The Best Keto Dinner Rolls (Soft & Fluffy)

The Best Keto Dinner Rolls. I cannot tell you how pumped I am to share this recipe!!

For anyone that follows me on social media, you've probably seen my insane number of keto bread attempts I share. And that's not including the attempts that immediately make their way to my trash can. 

I don't even want to discuss the amount of expensive low carb ingredients I've wasted trying to make keto dinner rolls or keto bread.  

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. If you choose to purchase an item through on of these links, I may receive a small commission. This does NOT affect your purchase in any way. 

When I lived with my parents, it got to the point where I was still making my keto yeast breads at 10pm while they were headed to bed and they'd say “I'll know if it's a success because it won't be in our garbage can tomorrow morning”. LOL and needless to say about 90% of them did end up there. 

But thankfully, as they say, if you fail, try again. I've always been stubborn that way. As much as part of me wanted to say, keto bread rolls or bread in general just isn't meant to be soft like traditional bread or taste remotely good.. another part of me KNEW it was possible. THERE HAD TO BE A WAY. 

I am also one of those people who hates pre-made bread mixes or cake mixes, I end up looking at the ingredients and trying to re-create it myself. I just felt it's cheating if I shared a recipe using a mix that you had to purchase! (Though, to be fair I do occasionally use Carbalose for one of my keto bread recipes that I enjoy). 

ANYWAYS, this recipe was inspired by the new King Arthur Keto Wheat Flour blend. I really wanted to create my own version that was just as good, if not better. 

Keto Dinner Rolls With No Cheese, Keto Rolls With YEAST and VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN

I also was sure I didn't want this bread to have to include mozzarella. As much as I love fat head dough, I think it gets old after a while and it really cannot be EVERYTHING (I'm also talking to you cauliflower). So with that in mind, I went on an adventure of trying multiple different low carb flours to create soft keto dinner rolls with YEAST and VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN.

Yeast and Vital Wheat Gluten are the key to making this recipe awesome. You need them, no if ands or buts. LOL. They really cannot be replaced. 

This is because yeast allows our keto dinner rolls to rise like traditional bread and gives it a lighter final product unlike the fat head dough recipe.  

Then vital wheat gluten, is the bread and butter of this recipe (pun intended). Vital wheat gluten is probably one of the coolest low carb ingredients out there and it's often misunderstood or mistaken for being “not keto friendly” because of “gluten” in the name. Gluten is actually a protein extracted from wheat that's just that, a PROTEIN.

It's very low carb with only 16g of carbs per cup (that's similar to most low carb flour blends!) Most anyone on a ketogenic diet can consume vital wheat gluten just fine. The only exception of course is if you have a gluten allergy, are celiac or gluten intolerant. That's when you'll want to avoid it! For this I'd recommend looking into Maria's bread recipe over at Maria Mind Body Health. If you want to read my full write-up on vital wheat gluten, you can check-out the article here.

Anyways, back to this recipe…

Keto Dinner Rolls No Almond Flour, Keto Dinner Rolls No Coconut Flour!

Now another thing unique about this keto dinner roll recipe is that these low carb dinner rolls are made with no almond flour and no coconut flour.

CRAZY RIGHT. Almost all low carb recipes on keto you'll find one or the other. But the issue with coconut flour and almond flour in keto dinner rolls and keto bread recipes in general, is that these ingredients are heavier in fat content and tend to weigh down our bread and prevent us from forming as many nice long gluten strands. 

I do admit, adding some almond flour to bread can sometimes be good if you know the right quantity because it does add a nice flavour but in general you don't really need it to create keto bread items.

So with that in mind, we now know this keto dinner roll recipe is NUT FREE (Horray for all the followers always asking for almond flour free recipes, this one is for YOU! Though just a fair warning, if you are allergic strictly to peanuts, try lupin flour first with some caution as it is from the legume family.)

But then what do we use instead of almond flour and coconut flour in these keto dinner rolls?

Whole Wheat Flour???

Now hear me out, I'm sure you read the title and immediately decided ” WELL THESE AREN'T KETO, WHY IS THERE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR??” 

I promise these are keto friendly and I'm here to tell you why. First off, this recipe is not based around whole wheat flour, it only contains 1/4 cup but I wanted to discuss it first because I figured I'd get the most questions about it.

Whole Wheat Flour is not inherently “not keto” there is not “not keto” foods, there are just foods that are more likely to cause a spike in insulin or add too many carbs to our diet that knock us out of ketosis, so we avoid them.

BUT if used correctly in small quantities and when combined with other ingredients, these foods can be totally keto friendly.

That keto bread you bought at the store or low carb tortillas? They likely have some sort of wheat in them. We just pay less attention when it's store-bought and labelled “KETO” already.

Whole wheat flour typically has 3g of fiber and 4g of protein per 1/4 cup (30g) as well as 17g of NET carbs. 

Because of this fiber and protein, whole wheat flour is digested slower than white flour would be and therefore, causes less of an insulin spike.

“Okay Sam…but there are still 17g of carbs in there!” 

So yes, it still has carbs BUT you are not going to eat 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour as your meal. You are likely going to eat one dinner roll which contains just 1.7-2.4g of carbs from this 17g (depending on the size of your keto dinner rolls).

So now we know this flour only adds 1.7-2.4g of carbs to each bread roll, aren't those carbs still higher on the glycemic index?

Well, not really to be honest. Whole wheat flour already has a lower GI rating of 30 as compared to 70 for white flour. 

Then, what's not always talked about is that the glycemic index was created by isolating foods and measuring. 

You aren't going to eat 1/2 a tbsp of plain whole wheat flour let alone a 1/4 cup of it. 

You are combining it with fats (butter and egg) as well as additional protein (lupin flour and vital wheat gluten) AND a TON of fiber (coming from oat fiber).

All of this together GREATLY decreases its GI affect to be minimal to almost nothing. 

This is why it's so important not to take the glycemic index to heart. Unless you are eating a food straight-up on it's own, the GI effect is typically going to be less.

Alright so if whole wheat flour only makes up a small portion of this bread..what the heck is the rest made of??

Vital Wheat Gluten, Lupin Flour and Oat Fiber

As we discussed earlier, this recipe contains vital wheat gluten! My favourite little ingredient. The vital wheat gluten is what allows these keto dinner rolls to rise and have structure and gives them the texture of REAL bread, minus all of the carbs white flour normally adds. 

It's used in the largest quantity compared to all other ingredients as it acts as the base for our low carb dinner rolls.

Then we have lupin flour! Lupin flour is so cool. It's more of a recent discovery of mine but many ketoers have been using it for ages in bread recipes. It's technically a legume flour but is extremely low carb, high protein and high fiber. This video here gives a fantastic explanation to what it is and the best lupin flour to buy (I'll also link the brand I like below).

Lupin flour provides additional protein to our bread to help it brown slightly, it also provides bulk to the bread, while maintaining the gluten structure the vital wheat gluten creates. It's best when used in a smaller quantity with other ingredients.

Finally, we have oat fiber! Oat fiber is an ingredient I use in many pastry and bread recipes. It's super high in fiber and low in calories. Another way to add bulk to bread recipes without increasing the calories too much! It's also lower in fat, which contradictory to typical keto ingredients, is a good thing for bread-making and can allow us to add our own fat in the correct amounts. 

This brings me to the fats in this recipe!

Butter And Egg

The only real sources of fat in these keto dinner rolls are butter and egg. I've found this to work best. Previously I tried using heavy cream for the liquid but it just weighed down the rolls too much. Using water along with these fat sources seems to work best!

The egg adds some lift and softness to the dinner rolls as it breaks down some of the thick gluten strands, while the butter works similarly. 

We add softened butter later in the recipe because by working it in later, we give the gluten strands time to form and don't completely interrupt their structure. It also just seems to give a better texture to the bread overall when you use softened butter rather than melted! 

Monkfruit Sweetener, Xanthan Gum, Baking Powder, SUGAR* and Salt

Finally we've gotten to our last ingredients in our keto dinner rolls.

I'm going to go ahead and talk about sugar first because again, I think that's where I'll get the most questions. 

Sugar is important because it's NECESSARY for the yeast to activate and allow the bread to rise. You don't need to worry about this affecting the final nutritional facts of your bread rolls as this sugar is consumed by the yeast. 

Next we have our powdered monkfruit/erythritol sweetener. This is just my personal favourite sweetener. I find powdered works best for breads and rolls. We add sweetener to counteract the bitterness of vital wheat gluten and lupin flour. Additionally, traditional dinner rolls have sugar added anyways because they are known to be light, fluffy and just a hint sweeter than traditional bread!

Xanthan gum in this recipe also plays an important roll similar to vital wheat gluten. Though it's used in much smaller quantities, this guy packs a punch. Xanthan gum helps to thicken your batter and creates strands similar to gluten! It's often used in gluten free baking for all kinds of recipes. 

Then we have baking powder. Baking powder in all honesty is our back-up plan. If the yeast does not fully activate or we don't get a perfect rise (which, I actually haven't found to be the case yet!) baking powder can still cause these dinner rolls to puff up in the oven!

And Lastly, salt. Salt is key in breads. We only need about 1/2 tsp in this recipe if using salted butter but if using unsalted, you'll likely want just about a tsp. 

OKAY. THAT WAS A LOT. Please don't hate me for the long intro, LOL. I felt it necessary to explain these rolls as a LOT of thought went into them and there is a reason for each little ingredient!

Let's move on to the actual keto dinner rolls recipe now and the preparation process!

Tips For Making Keto Dinner Rolls

• Make sure all of your wet ingredients are at room temperature ahead of time (except of course the water). 
• This  keto yeast dough should be kneaded for 5-8min but if you are unsure, knead it a few minutes longer, it won't hurt it! To tell if it's kneaded enough, see if it springs back when you gently poke it with a finger. Does it feel very elastic? It's probably done!
• Try to let this dough rise somewhere lukewarm. My favourite is to heat a glass of water in the microwave for about 1 min, remove it. Then place the bowl with the bread covered inside and shut the microwave door to keep the heat in. 
• These would be really tasty with some parmesan or shredded cheese mixed in or spices! These would also make fantastic garlic rolls if you add some garlic butter to the dough along with some spices and parmesan and brush them with garlic butter before and after baking.
• This dough SHOULD need the full 1 cup of water but if you find it needs more, you can add a touch more. The dough should be soft and pliable like plato and only stick to your hands a bit. If you accidentally put too much water, flour a surface with vital wheat gluten and roll the dough in it until you've gotten it back to the consistency previously mentioned.
• This recipe makes 7-10 keto bread rolls. If you want them a nice size for sandwiches, do 7 if you want them dinner roll size for meals, do 10. 
• To make dairy free keto dinner rolls, use coconut oil that's softened and not melted and work it into the dough as you would butter!

Ingredients In The Best Keto Dinner Rolls (Read above for a more detailed breakdown of each ingredient)

• Vital Wheat Gluten
• Oat Fiber
• Lupin Flour
• Whole Wheat Flour * (READ ABOVE)
• Powdered Monkfruit/Erythritol Sweetener
• Baking Powder
• Xanthan Gum
• Warm Water
• Active Dry Yeast
• Sugar * (READ ABOVE)
• Salt
• Butter
• Egg

Tools I Used To Make Keto Dinner Rolls

• Low Carb Substitution Guide – This is totally optional but if you like my recipes, I now have a $5 guide available with all of the substitutions I use to create every recipe on my site. You can use this to convert old traditional recipes and create new keto recipes! You can purchase it here and/or read more if you are interested. I appreciate your support so much guys!
• Nutritional Food Scale – AKA my best friend. This little buddy has been with me for over 4 years and never fails. Perfect measurements and only needs the batteries replaced maybe once a year!
• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk or Fork
• Spatula
• Oil or Butter – for greasing
• Microwave – to place dough to rise – optional
• Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer – I didn't use one, but you can. Just be sure to only knead the dough for 3-5min to not over-do it.
• 9-inch Cake Pan or Round Pan – to place rolls in

**NOTE**: I highly suggest using a scale for this recipe if you can as it is much more accurate in terms of measurements! Brands of oat fiber and vital wheat gluten can vary with how many grams each tablespoon contains.

How To Store Keto Dinner Rolls

• You can store these dinner rolls at room temperature for up to 2 days in a ziplock after they are fully cooled (you can try longer but they won't stay quite as fresh).
• You can also freeze these in a ziplock (I recommend double bagging if you can) and then remove and microwave for 20-30s wrapped in a just barely damp paper towel or let them come to room temperature on their own!

Other Keto Bread Recipes You May Like

• The Best Keto Cheesy Bread
• Easy Keto Bread
• Keto Focaccia Bread
• EASY LOW-CARB FLAT-BREADS (YEAST RISEN!)
• Keto Pizza Crust With Yeast

The Best Keto Dinner Rolls Recipe

Serves: 7-10 rolls (7 for sandwich size, 10 for dinner rolls)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water, 250g
• 1 packet active dry yeast, 15g or 0.5oz or ~1 tbsp
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten, 154g
• 1/2 cup oat fiber, 64g
• 1/2 cup lupin flour, 50g
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 30g
• 4-5 tbsp powdered monkfruit/erythritol sweetener, 40-50g
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp salt (1 tsp if using unsalted butter)
• 2 tbsp butter, room temperature/softened, 30g
• 1 egg, whisked and at room temperature
• 1-2 tbsp additional melted butter for brushing

Directions:

1. Fill a measuring cup or bowl with 1 cup warm water (warm to the touch but not TOO hot). Sprinkle the yeast and sugar on top of the water and set it aside. 
2. In another large mixing bowl, add your vital wheat gluten, oat fiber, lupin flour, whole wheat flour, monkfruit sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt. Whisk to combine, making sure there aren't any large clumps.
3. Once your water/yeast/sugar mixture is frothy and bubbly and smells of beer (you know it's activated!) add it to the dry ingredients along with the whisked egg and start stirring everything together using a spatula.
4. Once the dough starts to become hard to stir, use your hands to knead most of the flour into the dough.
5. After your dough has mostly come together and most of the flour has been incorporated, put your softened butter on top of the dough and then use your hand to knead it in in the bowl. 
6. Continue to knead the dough for another 5-8min (you can do this in the bowl or on a greased clean surface) or until everything is fully incorporated, the dough feels elastic and when a finger is pressed into it gently, it slowly springs back. If you are unsure if it's kneaded enough, knead for another 2-3min! It won't hurt it. (Also see my tips section for the consistency you want your dough and how to achieve it if your dough is too wet or too dry).
7. After you are done kneading the dough, place it into a large greased bowl and cover it with saran wrap. Place it somewhere relatively warm to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. (See my tips for where I find mine rises best).
8. Once your dough has doubled in size, punch it down, then remove it from the bowl onto a greased surface. 
9. Cut the dough into even pieces or pull off portions of dough to create your keto dinner rolls. I like to roll a ball shape then sort of pull the dough back over itself and pinch the rougher looking part at the bottom to smooth out the tops of the rolls. (Don't worry if they aren't perfect, they are going to rise again anyways!).
10. Now we can place the shaped rolls into a greased 9-inch pan or any pan you prefer spaced slightly apart with enough room to rise. Cover them with saran wrap.
11. Allow the rolls to rise for another 30-40min (meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 350*F).
12. If your oven heats more-so from the top-down, lower the oven rack to one of the lowest settings. If yours is like mine and tends to burn things more easily from the bottom, place your oven rack on one of the highest settings.
13. Unwrap the keto bread rolls and brush them with 1-2 tbsp melted butter.
14. Bake them for 19-25 minutes or just until lightly golden on top. Serve warm with a side of butter or serve along side stews! Enjoy the best keto dinner rolls!

You can store these dinner rolls at room temperature for up to 2 days in a ziplock after they are fully cooled (you can try longer but they won't stay quite as fresh).

You can also freeze these in a ziplock (I recommend double bagging if you can) and then remove and microwave for 20-30s wrapped in a just barely damp paper towel or let them come to room temperature on their own!

Nutrition for 1/10th of recipe (1 dinner roll): 114 calories | 3.4g fat | 4.8g NET carbs | 15g protein | 6.8g fiber

Print Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes

The Best Keto Dinner Rolls Recipe

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Rising Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Keyword: keto bread, keto bread rolls, keto dinner rolls

Calories: 114kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water 250g
• 1 packet active dry yeast 15g or 0.5oz or ~1 tbsp
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten 154g
• 1/2 cup oat fiber 64g
• 1/2 cup lupin flour 50g
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 30g
• 4-5 tbsp powdered monkfruit/erythritol sweetener 40-50g
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp if using unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp butter room temperature/softened, 30g
• 1 egg whisked and at room temperature
• 1-2 tbsp additional melted butter for brushing

Instructions

• Fill a measuring cup or bowl with 1 cup warm water (warm to the touch but not TOO hot). Sprinkle the yeast and sugar on top of the water and set it aside.
• In another large mixing bowl, add your vital wheat gluten, oat fiber, lupin flour, whole wheat flour, monkfruit sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt. Whisk to combine, making sure there aren't any large clumps.
• Once your water/yeast/sugar mixture is frothy and bubbly and smells of beer (you know it's activated!) add it to the dry ingredients along with the whisked egg and start stirring everything together using a spatula.
• Once the dough starts to become hard to stir, use your hands to knead most of the flour into the dough.
• After your dough has mostly come together and most of the flour has been incorporated, put your softened butter on top of the dough and then use your hand to knead it in in the bowl.
• Continue to knead the dough for another 5-8min (you can do this in the bowl or on a greased clean surface) or until everything is fully incorporated, the dough feels elastic and when a finger is pressed into it gently, it slowly springs back. If you are unsure if it's kneaded enough, knead for another 2-3min! It won't hurt it. (Also see my tips section for the consistency you want your dough and how to achieve it if your dough is too wet or too dry).
• After you are done kneading the dough, place it into a large greased bowl and cover it with saran wrap. Place it somewhere relatively warm to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. (See my tips for where I find mine rises best).
• Once your dough has doubled in size, punch it down, then remove it from the bowl onto a greased surface.
• Cut the dough into even pieces or pull off portions of dough to create your keto dinner rolls. I like to roll a ball shape then sort of pull the dough back over itself and pinch the rougher looking part at the bottom to smooth out the tops of the rolls. (Don't worry if they aren't perfect, they are going to rise again anyways!).
• Now we can place the shaped rolls into a greased 9-inch pan or any pan you prefer spaced slightly apart with enough room to rise. Cover them with saran wrap.
• Allow the rolls to rise for another 30-40min (meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 350*F).
• If your oven heats more-so from the top-down, lower the oven rack to one of the lowest settings. If yours is like mine and tends to burn things more easily from the bottom, place your oven rack on one of the highest settings.
• Unwrap the keto bread rolls and brush them with 1-2 tbsp melted butter.
• Bake them for 19-25 minutes or just until lightly golden on top. Serve warm with a side of butter or serve along side stews! Enjoy the best keto dinner rolls!

Notes

Tips For Making Keto Dinner Rolls

• Make sure all of your wet ingredients are at room temperature ahead of time (except of course the water). 
• This  keto yeast dough should be kneaded for 5-8min but if you are unsure, knead it a few minutes longer, it won't hurt it! To tell if it's kneaded enough, see if it springs back when you gently poke it with a finger. Does it feel very elastic? It's probably done!
• Try to let this dough rise somewhere lukewarm. My favourite is to heat a glass of water in the microwave for about 1 min, remove it. Then place the bowl with the bread covered inside and shut the microwave door to keep the heat in. 
• These would be really tasty with some parmesan or shredded cheese mixed in or spices! These would also make fantastic garlic rolls if you add some garlic butter to the dough along with some spices and parmesan and brush them with garlic butter before and after baking.
• This dough SHOULD need the full 1 cup of water but if you find it needs more, you can add a touch more. The dough should be soft and pliable like plato and only stick to your hands a bit. If you accidentally put too much water, flour a surface with vital wheat gluten and roll the dough in it until you've gotten it back to the consistency previously mentioned.
• This recipe makes 7-10 keto bread rolls. If you want them a nice size for sandwiches, do 7 if you want them dinner roll size for meals, do 10. 
• To make dairy free keto dinner rolls, use coconut oil that's softened and not melted and work it into the dough as you would butter!
• You can store these dinner rolls at room temperature for up to 2 days in a ziplock after they are fully cooled (you can try longer but they won't stay quite as fresh).
• You can also freeze these in a ziplock (I recommend double bagging if you can) and then remove and microwave for 20-30s wrapped in a just barely damp paper towel or let them come to room temperature on their own!

 

 

Ingredient Links:

• Vital Wheat Gluten
• Oat Fiber
• Lupin Flour
• Whole Wheat Flour * (READ ABOVE)
• Powdered Monkfruit/Erythritol Sweetener
• Baking Powder
• Xanthan Gum
• Warm Water
• Active Dry Yeast
• Sugar * (READ ABOVE)
• Salt
• Butter
• Egg

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll (1/10th of recipe) | Fiber: 6.8g | Calories: 114kcal | Fat: 3.4g | Protein: 15g | Carbohydrates: 4.8g

Other Similar Recipes You May Like:

Keto Focaccia Bread

Easy Keto Bread

Keto Pumpkin Bread

The Best Keto Cheesy Breadsticks

Low-Carb Flat Breads (Yeast Risen)