This keto Irish soda bread has a crunchy crust and a rustic texture. It is a simple, quick and flavourful bread that requires just 6 ingredients and 5 minutes prep time.
It is St. Patricks day tomorrow and everyone is thinking about cabbage, green desserts... and Irish soda bread!
There are many ways to make this classic bread, and recipes range from dense and dark to sweet versions that resemble a gigantic scone.
My keto soda bread is a gluten-free, grain free version of how my Irish friend Annie likes hers. It has the same rustic crumb and texture as the traditional recipe and contains the two essential ingredients: baking soda and buttermilk.
You are going to love how simple this bread is to make. There is no need for any fancy equipment. A bowl, a spatula and your hands will do!
Of course, this is such a delicious quick bread that we don't only make it for St. Paddy's day.
In my opinion, it is a great everyday bread for any time of the year.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Bread
- Rustic yet fluffy texture
- Mild, nutty flavor
- Easy one bowl recipe - only 6 ingredients
- Naturally gluten-free, grain-free and high in fiber
- Low carb and keto-friendly
- 3.6g net carbs per slice
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
- Almond flour - I used ground almonds, which is equivalent to regular almond flour.
- Ground flaxseed - Both brown and golden flax meal work fine. The brown flax has a nuttier taste.
- Psyllium husk powder - Psyllium is a prebiotic fiber and creates a fluffy texture in low carb bread.
- Buttermilk - This is the secret ingredient in classic Irish soda bread. It assists with the leavening of the dough. My buttermilk was fairly thick. Buttermilk contains a moderate amount of carbs. However, calculated per slice the bread is keto friendly.
- Egg - Whisk the egg well before adding it.
- Baking Soda - Also called bicarbonate of soda. It would not be soda bread without the baking soda!
- Salt - This is optional, but I added a dash sea salt to the dough for a better flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Here are the basic steps to make a keto soda bread recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method.
STEP 1
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.
STEP 2
Make a hollow in the centre and add the beaten egg and the buttermilk. Combine with a spatula, then knead the dough until smooth.
STEP 3
Form a dough ball, then let it rest for 10 minutes. During this time, the flax and psyllium absorb the moisture.
STEP 4
Form a loaf and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Score the top with a knife. Bake in the oven until golden brown and you can insert a toothpick without crumbs sticking.
Let the bread cool fully on a wire rack before slicing. It firms up as it cools.
Expert Tips
Here are a few things that I have learned from baking many, many loaves of low carb bread over the years:
For a better rise and a light crumb texture, it is helpful if all wet ingredients (the buttermilk and the egg) are room temperature.
Check the bread after 30 minutes in the oven. Once the top is golden, cover it loosely with aluminium foil for the remainder of the baking time. This way, the inside of the bread can cook fully without the crust over-browning.
It is important that you use powdered psyllium and not whole psyllium husks. It should have a very fine consistency, just like flour.
Recipe Variations
I like my soda bread savoury. However, you can also make a sweet version! Simply add 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sweetener of your choice (allulose would be perfect). Instead of currants, stir in a handful of sugar-free dried cranberries.
Another option is to add crunch: chopped walnuts, pecans or seeds such as pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Add these into the dough or sprinkle over the top.
If you really, really want to avoid buttermilk, I suggest that you use full fat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt instead. Another option would be to replace the buttermilk with ¼ cup or 60 ml heavy cream, ¼ cup or 60 ml almond milk and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Knead the dough and add more almond milk if required.
Dairy-free: For a dairy-free version, use coconut yogurt.
Recipe FAQs
Soda bread is a quick bread that is made with baking soda instead of baking powder or yeast. The traditional Irish soda bread is not Keto-friendly because it contains wheat flour.
Some psyllium husk brands take on a purple hue when baked. This does not affect the taste. I have used BonPom, Green Origins and Just Natural without issues. The NOW brand is also fine.
Substitute the almond flour with a blend of sunflower seed flour and sesame seed flour for a nut-free version.
No, this does not work.
Serving Suggestion
My favourite way of eating low carb Irish soda bread is simple: toasted and spread with a generous amount of butter.
For breakfast, it is also delicious with sweet toppings such as sugar free strawberry jam or sugar free lemon curd.
Or make a quick sandwich at lunchtime by topping it with anything from ham and cheese to keto tuna salad or keto egg salad.
The bread is also fabulous as a side to hearty soups such as my keto butternut squash soup, keto cabbage soup or keto tomato soup.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store the bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: I love freezing bread, because then I can just pop a slice in the toaster when I feel like it. You can freeze it pre-sliced for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
Here are more easy keto bread recipes to try:
- Keto Pita Bread30 Minutes
- Almond Flour Keto Bread Recipe50 Minutes
- Vegan Keto Bread Without Eggs1 Hours 10 Minutes
- 90 Second Keto Bread2 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour or ground almonds, 200g **see notes
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed flax meal, 30g ***see notes
- 2 tablespoon psyllium husk powder or 4 tablespoon whole psyllium husks
- ¾ cup buttermilk 180ml, room temperature
- 1 egg large, whisked, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.
- Make a hollow in the centre and add the beaten egg and the buttermilk. Combine with a spatula, then knead the dough until smooth.
- Form a dough ball, then let it rest for 10 minutes. During this time, the flax and psyllium absorb the moisture.
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F electric or 160C / 320F fan.
- Form a loaf and put it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Score the top with a knife. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and you can insert a toothpick without crumbs sticking. Check the bread after 30 minutes in the oven. Once the top is golden, cover it loosely with aluminium foil for the remainder of the baking time to avoid over-browning.
- Let the bread cool fully on a wire rack before slicing. It firms up as it cools.
Tiffany
This bread is the bomb!! Absolutely delicious. Love it so much.
Liz
This bread has been a huge hit in our home. Even my children said they prefer it to normal bread.
Katrin Nürnberger
So happy you all are enjoying it!
William
? "Instead of currants, stir in a handful of sugar-free dried cranberries."
What currants? Where were we to have used them
Katrin Nürnberger
Sweet versions of regular soda bread use currants. As currants are not sugar free, I am suggesting cranberries as an alternative facts n my keto version.
SS
This is delightful! I impulsively added a bit of erythritol. It was very nice just spread with butter but I'm planning to toast some of it to make welsh rarebit tomorrow. I
Liz
This is the best keto bread I have ever made by a long way! I love it! I added some mixed seeds for crunch.
Sandy Drew
This came together very easily, so only waiting for tasting. The size is ideal for anyone living alone, and the crust beautiful thanks
Tracey Salmon
Mine didn't rise or brown as much. I think maybe I didn't knead it enough but it didn't really give an indication, can anyone help please? It did taste fab though.
Katrin Nürnberger
I don't think it has anything to do with kneading the dough. For the next time, make sure you use fresh baking powder and room temperature ingredients. Also, bake on a higher shelf or keep the bread in the oven a little longer so the bread can brown properly.
Anna
Hi would raw milk work instead of buttermilk please?
Katrin Nürnberger
Buttermilk is thicker than raw milk and it also helps with the rise of the bread (which milk does not). If you used milk instead of buttermilk, you'd have to make other changes to the recipe. Yoghurt would be a better substitute.
Jo T
Just made this but made 8 bread rolls instead of a loaf, delicious
Natasha
What can I use as a substitute for buttermilk?
Katrin Nürnberger
Kefir would be the closest substitute.
Natasha Leroux
Hi Katrin,
Do you think, 6 tablespoons (or ⅜ cup) coconut yogurt, 6 tablespoons almond milk and 2¼ teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar would work?
Katrin Nürnberger
It's 180ml of buttermilk. If you can recreate a similar consistency with your ingredients and include something like the apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to help with the rise of the bread, then that's a good starting point. Let me know how you get on!
Dianne
Very good - tasty, moist bread! I love this recipe. I will be sharing.❤️
Lisa
The best grain free bread recipe I have found so far! It was so good and satisfying to bite into an actual slice of bread! Mine, however, was not as round as your picture and was more of a mound as it spread out as it cooked, but no matter it was so good. Next time, I will just go ahead and put it in a loaf pan. Might have to double the recipe though so it fits.
Katrin Nürnberger
If you double the recipe, be aware that the baking time will increase as well.