Keto Hamburger Buns
Published August 9, 2020 • Updated February 21, 2026
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No more bunless burgers! Now you can enjoy a juicy hamburger with this fluffy gluten-free bun recipe.
I know you’ve been missing bread and a real burger with a bun. I have been too.
There are only so many bunless burgers I can take. Luckily, I created this keto bun recipe for you and me. These buns are gluten-free. They’re not made from a bunch of mozzarella cheese like a fathead dough bun. They rise and taste delicious with a juicy burger smashed in the middle.
Plus, these buns are easy to make. They only take a few minutes to mix the ingredients and about 12 minutes to bake.
Once you start to heat your grill, you can prep the bun batter. Once the burgers go on, pop these in the oven. Both should be done around the same time and you’ll be enjoying a REAL hamburger for dinner.
Heads-up! If you’re here looking for bread recipes, check out my keto bread recipe or my rolls!
Explore 683+ keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Ingredients
1 cup almond flour -
1/2 cup unflavored whey protein powder
-
2 tablespoons whole psyllium husk flakes
-
2 tablespoons golden flax seed meal
-
2 teaspoons baking powder
-
1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
2 eggs
-
1/4 cup butter, melted
-
2 tablespoons sour cream
-
sesame seeds (optional)
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat oven
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray and set aside.
Sift dry ingredients
Whisk or sift together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Sifting the dry ingredients is preferred to get a finer texture.
- Almond flour
- Whey protein powder
- Psyllium husk flakes
- Golden flax seed meal
- Baking powder
- Xanthan gum
- Salt
Finish dough
Add eggs, melted butter and sour cream to dry ingredients. Mix together until combined.
- Eggs
- Butter
- Sour cream
Mold into buns
Wet your hands with some water or oil in order to handle the dough as it is sticky. Divide the bread dough into four balls and mold each ball into a round disc shape and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Continue with remaining dough. Place each dough ball about 1-2 inches apart.
Sprinkle sesame
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of each bun if you want to make a sesame seed bun. Some add bagel seasoning here for a ‘kitchen sink’ burger bun topping!
- Sesame seeds
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 use a different type of flour instead of almond flour?
Almond flour gives these buns their texture and flavor, so I'd stick with it. If you need a nut-free option, sunflower seed flour works - the taste and texture will be a little different but it gets the job done.
What can I substitute for whey protein powder if I'm dairy-free?
You can use a plant-based protein powder like pea protein or a vegan protein blend. Just make sure it's unflavored so the buns don't taste too sweet.
How should I store the leftover buns?
Pop leftover buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for longer storage - just separate them with parchment paper so they don't stick!
Are these buns suitable for a strict keto diet?
Yes! These buns are only 3.4g net carbs each and packed with fiber. Just account for the macros based on the ingredients you use.
Can I add herbs or spices to the bun mixture?
Go for it! Garlic powder, onion powder, or Italian herbs all work great in the batter.
Used brown butter instead of regular melted and the buns picked up this nutty depth that worked really well with a smash burger. Worth the extra two minutes.
Added a teaspoon of garlic powder to the dry ingredients and won't skip it again. Also, chilling the shaped buns 10 minutes before baking helps them hold their dome.
Same on the garlic powder, been adding it for months. I throw in a little onion powder too and it's a noticeably better bun.
Growing up, my mom made hamburger buns from scratch every Sunday, and I hadn't thought about that in years. When I opened the oven on these and saw how they'd domed up, it just came back all at once. She used to wet her hands too, the dough always sticking, the same vague frustration. These aren't hers (nothing is), but the texture when you split one is closer than I expected. I've made them three times since.
Three times since. The wet hands part is in there because the dough fights you otherwise. Sticky on purpose.
I wasn't sure these would work as real buns but they did. Held together with a burger and everything. Texture was way better than I expected.
The xanthan gum and psyllium together are what make them actually hold. A lot of keto bun recipes skip one or the other and they just fall apart the second you bite in.
Planning to use my air fryer instead of the oven for these since it's faster and I'm making them for a quick weeknight burger. Should I drop the temp to 375 or keep it at 400, and do they need the full time or will they cook faster?
375 for sure. The psyllium husk in these makes them hold moisture and they'll dry out fast at 400 in an air fryer. Start checking at 10 minutes, mine usually go about 12.
I have whole psyllium husk. Is that different than psyllium husk flakes?
I believe these are the same thing...as long as yours looks like flakes.
Do you have to use psyllium husk flakes or can you use psyllium husk powder ? I only have powder.
I haven't tried it with the powder. It might work but you should probably try less. Maybe 1 tablespoon?
I made these today - 8 small for sliders rather than four large. They looked beautiful, but I toasted mine before eating my sloppy joe (to reheat it) and it was crumbly - the bottom broke into pieces when I picked it up. I'll try them again with the ice cubes in the oven, and also try microwaving the ones left instead of toasting. Thanks!
Toasting is rough on almond flour buns. They lose moisture fast without gluten to hold things together. I'd microwave for reheating, 20 seconds in a damp paper towel. Ice cubes help the bake but won't change how they handle toasting.
I cannot tolerate whey protein. Can I substitute with any other unflavored protein powder?
I haven't tried other types of protein powder in the recipe. I think it would still work but not completely sure. If you try one, let me know how it turned out.
I tried them yesterday, the dough was very wet, so I added a bit of the dry ingredients. ?The first minutes in the oven the dough did flatten and run to the sides, but then it actually rose a bit. Due to your pictures, I didnt expect much of a rise, so when they got nice color I took them out. The taste was very good, I had added a bit of italian spice to the mix which matched perfectly with the burgers. The only issue was that the bottom bit crumbled while eating, well - not the worst, but I guess it was just slightly dry. We will use this recipe again!! Thank you very much!
The wet dough is just the psyllium - it sets up in the oven. Adding extra dry ingredients was probably what dried out the bottom, so next time try going with the recipe as written. Italian spice with burgers is such a good call though.
Oh! I also added two pinches (I'm a real scientist over here!) of yeast. Just for flavor.
Ha, the scientist pinch method. Yeast won't do anything structural in these (baking powder handles all of that) but the flavor argument is real - that slight bready note actually makes a lot of sense with hamburger buns.
Hi! Thanks for these! They're pretty good! Much like the old "Farmer's Bread" that I've missed.
I had to make a few changes so I thought I'd share.
I only have physillium husk power and based on a hunch, I only used one tablespoon.
The batter seemed a bit dry to me to I added a splash of heavy cream and maybe half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. (I also know psyllium husk needs lots of liquid) And there was a little "leftover" butter in my measuring cup so I tossed that in too.
Too many times I've ended up with gritty breads because there wasn't enough liquid.
I was also concerned about it baking nice and crisp on the outside but staying gummy in the middle so I cooked them on a lower rack on 325 for 10 minutes and then up to 400 for another 5 minutes. There is a tiny bit of goo in the middle when still warm (but with more butter lol no one noticed!) but I'm pretty sure when they cool down, there will be even less.
I think I have a new fave bread recipe! Thanks again!
Psyllium powder is way more concentrated than flakes, so half was the right call. The goo cooks out as they cool, that's just psyllium holding water when hot.
What can I substitute for golden fkax seed. I don't have that.
I haven't tried any substitutions for golden flax seed yet.
I sprinkled Everything Bagel seasoning on them. They just came out of the oven. Very good, rose nicely, eating one with butter. Recipe is a definite keeper. thanks for the recipe.
Everything bagel on top instead of plain sesame seeds is so much better. Stealing that.
Keep the buns in fridge or on counter till using? Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Yes, you should be able to freeze them after baking. I store my buns in the fridge, but they can stay on the counter for 1 day