Did you know, when you’re living in the Keto Zone, many foods that may seem off-limits can actually be made low-carbohydrate? Although you may feel limited, there’s a whole world of baking out there in the Keto Zone, as long as you know which ingredients to use and which foods are in the Keto Zone. For example, fruit bread. Are fruits okay? Is bread okay? Is there really a Christmas Keto Fruit Cake recipe I can use?
Now there is.
We’ve used delicious keto sweeteners for baking, gluten-free and low-carb keto flours for baking, and all the goodness of real-foods like fruit and poppyseeds. Here’s how you can fit them all into the Keto Zone, and why you should make this delightful Keto Berry Lemon Poppyseed Bread for a gift or your own table this Christmas.
Christmas Keto Fruit Cake with Berries, Lemon & Poppyseeds
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2/3 cup erythritol or a monk fruit/erythritol blend
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 6 large eggs, (free-range and/or organic if possible)
- 2 egg whites, free-range and/or organic if possible
- 3 tablespoons keto mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of one large lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds (optional)
- 1 cup blueberries, raspberries, or other favorite berries, divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a 9×5 inch bread pan or baking dish with non-stick spray (or use a bit of coconut oil). Or, line the pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together until well-mixed.
- Then, add eggs, egg whites, keto mayo, lemon and vanilla extracts, lemon zest, and poppy seeds. Mix all these ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.
- Gently fold 3/4 cup of berries into the mix.
- Pour dough into your prepared bread pan. Bake for 20 minutes initially.
- Remove pan from heat and add the remaining 1/4 cup of berries on top of the dough. Bake for an additional 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 2 hours (otherwise, the bread will be too warm and sticky).
- Carefully remove bread from pan and enjoy. Makes 8 slices.
Nutrition Info per slice: 222 calories, 13 grams fat, 6 gm carbs, 2 grams fiber (4 grams net carbs), 10 grams protein
Keto Zone Baking and Our Christmas Keto Fruit Cake
A delicious Christmas Keto Fruit Cake (or bread), and only 4 grams of net carbs! It’s not impossible to bake delicious treats and stay in the Keto Zone, as long as you know the tricks. Here’s how this recipe comes together in the Keto Zone, and what you should know about the ingredients.
Are Berries Allowed in Keto Zone?
Amazingly, berries can be consumed while in the Keto Zone. But, only in small amounts. In fact, they only contain about 3 grams of net carbs per 1/3 cup, and even small amounts deliver a lot of great nutrition. Berries:
- Contain amazing antioxidants. Their antioxidants, which are responsible for their beautiful colors, help the body extinguish free radicals, oxidative stress, and oxidized cholesterol.
- Are a natural blood-pressure reducer. Amazingly, one recent study found that just 100 grams of daily blueberries caused a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (1).
- Contain great fiber. The fiber in berries is great for cholesterol, digestion, and whole-body health. They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber.
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Are heart healthy. Researchers have linked daily berry consumption to improved LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose (2).
Great Keto Flours for Baking
Coconut flour and almond flour are excellent keto flours for baking, with some caveats. These include
- Neither are zero-carbohydrate, but they are both low-carb, so just watch your total numbers with them
- Can be mixed for longer than wheat flours as they don’t contain gluten (gluten becomes tough with mixing)
- Almond flour must be ground very finely – it often works best to buy commercial almond flours rather than grinding your own for baking
- The texture of almond flour is different, but acceptable, compared to other baking flours
- Coconut flour should be used in limited amounts as it absorbs water from the air and can cause a baked good to become sticky over time
Still, coconut and almond flours are incredibly useful keto flours for baking, and make it so we can eat all sorts of delicious baked goods without the carbohydrates!
Delicious Keto Sweeteners for Baking
Erythritol or commercial blends of erythritol and monk fruit are good keto sweeteners for baking. They:
- Taste a lot like sugar
- Have a consistency like sugar
- Can be substituted 1:1 or 1.5:1 in most recipes for sugar
- Have zero net carbs
- Are natural foods and not artificially developed in a lab
Bottom Line
You can bake delicious, company-worthy fruit bread and stay in the Keto Zone. Our Christmas Keto Fruit Cake with Berries, Lemon & Poppyseeds is a perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert with coffee.
Where do I buy erythritol?? Or monk fruit
Hi Erica, Sorry for my delay in getting back to you. The easiest place to buy them is online (Amazon), but many health food stores now carry them as well. These ingredients are great for Keto Zone baking! Thanks for reading and commenting.