This article explores the use of buttermilk on a ketogenic diet, providing recipes, substitution options, and important considerations for maintaining ketosis.
Understanding Buttermilk and Keto
Buttermilk, traditionally the liquid left after churning butter, is used in baking to add a tangy flavor and tender texture. However, traditional buttermilk poses challenges for those following a ketogenic diet. Buttermilk also lacks significant amounts of fiber. And since fiber is necessary to buffer the carb response, buttermilk spikes blood sugar levels making it dangerous for people with diabetes. Large quantities of buttermilk should not be consumed on a keto diet. Buttermilk has 12 net carbs per cup. However, most people don’t drink cups of buttermilk in one sitting. If you’re using a few tablespoons of buttermilk to give your desserts extra flavor, it won’t interfere with ketosis.
Keto-Friendly Buttermilk Substitutes
If you like the flavor of buttermilk but don’t want to interfere with ketosis, several substitutes can be used in recipes. But if you’re looking for a keto buttermilk substitute that you can indulge in, opt for fortified almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk and plain yogurt. Thinking about introducing lower-carb alternatives into your keto diet? Great!
- Fortified Almond Milk: This low-calorie count is handy for anyone looking to lose weight. If you’re a big fan of drinking buttermilk and other forms of dairy, why not try fortified almond milk? But, like always, read the label before buying.
- Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is also a healthy option on keto. It has 13 grams of total carbs and five grams of dietary fiber, giving it a net carb count of eight grams. If you want to increase your fat intake on keto, you’ll be happy to know that coconut milk has a whopping 58 grams of fat.
- Plain Yogurt: If you aren’t happy with the texture of your keto desserts, try a fermented dairy product like plain yogurt. But plain yogurt offers powerful health benefits too.
- Homemade Buttermilk Substitute: If you don’t have any buttermilk in your fridge, you can make some. All you need is 1 cup of milk combined with 1 T of either vinegar and lemon juice. The two mixed create buttermilk! If you make more buttermilk than you need for this recipe, just store the excess in a jar with a lid and use it another time.
Keto Buttermilk Recipes
Keto Buttermilk Biscuits
Who needs carbs, when you can make these soft and buttery Keto Buttermilk Biscuits! Keto Buttermilk Biscuits are the easiest biscuits you’ll ever make. Ready in just 30 minutes of time, these simple homemade biscuits are gluten free, sugar free, and low carb as well! Even though I eat low carb, that doesn’t mean that I still don’t have cravings for bread. But cutting out gluten and living keto means that typical bread recipes are a no-go for me. My easy keto buttermilk biscuits are a delicious and easy-to-make breakfast that will have you coming back for more! It is a simple dish with few ingredients, but the flavor is incredible. With the holidays around the corner, I knew I wanted to add homemade biscuits to our dinner table this year. The biscuits are soft, buttery, and slightly crumbly. They taste amazing with gravy, jam (try my Keto Blueberry Jam!), or just some good old butter. You won’t believe that they are completely grain-free and gluten-free. And that’s not even the best part - they are incredibly easy and fast to make. Even though I eat low carb, that doesn’t mean that I still don’t have cravings for bread. But cutting out gluten and living keto means that typical bread recipes are a no-go for me. Flours. We use a combination of almond flour and coconut flour. Just like traditional biscuits, we work in plenty of butter for a rich flavor and crumbly texture. While high-carb biscuits are typically made without eggs, we are actually going to use egg whites. I also decided to add real buttermilk (or kefir). Buttermilk gives the biscuits are wonderful flavor and fluffs up our texture. I wanted the authentic flavor of buttermilk biscuits and therefore decided to add real buttermilk to this recipe. I found that kefir works just as well. Since I usually have homemade kefir in the house, but rarely buttermilk, I usually use kefir for my buttermilk biscuits.
Ingredients:
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Xanthan gum
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Egg whites
- Buttermilk (or kefir)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 ℉ (205 ℃). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
- To work in butter, use a pastry cutter, whisk, or back of a fork to cut and work the butter into the flour mix until the butter is about pea-size. The dough should resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
- Whisk together egg whites and buttermilk (kefir) and then add to the dry mixture.
- With a spoon, stir just until combined. Let sit for 1 minute. Dough will look somewhat lumpy.
- Drop a scarce 1/4 cup portions (I use an ice cream scooper) onto the lined baking sheet to make 9 biscuits. Slightly flatten the top to prevent a dome from rising.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes until they turn golden brown. Let them cool down for 10 minutes.
- Cool down. Let the biscuits cool down on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before eating.
Savory Keto Buttermilk Biscuits
Once you gather up all the ingredients needed, it’s time to get started making the biscuit dough! It’s a simple recipe that has huge flavor!
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Ingredients:
- Dry ingredients
- Mozzarella
- Sour cream (if not using buttermilk)
- Garlic powder
- Cheese - You can change up the type of shredded cheese that you’re using and that will easily change up the flavor. Sour Cream - If you don’t have any buttermilk in the house or don’t care to use buttermilk for this recipe, you can use sour cream in its place. Garlic Powder - Add some garlic to the dough for a boost of flavor.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven.
- Add all the dry ingredients into a bowl, minus the mozzarella.
- Mix and then add in the cheese at the end.
- You’re going to have to pay attention to the edges of the biscuits. You can also check by cutting up one of the biscuits slightly as well.
These biscuits are more savory than sweet because of the added cheese. There are times that we eat these biscuits as a quick meal as we’re running out the door. If I want something to pair with my salad, these are my go-to biscuits. Absolutely. If you have too many biscuits leftover, just pop them in the freezer for later. They’ll stay good for quite some time and it’s an easy way to meal prep, too. To unthaw biscuits, just take them out of the freeze and put them in the fridge. Personally, I don’t think that they need any toppings but if you wanted to add anything, butter is always a good choice! Topping with a bit of garlic butter would be quite the flavor sensation, too!
Cultured Keto Buttermilk
Cultured Keto Buttermilk (Edit recipe) Buttermilk is simply fermented milk used in many non low carb baked goods. It’s purpose is to help with rise and to balance out the sweetness of the recipe. Such as: biscuits, pancakes, waffles, and muffins. It is a bit thicker than milk and has an acidic tangy taste. Buttermilk has a subtle tang that is similar to plain yogurt, so what better way to mimic the original taste than to use active bacterial cultures from Greek yogurt? This keto version includes white vinegar, but the amount is minimal. If you compare regular buttermilk to this low carb keto version side by side, the taste is similar but subtle. Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results
Instructions:
- Fill the inner pot of an Instantpot with all the ingredients.
- Close the InstantPot lid and choose the Yogurt function. Set it to “Normal" for 24 hours.
- Turn off the InstantPot and remove the lid.
- Pass the keto buttermilk through a sieve, if desired.
- Refrigerate the keto buttermilk in the refrigerator for at least 4-5 days before using.
Keto Pancakes
Buttery, fluffy, and fork-tender, these pancakes will leave you full and satisfied until lunch. Served with dripping butter and low-carb berries alongside a mug of bulletproof coffee, they’re the short stack of your dreams.
Instructions:
- Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes, while you preheat your griddle to medium. If you have an electric griddle, set it to 325°F.
- After 10 minutes, your batter will have thickened. It’s fine to scoop and cook the batter that way, spreading it slightly as you put it on the hot pan or griddle.
Keto Fried Chicken
Now comes the fun part. Place your pan on the stove on medium to high heat. Wait until it’s around 280 to 300 degrees, dunk your chicken into the marinade and pop it in your pan. So add your egg, buttermilk cream, spices and whey protein to a large bowl and give it a nice whisk.
Keto Breakfast
This keto breakfast is a tasty way to boost your fat intake first thing in the morning. To get started, separate six eggs into two bowls. One with your egg whites and the other with your yolks. Add almond flour, whey protein powder, baking powder, salt and sweetener to the bowl with your egg yolks. Now we’re going to prepare the egg whites. Mix your egg whites and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.
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General Tips for Keto Baking
- Flours: Instead of wheat flour, we use almond flour and coconut flour. A little bit of xanthan gum helps with the binding, since these biscuits are gluten-free.
- Butter: Just like in a traditional biscuit recipe, the butter has to be cut into the flour mixture for a crumbly texture. To do this, use a pastry cutter, whisk, or back of a fork to cut and work the butter into the flour mix until the butter is about pea-size. At the end, the mixture should resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Make sure to use cold butter and touch it as little as possible with your hands.
- Dough: Don’t overmix the dough. Use a spoon to mix together the dry ingredients with the egg whites and buttermilk/kefir, just until combined. Let sit for 1 minute. Dough will look somewhat lumpy.
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