This keto three cheese blackberry focaccia is a summer must! Layers of ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella meet caramelized onions and sweet summer blackberries in this stellar gluten free and low carb focaccia.

Keto Three-Cheese Blackberry Focaccia ☁

Extra Fluffy ‘N Crazy Good!

The burst of flavors in this keto summer main are honestly surprising, most definitely making it a personal favorite when summer comes around! And it’s pairing with our staple keto focaccia really is one of the best combos of toppings-to-base I’ve yet to try.

The keto focaccia base is soft, chewy and with a killer taste (i.e. no eggy business here!). Plus, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to whip up! Just do check out the video for tips ‘n tricks.

And the topping combo is a-mazing stuff (cannot say this enough!). I’ve been whipping this focaccia/pizza situation for nearly a decade, and it never gets old.

Solid proof that blackberries ain’t just for dessert!

The Deets 🔍

Making this low carb and keto focaccia is incredibly simple really. But, like with any yeasted bread, it does require you take care of a few details to ensure the best possible outcome.

And the one thing to keep in mind is that your focaccia will likely fall somewhat post bake, blame it on the lack of starch (keto flours are notoriously heavy and moist) and certain missing proteins (think gluten). But adding things such as whey protein and more psyllium or flax meal altered the taste quite unfavorably here. So we sacrificed some rise for the sake of taste, which we’re sure you won’t object to!

Also, given the grain free flours love to hold onto moisture, you’ll find that the exterior is not quite crispy. But if that’s your thing, simply give the slices a light toast post-bake. Though personally we didn’t find that necessary.

Please ignore the fact that I totally forgot to take pics of the before/after rise (#foodbloggerfail!). But use the focaccia as reference (same base, no toppings).

before rise

after rise

after blind bake

The Method 🔍

The yeast in this keto focaccia ensures a wonderful texture and taste. Now, how much your focaccia will rise (and fall!) post-bake depends quite a bit on your altitude. But note that you still won’t get that gummy and wet texture here of most low carb breads. Plus, we’re baking at over 7,000 feet (Mexico City here!!), so if we can make this keto focaccia work so can you.

Weigh your ingredients. This will forever be a staple recommendation for any sort of gluten free baking here at gnom-gnom. As aside from leading to less dirty dishes, it will ensure consistent results time and time again. Remember that gluten free (and particularly keto) baking is notoriously finicky, and measuring by cups is anything but accurate. And if you don’t own a baking scale, measure with cups by dropping the ingredients onto them rather than scooping them out (which often leads to overpacking).

Ingredients at room temperature. Self explanatory really, but incredibly important (particularly for the eggs). If you add cold eggs to the mix your focaccia simply won’t rise much (if at all).

Proof the yeast. This involves mixing dry active yeast with water that’s justwarm to touch (between 105-110°F to be precise) and maple syrup or honey for 7 minutes until foamy. 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 at all. And yes, this is a scientific fact.

Avoid abrupt temperature changes and air drafts. Like with any yeast bread, you need to cuddle your dough. Make sure it’s able to rest undisturbed in a warm space.

Baking at high altitude? Yup, so am I (Paola here!!). I’ve tried quite a few combinations, and the one modification I will suggest is to increase your oven temperature by 25°F. You may also need to decrease the baking time by 5 minutes, but that may change from oven to oven. I’ve made this focaccia also at sea level and it does fall a bit less post bake, but it’s still killer even if it falls a bit so don’t sweat it much.

The Flours

We like a mixture of super fine almond flour, psyllium husk and xanthan gum best. But if paleo, substituting the xanthan gum for twice the amount of flax seed meal yielded good results too, though slightly denser.

As previously mentioned, for the rise you’ll want active dry yeast and a touch of baking powder.

In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds. And for the psyllium husk you’ll want to use the NOW brand, as others may stain your keto focaccia purple.

Gluten Free & Keto Three-Cheese Blackberry Focaccia

This keto three cheese blackberry focaccia is a summer must! Layers of ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella meet caramelized onions and sweet summer blackberries in this stellar gluten free and low carb focaccia.

Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Bread, Main, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Servings 9 slices

Calories 197 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Cups

 

1x2x3x

For the keto focaccia bread

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey, to feed the yeast (NO SUGAR WILL BE REMAIN POST BAKE)*
• 80 ml water lukewarm between 105-110°F
• 144 g almond flour
• 28 g psyllium husk finely ground
• 1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds**
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 2 egg whites at room temperature
• 13 g extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

For the three-cheese blackberry topping

• 1 red onion thinly sliced
• 180 g ricotta cheese
• 60 g parmesan cheese i.e. Parmigiano Reggiano
• kosher salt to taste
• 1/2-1 round mozzarella di buffala to taste (I use half!)
• 230 g blackberries fresh or frozen
• basil leaves to garnish
• balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, to serve
• extra virgin olive oil to serve

Instructions

 

For the keto focaccia bread

• See recipe video for guidance! 
• Add yeast and maple syrup (to feed the yeast, see notes) to a large bowl. Heat up water to 105-110°F, and if you don't have a thermometer it should only feel lightly warm to touch. Pour water over yeast mixture, 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, psyllium husk, 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 egg, egg whites, olive oil and vinegar. Mix with a whisk or electric mixer for a couple minutes until light and frothy. Add the flour mixture in two batches, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. You want to mix thoroughly and quickly to activate the xanthan gum, though the dough will become very thick by the end and form into a round. 
• Line a 10-inch skillet or 9x9 dish with parchment paper and grease with olive oil (so the dough doesn't stick while you spread it). Dip a spatula (or your fingers) in water and spread the dough until even in thickness. With your fingers wet, make indentations in the dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free space for 40-50 minutes until lighter in texture. You don't want the dough to double, but it will puff up noticeably (see pictures for reference). 
• While your focaccia is proofing, heat up a skillet or pan with olive oil over medium/high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until fully caramelized (13-15 minutes). In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. And if you're baking at high altitude, you'll want to bake it at 375°F/190°C. 
• Transfer the skillet gently into the oven and blind bake (i.e. without toppings!) for 16-19 minutes, until fully golden. Remove from oven, sprinkle caramelized onions, spread the ricotta and parmesan mix on top, followed by the mozzarella and remaining blackberries. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and bake for 15-18 minutes more until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling. 
• Allow the focaccia to rest for a few minutes before serving, as the texture improves drastically after just 5 minutes. Don't worry it'll still be nice and warm! Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or a touch of red wine vinegar if you prefer) right before serving. 

Video

Notes

*Sorry for the caps, but 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.

Please note that nutrition facts were estimated, per slice, for the focaccia with the toppings. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 1mg

Keyword gluten free, keto, low carb

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