Soft and airy keto focaccia bread that tastes just like the real thing. Made with almond and coconut flour, so it’s completely grain-free. Dairy-free option 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 10 years now, with a keto focus for about half of that. And I can honestly say that I don’t crave any kind of bread anymore. I’d rather stick with my meats, my low carb veggies, and of course some of my keto desserts.
But while I may not crave it, I do enjoy keto breads from time to time. And this easy keto focaccia ranks up there as a truly delectable option. 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’s from my first cookbook, The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen, and I am excited to share it with you. Grab your copy here:
Keto bread can be delicious!
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.
Because here’s the thing: no bread made from healthy keto ingredients is going to be exact the same as conventional bread. If you can make your peace with that, and enjoy keto bread for what it is, you will be much happier. Trust me.
A few of my most popular keto bread recipes include:
And I can honestly say I think this keto focaccia may become one of the most popular of them all!
How to make keto focaccia
The flour: I find that the best flour for keto focaccia is a combination of almond flour and coconut flour. It gives the best bready consistency, and helps avoid that eggy, rubbery texture.
The protein powder: Yes, this is vital to the recipe, so please don’t ask me if you can leave it out. It helps replace the gluten in this keto bread, so it will rise properly and hold together better.
The eggs and egg whites: I first tried this bread using all whole eggs but I find that using some egg whites made it lighter and more airy, just like real focaccia.
How much water? 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 almost a thick, sticky batter, rather than a dough.
Using 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.
What to serve with keto bread
So many delicious options. We love to just dip it in olive oil and sea salt. And you can even use this keto focaccia for paninis, if you split the pieces in half through the middle.
Here are some other great keto recipes to serve with focaccia:
- Keto Italian Wedding Soup
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken
- Easy Caprese Chicken
- Creamy Shrimp Scampi
- Italian Sausage Meatballs
- Keto Chicken Florentine
And hey, check out this podcast I just did discussing the do’s and the don’ts for baking keto bread!
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.
Gail says
Unfortunately for me, i used the focaccia recipe from your 2017 book which directs us to add the 1/2 cup water. First time making recipes I always stick to the book. My batter of course was liquid. I kept adding flour til i got something to go in the oven! So….2 1/2 cups almond flour, extra corn flour and whey protein, gave us an edible, but more cakey version.Also drizzled olive oil on it. Can anyone verify the recipe without water gives a dough?
Carolyn says
If you used coconut flour, your batter should not have been “liquid”, even with the full amount of water. I think something went VERY wrong, if you had to add up to 2 1/2 cups of almond flour. What brand of coconut flour are you using? It’s usually FAR more absorbent than that. Also… my recipe doesn’t call for corn flour.
Gail says
No corn flour, sorry, that must have been one of those auto fill corrections. Bob’s Red Mill, expiry 2023 for coconut flour. I used total 2 1/2 cups almond flour with extra coconut flour til i got a dough because i didn’t want to throw initial batter away. Next time i will use your modified recipe, i believe 2020, and not add any water til the end, bit by bit.
Cheers
Brittany says
Do you store this bread in the fridge? How long is it good for?
Carolyn says
You can store on the counter for up to 5 days, and in the fridge for 10.
Cindy says
I have a question, can you use pea protein powder instead of whey? Thanks
Carolyn says
As long as it’s not green (some of the pea and hemp proteins are!) it should work
Ian says
Hi, don’t have whey protein, but have plenty of extra egg whites from other keto recipes. Can I sub in the egg whites and use less water?
Thanks
Carolyn says
No… you can’t sub a dry protein powder with wet egg whites, it throws off the wet-to-dry ratio. Although you could experiment and leave out any additional liquid… I just can’t guarantee the results.
Bill H says
I made this tonight. First time making any of your bread recipes. It was lighter – and airy – first time ever for me, on keto. That’s the great part.
But – maybe it’s supposed to be slathered with butter – it came out just a bit dry, to where I had to take a drink of water.
How can I make it just a tad more moist?
NOTE that I didn’t have fresh rosemary, so instead of 2 TB fresh, I used 2 tsp of rosemary dried spice. I wonder if that made a difference…
Carolyn says
It may have been a bit over-baked. Keto baked goods can seem very dry even if over-baked by a few short minutes. But real focaccia is meant to be for dipping into olive oil and this is too!
bill h says
Of course – thanks! I’ll try it again soon 🙂
Gail says
Drizzle with olive oil! Yum!
Jane Evans says
Hi how do I change it to uk metric please? Or how much would a cup be in grams thankyou
Carolyn says
I’ve just added the button to change it in the recipe!
Keith says
Hello again. Quick question: I can’t find unflavored whey protein powder in any local shops, and until I’m convinced its going to give me the results I want for baking, I can’t afford to blow what they’re asking for a 2.5-3kg container of unflavored WPP, plus the shipping cost, here in Israel. I DO have some vital wheat gluten my sister brought me on her visit a little while ago. Can I use that instead, and if so, how much to replace the 1/3 cup of WPP?
On a side note, I’ve tried several of your recipes already and love them. Keep up the good work.
Oh.. and any ideas on a Keto Matzo? 😎
Carolyn says
I am sorry, I don’t really use vital wheat gluten so I can’t say if it would help. I may need to think more about the matzo!
Jamie says
Yes you can sub vital wheat for whey powder. I use vital wheat in place of the protein powder and a teaspoon yeast in this recipe and it’s fantastic!!
Angelika says
Is it possible to replace almond flour with sunflower seeds flour? Thank you
Carolyn says
Yes but it’s going to be very grey. And you need to make sure you add at least a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to offset the green reaction.
Victoria Olson says
Great recipe, thank you! I followed your ingredients exactly, but did not need any water, as my batter/dough was very moist. I used a wet spatula to shape it roughly, then second sheet of oiled parchment paper and a rolling pin to spread it out to 9×12”, using my pan rim as a guide. Before baking, I sprinkled it with finely grated Romano cheese, rosemary leaves and finely crushed fresh garlic. Distracted by that, I forgot to add the coarse salt, but did so after it came out of the oven. Mine did not rise as high as yours. Delcious!
Carolyn says
Yours sounds delicious!
Jane says
Your recipes are THE BEST. Thank you for helping me live lower carb! So…I drove an hour round trip from my mountain house to the closest town for protein powder yesterday, and my natural food store only had sweetened, flavored protein powders. Ugh. I really want to make this focccia and know it needs the protein. Can collagen peptides act as protein powder in this case? It *seems* logical that they would work, but a rather pricey mistake if they don’t. Thoughts?
Tina says
I see that in your recipes when you call for protein powder, it is whey protein. Can I use unflavored pea protein powder instead?
Carolyn says
It’s not always whey… often it’s egg white. The pea protein may work but I haven’t tried it myself.
Cecilia M Gerber says
HI, is the recommended egg white protein from It’s Just pasteurized? can be also used raw in smoothies or just for cooking?
Carolyn says
Yup, sure can!
Ann Marie says
Hi Carolyn,
I have made many of your recipes and I have found them delish. I’m wondering if this bread could be made with a fraction of the baking powder. Maybe just a teaspoon. I don’t like tasting the rising agent.
Carolyn says
It won’t rise enough with just a teaspoon – I wouldn’t do less than 2 teaspoons. What brand of baking powder are you using? It could be that…
Sherrie Aguilar says
Is there anything I could use to replace the coconut flour? I find the flavor to be so overpowering.
Carolyn says
Not if you want the right texture. I recommend Bob’s Red Mill coconut… I think you probably won’t taste it in this recipe.
Keith says
I recently got ahold of Lupini flour. It has a bit of a bitter undertone, but perhaps it can work as well in place of the coconut flour? I believe it’s even lower carb than coconut, and higher in protein & fat. I’m not 100% on the later, just 90%. I’m a wee bit too tired from a rough night with a bad shoulder to swap windows and check… Anyway, it works great in mug/square baking dish microwave breads in place of the standard almond flour, but is more finely ground, like the coconut. Just add a bit of sweetener if you find it too bitter. It hasn’t bothered me at all.
Ems says
I would like to ask about the purpose for adding protein powder – is it necessary? Can it be omitted?
Carolyn says
Please watch this to understand how protein powder helps keto baked goods! https://youtu.be/8SA_iBl0pUU
Elaine Markley says
I am planning on adding some kalamata olives to this. Hadn’t decided whether to incorporate them into the dough or just press the slices into the surface. We’ll see. Bet it will be fantastic, though!
Christina Hamilton says
Carolyn, this is the best! I am going to try making it without the rosemary and add some keto cornbread flavor. You have outdone yourself on this one.
Rebecca J. says
Someone on your Facebook group just said that she used this recipe for a LC pizza, so this morning, that’s what I did. I partially cooked the batter, and then added the cheese and pepperoni, and went on cooking until it was all browning, and my whole family calls it a big success. I’m thinking that next time, I’ll chop up the pepperoni and mix it into the batter, and then I’ll spread just the cheese later on. I had to leave one end of the bread without cheese, because of my milk allergy, and the pepperoni was just falling off. Yummy! Thanks for this recipe!
Claudia says
Thank you for creating this recipe Carolyne, love it ! Easy, tasty and great consistency..
Pan says
This recipe is so good! I used Maldon salt flakes on top, and drizzled it with olive after I took it out of the oven. I served it with a parmesan rosemary olive oil mixture. I could see adding sun-dried tomatoes and olives to the bread in the future.
Carolyn says
I have thought of adding olives too! Too bad my husband doesn’t like them. Although maybe I should because then it would be mine… all mine! 😉