Panini sandwiches are typically high carb, but you don’t need miss out on a panini sandwich on your low carb diet. Make this easy low carb flatbread recipe and then add your favourite fillings in the middle.
Low Carb Panini Sandwich Inspiration
This low carb panini sandwich recipe was not actually supposed to be my post today. I have a series of other recipes I intended to post first, and this was slated for a few weeks hence. But after receiving two reader messages last week asking for a low carb bread recipe, I knew I needed to bust a move.
The first came from my long-time reader Katharine, who like me, found herself to be on the diabetes spectrum after a bout of gestational diabetes. The second came from a new reader who found my blog listed as a resource in Wheat Belly, by Dr. William Davis. Whoa, dude! I didn’t know he even knew who I was! That’s pretty huge. If you haven’t heard of the Wheat Belly book, I must ask…what rock have you been living under???
As I was saying, these reader messages both came within a few days of each other and it was pure serendipity. When I saw Katharine’s comment on my blog, I laughed out loud because I quite literally had made an incredible low carb flat bread the night before that held up beautifully for panini. I promised her that the recipe would be up within a few weeks. Then I received Judi’s email two days later, as she and her husband just made the resolution to go wheat free for their health, and I decided that a recipe such as this was in high demand and needed to be put out there as soon as possible for the greater good.
When one starts a low carb diet, one generally believes that a panini sandwich will forever be off limits, along with myriad other treats and bready foods. Sure, you can have all the bacon and cheese in the world, but it’s still pretty disheartening to face a world without panini.
But you soon learn that this is a false impression, that there are so many wonderful low carb foods available to you including bread, muffins, cakes and cookies. It’s astonishing what you can do with a bag of almond flour, a stick of butter and a willingness to experiment. I seem to have made it my life’s mission to find ways for people to enjoy their favourite foods in a healthy, low carb and gluten free way. I had no idea my experiments would take me so far, but I think it’s a pretty great life mission.
How to Make Low Carb Flatbread
This particular panini recipe is my hands-down favourite, but you can use this low carb flatbread with your favourite fillings. Get creative, have fun with it. My kids love it as plain old grilled cheese, and although it has no rye flavour, I think it would be pretty tasty as a reuben too! Rye bread is next on my list, I think. Oh Sweet Mercy has a low carb rye bread recipe that looks great!
Brie, Ham and Green Apple Panini
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Low Carb Flatbread
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ lb black forest ham
- 6 oz brie thinly sliced
- 1 medium green apple very thinly sliced
- Oil or melted butter for brushing outside of sandwich
Instructions
- Preheat panini press.
- Cut bread into 10 sections, then cut through the bready center of each section to get two flat, thin slices.
- In a small bowl, mix mustard and mayonnaise.
- Take two matching sections of bread and spread one side with mustard/mayo combo. Layer with a few slices of cheese, meat and green apple. Repeat with remaining sections of bread.
- Brush outside of each sandwich with oil or melted butter.
- Place on panini press and grill until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.
Notes
Low Carb Flatbread
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups almond flour
- 6 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/3 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup oil (avocado or olive)
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein, baking powder, garlic and salt. Whisk in eggs, oil and water until well combined. Dough should be quite sticky.
- Turn out onto a large piece of parchment paper and pat into a rough rectangle. Top with another piece of parchment.
- Roll into a large, rough rectngle about ½ inch to ¾ inch thick. Place on a large baking sheet and remove top layer of parchment.
- Bake 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting.
- Using a bread knife, cut into 10 sections. Cut each section carefully through the bready center into two halves. Fill with your favourite sandwich fillings.
Notes
Marianne says
This is a mixed review and only in relation to the bread. I made it and I like the texture and the ease of making it. However, it was very bland. I will try again but maybe add some herbs or nutritional yeast or something to bring some flavor to the party.
Michelle says
I think I am requesting the wrong recipe, I mean the flatbread recipe for the panini.
Carolyn says
Um… the flatbread recipe is right in this post, underneath the panini.
alilduckling says
We hardly knew what a panini is — found out our indoor grill would do one and looked for recipes! My low carb hubby and I have enjoyed your recipes so we tried this one and loved it!
Christy says
Can this be made as a loaf to make it easier? Thanks.
Carolyn says
No, because it won’t cook through very well.
Melanie says
I know I’m probably crazy, but I’m just not seeing the actual recipe for the bread itself on this page. I keep seeing “one recipe for low carb panini” but I do not see the recipe for the bread, just the sandwich.
Carolyn says
You are not crazy, but in the process of updating my recipe plug-in, the bread recipe got messed up. I am in the process of fixing!
Carolyn says
Okay, should be all fixed!
Melanie says
Thanks you so much, Carolyn! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Joellen Fry says
I’m sure the problem I’m having is me but I can’t find the flatbread recipe. My husband is missing his paninis on his low carb diet. Please help.
Carolyn says
It was not you…something got messed up but it’s fixed now!
Kim says
Sounds wonderful. I want to use this for a raw veggie pizza appetizer. Can I use butter instead of the oil??
Carolyn says
Yes, that should work.
Kim says
I just saw this is very similar to your almond flour pizza crust. How are they after baking? Same? Crispy? Soft?