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Starting Out: Keto cooking and baking without gluten

Manage your macros with “pie” AND shop from our keto-friendly bread, cupcake, cookie and donut-making supply list.

Eating healthier with more vegetables on our plates in place of carbohydrates was the start of our low-carb meal planning. It was easy to look at each plate like a pie chart: one half of our plate was dedicated to healthy fats. Salmon, beef, chicken breast, turkey or other keto-friendly meats covered one quarter of our plate. “Pie” planning was easier than counting net carbs, although we knew 10 percent carbohydrates technically was our limit to hit our program goals.

Considering ratios on our plate at every meal wasn’t the easiest way to serve dinner every night. But we adapted quickly. Between feeling better and losing water weight, we had all the encouragement we needed in the beginning to keep going. We also quickly noticed our joints were less achy and we started sleeping better at night.

Finding vegetable combinations that mimicked potatoes or rice, was our next adventure to make ketogenic diet-friendly recipes. We stocked our refrigerator with cauliflower, leafy and rich greens (think collard, kale, spinach), egg plant and peppers or tomatoes and other low-carb vegetables. We also stopped buying pantry staples such as black beans, and red, yellow and sweet potatoes. Instead we ordered jicama, rutabaga and radishes from our local farmers.

We moved beyond craving pasta and rice. But keeping our macros in check was complicated when all we could think about was bread. And late-night snacking was dangerous under new sugar-free restrictions. Grains and sugar are primary ingredient in cereals, cookies, cakes — our go-to bedtime treats.

On top of trying to stick to low-carb requirements, we also decided to remove gluten and reduce allergens. So forward we went with recipes that were gluten free, dairy free and nut free while also being keto-friendly. Were we crazy?

Keto baking is hard; keto baking without gluten and nuts is even harder since many low-carb baked goods use almond flour. Bakers like its fine texture and subtle flavor as well as availability. Coconut flour is a second favorite but really works best for muffins or sweet breads.

20 Must-Have Keto Baking Supplies

Almond Flour

Coconut Flour

Sunflower Seed Flour

Whey Isolate Protein Powder

Arrowroot Powder

Xanthan Gum

Psyllium Husk Powder

Gluten-Free Baking Powder

Gluten-Free Baking Soda

Oat Fiber
Instant Yeast
White Chia Seeds
Organic Vanilla
Grass-Fed Ghee
Sugar-free Maple Syrup
Sugar-free Baking Chocolate Chip
We link to tested-and-approved Amazon products and a small percentage from every sale goes to Mor Kitchen.

There are a lot of low-carb high-protein cupcakes, donuts, cookies and breads recipes online. Every week we’re testing recipes we’ve never seen before (and that’s even after a year of making and eating keto). Our first shopping list filled the cart with items we had never heard of before.

Monk fruit sweetener, coconut flour, almond flour, xanthan gum and psyllium husk powder we ordered online after we did our recipe research. Luckily cocoa powder, honey (for yeast proofing), molasses (for brown sugar making) and peanut butter (and almond butter) already in our pantry turned out to be our best friends.

When we started our keto-friendly clean-eating lifestyle, we were determined to master bread first. It was the food we knew we couldn’t live without. In our search of truly the best (GOAT, if you will), we found many recipes claiming to be the “best”.

The biggest question we had was can any other recipe beat the white sandwich bread we started making first. We learned how to make “fluffy” white sandwich bread first, which used almost all of the baking ingredients and half of a dozen eggs. Plus, the recipe calls for apple cider vinegar and sour cream alternating in precise amounts at the final mixing stage.

It was a challenging recipe to learn and after many tries we got it right. Kids liked the fluffier, eggy option as an alternative to traditional bread. But it was still too moist.

In search of a grainier texture, we landed on an artisan loaf with sunflower seed flour that has become our new favorite. It also makes amazing toast with peanut butter.

Try our Perfect Keto Artisan bread (nut free, gluten free, egg free) and let us know how it goes! Or read our full review of all the “best” bread recipes we tested (tasting notes included) and select a recipe that suits your needs.

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