Craving garlic bread but living the low-carb life? Fear not! This keto garlic bread recipe delivers all the cheesy, garlicky, buttery goodness you love, without the guilt. This recipe is packed with flavor and surprisingly close to traditional garlic bread, making it a perfect side dish, appetizer, or even a satisfying snack.
Why You'll Love This Keto Garlic Bread
- Low-carb friendly: Enjoy your favorite flavors without derailing your ketogenic diet.
- Easy to make: Ready in just 15 minutes, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.
- Packed with flavor: Layers of fresh garlic, herbs, and melty cheese create an irresistible combination.
- No yeast needed: This recipe simplifies the process, making it even quicker and easier.
- Versatile: Serve it with marinara sauce for dipping, pair it with keto pasta, or enjoy it on its own.
- Freezable: Make a batch ahead of time and freeze for future cravings.
What Makes This Keto Garlic Bread Special?
This recipe uses almond flour as a base, creating a surprisingly bread-like texture. The dough is infused with garlic and baked with a generous topping of garlic butter and cheese. The result is a wonderfully flavorful bread that even those who don’t follow a low-carb diet will enjoy.
Keto Garlic Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella (340 g/ 12 oz) - Part-skim, pizza-style, low-moisture shredded mozzarella is recommended. Pre-shredded bagged mozzarella is preferred over shredding your own, as the anti-caking agents help with the bread's texture.
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp full-fat cream cheese (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
- 1 cup almond flour (100 g/ 3.5 oz) - Blanched almond flour, not almond meal, is recommended. Superfine almond flour is ideal.
- 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder OR 2 teaspoons of baking powder (gluten-free if needed) instead of baking soda.
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced - Freshly minced garlic cloves are highly recommended.
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Butter, for greasing the baking dish
- Italian herbs
- Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
Topping:
- Butter, melted
- Fresh garlic, minced
- Italian herbs
Equipment
- Microwave-safe bowls
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Spoon
- Pastry brush
- Glass or ceramic square 8-inch baking dish or a similar-capacity oval baking dish
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F (or 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional)). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. Generously grease a glass or ceramic square 8-inch baking dish with butter. You can also use a similar-capacity oval baking dish.
- Melt the cheese: Place the shredded mozzarella and cream cheese in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, until cheese has melted. Whisk together with the yogurt until combined. You may need to microwave in bursts of 30 seconds until the cheese is fully melted, stirring in between.
- Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, add your almond flour, baking powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and psyllium husk. Set aside. Add the melted cheese mixture into the dry mixture. Add the egg and mix very well, until combined and a thin dough remains.
- Bake: Transfer the dough onto the lined tray or press the dough into the prepared baking dish. If using a baking tray, use a spoon to flatten out into an oval shape. In a small bowl, whisk together your melted butter, minced garlic, and Italian herbs. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the dough completely. Bake the garlic bread for 15 minutes (or bake the bread until puffed and golden brown, for about 20 minutes. Start checking on it after 15 minutes).
- Finishing Touches: Remove from the oven and let sit for 2 minutes, before sprinkling with parmesan cheese. Let it slightly cool and firm up in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, cut it into slices and serve.
Detailed Instructions and Tips
- Melting the Cheese: Microwave the mozzarella and cream cheese until fully melted. Stir well until combined.
- Mixing the Dough: Work quickly when mixing and kneading the dough, as it tends to cool down and become less pliable. The dough will be sticky - this is normal.
- Shaping the Dough: Divide into eight portions. Form a log out of each one and roll it until it’s thin enough to form into a knot. Form the knot and place on a lined baking tray. Repeat until all eight are done.
- Garlic Butter: Combine melted butter, minced garlic, and chopped parsley (or Italian herbs) in a small bowl.
- Brushing: Brush the hot bread with the butter mixture.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
- Garlic Knots: Try shaping the dough into garlic knots for a fun twist.
- Garlic Breadsticks: Roll the dough out into thin strips to make garlic breadsticks.
- Dips: Serve with marinara sauce, olive oil, spinach artichoke dip, or pesto sauce.
- Main Courses: Pair with keto pasta, Reuben in a bowl, or Keto bolognese.
- Parmesan Garlic Bread Bites: Using a modified fathead pizza dough, these are the perfect keto side dish for Italian food and a great option to dunk in marinara sauce.
Freezing and Storing
- To freeze: Place the bread in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 6 months. It is best to freeze the cooled slices in freezer bags, separating layers with wax paper.
- To store: Once completely cool, you can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: Gently microwave them for 5 seconds per slice to reheat. When gently reheated, the leftovers are as good as the freshly baked bread.
Common Questions and Answers
- Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?No, coconut flour is very different from almond flour. It's extremely absorbent and needs lots of moisture and extra eggs to make it work. You can't make a 1:1 substitution - the bread will come out very dry if you do.
- What can I use instead of mozzarella cheese?Mozzarella cheese is preferred due to its low moisture content and mild flavor. While other cheeses may work, they can be overpowering. You can try using butter or ghee. Sour cream should work, too. If you use sour cream, there's no need to microwave it. Make sure it's at room temperature, and simply stir it into the melted mozzarella.
- Does this bread taste like the real thing?No, lacking wheat and gluten, no low-carb bread can taste exactly like the real thing. However, it IS very much bread-like. It's soft and doughy, but it's dense, not fluffy. Most importantly, it's delicious!
- Why pre-shredded mozzarella?It's best to use pre-shredded bagged mozzarella rather than shredding your own. The anti-caking agents added to pre-shredded cheese are helpful for the bread's texture.
- What if my dough is too moist?You need to use shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese, not mozzarella cheese block, or the dough may be too moist. If it seems too moist it won't hold its shape. You could fix that by sifting in about 1 tsp of xanthan gum and kneading into the dough. This will result in thicker dough that will be easier to shape, similar to Keto Pretzels.
- What to do about an ammonia smell?Occasionally, baking soda can cause a reaction in baked goods that results in an ammonia smell. If you're concerned about it happening, use 2 teaspoons of baking powder (gluten-free if needed) instead of baking soda.
- Jarred vs. Fresh Garlic?I often say it's fine to use jarred minced garlic. But in this case, you absolutely must use freshly minced garlic cloves. If you don't have any on hand, it's best to wait until you have some before making this recipe.
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