Is Cheese Keto? How Many Carbs In Cheese?

Cheese is a very common ingredient in many recipes, and in particular in keto recipes. But are all kinds of cheese keto?

How many carbs in the most common cheese options?

Learn more about the dozen most common cheeses and whether or not you can have them on your low-carb keto diet!

Is Cheese Keto?

Cheese is made by coagulation of casein, one of the milk proteins. 

There are literally thousands of varieties of cheese, including more than 1,600 in France, 1,800 in the United Kingdom, and 500 in Italy.

The major categories of cheese are:

• Fresh cheese: Ricotta, Mozzarella, Cottage Cheese, Feta
• Soft White Rind Cheese: Camembert, Brie, Chaource, Munster
• Semi-soft Cheese: Edam, Reblochon, Raclette, Havarti, Provolone, Emmental, Swiss Cheese
• Hard Cheese: Cheddar, Beaufort, Gruyere, Parmesan, Mimolette, Colby
• Blue Cheese: Blue Cheese, Gorgonzola, Roquefort
• Flavor added-cheese: Cumin Gouda, Chive Cheddar, Dill Havarti

Most cheese varieties are relatively low in carbs because the natural bacteria in cheese break down the lactose. The secondary reason is that cheese is made from the fatty, heavy layer on top of the milk.

As a result, most of the carbs that were present in the milk either stay in the milk or are broken down later.

How Many Carbs In Cheese?

Find below the most comprehensive list of carbs in cheese! The data is per once (24g) of cheese.

As you can see, most cheese varieties are keto-friendly.

However, there are two important things to note:

• Shredded Cheese often has added starch to keep it from compacting, upping its carbs quite a lot.
• Despite being low in carbs, some cheeses should still not be included in a keto diet because of their relatively low fat to protein ratio. Remember that what matters is your macros!

Can Cheese Be Swapped In Keto Recipes?

Unlike other dairy products like milk, butter, yogurt, or cream, it’s very difficult or near impossible to replace cheese.

There are many vegan alternatives that exist, but they all tend to be quite high in carbs.

My Favorite Keto Cheese-Based Recipes

Below are my favorite recipes made with cheese, cream cheese, or shredded cheese.

Keto Cheesecake Bites

Keto Cheeseburger Casserole

Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Keto Cheese Cups

Chocolate Cheesecake Fat Bombs

Fathead Keto Pizza Dough 3 Ways

Keto Bagels

Spinach Balls

Keto Chocolate Chaffle Recipe

Keto Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Keto Taco Shells