When you want bread right now, my flaxseed keto mug bread is the answer. This single-serve low carb bread is soft, fluffy and nut free with 5 simple ingredients. It is ready in minutes using the microwave, or make it like a crusty roll the air fryer!
In a perfect world, I have an entire loaf of keto bread pre-sliced in the freezer. But we don't live in a perfect world. Life gets busy, I get hungry and all I want is a quick slice of toast without busting my macros.
And that's where this keto bread in a mug comes in. It is a single serve version of my keto flaxseed bread. You won't believe how pillowy-soft, versatile and delicious it is. It tastes like a rustic wholemeal bread.
I like it toasted with butter and sugar free jam for breakfast, but it also works as a sandwich with savory fillings.
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What's To Love About This Recipe
One serving. Great for those days when you want a slice of bread but don't want to bake an entire loaf.
Easy. All you need is a bowl and a fork.
Nut free. Finally, this is a keto mug bread without almond flour! My recipe calls for coconut flour and flax instead.
Microwave or Air Fryer. I show you how to make this flax bread in the microwave (3 minutes from start to finish!) or in the air fryer (best ever crust).
100% keto. The bread has 9g protein, 13g healthy fats and only 1.6g net carbs. Also, thanks to the flax it is naturally high in fibre.
Ingredients
Let's talk ingredients. You'll find exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but I wanted to give you a bit of extra info right here:
- Ground flaxseed - I prefer golden flax over brown flax here because it has a milder taste. But, brown flax meal works as well. Always store open bags of milled flaxseed in the fridge or in the freezer to keep it fresh.
- Coconut flour - To make the bread taste more like regular bread.
- Egg - Large and room temperature. For a fluffy, pillowy crumb and a protein boost.
- Olive oil and water - We need it because both flax and coconut absorb a lot of moisture. Olive oil adds lovely flavor.
- Salt - a good pinch lifts the taste.
Instructions
It is simple to make a single serve keto mug bread. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method with ingredient amounts, timings and nutrition information.
STEP 1
Put all ingredients into a small mixing bowl.
STEP 2
Beat with a fork until a smooth dough forms.
STEP 3
Grease a ramekin or mug with olive oil or melted butter (I used olive oil). Spoon the batter into a ramekin or mug.
STEP 4
Now we have 2 options: Bake the mug bread in the Air Fryer or in the microwave.
You can see the result in the image above. The bread on the left is the air fryer version, it has a golden brown crust.
The bread on the right is made in the microwave. It rises more evenly, but does not brown.
Microwave Method - Tips For Success
Choose the best vessel. I used a 3.5 inch ramekin, but you can also use a microwave-safe mug or cup that is wide rather than narrow or tall. If you use a 5x5 inch square pan, it will look like a slice of toast!
Grease the mug or ramekin. This prevents the bread from sticking.
Don't over-fill the mug. You must leave about 2 fingers of space at the top. The batter rises as it cooks in the microwave. You don't want it to spill over!
Cook in intervals. My microwave cooks at 900 Watts and the bread was done after 75 seconds. It cooks quicker at higher power levels and take 90 seconds at lower power levels.
Check it! I recommend checking the bread after 60 seconds and continue microwaving in 5-10 second bursts until no doughy parts remain and the bread has shrunk away from the mug.
The Air Fryer Mug Bread Advantage
Let's be clear: If you want a quick keto bread, the microwave is your best friend. There is no other way to make almost instant bread other than pure magic!
But if you have an air fryer AND just a little more patience, I urge you to give this method a try.
The reason? You will get a softer bread texture inside and a proper crust like an oven-baked bread. It is not possible to get that golden crust in the microwave.
In the image below you can compare the microwave bread (right) with the air fryer flax bread (left). As you can see, the air fryer bread has a fluffier, more uniform crumb.
Toasting - The Secret Workaround
If you don't have an air fryer and / or need an instant mug bread, toast the bread.
Toasting makes microwaved keto mug bread taste just as good as the air fryer version.
Variations
- Try Butter: My flaxseed keto mug bread is naturally dairy-free. But, you can use butter instead of olive oil. This tastes especially good if you you plan on sweet toppings.
- Swap in Almond Flour: Replace the coconut flour with 3 tablespoons of almond flour.
- Flavor Tweaks: Add ¼ teaspoon rosemary or thyme or ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder to the batter.
- Seeded keto mug bread: Add 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds into the batter and on top of the bread.
Serving Suggestion
Here is how I enjoy this bread:
Sweet. Top it with sugar free strawberry jam, blueberry cream cheese or homemade sugar free nutella.
Savory: Some of my go-to low carb sandwich filling are
- Ham, cheese and pickles
- mashed avocado
- tomato, mozzarella & basil
- keto chicken salad and lettuce
- keto egg salad and cress
Recipe FAQs
You could bake this bread in the oven at 350F / 180C for 16-17 minutes. However, I don't see the point of turning on the oven for just one serving. That's just not economical. Just make a full-sized keto flaxseed bread instead and freeze the leftovers.
My keto 90 second bread is an almond flour bread that I have tweaked with psyllium husk to make it fluffier and taste just like a regular white bread toast. This keto flax mug bread is way more rustic in both texture and taste. It is also nut free and higher in fibre thanks to the flaxseed.
No. This mug bread does not taste eggy, thanks to the flaxseed. Flax has a distinctly nutty flavor that masks any egg taste. However, feel free to use only the egg white and omit the yolk if you are particularly sensitive!
Of course. For the air fryer keto bread, triple or quaduple the recipe to air fry in 3-4 ramekins all at the same time.
For the microwave keto bread, I recommend to cook each mug separately, one after the other. This helps the bread to cook more evenly.
How To Store And Make Ahead
Store the bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Re-heat it in the toaster.
More Keto Bread Recipes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Flaxseed Keto Mug Bread (Microwave or Air Fryer)
Equipment
- 1 3 inch ramekin, microwave-safe mug or square 5x5 inch container
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 large egg must be room temperature
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or use melted butter
- 2 teaspoon water
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Put all ingredients into a small mixing bowl and stir until a smooth batter forms.
- Grease a container of your choice with olive oil. I used a 3 inch ramekin (9cm diameter).
Option 1: Microwave
- Microwave on high for 60 - 90 seconds. Mine took 75 seconds on 900W. **see notes
Option 2: Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 320F or 160C. Put the ramekin in the centre of the air fryer basket. Air fry for 14-16 minutes until golden brown. The bread bakes quicker in larger containers.
Margrite Tebboth
lovely recipes and very easy to see instructions. thank you
Lea Fauland
Thank you so much for this terrific recipe! I've made it 5-6 times now. I don't care for coconut flour so I use the almond flour option. Delicious! Toasting it is a game changer.
Lavinia Watson
This is a winner. I couldn’t tell that it wasn’t normal bread.
Janet Narey
I love this recipe. I think it will be very versatile I may try a few seeds for seedy toast. It’s great as buns or as toast. My hubby who is a big sourdough lover even likes it. Win win. Thanks.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Janet, I saw the image you posted on Facebook of the square bread slice you made with this recipe. It looked like proper toast and very delicious!
Jennifer
Hi, Katrin
I'm wondering if these ingredients can by multiplied by 6, then evenly pour the batter into each well of a 6-well bagel mold, and bake in the oven?
Thank you 🙂
Katrin Nürnberger
Of course, that would work. Baking time may increase a little as you are making more than one. Just keep a close eye on it.
Jennifer
Thanks, Katrin!
Jennifer
Hi, Katrin
As per my earlier question about whether I can multiply the ingredients by 6 and make these as bagels ....I did just that today and they turned out great!! I poured an equal amount of batter into the wells of my 6-well bagel pan and cooked them in the oven, on the middle rack, for 20 minutes at 350°F.
Thanks for the great recipe! I'll be making these again and again
Cheers,
Jennifer
Katrin Nürnberger
That's great! Thank you for sharing.
Janet
Are you sure it shouldn't be 2 tablespoons of water? When I tried this, I just got a paste with 2 teaspoons. Had to add more water but never really got a batter. Tasted good though
Katrin Nürnberger
For me, the measurements work well as written. The batter is spoonable rather than pourable. Make sure to use level measuring spoons as well, not heaped.
GramyG
Can I use ground Chia Seeds?
Katrin Nürnberger
Another reader just commented that she replaced the flaxseed with ground chia seeds and that it worked well.
Richard Lohaus
Would you comment on how to prepare this bread in an electric oven? I do not own a Microwave or an Air Fryer. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Katrin Nürnberger
hi Richard, I discuss this in the Recipe FAQ section of the post.
David Goodman
What if you use a refrigerated egg? Must the egg be at room temperature?
Katrin Nürnberger
Cold batter rises less and the bread will likely be more dense and less fluffy. Put the fridge cold eggs in a bowl with hot water for a couple of minutes, that will bring it to room temperature quickly.
Elda Pucci
Make mine with almond flour, golden flax seeds, baking powder, chia seeds, pinch of salt, tab. 1 tab heavy cream and 1 tab of water. I added chopped walnuts for a crunch. Delish.
Katrin Nürnberger
Thanks for sharing your tweaks!