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 ½ 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 tablespoon butter for the skillet
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup flax seed meal
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese divided
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- ¾ cup 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 ½ 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.
Jennifer Whipple says
This is really good! And so easy! Do you have something like this that could be sliced and toasted? I will definitely make this again.
Carolyn says
You can certainly try it in a loaf pan. I’d probably line it with parchment.
Jan says
Carolyn, I just made you recipe this afternoon. I am thrilled with it. I’m baking a chicken tomorrow but also I’m going to make your sausage stuffing as a trial run before Thanksgiving to see how I like it. I can honestly say this is the o my recipe I’ve ever made with Flax Meal that I have enjoyed. I also used the Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Thank you so much, I love it snd will probably have some with dinner tonight.
Carolyn says
Cabot is the bomb of all cheddars!
Natalie Dixon says
Can I sub hemp seed for the flax seed
Carolyn says
Probably. I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t be sure.
Debbie says
I just made this cheesy skillet bread to go with your chili..DELISH! Both are now on my list of regulars!
Nicole says
Can you substitute chia seed for the flax seed?
Carolyn says
I wouldn’t recommend it. Chia seed attracts moisture and makes a gel like substance, which will make this bread quite gummy.
gloria says
Hello and thanks for great recipes. Can sunflower seed be subbed for flax seed?
Carolyn says
I haven’t ever tried that. I am sure it can but I think the bread will be a little more fragile.
Sue says
I just had a slice of this and it was great! Well worth buying the cast iron skillet and silicone handle cover ????
Deb says
my flax seed meal was very dark in color and affected the look of the bread, not that nice yellow that you have more of dark brownish grey, a little off putting but it tasted great!!!. are there different kinds of flax seed meal?
Carolyn says
Yes, actually. Golden flax meal is more common and lighter in color.
Tamara says
What size cast iron are you using? I am gonna to give this a run for my stuffing this thanksgiving!
Carolyn says
10 inches, as it states in the first line of the recipe.
Denise says
This turned out delicious!!!!! A definite keeper!!! Thank you, Carolyn, for so very generously and selflessly sharing your masterpieces!!!!! Every one of your recipes that I’ve tried has been outstanding!!!
Baker Judy says
Really good, Carolyn!
I’m glad I scrolled down to see that you wanted golden flaxsed meal. It isn’t in the recipe.
Which makes me wonder–when would you use regular flaxseed meal, and when would you want to use golden? A little baking science, please.
Thanks.
Dora says
Is the Flax necessary in this recipe? I don’t have any on hand so was wondering if it could be made without it.
Thanks~
Carolyn says
You can try more almond flour .
Deb says
Just made three of your recipes, and each deserves a 5 star rating! The only swap out is that I used half and half instead of heavy cream, I can’t find heavy cream here with out some kind of additive, and used monk fruit versions of sweeteners. LOVED every tasty morsel!
Cheesy Keto Skillet Bread
Spicy Cheddar and Sausage Stuffing
Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes (OMG!!)
Can’t wait to see whatever else I can find on your website!
Carolyn says
Thank you, so glad they all worked out well!
Deb says
Holy heavens, this bread is unreal. I’ve made just about every kind of keto bread out there, including the dirty keto kind with gluten and oat fiber. While that one tastes an awful lot like “real” bread, this one is now my favorite gluten-free, strict-keto bread. I actually halved the recipe to make it into a smaller batch of stuffing, but even halved, it ended up making a 9×9 pan’s worth. It’s in the oven now, and I’m struggling with trying to keep myself from constantly opening the oven door to sneak pieces out. Thank you for sharing this with the masses. It’s truly an incredible recipe.
Also wanted to say thanks and give you a big thumbs up for constantly fielding the same questions over and over, ad nauseam, without getting snarky. I would’ve probably stopped replying out of pure frustration after the 5th iteration of “can I use a glass baking dish instead?” lol. You have the patience of a saint! Happy holidays to you and yours!
stacy wilson says
*Carolyn, sheesh, spelling goof.
Stacy Wilson says
Oh Caroline this is a dangerously good recipe! My husband and I have been on Keto for about 10mos now and haven’t (well ME anyway) had any bread since starting. THIS BABY BLEW MY HAIR BACK when I took it out of the oven! It was crispy and cheesy and fluffy all at the same time! I grabbed the pan (WITH mitt) and started down the hall to show it off to Hubbie. (He usually comes to me in these instances, but I was excited!) Fun Fact: Some oven mitts protect you longer than others. Halfway down the hall I could feel the pan handle getting exponentially hotter! So I am now going back to the kitchen with a screaming hot pan screaming…we both made it. I still love this bread. Thank You!
Maggie says
This Cheesy Skillet Bread is truly amazing! I’ve never commented on a blog before, but just had to on this one!
Low Carb / Keto at its best. I even substituted the cheddar for mozzarella this last time, so I could use it in our family’s traditional Italian stuffing that my mom created. I’m so happy! Thank you!!!
QUESTION: I have a few family members who are Celiac and Lactose intolerant. They can have butter & eggs. Do you have any suggestions how to convert this to Dairy Free? Is it possible?
Carolyn says
This recipe is totally gluten-free, but not lactose free. If you want a dairy-free bread, you need to sub a different oil (I recommend olive or avocado oil, since coconut oil has such a strong flavor) for the butter, and leave out the cheese altogether. The eggs should be fine unless they have an egg allergy.
Pamela says
I realize you may not see this in time for me but can I use golden flax seed meal? or does it have to be the regular? I have the golden. I am anxious to use this to make stuffing for Thanksgiving so hope you respond quickly. I’ll let you know how it comes out!
Carolyn says
Golden is great!
Tina says
I want to make this bread and use it for the Keto Sausage Stuffing Recipe, but the recipe has a little too much fat for my lowcarb/lowfat diet. Could I cut the amount of butter down a little to curb the fat without completely compromising the recipe? If not do you think a combination of egg and egg whites would work instead of 3 whole eggs? Thank you for your help!
Carolyn says
Try replacing some of the butter with a little water (not much, because it may make it harder to cook through).
Tina says
Thank you so much for the reply – super fast. Can not wait to try this for Thanksgiving!
Sunshine says
Would psyllium husk be a good substitute for the flax seed meal?