My popular keto cheese bread is baked in a skillet for an easy low carb side dish. Deliciously tender and with a crisp topping of cheddar cheese, it has only 2.6g net carbs per slice!
You may have noticed that I have been updating a lot of older posts lately. I am working hard to provide more user-friendly content that answers your most pressing questions. I want my keto recipes to be as accessible as possible to everyone.
And this fabulous Keto Cheese Bread deserves such an update. I first created it way back in 2012 and it became an instant hit. It remains extremely popular to this day, and it’s the perfect bread to pair with Keto Beef Stew or Chicken Enchilada Soup.
Did I mention that it also makes the BEST Keto Thanksgiving Stuffing?
Why you will love this easy cheese bread
This might be the easiest keto bread recipe you will ever make. One bowl, one hot pan, pop it in the oven, and you’re done!
Low carb quick breads like this make your keto life so much tastier and more interesting. It’s a rustic-style recipe , with a moist but shaggy texture and a deliciously cheesy flavor.
Baking bread in a skillet also produces a unique crusty exterior. The key is melting the butter in the skillet as the oven preheats. This allows the batter to start cooking as it hits the hot pan.
Adding shredded cheese to the top of the bread and baking it at a high temperature also creates a crusty, cheesy top. It’s absolutely divine with a little butter melting on top! My whole family adores this bread.
Many readers use this recipe in place of cornbread. It’s certainly good that way, although I do have a recipe for keto cornbread as well. Both are delicious in their own special way.
Reader Testimonials
“Very easy to make and I loved the firmness once it’s out of the cast iron skillet. Too many Keto breads are wimpy and fall apart. Not this one. Definitely making this again.” – Peg
“Made it for your sausage stuffing recipe but SO fell in love with it– absolutely divine!!!! The bread is so buttery and the texture— oh yum. I will be making it frequently. And so quick. Thank you!!” – Kristin
“Great bread to have with soup or salad. I have even used it for breakfast with eggs. Another recipe keeper!” – Patricia
Ingredients you need
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- Butter: Adding a tablespoon of butter as the skillet heats up creates a wonderful, crispy crust. The bread batter also takes melted butter.
- Almond flour: This is an almond flour based recipe and it won’t work with coconut flour. But if you need to be nut-free, you can try using sunflower seed flour. Remember to add a tablespoon of acid like lemon juice so you don’t get the green reaction!
- Flax seed meal: I love using some flax seed meal in this recipe to create a coarser texture that resembles rustic breads. You can use more almond flour instead but it’s not quite the same.
- Cheddar cheese: You can’t have keto cheese bread without plenty of cheese! Feel free to sub your favorite here.
- Eggs: This bread really needs the eggs to hold together properly and make it rise nicely.
- Almond milk: You can actually use any thin liquid here so feel free to sub in water, or a mix of water and cream.
- Pantry staples: Salt and baking powder.
Step by Step Directions
1. Heat the pan: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Add the butter to a 10-inch oven-proof skillet and place in the oven as it warms.
2. Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, flax seed meal, baking powder, salt and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir in the eggs, melted butter and almond milk until thoroughly combined.
4. Add to the pan: Remove the hot skillet from oven (remember to put on your oven mitts), and swirl butter to coat sides. Pour batter into pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar.
5. Bake the bread: Bake 16 to 20 minutes, or until browned around the edges and set through the middle. The cheese on top should be nicely browned. Remove and let cool 15 minutes.
Expert Tips
I approach baked skillet recipes with a little trepidation, as inevitably someone tries to pick up the hot skillet with their bare hands. After being burned (literally!) a few times, I now always leave the oven mitt draped over the handle when the skillet is out of the oven. You can also get silicone handle covers that stay on both in and out of the oven.
Be sure to choose a 10-inch oven-proof skillet. It doesn’t need to be cast iron, although that’s the best way to get a nice browned crust on the outside. Allow the butter to melt in the pan as the oven heats up. This helps grease the skillet and create that delicious crust.
I love the combination of the almond flour and flax seed but if you don’t want to use flax, you can use another half cup of almond flour. The bread turns out a touch more crumbly that way so you may want to add half a teaspoon of xanthan gum to give it a bit more structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are any number of keto bread recipes out there, and many keto breads you can purchase in stores or online. But you do need to read the labels and look at the ingredients. Many “keto breads” are actually quite high in carbs and may not be suitable for your diet. This keto cheese bread has only 6.6g of carbs per slice and 4g of fiber, so it has 2.6g net carbs per serving.
Choose a cheese that can be grated easily so that they can be incorporated into the batter. Firm cheese like cheddar or mozzarella work well, as do gruyere or Monterey Jack.
Store this bread on the counter in a covered container for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 10. It can also be frozen for several months. Wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn.
Great for keto stuffing!
I have turned this easy keto bread recipe into Thanksgiving stuffing numerous times and it always gets rave reviews. The trick is to dry the bread out very well in your oven the day before. Then proceed with the usual stuffing ingredients and bake.
Even the non-keto eaters love it. Many readers have said that my low carb stuffing recipe disappears before the high carb versions!
More Keto Skillet Recipes to Try:
Keto Cheesy Bread
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter for the skillet
- 2 cups (224 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (80 g) flax seed meal
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1 1/2 cups (169.5 g) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (75.67 g) butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (187.5 g) unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Add the butter to a 10-inch oven-proof skillet and place in the oven as it warms.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, flax seed meal, baking powder, salt and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir in the eggs, melted butter and almond milk until thoroughly combined.
- Remove the hot skillet from oven (remember to put on your oven mitts), and swirl butter to coat sides. Pour batter into pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar.
- Bake 16 to 20 minutes, or until browned around the edges and set through the middle. The cheese on top should be nicely browned. Remove and let cool 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Hi. My daughter is allergic to nuts. If I used flax meal and coconut flour and/or oat flour what would my measurements be?
Hope you can help.
Candi
I really can’t say for sure, because I haven’t tried it myself with coconut flour. It’s a very different beast and I think it won’t bake up very well in this format. You could do 2/3 cup coconut flour but you are going to need to increase the eggs, probably to 5 at least. I’d say that a better suggestion is to do something like ground sunflower seeds for the almond flour.
I made this and it was delicious. It tasted even better the next day 🙂 Real cornbread texture. Great taste (not cheesy enough for me 🙂 ). I bought some corn flavor extract to try (my aunt used to make it with creamed corn). Took some to a friend who refrigerated it for a day or two, then called me and said “the bread? It was delicious. When are you going to make some more?!” I told her I would giver her the recipe AND the link. Another winner Carolyn. Thank you.
Thanks so much!
Your recipe sounds great!! However, I don’t have an oven-proof skillet. Do you know if I could use a 9-inch pyrex glass pie plate instead? And have you tried this recipe using other cheeses, such as gruyere, mozzarella, etc?
I think it would be fine in a glass dish – the baking time may change a little so use your judgement for doneness. And I am sure it would be fab with other cheeses!
I made this yesterday with a glass dish and it worked perfectly!! I just baked if for about 7 minutes longer. The consistency was great, sort of like cornbread. I loved it but my boyfriend said it wasn’t cheesy enough, I might try adding more cheese next time.
I made this last night in my cornbread cast iron pan. It was wonderful! I am so glad to have found a recipe for what I think tastes a whole lot like cornbread. I didn’t have almond milk so I did use cream and water with some apple cider vinegar to make a buttermilk taste. Fantastic. Thank you!
Okay, I LOVE the idea of the vinegar to give it the sour-y buttermilk taste. I am going to try that next time!
Could you mention how much cream, water and apple cider vinegar you used. That is a good idea.
Hello,
I made your pan bread today. Although the flavour was a huge hit – it came out very crumbly and fell apart when it was cut. Any ideas of what might cause this texture problem?
thanks, Liz
Hi Liz – between the flax, the eggs and the butter, it should not be crumbly. Did you change the amounts at all?
Is there anything you could recommend substituting for the flax meal?
Thanks!
Chia seed meal?
I used ground chia seed and it worked perfectly. This skillet bread is amazing! Ohmygoodness!!!!
I couldnt wait to make this and told all my friends! I had to change it due to not having the exact ingredients on hand but I got close. I had to use coconut instead of almond flour and heavy cream instead of almont milk. Now this made it more like a thick dough and there would be no pouring it into a pan. Not wanting dry bread I added about a cup of chicken broth until it was more like normal cornbread batter maybe a little thicker. Spread it out in my hot skillet and dashed salt pepper and Texas Pete on top before adding the cheese on the top. I cooked at 425 for around 25 minutes and it was perfect. Like real bread! I loved it amd so did my new to low carb husband. Thank you!!!!!
You inspire me!!! Thank you so much for all your wonderful contributions. I love cooking and following your blog keeps it exciting! I am making your skillet bread and tweaking it to see if I can get a “cornbread” dressing. So far so good. At least it smells yummy! I love this cheesy skillet bread. It is just the right touch with any meal. Happy Thanksgiving!
It really is wonderful skillet bread. I can’t wait to try the final dressing tomorrow. I love your blog and your amazing creative recipes. My husband and I converted to a low-carb diet since traditional low-fat diets just made us miserable and didn’t work for us. Your website has been an amazing beacon in the dark. Just when I thought I had to give up delicious baked goods forever, I found your blog. And every recipe is fantastic. I can’t thank you enough!
Thanks, Amanda. And what does it say about me that I read it as “bacon in the dark”. Um, maybe I am obsessed with bacon!??
Thanks, Melanie! Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
What tweaks did you make and how did your dressing turn out? I see a lot of comments abit stuffing but I want to make dressing too.
Just made a batch to make into stuffing and….you guessed it, burned my hand on the pan. Ha! That’s what I get for too much multi-tasking. Delicious though. I can’t believe how much it tastes like southern cornbread.
Yikes, Amanda….sorry to hear you burned your hand!
I just baked this in order to make your stuffing recipe and it is incredible! I want to eat it instead of cubing it and drying it out in the oven! I try lots of low carb recipes from the internet and yours are consistently my favorites. Thank you so much for making eating healthy very tasty!
Just wanted to let everyone know that it still turns out if you accidentally put twice the amount of melted butter in! Oops! I’m still not used to measuring butter in terms of ‘cups’ (I’m a ‘tablespoons’ girls), but those pesky–wonderfully pesky–Kerrygold bars threw me off again! haha Next time I think I’ll add some garlic powder or a little bit of cayenne.
Hey, I love Kerrygold! I say 2x as much butter is better. Glad it still worked out!
Made this today. It was wonderful. I made half a recipe in case I didn’t like it. I used the amount of baking powder called for, but I used buttermilk and 1/4 tsp of soda instead of the almond milk. It was really good. I’m a southern girl and we like our buttermilk. Will definitely make this again.
Made this today. It was wonderful. I made half a recipe in case I didn’t like it. I used the amount of baking powder called for, but I used buttermilk and 1/4 tsp of soda instead of the almond milk. It was really good. Will definitely make this again.
Love this, its a standby, and makes great dumplings in slow cooker stews
I modified it (due to limited ingredients) and it turned out great. I used 1 cup hazlenut flour and 1 cup homemade Atkins (I think it was almond flour and soy flour mixed), and used whipping cream (since my almond coconut milk went into soup). Texture very much like oven cornbread. I think if I made this for company, I might even add a very small amount of creamed corn.
Another great recipe….this went great with my pot of vegie/beef soup! This is so much better than any of the other almond flour bread recipes around!!!!! This will be so versatile, you can add just about anything, you could go sweet or savory. And it is easy easy to make. Thanks again~Lisa
You are most welcome!