Southern Keto Low Carb Hushpuppies

Southern comfort food at its best! These savory, deep-fried little balls of dough are low-carb and keto-friendly. They are easy to make from scratch using a few simple ingredients. Hushpuppies are a popular recipe featured in my first book, Southern Keto. They taste like the real deal!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

When I developed Southern Keto Low Carb Hushpuppies in 2016, I was excited about how close they are to the restaurant hushpuppies I ate growing up.  Typical hushpuppies are made using cornmeal.  This recipe uses a few easily accessible ingredients.  Almond flour and coconut flour, keeping them low carb.  They are fried until golden brown and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  They make the perfect side dish or appetizer! 

Ingredients & Substitutions

High-quality oil – It’s essential to use an oil with a high smoke point. For example, I prefer Avocado oil frying. It has a smoke point of 520 degrees.

Almond flour – Use good quality, finely blanched ground almond flour. My favorites are Blue Diamond and Kirkland brands from Costco.

Coconut flour – Combined with almond flour, coconut flour helps keep the hushpuppies tender.

Baking powder – Make sure to use fresh baking powder. It loses its potency, so it’s good to replace it every six months.

Salt – I like using sea salt or Redmond’s Real Salt

Onions – Both yellow and green onions are good choices for this recipe. You could also throw in a few chopped jalapeños if you want extra heat.

Heavy whipping cream – Heavy cream keeps the hushpuppies moist. No one wants a dry and crumbly hushpuppy! Don’t use milk; it’s too thin for this batter.

Egg – The egg is a binder for the dough.

How To Make Hushpuppies

Step 1: Gather your ingredients. You’ll need a candy thermometer to ensure the oil is at the proper temperature. It’s best to use a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed heavy pot. Pour in 3 inches of oil and set over medium-high heat. Heat the oil to 350-375 degrees.

Step 2: In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in the rest of the ingredients and mix until blended. Do not overmix the dough.

Step 3: Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to drop the batter into the oil gently. Don’t overcrowd the hushpuppies; cook them in two batches. Fry for 3 minutes or until they start to brown, then use a mesh skimmer or slotted spoon to turn and fry them for three more minutes or until golden brown on all sides.

Step 4: Remove the hushpuppies from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. They are best served hot.

Tips For Deep Frying

Use a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot to help maintain the temperature of the oil. It’s essential to maintain a consistent temperature when deep-frying. If the oil temperature is too low, the food will absorb the oil and become soggy instead of crispy. I use a candy thermometer to monitor and maintain a consistent temperature. Adding too much food to the oil at one time will lower the temperature too quickly. That’s why it’s important to fry food in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot. When you are frying in batches, ensure the oil has returned to the ideal temperature before adding the next batch of food.

Tips For Reusing Oil

You could use a fresh batch of oil every time, but high-quality oils are expensive. The oil used for frying can be reused as long as it’s stored properly. Allow the oil to cool completely. Then, use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the oil into a container with a lid; a glass jar works well. Store oil in a cool, dry place. It does not have to be refrigerated. If the oil looks cloudy or smells bad, it’s time to discard it.

Storage and Reheating

Hushpuppies are best served hot. However, cooled hushpuppies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Then, reheat the hushpuppies in the oven at 400 degrees for 4-5 minutes to preserve the crispiness of the hushpuppies.

Hushpuppies would go great with Keto Sausage Corn Chowder!

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