Gluten Free & Keto Pecan Sticky Buns
Fluffy, gooey, and ultra sticky! These gluten free and keto pecan sticky buns (with yeast!) are nothing short of dreamy!
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion. Though for best results we (highly!!) suggest you weight your ingredients here.
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion. Though for best results we (highly!!) suggest you weight your ingredients here.
Servings 9 large rolls
Calories 379kcal
Ingredients
For the caramel-pecan topping
- 190 g pecans roughly copped
- 1 batch 15-minute keto caramel
For the gluten free & keto rolls
- 58 g sour cream or coconut cream + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water lukewarm between 105-110°F
- 1 tablespoon inulin or maple sirup, honey, to feed the yeast*
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- pinch ground ginger optional (to help proof the yeast)
- 216 g almond flour **
- 45 g golden flaxseed meal or 5 TBSP psyllium husk, finely ground***
- 35 g whey protein isolate
- 4-6 tablespoons erythritol or allulose, to taste
- 2 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 21 g unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee/coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
For the cinnamon filling
- 42 g unsalted grass-fed butter softened
- 4-6 tablespoons erythritol or allulose, to taste
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- See recipe video of the cinnamon rolls for guidance (we're making the same type keto dough), and check out the post for deets, tips and possible subs!
For the caramel-pecan topping
- Line with parchment paper the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Set aside. Prepare a work station for rolling up your buns by placing a 9x9-inch place of cling film (saran wrap) on the counter. Leave handy a small bowl with water (to wet your fingers) and a touch of oil to spread the dough (avocado works great here).
- Scatter pecans onto prepared pan, make a batch of our caramel sauce and pour on top. Set aside while you make the rolls.
For the gluten free & keto sticky buns
- Mix sour cream, water and inulin (or maple syrup) to feed the yeast in a small bowl. Heat up over a water bath to 105-110°F. And if you don't have a thermometer it should only feel lightly warm to touch.
- Add yeast and a dash of ginger to a large bowl. Pour lightly warm sour cream mixture over yeast, cover bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 7 minutes. The mixture should be bubbly, if it isn't start again (too cold water won't activate the yeast and too hot will kill it).
- Mix your flours while the yeast is proofing. Add almond flour, flaxseed meal, whey protein powder, sweetener, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
- Once your yeast is proofed, add in the eggs, lightly cooled melted butter (you don't want to scramble the eggs or kill the yeast!) and vinegar. Mix with an electric mixer for a a minute or so until fully mixed. Add the flour mixture in one go, mixing quickly until thoroughly incorporated. The dough will become very sticky, so you want to work quickly to get it mixed properly. Use a wet spatula to gather the dough into a ball.
- Divide the dough in 3 so you work in batches, important if you've never worked with this dough (you can roll it all in one go after you get some practice!). Lightly oil the piece of cling film and place dough on top, spreading it with your wet fingertips onto a roughly 7.5x9-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar to taste, leaving a 1 inch at the top untouched. Using the cling film as an aid, roll the dough as tightly as you can and sealing the edge with your wet fingertips. Carefully wet the blade of a sharp knife and cut into three if you divided the dough in thirds. Turn the rolls and lightly press them down with your palm.
- Transfer the rolls to prepared pan with caramel-pecan topping. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free space for 50-60 minutes until the dough has almost doubled in size. How long it takes depends on your altitude, temperature and humidity- so keep an eye out for it every 15 minutes or so.
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C while the dough is proofing.
- Place the pan on top of a baking tray and transfer gently into the oven. Bake for 22-30 minutes until deep golden, covering with a loose foil dome as soon as they begin to brown. Just be sure that the foil isn't resting directly on them. You can do less baking time for gooey-er rolls and longer for more bready ones.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes and invert onto a serving plate (and enjoy!)
Video
Notes
*You can feed the yeast with either inulin or an actual sugar (thanks for the inulin tip guys!). And do remember that the yeast will feed on such sugar to emit carbon dioxide, so it doesn’t affect the carb count. And yes, this is a scientific fact.
**If paleo (or in keto maintenance), feel free to sub 6 tablespoons of almond flour with arrowroot flour for a lighter crumb.
***Using psyllium husk instead of golden flaxseed results in slightly more 'whole wheat' rolls.
(Important note!) I recently made the connection (while at the dentist!) that xylitol inhibits yeast and bacteria growth (which is why it's the sweetener of choice for dental products). So don't use xylitol!!
Please note that nutrition facts were estimated per sticky bun, with the filling and caramel-pecan topping.
Nutrition
Serving: 1large roll | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 531mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1.6mg