Keto New Year’s Eve Party Food: Appetizers, Drinks & a Charcuterie Board

New Year’s Eve is a party built on finger food and bubbly, which is great news if you are eating low-carb. The classic celebration foods are shrimp, caviar, smoked salmon, cheese and champagne, and all of them fit.

Here is how to host a glamorous keto New Year’s Eve party where nobody will realize everything on the table happens to be low in carbs.

The party menu

Aim for four to six items that can be made ahead, plus a drink. Variety matters more than volume.

1. Caviar deviled eggs: elegant, make-ahead and under 1 net carb per serving.
2. Shrimp cocktail with sugar-free cocktail sauce: serve it on ice for drama.
3. Smoked salmon and dill cucumber rounds: a cold, no-oven bite that is easy to scale up.
4. Bacon-wrapped scallops: the hot appetizer that gets the most attention.
5. Baked brie with candied pecans: serve warm with cucumber and celery.
6. A black-tie charcuterie board: more on that below.

Build a charcuterie board without crackers

A good board needs contrast: salty, creamy, crunchy, tangy. Start with two or three cheeses, such as an aged cheddar, a creamy brie and a blue. Add folded prosciutto and salami, then fill the gaps with olives, cornichons, marcona almonds and walnuts. Add rosemary sprigs for the look. Skip the crackers and dried fruit, and offer cucumber rounds, celery or endive leaves for scooping.

The drinks

Bubbly is a keto-friendly choice if you pick the right one. Labels matter here:

• Brut nature or extra brut: the driest, with the fewest carbs.
• Brut: dry and widely available, roughly 1 to 3 grams of carbs per 5-ounce glass.
• Extra dry, dry and demi-sec: confusingly, these are sweeter.

For a fancier option, serve a sugar-free cranberry sparkler, or a dry martini for guests who prefer something stronger. Offer sparkling water with lemon or lime for anyone skipping alcohol. For more numbers, see our guide to carbs in champagne, wine and cocktails.

Plan the timing

• The day before: boil and peel the eggs, poach the shrimp, make the cocktail sauce and assemble the cucumber rounds (add the salmon a few hours ahead).
• Party day: pipe the egg filling, build the charcuterie board and chill the drinks.
• Last hour: bake the brie and sear the scallops so they are warm when guests arrive.

At midnight

Pour a small glass of brut, toast and enjoy the moment. Resolutions can wait until morning. When they do, the free keto calculator is a good place to start.

Nutrition estimates vary by brand and portion. Please drink responsibly. This guide is general information, not medical advice; see our health disclaimer.