Keto Stuffed Mushrooms with Cream Cheese

These Keto Stuffed Mushrooms with Cream Cheese are low-carb and gluten free! They're so delicious and accented with lemon, basil, garlic, Parmesan, mozzarella and butter. Make them for an appetizer, side dish or meal prep!

Don't let the keto title scare you off. These stuffed mushrooms with cream cheese have been a family favorite for years and just happen to be made without bread crumbs.

They're low-carb and gluten-free, while loaded with lots of Italian goodness! We're talking about Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, basil and lemon zest.

They're the best stuffed mushrooms I've ever had!

(And if you love mushrooms, don't miss my family's Italian Sautéed Mushrooms with Tomatoes!)

Recipe inspiration

When I worked in Northern Kentucky in the early 1990s, there was a restaurant that featured cream cheese-stuffed mushrooms as its signature appetizer. The dish was so popular, it came with a "recipe" that simply listed ingredients, minus the measurements.

Ha! Thanks a lot! (And, don't worry, I've included a full recipe card at the end of this post.)

When I tried to replicate the appetizer 25 years later, I only remembered cream cheese and lemon zest. So, I used my imagination and taste buds, and the rest is history.

Everyone loves these keto stuffed mushrooms!

Recipe ingredients

Mushrooms: I always use large, white button mushrooms to make stuffed mushrooms. You could use cremini or baby portobello mushrooms instead. You want mushrooms that are about two inches wide.

Cream cheese: You can use regular or low-fat. Let it sit out to soften for about 30 minutes, so it will be easy to mix with the other ingredients.

Worchestershire sauce: This adds a touch of umami flavor. Note that Worchestershire sauce contains anchovies, so if you need these to be vegetarian stuffed mushrooms, you'll have to buy vegan Worchestershire.

Lemon: We're using lemon zest in the filling, plus squeezing lemon juice on the baked stuffed mushrooms. Lemon is key to the bright flavor in this recipe, so don't skip it!

Basil: Ribbons of fresh basil add a delicious pop of flavor! We're using them in the filling, plus adorning the tops of the mushrooms with them after they're baked.

I keep a basil plant on my windowsill just for recipes like this, but you can buy a small container of basil at the grocery store. I wouldn't use dried basil here.

How to make keto stuffed mushrooms

See the recipe card at the end of this post for full instructions, but here's an overview.

Prepare the mushrooms

Gently rinse the mushrooms in a light stream of water and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the stems by pulling them out or using a small paring knife. Chop the stems.

Make the cream cheese filling

1. Melt butter in a pan on the stove and add finely chopped garlic.
2. After a minute, stir in the chopped mushroom stems and cook them for five minutes. Transfer them to a plate to cool off.
3. Stir the cream cheese to soften it further. Mix in Parmesan, some mozzarella, basil, lemon zest, seasonings and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Add the cooked mushroom stems to the filling and stir to combine.

Stuff the mushrooms and bake

1. Place the mushroom caps on a greased sheet pan and brush them with melted butter. Make sure to do the insides, tops, bottoms and sides.
2. Stuff the mushrooms with the savory cream cheese filing, sprinkle on mozzarella and drizzle with melted butter.
3. Bake.

Recipe tips

• To prevent watery mushrooms, use just a light stream of water to rinse them and dry them well. Bake the stuffed mushrooms on a buttered sheet pan instead of a glass pan, so more liquid will evaporate. Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter when they're done baking, so they're not sitting in any liquid.
• Brushing the mushroom caps inside and out with melted butter prevents them from getting dry during baking. They'll look and taste better! I like using a silicone basting brush (affiliate link).
• To make these a day ahead, you can brush the caps with melted butter, stuff the mushrooms, but hold off on drizzling melted butter over the top. Refrigerate them without baking. The day you want to serve them, drizzle on melted butter, then bake, adding five minutes to the total time.
• If you end up with extra filling, you can stuff more mushrooms or save the filling to spread on crackers or serve it heated up and stirred into buttered pasta.

What to serve with stuffed mushrooms

These keto stuffed mushrooms go well served hot with meat, fish, vegetables or pasta. For variety, I try to serve them with food that's not loaded with cheese. Try them:

• For a stand-alone holiday appetizer or on a buffet with Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers, Tomato Bruschetta or Caponatina (Eggplant Caponata).
• As a side dish for filet mignon or steak pinwheels.
• As an appetizer or side for an Italian-American Thanksgiving meal.
• As a topping for buttered fettuccine or linguine. When you cut into a hot mushroom, the filling oozes out into the pasta! You can even stir in extra filling.

Frequently asked questions

More appetizer recipes

• Baked Mushroom-Feta Egg Rolls
• Cream-Cheese Stuffed Dates
• Baked Parmesan Jalapeño Poppers
• Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola
• The Best Pecan Cheese Log
• 63 Italian Appetizers

Enjoy!

If you try these Keto Stuffed Mushrooms with Cream Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and a rating!

(Recipe Source: Inspired by an appetizer that used to be served at one of the restaurants in the Drawbridge complex in Ft. Mitchell, KY. Originally published on November 11, 2016 and updated now with new photos and more information.)