Low-Carb Hot Dog Buns

How many carbs in a hot dog bun?

Traditional hot dog buns are not keto approved and certainly not low-carb. One Franz hot dog bun has 22 grams net carbs! That would be your entire carb allotment for the day. Plus store bought hot dog buns contain refined flours, lack fiber and contain gluten. Gluten is highly inflammatory in most people.

This keto hot dog bun recipe only contains carbs per bun. Plus, it is loaded with fiber and free of preservatives and gluten!

Are hot dogs keto?

Yes! Hot dogs are keto! It is important to check your labels though as some hot dog companies will add sugars to their franks. The brands that we typically use are Hebrews National or Nathans. Both of these hot dogs are made with 100% beef.

If you are looking for a hot dog that is made with grass-fed beef, try Teton Waters Ranch. They carry a line of delicious hot dogs, polish sausages and bratwurst.

How to get keto hot dog bread to rise?

Since keto bread typically doesn’t use gluten based flours or yeast, it can be difficult to get the dough to rise in the oven. The ingredients in this recipe that help the dough rise are the use of psyllium husk, eggs, baking powder and baking soda. Baking soda needs to react with an acid in order to produce carbon dioxide bubble to puff up the dough while baking. The acid in this recipe is the sour cream.

The psyllium husk is another important ingredient that helps to bulk up and fluff up the keto hot dog bread.

Another trick you can use to help your keto hot dog buns to rise is to throw a handful of ice cubes in the oven while the rolls are baking. The ice cubes will rapidly melt creating steam. Steam in the oven will also help you keto bread dough rise.

Keto bun substitutions

There are some strange ingredients in this keto hot dog bun recipe. But they all serve a purpose in creating a fluffy keto bun that rises. Luckily, I have some alternatives listed for you if you can’t have or can’t find some of these ingredients.

If you are allergic to almond flour or don’t like the taste or texture of it, you should try Sunflower Seed Flour. It measures cup for cup like almond flour and is nut free! For this recipe, you will add 1 cup of sunflower seed flour in place of the almond flour.

The psyllium husk flakes help to bulk up the bread and help it rise. If you don’t have the whole flakes and can only find the powder, you will need to only add 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk powder.

Low-carb alternatives to hot dog buns

Besides making your own keto hot dog buns, I have seen my fellow keto dieters get pretty creative with coming up with alternatives for hot dog buns.

Some people with wrap their hot dogs in low carb tortillas or wraps. Others will wrap the hot dog with a slice of cheese or a lettuce leaf.

These are all great low carb options, but nothing beats the taste and texture of a regular hot dog bun, so I highly suggest you try this easy keto hot bun recipe!

Keto approved toppings for hot dogs

Most traditional hot dog toppings are keto friendly, with the exception of ketchup and sweet relish. Luckily, there are keto approved alternatives to both of these.

For a sugar-free keto ketchup, I recommend the Primal Kitchen Unsweetened Ketchup. It doesn’t contain any added sugars and contained only one carb per tablespoon. You can purchase this ketchup on Amazon but I have also seen it in my local groceries stores, like Whole Foods.

Instead of sweet relish on your bun, try a dill pickle relish on your keto hot dog!

Mustard, mayonnaise and a little bit of diced white onion are all fine to enjoy on your low carb hot dog. Sure the onion does contain carbs but a tablespoon of diced onions isn’t going to push you over the edge.

Keto hot dog recipes to try

I’m a big fan of a plain jane hot dog with just mustard; however, you can get fancy and creative with your keto hot dog recipes and try some fun alternatives. One of my favorites is a Chicago dog. A keto Chicago dog is loaded with sliced tomato, pickles, diced onions, pepperoncini or jalapeno, and topped with poppy seeds.

You can also make a keto chili dog using my recipe for Easy Keto Beef Chili. This recipe can be made on the stovetop or the instant pot. You can make your keto hot dog buns while you cook the chili. They will be done around the same time. Add your hot dog to the gluten-free bun and spoon the hot chili on top of the hot dog.