Most meal replacement shakes are far from keto-friendly. They often rely on high-sugar fruits and carb-rich dairy products, which add enough carbs to slow your weight loss progress on keto.

However, don’t let these high-carb options fool you into thinking you can’t have a meal replacement shake. In fact, you are only a few ingredient swaps away from cutting the carbs and making a delicious shake that’ll keep you satisfied throughout the day.

With our keto meal replacement shake recipe, we’ll show you exactly how to do this yourself.

For more keto friendly drinks look at our strawberry milkshake or discover our Starbucks tips.

What is the Best Keto Meal Replacement Shake for Weight Loss?

Although there are dozens of keto meal replacement shake powders on the market, your best option is making it yourself. Not only will this help cut your spending significantly, but you’ll end up with a much more satisfying, healthier shake.

Plus, as you get a feel for this keto meal replacement shake recipe, you’ll find it easy to adjust the fat, protein, and carb content based on your nutrient needs and goals. In contrast, when using a pre-made meal replacement shake or powder, you’ll be stuck with their macronutrient ratios and ingredients.

Why Should I Use Meal Replacement Shakes on Keto?

Meal replacement shakes are a no-fuss way to get a satisfying keto meal in 10 minutes or less. This makes it the perfect recipe for when you don’t have the time or the energy to cook another low-carb dish.

Keto meal replacement shakes are also easy to customize and optimize for your preferences. Whether you want to change the flavor, increase the fat content, or convert it into a freezer-friendly grab-and-go option, all it takes is a few extra steps.

How to Customize Your Keto Meal Replacement Shake? Adjusting the Macros, Flavors, and Ingredients

There are a seemingly endless number of ways to personalize this keto-friendly meal replacement shake recipe. Check out the following list for the most common options:

To add more fat (without adding any carbs or protein) — Blend in a high-quality keto oil one tablespoon at a time. MCT oil is the best option because it is relatively flavorless, boosts your ketone levels, and makes the shake more filling.
To add more fat (along with a small amount of carbs and protein) — Blend in more heavy cream, avocado, and/or nut butter. When doing so, keep track of how many carbs you are adding to the recipe as well as how the texture will change.
Is your shake too thick? — Add a source of keto-friendly liquid. Use oil or heavy cream if you don’t mind the extra fat. Conversely, to minimize added fat, stick with water or a low-calorie keto nut milk.
Is your shake too thin? — Add more avocado or nut butter to thicken it up. For a zero-carb and zero-calorie option, use a small amount of xanthan gum or guar gum.
To add more protein — Add in a scoop or two of your preferred protein powder or collagen. Double-check the label to ensure it won’t add too many carbs to the recipe.
To change the flavor — The two simplest options are adding a sugar-free flavoring or replacing the almond butter with sugar-free peanut butter, keto nutella, or macadamia nut butter. For more flavor inspiration, check out our other keto shakes.
For a 100% dairy-free and vegan meal replacement shake — Use coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk instead of dairy-based cream.

More DIY Keto Shake Add-Ons and Substitution Ideas

For more inspiration, we’ve included a list of keto-friendly ingredients commonly found in low-carb smoothie and shake recipes:

Egg white protein powder*
Whey protein isolate powder*
Plant-based protein powder*
Collagen powder*
Almond flour, almond meal, coconut flour, or ground chia seeds (as a replacement for the golden flaxseed meal)
Sugar-free nut or seed butter*
MCT oil or MCT oil powder*
Coconut milk powder or full-fat dairy cream powder (Great for making travel-friendly shakes, just make sure there are no added starches/carbs).
Use your preferred keto sweetener substitution (if you want to replace the stevia)
Pumpkin spice, apple pie spice, and/or keto maple syrup for fall-inspired flavor

*Make sure these products are sweetener-free or made with keto-friendly sweeteners.

Can I Save This Meal Replacement Shake for Later? Fridge and Freezer Options

This keto shake is surprisingly convenient. Not only can you make the shake ahead of time and grab it from the fridge as you head out the door, but you can make dozens of freezer-friendly meal replacements as well.

How to Store it in the Fridge

The easiest option is to make your shake the night before, pour it into your on-the-go container, and put it in the fridge for a no-fuss keto breakfast or lunch.

When stored in this way, your shake should stay fresh for 1-2 days. Some separation may occur during this time, so bring a spoon/stirrer to mix it together or re-blend it before you head out the door.

How to Make Freezer-friendly Keto Meal Replacement Shakes

Another time-saving option is to make the meal replacement shake recipe in bulk and store them in the freezer.

To do this, simply pour each serving of your freshly-blended shake into a freezer-friendly bag or a mason jar (leaving 2-3 inches of air at the top of a no shoulder jar or 2-3 inches before the shoulder of a shouldered jar). As long as they are airtight, each serving should keep for up to 3 months.

To prepare your frozen keto meal replacement shake, thaw it in the fridge overnight, stir it together (or throw it in the blender for a quick mix), and enjoy!

Yields 2 servings of Keto Meal Replacement Shake

The Preparation

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, or coconut milk from the carton
1/2 medium avocado
2 tablespoon almond butter
2 tablespoon golden flaxseed meal
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
15 drops liquid stevia, or to taste
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
8 whole ice cubes

The Execution

1. Get your ingredients prepped – pit and peel the avocado.

2. Add all of your ingredients to a blender, pulse together slowly until combined, then blend for 30-45 seconds until a smooth consistency appears.

3. I recommend adding half the sweetener to the shake, tasting, and adjusting the sweetener to your taste. Once you have a smooth consistency, pour out into a glass and enjoy!

This makes a total of 2 servings of Keto Meal Replacement Shake. Each serving comes out to be 453 calories, 42.6g fats, 6.9g net carbs, and 8.8g protein.

NUTRITION	CALORIES	FAT	CARBS	FIBER	NET CARBS	PROTEIN
1/2 cup heavy cream	405	43	3.3	0	3.3	3.4
1 cup unsweet almond milk	30	2.6	1.1	0	1.1	1.1
1/2 avocado	161	15	8.6	6.7	1.9	2
2 tablespoon almond butter	194	18	6	3.3	2.7	6.6
2 tbsp golden flaxseed meal	69	5.5	3.8	3.5	0.3	2.4
2 tbsp cocoa powder	41	1	6	2	4	2
1/2 tsp cinnamon	3.2	0	1	0.7	0.3	0.1
15 drops liquid stevia	0	0	0	0	0	0
1/4 tsp vanilla extract	3	0	0.1	0	0.1	0
1/8 tsp salt	0	0	0	0	0	0
8 ice cubes	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	906.2	85.1	29.9	16.2	13.7	17.6
Per Serving ( /2 )	453.1	42.6	15.0	8.1	6.9	8.8