Keto Irish Soda Bread
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 03/02/2022 - Last updated on 03/08/2023
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This Keto Irish Soda Bread recipe is the most crusty keto bread loaf with a dense, tough crumb filled with crunchy walnuts and sugar-free cranberries.
It has all the taste and texture you expect, with only 3.2 grams of net carbs per slice. Plus, this low-carb keto bread recipe also has a dairy-free option.
Is Irish Soda Bread Keto?
No, traditional Irish Soda Bread is made of wheat flour and buttermilk. Two ingredients that are very high in carbs.
Also, some soda bread versions include added dried fruits like raisins and added sugar, increasing the carbs and making your blood sugar levels spike very quickly.
What’s Keto Irish Soda Bread?
It’s a low-carb quick bread recipe with a dense, crumbly crumb similar to the classic St Patrick’s day bread made of wheat, minus the carbs.
it’s naturally:
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- Sugar-free
- Paleo
- Dairy-free
How To Make Keto Irish Soda Bread
The recipe for this keto bread is pretty simple and basic. All you need are the ingredients below:
Ingredients
- Almond flour – for a better texture, color, and results, use ultra-fine blanched almond flour as I always recommend in any of my keto recipes. Of course, almond meal can be a valid substitute for this bread since it’s already dense, making the batter much drier.
- Egg protein powder or any unflavored protein powder you have on hand. In fact, adding protein to your bread make the crust ultra-crispy, thicker as you would expect from a real bread recipe.
- Baking powder – I know that regular soda bread doesn’t use baking powder at all, but since you are working with low-carb flour, you have to adapt the chemistry of the recipe a bit to work out well.
- Baking soda
- Egg white – you can use large eggs and split egg white from egg yolk or use egg white from packaged egg white.
- Melted butter or olive oil or melted coconut oil for the dairy-free option.
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt
Making Keto Buttermilk
Since regular buttermilk is high in carbs, you will make your own by mixing almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and melted butter or olive oil.
Stir in a mixing bowl, set it aside for 10 minutes until it curdles and thickens slightly.
Whisking Dry Ingredients
In another bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients: almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk very well until the protein powder is fully distributed through the almond flour.
Protein powder tends to form lumps, so if you don’t whisk the dry ingredients well enough, the bread crumb will show clusters of dry powder in it.
Stirring In Liquid Ingredients
Now, pour the liquid ingredients onto the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until the batter becomes thick.
It should stay moist and quite wet. It’s not a dough that you knead by hand.
Fold in any add-ons you like or skip if you don’t feel like it.
I like to stir in sugar-free cranberries and toasted chopped walnuts.
Shaping The Bread
First, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Line a cast iron pan or a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray olive oil on the paper.
I also had great success using a pizza pan with holes, as seen in the picture below. It diffuses heat better and makes the bottom of the bread ultra-crispy.
Using the spatula push down the mass of dough onto the paper. Oil your hands with olive oil and rub. Shape the bread into a wide disc, not too tall, or it will take ages to bake. Mine is 6-inch wide (15cm) to give you an idea.
Carving The Cross
Finally, oil a knife blade and draw a cross on top of the bread.
It’s a bit tricky because the bread batter is sticky. Move the blade from side to side to increase the width of the cross, as seen above.
Bake the soda bread
Bake in the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crusty.
Insert a pick in the center of the bread. It should come out clean or with a few tiny crumbs on it but not wet. If wet, bake it for an extra 10 minutes.
Stop the oven, open the door halfway, and keep the bread inside for 40 minutes to cool down gently. It will keep baking on the inside.
Fillings For Low-Carb Irish Soda Bread
There are different ways to enjoy Irish soda bread.
The most classic version has no sweetener or add-ons.
But if you like it sweet, you can try some of the below add-ons:
- Sugar-free cranberries – they mimic the classic dried raisins added in Irish Soda bread pretty well with a nice chewy texture.
- Chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds or great keto option.
- 2-3 tablespoons of keto sweetener for a sweet flavor.
Serving
This almond flour Irish Soda Bread is a delicious keto breakfast bread on its own or topped with some of the toppings ideas below:
- Butter
- Peanut butter
- Cream cheese
- Sugar-free chia seed jam
- Almond butter
- Cheese slices
Storage Instructions
This Irish Soda bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.
You can freeze the recipe in slices and thaw each slice the day before at room temperature.
More Keto Bread Recipes
Below I listed some more delicious keto low-carb bread recipes for you to try.
Have you tried my Irish Soda Bread with almond flour? Share a comment or review below!
Did You Like This Recipe?
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Keto Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups Almond Flour ultra fine is the best
- 3 tablespoons Protein Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3 large Egg Whites
- 2 tablespoons Melted Butter
- ⅓ cup Almond Milk
- 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Optional
- ⅓ cup Sugar-Free Cranberries finely chopped
- ⅓ cup Chopped Walnuts finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons Granulated Sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cast iron pan, baking sheet, or pizza pan with holes with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with olive oil. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and melted butter (or olive oil). Set aside for 10 minutes until it slightly curdles.
- In another large mixing bowl, whisk almond flour, unflavored protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sweetener, if used. Whisk well until no lumps of protein powder can be seen.
- Pour the milk mixture and egg white onto the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until a thick, heavy but wet batter forms. It should be dense but moist and wet.
- Fold in any optional adds-on like chopped walnuts and sugar-free cranberries and stir to incorporate.
- Using your spatula push down the batter on the prepared baking sheet.
- Oil your hands very well with olive oil and rub the dough to shape a 6-inch-wide disc (20cm) 2-inch tall (5cm). The bread won't rise or expand in the oven so the shape you give now matters.
- You don't have to smoothen the loaf by rubbing or pressing, keep it rough and bumpy for a real Irish bread aspect.
- Oil a knife blade and shape a cross on top of the bread – the dough is very sticky, so it's a bit challenging, but again, it doesn't have to be perfect.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes in the center rack of the oven or until golden brown and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean or with tiny little crumbs on it.
- Stop the oven, open its door halfway, and let the bread cool down for 40 minutes before releasing it on a cooling rack at room temperature.
Serving ideas
- Cut into slices of about (45g, 1.5oz) and top with butter, cheese, peanut butter, or plain as a side to a soup.
Storage
- Store the bread wrapped in a clean kitchen towel at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze slices for later in an airtight container or zip lock bags. Thaw the day before at room temperature.
Notes
Tools
Getting Started What Is Keto? Macro Calculator Sweetener Converter Intermittent Fasting Keto Fruits Keto Vegetables Keto Flours Fighting Keto Flu Healthy SweetenersWant My Kitchen Equipment?
Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
Disclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.
The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.
You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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I just cut into this a few minutes ago. I tried a piece because, well, I had to test it! It is fabulous! Tastes just like regular soda bread that I make every year (this time keto). Subs: sour cream instead of milk mix, 2eggs instead of 3 egg whites. The only thing I will change next time (and there will def be a next time!), I would leave out the walnuts. I like walnuts but they seem out of place in soda bread. But anyway, thank you – it is amazing!
Is there something I can substitute for the protein powder?
Thanks
Not really, it’s what brings all its crispiness to the bread. You can use egg powder, but you have to add protein in a form.
Hi Carine. Making this now. I had a problem with your mixture to make buttermilk – didn’t work for me with either the butter or olive oil. Are the proportions correct? I used another method of heavy cream w/the vinegar in the same proportions you have here and that thickened very nicely after 10 minutes. Hope this works with the bread. I did add both sf cranberries and chopped walnuts and placed dough on a slightly oiled piece of parchment paper in a cast iron pan. I did not find the dough overly sticky though (with oiled hands). I really hope this comes out because I made someone else’s recipe last night and it was too crumbly and not able to cut in slices like a bread. I will let you know in a few hours. I hope it becomes a 5 star!
It’s the apple cider vinegar that makes the milk thickened, but don’t expect a thick buttermilk either. Anyway, even without this step, the bread should come out pretty well.
Delicious recipe! I finally feel like I haven’t missed out on the festivities this year by using your recipe. I made a few substitutions: I used sour cream in lieu of the curdled almond milk since it was easier, though it probably added a few more carbs. Also, I used 2 whole large eggs & caraway seeds. Came out great!!
I am so happy for you! thanks for trying my recipes, XOXO Carine
Hi Carine, Is there any reason why you can’t use whole eggs or just 2 eggs?
Thanks
Jenny
Yes, egg white makes bread crispier, whole eggs turn the bread soft
This looks interesting to try. Can I use egg white protein powder, which I have on hand? Also, can I leave out the erythritol and just use Stevia to sweeten?
I have dried raspberries on hand. Would they work in this recipe?
Thank you for all your hard work. I enjoy your recipes.
Greetings from Southern California
Yes that’s the protein powder used in this recipe and dried raspberries sounds lovely too. Enjoy
Mine is in the oven now I tripped and fell over a slip cover. I have to to keep my leg up. So I needed something easy to make While I sit down
I got injured on Wednesday night, (tripped on the couch slipcover. A hidden hazard).
I’m totally out of any low-carb bread. So I went through my recipes and chose this one
I read the tips this time. Last time, I went straight to the recipe. So I see what you mean about egg white protein powder in your recipe. So glad I had everything to make it