For those on a ketogenic diet, missing out on traditional comfort foods like garlic bread can be a real challenge. But fear not! Keto garlic knots offer a satisfying solution, delivering that familiar hot, buttery, and garlicky flavor combination without the carbs. These twisted little keto dinner rolls, made with fathead dough, are perfect alongside your favorite soup or keto stew. This recipe aims to replicate the taste of garlic knots from your favorite pizza place, but with less than 3g net carbs per serving.
What is Fathead Dough?
Fathead dough is a remarkable keto-friendly dough made primarily from melted cheese and almond flour. Its versatility extends beyond savory dishes, making it suitable for sweet recipes as well. One variation, known as Magic Mozzarella Dough, incorporates both almond and coconut flour for a sturdier texture.
Magic Mozzarella Dough
Magic Mozzarella Dough contains both almond and coconut flour, is a sturdier and more versatile version of fathead dough. It really is magic! It can even be used in sweet recipes like keto cinnamon twists.
Mastering Keto Garlic Knots
Once you've mastered keto fathead dough, these keto garlic bread rolls are fun to make. Here are my best tips for getting it right.
Tips for Perfect Keto Garlic Knots
- Whisk the dry ingredients: Before melting the cheese, combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Melt the cheese and butter: Over low heat, melt the cheese and butter together, stirring frequently, until fully melted and combined.
- Incorporate dry ingredients and egg: Add the dry ingredients and egg to the melted cheese mixture, mixing quickly with a flexible spatula to prevent the egg from curdling.
- Knead the dough: Knead the fathead dough on a lightly almond-floured surface to improve its cohesiveness.
- Divide and roll: Divide the dough and roll it into logs relatively quickly, as it loses elasticity over time.
- Shape into knots: Gently fold one end of each log over the other and push through to create a knot shape.
- Brush with garlic butter: Apply about half of the garlic butter mixture before baking, reserving the rest for after baking.
- Bake until golden: Bake the knots until they are golden brown and firm to the touch.
- Brush with remaining garlic butter: Once the knots are out of the oven, brush them with the remaining garlic butter for extra flavor.
- Serve warm: Enjoy the keto garlic knots while they are still warm.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Mozzarella Cheese: While pre-shredded mozzarella is often recommended due to its starch content, grating part-skim mozzarella cheese yourself can also work. Full-fat mozzarella may result in a greasier dough. You will need to use part-skim, pizza-style, low-moisture shredded mozzarella, not fresh mozzarella.
- Coconut Flour: If you dislike coconut flour, substituting with more almond flour is not recommended, as it can make the dough too fatty and prone to spreading. Drier flours like lupin or oat fiber can be used instead, starting with 1/3 cup and adjusting as needed for the right consistency.
- Troubleshooting Stiff Dough: If the dough becomes too stiff to roll, don't panic. Simply roll it into balls, brush with garlic butter, and bake as dinner rolls.
Keto Garlic Knots Recipe
This recipe tweaks the fat head dough recipe to make it a bit firmer and less inclined to spread out, resulting in soft and fluffy rolls infused with garlic and parsley.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella (340 g/ 12 oz)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp full-fat cream cheese (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
- 1 cup almond flour (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
- 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 2 large eggs
Garlic Parmesan Butter
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Preheat the oven to 350F and sprinkle a clean counter or a large silicone baking mat with almond flour. Set aside baking sheet lined with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat.
- Melt cheese: Place the mozzarella and cream cheese in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir and then heat in bursts of 30 seconds until the cheese is melted. Note: 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.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt.
- Make Dough: Stir dry ingredients (almond flour, oregano, garlic powder, baking powder, salt) in large microwave-safe bowl until well-mixed. Add mozzarella cheese and cream cheese to same bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds, stir, and microwave for another 45 seconds or until cheese is melted. Stir until mixture forms smooth dough. Stir in egg until absorbed and well-mixed; if easier, use your hands to knead once dough is cool enough to handle.
- Form Knots: Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 9-inch-long log, then form into knot-like shape. 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. Place knots at least 1 inch apart on lined baking sheet. Spray or brush tops with oil.
- Combine ingredients: Remove from heat and add the almond flour mixture, then add the egg and stir everything together until a cohesive forms. Use a rubber spatula to really knead the dough together in the pan. It may still contain some streaks of cheese.
- Knead dough: Turn the dough out onto the prepared work surface and knead until uniform. This will only take a little kneading. If your dough is still very sticky, add a tablespoon or two more almond flour and work it in.
- Divide dough: Divide into eight portions. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.
- Shape knots: Roll each portion into a 7-inch log and tie gently into a knot. Tie each rope into a knot and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Let rise: Cover the knots and let them rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
- Garlic Parmesan Butter: In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, parmesan, garlic, salt, and parsley. Brush about half of the butter over knots before baking.
- Bake: Bake at 375 F until lightly golden on top, about 15 minutes. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until firm to the touch and golden brown.
- Broil: Set broiler on high. Microwave butter and minced garlic in small heatproof bowl until melted. Brush garlic butter over tops of garlic knots. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Return garlic knots to oven and broil until golden brown on top, about 1 minute; monitor carefully because they can easily burn.
- Finishing touches: Remove and brush with remaining garlic butter.
- Serve: Let the knots to cool for another 5 to 10 minutes, then top with a sprinkle of Parmesan.
Notes & Tips
- Mozzarella Cheese: About 6 ounces weight. You will need to use part-skim, pizza-style, low-moisture shredded mozzarella, not fresh mozzarella.
- Almond Flour: About 3 ounces weight. I use almond flour that is blanched, which means the skins are taken off of the almonds, so the resulting flour looks white. I typically use Costco’s Kirkland brand, which has 2 grams of net carbs per 1/4 cup serving.
- Cream Cheese: Two ounces is one-quarter of a standard 8-ounce brick.
- Parmesan Cheese: grocery stores.
- Forming Knots: I recommend rolling out the dough on a silicone baking mat so that it doesn’t slide around on the countertop. If the dough is too sticky, rub a bit of olive oil on your hands and the baking mat. Once you have 8 long logs, you can form them into whatever shape you prefer. I adopted pretzel-like shapes, which turned out great. I don’t recommend trying to tie an actual knot; the dough will probably break apart before you can do that. This will result in thicker dough that will be easier to shape, similar to Keto Pretzels.
- Baking Time: Baking times vary from oven to oven, so don’t solely rely on the time estimates provided in the recipe. The garlic knots should be lightly golden when they’ve finished baking, and golden brown when they’ve finished broiling.
- Serving / Leftovers: These garlic knots are best served hot, alongside some keto pizza or biscuits. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the garlic knots in a single layer on a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until sizzling and warmed through.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover garlic knots, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to two days; warm in a preheated 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, if desired.
Enjoying Keto Garlic Knots
These keto garlic knots are best served hot, alongside some keto pizza or biscuits. They can be enjoyed as a side dish, appetizer, or snack.
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