Think of this crazy keto dough as your (easy peasy!) master recipe, good for anything from pizza, hot pockets, tortillas, pasta… and much, muuuuch more!
Gluten Free & Keto Dough
Crazy Universal!
The term ‘crazy dough’ is one I encountered in the internet a while back, dubbed for a dough soooo crazy that it could be used endlessly. And no, this is not fathead dough (at all!)… but a rather terrific alternative for those dairy free.
It was first created for my famous tortillas (i.e. the most plagiarized recipe on the site, so you know its good!), but I soon realized it had many (many) more uses. So with little tweaks here and there, I’ve also turned it into pizza, pasta (and ravioli), cinnamon roll knots, hot pockets, naan (with yeast!), and quite a few more!
The great thing about it?! You can whip up a batch (double or triple even!), and keep it handy in the fridge for 3-4 days to be used for multiple goodies. It also freezes well, just check individual recipes for deets.
And so, in this post I’m giving you some more tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way, with subs included for every ingredient.
The Flours
The original recipe is a mixture of super fine almond flour (I love Anthony’s) and coconut flour (again Anthony’s best taste and texture by a mile!). Add a touch of xanthan gum, baking powder, and we’re golden.
The Substitutes
I know you guys need to substitute often (allergies, preferences etc), so this should come in handy:
- Almond flour can be substituted with sunflower seed flour on a 1-to-1 ratio. Given its similar fat and protein content to almond, this really is the best sub out there for those of you with nut allergies! Just note that its generally not ground as fine as almond and it has a different flavor profile, but I know you guys love it as you report back on it often.
- Coconut flour is a bit of a trickier one to sub as its more unique in its behavior, but still totally doable (as I found out in the naan recipe!). In fact, when yeast is involved, oat fiber had the best texture out of the lot, arguably as it is a grain. Oh, and the neat thing about oat fiber is that it’s virtually carb-less (I’m assuming there’s a trace, but labels read 3g carbs – 3g fiber = 0 net carbs!). Also keep in mind that brands vary a lot here and Lifesource seems to be the best (no weird aftertaste, etc).
- Xanthan gum is the trickiest of the lot to sub, because of its totally unique ability to act like a binder to replace gluten. Which means that for best results I suggest not trying to sub this one. Having said that, in case of allergies or sensitivity (or if paleo), you can use 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk powder instead. The dough won’t be a as malleable, but results will still be solid.
The Method
Couldn’t get any easier tbh! You simply whisk together the flours (very thoroughly!), add them to your food processor, add in a touch of apple cider vinegar (or any neutral tasting one), add in the egg and a touch of water. The dough will then come together into a ball, which you’ll wrap with plastic wrap and knead for a couple minutes (think sort of like a stress ball!).
No food processor? No worries! You can use your hand or stand mixer or even do it by hand with a little extra elbow grease. I don’t suggest using blenders though, as the dough is quite stiff and it could damage your engine.
Keto Dough With Yeast (!!)
I suggest checking out the naan post for full deets. You simply proof the yeast, pulse all the ingredients together in your food processor or in your stand/hand mixer, let the dough rest for thirty, roll it out and cook it up.
In terms of the cooking up, you can do either in the oven or on the stovetop. Both do require that you heat up a skillet (or pizza oven?!) so the naan gets a burst of heat and cooks rapidly.
Oh, and do feel free to play around with the thickness. Though keep in mind that, in my experience, thinner naan cooks best in the stovetop while thicker one in the oven (perhaps a no brainer?!).
Even though this low carb naan does employ the help of yeast (can’t beat the taste guys!), it doesn’t require all the fuss of say the sandwich bread or cinnamon rolls. So as long as you proof your yeast properly (read below), and you let it rest in a nice warm spot to develop the flavors you’ll be golden!
Top tips for proofing yeast: Mix dry active yeast with water that’s just warm to touch (between 105-110°F to be precise) and inulin or an actual sugar (think maple syrup or honey) for 7 minutes until foamy. If you don’t see any activity, your yeast may’ve gone bad or your water temperature was off (so start over!). And before you scream sugar (!!) 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.
The Uses
A little proof that this dairy free keto dough is truly universal! Click through to get the full deets on each application:
- suuuper pliable tortillas
- crisp ‘n poofed tortilla chips (and nachos!)
- taco shells
- naan (with yeast!)
- deep dish pizza
- 15 minute stove-top pizza
- suuuper tender dumplings
- pasta (i.e. fried gnocchi)
- pillowy-soft ravioli (ricotta or three cheese!)
- 30-minute cinnamon roll knots
- hot pockets
Crazy Keto Dough (For Everything!)
Ingredients
- 96 g almond flour
- 24 g coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt depending on whether sweet or savory
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 3-5 teaspoons water as needed
Instructions
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt to food processor. Pulse until thoroughly combined. Note: you can alternatively whisk everything in a large bowl and use a hand or stand mixer for the following steps.
- Pour in apple cider vinegar with the food processor running. Once it has distributed evenly, pour in the egg. Followed by the water. Stop the food processor once the dough forms into a ball. The dough will be sticky to touch.
- Wrap dough in cling film and knead it through the plastic for a minute or two. Think of it a bit like a stress ball. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes (and up to 3-4 days in the fridge).
- No food processor? No worries! You can use your hand or stand mixer or even do it by hand with a little extra elbow grease. I don't suggest using blenders though, as the dough is quite stiff and it could damage your engine.
If cooking on the stove top (tortillas, naan)
- Heat up a skillet (preferably) or pan over medium heat. You can test the heat by sprinkling a few water droplets, if the drops evaporate immediately your pan is too hot. The droplets should ‘run’ through the skillet.
- Transfer to skillet and cook over medium heat for just 3-6 seconds (very important). Flip it over immediately (using a thin spatula or knife), and continue to cook until just lightly golden on each side (though with the traditional charred marks), 30 to 40 seconds. The key is not to overcook them, as they will no longer be pliable or puff up.
If baking (pizza, cinnamon rolls)
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking tray with a baking mat or parchment paper. If making pizza, you'll want to blind bake the crust without toppings until lightly golden (10-13 minutes). Add the toppings and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
If frying (pasta, ravioli)
- Heat up butter or oil in a skillet or pan over low heat. Cook pasta until it just begins to get some color, I found this gave the most 'al dente' texture (soft but with a bite). Feel free to make a test with one piece.
Notes
The Substitutes
I know you guys need to substitute often (allergies, preferences etc), so this should come in handy:- Almond flour can be substituted with sunflower seed flour on a 1-to-1 ratio. Given its similar fat and protein content to almond, this really is the best sub out there for those of you with nut allergies! Just note that its generally not ground as fine as almond and it has a different flavor profile, but I know you guys love it as you report back on it often.
- Coconut flour is a bit of a trickier one to sub as its more unique in its behavior, but still totally doable (as I found out in the naan recipe!). In fact, when yeast is involved, oat fiber had the best texture out of the lot, arguably as it is a grain. Oh, and the neat thing about oat fiber is that it’s virtually carb-less (I’m assuming there’s a trace, but labels read 3g carbs – 3g fiber = 0 net carbs!). Also keep in mind that brands vary a lot here and Lifesource seems to be the best (no weird aftertaste, etc).
- Xanthan gum is the trickiest of the lot to sub, because of its totally unique ability to act like a binder to replace gluten. Which means that for best results I suggest not trying to sub this one. Having said that, in case of allergies or sensitivity (or if paleo), you can use 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk powder instead. The dough won't be a as malleable, but results will still be solid.
You mention yeast, but then it’s not in the ingredients or directions…
Okay I love your pastry recipe. But we have to I’ll admit it is very very fragile. I needed a pastry dough that I could use in my Sunbeam mini pie machine for hearty keto meat pies. This dough is the bomb. It doesn’t crumble .it doesn’t break. I can handle it easily and it doesn’t leak pie filling. Today I used my tortilla press and made the ravioli recipe and it turned out great too. I have the KitchenAid pasta sheet attachment coming later this week and I can’t wait to try running it through that in order to make the thinnest pie crusts possible. Thank you so much for this brilliant recipe.
Lol yeah its literally the definition of fragile ;)… and I’m glad that you reported back on this one as I also recently used this dough to make empanadas (fried them and all) and they came out terrific.
Thank you for taking the time to report back Sharon, re the kitchen aid pasta attachment I would love to hear if you have any luck with it with this dough?!
I love this recipe! I have been searching for a long time for a recipe that is this versatile as far as making keto dough goes. I really dislike the massive amounts of chees that a lot of recipes call for. This is by far the best dough recipe I have stumbled across yes, and can not thank you enough for sharing it.
Side note- it made me laugh a little that you referred to the blender motor as an engine.
Thanks again!
Couldn’t have asked for an even better blog. You’re ever present to provide excellent suggestions, going directly to the point for easy understanding of your website visitors. You’re really a terrific professional in this field. Many thanks for remaining there humans like me.
I’m wondering if anyone has attempted to laminte the dough to get a lot of layers in it. I knownits not loke glutinous doughs, but could it get those nice layers to make things like a croissant? Or an approximation of one? Maybe similar to Pillsbury croissant rolls?
Hi Holly! This own won’t work for lamination. I’ve thus far experimented a bit with the keto pie crust and flaky biscuits in terms of lamination (relatively successful, but I’ve a feeling you neee some vital wheat gluten for it to truly work)
AMAZING!! This recipe tastes SO good I was surprised when I tried it. It honestly tastes like real carbs/bread. It’s so tasty. Thank you!! I was craving bread and this hit the spot.
Can this recipe be made ahead and frozen?
I know this is way late….but I have frozen it and forgot it was there. Took it out and used it with no problems and still tasted good. I use this for pizza
Can this work for topping crust for peach cobbler?
I would use my flaky keto pie crust instead! https://www.gnom-gnom.com/cream-cheese-keto-pie-crust/
Can I steam this?
Unfortunately no!
Have you tried deep frying with this flour?
What if you added oat fiber to the mix?
It does work, search the blog for the dumplings! 😉
Is there a best substitute for the egg? Would love to try but am Vegan.
You could use Just Egg in this recipe. It’s totally vegan plant source. I’m not sure how flax egg would work but I often use that in my other dough recipes so I think that could work also. Use 1 Tbls of ground golden flax and add 3 Tablespoons of water for 1 egg, let it sit for 10 mins. And then whisk and use it in your recipe!
Carol, You can substitute with a box of “EnergG” Egg Replacer powder. It is a culinary Egg Substitute. gluten free, wheat free, No sugar added and no Cholesterol.
Maybe it’s the ingredient I used – but coconut flour has a definite coconut flavor that I can’t accept in a pizza or in bread. Might make a good cookie of cake – but never pizza.
I would highly suggest coving up the flavor with seasoning! I made a big batch of pizza seasoning and heavily season the crust!
Hi .. love this recipe , it is so versatile .. but I just want to know how much gram is your per serving mentioned in your nutritional table ?
I used this dough to make a crust for a summer tomato, cheese and bacon tart!! It was great!! Thanks!!
Amazing! Made calzones, but can’t wait to try it on something else!
I found it easier to put all of the dry flour in a ziplock bag while lined to a measuring cup then adding the eggs and water to knead into a dough than to wrap in seran. I also brushed the crust w/ olive oil to create an extra moisture barrier layer. Thank you for this awesome recipe Paola!
Can’t wait to try this just wondering if I can make a double or triple batch and freeze it for future use. Thanks for you help
In my opinion….yes. I have frozen it with good results for pizza
How many servings does this recipe make?! I’m wanting to use it as dough for a calzone!! Thanks!! 🙂
I would love to try this recipe, I am not Keto but is there a sub for the egg?
Hi, can I use a flax or chia seeds egg substitute for this recipe? & are there any other healthy egg substitutes I could use?, You have a great & safe day!.
AMAZING!! This recipe tastes SO good I was surprised when I tried it. It honestly tastes like real carbs/bread. It’s so tasty. Thank you!! I was craving bread and this hit the spot.
This recipe is amazing! From the 8 balls of dough, I was able to make mini pizzas, cinnamon knots, and tortilla chips to enjoy over a course of 4 days! This is a definite win for me! I even added cinnamon to a batch of the tortilla chips and ate it with your amazing No-Churn Paleo & Keto Coffee Ice Cream! So good and perfect for the sole Keto eater in the house!