Keto Breakfast Strata

Keto Egg Strata is a delicious make-ahead breakfast casserole with layers of bread, eggs, spinach, and cheese. Loaded with flavor in every bite, it’s the ideal recipe for a special brunch.

 

I first learned to make breakfast egg strata from the good folks behind Cook’s Illustrated. We’ve been the beneficiary of a subscription for years and I always learn so much from their thorough analyses of cooking techniques.

I made the original version years ago for an extended family brunch and it was a huge hit with everyone. So turning it into a keto breakfast casserole that I could enjoy guilt-free was an absolute delight for me.

And may I just say that my keto breakfast strata was just as succulent as the original?
All those wonderful layers of keto bread, spinach, eggs, and cheese make it the perfect recipe for brunch!

What is a breakfast strata?

When it comes to food, “strata” refers to a layered casserole dish. A breakfast strata is usually made with layers of stale bread and fillings, and then soaked in an egg and cream mixture.

Any layered casserole can be called a strata. Keto zucchini lasagna is a strata, as is my keto enchilada casserole. But most people think of breakfast casserole when they hear the term.

As a former student of archaeology, I know the term “strata” to be the geological layers of the earth. So it makes perfect sense that a layered casserole would be the culinary equivalent.

Ingredients

• Keto bread – For this recipe, I provide a good keto bread recipe.It’s the same one I use in my keto french toast, but you can use other bread as well. See below for some suggestions.
• Butter
• Shallots
• Spinach
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Heavy whipping cream

How to make keto breakfast strata

1. Prepare the keto bread: This takes a bit of time so plan ahead! You can even make the bread in advance. I have a loaf in my freezer for this reason.
2. Dry out the bread: Breakfast strata requires dry, stale bread so it can soak up the egg mixture. You can do this in the oven or you can simply slice it and leave it to dry out overnight.
3. Butter the bread: Use some softened butter and spread over each slice on one side.
4. Sauté the shallots and spinach: Cooking the shallots and spinach in some butter provides unparalleled flavor.
5. Layer the ingredients: Set half of the bread slices in the bottom of the baking dish. Layer with half of the vegetables and the cheese. Repeat with the remaining bread, vegetables and cheese.
6. Add the eggs: Whisk the eggs and cream together and then pour over the ingredients on the pan.
7. Weigh it down: To help the bread really soak in the eggs and cream, weigh it down with some heavy cans and refrigerate for at least an hour.
8. Bake until golden: The strata should be golden brown on top and completely set.

What keto bread to use?

Conventional breakfast strata takes white bread, such as French or Italian, to create the layers. Obviously, this is not an option for a keto strata, so you will need some sort of keto bread.

The bread recipe I provide below is a good choice because it gets crusty and dries out nicely. I have been working on perfecting it for sandwich bread, and will probably post it as a stand alone recipe soon.

But you have plenty of other options as well!

Store bought keto bread

A lot of brands have come out with “keto” wheat bread, but I do caution you to choose wisely. Most of them aren’t truly very keto friendly, and have a relatively high carb count. They usually contain vital wheat gluten, so be mindful if you have a gluten intolerance.

I did spot this one bread from Kiss My Keto, which has only 5 grams of carbs per slice. I haven’t tried it myself but it seems like a decent choice.

Keto bread mixes

There are also any number of keto bread mixes that make pretty decent bread. Many of them are gluten-free and are lower in carbs than the pre-made bread. I really like the products from Keto Bakes and they have a new white bread mix. I think it would work well in this recipe!

Homemade keto bread

Prefer to make your own keto bread so that you can control the ingredients? I can dig it, as that’s my preferred method as well! Besides the bread I listed below, you could use my Keto Irish Soda Bread and leave out the cranberries.

Easy Keto Focaccia would also work. Cut into squares and slice through the middle to get slices that work for breakfast strata.

For a nut-free option, try using my Keto Blueberry Bread. Reduce the sweetener to 2 tablespoons and leave out the berries, shredded coconut, and extracts.

Frequently Asked Questions

More delicious keto brunch ideas

• Easy Keto Pancakes
• Bakery Style Keto Coffee Cake
• Keto Breakfast Pizza
• The Best Keto Donuts
• Snickerdoodle Scones
• Baked Eggs with Ricotta and Thyme

Keto Breakfast Strata Recipe

Keto Egg Strata is a delicious make-ahead breakfast casserole with layers of bread, eggs, spinach, and cheese. Loaded with flavor in every bite, it's the ideal recipe for a special brunch.

4.72 from 7 votes

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Brunch

Keyword: keto breakfast strata

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 9 servings

Calories: 383kcal

Ingredients

Keto Bread

• 1 cup almond flour
• ⅓ cup unflavoured egg white protein powder or whey protein
• 2 tablespoon Swerve Sweetener
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs separated
• 1 large egg whole, not separated
• 3 tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Strata

• ¼ cup butter softened, divided
• 2 large shallots minced
• 8 ounces frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
• Salt and pepper
• 6 ounces sharp white cheddar grated
• 6 large eggs
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Keto Bread

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line the very bottom (only the bottom) of a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the pan at all.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, oil, and water. Whisk the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until smooth and well combined.
• In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they hold very stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter until well combined and no streaks remain.
• Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is risen, uniformly golden brown, and springs back when pressed. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.
• Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen and flip out. Remove the bottom parchment. Cut into 12 even slices and set on a wire rack over a cookie sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 200ºF and place the bread in the oven until hard and dry to the touch, at least 1 hour. Alternatively, you can let it dry out overnight on the counter.

Breakfast Strata

• Lightly grease an 8×8 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Use 2 tablespoons of the butter and spread some on each of the dry slices.
• Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter to a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir to combine well with the shallots, then remove from heat.
• Arrange half of the bread, buttered side up, in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the spinach mixture, then half of the grated cheese. Repeat with the remaining bread, spinach, and cheese.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Season generously with salt and pepper and pour over the bread in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and weigh down everything with several heavy cans.
• Refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight, to allow the egg mixture to soak into the bread.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Remove the casserole from the fridge, remove the cans and plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature while the oven is heating.
• Bake until puffed and golden brown, and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan a bit, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Breakfast Strata Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = 1/9th of recipe)

Calories 383 Calories from Fat 299

% Daily Value*

Fat 33.2g51%

Carbohydrates 5.9g2%

Fiber 2g8%

Protein 17.9g36%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.