These pull-apart Keto bread rolls are made with yeast, which makes them pillowy-light and extra fluffy. Serve them as dinner rolls, use them for sliders or enjoy them warm with butter straight from the oven.

German babies are pretty much born with a bread roll in their hands, and I am no exception. When I was little, my breakfast of choice were "milk buns". These were sweet, airy white rolls made with milk and yeast, a bit like brioche or challah. I'd devour them for breakfast!
I've published a whole bunch of great bread and roll recipes on this blog already. They range from extra rustic (such as this Paleo bread - omg it's divine when sliced thinly and toasted) to extra versatile (such as my almond flour bread and this low carb bread - both are perfect for sandwiches).
The one thing I felt was missing was a healthy gluten free remake of my beloved milk buns. And after a bit of experimenting I've come up with a recipe that is a worthy substitution!
Soft inside and lightly golden outside, these keto bread rolls are the kind you'll want to serve with every meal, from everyday family dinners to festive occasions.
No, they don't taste exactly like traditional white buns. But they come pretty close. And even better, they are only 2.1g net carbs per bun.
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The Perfect Dinner Rolls
My rolls are soft enough to serve alongside weeknight soups, hearty stews and holiday meals, yet sturdy enough to slice for sandwiches. They are an excellent low carb substitute for traditional dinner rolls and are always a hit at family gatherings.
They are great for making ahead and freeze beautifully for later.
Bonus - you'll also love them for breakfast with sugar free jam!
Ingredients
To make low carb rolls with yeast, we need certain, slightly unusual, ingredients. Why?
Yeast, as we all know, is a living thing. It feeds on the sugars in the ingredients, emits carbon dioxide and thus the dough rises. Traditional milk buns contain wheat, milk and sugar. Plenty of sugars there. So how do you make a bun rise using low carb ingredients such as almond flour?
Here are the ingredients I used:
Dry Ingredients
- Almond flour - I used ground almonds, which is equivalent to regular almond flour in the US. If you want to use extra fine almond flour, I recommend that you start with 1 ¾ cups of almond flour as it is more absorbent.
- Whey protein powder - This gives the low carb rolls a fluffy and light texture.
- Psyllium husk powder - Also helps create a soft bread texture.
- Baking powder and yeast - For a good rise.
- Inulin - A prebiotic, soluble fibre. It is gently sweet and has amazing health benefits. Here's an informative article. Inulin is FANTASTIC to make low carb yeast dough rise.
- A generous pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- Eggs - We are using eggs and additional egg whites. Beat them until fluffy. This adds air and lightness to the buns.
- Butter - Melted and cooled
- Greek yogurt - Should be room temperature. The yogurt makes the rolls rise more and gives it that milk bun taste.
- Water - Should be lukewarm.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Let me show you how to make keto yeast rolls. Here are the basic steps.
For detailed instructions and nutrition details, scroll down to the recipe card.

STEP 1
First, proof your yeast. We want to make sure it's working and activated - and if it doesn't, we can start all over again without having to throw away expensive ingredients or having to eat tiny, hard rolls!
You simply mix the yeast with warm water and inulin. Cover your bowl with a kitchen towel and put in a warm, draught-free place for 5-10 minutes. This could be above a radiator, on top of your oven or even inside your boiler cupboard.
See the froth and bubbles in the image above? That's what needs to happen.

STEP 2
Blend the eggs, egg whites and melted butter in a food processor until fluffy. You can also use a large mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer.
Once the yeast is activated, add it to the mixture and blend to combine.
Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

STEP 3
Now add the first half of the dry ingredients - whey, almond flour, psyllium, salt, baking powder - plus the Greek yoghurt. Blend until combined.

STEP 4
Add the second half of the dry ingredients. The dough thickens quickly. This is what it should look like - sticky and rather firm. Time to work rapidly now, so the dough does not cool down too much!

STEP 5
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. I used a regular-sized pie dish, but a rectangular casserole dish would work just as well.
Wet your hands so the dough doesn't stick too much and form 8 balls, leaving space around the bread rolls because they will double in size.
STEP 6
Cover again with your kitchen towel or, even better, with a lightly oiled piece of cling film first and then with the kitchen towel (less chance of the dough drying out).
Place the lot back in your warm place of choice for 50-60 minutes to let the dough rise.

STEP 7
Time for the yeast rolls to go into the oven! I recommend to bake them for around 15 minutes or until lightly browned, and then add another 7-10 minutes loosely covered with aluminium foil. Total baking time should be around 22-25 minutes.
Note - I did NOT cover the rolls in the images and found they turned just a little too dark for my liking. Covering them with a foil dome should make them just perfect.

Katrin's Expert Tips
Honestly, this is a NO SHORTCUTS recipe. The correct temperature of the ingredients is essential.
Your eggs must be room temperature. Also, make sure that you give the butter time to cool down so it's only lukewarm and not scalding hot. Yeast thrives in a warm environment. If it's too cold or too hot, they can die off and your rolls simply won't rise.
Trust me on this one. I made my Keto hot cross buns using the same basic recipe and my eggs were still on the cool side. The result? The buns tasted great, but did not rise as much as these keto yeast rolls.

Substitutions
If you don't have inulin, use either honey or maple syrup instead. Yeast bacteria feed on the sugar to thrive and in theory there won't be much of the sugar left once your dough has risen. I cannot guarantee that ALL sugar will be gone, but most of it would likely have been gobbled up!
Many people don't like or cannot have almond flour. I have not tried this recipe with coconut flour myself yet, but normally using around ⅓ the amount of flour works well. This is because coconut flour absorbs more liquid than almond flour.
You could use sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt. Coconut yogurt would also work - i.e., yogurt made FROM coconuts, such as by the Coconut Collaborative. If you wanted to use coconut cream, add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar as well.
When To Serve
These rolls are wonderful in your bread basket for dinner. Here are more ideas:
- Breakfast: Toast them and spread with sugar free strawberry jam.
- Sandwich: Add your favorite sandwich filler, from ham and cheese to keto egg salad.
- Lunch: Serve them warm and buttered alongside a steamy soup.
- Party and holiday spreads: Use them as slider buns and enjoy them alongside grilled meats.
Recipe FAQs
The best substitute is egg white protein powder.
Some psyllium husk powder brands turn pruple when baked. This does not affect the taste. I have used Green Origins and Just Natural without issues. The NOW brand is also supposed to be fine.
The egg taste is in the yolks and with 4 egg yolks, the rolls taste "eggy". I hate food waste as much as you do and use the leftover egg yolks for keto mayonnaise.
Storage
I like to store these rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave or pop them in the toaster.
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months! If I do this, I always slice them in half first. This way, I can pop them in the toaster straight from frozen.
More Keto Bread Rolls And Buns
- Keto Dinner Rolls
- Keto Buns Recipe30 Minutes
- Keto Biscuits30 Minutes
- Best Keto Hot Dogs (Homemade Buns!)40 Minutes
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Recipe

Pull-Apart Keto Bread Rolls
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups / 200g almond flour or ground almonds
- 3 tablespoon whey protein powder
- 3 tablespoon psyllium husk powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon inulin
- 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- generous pinch of salt optional
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs, large room temperature
- 2 egg whites room temperature
- ¼ cup / 50g butter melted
- scant ¼ cup / 50g Greek yoghurt
- ⅓ cup / 80ml lukewarm water
Instructions
- Proof the yeast! Put the yeast and inulin into a bowl and add the warm water (40 Celsius / 105 Fahrenheit). If you don't have a thermometer, the water should be warm to the touch. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for 5-10 minutes until it starts to froth and thicken.
- In the meantime, combine the dry ingredients - almond flour, protein powder, psyllium husk powder, baking powder - in another bowl and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer or a food processor, whisk the room temperature eggs and egg whites, melted (warm, not hot!!) butter and the activated yeast mixture until well combined.
- Add the yoghurt and the first half of the dry ingredients mixture. Blend until combined, then add the second half of the flour mix. The dough will thicken quickly as the psyllium and the almond flour absorb the moisture.
- Line a pie dish or a casserole dish with parchment paper. Lightly wet your hands and form eight dough balls. Make sure you leave some space around the rolls as they will significantly increase in size.
- Cover the dish with lightly oiled cling film and a kitchen towel and return to a warm space for around 50 to 60 minutes until the rolls have substantially expanded - see the images in the post. I like to place my tray on top of the radiator.
- Towards the end of the rising time, pre-heat the oven to 175°C/350 Fahrenheit.
- Bake for around 15 minutes or until the rolls are starting to brown. Then cover loosely with aluminium foil and continue to bake for another 7-10 minutes.












Cecelia T
Your mention of German Milk rolls made me think of my Austrian Grandmother who made Milchbroetchen. And I think she used the same recipe to make Dampfnudel. Which she poached in milk, sugar, and butter. She would serve these with bean soup which I wasn't crazy about, but those rolls! I loved them with the crunchy caramelized bottom! I wonder if I could do the same with these rolls?
Katrin Nürnberger
That would be an interesting experiment for sure!
Linda J
Is there anything that I can substitute for the inulin
Katrin Nürnberger
You could use honey or even table sugar. As I explain in the post, it's what the yeast feeds on and none should remain post bake.
Heather
Hi Katrin:
Can this dough be baked in a loaf pan, as bread? If so, what size loaf pan for the standard recipe?
Thanks!
Katrin Nürnberger
It should work. I have a yeast brioche bread in my Keto Bread Made Easy cookbook that I baked in a small loaf pan. It has a volume of 450 ml. You can also use a full sized loaf pan, which means the bread will turn out flatter rather than the "toast" shape we're used to.
Heather
Thanks, Katrin....the rolls were delicious! Even my husband, a non-carb person, liked them.
G
oops...sorry, just saw the note on replacing inulin with honey or maple syrup - equal amount? Also, what is the correct way to substitute psyllium husk for powder as Brenda W mentions? If I only have the husk do I double the amount that was called for using the powder? T
Thanks again!!
G
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, I would use the same amount of either sugar or honey. And you replace psyllium powder with twice the amount of psyllium husks.
Denise McIntyre
what is inulin and where do I get it
Mo
Would it be possible to substitute psyllium for oat fiber?? I have all the ingredients except for that and I really want to make these.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Mo, I have never used oat fiber so I'm not sure now absorbent it is. My guess is you may need to use more oat fibre in place of the psyllium because I have not come across anything that soaks up moisture quite like psyllium.
Tracy F
Hi... want to first say that I love your blog and all your amazingly wonderful recipes that you so graciously share with your blog readers. Is there anything that can be used to substitute for they “whey powder”? I am allergic to whey protein as it is typically made from A1 producing cows. I can only use A2 type dairy products and have not yet come across an A2 type protein powder. I also can’t use chicken eggs as I can only use duck eggs. Excited to make these but worried the lack of protein powder will impact the results. I do use grass fed beef collagen powder but was not sure if this would work the same
Thanks much,
Katrin Nürnberger
I haven't tried this myself yet, but a common substitute for whey protein powder is egg white protein powder. I am not sure whether collagen powder will yield the same result, I don't think it bakes up as fluffy as the whey. Maybe there are other vegan protein powders that are also suitable?
Carolyn Stoker
What can I substitute for protein powder which I can’t get where I live?
Katrin Nürnberger
You could go for more almond flour, although my guess is that the batter won't be as light and fluffy.
Rita
Just had these for dinner, they were excellent, I would never known they weren’t traditional rolls if I hadn’t made them myself. Finally, ‘real bread’! Thank you for all your efforts!
Caroline Nielson
Can I use something other than butter?
I’m trying out dairy free for a while due to allergies.
Maybe coconut oil or avocado oil perhaps?
Katrin Nürnberger
I would use coconut oil, it firms up at room temperature just like butter. If you use avocado oil, you may need less because it stays liquid.
Brenda W
I made the psyllium husk mistake & checked the comments in time to double it. I added fresh minced rosemary & kalamata olives and these were awesome. Thank you! I ordered psyllium husk powder so next time less drama lol