Easy low carb Swedish meatballs in cream sauce

If you are on a recipe hunt for easy low carb Swedish meatballs in cream sauce, then you have come to the right place! Learn how to make easy Swedish meatballs for your dinner tonight!

These meatballs are amazing! They are brimming with taste and smothered in a delicious creamy sauce. You must give them a try and the sooner the better! Making these easy low carb Swedish meatballs in cream sauce is not a hard task. In fact, if you make a large batch of meatballs, you can freeze some of them for later on. They make a super quick dinner that way. We’ll discuss that more in a later section.

This post contains affiliate links. This means, that as an amazon affiliate, if you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

My family visited from out of state recently and I made this for our noon meal. They gave it, not a five star rating, but a 10! That’s pretty high!

I served it with mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and dessert. Low carb German Chocolate Cake in honor of my Mom’s birthday. The mashed potato side was enjoyed by the children and Grandma:)

These are like the traditional Swedish meatballs but adapted for the keto/ low carb diet. Don’t worry for one second that you will be missing out on the regular meatball. Quite the opposite! These are irresistibly delicious. This keto meatball recipe will not dissapoint!

Most standard swedish meatball recipes call for bread crumbs, however, for the low carb version, we are substituting with almond flour. (Also known as almond meal).

What makes Swedish meatballs different?

Swedish meatballs are almost like regular meatballs but the variety of spices used and the cream sauce accompanying it make these to be particularly known as Swedish meatballs. American meatballs are traditionally served over a tomato based sauce, whereas Swedish meatballs are made in a rich cream sauce. Meatballs are super popular in Sweden. Thankfully we can make them anywhere, using these specific ingredients!

What is Swedish meatball sauce made of?

Swedish meatball sauce is traditionally made with a cream base of broth (stock), flour and either heavy cream or sour cream. The seasonings and dijon mustard add the final taste touches for this amazing dish.

Serving suggestions for low carb swedish meatballs in cream sauce

For low carb, I recommend pairing this with a replacement for mashed potatoes such as mashed cauliflower, cauliflower rice, or steamed cauliflower florets. A large salad, zucchini noodles, cooked spaghetti squash, green beans or broccoli are all fantastic ideas as well!

Serve a low carb treat like this lemon curd pudding for a special dessert after your meal!

Ingredients for easy low carb Swedish meatballs in cream sauce

Swedish Meatball ingredients:

• ground beef, pork, turkey or venison of choice (Using a mixture of different meats gives optimum flavor and meatball texture)
• almond flour
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• Worcestershire sauce/ soy sauce (optional)
• eggs
• egg whites
• a little salt and black pepper

Creamy sauce ingredients:

• butter
• almond flour
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• heavy cream (or sour cream)
• chicken or vegetable broth (also known as chicken stock or beef stock)
• dijon mustard (optional)
• xanthan gum (used as a thickener addition)

How to make easy low carb Swedish meatball recipe:

Allow the ground meat of choice to thaw. You can do this by leaving your meat in the fridge overnight or out on the counter for a few hours during the day. Make sure you set it in a large bowl or on a pan to catch the juices that will run.

Note: My personal meat preference is a mixture of ground venison, ground pork and ground turkey. I will usually just use what I have on hand. I like to be frugal:)

In a large mixing bowl, break up the meat to make sure it is thawed and able to be handled. Add the seasonings listed, eggs, egg whites, Worcestershire sauce and almond flour. Stir with a large spoon or by hand. Shape into little balls, either by hand or with a small cookie scoop.

Bake in a single layer on a large baking sheet at 350 for 20 minutes. Do not over cook these! Alternatively they can cook in a large skillet on medium-high heat in a little oil, turning once they are golden brown and look done on each side. Remove from pan when done and continue cooking the rest of the meatballs. Once you have finished cooking the meat mixture, leave the pan drippings (brown bits) in the bottom of the pan. This will add flavor to the creamy sauce.

To make the creamy sauce:

If you used the large skillet on the stove top method to cook the meatballs, then add the butter and let it melt on low heat. If you baked the meatballs in the oven, then use a large skillet to continue the creamy sauce instructions. Once butter has melted, add the almond flour and heavy whipping cream (or sour ream) to the skillet and stir/whisk until smooth. (There will be little browned bits in the sauce, that is fine).

Continue to simmer till it cooks down and gets nice and hot. After a few minutes add the xanthan gum and continue to whisk briskly. Cook on low heat till thickened. That should take about another 5 minutes.

Return meatballs to the skillet and simmer an additional 5 minutes to heat. Serve immediately with sides of choice.

Note: If you are not watching low carb you can serve with rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Otherwise refer to my list of low carb option listed above.

Can you freeze Swedish meatballs in cream sauce?

Yes you most defiantly can! Freeze in a airtight container or pan with a tight fitting lid. Make sure to label before placing in the freezer.

Allow to thaw overnight or a few hours before heating or you can also place directly into the oven. If you are re- heating after thawing, then bake at 350 for about an hour. If you are re- heating directly from the freezer, give it a good 1 1/2 – 2 hours. These will last up to 4-6 months in the freezer.

I always highly recommend meal planning and these low carb Swedish meatballs in cream sauce are a great addition to add to your weekly menu plan. You can make large batches for two meals during the week, or freeze the raw meatballs on a cookie sheet and then place in a gallon bag to freeze for meal prep. As always, label your bag!

Can you make Swedish meatballs with cream sauce in the crockpot?

Yes. These meatballs can be cooked in the crockpot but they need a prior cooking/baking to ensure the meatball shape will hold and that they cook thoroughly. Bake as directed above, then transfer to a lightly greased crockpot and add the prepared cream sauce. Leave on warm till ready to serve.

Equipment you may need

Pin for later!

Check out my other dinner recipes here

Check out my meal planners!

Weekly 3 meal daily menu planner

Homesteaders weekly 3 page bundle meal planner

Recipe binder pages 5 page bundle

Beeswax wraps make great cover for your pan of leftover meatballs in the fridge. Shop them here!