Keto Bread Alternatives: Delicious Low-Carb Substitutes For Bread

The ketogenic diet is a popular way of eating that has been linked to reversing diabetes, boosting memory, and living longer. It involves restricting carbohydrates and increasing healthy fats, which forces the body's metabolism into ketosis, burning fat instead of glucose. One of the biggest challenges for people on keto is giving up bread, but there are many tasty alternatives that can help satisfy cravings for sandwiches and wraps. These include cloud bread, almond flour bread, coconut flour flatbread, and portobello mushroom buns. These options are not only low in carbs but also offer a bread-like mouthfeel and can be easily incorporated into meals.

Cloud bread

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2-3 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 300°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
• Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in the bowl with the cream cheese and the whites in a separate bowl.
• Beat the cream cheese and egg yolks until combined and smooth.
• In the separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, being careful not to deflate the egg whites.
• Divide the mixture into 6-8 mounds on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden.

Coconut flour flatbread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot flour (optional)
• 1 cup coconut milk (canned and full fat)
• 2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
• 1.5 oz coconut oil or melted butter
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Herbs/garlic powder to taste (optional)

Method

First, mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Next, add the oil and blend well—the mixture should look like nut butter. Then, add the coconut milk, a little at a time, and blend until a dough-like mixture forms.

Divide the dough into 4 to 6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a small ball. Place a ball between two sheets of parchment paper and flatten it out using a rolling pin. Repeat this step for all the dough balls.

Finally, dry fry each flattened dough piece in a pan for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden. Your coconut flour flatbread is now ready to be enjoyed!

Portobello mushroom buns

Portobello mushrooms are a great bread replacement for those on a keto diet. They are low in carbohydrates and calories and are perfect for those craving a burger or sandwich.

How to Prepare the Mushrooms

First, clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towel to remove any dirt. You can then remove the gills and stem with a spoon, although this step is optional. The stems can be saved for use in another dish, such as an omelette or frittata.

Once cleaned, brush the mushrooms with oil (avocado or olive) and season with salt and pepper. You can also add dried herbs, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, or a spice blend.

Cooking the Mushrooms

The mushrooms can be cooked in the oven or on a grill. For the oven, preheat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and roast the mushrooms for 10-12 minutes. For the grill, cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. Make sure not to overcook the mushrooms, as they can become soggy.

What to Serve in a Mushroom Bun

• Ground chicken or turkey burgers
• Sausage and fried eggs
• Beef patties with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, avocado, and sauce
• Grilled halloumi cheese with avocado, tomato, and lettuce
• Bacon, avocado, and cheddar cheese

Almond flour loaf

Ingredients

• 5 large eggs
• 5 tbsp olive oil (or melted butter or coconut oil)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1¾ cups almond flour, super fine
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Method

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8 or 8.5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, lightly beat your eggs. Whisk in the oil, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
• Next, mix in the almond flour, baking soda, and salt until incorporated and the batter is uniform and thick.
• Transfer the batter to your loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden on top.
• Cool the loaf for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a cooling rack for another 20 minutes.

Tips

• This bread is best enjoyed sliced and toasted.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also slice, wrap, and store in the freezer.
• You can use white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
• If you want to make rolls, pour the batter into a muffin tin and bake for around 20 minutes.
• For an avocado toast or honey and butter treat, this bread is an amazing substitute.

Nutritional Information

• Calories: 175kcal
• Carbohydrates: 5g
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 5g
• Trans Fat: 0.01g
• Cholesterol: 68mg
• Sodium: 120mg
• Potassium: 29mg
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 2g
• Vitamin A: 99IU
• Calcium: 47mg
• Iron: 1mg

Lettuce wraps

Romaine lettuce is also a good option for keto lettuce wraps. The crisp ridge in the center of the lettuce provides a natural line along which to fold the taco in half.

If you're making a main dish, you might want to use romaine lettuce, as the leaves are larger and longer than those of bibb or butter lettuce. They can also hold more filling.

• Ground chicken with soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar substitute, peanut butter, and sriracha
• Spicy ground turkey
• Shrimp salad
• Thai turkey
• Tuna salad
• Turkey picadillo
• Buffalo turkey with crumbled blue cheese
• Spicy shredded chicken with avocado salsa
• Shrimp cocktail
• Ground beef gyro meatballs
• Tofu

Frequently asked questions