Name: Keto Coleslaw (5 Ingredients, Low Carb!)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 4 cups Shredded coleslaw mix ((primarily cabbage with small amount of carrots)); 1/4 cup Mayonnaise; 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp Besti Powdered Erythritol; 1 tsp Celery seed; Sea salt ((to taste)); Black pepper ((to taste))

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Since it literally takes 5 minutes to make, this keto coleslaw recipe is my go-to for so many occasions, whether I’m at home or not. The sugar-free coleslaw dressing makes it hard to beat. A quick side to accompany a weeknight dinner? Definitely. A way to sneak in veggies that the kids will eat? Yep. A crowd pleasing addition to a get-together? Keto slaw will do it. A work week staple to prep over the weekend? Totally. A perfect solution when you’ve spent all day dealing with a house project and suddenly realize you have nothing to serve with your chicken for dinner? Yeah, that’s how this super simple, paleo low carb coleslaw recipe came about.

After a day-long fiasco of attempting to paint closet doors followed by a panic about unexpected fumes in the house in the middle of frigid January (smart, right?), dinner consisted of chicken from the freezer and this creamy keto coleslaw. At least it’s a funny story to look back on. 😉

Keto coleslaw dressing does develop its flavors after some time, and tastes best if you make it in advance – or at least let it chill for an hour – so a little planning ahead is smart. And fortunately, this sugar-free coleslaw keeps very well – even for multiple days – so it’s a great option to make ahead or even meal prep. And, it needs just 5 ingredients and is ready in 5 minutes, so it works for any type of meal.

This keto slaw recipe was originally published on January 30, 2017, and was republished in April 2020 to add better photos, useful tips and answer common questions. In case you’re curious, the original photo looked like this:

What Is Coleslaw?

Traditional coleslaw is a simple shredded cabbage salad with a sweet dressing, which can be either mayo-based (more common) or sometimes a vinaigrette.

Is Coleslaw Keto Friendly?

Since coleslaw recipes almost always use a sweet dressing with added sugar, they are not keto friendly. However, this sugar free coleslaw recipe is keto-friendly!

How To Sweeten Keto Slaw?

Making keto slaw is similar to regular coleslaw – you just need a sugar-free sweetener for the keto coleslaw dressing. It’s important to use a powdered sweetener for the sugar-free coleslaw dressing, so that it’s smooth, because a granulated one can be gritty.

I used Besti powdered erythritol, but powdered allulose also works great.

How To Make Keto Coleslaw

This paleo coleslaw comes together in just 5 minutes! It’s one of the reasons I love keto recipes using coleslaw mix – it makes getting veggies in so easy.

Make low carb keto coleslaw dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, powdered erythritol, and celery seeds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

TIP: Apple cider vinegar makes this a paleo coleslaw recipe. If that doesn’t matter to you, white vinegar works just fine for keto as well. Paleo-friendly sweeteners such as honey or coconut sugar work fine, but would not be low carb.

Combine sugar-free coleslaw. Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and toss with sugar-free coleslaw dressing.

Chill keto slaw. If you have time, refrigerate the coleslaw for at least an hour or overnight to let the flavors develop. Stir before serving. I like to add a sprinkle of green onions, too.

How Many Carbs In Coleslaw?

Carbs in coleslaw can vary depending on the recipe used and how much sugar is added. It’s not unusual for coleslaw at the deli counter to have 13g net carbs and 12g sugar in just 1/2 a cup [*]!

Keto coleslaw has a lot less sugar and carbs. Each serving of this low carb paleo coleslaw recipe has just 2 grams net carbs (that’s total carbs minus fiber and erythritol, the sweetener used). And, that’s a serving size of 3/4 cup.

TIP: I used a bag of coleslaw mix to save time, plus I love a splash of color. But if you want to lower the carbs just a tad more, use plain shredded cabbage instead of am mix that has carrot pieces.

Can You Make Low Carb Coleslaw Ahead?

Yes, you can prep components of this keto slaw ahead of time. Shred the cabbage (if making it yourself) and mix together the keto friendly coleslaw dressing. Store in separate containers in the refrigerator. An hour or the night before serving, toss cabbage and homemade sugar free coleslaw dressing together and let chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Even if you’re in a pinch and realize you have no side dish for dinner, you can make it work. Just throw together this low carb coleslaw before preparing your main dish. Stick it in the fridge and it should be good enough by the time the rest of your dinner is ready.

How To Store Sugar-Free Coleslaw

Store this prepared low carb coleslaw recipe in the fridge for 3-5 days. If you store the cabbage and keto coleslaw salad dressing separately, the components will last much longer, up to a week or more.

What To Serve With Keto Slaw

This sugar-free coleslaw makes a great side to so many keto dinners. Try it with some of these meals for a complete meal:

Keto Jalapeno Popper Chicken – The best flavors of jalapeno poppers stuffed into slices of chicken! It’s as good as it sounds.
Coconut Chicken Tenders – Chicken tenders get some tropical flavors. Try dipping them in your favorite sugar-free bbq sauce or hot sauce.
Crispy Chicken Legs – Serve with cornbread and sugar-free coleslaw for a classic southern meal.
Best Juicy Burgers – The perfect summer grilling meal! But there’s an option for the stove top, too.

If you want a keto slaw without mayo, try this one instead.

Tools To Make Keto Paleo Coleslaw

Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

Food Processor – If you’re not buying pre-shredded slaw mix, a food processor makes it effortless to shred your own. This is the one I use and love.
Glass Bowl Set – This glass bowl set is a staple for my kitchen, I use them all the time, keto slaw included!
Glass Storage Containers – Store paleo coleslaw with mayo in these glass containers after you combine the dressing and cabbage.

Low Carb Keto Coleslaw Recipe

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Ingredients

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4 cups Shredded coleslaw mix (primarily cabbage with small amount of carrots) ▢
1/4 cup Mayonnaise ▢
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar ▢
1 tbsp Besti Powdered Erythritol ▢
1 tsp Celery seed ▢
Sea salt (to taste) ▢
Black pepper (to taste) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

Place the shredded coleslaw mix into a large bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, erythritol, and celery seed. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Stir the dressing into the shredded coleslaw mix and toss to coat.
If you have time, refrigerate the coleslaw for at least an hour (or overnight) to let the flavors develop. Stir again before serving. Serve chilled.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 3/4 cup

Use powdered sweetener for smoother dressing. If you prefer to avoid erythritol for stricter paleo, any other sweetener like coconut sugar will also work.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 77.5

Fat 7.1g

Protein 0.7g

Total Carbs 3g

Net Carbs 1.8g

Fiber 1.2g

Sugar 1.7g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keywords: keto coleslaw recipe, keto slaw, low carb coleslaw, paleo coleslaw, sugar-free coleslaw

Calories: 77.5 kcal

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81 Comments

Gary Crawford
1 July 14, 2022Reply

Great recipe, I also add 1 heaping T Dijon mustard and 1t fresh or dried chives. For less preservatives, I make my own no egg mayo. 1cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup smooth olive oil, 1T Bragg apple cider vinegar, 1T Dijon mustard, pinch of salt. Wisk with a hand mixer until thick.
Joseph moneymaker
0 July 14, 2022Reply

Can you use Splenda in this recipe?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 July 15, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Joseph, I don’t recommend using artificial sweeteners, including Splenda (sucralose). You can read more about sucralose on keto here. I do also have a keto sweetener guide where you can read about the different sweeteners and get conversions, but the conversion chart won’t include Splenda as it’s just not one I recommend in any of my recipes.
Cathy Petrucelli
0 June 2, 2022Reply

What a great recipe for coleslaw. The apple cider vinegar and celery seed really make it.
Barb
0 March 19, 2022Reply

This is go to recipe, easy and delicious!
JudyRae Darling
0 February 25, 2022Reply

Delicious, highly recommend this coleslaw!!!!! Thank you.
- Neil Evans
  0 August 17, 2022Reply
  
  Tried it last night and it was amazing. Better than other coleslaw regular recipes have been used in the past. Would totally recommend it.
Stephen Ballew
0 December 5, 2021Reply

This is the best! Even better than most slaws with sugar. Everybody that has tried it loves it. Thank you!
- Stephen Ballew
  0 December 5, 2021Reply
  
  Oh, I should inform you of my variation. I shredded cabbage, carrot and chopped green onion. The green onion really adds flavor to it. I used Duke’s Mayonnaise (a staple in the south) as it is the only major mayonnaise on the market that contains no sugar. I am a diabetic, so this recipe was a wonderful boon for me.
  - Rose
    0 May 9, 2022Reply
    
    Love this recipe!! Make it at least twice a week!!😋
  - BC in PHX
    0 June 22, 2022Reply
    
    Oh, you gotta have Dukes! We used to have to order it online, but now our Fry’s (Kroger) carries it.
    - Helen
      0 November 5, 2022Reply
      
      Don’t like the oil Dukes uses.
Annemarie
0 November 13, 2021Reply

Hi Maya. Do you think a store bought sugar free honey mustard dressing would be ok with this coleslaw with a pork roast? If so, how much would you use? Thanks so much for your delicious recipes. I made the cabbage casserole this morning for lunches next week. Very good!
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 November 15, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Annemarie, I have never used honey mustard on coleslaw so I cannot say how much to use. If you were to use it would probably replace the mayo and sweetener completely.
  - Annemarie
    0 November 16, 2021Reply
    
    Thank you!
Althea
0 September 26, 2021Reply

I found it too tangy due to amount of Apple Cider Vinegar, but the recipe is easily adjustable to suit your taste buds and super easy to make. I can’t find any Celery seeds here, so I just used fresh dill and seeded mustard.
Theresa
0 August 18, 2021Reply

I made this tonight with grilled T-bone steak and mixed vegetables. It was too tangy and I did use the exact measurements for the Apple Cider Vinegar. I ended up adding more Mayo, sea salt. and pepper. It did taste a bit better after an hour in the refrigerator but I ended up adding lemon juice and freshly chopped parsley to add more flavor.