Do you like bread rolls for breakfast, but want to stay low carb? We all loved this recipe for Keto buns, which have a light and airy texture and a gently crunchy crust. They have no eggy taste and keep their shape nicely!
One of the things that people often say when I tell them I stay away from wheat and other grains is "No way - I could never give up bread". The thing is, you don't have to!
Of course, you'll never be able to mimic the exact texture and crunch of an artisan sourdough. (If I manage to do this one day despite all odds, I'll be sure to tell you). But you can create absolutely delicious low carb and keto bread using grain free flours.
Almond flour and coconut flour are by far the most commonly used low carb flours. You can make bread or rolls with either or with a combination of both. I have a popular recipe for almond flour bread on my blog. There's also a recipe for coconut flour bread which includes flaxseed meal that get lots of positive comments.
One of my favourite hacks for making low carb bread is adding psyllium husk. Psyllium is a plant that is mainly cultivated in Northern India. The ground husks are a dietary fibre that is not only beneficial for your bowels, but also works wonders as a food thickener. On top of that, it gives Keto bread a texture similar to whole-wheat bread. Here's an informative guide to psyllium husk.
This recipe for Keto buns is based on my low carb rolls. The rolls use both almond and coconut flour - the two work well in combo. They also use butter, which makes them wonderfully rich, almost like a brioche. This time, I wanted to create more of a wheat bread taste. That's why I replaced the butter with water and ditched most of the egg yolks (the eggy taste is in the yolks). Last but not least, I added psyllium husk powder, just like in my Keto dinner rolls. Boom!
How to make Keto buns - step by step:
1.) Mix your dry ingredients. Then put all ingredients in a food processor and blend for about 20 - 30 seconds. Alternatively, use a bowl and an electric mixer.
Top Tip: It is REALLY important that your eggs are at room temperature. If you use them straight from the fridge, your buns will rise only very little or not at all. Trust me, this little hack makes all the difference.
2.) After mixing, let the dough sit for a couple of minutes so the coconut flour and the psyllium husk powder can absorb the liquid.
This is what the dough should look like. It is soft, but it's easy to handle and can be shaped with your hands.
3.) To prevent the dough sticking to your hands, wet them. If you want 4 equally sized buns, form one large ball and cut it into quarters.
Form your low carb rolls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I sprinkled mine with sesame seeds, but poppy seeds, black sesame seeds or even sunflower seeds would work well too. Make a criss-cross cut on the top if you want the buns to split.
4.) Bake the buns for about 25 minutes in the middle of the oven. And breakfast can commence!
Tips and Tricks for perfect Keto buns
Eggs: The most all-important tip is to make sure your eggs are at room temperature. Trust me. I have made this recipe with cold eggs and whilst the rolls still tasted good, they hardly rose.
Baking powder: Another reason for bread not rising is out-of-date baking powder. You can test your baking powder by putting some in water. If it fizzes up it's fresh and you're good to go.
Water: Just boiled is the way to go!
Almond flour: I used ground almonds / regular almond flour in this recipe, not super-fine or fat reduced almond flour. If your almond flour is super-fine and you're finding your dough firm, I suggest to add a little more water.
Psyllium: I used psyllium husk powder and not the whole psyllium husks (which look like little sticks). If you want to use whole psyllium husks, you'd have to use 2 tbsp as opposed to just 1 tbsp.
All ovens are different, and some can be temperamental. However, I recommend you bake your buns for at least 23 minutes. If you take them out earlier, you might find that the insider is not quite done. For me, 25 minutes gave a perfectly browned crust. If your buns start looking too dark bit the baking time is not yet up, place aluminium foil on the buns to prevent them from burning. You can also rotate the baking sheet so the buns brown more evenly - the back of the oven is always hotter than the front.
Note: Many low carb bread recipes use apple cider vinegar to help the bread rise. I have tried several of these recipes and have not yet found one that I love. I can always taste the vinegar, which I find off-putting. Using 1 tsp of baking powder gave my Keto buns a good rise and airy texture and they kept their shape. Next time I want to increase this to 1 ½ tsp to see whether the rolls would be even larger and the air bubbles even bigger.
The buns freeze and toast well. I sliced mine in half and toast them straight from the freezer.
Not much of a breakfast eater? These low carb rolls make a great burger bun too! There are a great alternative to my black burger buns.
From almond cream cheese pancakes to Keto cinnamon rolls or this tasty Keto Mexican Breakfast Casserole - check out all breakfast recipes on Sugar Free Londoner!
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Fluffy Keto Buns - Low Carb, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
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. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites, medium room temperature
- 1 egg, medium room temperature
- ¼ cup / 60 ml hot water
- ¼ cup / 25g almond flour
- ¼ cup / 30g coconut flour
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder or 2 tbsp whole psyllium husks
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of sea salt
- sesame seeds, for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit.
- Mix your dry ingredients. Then put all ingredients into a food processor or mix with an electric blender until smooth, about 20 seconds. Don't over-mix the dough.
- Let the dough sit for a couple of minutes so the flours can absorb the moisture.
- Separate the dough into 4 equal portions and form buns.
- Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or seeds of choice. Make a criss-cross cut on the top and bake for around 25 minutes or until browned.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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MCBeachGal says
Hands down the best gluten free keto buns EVER! These are so soft and flavorful. I added a pinch of pink salt as a reviewer suggested and topped with Everything but the Bagel" seasoning. Question, do you store at room temp? I can't wait to use these for sandwiches and hamburger buns! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Andrea says
They turned out great and fluffy, but totally tasteless. Shouldn’t the recipe contain some salt?
Katrin Nürnberger says
You can definitely use salt to your preferences.
Penelope says
Hi,
Coconut Flour is high FODMAP and I cannot consume it. What would be a good substitute?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Why don't use make this almond flour rolls recipe instead. It is delicious.
Sarah Seymour says
Hi. What can I do with all the egg yolks? I made a double batch and now have 6 organic egg yolks that I don’t want to waste. I don’t want to make anything with sweetner , so any ideas?
Thanks.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Make this keto mayonnaise! Or this keto rice pudding.
Zosia Borejko says
Recipe ideas using sweetener please.
Just made these buns for the first time and they’ve turned out well, will definitely make again.
Katrin Nürnberger says
If you are looking for sweet recipes, take a look at my sugar free desserts section.
Diane Brill says
Tried this recipe yesterday and although mine didn't look quite as puffy as the ones pictured, they taste amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe.
Peter says
These came out quite good! Next time I will see if I can't shape them into hamburger buns.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, that works well 🙂
Mary Rixen says
These buns turned out beautifully! I’m going to make a double batch and make them a little larger next time. Thank you so much!
Renee says
I never usually comment on a recipe nor do I ever believe a comment saying “best keto bread so far” because they always fail for me, but this recipe is AWESOME. I was so excited when I opened the oven door to find super puffy and airy buns that weren’t all gooey and eggy on the inside. This recipe is such a keeper and the tops of the buns were even a bit crispy I wanna say but in such a good way. I put some trader joes everything bagel seasoning on this time. I’m happy that now I can make hamburgers and not dread the lettuce bun because these are phenomenal.
Katrin Nürnberger says
I'm so happy you're liking the rolls!
Chelsea Q. says
I'm new to your blog since just this week, but not new to keto. Thank you for your recipes because they have changed my life in just a week. I began with your keto scones, which came out wonderfully, and frankly, were less fussy to make than conventional flour scones. Then, as I needed something to eat the scones with (I wanted to be more adventurous than butter), I found your lemon curd recipe and made that last night. I had never made lemon curd in my life, but it came out great, albeit slightly eggy. Perhaps I cooked it a little too long. Anyway! Today, I decided to try a roll recipe and settled on this one. Followed all your instructions and notes, and the buns are great! Nice texture, fluffy, and very satisfying. As you've written, low-carb baking will never be the same as conventional baking, but it can come pleasantly and surprisingly close enough to satisfy bread cravings. At least for me.
I had a few questions regarding my buns. They're good, however, my dough was not sticky at any stage. I used very fine almond flour, only about 50 ml of hot water instead of 60 ml, and I mixed my ingredients with a fork, then formed a ball with my hands before letting it rest. My buns aren't as fluffy as the ones pictured above. Should I use an electric blender and add more water so that my dough is stickier next time? Will this produce a fluffier bun? Also, my psyllium husk powder is actually a brownish color, which also lent a browner color to my buns. I don't care about the color, but do you think this could have slightly effected the fluffiness of the buns?
Thanks a lot!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Chelsea, mixing with a blender and using the 60ml of water should sort this out. The almond flour I use is not super-fine, which means it absorbs less liquid than the one you use, making my dough stickier. I'm so happy you're enjoying the recipes!
Rosina Villella says
What if you want to bake lots of this keto rolls, say 12 rolls
Katrin Nürnberger says
It should be fine to triple the recipe. The baking time will be a little longer because you'll have more batter in the oven. If the rolls brown before they are done inside, simply place some aluminium foil over the tops for the remainder of the time.
Zehava says
Thank you for another great recipe!
Do you think I can steam the buns and make it like bao bun?
Katrin Nürnberger says
That would be an interesting experiment - I have never made bao buns myself, so I don't know what the dough consistency is compared to my buns. If you give it a try, let me know!
Zehava says
I ended up baking it as your recipe suggested and boy! What a beautiful soft buns! Does feel like the real thing... next time I’ll try to be braver and steam them. I’ll let you know. Thank you so much for recipe I will be using a lot! Xx
Stefanie says
Hello, your recipe sounds great. Can I use liquid egg whites from the carton? Thank you for your help.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, of course you can!
Carina says
Thank you for the recipe. Even though the dough was watery, I let it rest for 20 mins let the almond flour and husks absorb the liquid: it came out from the oven soft and yummy buns
Katrin Nürnberger says
53-63 grams.
Maria says
With this recipe can I make burger buns ? Instead of 4 buns make 3 buns to get a bigger bun?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, of course! Make them a little flatter to get that burger bun shape. Ans check the inside is done by pricking with a skewer, just in case they need a little longer because of the size.
Maria says
Thanks ... you’re very kind...I will do this as soon as I can.
Sandy B. says
I made these for the first time, a few months after starting Keto, they were delicious! I used black sesame seeds. They are just as good toasted the next day w/ some sugar free jam.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Black sesame seeds are one of my faves. Delicious!
Robb Seto says
Deeply satisfies that bread craving. Texture, flavour......5 stars!
Kris says
Can you replace the Psyllium Husk with yeast and inulin? Do you think using equal parts would work? Thanks!
Katrin Nürnberger says
No, that would not work. The psyllium husk is very absorbent, only flax would be able to do a similar job. I have used yeast in these , you could use it as a starting point.
Teresa says
What about ground chia instead of the psyllium? My dough ended up very watery so I had to add more almond&coconut flour. I thought the chia would have absorbed the liquid as well.
Katrin Nürnberger says
I think it's more likely to do with the type of psyllium you used and how coarse or fine it is. It's 1 tbsp if you're using the powder and 2 tbsp if it's whole psyllium husks. Chia will not give you the same fluffiness.
Farhan says
Buying a ready made keto almond buns is expensive so I thought why not give this recipe a go. I am grateful I tried this recipe. It was easy to follow for a non-baker like me. The batter is too liquid initially and I followed your advice to add in almond flour and coconut flour. Truly appreciate this. Keep on sharing amazing recipes!
francesca says
Me again! Well I used the 4-roll serving to make 2 burger buns instead...forgot to cut the cross on top but turned out lovely - just too much for one burger as they're so filling of course, but didn't know how they'd behave...next time I'll just make flatter rolls for burgers, smaller rolls to eat on their own. Lovely! Still have that question about gram/ml measurements not changing with serving size. Thanks! Will try more of your recipes for sure.
Shey says
Can I use Xanthan gum in place of psyllium husk?
Katrin Nürnberger says
No, that would not work. But you can replace the psyllium husk with finely ground flaxseed. Check the consistency of your dough and compare it to mine in the video to make sure you've got the right consistency!
Marilyn /Ontario Canada says
Any recipes to use with the left over yoiks?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, make homemade mayonnaise!
Marilyn /Ontario Canada says
Made these tonight. Tripled the recipe so I can have some with Keto Christmas dinner. They were absolutely delicious.Printed the recipe to make again. Sure was easy and filled the spot for missing bread on this diet. Taste just like whole wheat bread but so much better. Next batch I will divide into separate ones to have with different spices. Can't wait! Thank you for sharing. I truly appreciate your recipe. Merry Christmas and stay safe!
Simon Hearn says
Great recipe, I've been on a keto diet now for six months, and not had any bread since. This is a wonderful substitute, even my partner who isn't on my diet was impressed on how bread like and light this bread is
Annie Davidson says
OMG Yum! These turned out great for me, definitely going to be making them again
Ravenna says
I wonder if you can help me, these look great but I cannot use Almond Flour due to allergies, could I just use all coconut flour instead?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Try a mix of sunflower seed and sesame seed flour instead of the almond flour. If you used just coconut flour, you'd have to change the ingredient amounts.
Ethy says
Hi, I cannot see the measurements of butter required in this recipe, referred to in the first part of this document. Please advise.
Regards
Ethy
Katrin Nürnberger says
I used the butter in another recipe, my low carb rolls. They are very nice 🙂 In this recipe I replaced the butter with water for a lighter bread.
Nikita says
Hi i tried the rolls but any reason u have written 3 eggs plus 1 egg...
We use 3 eggs or 4
Mine came out dense so was wondering..
Thxx
Katrin Nürnberger says
It's 3 egg whites and one entire egg (medium size). If you use the all yolks you'd add a lot more fat which would make the end result dense. Hope this helps!
Melina Chan says
Can I use egg white powder + water instead?
Katrin Nürnberger says
I have never tried that. It would be an experiment!
Patricia Torres says
So wonderful! I used what I had at home such as fine almond flour instead of regular almond flour, flaxseed meal instead of psyllium husk powder, and different seeds (poppy on some, celery seeds on others). I adjusted as you suggest and followed your tips. My oven is old and finicky so my cook time was almost double, and then I stuck in the broiler for one minute to get a browned top. They came out great!!!
I have two questions for you: 1) any suggestions on storing these? For a day or two? I'm thinking wrap in a tea towel and place in a bread box instead of fridge since it's such a short time. And 2) have you any guidance on making them bigger? I'm very new to baking and baking GF, and wondering if I tried to make one big enough for a sandwich how that may impact cooking time, consistency, etc.
In any case, thank you!!!
Katrin Nürnberger says
hi Patricia, glad you like the buns! Storing them in a bread tin on the counter for a few days is fine. Making them larger would also work, you just need to extend the oven time. If necessary, place aluminium foil over the rolls to avoid excessive browning.
Sami says
Hey - love your recipes and looking to try out these buns tomorrow! Please could you confirm if the buns are indeed 2.8g net carbs per bun as stated? Only asking as your nutrition section has confused me as it says 8.3g... now I at first assumed this was for the whole batch but then the calories seem too low by the logic! ( Require clarification before I get kicked out of Ketosis! ) Many thanks!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Sami, it's 3.3g net carbs per bun and 8.3g total carbs per bun.
Triptta Butkovich says
I followed your recipe with exact measurements timing etc .. The batter didnt become dough like, so i put it in a flat pan with parchment paper which it stuck to and never came off. 🙁
wondering why would it be so different from how you describe and picture it. ?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi there, what consistency was your batter? Was it too liquid?