Keto Baking For Beginners | The Ultimate Guide To Low-Carb Baking

Are you on a keto diet? Have you been craving your favorite desserts and savories? Well, then it's time to cheer up! Being on keto doesn't mean you need to skip your favorite baked goods.

With the right ingredients and nutritional quality control, you can bake some of the yummiest pastries, muffins, waffles, and whatnot. Moreover, you also get to experience baked chicken and kale chips. So, the door's wide open for those with a sweet tooth, even if you are on a keto diet!

Through this article, we will go deep into what keto baking entails. We will look at the alternatives of ingredients in terms of various low-carb flours sweeteners as well as gluten and starch alternatives.

We have a collection of the top tips that you must be aware of as you start your journey of keto baking. Please go through them and try to include these pointers in the baking process.

Ingredients Required for Low Carb Baking

Are you new to the entire low-carb baking jazz? If yes, it is essential to understand that ingredients can make or break your keto diet in the easiest way possible. You must figure out the right stuff before adding them to your recipes.

Here are some of the ingredients you are bound to use in your keto baking expedition:

Almond Flour

Almond Flour is one of the most nutritious flours available in the market. It is a gluten-free nut flour that is basically ground-blanched almonds. You can easily make your almond flour at home from scratch.

All you need are some blanched almonds, and you are good to go! You can use a spice or coffee grinder for this. Moreover, try not to grind the almonds for a long time. If you do, the nuts might release all their fat, and you will only have almond butter left for you. Almond butter is pretty good to taste but is not the final product you desired initially.

A cup of almond flour usually weighs about 99 grams or 3.5 oz.

Coconut Flour

When dried and grounded into a final meal, cold-pressed coconut flesh results in coconut flour. The flavor is pretty much like its name, and the high fiber content helps in binding the liquid into a dough.

Just like almond flour, coconut flour is also gluten-free. Because of this factor, it will not raise the dough like the traditional flour. That will only happen once yeast is added.

A cup of coconut flour usually weighs about 4.5 ox or 128 grams.

Flax Meal Flour

On a general note, like other flours, Flax meal is made by grinding the flaxseeds and then producing the flour from it. It is used in low-carb baking recipes but, remember that it is heavy flour.

Why? Well, because it is difficult to grind the flax seeds into a very fine form. Additionally, you should only use golden flax meals in your baking, not regular ones. The traditional flax meal has a gummy texture, specifically when baking it.

You will also find Flax eggs that are great substitutions for vegan meals and people allergic to eggs. Using flax meal instead of eggs helps achieve a gel-like consistency upon adding water. You might not be able to get this with regular eggs.

If you are replacing one egg, you should technically mix one tablespoon of the ground flax meal along with half a tablespoon of water. Then, you should allow the mix to thicken for 5 minutes.

Gluten and Starch Alternatives

Gluten and starch are some of the essential parts of traditional baking. They provide structure to the baked good along with helping them bind together.

We try to replicate these characteristics and find substitutes in keto baking, but it is a challenging process. You will see the possible options in detail in the section on low-carb baking with these alternatives.

Sweeteners

How bland would be your cakes, pastries, and waffles without the sweet element! Sugar substitutes are also important will you start low-carb baking. On a regular note, sugar has a very high amount of carbohydrate content that will not go well with your nutritional quality control.

Some recommendations have been mentioned in the article down below. You should try to choose the sweeteners according to your requirements and the benefits they offer.

Low Carb Baking with Almonds

Now, we come to the actual matter! Keto baking with Almond flour comes up first. With this, you should be aware of the difference between almond flour and almond meals.

Almond meals usually have the husk of the nut in the meal itself. On the other hand, almond flour doesn't have any flour. That is why it becomes a better option to start baking with. The husk can act negatively on your baked goods.

Many people consider blanched almond flour as the closest substitute to regular flour with gluten, but that is a misconception. Yes! Almond flour is great, but it will always be different from gluten flour.

Gluten is a crucial part of baked goods, and the sad part is that there aren't many keto-friendly flours that have this constituent.

While almond flour does provide a pretty great structure, it is not comparable to the effect of gluten for sure.

Gluten can be rolled, stretched, and even absorbed water. Almond flour is simply incapable of achieving these qualities apart from absorbing a small amount of water.

Thus, the biggest tip to keep in mind while dealing with almond flours is adding ingredients like gums, flax, or eggs in the flour to bind it together and build any structure you like.

Low Carb Baking with Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is a new world in itself. More so, for the newbies in keto baking. Generally, you will buy it in a dried, milled coconut form. There will be specific differences in consistency depending on the brands you choose.

Some of the brands will have more refined flour than the others. Why is this essential? Well, for starters, the behavior of the flour will largely depend on the fine-ness.

The pro tip is the more refined the coconut flour, the better it will be.

As discussed previously, almond flour absorbs only some water; on the other hand, coconut flour is highly absorbent and will grasp every bit of fluid until it reaches its maximum saturation.

A typical rule of thumb is:

Take half a cup of almond flour with two eggs, while you should take half a cup of coconut flour with 4 to 6 eggs.

The reason for this difference is the fact that coconut flour makes for extraordinarily dense and dry goods post-baking. Adding eggs helps create a pretty good structure but will give a very eggy taste in the end.

Coconut flour is one of the best flours to be used in the case of pancakes and waffles. The absorbent properties of this flour go miles in case of producing these types of baked goods.

Coconut flour also works well if you have a nut allergy or don't like ingesting nuts in the almond flour.

Low Carb Baking with Nut-free Flours

Some other flours work pretty well as an alternative for regular flour while you invest yourself in keto baking. Some of these nut-free flours are:

Sunflower Seed Flour

Sunflower seed is made by grinding sunflower seeds into fine powder. This flour is a perfect mix for those people who have a nut allergy.

Sunflowers usually have a very pronounced taste, so; you should look at the brands to figure out the flavor that best suits you. The more refined sunflower seed flour, the better. Like almond flour, you can also blend this flour at home with a great grinder.

The main negative involved in using sunflower seed flour is that it turns green when you start baking it. That is mainly because of a chemical reaction due to baking powder or soda.

The color doesn't really affect the taste, but it is not the best-looking dish ever.

Another trick is adding lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to work against this reaction.

Pumpkin Flour

Another really famous nut-free flour is Pumpkin flour! It is created from dried pumpkin flesh without the stem and leaves. You can include the seeds and rind, or even skip it.

Pumpkin Flour is also particularly popular because of its cheap cost of pumpkin production. The fact that pumpkin flour is gluten-free can also benefit people with coeliac disease!

The shelf life for Pumpkin flour is also pretty great, which can range up to 11.5 months to a year.

Substituting Flours

A general question would be, can you substitute these flours for each other? Well, the answer is yes, but more than often, you would also have to increase or decrease the quantity of flour added respectively. Also, check the recipe and rework it accordingly.

For instance, a cup of almond flour would be substituted with 1/3rd cup of coconut flour.

On the contrary, 1/3rd cup of coconut flour can be replaced by 2/3 rd cup of almond flour and about 1.5 spoons of ground psyllium husk powder. We will be discussing more these alternatives and additives in the coming sections.

Additionally, the brand also makes a huge difference. Please be mindful of the brand that you use for these flours.

Gluten and Starch Alternatives

You must have understood the sheer importance of gluten while making baked goods by now. While you start your adventure with keto baking, it is essential to realize that you can use alternatives instead.

Here are some of the famous ones you can easily find in a grocery store near you!

Psyllium

As mentioned before, Psyllium is an excellent fit for keto baking. It is a pulverized psyllium husk shell that provides texture to baked goods. But here comes the main point!

Since this ingredient's fiber content is pretty high, it can be used as a laxative. Keeping a sensitive stomach in mind, you must decide the amount of fiber that should be included in your food.

Psyllium has a remarkable ability to mimic gluten, so when added to liquids to becomes a gel-like material. It helps in rolling and shaping the dough. You should be careful of the brand you buy this from; the quality will change from brand to brand.

Xanthum Gum

Xanthum gum is also a super hit binding agent which helps in providing a jelly-like consistency to your toothpaste. Keto baking involves many alternatives, and Xanthum gums are used in place of gluten.

With Xanthum gums, less is more! So, you should try to add limited amounts to your baked goods; otherwise, you are bound to have a slippery mouth feel whenever you eat them.

Gelatin

Gelatin, the more common brand for ice cream, is also an excellent structure adding factor in keto baking. It provides a chewiness ability along with a proper shape to your baked goods.

Whey Protein Isolate

Whey Protein Isolate is also a common addition to the process of keto baking. Recipes are usually incomplete without this ingredient.

The primary function of whey protein isolate is to add the rise to your cakes and pancakes.

Some of the brands offer whey protein isolates that are high in carbs. If you are on a keto diet, you must steer clear of all such brands.

Collagen

Like gelatin, collagen also gives a chewy feeling to your food upon addition. But it is highly recommended that you check the brand and ingredients before adding them to your mix.

Why?

Well, most commonly, many brands use chicken parts in their creation. This also tends to give a chicken-like flavor to the collagen product.

So, to save yourself from any trouble, double-check and research the brands before making the purchase.

Baking Powder

Now comes the final aspect of gluten and starch alternatives; it is none other than baking powder!

Just like we mentioned before while buying baking powder for your yummy baking goods, try to check the labels.

You see, baking powder mainly consists of three elements: baking soda, starch, and the cream of tartar. The only thing scary in this mix is the dreaded starch for people restricting their carb intake.

We can't entirely remove the starch either since it acts as a beautiful bulking agent and helps measure the goods.

So, what can we do?

It will be best to check the number of carbs per brand. Most of these brands would show the calculation of 1 carb over ¼ teaspoon. In a traditional baking setup, this amount might increase to 6 to 8 additional carbs.

Next, you can also look at making a keto-friendly baking powder through an array of recipes available online. Instead, you can leave the starch from the mixture or even substitute it for different fibers. Yay! Problem solved.

Alternatives for Sweeteners

Sweeteners form an essential part of the baking goods, keto or no keto. If you plan to make the yummiest waffle ever, you must add some sugar substitute. Also, remember that adding more sweetener will not sweeten the mix but might even destroy the taste.

Below mentioned are some of the top picks for the best sweeteners available in the market for keto baking.

You can also mix these sweeteners for an added sweet effect, but you should try to be mindful of the same.

Monk Fruit is a great sweetener to start your keto baking with. The texture of this sweetener is pretty close to that of sugar. On top of that, you would not even have an aftertaste. Moreover, as we mentioned, blends are entirely okay!

So, you can try mixing monk fruit with the allulose and wait for the magic to occur.

Steve is also a great option for the ones on the lookout for sweeteners. The negative is that it has a strong after taste which can be off-putting to people who haven't tasted it before.

Steve also goes a long way and consists of an erythritol and oligosaccharides blend. It also has a somewhat cooling after taste that people can either love or entirely hate.

Also, if you have a stevia and erythritol blend, you will have to go for half the amount of sweetener since it is literally doubly sweet!

Are Keto Goods Worth It?

Yes, yes, and thousand times yes! If you are one of these who have just started a keto diet and are worried about all these desserts that you will be missing out on, keto baked goods are here for you!

The benefits are immense, and we can go on and on about them. Below are some of the top advantages of opting for a keto diet, thereby creating keto baking goods.

Low Carb Diets Will Help You Reduce Weight.

Reducing the carbs that you ingest is the easiest method to increase the chances of effective weight loss. Many studies show that a keto diet will help you reduce weight fasters and even more in terms of the number of pounds.

How? by simply reducing the excess water from your body!

Reduced Insulin and Blood Sugar Levels

Ketogenic diets are helpful for people who have diabetes or insulin resistance. Once you reduce carbs, it drastically lowers blood sugar and insulin levels. Hence, making you fitter.

Lowers the Blood Pressure

Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of death in the twenty-first century. You might also experience this due to increased stress levels or lack of physical activity in life.

It also becomes a cause of many other issues such as kidney failure, stroke, and heart disease. If you switch to a lower-carb diet, you are bound to experience lower blood pressure levels, eventually leading to a longer life.

Also, a healthier one!

Top 5 Tips to Follow While Low Carb Baking

Here is a comprehensive guide for the top 5 tips to follow while you embark on your journey for low-carb baking. That will be really helpful, so you better keep these in mind!

Learn the Basics

Just as the heading states, learn the alphabet before writing songs. Keto baking is slightly different from traditional baking, so a lot of learning, unlearning, and relearning are involved.

As a beginner, you must truly understand the interaction of the ingredients and then start experimentation. Also, relying on experts is the easiest way to start. They can never go wrong.

Replace Milk in Keto Baking

Milk plays an essential constituent of baking. With about 12 carbs per cup, regular milk might not be the best way to begin your keto baking journey. You should generally go for unsweetened almond or coconut milk instead.

On the other hand, you can use whipping cream mix. It can be made by using half whipping cream and half water to achieve milk-like consistency.

Keep Your Baking Tools Handy.

Imagine having all the ingredients and reading up all about keto baking, but not having the right pan around! Your baking day might not end well in this case.

The list of baking tools has been given below. Do check whether or not you have them settled with you before starting the baking process.

• Cake Pans
• Springform Pans
• Baking Sheets
• Spatulas
• Whisks
• Stainless steel measuring bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Loaf pans
• Rolling pins
• Silicone Baking Mats
• Cooling Rack
• Cookie Scoops
• Hand mixer
• Stand Up Mixer

Baking Powder and Eggs Make a Lot of Difference

Eggs can make or break your keto-baked good. A simple trick is to double the number of eggs when altering your traditional baking goods recipes to keto ones.

Similarly, baking powder also plays a crucial role in the cake rise of your low-carb baked goods. Since these keto, grain-free flours do not have gluten in them, you should add about 1/4th teaspoon of baking powder additionally to make the heavier keto flours rise correctly.

With suitable baking powder and eggs, you will make a yummy and great-looking dessert!

Add Tablespoons of Flour Alternatives.

While making traditional baked goods, we all tend to scoop the wheat flour and level off the excess later on. This is a bad idea when it comes to low-carb flours.

In the case of low-carb baking, you should try to add the flour alternatives such as coconut flour or almond flour by tablespoons into the measuring cups.

What Should You Not Do While Baking on Keto?

While we did talk about some essential pointers to remember while you bake goods in a low-carb setting, there are some things you should not try to do. Also, it is best to ask an expert before you start experimenting with your baked goods!

Never ever swap almond flour and use coconut flour instead. These two flours have very different behaviors, resulting in a disaster.

If you plan to swap them, you should also change the recipe. The difference will be in the eggs you use and the overall moisture of the final product.

Next up, as we mentioned before, do not add extra sweetener in a bid to increase the sweetness. What can you do? Well, you can simply add another sweetener instead.

Once you add more of a single sweetener, you will increase the aftertaste accompanied by the sweetener. So, if you want to cancel the aftertaste accompanied by the sweetener, add a new one!

Lastly, adding a lot of eggs will lower the sweetness of the baked good. So, it is recommended not to do that.

The temperature is also an essential factor.

As the temperature will be higher, the goodwill tastes sweeter. On the other hand, the same dessert at a relatively lower temperature will come across as less sweet even though the ingredients are the absolute same.

Wrapping Up

We hope all the newbies in the world of keto baking find this article helpful. We understand that it can get overwhelming in the beginning, and that is why the best thing to do is to take one step at a time.

It is recommended that you read and research keto baking and know the process in and out before starting. The easiest way to do so is to rely on an expert, and with some hand-holding, you will soon be able to ace this game like none other.

We wish you happy and healthy baking! Believe in yourself and your motive, and get started today!