For those embracing a ketogenic lifestyle, one of the most challenging aspects can be bidding farewell to beloved bread products. The aroma, texture, and taste of bread are often deeply missed. Fortunately, with a little creativity, it's possible to recreate the magic of bread while staying true to keto principles. Keto-friendly garlic dinner rolls emerge as a delightful solution, offering a fluffy, cheesy, and satisfying experience with just 4 net carbs per roll. These rolls are a carb-lover's dream come true.
What Makes These Keto Dinner Rolls Special?
These keto dinner rolls utilize a "fathead dough," a popular keto dough made from a mixture of melted mozzarella cheese, eggs, cream cheese, and almond or coconut flour. This combination creates a dough that remarkably resembles traditional dough, resulting in surprisingly good keto-friendly bread.
Key Ingredients and Their Roles
- Cheese: Mozzarella cheese works best due to its mild flavor, ensuring it doesn't overpower the bread's taste. Cheddar or other melting cheeses (excluding parmesan) can also be used. Pre-shredded low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese is recommended, as regular mozzarella has too much moisture and will make the dough too wet.
- Eggs: These add protein and texture to the dough and cannot be substituted with non-dairy alternatives. Preferably use room temperature eggs.
- Almond Flour: Almond flour is highly recommended for keto baking, as it works best with keto bread. Superfine almond flour is ideal, as its texture is much finer and more like flour. If experimenting with coconut flour, reduce the quantity to 1/4 cup for every 1 cup of almond flour.
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat cream cheese is essential for adding both texture and fat to the bread.
- Baking Powder: Aluminum-free baking powder is recommended, and this recipe uses a larger quantity than typical recipes (two tablespoons).
- Flaxseed Meal: Ground flaxseed meal contributes to the rolls being filling.
- Psyllium Husk: Psyllium husk is also a key ingredient.
Step-by-Step Recipe for Keto Dinner Rolls
Here's a detailed guide to creating these delectable keto dinner rolls:
Ingredients:
- 1¼ cups almond flour
- 3 Tablespoons Flaxseed Meal
- 2 Tablespoons psyllium husk
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt (or Italian seasoning)
- 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 egg whites
- 1 Cup Boiling Water
- Mozzarella cheese
- Cream cheese
- Almond flour
- Eggs
- Baking powder
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- Butter
- Minced garlic
- Parsley
- Parmesan cheese
- Monk fruit (or preferred keto sweetener)
Equipment:
- Large baking sheet
- Large microwave-safe glass bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Pastry cutter
- Pastry brush
- Food processor (optional, but recommended)
- 8-inch square baking pan
Instructions:
Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking dish or oven-safe pan with parchment paper or grease it with butter or oil and set aside. If using, line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium-size bowl, add almond flour, coconut flour (if using), baking powder, grated parmesan cheese, and monk fruit (or preferred keto sweetener) and mix well.
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Melt the Cheeses: Place mozzarella and cream cheese in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Cover the cream cheese with mozzarella to prevent overheating. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the mozzarella begins to melt. This should only take around 1-2 minutes total cooking time. Ensure not to microwave for the full time at once to prevent overcooking the cheese. Stir mozzarella and cream cheese until fully incorporated and smooth. Let the cheese cool for several minutes.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the almond flour mixture, eggs, apple cider vinegar and garlic salt (or Italian seasoning) to the melted cheese mixture. If using a food processor, add cheese, flour, and eggs into a food processor with a dough blade attachment. Mix/pulse until the dough is uniform. If mixing by hand, mix with a spatula until the mixture is completely combined and smooth. Then add in 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of melted butter and knead until the dough is all combined. The dough will be soft, sticky, and spongy, but pull away from the side of the bowl.
Shape the Rolls: Divide the dough into 8-10 equal size balls. Scoop out dough with an ice cream scooper (about a 2" ball) and roll until smooth. This size will make a dinner-sized or slider-sized roll. Scoop out dough with a spatula and place onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and knead a few times with the dough inside the plastic wrap until you have a uniform dough ball. The dough will be very sticky; this is normal. Divide dough into 9 equal parts. Roll each dough between your palms until it forms a smooth round ball. You may need to wash your hands after rolling a few balls to avoid the dough getting too stuck to your hands. Place dough balls onto the prepared baking pan, spaced evenly apart. Use wet hands to roll balls. If absolutely too wet to mold then add an additional tablespoon of almond flour until pliable
Add Flavor and Color: In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic & parsley and whisk. Brush the tops of the rolls with an egg wash (1 egg mixed with some water) to give a nice golden brown color. Brush with garlic butter mixture and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and more mozzarella cheese if desired.
Bake: Bake the rolls for 25 minutes, or until golden on the outside. Be sure to check to make sure the rolls aren’t browning too quickly.
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Serve: Remove from oven and brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over freshly baked rolls. Serve warm. Rolls must be served warm as they are too dense at room temperature/cooled.
Tips for Perfect Keto Dinner Rolls
- Cheese Selection: Using pre-shredded, low-moisture mozzarella cheese is crucial for achieving the right dough consistency.
- Almond Flour: Opt for superfine almond flour to create a texture that closely resembles traditional flour.
- Mixing: A food processor can simplify the mixing process and ensure a uniform dough.
- Shaping: Keep your hands wet or oiled to prevent the dough from sticking when forming the rolls.
- Serving: These rolls are best enjoyed warm, as they tend to become dense when cooled.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
- Garlic Butter Rolls: Enhance the flavor by brushing the rolls with garlic butter before baking.
- Sesame Seed Rolls: Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds for a nutty flavor and visual appeal.
- Sliders or Mini Sandwiches: Use the rolls to create delicious keto-friendly sliders or mini sandwiches.
- Accompaniments: Serve with a pat of butter, cream cheese, or alongside your favorite keto-friendly soup or main course.
- Hamburger Buns or Mini Pizza Crusts: Use them for hamburgers, or as garlic bread!
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: Leftover rolls can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: For longer storage, place the cooled rolls in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Reheating: To reheat, microwave the rolls for 30 seconds, warm them in a warm oven, or bake in the oven until warm.
Can I make these keto dinner rolls ahead of time?
Yes, just warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds, or in a warm oven. Room temp/cold rolls are very dense.
Can I make keto dinner rolls with different cheeses?
Yes, cheddar and it works well. Any comparable cheese, like jack cheese, Swiss, gouda, etc would work. Just realize the flavor of the cheese you choose will change the taste of the roll. Mozzarella is a very bland cheese.
Nutritional Information and Dietary Considerations
These keto dinner rolls are a great option for those following a low-carb or ketogenic diet. Each roll contains approximately 4 grams of net carbs. The recipe is also gluten-free, making it suitable for individuals with gluten sensitivities.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs will not be included as it has a glycemic index of 0 (meaning it does not spike blood sugar) and it’s not metabolized.
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