Keto Substitute for Crackers – Smart Snacking for Keto

Crackers are a pantry staple. They are so versatile, and you can eat them with spreads, pair them with meat and cheese platters, and dip them in tasty concoctions. 

Unfortunately, crackers are also high in carbs and often empty calories.

The good news is there are various keto substitutes for crackers that you can try.

You have probably already figured out that regular crackers are not keto-friendly. But you may want to learn more about crackers and their carb content.

Find out some great alternative crackers for keto and some other options to add crunch to your keto diet.

What’s a Cracker?

“Crackers” is a bit of a catch-all that can include savory biscuits, flatbreads, pitas, wafers, wheat thins, and more. 

Your basic savory cracker is most often made with flour, yeast, and salt. 

Most crackers are made with refined white flour, although there is an increasing number of crackers now being made with wholewheat and other types of flour.

Carbs in Crackers

Plain, standard, and snack-type crackers are usually just empty calories, without any real nutritional value. 

But they are often branded as a nutritious and convenient way to consume a staple food or cereal grain.

There are about 10 grams of carbs in 5 crackers (a 16-gram serving).

Fortunately, some healthy crackers do have the best quality saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. There are good and bad types of fats.

Still, they are not enough to compensate for the number of carbs.

Some crackers made of 100% whole-grain flour can boost your fiber intake. Fiber feeds the “good” bacteria in your gut so they can take care of your body. 

However, most carbs, even in whole-grain crackers, are absorbed by the bloodstream before making it to the large intestine, leaving little for the good bacteria. 

This means less fiber for your gut health and an increased risk of weight gain.

Most crackers are 48% carbs and 47% fat and offer little to no nutrition in the way of vitamins, minerals, or protein. 

Are Crackers Keto-Friendly?

No. Crackers are not keto-friendly.

Some types of crackers, such as saltine crackers, may be considered healthy. However, none of these fit the keto lifestyle.

Five plain crackers with a total of 9.4 grams of net carbs may not kick you out of ketosis, but too much carb consumption is linked to overeating.

This means you crave more carbs, eat more carbs, then eventually get knocked out of ketosis. 

Eating refined carbs can also cause swings in blood sugar levels, promoting short-term fullness a sudden feeling of hunger a few hours later.

High blood sugar levels are also symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

Even if the grains have their fibrous and nutritious parts intact, there is still a chance that you will get kicked out of ketosis.

Many high-carb foods also cause inflammation to the body that usually results in leptin resistance.

Maybe you can enjoy one cracker for a light snack without worrying about getting kicked out of ketosis.

Just have the willpower to resist the rest of the crackers. Remember that eating carbs may cause you to crave more carbs.

Crackers are also not keto-friendly since they are low in good fats. On the keto diet, your fuel source should be good quality fats that are converted into ketones.

How to Enjoy Crackers on the Keto Diet

The smart choice is to stop eating regular crackers on the keto diet.

If you do want to continue enjoying crackers on the keto diet, you have some options.

You can try eating your regular crackers, in small portions, while ensuring you remain within your carb limit. This may be a difficult option if you have little self-control.

If you have been on keto for a while, you can try the targeted keto diet (TKD) or the cyclical keto diet (CKD).

TKD is only recommended if you have an active lifestyle. On TKD, you can eat or drink an extra 20-50g of carbs an hour before and after you exercise.

Meanwhile, CKD follows the standard keto diet five days a week, with the other two days consisting of high-carb foods like crackers.

These carb loading days allow for a carb intake between 400-600g for 24-48 hours.

The best option, we think, is to find a keto-friendly substitute for crackers.

Keto Substitutes for Crackers

So, what can you replace crackers with?

Whisps Cheddar Cheese Crisps

Whisps Cheddar Cheese Crisps are the best keto choice for cheese-flavored crackers. Aside from being keto-friendly, they are also free from gluten and lactose.

These crisps, which are made by master cheesemakers in the USA, only contain 1g of net carb and have 14g of fats per serving.

They are also an excellent source of calcium since they are made from premium milk without preservatives and artificial ingredients.

Fat Snax Almond Flour Gluten-Free Crackers

Fat Snax Almond Flour Gluten-Free Crackers are some low-carb crunchy snacks you can have on the keto diet.

With only 4-5 grams of net carbs per pack, these crackers are incredibly delicious without kicking you out of ketosis.

They also provide high amounts of good fats for energy, specifically 11g per serve.

Fat Snax are available in cheddar, everything, sea salt, and variety packs.

Grain-Free Graham Crackers

Graham crackers are a great choice when you’re camping and want to make s’mores. Beware that marshmallows aren’t keto, though!

Graham crackers make a great sweet treat because they taste like cookies while looking like plain biscuits. 

This grain-free graham cracker recipe by Gnom-Gnom only has 1g of net carb! Just prepare these ingredients:

• 92g almond flour
• ½ tsp xanthan gum
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 80g grass-fed butter
• 96g erythritol
• 1 egg.

Coconut Almond Crisps

This recipe by All Day I Dream About Food is grain-free yet still crispy! 

It resembles a thin cookie which you can pair with coffee, afternoon tea, or dessert! It’s made with coconut and almonds to add flavor to your snack.

One coconut almond crisp only contains 1.69g of total carbs! You need the following:

• ¼ cup butter
• 1/3 Swerve sweetener
• 2 tsp yacon syrup
• ¼ xanthan gum
• ¼ cup almond meal
• 6 tbsp shredded coconut
• ½ tsp vanilla extract.

Keto Butter Crackers

Another cracker recipe to try is This Mom’s Menu’s keto butter crackers. Before baking these, you can roll them as thick or thin as you want. 

This is also a type of cracker that can be paired with any type of meat, cheese, or vegetable that you want. It’s a great foundation for any keto snack! 

With only 1g net carb for every four crackers, this crunchy recipe is full of good fat sources. Here are the ingredients:

• 8 tbsp salted butter
• 2 egg whites
• 2 ¼ cups almond flour
• salt.

Rosemary and Sea Salt Flax Crackers

Sounds savory and salty, right? 

This flaxseed cracker from I Breathe I’m Hungry has a nutty flavor that tastes good when paired with any dip! Not only that, but it also takes less than 15 minutes to bake.

One whole batch of these snacks contains only 2g of net carbs. All you need are the following:

• 1 cup ground flax seeds
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary
• sea salt or kosher salt.

More Ways to Add Crunch to Your Keto Meal

Aside from baking your own crackers, there are other ways to make your keto meals crunchier!

Vegetables

Veggies add crispness to your meals, but you can make them even crispier by turning them into chips.

Brussels sprouts, zucchinis, and kale can all be made into chips. For example, this kale chip recipe by Wholesome Yum only has 4g of net carbs per serving.

Just prepare the following:

• 5 oz kale
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 3 tbsp yeast
• 1/ tsp sea salt.

Nuts and Seeds

Most nuts and seeds are low-carb and therefore make great keto snacks.

These finger foods are easy to overeat especially because they are salty, so make sure to have some self-control when it comes to your portion sizes.

With only 9g of net carbs per serve, this bar is low-glycemic and gluten-free.

This collagen and MCT-rich snack also has organic almonds, cocoa butter, stevia, and 19g of fat with only 2g of net carbs. 

FAQ Keto Diet Snacks

Can You Eat Too Much Fiber on Keto?

Yes.

While fiber is a type of carb, there are a few fiber sources that are low in carbs.

When on keto we often only count net carbs, so the fiber count is subtracted from the total carbs.

That’s because fiber does not break down into glucose.

Find out more about fiber on the keto diet!

How Do I Know if Crackers Kicked Me Out of Ketosis?

Counting your carb intake while eating crackers, or anything else, on keto is not enough. 

You also should test your ketone levels to know exactly if the crackers have kicked you out of ketosis.

Testing your ketone levels can be done with urine strips, breath strips, or a blood meter. This will help you know if you’re in ketosis or not.

Find out more about ketone level testing methods now.

What Other Snacks Can I Have on the Keto Diet?

Regular crackers are not keto-friendly. That is why you need to look for snacks that are low in carbs and higher in fat and protein.

Some snacks you can have on the keto diet include low-carb veggies, seafood bites, avocados, cheese, and yogurt. 

Did you know you can also have store-bought biscuits and cookies specially made for keto?

We have the best keto snack recommendations for you!

What Else Should I Avoid on Keto?

It’s easy to say that you should avoid high-carb foods on keto, but what are these high-carb foods?

Aside from crackers, other grains and cereals to avoid include rice, pasta, oats, corn, and breakfast cereals.

Some fruits, vegetables, and drinks may also kick you out of ketosis. 

Our comprehensive guide on what kicks you out of ketosis will help you!

Enjoy Low-Carb Crackers on Keto!

Ordinary store-bought crackers may not kick you out of ketosis, but they can increase your cravings for carbs without adding any nutrition to your body. 

While whole-grain crackers are fibrous and rich in other nutrients, they are also high in carbs.

Try some tasty keto-friendly crackers to satisfy your cravings, or learn to make your own. There are plenty of other keto snack options to keep your hunger at bay.

You can also try adding fiber supplements to your keto diet to increase your fiber intake without worrying about carbs and other macros!