Delicious low carb biscuits made with bacon fat and baked in a skillet. These cheesy ranch biscuits are a crowd pleaser!
If you’re like me, you religiously save all the bacon grease from every single time you fry bacon. You know it’s good stuff, you know it’s healthy and you can’t bear to see it wasted. Especially the uncured variety, all that wonderful smoked pork fat that ends up in the bottom of your pan. And then you end up with so much of it, you wonder what the heck to do with it all. Okay, yes, it’s very good for frying other things and makes for the best eggs and the best sautéed veggies. But sometimes you aren’t making that many eggs or sautéed veggies. You’re grilling out a lot in the summer and you’ll cause a grease fire if you attempt to baste your grilled foods in leftover bacon grease. So you see that ramekin of bacon-y deliciousness staring reproachfully at you in the fridge, and it makes you feel guilty. You know you need to use it, but what to use it in?
Well, why not use it in place of the butter or other oils in some of your other recipes? Baked goods, for example. It’s not ideal for everything, and if you’re planning on a fancy cake to serve to company, it might be a little strange. Although I would probably try it myself. I love bacon in sweet applications so why not bacon grease in my chocolate cake? Or bacon fat brownies? Or bacon fat chocolate chip cookies! Oh wow, I may have just sparked a whole new set of ideas for myself here. Give me a moment, would you? I need to just sit here and mull it over and bask in the gloriousness of these ideas.
Okay, back to the topic at hand. What I was really thinking of was the baked breads and biscuits and such that would do well from the added flavours of bacon drippings. In fact, this idea originally started out as an intention to make some low carb bacon fat biscuits. But as so many of my recipe ideas are wont to do, it evolved a few times and ended up as a biscuit dough-based bubble bread. Round balls of low carb biscuit dough packed together in a skillet and topped with cheese and bacon. Made with bacon fat instead of butter, naturally. And why not throw a bit of ranch seasonings in while I was at it?
Oh, bacon grease. The divine source of inspiration. What do you use your bacon grease for?
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup unflavoured whey protein powder or powdered egg whites
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 cup chilled bacon fat or cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon (4 to 6 slices)
- Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (it does not need to be cast iron).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein or egg white powder, baking powder, garlic powder, dill, parsley, onion powder, salt, pepper and xanthan gum.
- Cut in bacon fat or butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in eggs and almond milk until well combined.
- Shape by hand into 1-inch balls and place in prepared skillet. Sprinkle all over with cheese and bacon.
- Bake about 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and any exposed bread is golden brown.
- Remove and let cool enough to cut into pieces, or allow people to reach in and pull apart.
Serves 10. Each serving has 8.95 g of carbs and 4.45 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 4.5 g.
Food energy: 302kcal
Total fat: 23.84g
Calories from fat: 214
Cholesterol: 78mg
Carbohydrate: 8.95g
Total dietary fiber: 4.45g
Protein: 13.78g
Sodium: 501mg
janet says
Those look lovely! You are so creative.
My favorite way to use leftover bacon fat is to saute cabbage, but a biscuit bread for a change is a great idea.
I’ve got a jar in the fridge right now, hmm, maybe for dinner tonight. Thanks!
Darlene says
I am so making these; just have to get more eggs, thanks again for an awesome recipe!
Joellen says
I like to slice Brussels sprouts thin and cook them in bacon grease. My husband likes it when I use melted bacon grease in place of the butter or oil in pancake batter. Bacon grease pancakes. Yum.
Briana Thomas (briana-thomas.com) says
Love me some bacon fat…this looks great!
Robin Morelock says
My grandma who fed 9 kids through the depression was known to use bacon grease in pie crust if she didn’t have lard. She could stretch food farther than anyone could imagine and no one ever complained! She was a great cook!
Carolyn says
I bet she was! I don’t ever waste a drop of bacon grease now.
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Mary says
Hello! This looks great, thanks for all the recipes.
Um.. just wonderin’ here: are you going to have any new sugar-free liqueur recipes? I’ve loved both the coffee and hazelnut versions and when reading your post about them and seeing raspberry, I just thought: I need that!
Thanks!
Love your blog, btw!
Nita says
I cook organic green beans and drain and add to pan. Add bacon fat toss and heat. Sprinkle with toasted almonds
Deb Burt says
Carolyn,
Do you think the new THM baking blend (or the homemade version – I have both) would work for this recipe? Instead of flours and protein powder? This looks delish!
Carolyn says
I think you could sub in the baking blend but still keep the protein powder. The baking blend is good but like most gluten-free things, it lacks protein to help it rise and holds its shape. But you could certainly try without and see what happened.
Margery Zeller says
Can hardly wait to try this! Now, if you could come up with a similar Monkey Bread adaptation, THAT would be the cat’s meow! I so appreciate all your sharing your expertise!
Linds says
All your recipes are wonderful… It so fantastic to get recipes that are gluten free and low carb,,,
Thank you for all the time and work you devote to this…
It is appreciated…
Carolyn says
Thank you!