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
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1 teaspoon baking soda
-
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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.
Bake the rolls
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 13-18 minutes or until hardened on the outside and slightly firm on the inside. Let cool for 3-5 minutes before eating.
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.
Room temp cream cheese. Dough came together in 30 seconds.
The wet hands tip was a lifesaver. I went in dry the first few times and the dough was absolutely everywhere. Once I just wet my hands it came together in maybe 30 seconds. So proud of how golden they came out! Does the inside stay a little chewy or did I pull them at 15 minutes too early?
Fathead does stay a little pull-y in the center even when fully done, that's just the mozzarella. But 15 minutes is on the early side. Try 17-18 and look for the tops to go deep golden, not just pale.
My mom made soft dinner rolls every Thanksgiving. Went keto and just kind of put that memory away. Making these brought it back, that warm pull when you tear one open.
That pull is the whole reason these exist.
My daughter has been the harshest critic of every keto bread I've tried over the past two years, refusing anything that didn't have a real crumb. She picked one off the cooling rack before they were even plated and ate three of them standing at the counter without saying a word. That's more than any review I could write. The almond and coconut flour together actually gives them a real roll texture instead of that dense, gummy thing most fathead recipes end up with. Going into the Sunday dinner rotation.
Standing at the counter without saying a word. That's the review right there. The coconut flour is what keeps it from the dense gummy fathead thing, it absorbs differently and gives the dough some actual structure.
First time making fathead rolls and I wasn't sure the almond and coconut flour combo would work together, but these actually held their shape and had a real bread-like pull on the inside. The food processor step made the dough way less intimidating than I expected. Four stars only because mine needed the full 18 minutes.
18 minutes is right where mine land most of the time. Bigger rolls, denser dough - it creeps up. The food processor is the step I wish I'd figured out sooner.
I've wasted so much almond flour on keto rolls that taste like wet sand, so I almost didn't try this one. The mozzarella dough looked wrong to me, too sticky, too cheesy. Four batches in and these have replaced every other keto roll recipe I've ever tried.
Wet sand is exactly what I was dealing with before I landed on the fathead version. The sticky is the mozzarella fat doing its thing - that's what gives the inside that chewy pull instead of gritty crumble.
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.
Garlic powder in the dough is something I haven't done. The everything bagel at 400 makes sense - the seeds actually brown instead of just sitting there. Stealing this.
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.
Sour cream has more fat than buttermilk. That's why the middle stays softer. Stealing that trick.
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.