These pull-apart Keto bread rolls are made with yeast, which makes them pillowy-light and extra fluffy. They're delicious at breakfast with sugar free jam and work equally well as keto dinner rolls.
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!
These buns are soft, airy and taste delicious. 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.
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 â…“ 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 yoghurt. Coconut yoghurt 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.
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 Biscuits (Sugar Free, Fluffy, Cheesy)30 Minutes
- Best Keto Hot Dogs (Homemade Buns!)40 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Pull-Apart Keto Bread Rolls
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
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
- â…“ 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
First published April 2019. Republished with more information in February 2024.
Norma
Katrin,
Have a question about what you do with your egg yolks? I have tried your wonderful low carb bread, but some of the others, like this one, I haven't because I don't want to waste the yolks. Have no doubt leaving out some or all of the yolk would help reduce the eggy flavor, just don't like the waste and particularly with the price of eggs now. Ideas? Thanks.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Norma, I like to make keto mayonnaise. Another great ways of using up egg yolks are making custard or keto rice pudding.
Norma
Wonderful suggestions! Thanks! Have never made my own mayo so will give that a try soon.
Gerri
Fabulous rolls. Appreciate your thorough instructions. They're delicious!
Ann Andrews
I need a substitute for almond as I am allergic to almonds. Does coconut flour work? Thanks.
Katrin Nürnberger
Normally, substituting almond flour with 1/3 the amount of coconut flour works quite well. However, as this is a lengthy recipe, I don't recommend it - since I have not tried it myself and cannot guarantee it will work as well.
Kathy
Thank you so much for sharing these amazing recipes. I try many of your recipes as my husband is type 2 diabetic and therefore we try to reduce carb intake while still trying to enjoy good food! I can't wait to try these buns - have to purchase whey powder first. Until reading the questions/comments from other readers, and your informative responses, I didn't realize how leaving out an ingredient or 2 can affect the recipe outcome. I do appreciate that you often provide alternatives.
Andrea
Taste is great, absolutely nothing to complain in this regard - the shape mmhhhh, not really like a bun in my case. I cannot get active dry yeast, so I used the instant one and still proved it. The dough was slightly soft, and it really doubled up perfectly. Unfortunately in the oven the shape did not stay, is slightly flattened, not totally, you still can see the different buns, but as I said - they are more flat buns, with amazing taste 🙂 Thank you. Do you think it was the yeast, or just too soft overall?
Katrin Nürnberger
It could have been the yeast. Or, in fact the baking powder - out of date baking powder is often the problem when you don't get a good rise in the oven.
Eve
Can these be frozen?
I try not to eat too many rolls, even keto or low carb, but every once in a while, I must have bread I usually freeze my keto, breads, sliced thin, when I’m desperate take a couple pieces out.
Thanks
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, they freeze well.
Alison
These tasted good- hence 5 stars but mine turned out more like English scones ? - If they had had cheese and paprika in they would have been exactly a great keto savoury scones dupe!! - not a bad thing but not what I would call bread . My dough was also very wet . I think I used psyllium powder (I had only labelled my jar ‘psyllium’ ) so that might have been the issue . They did rise but not massively, probably because the dough was wet? Anyway still very nice cut in half with butter, cheese and onion on whilst still warm 🙂
Elaine
I just tried making them and the dough was very wet, couldn't form them into balls. What did I do wrong.
Katrin Nürnberger
It means that you used either too much liquids or too little dry ingredients. It's also possible that you used psyllium husk and not the psyllium husk powder. The powder is very very fine, while the husks look like a powder at first glance, but are coarser, like little sticks. It's an easy mistake to make. If you are using psyllium husks, you have to use twice the amount.
Sally Hope-Hawkins
My keto daughters Favourite bread to date!
Liz Guillen
These came out rather mealy. Might it be because I didn't have inulin or psyllium husk powder? They tasted good, but were crumbly--ended up being good to sprinkle in a cauliflower soup, but hard to butter. Would appreciate any suggestions/comments, as I want to keep trying. Thanks. liz
Katrin Nürnberger
Both the inulin and the psyllium are essential to the recipe. The inulin activates the yeast, which helps with the rise. The psyllium makes the dough fluffy.
Eunice Dockrell
Can I use anything in the place of inulin to prove the yeast? It looks like a nice recipe that I would like to try
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, you can use sugar or honey - the theory is that the yeast "feeds" on it and none remains post bake.