This delicious keto breakfast casserole features sausage, egg, and cheese, and an extra boost of nutrition with shredded zucchini. Make it ahead for brunch or an easy grab-and-go breakfast. It’s even wonderful for dinner!
Everyone loves a good breakfast casserole. I mean, what’s not to love? Sausage, eggs, and cheese all mixed together and baked into an easy one-pan meal. It’s perfect for brunches, holidays, and family get-togethers.
But many of these concoctions aren’t exactly keto-friendly. They often contain hashbrowns, bread, or canned biscuits to give them more structure. While they might be easy, they aren’t always the healthiest option.
I created this Keto Breakfast Casserole many years ago as an easy make-ahead brunch. It became an instant hit for my family, and has graced our table countless times. It’s a delicious, savory dish that really satisfies.
If you need more savory breakfast ideas, try my Keto Breakfast Pizza or the Denver Omelet Muffins too.
Why you will love this recipe
Instead of the starchy bread or potatoes, this keto breakfast casserole takes shredded zucchini and coconut flour. The zucchini adds moisture and nutrition, and the flour adds structure and fiber.
And it’s ridiculously easy to make! Unlike many keto zucchini recipes, you don’t need to salt and drain the squash. Just grate it and add it right into the batter.
The flavors come together so beautifully. I like to use sausage that has a little heat, like hot Italian. But milder breakfast sausage works nicely as well, and you can add a little red pepper flakes if you’re feeling zesty!
And this casserole is an ideal make-ahead breakfast. It heats up beautifully, so you can make it one day and feast on it all week. Or you can freeze the whole lot and re-warm it when you need it.
Ingredients you need
- Bulk sausage: Although breakfast sausage might seem more appropriate for a keto breakfast casserole, I prefer hot Italian sausage. I think the flavor comes through a little better. You can also use chicken sausage if you prefer. If you can only find link sausage, simply remove the casings before cooking.
- Eggs: It wouldn’t be a breakfast casserole without plenty of eggs!
- Heavy cream: The cream adds richness and flavor, and it makes the casserole puff up a little more.
- Garlic: Some fresh minced garlic adds great flavor.
- Zucchini: Unlike many recipes, you don’t need to salt or drain the zucchini. Just stir it right into the mix!
- Coconut flour: This gives the keto breakfast casserole structure and makes it more filling.
- Cheddar cheese: I love to use sharp cheddar here, for extra flavor. But you can use any cheese you like, including mozzarella or pepper jack.
- Pantry staples: Baking powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes.
Step by Step Instructions
1. Brown the sausage: Add the sausage to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until no longer pink.
2. Prepare the batter: In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, garlic, and shredded zucchini. Stir in the coconut flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until well combined, then stir in the sausage.
3. Sprinkle with cheese: Spread the batter in a 9×13 inch glass or ceramic baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with the shredded cheese.
4. Bake until golden: Bake the keto breakfast casserole until the cheese is melted, the top is golden brown, and the center is cooked through. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips and FAQ
Bakeware: Use a glass or ceramic casserole dish for this recipe and make sure to grease it well so that you can get the slices out nicely.
Flour options: If you prefer to use almond flour, you will need 1 ½ cups to replace the coconut flour.
Dairy-Free option: Use coconut milk in place of the cream and either skip the cheesy topping or use some dairy-free cheese shreds.
Freezing and re-heating: Keep the keto breakfast casserole in the baking dish and wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn. Then let it thaw completely before warming in a 300ºF oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
This keto breakfast casserole has 6.8g of carbs and 2.8g of dietary fiber per serving. Which means it has a net carb count of 4g for each hearty serving.
Keto Breakfast Casserole can be frozen for up to 3 months, as long as it’s tightly wrapped up.
Look for the top to be golden brown and firm to the touch. If you insert a toothpick or skewer in the center of the casserole, it should come out clean or with small crumbs attached.
More popular keto zucchini recipes
- We make batches of Zucchini Lasagna in the summer and freeze them for the colder months.
- Cheesy Zucchini Casserole is a wonderful and easy summer side dish.
- Want a sweet zucchini dessert? Look no further than Keto Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies!
- You simply can’t beat the smell of Keto Zucchini Bread baking in the oven. The flavor is out of this world, too.
Want more EASY KETO BREAKFASTS? Check out my cookbook! Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers
Keto Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb bulk Italian sausage or breakfast sausage
- 10 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb zucchini coarsely grated
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the sausage until browned and cooked through, breaking up any clumps with the back of a wooden spoon.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and garlic. Stir in the shredded zucchini (no need to drain it!).
- Add the coconut flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir until well combined and there are no lumps from the flour. Stir in the sausage.
- Spread the mixture in the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the top with the cheese. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. A tester inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Remove and let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Jennifer Cooper says
I’m new to keto. I see a lot of recipes calling for coconut flour. Can you use almond flour instead?
Carolyn says
Hi Jennifer… coconut flour and almond flour are very different beasts. You need to read my tutorials on how to bake with each of them: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-basics-baking-with-almond-flour/
Baking with coconut flour: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-basics-baking-with-coconut-flour/
sam says
this is such an amazing recipe and I love to make it for brunch with the family! thank you for sharing this recipe
Carolyn says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Valentina says
This homemade breakfast bake recipe is so easy to make and so good! LOVE this for busy breakfast mornings.
Erin says
I love all the flavors of this casserole. Plus, it was great leftover.
Karen says
I needed to halve this recipe because I only had half the amount of sausage called for, so I ended up making them as muffins. They came out great! I was able to get eleven muffins with half the recipe. Also, I used sweet Italian sausage instead of hot.
Paulene says
Hello, i love your recipes. I am in Australia, what is italian sausage
Thanks
Carolyn says
Spicy sausage with fennel, garlic, and hot pepper flakes.
Evelyn Hunter says
Since I’m a vegetarian , I plan to use vegetarian sausage in the recipe, it should work,
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not!
Carolyn Knapp says
What is your fav brand of veggie sausage? Thanks
Anna says
The first time I made this, it became an instant family hit. I’ve made it three or four times so far, using different sausages and cheeses, and the family gobbles it up each and every time. Goes without saying that this recipe is in regular rotation in our house. Thank you, Carolyn!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it. It’s in regular rotation at our house too and is my go-to brunch recipe when I have to take something to a brunch.
Sharon says
Can you give the nutritional info? I did not see any specifics with regard to carbs and calories.
Carolyn says
If you click through to the recipe on A Sweet Life, you will see it at the bottom: Serves:
12
Nutrition Info:
344 Calories; 27g Fat (71.2% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 236mg Cholesterol; 736mg Sodium.
– See more at: http://asweetlife.org/recipes/zucchini-sausage-breakfast-bake/#sthash.xZ0ocHoz.dpuf
Terry S says
They left out the carb count but the fiber count is there.
Eva says
Do you think coconut cream would be a good sub for the cream cheese? Or better to just leave it out all together to make it dairy free (I think cream cheese was the only dairy–can’t remember for sure now)?
Carolyn says
I’ve never used coconut cream so I am unsure of the consistency but I can’t see why not. This recipe would be quite forgiving in that regard. There is also cheese on top but you could leave that off.
Eva says
Awesome! Thanks!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
I love make-ahead breakfasts. It’s so nice to wake up and remember that I can have a hot yummy meal in 20 minutes!
Susan Pelter says
This looks delish and I will be trying it. On the fast food front, there is a chain here in Florida called Pollo Tropical where you can go through the drive-through and get mojo pork or rotisserie chicken and veggies, including green beans and yummy marinated tomatoes. You have to exercise some willpower not to order the yuca or black beans and rice, but the food is delish, low-carb, and sure beats the chemical-laden junk you get at most fast food places.
Philis says
With your experience, do you think butter would work as a substitute for cream cheese? Thanks.
Carolyn says
No, it won’t. Cream cheese is much drier and has less fat than butter. I think you would end up with a soggy, oily mess.
Kathy says
We had this for supper tonight and it exceeded my expectations. I plan on having it for breakfast tomorrow too! Using the basic batter proportions, and retaining the zucchini, I know that we can enjoy numerous variations changing up the cheese and fillings…ham and mushroom for another breakfast rendition, and perhaps ground beef, peppers and salsa for a south west version, pepperoni and peppers for an Italian one…. Yes, this will be our convenience food too. I used the food processor to grate the zucchini and cheese separately, put them aside in bowls, then used the food processor to combine all the other ingredients, then mixed that with the grated zucchini, so the preparation was quite fast, and certainly easy.
Carolyn says
I love hearing that it exceeded expectations! Thanks!
Arthur in the Garden! says
Yummy!
John George says
Where is the recipe?
Carolyn says
Click on the link at the bottom of the post
Susan says
I think we may be lucky that there are few fast food options. The more we cook and bake with real food, the better off we are. That’s why I appreciate the work you do!
Carolyn says
Agreed, Susan!
Lorraine says
Have you tried the bread products from the Great Low Carb Bread Company? They are far superior to the disgusting paleo bread I tried and only 1g net carb per slice. You can buy they direct from their website or through http://www.netrition.com.
Unlike other breads I tried, these toast and grill just like regular bread, although they don’t have a strong taste (the white bread has no taste). They also make bagels in a variety of flavors as well as hamburger buns, onion rolls, and dinner rolls. These are smaller than traditional products, and a bit drier, but work well. Bagels are 16g carbs with 14g fiber for net 2g.
One of the best fast food things I’ve done is order an Arby’s roast beef sandwich to go and switch out the bun for the low carb onion roll.
You can also find low carb tortillas at netrition.com. Besides making my own tacos, I can now order a burrito bowl (chicken, cheese, romaine, and mild salsa) from Chipotle as a filling for my own tortillas. They are 3g net carbs for each tortilla.
Another find was low carb yogurt at King Soopers at 4g net carbs. I’ve checked many grocery stores and it’s the only one with a low carb yogurt product. I eat it with a spoonful of chopped roasted almonds – yum!
I’ve just started learning to make my own low carb baked goods, it’s quite the chemistry experiment, and appreciate the recipes I find here.
Maureen says
Just made it and it is delish. Although I used regular sausage. Chicken to use the hot stuff. 🙂 What kind of coconut flour do you use Carolyn? I am out and looking for a good brand.
Thanks for all your great recipes! Love this site!
Carolyn says
I use Bob’s Red Mill brand.
Sarah G says
Looks good! Is it a bread-y consistency or more like a quiche consistency?
Carolyn says
It’s somewhere between the two, actually. It holds together like bread…it’s almost like an egg strata or a bread pudding.
Corey says
This looks great! Can you substitute other low carb flours for the coconut? I never understand how that works. (Soy or almond?)
Carolyn says
If you want to sub almond flour, I’d use at least a full cup, if not a cup and a quarter. I don’t use soy flour any more so I am really not sure how to sub that in.
Don says
I have substituted with almond when I make this and only use the required 1/2 cup, there are so many variations of this you can do to lower the carbs or to just keep it low carb. We love it!! great breakfast for on the go.
Sarah G says
Ok, thanks!
tea says
” And those companies out there, coming up with easy-to-make meals for busy families? Some of them might be creating some gluten-free options, but gluten-free AND low carb is simply not on their radar. We are still the fringe, I am afraid.”
Isn’t that the frustrating truth?? I find low fat EVERYTHING, nonfat everything, but sugar free or low carb is, even in our good grocery store, an endangered species. I don’t understand it!!!
We have a version of this bake with canned green chilies, pepper jack and spicy Tofurky sausages. Quelle tasty!
Isabelle says
“I find low fat EVERYTHING, nonfat everything, but sugar free or low carb is, even in our good grocery store, an endangered species. I don’t understand it!!!”
I finally understand it – Sugar is cheap!
Carolyn says
And government subsidized!