Fluffy bread rolls that are keto, low carb, and gluten free. These savory soft rolls can be eaten by themselves or used for sliders and sandwiches.
These bread rolls start with a variation on the popular Fathead dough recipe. But instead of making a pizza, breadsticks or bagels, I turned the dough into these fluffy bread rolls.
What is Fathead Dough?
Fathead dough is a low carb/keto dough that is made out of cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs and a flour substitute. It started out as a pizza crust recipe published by Tom Naughton while he was creating the movie Fat Head. The recipe became an internet viral sensation and has since been adapted and modified for recipes beyond pizza crust, such as breadsticks, garlic bread rolls and bagels.
Texture of the Bread Rolls
This bread does not taste exactly like regular yeast bread. Keep in mind it is a bread made almost entirely out of cheese and almond flour. However, it is fluffy like bread rolls and it is sturdy enough to be used for sandwiches and sliders.
Ingredients for Keto Bread Rolls
There are only a handful of ingredients for this recipe and each of them is important to the final product.
Cream Cheese
Use a full-fat cream cheese. The cream cheese melts with the mozzarella and helps to create a spreadable, elastic dough.
Mozzarella Cheese
Use a low moisture part skim mozzarella. This will prevent the dough from being too wet. It’s also best to use part skim because there is already a lot of fat going into this recipe and you don’t want the rolls to be oily.
Almond Flour
Use super fine almond flour. The super fine texture mimics regular flour better and will prevent any grittiness.
Coconut Flour
This recipe uses a combination of coconut flour and almond flour to replace regular wheat flour. Each one works differently so do not substitute one for the other. Coconut flour is highly absorbent. The few tablespoons added to this recipe will prevent the dough from being too wet and will also give the rolls a fluffier texture.
Baking Powder
Use an aluminum free baking powder. The recipe does use a little more baking powder than I normally use to help the bread rise. You should not taste the baking powder though and using aluminum free will help make ensure that.
Eggs
The eggs act as the binding agent and create the structure for the bread.
How to Make Keto Bread Rolls Dough
- First, the cheeses are melted together. The appearance will look like a dough.
- The cheese dough is then blended with the eggs, flours and baking powder. The best method for blending the dough is with a food processor. It is quick, easy and produces a very uniform and smooth dough. You can also roll the dough by hand or with a mixer but it will take more effort and time.
- The dough is then divided into 8 equal parts and rolled out into smooth balls.
Adding an Egg Wash Finish
Before the rolls go in to bake, I added an egg wash finish. The egg wash finish helps the exterior of the breads develop more color and gives them a little sheen.
Reheating Tips for the Bread Rolls
These bread rolls should be eaten hot. When they cool down, the cheese condenses and the rolls become hard. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave, toaster oven or oven.
Topping Ideas
I left the bread rolls plain other than the egg wash finish. However, you can also add toppings like sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, parmesan cheese. You can also brush the tops with melted butter right before serving.
Recipe now updated with video!
Keto Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups part skim low moisture shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz full fat cream cheese
- 1 1/3 cups super fine almond flour*
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp aluminum free double acting baking powder
- 3 large eggs one egg is reserved for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- Add mozzarella and cream cheese to a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover the cream cheese with mozzarella (this will prevent the cream cheese from overheating and making a mess in your microwave). Melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals. After each 30 seconds, stir cheese until cheese is completely melted and uniform and resembles a dough in appearance (see photo for reference). This should only take around 1 minute total cooking time. Do not try to microwave the full time at once because some of the cheese will overcook. You can also melt the cheeses over the stove in a double boiler.
- Allow cheese dough to cool slightly (only a few minutes) so that it is still warm to the touch but not too hot. If the cheese is too hot it will cook the eggs. But don't let the cheese cool down completely because then it will turn hard and you will not be able to blend it with the other dough ingredients.
- Add cheese, 2 eggs (remember the third egg is for the egg wash finish at the end only), and almond flour mixture into a food processor with dough blade attachment. Pulse on high speed until the dough is uniform. The dough will be quite sticky, which is normal.
- Scoop out dough with a spatula and place onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and knead a few times with the dough inside the plastic wrap until you have a uniform dough ball. Lightly coat your hands with oil and divide dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each dough between your palms until it forms a smooth round ball. Place dough balls onto baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
- Add the final egg to a small bowl and whisk. Generously brush the surface of rolls with egg wash.
- Bake rolls for about 21-23 minutes in the middle rack of your oven, or until rolls are golden brown. Rolls are best eaten hot.
Video
Notes
- These bread rolls should be eaten hot. When they cool down, the cheese condenses and the rolls become hard. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave, toaster oven or oven.
- *Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Let’s be clear: THESE ARE FANTASTIC. If yours don’t turn out, I assure you it isn’t the recipe. I used super fine almond flour (from Costco), shredded mozzarella, full fat cream cheese, and Bob’s Red Mill baking powder. Followed the recipe, but tossed in a pinch of salt. I’m not even sure the salt was necessary. Honestly, these will now be my go-to gluten-free dinner roll recipe, well after I’m done with our 6 weeks on keto. My husband raved about them all through dinner. Thanks for this delightful treat!
Thank you so much! We’re so glad you loved the recipe – thanks for leaving such a nice review 🙂
HI Can I sub the coconut flour for something esle as I cant have coconut
thanks Karen w
Sorry, but we don’t have a substitute.
I found that the rolls were bland. Adding some herbs and salt would have helped tremendously.
We’re sorry you didn’t enjoy them.
Can the dough be frozen?
We haven’t tried freezing it, but it should work fine.
I’m not doing Keto, but my husband is, and he was really Jones-ing for bread and everything we tried was an epic failure. Not these. He really liked these. Thank you.
That’s great! We’re glad they worked for you.
They Are Soooo Good.!!!!
Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for all your recipes??
You’re welcome!
How long would you recommend reheating the rolls in the microwave?
Start with 20 seconds or so for one roll and add more time, if necessary.
Very easy to make and so delicious. A perfect compliment to any meal.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Simply love it! Easy, great texture and a wonderful taste.
We are so glad you enjoyed it!
Very good and so quick. The texture is more like like a muffin than a roll. Definitely Satisfies the craving for bread – best bread substitute I’ve tried. Nice warm with butter but I actually like them cold the next day.
They are a bit bland, could use a little salt.
Glad you like them!
After trying several keto bread roll recipes, including some big keto recipe sites, I came back to this one because this is the easiest to make, and the rolls have the best texture, mouth chew, look, and flavor. So good, thank you.
I’m so glad you like this recipe!
I LOVE this recipe. Have been craving bread and this is awesome. I, too, added garlic to the recipe and after putting on the egg wash, sprinkled the rolls with sea salt! Yummy. Thank you for sharing this recipe..
Bonnie
We are happy you enjoyed it!
Easy and good! But mine had a bit of a bitter taste to them. Wonder if I left something out on accident. Any thoughts?
It might be your baking powder. Did you make sure to use aluminum free?
These rolls are fantastic. The recipe is much easier and faster than the fathead dough recipe I’ve tried before. They keep well in the fridge and toast beautifully as leftovers. Well done. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you like the rolls!
These were so good, even my kids gobbled them up
That’s great! Thanks for letting us know.
Can these frozen and made only a couple at a time?
You can freeze fathead dough, but we have not tried it with this recipe and can’t say how it will work.
I made these today. They turned out great. I just mixed by hand because I don’t have any kind of a dough mixer. I shaped two of them into hot dog buns, and sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning.
So glad you liked the recipe!
MIne are flat as pancakes,what did I do wrong?
Is your baking powder expired or did you leave it out?
All I can say is WOW! ? After seeing this recipe on Facebook I had to give it. I had just smoked a Boston butt and had some pulled pork on hand and needed a way to make sandwiches, so I thought these would be perfect. They turned out AMAZING, just like the recipe video. It totally made my evening and my husband said they tasted just like the real thing. These are definitely going into the rotation!
I’m so glad they turned out well for you!
I made these rolls and I followed the recipe exactly and they were so grainy. They did not even turn out the way yours looked. I have made so many different bread recipes and they never turn out. Don’t know what I am doing wrong. I know the almond flour expands so much. So any help would be great.
I’m sorry to hear that. Are you using superfine almond flour and not almond meal or regular almond flour?
Made these for keto pulled pork sandwiches with my bestie and we were in heaven. This is one of the best keto recipes yet, and I’ve been doing it for almost 3 years. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much!
Can you make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate overnight to cook the next day?
I don’t recommend it because the cheese will harden when refrigerated
I made these last night and they were awful and after reading all the great comments I think they were awful on my end. I didn’t have the correct baking powder so I looked up a substitute for it. The substitute said to use 1 part baking powder to 2 parts cream of tartar.
Is this why mine didn’t turn out like everyone elses? They were beautiful but not cooked in the middle. I will try again if it’s the baking powder substitute that caused the problem.
Hi, it sounds like the baking powder substitute was your issue. Did you mean to say you used baking soda + cream of tartar? And how much baking soda did you use?
All I can say is Wow! Not only was this my first time trying a keto bread recipe, I’ve never baked homemade yeast rolls in all my life. But your instructions made it so simple! the texture is like a cross between a biscuit and a dinner roll, and with melted butter out of the oven they are divine! If you are doing Keto and you are missing bread you simply must try this recipe! I’m going to serve them tonight with shrimp etouffee over cauliflower rice with a blackened catfish fillet on top. I’m going to make some garlic butter to use on the rolls after I reheat them. I can’t wait to try your other recipes as well. Thank you so very much! And God bless you.
Thank you for letting me know how they turned out for you!
These rolls turned out ok. They seemed a little dry so we didn’t end up eating but two of them. HOWEVER, they made a delicious cornbread like dressing. I just sautéed some trinity aka bell peppers, onion and celery and added that to the torn up rolls, cream of chicken soup, an egg, sage and salt and pepper. Add chicken stock if needed. Bake 20-30 minutes. Added chicken tenders after baking.
I’m glad you were able to put them to use. I’m not sure why they turned out dry. Perhaps too much coconut flour?
Why everytime I make this they come out flat. They don’t rise. They taste good just don’t rise
I would check to make sure your baking powder is fresh and also that you are adding the full amount (it’s tablespoons not teaspoons)
Hi love these but miss the yeast roll taste. Have you ever added in a teaspoon of active yeast. Just for flavor. wondering how it would affect it.
I have not
Would these work making them stuffed (i.e. like a kolache)?
I have not tried stuffing them.
Fantastic recipe, thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Cooked some of these last night – the best Keto bread recipe Ive used! Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
OMG, soooo good and it tasted very much like a drop biscuit! Amazing!
I’m glad you enjoyed!
We love this recipe! The bread rolls have nice texture that is very similar to regular bread. It has that cheesy taste that we like. I also add bit of garlic for a more savory taste that is good with ham or bacon. ?
I’m so glad you like the recipe!
These were so simple to made and so delicious!
I’m so glad they turned out well for you!
I have never had full success with Keto/Paleo recipes with Almond and Coconut flours but this seemed to be a bit better. My first attempt I used a Thermomix for the dough and the rolls turned out well. My second attempt I just used my hand to knead the dough and the rolls came out more like cookies. Exactly the same recipe/amounts etc. However they were tasty and went with my keto soups perfectly. I will persist.
This recipe definitely works better if you have a food processor or mixer to mix it with. I’m glad you got it to work with one of your attempts
Two thumbs up!???? Made these for dinner tonight. They were soooo GOOD! The closest thing to real bread I’ve tasted since eating low-carb.
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Do they need to be refrigerated after baking.
they can keep at room temp for a day or two.
These are the best fat head rolls I’ve made and I’ve made a lot of them. The texture and taste is great! Sometimes I add rosemary to the dough and it has a great flavor. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Ok so…my son had a tantrum and I literally forgot the eggs! These were still good lol I will make them again…once I get thru with this batch! 🙂
I’m glad they still worked out!
Can I use a ball mozzarella cheese? If so, how much do I use in ounces since it’ll be hard to measure in cups.
ball mozzarella is too wet.
Made these rolls they came out great and delicious will be using quite frequently
So happy to hear that!
Woo-hoo! I have seriously been missing bread while on keto. Came across your recipe and decided it was worth a shot to make sandwiches today. Everyone was impressed! I will definitely be using this recipe in the future. I only wish there were more keto recipes without almond flour. Our eldest daughter is allergic, so we have to keep them out of reach.
I’m glad the rolls worked out for you!
It did not disappoint at all! Happy I found this!!
I’m glad you enjoyed!
If I don’t have a stand blender with a dough attachment can anyone recommend an alternative? Food processor?
The dough for this recipe is made in a food processor. See the recipe instructions.
Wonderful. Finally, a keto recipe that reminded me of bread! I have a bit of PTSD from keto bread recipes because I had too many episodes of ammonia formation in the dough upon mixing baking powder or baking soda with eggs, so I proceeded with caution when I saw 1.5 TBSP of double-acting aluminum-free baking powder in this recipe. I did not have aluminum-free baking powder, so I was extra careful – I used 1TBSP of my regular baking powder and only 1 egg in the recipe – IMPORTANT NOTE: I used fresh mozzarella instead of part-skim mozzarella so I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone by halving the number of eggs in the recipe to 1 egg and reducing the baking powder to 1 TBSP. It worked beautifully!
thank you so much for sharing your experience. I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
How would I adapt this to make Burger buns?
the breads do not rise enough to make full sized burger buns and I don’t recommend trying to make them bigger. You can make sliders. Or you can use one of my other keto bread recipes for burger buns. https://kirbiecravings.com/carb-free-cloud-bread/ https://kirbiecravings.com/cauliflower-bread-buns/
I made this tonight and they were delicious! Thank you! I am an avid baker. While I still cook with various flours for others, I have not experimented much with almond or coconut flour for my low carb diet. What I did differently was to use a whisk to vigorously mix the eggs and cheese blend together until smooth. After that, I put the mixture into my stand mixer w/the dough attachment, and added the dry mixture. I beat it on high for a few minutes. I did not turn on the oven until I was done shaping them into rolls and placing them on the baking sheet. I let the shaped balls rest. I do this with scones – let them rest for awhile prior to baking. It allows the baking soda to “get to work”. The result – very fluffy rolls, No egg wash needed (because you oil your hands to shape them, which already adds a sheen). It’s been 4 hours and these have not hardened at all. I have one on the counter, and 2 more in the refrigerator. I’m interested in seeing the texture tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing your experience and method!
Wonderful rolls! My son who is on Keto was really missing a dinner roll. This was his answer to prayer!!
I’m so glad you both enjoyed!
Oh my goodness! THESE ARE THE BEST. I thought I was actually eating real bread. So yummy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Going in knowing they were not going to be like soft yeast rolls – we were shocked on how good they turned out! I used them to make Cuban Pork sliders and they worked! My son ate 4 of them! I am going to have double the recipe next time! Great recipe – thanks for sharing!
I’m glad the recipe worked out for you!
This is my absolute favorite keto roll recipe yet. So soft and nice, even the next day. The first time I made them I had to under bake them because I had to leave the house and they still had 4 or 5 minutes to go to get them the color of the picture. They were barely browned on the very tip and mostly still white-ish. The were SO soft and delicious, even the next day. Closest thing to bread I’ve had. I did not do an egg wash the first time. I just made them again and cooked them the full time. I think I liked them even better under-cooked. I also did an egg wash this time and it was pretty, but when I bit into the roll, I tasted that dreaded “eggy” flavor that most keto breads have, so I will not do an egg wash again. I see these becoming a staple in my diet. I’m making ham and cheese sliders with them now!
I’m glad you enjoyed the bread rolls!
This recipe is delicious, my husband (who isn’t eating strictly keto) at 2 1/2 of these. Although they were yummy the flattened out in the oven. They turned out to be like flat biscuits almost. I followed the recipe exactly any idea what went wrong?
did you add the full amount of baking powder? It’s tbsp, not tsp
Has anyone tried making these without the mozzarella? I can get almond cream cheese but can’t have dairy or soya or coconut, so the mozzarella is impossible for me. I generally use white rice flour as a substitute for coconut as I’ve that many allergies, I NEED to. Thanks in advance 🙂
I used your basic recipe, then added Old Bay seasoning, minced garlic, garlic salt & onion powder into the dough. The result was a wonderfully cheesy, savory biscuit! They turned out light, moist & crumbly, just like a true biscuit would be. They reminded me of the cheddar biscuits served at Red Lobster restaurants. My hubby, who isn’t keto, said he gives them a buttery thumbs up. He said it would have been 2 thumbs up except the other one was too busy holding a biscuit while he ate it.
I’m happy you and your husband liked them so much!
Is it okay to use shredded cheddar instead?
the dough needs mozzarella
Do you have to add coconut flour? My husband has an allergy to coconut. Can it just be almond flour?
The rolls don’t rise that much since they are made mainly from cheese. I found the coconut flour really helps make them more puffy and fluffy. I have not tried only using almond flour. The amount you would need to add would be different and without testing it myself, I don’t know how much you would need.
Do you have to use coconut flour, or can you go without?
You definitely need the coconut flour. The coconut flour absorbs all the moisture and will make the rolls fluffy.
These look amazing! Cant wait to try it out. Do you think this will work as a pasta recipe?
I don’t think this dough will work for a pasta recipe but i have shared several keto pasta recipes: https://kirbiecravings.com/2-ingredient-keto-pasta/
https://kirbiecravings.com/keto-low-carb-skillet-lasagna/
https://kirbiecravings.com/low-carb-keto-lasagna/
Awesome rolls. I used chive and onion cream cheese wich gave it a subtle flaor twist which was delicious. I didn’t have aluminum free baking powder so I used what I had and there was no after taste.
Will definitely make again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Love the idea of chive and onion cream cheese
Is it really 1.5 tbsp of baking powder?
yes
Thank you so much for this! I will try this real soon. Does the bread harden if not eaten soon after baking?
It won’t turn hard but it won’t be as soft once the bread is fully cooled. You can always reheat.
Bless you, bless you, bless you! These turned out fantastic and toast up beautifully. I couldn’t do this with out great recipes like this one. Thank you!
I’m happy this worked out for you!
Absolutely easy and delicious roll! Cant wait to have for sliders! My not a keto husband even had one and he didn’t know it was low carb!
That’s so great to hear!
Can I make this into a loaf? Any idea on baking time? Thank you, I am really excited to try this.
The bread doesn’t rise as much as regular yeast bread so if you make it as a loaf, it will be a fairly flat loaf.
Game changer!! Perfect recipe – I followed it exactly and I appreciated your explanations and descriptions. Man, these are delicious!!! I want to test the dough for cinnamon rolls and other Keto goodies now. I’m ready to experiment now that I have the perfect dough to work with. Thanks!
I’m so happy you tried and enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you Kirbie! Love this recipe! ?
So glad you love the recipe!
Can you taste the cream cheese
no
Easy and Quick and Tasty
So happy you liked it!
Can you reserve half the dough after you make it in the refrigerator and make the rules the next day?
No, it’s best to make all the bread at once. The dough is only malleable while the cheese is still melted. These reheat well, so you can bake them all and then store the remaining in fridge or freezer.
Made this today….very delicious. Soft and fluffy. Smelled so good baking. I made a BLT sandwich out of this……
so glad you tried and enjoyed the recipe!
These are, by far, the best fathead dough rolls I’ve ever made. They are light and fluffy, and reheat beautifully in the micro. Used them for sliders. This is my new go-to for all things fathead.
So glad you like them!
What happens if I use aluminum containing baking soda?
do you mean baking powder? Because the recipe needs baking powder, not baking soda. You want to stick to aluminum free because this recipe uses a higher amount of baking powder than usual and if you use one containing aluminum, the bread rolls may have an aluminum aftertaste.
This is by far the best ketto buns that I have made, texture and all! My family loved them so much that made them into bigger buns, cooked them for 30 minutes and used them for Hamburgers. They were amazing!
So glad your family enjoyed these!
Very delicious! I’ll make these again for sure! I made it with whatever cheese I had…like tex mex mix and it is amazing. Thank you!
I’m glad you liked it!
PS – ? I used 1- 8oz bag of Kraft Creamy Melt part skim low moisture shredded mozzarella cheese (It has already been correctly mixed for the first two ingredients) .
Woot! Made these to go with my Keto Clam Chowder & they were perfect! Will definately be making these again!
So glad you enjoyed!
Very good recipe. Easy to make. Follow the techniques given in the recipe and you will get great results as mentioned. It really gives me a good replacement for a bread. I plan to try it as a loaf. Thanks kirbycravings.
I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Great recipe. Easy to make. I warmed the cream cheese and mozzarella on low heat on the stove, worked out great. Cooked them for 23 min. Perfect amount of time. They looked just like the photo. Sort of has a cornbread texture. Will definitely make them again.
I’m glad they worked out well for you and that you were able to warm the cheeses on the stove!
Can I freeze these to whip out at short notice later on?
I have not tried, but I think they should freeze well
I would like to know if you did freeze them and how they turned out.
Has anyone tried freezing? I’d like to try these for Thanksgiving but time is at a premium that day…
I have sprayed Pam onto waxed paper.rolled the dough between 2 waxed paper sheets into 4 flat circles and frozen them. Once they are frozen, I peel them off of the paper and put in a ziploc bag in the freezer.
Thaw on countertop on Pam’d plate or in a Pam’d pan. Shape as you like. One circle makes a personal pizza (roll it flatter), sandwich bun, 2 dinner rolls or a bagel. This works great for me, as I keto alone.
Do not skip the Pam!
I’ve frozen these and they turn out great when you thaw them. I’m actually eating some at this very moment done up as pizza buns.
They’re also amazing as a hamburger bun – thaw them out, then just throw them on the grill for a couple minutes each side for maximum toastiness. They’re SO good.
If you do freeze them, I highly recommend toasting after thawing. It seems to help with the texture.
I’m glad you like the rolls! thanks for sharing your experience
Looking forward to recipes.
These came out delish! I didn’t use a food processor just my hands to mix and knead. I’m sharing this recipe with my Keto Krew!
So glad you enjoyed!
The instructions above are so thorough, it’s very difficult to screw up! Turned out great, and so yummy. A great addition to a meat and veg meal.
I’m glad you enjoyed!