The Best Keto Bread Rolls
Published April 3, 2020 • Updated March 3, 2026
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These fathead keto dinner rolls are the ones my family actually requests. I've been making them since 2018. Fluffy inside, golden outside, and only 4 net carbs per roll.
I have a lot of bread recipes on this site. My keto hamburger buns, my keto bread loaf, my 90 second bread for when I’m in a rush. But these keto rolls are the ones I come back to most, especially around the holidays.
This is the dinner roll my kids actually ask for. Not because it’s “healthy” (they don’t care about that), but because to them it’s just a roll. That’s the highest compliment a keto baked good can get. I’ve been making this recipe since 2018, and I’ve probably baked over 200 batches at this point. The recipe has barely changed because it worked from the start.
The base is fathead dough (mozzarella, almond flour, egg), but I add buttermilk or yogurt, and that one addition changes everything. The tanginess masks the cheese flavor that some fathead doughs have, and the acid reacts with baking soda to give the dough a real rise in the oven. I tested this recipe with and without buttermilk side by side, and the difference is not subtle. Without it, the rolls taste like mozzarella. With it, they taste like bread.
These are perfect alongside dinner. I bring them out with keto biscuits for holiday spreads, or just on a Tuesday night with soup. They’re sturdy enough to slice and butter, soft enough to pull apart, and they hold up as sandwich rolls too. Several readers have told me they shape them larger for burger buns, and that works well (just add a few minutes to the bake time). My family likes them best with soups and stews, but they work for any meal.
I bake a double batch at least once a month and freeze half. They thaw in the microwave in about 45 seconds and taste just as good as fresh. I’ve also had readers tell me they take them camping and on road trips since they hold up without refrigeration for a day or two.
One thing I love about this recipe is how forgiving it is. I’ve had readers accidentally double the buttermilk and still get good results. One reader’s picky child had no idea it wasn’t a regular roll. At only 4 net carbs per roll, you can have one with every meal and stay well within your macros.
Spread some butter over the top while they’re still warm. That’s it.
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Ingredients
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese -
4 ounces cream cheese
-
2 eggs
-
2 1/4 cups almond flour
-
1/4 cup coconut flour
-
1/4 cup buttermilk or plain low-carb yogurt
-
1 teaspoon baking soda
-
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Melt the cheese
In a small glass bowl, add shredded mozzarella cheese and cream cheese. Microwave at 1 minute intervals until the cheese is melted and cream cheese has softened. If you don’t want to use a microwave, melt the shredded cheese over the stovetop in a non-stick skillet and use softened cream cheese.
- Mozzarella cheese
- Cream Cheese
Get your food processor
To a food processor, add remaining ingredients and melted cheeses. Pulse until combined. You may also combine the ingredients using an electric mixer; however, the dough comes together evenly and faster using a food processor.
- Eggs
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Buttermilk (or yogurt)
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
Create dough balls
Wet your hands with some water or oil in order to handle the dough. This will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. Grab a handful of dough, form it into a ball and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Continue with remaining dough. You can form your desired size. Dough balls larger than 2.5 inches wide, will require longer cooking times. Evenly place dough balls on the tray spacing about 1 inch apart.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze these rolls?
I freeze these all the time. Once they've cooled completely, I store them in a ziplock freezer bag and they keep for about 2 months. To reheat, I wrap one in a paper towel and microwave on defrost for about 45 seconds, or let them thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven at 300 degrees for a few minutes. The texture holds up well after freezing.
Can I make the dough ahead of time and bake later?
I've done this and it works fine. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out, and store it in the fridge overnight. When you're ready to bake, let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes, shape your rolls, and bake as directed. I wouldn't keep the raw dough in the fridge longer than 24 hours though.
How do I make these into hamburger buns?
I shape them wider and flatter (about 3.5 inches across) and press them down slightly before baking. They need a few extra minutes in the oven since they're larger, so I check at 18 minutes and go up to 22 if needed. Several of my readers have made these as burger buns and they hold up great. One reader accidentally added too much buttermilk and said the flatter result was perfect for burgers.
What can I substitute for almond flour if I have a nut allergy?
I haven't tested this personally, but sunflower seed flour substitutes 1:1 for almond flour, so you'd use the same amounts. Multiple readers with nut allergies have confirmed this works. Just keep in mind that sunflower seed flour can sometimes react with baking soda and turn slightly green. It's harmless (just a chlorophyll reaction), but good to know about in advance.
Why did my rolls spread out flat instead of staying round?
I've seen this happen for a few reasons. The most common one is overmixing the dough in the food processor. A few quick pulses is all you need. Also, make sure you're shaping the dough balls tall rather than wide, since they'll spread a bit in the oven. If you skipped the baking soda, that's likely the issue too. Wet your hands with water or oil before shaping so you can mound the dough up without it sticking to your fingers.
How do I store and reheat leftover rolls?
I keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, I wrap a roll in a paper towel and microwave for 20-30 seconds. If I want that fresh-from-the-oven texture back, I warm them in the oven at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes. They're also great sliced and toasted in a skillet with butter.
Can I add seeds or everything bagel seasoning on top?
I love adding toppings to these. My method is to brush the tops with a little melted butter before baking, then press in sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning. You can also try flaked sea salt and garlic powder. If you want the toppings to really stick, brush with an egg wash instead of butter and add a couple extra minutes to the bake time.
Can I use all almond flour without the coconut flour?
I'd use about 3 cups of almond flour if you're skipping the coconut flour entirely. The coconut flour absorbs more liquid than almond flour, so you need a bit more to compensate. The rolls will be slightly less structured but they'll still taste good. I prefer the combo of both flours because it gives a better texture and a more bread-like crumb.
Brought these to Easter dinner and my mother-in-law, who is very much not a keto person, asked which bakery they came from. The dough came together faster than I expected and they baked up this deep golden on the outside that just looked right. Double batch next time.
That bakery question from a non-keto person is hard to beat. The color comes from the mozzarella fat, it crisps differently than regular dough. Double batch, yeah.
Added a tablespoon of garlic powder and pressed everything bagel seasoning into the tops right before they went in, and I am not going back to plain. The seasoning toasts into the almond flour crust at 400 degrees and by minute twelve the kitchen smelled like something from an actual bakery. These are what I make now when I want it to seem like I put in more effort than I did.
I've been making fathead rolls for a few years now and most recipes I've tried are straight almond flour, so seeing coconut flour in there caught my eye (I actually love what that combo probably does for texture and rise). Problem is, my husband is convinced he can taste coconut in everything. Even when I point out that 1/4 cup across 12 rolls is basically nothing. I've snuck it into other bakes and he always calls it out, so I've given up on that one. My question is whether I can just swap it for more almond flour, bring the total to around 2.5 cups, or if the coconut flour is doing something structural that straight almond can't. I know coconut flour sucks up way more liquid, so I'm wondering if I'd need to cut back the buttermilk a bit too to keep the dough workable. Has anyone tried it without the coconut flour and gotten good results?
3 cups almond flour works. Cut the buttermilk back to about 3 tablespoons since coconut flour absorbs so much more liquid than almond. They'll hold.
Used sour cream instead of the buttermilk because that's what I had, and the rolls came out noticeably softer in the middle than I expected. Probably doing it that way from now on.
Swapped the buttermilk for full-fat sour cream and the dough was noticeably easier to handle (less sticky at room temp), and the interior came out soft and almost pillowy. Worth trying if sour cream is what you have on hand.
Sour cream makes sense. The fat content is close to buttermilk and the acidity is similar enough. Good to know on the handling.
Made these for taco night instead of tortillas. The buttermilk tang is clutch.
Taco shells is smart. The buttermilk does more work than people think.
I'm the only one that eats Low Carb in the house. Can this recipe be split in half? I don't think I can eat a dozen by myself.
Thank you!
Yes! You can definitely split the recipe in half. Enjoy!
I am finding mixing the cheese in the processor that the cheese just sits round the shaft. Not sure what I am doing wrong.
Next time I mixed the dry ingredients in with the grated cheese and soft cheeses and microwaved the whole lot then mixed in whisked eggs and buttermilk. They turned out well.
Cold cream cheese does that. Cube it and let it sit out for 10 minutes before throwing it in the processor. Might steal your microwave method though, sounds like it actually works.
These are AMAZING! I don't think I'll eat 12 of them within a few days so can I freeze them?
Yes! Cool them completely first, then ziplock freezer bag. They keep about 2 months. I microwave on defrost wrapped in a paper towel and they come back pretty close to fresh.
I tried these just now and they taste very good. Mine did, however, spread out and flatten up and didn't brown like the pictures. Not sure what I did except make them larger as I was hoping for hamburger buns. I will try again for a basic dinner roll to have with my meatloaf. again, the taste was very good and I will definitely do this recipe again!
Bigger rolls spread more. For dinner rolls, shape them tall and compact before baking. If you try the hamburger bun version again, press to about 3.5 inches across and go 18-22 minutes.
Hi 👋
Would this work at all putting in a loaf tin and making as a loaf of bread?
I seen your bread recipe which looks good! But I’m not too keen on the protein powder.
Thank you :)
I think it would do okay is smaller loaf pans. I did try a larger one and the center was still soggy..although that could mean I just needed to decrease the baking temp and bake for longer.
can i make the dough a day ahead and then bake the next day?
Yes, just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. You can also freeze the baked rolls.
These turned out great even when I had to do a half recipe and forgot and put in 4 oz cream cheese. Best ever keto rolls!
Ha, happy accident. Double cream cheese in a half batch means twice the fat per roll. Doing that on purpose next time.
I made these last night and I goofed on the amount of buttermilk. I halved all the ingreds (to make just 6 rolls) but forgot when it came to the buttermilk and I accidentally put in 4x the amount! So the rolls were flat-ish, but they still tasted good and cooked fine. For me, they have too much of a coconut taste, but my husband liked them. They looked more like hamburger buns (due to my mistake) so I used one today for my lunch sandwich of pastrami, cheese & tomato and they were perfect! I'm going to make the mistake of too much buttermilk on purpose the next time I want hamburger buns! :-) Round 2 will be with the right ingredient portions for dinner rolls and I'm sure they will come out round and perfect. Thanks for a great recipe! I wish I could post a picture of my pastrami sandwich. The "bun" was perfect!
TIP#1: Make your own buttermilk. To each 1/2 cup of whole milk, or full fat cream, add 1/2T (tablespoon) of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 15mins to curdle, then stir and use.
TIP#2: I buy mozzarella in a jumbo package of individually wrapped strips. I unwrap the amount I need and use a knife to cut in small wedges, instead of shredding. Just a knife to clean instead of a grater! :-) The rest stays fresh and doesn't spoil.
TIP#3: I buy cream cheese in a jumbo package of individually wrapped servings of 1oz each, so again, I just unwrap what I need. The rest stays fresh and doesn't spoil.
Ha, accidental hamburger buns. The coconut flavor is real (it's the 1/4 cup coconut flour) - pull back to 2 tablespoons next time and it's much more neutral.
These were quite good!
My 21yo son is Type 1 Diabetic, so I’m always looking for low carb options. Often bread type recipes are ok, but kind of disappointing. He’s home from college and wanted a good homemade meal. I wanted to have rolls with dinner last night, so I gave these a try. Half of the recipe, since all measurements split easily, just in case I wasn’t pleased. I took to heart the numerous comments about how flat they can end up. I made them rather tall and skinny to start, and they ended up about 1/2-3/4” tall. But they were not little hockey pucks, they cut nicely and the flavor was good. I also made garlic butter for them, but they were good without it. Both kids liked them, even the picky non-T1D teenager. I’d definitely make these again!
Shaping them tall is exactly right. The flat ones are usually too wide going in. 4 net carbs and both kids approved, that's a win.