Easy Keto Cheese Bread

Did you know that you can create low carb “bread” out of just 2-3 ingredients? Most people in the low carb community call it fathead dough*, but there are thousands of variations out there. All of them have the same base: cheese.

What can you make out of cheese bread? SO. MUCH. Pizza crusts, rolls, buns, baguettes, wraps, bagels, and even sweet treats like cinnamon rolls.

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The entire world is going through a pretty tough time right now with all the quarantines and social distancing, so if you’re craving bready goodness but can’t find anything decent at the store or online and don’t have a pantry stocked for low carb baking, cheese bread is an affordable and EASY option.

Below you’ll find 2 of my family’s favorite variations. I didn’t include macros for these because it can vary quite a bit depending on brand of cheese, size of the egg, how many servings made, seasonings used, etc. That said, the entire batch usually comes in well under 10g net carbs which means each serving is typically under 2g net carbs.

Cheese Bread: Simple Base

Ingredients

• 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 egg – can substitute for 1-2 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1/3 cup Dry Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Optional: 1-2 tsp seasoning like Garlic Powder or Italian Medley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°f and line a baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl using a large mixing spoon or spatula.
3. Shape the wet cheesy dough mixture into your baking dish – pizza crust, round buns, flat wraps, etc.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top starts to slightly brown and bubble. Note: How long to bake depends on how thick your shape is. Thicker shapes will need a bit longer, thinner shapes need less, so keep an eye on it. If you’re unsure, poke a toothpick through the thickest part – it’s done when the toothpick comes out clean.
5. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days, freezer for a few weeks.

Tip: There are several optional ingredients for this recipe but honestly, you only need the cheese and egg or cream cheese to create a tasty base. We really like adding in some baby spinach and seasonings, but that’s to our taste and you might like something entirely different. This is a great recipe to explore your creative side.

Cheese Bread: Pork Rinds

Ingredients

• 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 egg – can substitute for 1-2 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1/3 cup Pork Rind Crumbs *
• Optional: 1-2 tsp seasoning like Garlic Powder or Italian Medley

Directions (same as above)

1. Preheat oven to 400°f and line a baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl using a large mixing spoon or spatula.
3. Shape the wet cheesy dough mixture into your baking dish – flat pizza crust, round buns, etc.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top starts to slightly brown and bubble. Note: How long to bake depends on how thick your shape is. Thicker shapes will need a bit longer, thinner shapes need less, so keep an eye on it. If you’re unsure, poke a toothpick through the thickest part – it’s done when the toothpick comes out clean.
5. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days, freezer for a few weeks.

* How do you make pork rind crumbs?

Easy! Buy a bag or 2 of pork rinds and put them in a food processor until they form a fine crumb. Or – put them in a large bag then smash them all to tiny bits with your hands or a rolling pin. Or buy them in a store or online – look for Pork Panko or Pork Rind Crumbs.

* Traditional Fathead Dough?

The biggest difference between my recipe here and traditional fathead is that most fathead recipes call for you to heat up or microwave the cheese before adding the egg or pork rinds/other flours. You can do that here and create an even stickier mixture that’s more dough-like, but you must work quickly to combine and shape the dough first. I just don’t find it necessary for the shapes that I make.