Following a low-carb or keto diet doesn’t mean you have to give up baking. It opens up a whole new world with its own specific ingredients, recipes, and techniques. With these handy tools at your disposal, you’ll be able to whip up low-carb treats and experience the joy of baking no matter which diet you follow.
Understanding Keto Baking
The keto diet is based on keeping total net carb consumption low, so certain desserts and recipes are deemed keto-friendly because they're extremely low in net carbs (i.e., carbs that are absorbed by the body). In order to align with the limited carb count of a keto diet, both flour and sugar typically need to be swapped in a recipe for a baked good to be keto-friendly. By using specific ingredients, you can modify recipes to fit within these guidelines.
Essential Ingredients for Keto Baking
Unsurprisingly, you’ll want to stock your pantry a little differently for keto baking. Here are some key ingredients:
Keto Wheat Flour
Think of Keto Wheat Flour like a substitute for all-purpose flour. You can swap it 1:1 (by volume or weight) for traditional all-purpose flour in any recipe. It’s also the foundation for a number of keto-friendly recipes we’ve developed. In particular, it works well in yeast recipes because it's wheat-based, which distinguishes it from just about every other keto-friendly flour. This flour has just 4g net carbs per serving, so it can be used to make breads and baked goods with an extremely low net carb total that fits squarely into the guidelines of keto or low-carb diets.
Almond Flour
Unlike Keto Wheat Flour, you can’t simply swap almond flour in for all-purpose and call it a day. Because it’s made from nuts, not wheat, it behaves a bit differently in baking. Without gluten, almond flour lends a delicate, tender texture to baked goods, as well as a rich, buttery flavor. Try a recipe like Almond Flour Pizza Crust to get a low-carb taste.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Coconut Flour
Like almond flour, coconut flour can’t be substituted for all-purpose flour 1:1. In particular, it absorbs a ton more liquid than regular wheat flour, so you need to use a recipe specifically formulated for coconut flour’s hydration needs. That said, it’s a fantastic flour with a very slight coconut taste that works in goods both sweet and savory. A number of keto-friendly recipes call for both almond flour and coconut flour together, so it's handy to keep both in the pantry.
Tips for Successful Keto Baking
As you venture into keto and low-carb baking, here are a few tips to keep in mind for even greater success:
If you’re baking with Keto Wheat Flour, stick with baked goods that are soft or moist, rather than hard or crunchy, as this flour doesn’t really yield a crisp texture. For instance, it's better for soft chocolate chip cookies rather than crunchy shortbread.
When baking something chocolatey, remember to consider any chocolate chips you stir into the batter. Stick with sugar-free chocolate to ensure you keep the net carb count low.
If you’re just getting started baking or eating on the keto diet, try pancakes. They’re essentially foolproof, and you can dress them up with keto-friendly toppings like whipped cream and sugar-free jam. Try one of our recipes, or make mornings simpler by using our gluten-free keto pancake mix.
Read also: Easy Keto Chicken
Baker’s tip: Interested in ways to eat pancakes that go beyond a short stack? See our post on creative ways to eat keto pancakes for suggestions to mix up your morning.
Important Considerations for Keto Baking
An important point to keep in mind with keto baking: if you’re used to baking conventionally, you’re not going to have quite the same results when baking keto. Just how baked goods differ varies depending on the recipe.
For instance, you can make a soft, fluffy keto roll, but the taste will be more “wheat-y” than a conventional recipe. Or keto brownies will yield a rich, chocolatey taste, with a texture that’s more firm and dense than what you’d achieve from a standard brownie. If you’re open to new possibilities and results, keto baking is a rewarding (and delicious!) experience.
Keto-Friendly Recipes to Get You Started
All fired up to bake some keto-friendly treats? Our test kitchen has developed plenty of recipes to get you started. No need to worry about substituting ingredients or calculating carbs - we've already done the work for you. (If you're interested in nutritional details for each recipe, simply click "Nutritional Information" under the ingredient list on the recipe page.
Keto-Friendly Pizza Crust
If you're looking for low-carb dinner options, this pizza crust is the answer, with only 4g net carb per slice. Made with Keto Wheat Flour, it has a chewy texture thanks to the flour's gluten and bakes up to a burnished mahogany.
Read also: Delicious Baked Potatoes
Keto-Friendly Parmesan-Chive Muffins
These egg-based little muffins are almost like handheld breakfast soufflés. They're fragrant with herbs and rich with cheese, offering a hearty and fulfilling low-carb breakfast or snack (just 2g net carbs per muffin).
Keto-Friend Bread
Make toast, build a sandwich, griddle French toast: this soft, nicely spongy bread can do it all.
Keto-Friendly Pancakes
If you’ve longed for a short stack but are seriously counting carbs, these keto-friendly pancakes are for you. They’re light, fluffy, and subtly sweet, so anything goes when it comes to toppings: one of our favorite combinations is whipped cream and sugar-free jam.
More Keto Baking Inspiration
Here are a few more keto-friendly recipes to explore:
- Keto Samoa Bars: The glorious combination of toasted coconut, caramel, chocolate, and shortbread is a true dream. The best news of all is that these Samoa bars are keto-approved!
- Keto Chocolate Cake: A classic dessert made keto-friendly.
- Gluten-Free Pop-Tarts: Adorable mini hand pies that can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert.
- Cookies & Cream Fat Bombs: A delicious way to satisfy sweet cravings and get a boost of healthy fats.
- Keto Tiramisu Chaffle Cake: A creative twist on a classic Italian dessert.
- Keto Red Velvet Cake: Perfect for birthdays or any special occasion, this cake offers the same great taste without the carbs.
- Keto Cinnamon Rolls: Stretchy mozzarella helps add some of the fluffy chew so that they're not totally crumbly. The end result is a sinfully delicious and cinnamon-y roll that has no business being keto.
- Keto Copycat Snickers Bar: Homemade candy takes time and patience, especially when you’re making chewy caramel and nougat. But it’s worth it 1,000 times over when you take a bite and realize that it’s even better than your favorite store-bought packaged treat.
- Keto Pecan Crescents: Crumbly pecan cookies meet a simple glaze, making them completely irresistible.
- Keto Chocolate Glazed Donuts: These almond flour based donuts are so light and fluffy, and the addition of a smooth chocolate glaze really puts them over the top. Even non-keto people were going crazy for these as soon as we finished shooting them. Cake donut lovers, this one's for you.
- Keto Fudge: Fudge is simpler, chocolatey-er, and just as festive. Plus, it makes a better DIY food gift.
- Magic Keto Cookies: These cookies are seriously magical. Super easy to make and without any flour, you can feel good about eating way more than just one.
- Keto Chocolate Mousse: This keto mousse gets its rich, creamy texture from avocados.
- Keto Sugar-Free Cheesecake: Our version is creamy, rich, and tangy, just like the cheesecakes you know and love.
- Keto Chocolate Mug Cake: A quick and easy dessert for one.
- Keto Ice Cream: This keto-friendly ice cream is creamy, rich, and just barely sweet.
- Keto Hot Chocolate: A comforting and guilt-free treat.
- Keto Peanut Butter Cup Fat Bombs: They're a great on-the-go snack for those pesky sweet cravings.
- Cookie Dough Keto Fat Bombs: These are perfect to keep stored in the freezer for whenever the craving hits.
- Keto Almond Brittle: Keto almond brittle is perfect to make-ahead and keep around for when you have those late night sweets cravings.
Beyond Sweets: Keto-Friendly Main Dishes
Keto baking isn't just limited to desserts. You can also create delicious and satisfying main dishes.
Keto Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Chicken Parmesan is one of my family's favorite meals, and this Keto Chicken Parmesan Casserole has all the flavors in the confines of one easy to make dish. In just 10-minutes of prep time, you can have a delicious cheesy casserole that the whole family will love. This casserole provides all the flavors of Chicken Parmesan, in a delicious dish that requires minimal hands-on time.
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, 1 cup of the marinara, and ricotta cheese.
- Transfer to a casserole dish and spread the remaining ½ cup of marinara over the chicken mixture.
- Top with the parmesan and fresh mozzarella cheese.
- In medium bowl, stir together the butter, parmesan, and almond flour.
- Sprinkle over the casserole.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
Keto Baked Ziti
Enjoy the ultimate comfort food while staying low carb with this take on the Pioneer Woman's most-loved recipe, baked ziti.
Instructions:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the skillet. Add diced onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until softened.
- Add in ground beef and ground sausage. Break up into crumbles and let cook until browned.
- Stir in diced tomatoes plus the juice from the can. Add the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and anise seed. Stir and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer the sauce simmers, the more flavorful it will be.
- Remove 2 ½ cups of sauce, transfer to a bowl to use later and let cool.
- Cook the ziti pasta according to the instructions on the box but only boil for 2 minutes or until al dente. Any longer and the pasta will break. Strain pasta and run cold water over it to keep it from sticking and to cool it down.
- In a large bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and eggs. Pour the cooked & drained pasta into the bowl with the cheese mixture. And stir to coat.
- To assemble, add half of the pasta mixture to a large casserole dish (either a 9x13 or 8x10). Spread in an even layer. Spoon half of the remaining pasta sauce over the top, then top with half of the remaining cheese.
- Repeat the layers with remaining pasta, sauce and cheese.
- Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.
Keto Pasta Alternatives
If you’re looking to further reduce carbs in dishes like baked ziti, consider these pasta alternatives:
- Shirataki noodles: These are gluten-free, contain low or no calories and are zero carbs! They are made from konjac root and tend to have neutral flavor but a rubbery texture.
- Hearts of palm: Noodles made from hearts of palm look like traditional spaghetti noodles. They have a neutral flavor with a hint of artichoke flavor and pair well in Italian cooking. Hearts of palm pasta is gluten-free and very low in carbs.
- Wheat based pasta: There are some brands that made keto noodles using wheat protein. These are not gluten-free; however, they are low in carbs. Wheat-based keto pastas tend to have a similar texture and appearance to traditional pasta.
Tips for Reducing Carbs Further
This dish is 8.8 grams net carbs. If that doesn’t fit in your macros or your lifestyle, you can easily decrease some of the carbs in this keto baked ziti recipe.
- Omit the onion - This doesn’t cut out the carbs by too much.
Keto Baked Ziti: FAQs
- Can I use all ground beef? Yes, you can use all ground beef or all ground sausage in this baked ziti recipe. You could even swap out the beef for ground turkey or chicken.
- My pasta broke into pieces and turned to mush. What did I do wrong? Sounds like you overcooked your pasta. Revisit the directions to see that you should have par-cooked the noodles. They will continue to cook as the casserole bakes and will help keep their ziti shape.
- Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned? Absolutely.
Other Keto-Friendly Recipes
- One-Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta: This one-pot Tuscan chicken pasta is creamy, bold, and packed with Italian flavor-but without all the carbs.
- Gluten-Free, Low-Carb Breaded Chicken Cutlets: These gluten-free, low-carb breaded chicken cutlets are juicy, tender, and way easier to make-no pounding needed.