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
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This is delicious! Had to make another batch for stuffing today, and I don’t know if it will make it there… too yum! Merry Christmas Carolyn to you and yours.
OMG!!!! I just made this and it came out AaaaamaaaaaazING! Some adjustments were needed. I used 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, and none on the top. No salt as the cheese is salty. Baked for 16 minutes at 425, middle was not cooked. Reduced heat to 175 for 10 minutes, turned off the heat and left in for 10 minutes more and PERFECTION!!!!! I am thinking 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes may be a better fit.
I have NEVER responded to a blog recipe b4, but had to say how this is a game changer. Cornbread dressing, coffee cake, garlic bread. Can I say more? I made this in a 9″ cast iron skillet and it raised almost 2″, BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!)
Thanks!
Trying this right now it is baking and smells marvellous! Will report back 🙂
It was amazing!! This will be my go to bread on weekends! Family loved it. Thank you! ??
I don’t have a cast iron skillet, can I use a 8×8 baking pan or glass 8×8 pan?
That should do. Go with the glass. It won’t be as crispy and may take a bit longer to bake.
Best bread by far! Thank you Carolyn! I just made it for the first time this week and not only did it come out awesome but toasting it the next day is wow! I have been low carb & grain free for 3 yrs now and I have to say this was the easiest bread I have made. I am going to give it a try in a loaf pan too.
I made this in a cast iron skillet for Thanksgiving, and it came out great. It tasted like cornbread (yay) according to my cornbread loving brother and there wasn’t any leftover. I used bacon grease for heating up the skillet instead of butter.
Just wanted to say Thank You! I made this in hopes of giving me a replacement for Thanksgiving chicken and dressing and it was amazing! Used it just like I would regular cornbread and even some of the hardest critics gave it a thumbs up! I am relatively new to the low carb – Keto world and this helped me stick to my plan!
Carolyn I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times already and also made stuffing with it. Can I omit the cheese and add swerve if I wanted to make a sweet cornbread?
Sure…someone just commented that they did that!
I made this recipe for my diabetic friends who don’t make yummy things for themselves. Delicious recipe. Add Amoretti Corn Flavoring and crushed bacon rid and it turns into cornbread!
Nice!
I just made some killer chili in my instant pot and I popped online to search for a low carb cornbread recipe to serve with it. I have to tell you, time and time again when I search recipes, I look at several different ones and 9 out of 10 times (maybe more, lol) I end up using YOURS!
This is really yummy! 🙂 Thanks for putting these great recipes out here for us all! 🙂
Thanks so much, Kathy!
Thanks for a great recipe! We’ve tried it and it’s been delicious every time. I was wondering if you know if this recipe will work if I omit the cheese?
Thanks!
It will work, as the cheese is not integral to the consistency.
Hi Carolyn many thanks for this recipe. My intention was to just make it to use for stuffing but tonight I made chicken soup and thought it would be a good idea to do a trial run and make it along side the soup. I loved the taste but had quite a bit of difficulty getting it “done.” I cooked it twice as long and it was still wet when I sliced it. I think I will try again for the stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving next week but will decrease the milk. Don’t know if it makes a difference that I live at 6,500 ft elevation…
That might make a difference. I’ve never baked at elevation s I can’t be sure.
I was so pleased with this bread!! I used a glass 8×8 baking dish and the bread turned out beautiful and super yummy. I have tried several of your recipes, Carolyn, and have loved every single one. They are easy to follow, and turn out like the pictures you post…which never happens for me! Thank you so much for making the low carb lifestyle so delicious.
Thank you so much for this recipe, it looks great! I am a little concerned about using flaxseed meal since learning it has phytoestrogens. I worry with a history of cancer on my mother’s side what this may do, so any suggestions for subbing for the flaxseed meal?
Thanks a bunch!
Just do more almond flour.
Thank you so much for this recipe! This bread is delicious. I had to use a glass casserole dish to make it, and it took 10 extra minutes to bake. I also had to use duck eggs, and I used two big ones in place of three large chicken eggs. This recipe has given me a base for other breads, one of which I will probably make when my cheesy bread is gone.
oh wow, thanks for the cornbread recipe…I will be making this soon as i have been wanting cornbread with my green beans and soups. I enjoy your website
HI Carolyn,
I purchased your best seller cookbook, had it spiral bound so it is easier to keep it open when using it. Thanks again for the delicious recipes. I was wondering, do you have a substitute for lipton dry onion soup mix? It needs to be gluten free as we have a couple family members who are intolerant.
thanks again, sandi
Hi, Carolyn! This looks great. Do you think a little corn extract would make it taste a little more like cornbread for the stuffing, or would that be incompatible with the other ingredients, ‘taste-wise’?
I made it yesterday but I wasn’t sure if any of my skillets could go in the oven (couldn’t tell if the handles were plastic or metal) so I used a glass baking pan instead. I thought it wouldn’t matter much but apparently that was not okay. Checked after 15 minutes and it was still goopy. Left it in and kept checking on it every few minutes, then forgot about it for a while so I have no clue how long it actually cooked. When I remembered it was in the oven, it was definitely cooked through. I have not tried it yet since I made it for lunches this week.
So two questions.
1. If you do not have an oven proof skillet, should you just not make this recipe or is there a different cooking tempt & time you could recommend for using a glass pan?
2. After it’s cooked, does it need to be refrigerated? Can it be reheated in the microwave?
Thank you!
I’ve never made it in a glass pan. I suppose it depends on what size and shape. And I leave it on my counter for a few days, wrapped in tinfoil. It can be reheated nicely.
I’m not sure what size it was, but it was a small square glass baking dish. Probably 8×8 or 9×9.
If I decide to make this again using a skillet, does it matter if it’s cast iron or not? I was recently given a cast iron pan and have never used it so I don’t know how that affects cooking temp and time.
I saw that you recommended replacing almond milk with water on someone else’s comment. I was wondering if replacing it with heavy cream would work? I just don’t want to buy an entire carton of almond milk since I don’t use it for anything else and the recipe only calls for 3/4 cup. I can buy heavy cream in a small carton. Or is water the best substitute?
Also is there a replacement for flaxseed meal? I’m not sure they have it at my grocery store.
Heavy cream is thick and makes the batter thick but you can always do a mix of cream and water. Or just water. For the flax seed, just swap in more almond flour.
Emily, I don’t use almond milk so I asked about using heavy cream. The response was to use half cream, half water.
Thanks! I will be making it this weekend and let you know how it turns out. To make it garlicky would I just put garlic salt instead of regular salt? Could I use real crushed garlic in the batter?
So could you just use Half and Half then? It’s not as thick as heavy cream and thicker than water.