Is Fireball keto friendly?

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but if you want to stay in ketosis you’re going to have to pass on that fireball shot.

While unflavored whiskey has no carbs, Fireball has over 10 grams per shot.  Unless you plan on only having one shot, and severely limiting your carbs for the day, there’s no way you can have Fireball when you’re doing keto. 

Luckily making your own keto fireball is pretty easy.

Fireball has always been my go-to alcohol for special occasions or just to wind down after a rough day. And, while I have since developed some better stress management techniques and make self-care a priority, there were times when that bottle of Fireball stopped me from reaching my breaking point.

Years ago The Husband and I started our own Fireball Christmas tradition.  Once we’ve done all the usual Christmas Eve stuff with the kids, gotten them to bed and finished all the adulting that’s involved in preparing for Christmas, we relax with some cinnamon whiskey and watch Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights.

So, it’s a good thing I had a chance to play around with some keto alcohol recipes already and had perfected my keto Fireball recipe well before Christmas. 

The Ingredients

Whiskey

While Fireball is the most popular, it isn’t the only brand of cinnamon whiskey out there.  Jack Daniels also has one called Tennessee Fire.  Last year I was at a food and wine show, that was lacking a Fireball booth. They did have a booth selling J.D. though, so I tried the Tennessee Fire.  The flavor was even better than Fireball.  It was so good I went back to the booth five times. 

When I went to pick up some whiskey to make my own, I figured spending a couple of extra dollars on the Jack Daniels would be worth it.  I have made it with cheaper whiskey too since then and it turns out fine, but I find the flavor to be better when it’s made with J.D.

Cinnamon Flavor

Flavoring the whiskey is easy, but you do have to plan ahead. 

All you have to do is drop 4 cinnamon sticks into the bottle of whiskey, give it a shake and then let them soak for at least 5 days.  The longer you leave them in the stronger flavor you will get.  I keep it in the fridge, but it would be fine left out at room temperature too. 

Since a bottle of cinnamon whiskey doesn’t last long in my house, I just leave the cinnamon sticks in the bottle.  If you’re going to be storing it for a longer time though, you should probably pour the whiskey through a strainer to get hem out. 

If you’re like me the first time I made keto cinnamon whiskey and didn’t realize you need to make it ahead of time, there is another way you can flavor it to serve right away.  All you need is some cinnamon essential oil, just make sure it is a brand that is safe to ingest.  It takes about 30 drops to give it a strong enough flavor though, which can get a bit expensive.   While the flavor still turns out great, cinnamon sticks are the cheaper option. 

Sweetener

When I went searching for how to make my own cinnamon whiskey, every recipe I found had simple syrup made with sugar.  While I couldn’t find a sugar free Fireball recipe, I knew it would be easy enough to just swap out the simple syrup for a keto version.  I just boiled a cup of water and then dissolved 20 packets of stevia in it. 

This worked, but since then I’ve realized it’s far easier to just use the liquid stevia.  Normally I just squirt some in, taste it and add more until it’s sweet enough.  Last time I actually measured it out though and one tablespoon was sweet enough for me. 

Mix

One of the reasons cinnamon whiskey is my favorite alcohol is because it’s the only alcohol I can drink straight.  Whether you take it as a shot or mix it with some ice to sip, it always goes down easy on its own.  But to pace myself a bit, I usually mix it. 

While I used to mix it with Pepsi, now I use Zevia Cola, since it’s made with stevia instead of sucralose.  Just like with the Pepsi, Zevia cola mixed with cinnamon whiskey tastes like Dr. Pepper.  I’ve also tried mixing it with Zevia Cream Soda, since people kept tagging me in that cinnamon roll drink post on Facebook, and it’s pretty good too.

While there are lots of Fireball cocktail recipes out there, so far these are the only two I have found that can be made keto friendly. 

Is It as Good as Fireball?

Now for the question most of you have probably been asking.  Does keto cinnamon whiskey actually taste like the real thing?

I’ll be honest, it’s not quite the same as Fireball (or Tennessee Fire).  You really can’t take the sugar out of something like that and expect the same taste.  It’s a bit of an adjustment to get used to the taste of things sweetened with stevia too.

If you’re just starting out on the keto diet you might want to try some other low carb alcohol drinks (like these keto coolers) first and save this recipe for later.  But if you’re like me, and have adjusted to eating and drinking things that aren’t overly sweet, it will easily satisfy your Fireball craving.  Just like store-bought cinnamon whiskey, I have no problem drinking this stuff straight. 

So, now that the gingerbread men have been baked, decorated and left out for Santa and the kids are finally asleep, it’s time for The Husband and I to stuff some stockings, and drag the gifts out of storage and arrange them under the tree, so we can unwind with Eight Crazy Nights and our Keto Fireball.

Give it a try and let me know what you think on my Facebook post.  And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook to see what other keto recipes I come up with and to see what else I learn on my journey to live a healthier and happier life.

Do you know any other keto whiskey drinks I could make? Any ideas for some more keto alcohol recipes I could try?