Easy Keto Bread – aka HOP Bread

This Easy Keto Bread Recipe is so legit tasting that you’ll think you’re dreaming. It is dairy free, yeast free, NOT THE SLIGHTEST BIT EGGY, and has a secret ingredient that will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about keto baking.

Guys, I haven’t been this excited about posting a new recipe in a long time. Possibly ever. That’s how incredible this easy keto bread is. Even Mr. Hungry, an avid bread nerd, is in love with it and can’t believe it’s keto. And he’s a hard sell, so I’m confident that if he loves it you will too!

I’m mad at myself for not developing this easy keto bread recipe sooner, because I first had this idea back in 2016 and added it to my notes to start experimenting with then. I’d scroll through and see it there, but the potentially long testing phase was overwhelming, so I’d put it off and put it off and years went by.

A couple of months ago, I was super bored in lockdown with an entire day staring me in the face, so on a whim I decided to give it a go. Because it’s a completely new concept, I was really winging it on the first try, and surprisingly it was pretty decent straight out of the gate. From there I’ve made about 5 test loaves, with a few tweaks each time and it’s finally ready to share!

I know you’re dying to know what the secret ingredient is, and I’ve been perversely holding out on you just for the fun of it. Also because you’re probably going to think I’m crazy – but hear me out…

The secret ingredient in this easy keto bread recipe is Hearts of Palm. Too weird? Let me explain!

I have loved to snack on hearts of palm for years – straight out of the jar, I can eat tons of it. It’s super low carb, and due to the citric acid used to preserve it, there is a tanginess to hearts of palm that always reminded me of sourdough. Because of that flavor, along with the soft, yet starchy texture, I wondered if there was a way to blend it up with eggs to bind it, and some keto friendly flour to bulk it up and dry it out to make a passable keto bread.

Guys I gotta tell you that never in my wildest dreams did I think that this yeast free keto bread made with hearts of palm would be so stinking amazing. If I had, I definitely would have done this sooner!

For ease of reference when talking about this specific bread recipe, I’ll be referring to it as HOP Bread from here on out (HOP being an acronym for Hearts of Palm if you’re confused.)

5 Legit Reasons that this HOP bread is the BEST Keto Bread Recipe!

IT SMELLS LIKE REAL YEAST BREAD WHEN IT BAKES!!! I know I shouted that, but when you try it you will see that I am right! It’s some kind of keto bread miracle, I kid you not.

It’s not eggy. Not even a little bit. One of the complaints I hear most about keto breads is that they are super eggy tasting and have a rubbery texture. With only 3 eggs in the entire loaf, this Keto HOP bread has none of that going on.

It really is EASY. No whipping egg whites, or long ingredient lists. You blend the wet ingredients, mix in the dry ingredients, form it into a loaf and bake. The end. Even if you’re a novice baker, you can execute this low carb bread recipe.

This easy keto bread is sturdy and super pliable. Unlike other keto breads that get soggy and fall apart, or are so crumbly that they need to be sliced super thick to stay together, this keto HOP bread recipe can be sliced paper thin if you want. Which makes it perfect for toasting in the oven to turn into something resembling the store-bought bagel and pita chips that I love. I don’t need to tell you about all the delicious applications for those, but at the top of my list right now is dipped into some of this keto cauliflower hummus.

It toasts like a dream. Because of the psyllium powder and hearts of palm, this keto bread doesn’t crumble when it’s sliced and toasted. It gets golden brown and has a legit yeasty flavor even though it’s yeast free. Whether you are using a toaster, frying it in butter as grilled cheese, or even baking it as a cracker per above, this HOP bread will hold together and have a pleasant crusty exterior.

But wait, there’s more!

This easy keto bread is not only yeast free but also dairy free, making it a super clean option. So clean in fact, that it’s even Whole30 compliant (if you are going strictly based on ingredients and not on the no baked good substitute rule.) As written, this keto HOP bread is not Squeaky Clean Keto compliant because of the almond flour, but I’m working on a version with sunflower seed flour that will be nut free and Squeaky Clean Keto Challenge friendly.

That, to my squeaky clean keto friends, will be a GAME. CHANGER.

UPDATE: The Squeaky Clean Keto Bread was a huge success and has a multigrain flavor even though it’s grain free. I might even like that one better than the original. Click here to try that recipe!

Another benefit to this easy Keto Bread recipe is that it is much lower in calories than breads and rolls made with mozzarella dough. For example, my easy keto dough recipe (which makes truly amazing calzone and stromboli) has 326 calories per serving, while two 1/2 inch thick slices of this keto HOP bread has only 192 calories.

Thanks to the fiber from the hearts of palm and psyllium husk powder, this low carb bread is not overly dense, but it is extremely filling and satisfying. A little goes a long way, especially when you’ve been on keto for awhile and your appetite isn’t huge.

Guys I could seriously go on and on about this easy Keto Bread, because it really is Just. That. Awesome.

But I want you to stop reading this and get to the kitchen so you can make it and report back! Am I crazy or is this indeed the most amazing Keto Bread ever?

I am DYING TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!!!!!

Because I’m sure this will get asked a lot, I’m going to talk briefly about sourcing the ingredients and then get right to the recipe below…

Frequently asked questions about the Keto HOP Bread Recipe.

Where do I buy Hearts of Palm?

Hearts of palm is typically sold in cans or jars. When I lived in the states I could get large jars at Costco or other big box stores for pretty cheap. You can also find it in cans at most grocery stores in the vegetable aisle – usually where you’d find canned artichoke hearts. Not sure why they group them together – maybe as a specialty item? If you don’t see them there, check the international aisle with the Latin American brands like Goya.

If you can’t find hearts of palm in the store, Amazon sells hearts of palm by the case for about 0.20 per ounce, which isn’t a bad idea since you’re going to want to keep these on hand once you try the bread recipe.

Where do I buy Psyllium Husk Powder?

I get my psyllium husk powder on Amazon, and I always purchase the Healthworks brand because unlike other brands it never turns your baked goods purple. I’m not sure why some brands do, but apparently it’s a thing.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: the psyllium powder I ordered in 2019 from health works was a true powder and that’s what I made these loaves from. I recently ordered 2 more pounds of the exact same product from amazon and the quality was wayyyyyy different. NOT a powder, more like coarse flakes and it DEFINITELY made a difference in the texture of the loaf, and not in a good way. I’m on the hunt for a true, powdered, psyllium that won’t turn your bread purple, but since I’m in Honduras it takes a month to get anything shipped here. If you find one that works great, please let us know so I can update this post!

UPDATE 2 – ANTHONY’S PSYLLIUM HUSK POWDER IS OUR NEW WINNER FOR BEST RESULTS IN THIS BREAD.

While I’ve never seen psyllium husk powder in the grocery store, it’s likely that you can find it in some shops like Whole Foods or Sprouts.

YOU MUST USE THE POWDERED PSYLLIUM HUSKS – WHOLE HUSKS WILL NOT WORK THE SAME.

Does it matter what kind of almond flour I use?

YES. When people have issues baking my recipes it’s almost always because they aren’t using a good quality blanched (skins removed) SUPER FINE almond flour. And unfortunately what some companies are now calling super fine is NOT actually super fine.

Your almond flour should be like a powder. If it’s gritty, or has chunks in it, it’s going to affect the results in any keto baking recipe. A really good super fine almond flour will make all the difference in this Keto Bread recipe and any other – it’s worth paying a few extra dollars for the premium stuff.

Brands I recommend are Wellbee’s (this is the one I use most – I buy it in 5 pound bags on Amazon,) Honeyville, and Kirkland (if you have a Costco near you.) I haven’t tried every brand out there but I can say that of the ones I have tried, I’m not a fan of the Bob’s Red Mill or Anthony’s.

How much should I expect this Keto Bread to rise?

Because there is no yeast, and not an abundance of eggs, this bread does not rise a lot. The baking powder causes some rising and lightening of the loaf, but don’t expect this to blow up like a typical loaf of bread.

For that reason it’s important to follow the instructions to form your loaf by hand (DO NOT PRESS IT DOWN INTO YOUR LOAF PAN) into an 8 inch long, 3 inch wide, and about 3 inch high loaf. When it bakes, it will rise and expand about an inch or so, giving you a 9 x 4 x 4 diameter slice (give or take.)

Can I substitute coconut flour for the almond flour, or make other changes to this easy Keto bread recipe?

For best results, follow this recipe as written! There is no substitute for the hearts of palm – simply find a different keto bread recipe. Coconut flour is not an acceptable sub for almond flour – you may be able to use sunflower flour for a nut free alternative, but I have not yet tested that theory. As soon as I do I will post the results. If you make substitutions and they work, please do post your changes in the comments so others can benefit!

Since the original posting, I’ve updated this Keto HOP bread recipe with a few improvements based on reader feedback! Thank you!

Changes include adding weight amount to the hearts of palm (8 ounces drained,) forming into a shorter loaf for taller slices, increasing the temperature and cooking time, providing nutrition information by loaf as well as slice to account for slice thickness preferences, adding more coconut flour to absorb moisture, and increasing baking powder to lighten density. If you tried the original version you’ll have to let me know what you think of the improvements! They are subtle but I do think the overall texture (which I liked before) is even better and the flavor isn’t really affected at all (a good thing in my opinion!)

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