You’ve just had the perfect keto meal. All the dishes are done, leftovers are in the fridge, and you’re feeling satisfied—ready to relax on the couch with a book.
You look at your significant other. They look back at you.
You’ve adhered so well to the ketogenic diet recently, hitting every workout and tracking all your macronutrients diligently. But a sweet tooth cannot be quelled.
“I want dessert,” you both say in unison.
The problem is, most dessert options aren’t considered keto-friendly. And if you’re like many people, sweet cravings can be the Achilles heel of a ketogenic diet.
The good news is, there’s a solution that won’t break your diet: fat bombs.
If you aren’t familiar with fat bombs, they are low-carb, high-fat, low-sugar treats made with only keto-friendly ingredients, designed to replicate high-carb goodies by providing keto substitutes in place of normal dessert ingredients.
The best part is, they won’t take you out of ketosis.
Before getting into how to make fat bombs, we’ll provide you with some background on the keto diet and illustrate why fat bombs can be an important tool to keep you on track when the craving for sweets just won’t go away.
Keto Refresher
Chances are, you’re already familiar with the keto diet. But in case you forgot or you’re new to the diet, let’s revisit the basics to provide a foundation for how fat bombs can make your diet easier.
The keto diet is a low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat diet approach designed to induce a state of ketosis.
It’s different than other low-carb diets like Paleo (on which you can eat carbs if they were available to cavepeople) or Atkins (which is high-protein).
The body is naturally designed to use glucose as its main energy source through regular carbohydrate consumption. Eliminating carbohydrates from your diet creates a metabolic shift in the body away from glucose-dependent energy; after carbs are nearly eliminated, the body can tap into stored body fat for energy. Our bodies hold way more fat that carbohydrate.
Switching the body’s natural energy source from carbs to fats can provide a number of health benefits. Let’s take a look at what keto might be able to do for you.
Health Benefits of Keto
People commonly try keto as a means of losing weight. One of the main benefits of the diet is, through carb reduction, enabling the body to use fat stores as energy, or becoming more metabolically efficient.
A recent meta-analysis that examined 13 randomized control trials found that ketogenic diets cause more of a dramatic weight loss than those adhering to a low fat diet.
Keto diets can also be the perfect option for individuals needing an alternative form of diabetic treatment. In 2008, 84 subjects were randomly assigned to a ketogenic diet (<20g carbs daily) or a low glycemic, low calorie (500kcal deficit/day) diet. The ketogenic group had greater improvements in glucose control, greater weight loss, and more of an increase in HDL cholesterol compared to the low calorie group.
Those suffering from epilepsy may also experience seizure relief while on keto, which was one of the initial uses for the ketogenic diet in the 1920s. In one study, 150 epileptic children underwent a keto-style diet for an entire year; more than half of them experienced a 90% decrease in seizures.
There have been a few review articles that have been published proposing a few mechanisms claiming that ketone bodies affect neurotransmitters and the activity of their receptors, certain enzymatic pathways are altered in a ketogenic state, and that DNA methylation (the activation of certain genes) is also influenced by ketogenic diets.
Those seeking improved cognitive performance or an increased lifespan may also consider keto.
As you can see, the keto diet can help you attain goals of body composition or mental clarity. Regardless of your overall health currently, there’s a case to be made that keto can help improve your health status(depending on your goals).
Why Keto Fat Bombs?
If you have a never-ending sweet tooth, fat bombs may be the most logical solution. They’re the perfect keto snack that are free of refined sugar and carbs.
The high-fat content of keto fat bombs makes them more satiating than traditional sugary sweets while also keeping you in ketosis.
Some of the common keto fat bomb ingredients include:
- Coconut oil
- MCT oil
- Artificial sweeteners such as stevia, erythritol, or monk fruit sweetener
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Cream cheese
- Cocoa powder
- Dark chocolate
- Heavy cream
- Blueberries
If you’re wondering how to create fat bombs, they’re generally “no-bake” and are super simple to make.
Let’s take a look at some of the easiest low-carb recipes to use when creating your own fat bombs.
How Healthy are Fat Bombs?
There are two sides to this coin.
On one hand, fat bombs are high in heart-healthy fat while also being free of refined carbohydrates and sugar—unquestionably, they’re “healthier” than whatever dessert you’ll likely grab perusing the packaged sections of the grocery store. They are also satiating (while helping you to stay in ketosis), so this may lead to less snacking overall.
There’s also the idea that the best diet for you is the one you can maintain.
Being too restrictive on diets can lead to disaster. By using a balanced approach, people will be more mentally capable to stick to diets long-term.
On the other side of the coin, there’s the calorie content of these fat bombs. Too many calories of anything (even “healthy” items!) can lead to dietary sabotage, if your goal is weight loss. Even things like your favorite drinks can contain an insane amount of hidden calories.
Moderation is the key to any form of dietary success, but fat bombs are designed to help you feel satisfied even while consuming them in small portions.
Fat Bomb Recipes
Before you think about reaching for a piece of candy or grabbing the nearest cookie, be sure to check out some of these fat bomb recipes instead.
These high-fat keto treats are designed to mimic popular sweets using non-sugary ingredients. There’s plenty of sweet fat bomb recipes and savory fat bomb recipes for every kind of craver.
No matter which one you choose, these should help you stay on track and not break ketosis.
Sweet Fat Bombs
Sweet fat bombs are most common. They allow people to indulge in keto-friendly treats with no guilt (or little guilt).
Sugar Free Chocolate Fudge
For those that have a hard time putting the candy down, be sure to try this no-bake fat bomb recipe. The total prep time is less than five minutes!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of peanut butter or almond butter
- ¼ cup of cocoa powder
- 1 scoop of chocolate MCT Oil Powder
- Stevia or monk fruit sweetener to taste
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until it reaches a smooth consistency
- Pour into ice cube trays to create individual treats which are easy to share and enjoy
- Put them in the freezer to harden until ready to eat
White Chocolate Fat Bomb
If you’re more of a fan of white chocolate, have no fear—we’ve got you covered. The best part is prep time is under ten minutes.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup cocoa butter
- 1 scoop vanilla MCT Oil Powder
- Vanilla stevia or other sweetener to taste
Instructions:
- Melt cocoa butter over low-heat and stir in MCT Oil Powder
- Remove from heat and stir in sweetener
- Pour into ice cube trays and freeze until they’re hard enough to eat
Strawberry Fat Bombs
Fruit fans can rejoice; you can combine your favorite fruit with these fat bombs.
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup coconut butter
- 1 scoop of vanilla MCT Oil Powder
- ½ Tbsp cocoa powder
- Liquid stevia to taste
- 75g of diced strawberries
Instructions:
- Place coconut butter, MCT Oil Powder, cocoa powder, and stevia together in a pan. Heat fully until melted.
- In a separate small pan, add strawberries and a bit of water together, cooking over medium heat until soft
- Macerate strawberries with a fork. Combine all other ingredients and mix together until smooth.
- Pour mixture into moles and place in fridge until hardened.
- Pop out of the fridge and serve within 5 minutes
Savory Fat Bombs
Sweets aren’t for everybody. Savory fat bombs are an alternative for those seeking a different type of treat.
Bacon and Egg Fat Bombs
These yummy treats are perfect for taking on the go when you can’t make breakfast. The best part is that they're simple to make.
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup grass fed butter
- 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 4 slices of bacon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Cook bacon in the oven or on a frying pan until it becomes brown and crispy
- Hard boil eggs in a saucepan
- Peel eggs and mash them together adding butter, mayo, salt and pepper
- Add in bacon grease if desired
- Crumble bacon into pieces
- Take egg mixture and create six ball-shaped pieces
- Roll each ball in bacon and store in the fridge
- Keep in the fridge and enjoy within 72 hours.
Bacon and Guacamole Fat Bombs
If you’re searching for a game day snack, this keto-friendly fat bombs recipe will keep you from reaching into the bowl of potato chips.
Ingredients:
- ½ avocado
- ¼ cup grass fed butter
- 4 large slices of bacon
- 1 chili pepper
- ½ white onion chopped
- 1 - 2 tbsp cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Add in other seasonings as you’d like
Instructions:
- Cook bacon in frying pan or oven until crispy
- Peel avocado and mash together in bowl with butter, chili pepper, cilantro, and other seasonings
- Add in chopped onions
- Crumble bacon into pieces
- Create tiny guacamole balls and roll in bacon
- Store in airtight container for up to three days
Note: if you want to make this recipe Paleo-friendly and dairy-free, simply remove the butter.
Peanut Butter Fat Bombs
Instead of reaching for a Reese’s peanut butter cup, grab one of these instead.
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons grass-fed butter
- 6 tablespoons organic peanut butter (or almond butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sweetener to taste
- A pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
- Grab a muffin tin and fill with liners.
- Microwave almond butter and grass-fed butter together for about one minute until the mixture becomes almost melted.
- Stir in vanilla, sweetener, and salt until it reaches a smooth consistency.
- Place an even amount of the mixture into liners.
- Place in freezer for ten minutes until they reach the desired consistency.
Most fat bombs are simple and can be made in under ten minutes. They’re the perfect snack to help you stick to keto.
Ready to Try Fat Bombs for Yourself?
Next time you’re feeling like a sweet snack, don’t give in. Remember you have fat bombs, and remember you have several recipes to pull from right here. We like to print those out and keep them on the fridge, just in case a craving strikes.
All these recipes contain heart-healthy, high-fat ingredients designed to fill you up without weighing you down.
These recipes may help you take one step closer to reaching your goals.
Be sure to try them all and decide which one is right for you. Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Editors Choice
How to Get Into Ketosis Fast
The low-carb, high-fat keto diet has been shown to improve body composition and increase endurance performance. But getting into ketosis is difficu...
Ketones in Urine: All You Need to Know
Monitoring ketone levels in urine is important for both diabetics and those waiting to maintain ketosis. Here's what to look for, how to test and t...
VO2 Max: Training to Use Oxygen Efficiently
VO2 max might be the truest representation of endurance fitness there is. While elite runners and cyclists train their bodies to use a high volume ...
Do Calories Matter on a Keto Diet?
Are all calories created equal? Not on the keto diet. Weight loss has emerged as a primary incentive for going keto. That's not driven by the amoun...
Keto Diet Fundamentals
A ketogenic diet, or “keto diet,” refers to an extremely low-carbohydrate, high-fat pattern of eating. This article dives into the history of the k...
Beta-hydroxybutyrate or BHB –All You Need to Know
BHB stands for beta-hydroxybutyrate, one of the three main ketone bodies. It's a clean-burning energy source for both the body and the brain. What'...
Ketone Salts: Ketosis with a Cost
Ketone salts, also known as BHB salts, provide the body with a way to enter ketosis. But the results are mixed. There are a few options for someone...
How to Run Faster: Mental and Physical Techniques
Runners chase speed. For many, it's a lifelong pursuit. The connection between the body and the mind is important for speed, and harnessing both wi...
