My keto croque monsieur is crispy on the outside and filled with melted cheese and ham. It is a tasty lunch or snack that is ready in 20 minutes!
I was thinking for a while about what to call this recipe: Keto Hot Pockets or Keto Croque Monsieur.
To be honest, it is a mixture of the two. It is a hot pocket that is filled like a French Croque Monsieur.
And oh boy, it is delicious. Plus, it is perfectly keto AND nut-free!
Before we get started, let me quickly explain what a Croque Monsieur is. Basically, it is a posh French ham and cheese sandwich made with brioche-like bread that is either fried or baked.
Of course, I am not using brioche or any other wheat-based bread here. This would contain way too many carbs. Instead, I am using a simple fathead dough.
This keto hot pocket recipe is one of my go-to lunch staples. Sometimes I vary the fillings, but most of the time I make it exactly as written!
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Ingredients
You only need 5 ingredients to make this recipe:
DOUGH: Grated mozzarella, sunflower seed flour.
You need grated mozzarella cheese (must be firm and yellow, not the soft white mozzarella for salads) and sunflower seed flour. When baked, this mix turns into a crispy bread - it's so good.
I use almond flour in many recipes, but this time wanted to try something different because I know many of you have tree nut allergies and are looking for alternatives. I simply grind sunflower seeds in a food processor and make the flour at home.
You can also add ¼ teaspoon of baking powder to make the dough more puffy.
FILLING: Ham, cheese, mustard.
Croque Monsieur is filled with cooked ham and Emmental or Gruyere cheese. I used Gruyere. Or, add any hard cheese such as cheddar, Monterey Jack or Comte.
Some Croque Monsieur recipes call for béchamel sauce, others use mustard. I chose Dijon. I feel that adding béchamel would be too fatty, considering we're already using a LOT of cheese.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Let me show you how to make a keto Croque Monsieur. Here are the basic steps. Scroll down to the recipe card for a detailed method, ingredient amounts and nutrition information.
1.) Place the mozzarella in a heat proof bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir and heat for a further 20 - 30 seconds until fully melted. Careful not to burn.
2.) Add the sunflower seed or sesame seed flour and mix with a spatula to combine into a ball. If the dough gets too cold at any point, simply warm it up again in the microwave.
3.) Roll the dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper or a silicone mat and a sheet of greaseproof into an oblong shape.
4.) Place the ham in the centre and top with cheese and mustard.
5.) Fold the edges of the dough over to form a closed pocket. Turn the pocket over so the seal is at the bottom. Piece two tiny air holes in the top with a sharp knife. Not too big or the cheese will escape! Bake in the oven for around 12-15 minutes until golden on top.
Katrin's Top Tips
If you use thin ham, roll it up instead of placing it flat onto the dough. This way your pockets end up thicker and fluffier.
You can also use grated cheese instead of cheese slices. This is what I did when I made the recipe the second time around.
Dough Variations
Sesame Flour: I have tested this recipe with both sunflower seed and sesame seed flour. To me, both seed flours tasted equally nice. The nutritional profile is also similar.
Sunflower seeds taste nuttier than the sesame seeds. The sesame seed version comes up looking more like white bread - see the image below.
Here, I also changed the shape of the hot pocket so it looks more like a proper croque. I folded the dough the other way around, sealed the edges by folding the dough over and ended up with more of a square.
Almond Flour: Of course, you can also use almond flour in this recipe - simply use the same amount.
Coconut Flour: Try 2.5 tablespoons of coconut flour. (Not tested, but this is the amount I would go for).
Change the shape: Halve the dough, roll it out into 2 oblong shapes and fold these in half, twisting the edges together. Voila - a calzone! Find plenty of filling ideas in my keto calzone post.
Croque Filling Ideas
- Top with a fried egg - Croque Madame
- Add tomato - Croque Provençal
- Replace the ham with smoked salmon - Croque Norvégien
- Add keto bolognese - Croque Bolognese
- With tomato salsa - Croque Señor
Serving Suggestion
I like to serve my keto hot pockets with a crisp green salad - this way, they make a great brunch or quick lunch.
They taste great with a Dijon mayonnaise. For this, stir together 1 tablespoon of keto mayonnaise and ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the oven or an air fryer for 5-7 minutes @ 200C / 400F. This way, the hot pockets can crisp up again and will taste much better than if you heated them in the microwave.
I haven't tried to freeze this recipe yet, but I think it would freeze well, for up to 3 months. After defrosting, heat them in the oven so they can puff up.
More Keto Sandwich Bread
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Croque Monsieur - Low Carb Hot Pockets
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
DOUGH
- ¾ cup / 85g grated mozzarella
- ½ cup / 50g sunflower seed flour or sesame seed flour
FILLING
- 60 g good quality ham
- 50 g Gruyere cheese or cheddar, sliced or grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355F / 180C / 160 fan.
- Place the mozzarella in a heat proof bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir and heat for a further 20 - 30 seconds until fully melted. Careful not to burn.
- Add the sunflower seed flour (or sesame seed flour) and mix with a spatula to combine into a ball. You may need to use your hands and knead a bit too. If the dough gets too cold at any point simply pop back in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper or a silicone mat and a sheet of grease-proof. Roll into an oblong shape.
- Place the ham in the centre and top with cheese and mustard.
- Fold the edges of the dough over to form a pocket. Turn the pocket over so the seal is at the bottom.
- Piece two tiny air holes in the top with a sharp knife. Not too big or the cheese will escape!
- Place the greaseproof paper with the hot pocket onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for around 12 - 15 minutes or until golden on top.
- Slice in half and enjoy. Option to serve with mustard mayonnaise or a nice fresh salad.
Sharon Wheeler
These are so easy to make and so tasty. I used almond flour in mine. I cooked it in the airfryer but needed to flip to cook both sides. Think this will be a regular lunch in my house. Thank you for a great recipe.
Shelley
could you use almond or coconut flour as you normally would?
Katrin Nürnberger
Of course. You can use the same amount in almond flour. Or, use 1/3 the amount in coconut flour.