The ultimate low carb appetizer: juicy homemade meatballs wrapped in bacon and baked with sweetener and spices. Perfect for all your game-day activities.

It’s astonishing how many carbs most meatball recipes contain. Whether it’s the added bread crumbs or the sugary glaze, I usually find that meatballs aren’t something I can’t eat much of. And it seems so counter-intuitive. I mean, think about it! Meat. Ball. A ball of meat. I should be able to eat that! But most of the time, I steer clear. They may look entirely innocent and as if they are just made from meat. But chances are that there are hidden sources of carbohydrates that won’t sit well with me.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Although they do need some sort of filler to keep them from shrinking too much while cooking, added bread crumbs are not a foregone conclusion. Healthier ingredients like chia seeds or almond flour can work just as well. I particularly like adding chia, as it helps the cooked meatballs retain moisture.

So when Swerve asked me to come up with a finger-food appetizer for their Swerve Madness (in honour of March Madness, of course!), I thought meatballs might make a fun treat. And then I found the perfect recipe for Sweet and Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs and I knew I had to low-carbify them. Making my own meatballs from scratch, switching out the sugar for Swerve Sweetener, and adding a few extra spices and I had a serious hit on my hand. My family couldn’t get enough and yours won’t be able to either. Make a double batch if you want to enjoy any yourself!

Please see my Sweet & Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs on Swerve Sweetener.

Nutrition (Serves 8) Food energy: 476kcal; Saturated fatty acids: 11.12g; Total fat: 31.56g; Calories from fat: 284; Cholesterol: 165mg; Carbohydrate, by difference: 5.32g; Total dietary fiber: 3.81g; Protein: 40.68g; Sodium: 697mg