Low Carb Garlic Dough Balls
I’ve loved cheese for as long as I can remember, but if you told me a couple of years ago that mozzarella would be the foundation of so much of my baking one day, I definitely wouldn’t have believed you. I think a lot of ketoers’ first exposure to “cheese as bread” is in the form of Fathead crust or similar low carb pizza recipes, and iterations on those have led to me crafting everything from keto cinnamon rolls to these low carb garlic dough balls.
I’ll be honest and admit that my primary motivation for coming up with this recipe was to have something to spread butter on other than steak and veggies. I could totally just eat a handful of these with some keto garlic herb butter for dinner and be satisfied. The inside is light and airy like “real bread” thanks to the yeast and baking powder, rather than being tough and dense like some cheese-based baked goods.
Just like “real” dough balls, they make a nice side dish or appetizer to enjoy with dinner. I personally like to top them with a bit of garlic sea salt or some of this garlic spread to heighten the flavor. You can also add additional spices to the dough itself if desired to match the flavors of your meal.
I’m obviously biased, but I really enjoy the texture of these. I would guess that a larger version would make a decent replacement for burger buns or sandwich rolls.
Low Carb Garlic Dough Balls
These low carb garlic dough balls will fill that gap on your plate next to the steak and salad. Per dough ball: 80kcal, 7g fat, 4g protein, ~2g carbs – ~1g fiber = ~1 net carb
- Prep Time: 20m
- Cook Time: 15m
- Total Time: 35m
- Serves: 5
- Yield: 15 dough balls
Ingredients
- 6 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 1 ounce (28g) cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon (14g) butter
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1 teaspoon xantham gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons warm (~110F) water, for dissolving yeast
- 2 large eggs (one for dough, one for egg wash)
- 1 dash salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour (for kneading dough)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare a baking pan by covering with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Sift together dry ingredients (almond flour, xantham gum, baking powder, salt, garlic powder).
- Add yeast to warm water and allow to dissolve, stirring to break up any clumps.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine mozzarella, cream cheese, and butter. Microwave for 60-90 seconds, or until cheese is melted. Stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients, egg, and yeast mixture to melted cheese mixture and mix well until dough forms a ball.
- Turn dough onto a flat surface sprinkled with the coconut flour and knead gently, 15-20 times.
- Optional: For fluffier dough balls, cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for ~10 minutes.
- Divide dough into approximately 15 evenly sized portions and roll each into a ball.
- Beat remaining egg and use it to coat each of the dough balls. Optionally, sprinkle with seasoning, sea salt, or other toppings.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes:
- Double coat the dough balls in the egg wash, top with salt, and bake for an additional 1-2 minutes to have low carb soft pretzel bites.
- These will store fine in a sealed container at room temperature for a couple of days, but any longer than that and they should be refrigerated.
- Reheat in the oven or toaster oven if you want to maintain that fresh baked texture. The microwave works too, but they’ll be a bit softer.
- The xantham gum is pretty necessary here. If you plan to do a lot of low carb baking, it’s worth picking some up. A little goes a long way, so a small container will last forever.
Great recipes thank you
I’m new to keto so these are a great help
Cheers
Excited to try this. Looks great
I made these as burger-buns and they turned out great! thank you!
How long did bake them At bun size?
Thanks!
Love these! They are delicious. I cannot wait to try them as a bun Thanks so much 🙂
I am very new to baking and to Keto in general, so I was very excited to bake this, because i am a big “bread” lover and was missing it so much. I must say, it turned out amazing and I cannot wait to host friends and have them try this! 🙂
I replaced xantham gum with chia seed and ground flax meal because I dint have any xantham gum. Not sure if the swap makes much difference, but I will definitely try it with xantham gum very soon!
Thank you so much for the awesome work you are doing! 🙂
That’s so nice to hear, Ankita! It’s possible that the chia/flax had a similar effect as the xantham gum, which is in part to improve the texture by acting as a “binder.”
By far the best “Keto” bread I have tried.. thanks!
I’m excited to find a keto bread recipe that contains yeast. How is the yeast being fed? By the low amount of sugars in the cheese and almond flour? Have you tried letting it develop overnight in the fridge during the first rise? Any suggestions for a keto friendly yeasted waffle recipe? TIA!
You know, I haven’t tried an overnight rise, but I think that’s a really good idea. I might give it a shot!
As for yeasted waffles, I’m not aware of any recipes out there currently, but you have me eager to do some experimenting.
I literally just made these and sprinkle chia seeds on top. This recipe is amazing and delicious. Thanks so much for sharing!
What brand of active dry yeast did you use? Thanks.
I usually use Fleischmann’s, but have used Red Star and Saf too.
This receipe is the best Keto bread Ive tasted. I sprinkled Italian seasoning on the top of the rolls. Thanks so much for sharing.
Can I sprinkle with almond flour to knead as allergic to coconut flour.
Yes, that should be fine! You may need to use a little more though.