the omelet sets in the middle, add the ham and sautéed onions to only one side of the omelet. Carefully fold the side without fillings over the side with fillings.
Remove from heat and let the omelet cook another minute, flipping the entire thing over once. Transfer omelet onto a plate, garnish with parmesan cheese, and serve.
9. Low-carb breakfast hash browns
Cauliflower is back again! Except this time, it’s replacing the infamous potato. There is nothing wrong with potatoes, but if you are counting carbs, cauliflower is definitely a better choice.
Cauliflower Hash Browns (makes 4 servings)
Prep time: 35 minutes
- 1/2 medium cauliflower head
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Grate cauliflower into a medium sized bowl until fully shredded. Add the egg, onion, cheddar cheese, and cornstarch. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Spoon cauliflower mixture into skillet and shape into a small patty. Let cook on one side about 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Flip to the other side and cook 5 more minutes.
Repeat this step with remaining cauliflower mixture. Serve hot.
10. Sweet potato “toast”
Most breads aren’t good for you. Unless it is made completely with whole grains — rare, if you are getting it from the store — bread probably doesn’t belong in your morning routine. Here’s an idea: make “bread” out of a sweet potato instead.
Oven Baked Sweet Potato Toast (makes 4 servings)
Prep time: 30 minutes
- 1 large sweet potato, washed and dried
- Avocado
- Red onion
- Banana slices
- Blueberries
- Red peppers
- Herbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a large baking sheet.
Using a knife, trim off the edges of your sweet potato. Then proceed to slice the potato lengthwise and then into 1/4 inch “slabs.” Arrange sweet potato slabs (“toast”) in a single layer on top of the wire rack.
Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato slabs are tender.
Remove from heat and let the sweet potato slabs cool completely on the wire rack. Once they have cooled off, transfer to your toaster or toaster oven and let cook until crispy.
You can then add as many toppings as you want. Try to add as many fruits, vegetables, and sources of protein and fiber as possible. Avocado, onions, banana slices, berries, peppers, and herbs can serve as excellent toppings. Greek yogurt can also serve as your “spread,” because it is healthier than both sour cream and butter.