Soft and airy Keto Focaccia Bread that tastes just like the real thing. It’s light and fluffy, and delicious dipped in olive oil. And you can make it totally dairy-free, too!
I know it’s hard to believe for many keto beginners, but you really do stop craving bread and other carbs after a while. No really, it’s true!
I’ve been doing low carb for over a decade and I can honestly say that I don’t crave any kind of bread anymore. I’d rather stick with protein and some low carb veggies. And maybe some keto cookies for dessert!
But while I don’t exactly crave it, I do enjoy keto bread from time to time. And this easy Keto Focaccia is one of my family’s favorites. Dipped in olive oil and a bit of sea salt, and you will swear you are at your favorite trattoria back in your high carb days.
It makes a great crust for Keto Breakfast Pizza, and I’ve used the dough to make Keto Breadsticks too!
Why you must make this recipe
I am frequently asked by new followers whether there is such a thing as really good keto bread. The answer to this simple question isn’t quite so simple. It really depends on your perspective.
Let me be very clear and say that I have yet to find any truly good store-bought keto breads. All of them are quite dry and flavorless, in my opinion, and most of them contain questionable ingredients. I think you are best to stay away from these.
But if you’re willing to make your own, and you are willing to let go of your expectations about it being exactly the same as the bread you used to enjoy, then you do have some delicious options.
And Keto Focaccia is one of my most popular creations. It comes as close to the real deal as anything can. And it has only 2.5g net carbs per piece!
Reader Reviews
“This recipe is a total winner! I have been a lifelong bread lover so after switching to Keto lifestyle nine months ago I was REALLY missing it. Until I found Carolyn’s bread recipes. Game changers! This one in particular is so wonderful! So close to what I think of for “real” focaccia. Fantastic texture, great flavor, totally dippable! The rosemary takes it to another level. This will become a weekly recipe for me. I followed the steps exactly and it turned out perfect. I watched her video to make sure I had the right consistency.” — Scarlett
“OMG! Thank you, this focaccia was so good, and with soup, on this cold winter night, yum yum yum! And, a plus, for a weekday, when I run out of hours, I can still manage to get a warm bread with my meal in no time 🙏🏼” — Jessica
“This was awesome. I sliced it and toasted it to have with an egg this morning.
The texture is so close to regular bread. Thank you!” — Amanda
Ingredients you need
- Keto flours: I use a combination of almond flour and coconut flour for the right consistency and structure. It helps avoid that eggy, rubbery texture.
- Protein powder: Yes, this is vital to the recipe, as it helps replace the gluten in this keto bread, so it will rise properly and hold together better. You can also use egg white protein powder.
- Eggs: You will need both eggs and extra egg whites. Using some egg whites made it lighter and more airy, just like real focaccia.
- Fresh rosemary: I love adding fresh herbs to bread. You can use rosemary, thyme, basil or any herb you love.
- Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil, baking powder, garlic powder and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, rosemary, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder.
2. Stir in the wet ingredients: Add the olive oil, eggs, and egg whites and mix until well combined.
3. Add a little water: Stir in just enough water to form a sticky but cohesive dough.
4. Shape the bread: Turn the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with a greased sheet of parchment paper. Use wet hands to spread to a 9×12 inch rectangle.
5. Dimple the surface: Use your fingertips to dimple the surface of the bread lightly, then sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary leaves.
6. Bake until golden: Bake at 325ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread is golden on the edges and firm to the touch. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Expert tips
How much water do I need? As you can see in the recipe and the video, the amount of water you should use depends on the thickness of the dough, which in turn depends the absorbency of the coconut flour. It should really be quite sticky and soft, but still somewhat cohesive. It shouldn’t run all over your pan like batter.
Use wet hands: Wetting your hands helps to keep the dough from sticking to them as you spread it on the pan. Keep wetting them whenever it feels like it’s sticking.
Help! My bread is dry. If your bread comes out dry, you may have baked it a little too long. Keto baked goods can seem very dry even if over-baked by a few short minutes. Next time, try taking it out 5 minutes earlier. It will still be great dipped in olive oil. Or you can cube it and turn it into croutons.
Sunflower seed flour: You can replace almond flour with sunflower seed flour, but your bread is going to be very grey. Make sure you add at least a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to offset the green reaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conventional focaccia is made with wheat flour and has about 20g of carbs per serving. But this keto focaccia bread is completely grain free and has only 5g of carbs and 2.5g of fiber. That comes to 2.5g net carbs per piece.
Many keto breads use cheeses for fathead dough, but this keto focaccia can be made dairy free. It consists primarily of almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, eggs and olive oil.
You can store leftover bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 10. You can also freeze the bread for up to 3 months.
Serve it with:
Keto Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup unflavored whey protein powder (can sub egg white protein for dairy-free)
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- ¼ to ½ cup water
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
- Fresh rosemary leaves for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, rosemary, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Add the olive oil, eggs, and egg whites and mix until well combined.
- Stir in just enough water to form a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and use wet hands to spread to a 9×12 inch rectangle.
- Use your fingertips to dimple the surface of the bread lightly, then sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary leaves.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread is golden on the edges and firm to the touch. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Deborah A Fox says
Can I use egg whites from a carton for this bread?
Carolyn says
Yes.
Pamela says
great with artichoke dip, kinda dry alone
Dolly O'Brien says
Before we started keto, Hubby made a grilled tomato foccacia using crescent roll dough. I decided to try your foccacia bread recipe to see if we could make an acceptable keto substitute. it worked very well. Put in a parchment (sprayed with oil) lined pan. Grilled on lowest setting. Removed from heat, let set for a few minutes. Turned it over, peeled parchment paper off, spread with whipped cream cheese, then added sliced tomatoes (heirloom are best) and sprinkled with basil. So good. I have 1 of my favorites back.
Carolyn says
Fun idea!
Linda says
What can I use in place of the protein powder? I’m anxious to try this recipe. It sounds yummy!
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post. I am clear as to why you need it.
Tim says
not gonna lie, this was decent looking but disappointing. It was crumbly with none of the stiffness and chew of real focaccia. Maybe psyllium husk or vital wheat gluten would make it palatable.
Sue says
I just made this keto Foccacia. It was amazing! So much flavor!
Fra says
hi,is It possible to replace whey protein with unflavored collagen?
Carolyn says
Not in this recipe, no.
Pamela M King says
My protein powder is plant based, will that work?
Carolyn says
It should but… they tend to have a grayish or greenish color which will affect the color of your bread.
Miriam B Gonzalez says
Hi there
Can I use pea protein instead of egg protein for this recipe ?
Carolyn says
You will need to experiment as I have not used it for this. It also has a bit of green color so it will affect the appearance.
Michael says
I’ve also used this for a thick crust pizza, like I grew up with from my mom. It’s pretty good.
Carolyn says
Great to hear!
Dolly says
Before keto, Hubby made a grilled foccacia bread topped with cream cheese, heirloom tomatoes, and herbs from crescent roll dough. Really miss it. Any suggestions for grilling the bread? Haven’t tried this recipe, but love your Creamy Keto Tuscan Chicken Soup.
Pan says
I love this recipe. I’ve made it a bunch of times, sometimes with variations like adding olives and cherry tomatoes to the top before baking. So good! I mix herbs, salt, and pepper with olive oil for dipping.