Keto Pandesal Recipe

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Written by Brenda Peralta, Registered Dietitian and medically reviewed by Abby Courtenay

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Pandesal is a well-known soft and buttery and roll commonly made and served in the Philippines. 

They are typically eaten for breakfast, but you can enjoy them any time during the day or night, they pair well with a number of different foods. 

However, if you are following a keto diet, you might be wondering whether you can indulge, or how to incorporate them without compromising your goals.

As you may have suspected, these rolls are traditionally made with flour and sugar, which are two ingredients you want to avoid on keto.

But not to worry! The good news is that you can create a keto pandesal recipe that is just as delicious as the original recipe. You can still have your favorite treat without affecting ketosis. 

Get ready to welcome this tasty treat back into your life! 

 

Ingredients

Dry

  • 5 tbsp psyllium husk
  • 1¼ cups almond flour 
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt 

Wet

  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil 

Makes 8 rolls

 

Serving suggestions

This recipe can feed a family of 4 people, with each person having up to 2 rolls. 

If you’re not too hungry (or want to make them last longer), you can also save them in the freezer and have them later for a quick snack or something to add to your dinner. 

They go perfectly with a bowl of keto soup or with a saucy dish that’s calling out for dipping bread. 

 

Nutritional information 

This is a healthy way to include pandesal in your keto meal plan. 

Serving size: one bun

  • Calories: 124 kcal
  • Fat: 10.1 g
  • Net carbs: 2.8 g
  • Total carbs: 5.4 g
  • Fiber: 2.6 g
  • Protein: 4.7 g

Here is the breakdown for the entire recipe (8 rolls), and how much for 1 roll. 
 

Ingredients Calories Fat (g) Net carbs (g) Total carbs (g) Fiber (g) Protein (g)
5 tbsp psyllium husk 57 0 1.6 13.3 11.7 0
1 1/4 cups almond flour 759 67 17.9 26.8 8.9 26.8
2 tsp baking powder 5 0 2.2 2.2 0 0
1 tsp sea salt 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 tsp apple cider vinegar 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 large egg whites 52 0.2 0.6 0.6 0 10.8
1 tbsp olive oil 119 13.5 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 992 80.7 22.3 42.9 20.6 37.6
1 serving 124 10.1 2.8 5.4 2.6 4.7

 

As you can see, this recipe is very low in carbs. One bun has only 2.8 g of net carbs, which makes it an ideal option for those on a ketogenic diet. 

It also offers some protein since one bun has 4.7 g of protein, which is almost the same as one medium egg. 

Finally, the biggest macronutrient they offer is fats. Most of them are healthy fats, which make them a great addition to a ketogenic diet. 

 

Recipe steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)
  2. In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients thoroughly. 
  3. Boil 1 cup of water. 
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a hand mixer for 30 seconds. Be careful not to overmix. 
  5. Moisten your hands with the olive oil and create 8 separate balls. 
  6. Place the balls on a greased baking sheet. 
  7. Bake for 50-60 minutes. 
  8. Turn the oven down to 300°F (150°C), and cook for another 10-20 minutes until they are golden brown on top. 

 

Tips and variations

Tips

  • Instead of using the oven, you can also make these in the air fryer, at 320°F (160°C) for 30 minutes. 
  • You can add extra olive oil or butter to increase your daily fat intake. 
  • Accompany with some non-starchy vegetables and protein to have a healthy keto lunch or dinner
  • Sometimes the psyllium husk can turn the bread purple. If this happens, you may want to try another brand. 

Variations

You can add some different spices to change up the flavor. 

  • Spices
  • Turmeric 
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Crushed red flakes 
  • Oregano
  • Basil 

 

How to store it

One of the benefits of this recipe is that you can store it in the freezer to extend its shelf life. Before cooking, wrap up each individual ball and store them so they are ready to go whenever you want them. 

On the other hand, if you cook them first and want to save some for later, put them in an airtight container and they can last more than 15 days. 

 

What to eat with pandesal

Now that you know how to make a keto pandesal recipe, you might be wondering what you can have with it to prevent affecting your ketosis levels. 

Try spreading on some avocado to increase your healthy fats intake, or you can add a small portion size of cream cheese

To increase protein and balance out the dish, Spread on some peanut or almond butter, or fill it up with shredded chicken, pulled pork, or a turkey burger.

Besides dipping it in soups, you can also add some cheese in the middle of them to create a sandwich for the perfect on-the-go snack. 

 

Frequently asked questions

One of the reasons why it might not be fluffy is because it didn’t puff while baking. This might be due to the yeast not functioning properly. 

To check this, purchase another yeast and try the recipe again. 

Yes, you can add some peanut butter to your pandesal. You can add any nut butter of your choice, like almond, macadamia, or pistachios. They are high in healthy fats, which can help you reach your fat requirements. 

You can have pandesal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. 
Make sure to balance the dish with protein, vegetables, and healthy fat. That way, you can have a healthy meal with pandesal. 

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