Yesterday was a rough day. I did a bunch of cooking for the blog and it seemed like none of my low carb recipe concepts were coming out right. It was very discouraging to spend so much time, and make such a huge mess, and to feel like I got nowhere.
But in the end, things actually turned out OK – great in fact!
This low carb biscuit recipe began as a savory churro idea, but they just weren’t coming out right. I finally chilled the dough enough for them to hold together in order to fry, but it still wasn’t great.
I tried baking them like a cracker and it was ok, but not awesome.
Finally, I tried baking them thicker, in biscuit form, and they were amazing!
I was so excited I made this little keto sandwich for my lunch and fortunately had the restraint to snap some photos before I devoured it. It really did have all the characteristics of a great biscuit – crunchy and crumbly on the outside and soft and feathery on the inside.
Slathered with sriracha mayo, ham, cheese, and avocado it made the perfect little sandwich.
There are so many possibilities for this low carb biscuit recipe – other flavors, many, many sandwich/appetizer options (I had one with eggs and ham for breakfast today), a great accompaniment to soup or chili, – it goes on and on.
I made another batch today just to make sure the recipe works, and even tried a few alterations and they were still awesome.
Also great is that they freeze perfectly. I tested the theory last night and nuked one for 20 seconds this morning to go with my eggs, and it was perfect – maybe even better than yesterday if you can believe it. My freezer will never be empty of these from now on if I can help it.
These low carb biscuits are a game changer for me – I hope you will love them as much as I do!
Feel free to omit the herbs or change them around to suit your flavor preference. As always, let me know what you think!
Cheesy Herb Biscuits – Low Carb & Gluten Free
- Yield: 8 biscuits 1x
Description
These low carb and gluten free biscuits taste just like the real thing and make the perfect little sandwich or side for soup or chili! Keto and Atkins friendly!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp granulated sugar substitute
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp celery salt
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a small saucepan bring the water to a boil along with the butter, sugar substitute, and cheddar cheese. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, combine the salt, pepper, oregano, thyme,garlic powder, celery salt, coconut flour, almond flour, baking powder and xanthan gum in asmall bowl and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the liquid and stir until a dough forms.
- Add the egg yolks and stir until fully absorbed.
- Add the parmesan cheese and mix well – you may have to use your hands for this step.
- Divide the dough into 8 small (for traditional biscuit size) or 6 large (for hamburger bun size) balls and form into a biscuit shape (about 1 inch thick) with your hands.
- Place on a greased cookie sheet.
- Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees (F) for 25 minutes or until golden brown and puffed.
- Cool slightly before serving.
- Category: Bread
- Cuisine: Biscuit
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 197
- Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 3.6g net
- Protein: 11g
Stephanie says
Can these biscuits be batch baked ahead of time and frozen for later use?
Mellissa Sevigny says
yes!
Rita Wainwright says
Hello,
I like the flavor of these but I’m wondering why they might be so dry or if that’s the way they are? I haven’t really used coconut flour that much so I’m wondering if that is what it is. I used ground flax seed as a substitute for the xanthan gum but I’m not sure that that would make the biscuits dry. Any thoughts?
Regan says
Are these always going to be very dense or is there a trick to getting them fluffier? We loved the flavors. New favorite for sure.
Madeleine Miles says
You could try adding more baking powder, or folding in some whipped egg white. It would change the texture of the dough, and you might have to scoop it out onto the baking sheet.
Baking powder begins acting the moment it gets wet, so handling the dough as little as possible might also help.
Maria says
Hi, What means Tbl?
Many Thanks,
Maria
Mellissa Sevigny says
Tablespoon Maria – I’ve since switched to the more recognized TBSP in my recipes!
Leanne says
Hey there,
I’ve just tried making these but I haven’t put them in the oven yet because the mixture is not very dough-like and when I tried to “form it into biscuit shapes” it was just sticking to my fingers like crazy. It is in between a sauce and a dough right now and I’m not sure what I did wrong. It sticks together somewhat but doesn’t hold its shape very well.
Anyways, one reason may be that I couldn’t find coconut flour in the store, just shredded coconut, so I used that but made it slightly more like flour by blending it into smaller bits.
Also, I prepared everything in advance so as soon as the water mixture came to a boil, I removed it from the heat and added the dry ingredients right away (in the saucepan).
Would either of these things cause it to be too wet? I have put the entire mixture in a bowl covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for now, because I don’t think trying to cook it right now will work out.
Any suggestions or insights? I am still excited to try them but I screwed something up!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Leanne, sorry you had some issues with these! It’s definitely the coconut substitution that’s causing your problems. Coconut flour is defatted and very finely ground – it is so highly absorbent that it soaks up liquid like a sponge. The shredded coconut you are using is a completely different animal, even in powder form, because it’s still saturated with fat and liquid, so therefore won’t soak up anymore from the recipe – which is crucial to it’s success. I have no idea what will happen if you bake them – try it in a muffin tin and see what happens! It won’t be a bisquit, but might turn into a muffin type thingy. If you have almond flour on hand, try throwing a few tablespoons of that in and see if it helps hold it together. Hope you can make it palatable that way! For future reference, I get my coconut flour shipped from Nuts.com (I also get my almond flour and xanthan gum from them) because their prices are competitive and the shipping is lightning fast. Hope that helps! Sorry again! Let me know if you are able to salvage them!
Leanne says
Well, they didn’t turn out like yours but my husband still really liked them. They were flat, moist, and looked like an experiment gone wrong haha. He said he didn’t care that they didn’t turn out like biscuits, he would gratefully eat them as a delicious snack anyways. But thanks for your tips about the coconut flour. If I end up ordering some, I will try these again because I really want to make them properly!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Glad they were still edible and a hit with the hubby Leanne! I’m working on an easier biscuit recipe – have you tried the jalapeno cheddar cauliflower muffins yet? Those are pretty yummy too!
Rachel says
I was wondering if it is ok to put a whole cup of coconut flour instead of the 1/4 cup of almond flour. I am allergic to nuts, along with other things but I am fine right now with coconut flour. Should I try to substitute the almond flour with chickpea flour instead?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Coconut flour and almond flour don’t work the same in recipes so you can’t get the same results by just using all coconut flour – though I wish that were true! I would try the chickpea flour as a sub for the almond flour instead! Hope it works out for you!
Chris says
Mellissa, in your instructions it say baking powder, but on your post it said you bought fresh baking soda. Was that just a typographical error. I think your recipes look absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing with all of us!
Zanna George says
In regards to the xantham gum, I did some research and have found that same amount of chia seed with twice the amount of hot water mixed together can replace the gum in most recipes. I like the nutrition profile of chia, so I will be using that. Has anyone tried the recipe without the initial cheddar cheese? I would like to cut some of the calories out. Thanks for the recipe. I will be making it this week!!
Carolyn says
Well, hello pretty new blog design! It looks great…clean and bright. This, though, caught my eye:
“Yesterday was a rough day. I did a bunch of cooking for the blog and it seemed like none of my concepts were coming out right. It was very discouraging to spend so much time, and make such a huge mess, and to feel like I got nowhere.”
I had a day like that EXACTLY! 2 days ago. My husband came home from work and I was close to losing it. In the end, two of the recipes turned out fine…one was, IMO, awful but my husband liked it and kept me from throwing the whole thing in the trash. One recipe I managed to rescue by scraping the rolled out dough off the parchment paper, putting it back in the bowl, adding more coconut flour and remixing. But it was just one of THOSE days. :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for that Carolyn, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who has those days! I think we’re probably way too hard on ourselves most of the time – glad you were able to salvage your recipe too! I’m sure it turned out great! :)
Anonymous says
Has anyone used Arrow root flour/powder instead of xanthan gum? If so, did you use the same amount or does it need to be adjusted?
Laura says
Not arrowroot. But psyllium husk powder works great instead of xanthan gum.
Fit Artist says
These totally ROCK! I made them today and had one for lunch with some ham, sliced tomato and a poached egg on top.
Sparky says
Made these tonight – delicious and DENSE/FILLING!
I see people unsure about xantham gum in the comments – corn starch is the more ‘common’ thickener that they may have in their cabinet. I used corn starch, came out great. Corn starch IS gluten free, FYI.
I think next time I’ll make a double batch and do as you recommended and freeze them! THANK YOU
Carolyn says
Hi Mellissa,
I just took these biscuits out of the oven. The smell has been heavenly. I couldn’t wait to try these so I used what I had in house. I replaced the cheddar with a 3 cheese mixture, and used pecorino/romano instead of parmesan. Now for my first bite. Wow! These are yummy! I’m going to make a sandwich right now. Gotta go. Thanks for all your delicious recipes and great tips. I am really enjoying your ebook as well.
Carolyn
stefanie says
Hi Mellissa! Does the cheese/water mixture need to be completely cool before mixing it with the dry ingredients or does it matter?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Stefanie, no, you don’t need to cool it for more than a minute or two before mixing in the dry ingredients. Cool it down for a bit after the dough is all mixed, before you bake them. Enjoy!
stefanie says
Thanks – I made these last night and they were delicious but they had a very crumbly scones-type texture and didn’t really rise at all or look anything like yours. I’ll replace my baking powder just in case that’s the problem, but it’s definitely inspired me to start experimenting with a low-carb blueberry scones recipe. :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
I do have a brand new can of baking soda which might have helped, but mine don’t rise that much either, I form them in a biscuit shape about one inch thick and they rise only a little. If yours were too crumbly they might have been smaller than mine and needed to cook a little less. Someone else said theirs were really dense and wet in the middle so they must have needed more time. Hard to gauge that and it varies by batch I guess! I love scones though so great idea! Let me know if you come up with a scones recipe that works!
Anonymous says
Hi Melissa. These look good. I should know the answer by now, but why two yolks and not a whole egg? I expect it effects the texture or holding together? Thanks for sharing. Philis
Akpene says
I’ve been doing some research on xanthan vs guar gum, and haven’t yet come up with a conclusion. Have you tried both?
Mellissa Sevigny says
No Akepene, I just started using the xanthan and have not yet tried guar gum.
JustMaxine55 says
I am making these puppies this weekend! Going to wait on your answer re using cornstarch. I have no clue what Xantham gum is!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Xanthan gum is a thickener and that you can find in the gluten free section/aisle (if your store has one) or you can order it online. I resisted for a long time but I’m so glad I finally bought some! It makes awesome gravy and sauces and adds elasticity to doughs that is lacking when you are making things gluten free. I’ll be using it a lot in the recipes from now on. Let me know if the cornstarch works out though!
Andrea Horn says
These look wonderful! I want to make them now! ZDo you think it would be okay to substitute cornstarch for the xantham gum?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Not sure Andrea, I just started using xanthan gum and my understanding is that it replaces the gluten so I’m not sure if cornstarch will work as well but it’s worth a try!
kcharlton says
These sound awesome. Going into the winter months here it will be great to have something to go with our soup! You rock!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much, enjoy! :)