With Keto Hamburger Buns (sandwich buns) you can start enjoying your burgers with buns again in under 20 minutes for only 4.5g net carbs.
They look like traditional hamburger buns but without the typical carbs.
This easy homemade bun recipe can also be made as crusty keto dinner rolls that can be enjoyed on game day, a summer BBQ, or as keto sliders.
Are hamburger buns keto?
Usually, hamburger buns are far from being keto-friendly. Even burger buns bought at the store that are labeled as being keto-friendly may not be truly keto due to the type of flour and sweetener listed in the ingredients.
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When you make keto hamburger buns at home you have control over your ingredients to ensure your net carbs count is in line with your goals.
Nutrition for keto hamburger bun recipe (1 burger bun): 4.5 g net carbs, 20.1 g protein, 32.1 g fat, 394 calories.
These low carb burger buns only have 4.5 net carbs per bun, and over 20 g protein, making them perfect for your keto diet!
These low carb buns are crunchy on the outside and sturdy enough to hold all your favourite burger fillings.
🥘 Ingredients
Seven simple ingredients are all you need to make these buns, and there is a good chance you already have them on hand. To make keto hamburger buns you will need:
- pre-shredded high moisture mozzarella cheese
- almond flour (or almond meal)
- ground flaxseed
- cream cheese (full fat)
- fresh baking powder (always check expiry dates)
- an egg (medium)
- a bit of apple cider vinegar
All quantities, instructions, and video are in the recipe card.
If you want to top the low carb buns with sesame seed, just brush olive oil over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Don’t like sesame seed? Feel free to leave them off! Either way, these keto hamburger buns are fantastic.
💭 Why vinegar?
Most FatHead dough recipes don’t call for vinegar, so I understand why you might question why vinegar is needed. Don’t worry, you aren’t able to taste the vinegar at all in your keto hamburger buns.
The vinegar is used to activate the baking powder and add more air to the almond flour dough. The added bubbles allow the dough to rise more while baking than a FatHead dough recipe normally would.
🔪 Instructions
Prepping your ingredients is important when making any type of mozzarella dough because the overall process moves so fast. To begin, preheat your oven and get your pan ready.
I line my baking pan with parchment paper, but it is not necessary.
Next, mix the egg and vinegar together and set it aside. Toss your cheese, almond flour, and ground flaxseed together in a microwave-safe bowl.
Melt in the microwave for 60 seconds (repeat for another 30 seconds if needed) then fold in your baking powder and egg/vinegar mixture.
Once your keto bread dough is complete cut it into 4 equal pieces, roll it into a ball, and press it into a bun shape. Arrange each burger bun on your baking tray, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Now your buns are ready to bake.
⏲️ Baking time
To bake your keto hamburger buns, line a baking sheet and pre-heat your oven to 190C/375F. Once the oven is heated the buns should bake on the top rack for 12-15 minutes.
Baking your buns on the top rack will allow the tops to get golden brown without overcooking the bottoms.
Once the keto hamburger buns are cooked let them cool on the counter for 5-10 minutes before slicing and assembling your burger. You may want to place them on a wire rack until they cool completely. Nobody wants a soggy bottom hamburger bun.
💭 Top tips
You must use high-moisture cheese for this recipe to work because it melts easily and with a smooth texture. I prefer the mild flavor of mozzarella cheese, but other high-moisture mild-tasting cheeses will work as well.
If the dough is sticking to your hands too much while shaping your buns, try wetting your hands before handling the dough. This should help the dough not stick to your hands.
Every oven is different so choose the pan you use to bake your buns according to your experience baking in your oven. I was able to bake these buns on a metal baking sheet with parchment without the burger bun burning. But if you are having issues with the bottoms burning try using a glass baking pan instead.
🔪 How to cut the carbs
The easiest way to cut the carbs of your keto hamburger is to be mindful of the toppings you add to your burger.
Toppings like tomatoes and onions can quickly increase the carbs in your burgers. On the other hand, toppings on your burger buns like lettuce, mustard, and pickles won’t add a lot of carbs to your meal.
Another way to reduce carbs is to make sliders or mini buns. The recipe makes 6 bread buns but you can easily make 6 mini burger buns or 8 slider buns from this recipe instead.
📖 Substitutions
Most ingredients in this keto hamburger buns recipe are essential to the recipe. I haven’t tried making them with egg substitutes so I am not sure how it would turn out. If you try, please share what worked for you.
Remember, you also cannot swap coconut flour for almond flour.
One ingredient that is not essential is the flaxseed. The flaxseed is to mostly give the bread a multigrain look and flavor. If you aren’t a fan of flaxseed you can leave it out completely or replace it with whole psyllium husk in equal amounts.
🍽 Equipment
I used a microwave to form the dough before baking them in the oven. However, if you don’t have a microwave you can still make the dough on your stovetop.
To form your gluten free dough on the stove you would want to mix the ingredients in a saucepan and melt on medium/low heat while continuously stirring to prevent burning.
Follow the steps written in the recipe and ensure your shredded mozzarella cheese is melted and removed from heat prior to stirring in your egg.
🌡️ Storage
These keto hamburger buns are best when used fresh. Any leftover buns should be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container or zipped bag for up to 3 days. The buns can be reheated in the toaster or oven.
Your buns can also be made ahead of time and stored tightly wrapped uncooked in the refrigerator for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 30 days.
The uncooked keto buns will need to be thawed and brought to room temperature on the counter before they are ready to bake. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
It’s easiest to use a microwave to melt the cheese and almond flour together, however, you can use a saucepan on medium, heat. Be careful to keep stirring so the cheese doesn’t stick and burn.
No, not for this recipe. Almond flour and coconut flour behave completely differently. I do have a coconut flour bread recipe you may wish to use.
For best results, mozzarella is best, however, if you have another mild-tasting cheese, that will work (I just cannot guarantees the results as fat and protein will vary in different cheeses).
Fresh bread is the best. They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 30 days.
No, this recipe relies heavily on mozzarella cheese and cream cheese. I do have an almond flour bread that is dairy-free.
You need to make sure they are flat enough to cook right the way through. If you make them too much into a tall or ball shape, it is possible they may burn on the outside before being cooked in the centre.
Easy Keto Hamburger Buns Recipe (That Don’t Fall Apart)
Equipment
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheets – non stick
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed/linseed ground
- ¾ cup almond meal/flour
- 1¾ cup pre-shredded/grated mozzarella
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- 1 tsp baking powder
Toppings
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C. In a small bowl mix together your egg and apple cider vinegar. Set aside until ready to use.
- Add your flax seen to a grinder or blender, coarsely grind. Pour the flax seed in a microwave safe bowl. Add the almond flour and shredded mozzarella cheese to the bowl and mix. Then add your cream cheese to the bowl. There is no need to mix the cream cheese in just yet.
- Place your bowl with the cheese in the microwave. Melt your cheese for 1 minute, remove the bowl and mix with a silicone spatula. If your cheese is not completely melted yet microwave for 30 more seconds until your cheese is completely melted.
- While your mozzarella dough is still hot add your baking powder. Mix and fold together. Add the egg/vinegar mixture to your dough. Fold in with your silicone spatula.
- Roll your dough into a ball and cut into 4 equal sections. Roll each section into a ball and then flatten the top and bottom of the ball to shape into a hamburger bun.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Brush the olive oil over your buns and sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds. Bake in the oven at 375°F/190°C for 12-15 minutes. Your burger buns will be done when the tops are golden brown and the dough is cooked in the centre.
- Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack or towel for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- It is important that you remove the buns from the baking pan as they cool otherwise the buns will continue to bake on the hot pan and the bottoms may burn.
Nutrition
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In the UK, I have only found pregrated mozzorella which has flour in it to stop clumping together, could I use cheddar instead?
Yes, you can use a mild cheese but I cannot guarantee how it will turn out as it will have a different protein and fat ratio. Please let me know how you get on.
Great taste, perfect texture; soft but strong enough to hold a big meat patty and all favorite toppings.. They are truly the best gf burgerbuns!! Thank you
Get you a solid block of mozzarella and shred it yourself. I never buy shredded. Here in the US they use something that comes from sawdust to keep it from sticking together instead of flour. I have forgotten the name of the stuff it’s been so long since I’ve bought that cheese.
You mention both baking soda and baking powder so could you please confirm which one it is? Also, in the directions, it doesn’t mention when to add the baking soda/baking powder. Thank you.
Thanks, Paula, it should read baking powder, I have corrected that now. The baking powder is added to the warmed cheese and flours. After you mix the baking powder with the warmed mozzarella cheese, you then add the egg/vinegar mix and fold again. The quick cooking video shows exactly how to do it. Happy burger night 🙂
I love this recipe. It is really easy to make and the bun are very tasty. I used an ice- cream scoop to get them the same size. I made the dinner rolls as well. I added mixed herbs and they were perfect to go with my Pumpkin and Cauliflower soup. Lots of butter tasted just like aherb bread.( they would work as garlic bread too.)
This is a brilliant suggestion. I love cheesy garlic bread and this would be a nice change.
Hi Libby! I can’t wait to try this recipe! It sounds great! I do have a question though. The recipe calls for baking POWDER, but, in your explanation about why to use vinegar, you said it’s to activate the baking SODA. I just want to make sure I use the right ingredients. Thank you!
It is baking powder, I found the rogue baking soda and corrected it. Thanks Brenda 🙂
As a friendly “heads up,” mixing baking soda with vinegar doesn’t produce oxygen. The two substances react chemically because one is a base and the other is an acid. Baking soda is a basic compound called sodium bicarbonate. Vinegar is a diluted solution that contains acetic acid.
The baking soda and vinegar reaction is actually two separate reactions. The first reaction is the acid-base reaction. When vinegar and baking soda are first mixed together, hydrogen ions in the vinegar react with the sodium and bicarbonate ions in the baking soda. The result of this initial reaction is two new chemicals: carbonic acid and sodium acetate.
The second reaction is a decomposition reaction. The carbonic acid formed as a result of the first reaction immediately begins to decompose into water and carbon dioxide gas. Just like carbon dioxide bubbles in a carbonated drink, the carbon dioxide (that formed as the carbonic acid decomposed) rises to the top of the mixture. This creates the bubbles and foam you see when you mix baking soda and vinegar.
Whoops, that has been corrected. Thank you William.
I haven’t tried this recipe, yet, but it looks great. My only concern is that it’s 49% fat and 16% sodium. That’s a lot! Not sure how my blood pressure and cholesterol would react!
You may want to read this article on the cholesterol myth. It’s a real eye-opener.
I was looking for a friendly keto burger bun that was easy to make being i just started keto and i found your recipe to be absolutely amazing, delicious and super easy to follow directions. Thank you lots. I will be making this more often.
Oh, Janice, you will love these keto hamburger buns. As the name suggests, they won’t fall apart and are ways to make. Have a great week.
I LOVE!!!! this recipe. Simple to make. The taste and texture are spot on.
I have made them as rolls to eat with dinner. Thank you so much.
Brilliant, Dee! I’m so glad you love these. They’ve been a real hit on my Facebook page.
Hi Libby, I love your low carb recipes and appreciate your sharing them. However, in the US (Fountain Hills, Arizona in Phoenix area) we are experiencing a shortage of cream cheese and simply cannot get it. How do we work around this when recipes call for cream cheese. Thanks. Linda
The best substitute for cream cheese in this recipe would be marscapone.
If I omit the flax seed, could I put in a little dried yeast power for flavour?
I made the buns and browned nicely and tasted good however they were not done in the middle they were gooeykmm
Have you used Almond meal for the hamburger buns? Is Almond Flour better?
Thank you,
Debbie
You can use either, both work well in keto hamburger buns.
Omg these are just heavenly. Perfect for burgers, sandwiches and even for dipping in soup. I didn’t have mozzarella so used cheddar and I also used flaxseed with nuts and I think I’m hooked. Definitely going to be ming countless batches of these and use for lunches at work, breakfast with poached eggs, yum. So much better than s I made weeks ago without flaxseed. Thanks 🙂👍
Thanks, Angela. I’m so glad you love these too. They are quickly becoming the most popular keto bread roll recipe here.
These are the best low carb buns ever. As promised they hold up. Taste fantastic. So happy I found them.
Thanks, Rodney.
we are allergic to Nuts thus, Almond flour falls into the category. Are there any other options?
Right now I’m paying 1.25 a bun for a Keto approved bun without Wheat or nut based product from my local grocery store. We don’t eat many, but as with many Keto products, we can’t count on them to be available continually in the grocery store. Thanks!
Hello Linda, you can use sunflower seed flour or sesame seed flour instead of almond flour. The measurements would stay the same. I have not tried coconut flour in this recipe, but I have had success using 4 tbsp (¼ cups) of coconut flour in other FatHead dough-based recipes before. If you try it with coconut flour please let us know how it turned out. Thank you!
Thank you
I followed the recipe but mine did not pump up like the photo. Any suggestion?
Hi Karen, sometimes if baking powder is old it will loose it potency. Also are you using double action baking powder? Double action is the most popular type of baking soda found at most stores, but depending on your location it may be single acting. If it is single acting you may want to add 1/4 tsp baking soda to the recipe to help it rise more. The buns should rise a bit won’t rise like normal buns. Hope that helps.
i made these and they were delicious!! i will have to make more to freeze so i have them on hand instead of buying the store bought keto buns that really have no flavor 🙂 i did take the advice in the notes about baking in a glass dish on the top rack and they needed to be baked the full 15 minutes