Low Carb Roasted Red Pepper Dip
⏲ ~23 min total · prep 12 · cook 11 · 4 servings
Dinner⏱ 45 min total🔥 5.0g net carbs⚡ ≈643 kcal/serving~26% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted almonds
- 1/3 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Halve and seed the bell peppers, flatten them skin-side up with your palm, and press them onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil on the top rack, 6 inches from the element, 10-12 minutes until the skins are blackened over most of the surface.
- Fold the foil over the peppers into a loose pouch and let them steam 10 minutes — this loosens the skins instead of leaving you to scrape char off raw pepper.
- Peel off and discard the blackened skins and tear the flesh into rough pieces; let them drain in a sieve 5 minutes so the dip doesn't go watery.
- Pulse the almonds in a food processor 10-12 times until they're fine crumbs with a few pea-sized bits left for texture.
- Add the peppers, yogurt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, smoked paprika, and salt. Process 45-60 seconds until mostly smooth with a little grain left — it should look like a rustic spread, not baby food.
- Spoon into a bowl, swirl the top, drizzle with a little more olive oil, and scatter the parsley over. Chill 30 minutes before serving so the flavors settle.
Why this recipe works
- Almonds do the heavy lifting Pulsed to fine crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces left, roasted almonds give this dip the body and rustic grain that chickpeas normally provide. The swap keeps it at 5.0 net carbs.
- Char, then steam Broiling until the pepper skins blacken, then sealing them in a foil pouch for 10 minutes, loosens the skins so they slide off. Skip the steam and you scrape char off raw pepper for twenty minutes.
- Drain before you blend Five minutes in a sieve pulls the water out of the roasted flesh. Wet peppers make a thin dip that puddles instead of spreading.
Tips for making this recipe well
Blackened, not blistered
Broil on the top rack, 6 inches from the element, for 10 to 12 minutes until most of the skin surface is black. Pale skins cling, and half-peeled peppers leave bitter flecks in the blend.
Pulse the nuts alone first
Process the almonds 10 to 12 times before anything wet goes in. Added at the same time as the peppers, they never break down evenly.
Stop at rustic
Forty-five to 60 seconds of processing leaves some grain, which is the point. The dip should look like a spread you would put on a knife, not baby food.
Swirl before serving
Spoon the dip into a bowl, swirl the top with the back of the spoon, and drizzle olive oil into the grooves. The swirl holds oil instead of letting it run off.
Serving suggestions
Roasted almonds give this dip a spreadable body that holds up on a cracker, so serve it as the center of a snack plate rather than a side. Set it out chilled with cucumber coins, celery, and keto crackers for scooping. Finish with the parsley and a fresh drizzle of olive oil right before it hits the table. The smoke and char read strongest on day one, which makes this a good pick for the night company comes rather than a make-ahead-for-later situation.
Storage and meal prep
The fridge is where this dip lives; the freezer is not. Stored airtight, it keeps 3 to 4 days, and the flavor is arguably better on day two after the garlic settles. A little oil separation on top is normal, so stir it back in before serving. Yogurt-based dips split when frozen and thawed, and no amount of re-processing brings back the texture, so make only what your household will finish in a few days.
Variations worth trying
- Smokier Add a second 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika and a drop of liquid smoke if you keep it. The broiler char doubles down.
- With heat Process in 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne or half a chipotle in adobo. Char and heat are old friends.
- Herb swap Replace the parsley with cilantro and add a squeeze of lime with the vinegar. It drifts toward a salsa-roja direction.
- Thinner, saucier Blend in 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold water for a spoonable sauce over grilled chicken. Same flavor, looser texture.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use jarred roasted red peppers?
Yes, and it cuts the recipe to about ten minutes. Drain them very well and expect a softer, less smoky dip, since jarred peppers skip the fresh char.
Why is my dip watery?
The peppers held onto surface water, usually because the sieve step got skipped. Five minutes of draining before blending is what keeps the spread thick.
Can I make it ahead for a party?
Absolutely; the 30-minute chill is a minimum, not a ceiling. Make it the day before, keep it covered, and add the parsley and oil drizzle right before serving.
Is this dip spicy?
No. Smoked paprika brings smoke and color, not heat, so the batch stays family-safe unless you add cayenne on purpose.
My almonds turned to butter. What happened?
The processor ran too long past the crumb stage; almonds go from crumbs to paste quickly. Ten to twelve pulses with pauses is the right rhythm, and a few pea-sized pieces left whole are intended.
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