Best Keto Buns – Recipe

Delicious and fluffy low-carb & paleo-friendly bread that is suitable for the ketogenic diet. The keto buns can be made in two ways, both work equally well.

Method 1 (with boiling water)

Mix all the dry ingredients and then add eggs, egg whites and boiling water (as shown in the steps below). This amazing method is found on Maria Emmerich’s blog Keto Adapted.

Method 2 (with lukewarm water)

Another method that also results in fluffy bread buns:

• Mix the dry ingredients apart from psyllium husk powder.
• In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients: eggs, egg whites, lukewarm water with psyllium husk powder.
• Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and process well.

Nutritional values (per bun)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (8.7%), protein (20.8%), fat (70.4%)

Ingredients (makes 10 buns)

Dry ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup almond flour (almond meal) (150 g / 5.3 oz)
• ⅔ cup psyllium husks – will be powdered, or ⅓ cup psyllium husk powder (40 g / 1.4 oz)
• ½ cup coconut flour (60 g / 2.1 oz)
• ½ cup flaxmeal (75 g / 2.6 oz) – or use more almond flour instead
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp cream of tartar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt (pink Himalayan or sea salt)
• 5 tbsp sesame seeds (or sunflower, flax, poppy seeds) or 1-2 tbsp caraway seeds
• Optional: 2 tbsp Erythritol (20g / 0.7 oz)

Wet ingredients:

• 6 large egg whites
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups water, boiling or lukewarm depending on the method – see intro (480 ml / 16 fl oz)

Tips & substitutions:

• If making a loaf instead of buns, bake for 75 minutes! Do not use a silicon loaf pan – use a metallic one instead.
• flax-free, multi-purpose bread, includes a nut-free option.
• nut-free keto buns – include flaxmeal
• psyllium-free buns – include flaxmeal and nuts.
• if you don’t want to use coconut flour: Although I haven’t tried it, I’d use twice the amount of almond flour or flaxmeal instead of coconut flour (1 cup of almond flour / flaxmealinstead of ½ cup coconut flour). Or you can use the same amount but reduce the water by ~ ½ cup
• If using apple cider vinegar instead of cream of tartar, make sure to mix it with the wet ingredients.
• For best results, use a kitchen scale when measuring all the dry ingredients. Using just cups may not be enough to achieve best results, especially in baked goods. Weights per cups and tablespoons may vary depending on the product/ brand or if you make you own ingredients (like flaxmeal from flaxseeds). Psyllium absorbs lots of water.
• When baking with psyllium, you must remember to drink enough water throughout the day to prevent constipation!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C. Use a kitchen scale to measure all the ingredients carefully.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients apart from the sesame seeds in a bowl (almond flour, coconut flour, ground flaxseed, psyllium powder, garlic and onion powder, Erythritol, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt).
3. Add the egg whites and eggs and process well using a mixer until the dough is thick. Add boiling water and mix until well combined.
4. Using a spoon, make the buns and place them on a non-stick baking tray or a parchment paper. They will grow in size, so make sure to leave some space between them. You can even use small tart trays. Top each of the buns with sesame seeds (or any other seeds) and press them into the dough, so they don’t fall out. Place in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven, let the tray cool down and place the buns on a rack to cool down to room temperature. Store them at room temperature if you plan to use them in the next couple of days or store in the freezer for future use.
6. Top with butter or cream cheese, burger meat or any topping you like. Enjoy!

Suggestions

If for any reason you can’t get this recipe to work, here are some tips that might help. Most of the above tips apply to any recipes using psyllium husk powder:

• Make sure you weigh all the ingredients using scales. Even small differences can affect the final result of this recipe.
• If the buns appear to have large hollow bubbles inside, it may be due to the psyllium. Make sure you use powder, not whole husks. Otherwise, use a coffee grinder or blender and pulse until fine and powdery.
• For a slightly (but not significantly) better result, incorporate the eggs separately. First, whisk the egg whites until they create soft peaks and add cream of tartar used in this recipe. In another bowl, mix the egg yolks and gently fold them into the egg whites. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients and pour in the hot water. Process well using an electric mixer (hand whisk is not as good in this recipe). Add the foamy egg white mixture into the batter and process well. Try not to deflate the batter completely. Form the buns and place in the oven.
• If the buns don’t rise properly, use only egg whites and omit the egg yolks.
• If the final result is too moist, do not reduce the water used in this recipe or the psyllium will clump. Instead, dry the buns in the oven on low, up to 210 F / 100 C for 30-60 minutes. If needed, cut them in half and place in a toaster.
• Do not leave the batter outside the oven for too long. Place in the oven as soon as you form the buns.
• If the buns change color to slight purple, it’s due to the psyllium husk powder. Whenever I use whole husks and grind them at home, they are always perfect, light brown. However, when I use ready-made psyllium husk powder, they look purple, especially the next day. Although they may not look appetising, they are perfectly fine.