Fathead Dough – how to still eat treat meals on keto
We all know eating a well balanced meal is the best, and that’s fine if you’re fairly good about your eating and don’t get carried away with ‘treat’ foods and eating them too much. I love sweet treats, but I’m also fairly sedentary in my job and most of my hobbies, so I need to diet to get rid of my overweight body and keep it off. Diets often mean cutting out everything nice. Treats can mean getting off the diet wagon and not getting back on. So this is why I like keto – and on my keto diet, fathead dough delivers my alternative ‘treat’ meals.
I don’t calculate all my macros like some on a keto diet. I stick with reducing my carbs as much as possible with the occasional normal carb food (I still have normal yorkshire pudding with roast beef – I have tried keto Yorkshires which are ok but I don’t have time or inclination to cook 2 different Yorkshires for one meal).
Generally I do keto by cooking the same or similar meals to what I’m cooking for the family. But just adapt mine by removing the potatoes, or switching the carbs for an alternative.
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This is where fathead dough comes in.
Fathead dough became more popular after the Fathead Movie. With keto, wheat flour is out, but alternatives like coconut flour or almond flour are fine.
Fathead dough is made from almond flour (although you can use coconut in an alternative version), cream chese, grated mozzarella and egg. You simply microwave the cheeses to melt the mozzarella, then combine the flour in, and mix with the egg to make a dough. It can be a bit wet, so I usually just add in more almond flour and chill it for a while.
The great thing about fathead dough apart from only having a handful of ingredients, is that it’s versatile. And fast to make.
I’ve used a couple of recipes in the past to make the dough. I usually stick with an almond flour version because with coconut flour you do get a bit of a coconutty flavour coming through. If you’re using strong ingredients with it like spices or pepperoni, then you won’t really taste it. Either version works fine and tastes good.
I look to adjust recipes to make 4 slices worth, and that usually is enough for 2-3 meals worth for me. With leftovers I warm up the next day in the microwave. You do need to be careful reheating so it’s just heating up and not re-melting it. I use Wholesome Yum recipes, and also use the version at Ditch the Carbs for homemade keto sausage rolls, and that version worked well too.
Some recipes you need to part cook the fathead dough first, e.g pizza bases. Others you can cook the dough as you’re putting the recipe together. But you can experiment with it, and so far I’ve not had it go wrong.
It can be a very sticky dough. I just add more flour, chill covered in the fridge for 30 minutes, and then roll it out between greaseproof paper. After chilling you can use the dough for different dishes.
What recipes can you use fathead dough for
Fathead dough pizza – we have pizza every few weeks so fathead dough allows me to have what feels like a real treat meal and eat the same as the rest of the family. To make fathead pizza you need to roll out the dough, prick with a fork, then cook in the oven on a tray at about 180C for 10-12 minutes until cooked through and firmer, starting to colour slightly. Then cool a little, add tomato sauce (i use a chilled basil and tomato pasta sauce for speed), and whatever other toppings, then pop back in the oven to melt the cheese on your pizza. Delicious.
Fathead dough garlic bread – similar to the pizza, after chilling roll it out. Slice slightly across the top, cook til slightly browning, then brush over a melted butter, chopped parsley and crushed garlic mixture. (You can add a little garlic powder into the dough too). N likes this just as much as normal garlic bread.
Fathead dough sausage rolls – when I do a sausage plait for the family, I make myself keto sausage rolls. You don’t get the same softness as with puff pastry I’d use for normal sausage rolls, but these are just as delicious. Just roll out in squares or rectangles, put a sausagemeat and herb mix along the middle of the dough, roll it over, then bake til crispy, lightly browned and cooked through.
Bagels – sSplit the chilled dough into 4, roll into long sausages, then make into circles (or ‘knots’). Sprinkle with seeds – I used sesame seeds. Then bake on greaseproof paper on a baking sheet until cooked and lightly browning. You can also add flavourings to the dough. Serve with butter, or a dip.
Pizza calzone – take a circle of fathead dough, on half put cooked meats like garlic sausage, ham, cheese, and tomato sauce, cover with the other half of dough to make a semi circle shape. Twist over the edges (like a pasty), then bake until lightly browned.
Pizza pockets (toasties) – make ‘toasties’ with tomatoes, cheese and whatever other fillings you want, then bake. You could also make breakfast pockets by adding cooked bacon, scrambled egg, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Cheesy crackers – roll out the dough to a thin layer, then cut into small squares, then bake til firm. Serve with dips or as nachos,
Cinnamon twists – roll out dough, make a cinnamon butter by dissolving keto friendly sugar alternatives in melted butter, add ground cinnamon. Brush over the dough. Cut into strips, then twist 2 strips together before baking until cooked through.
Chicken pie – make your pie filling, then roll out the dough and top the pie filling before cooking until the top is lightly browning and cooked through.
Keto cinnamon rolls – sprinkle a cinnamon and keto friendly sugar alternative mix (go easy on the cinnamon) over the dough, roll up the dough and cut into rounds. Sit the spiral rolls in a buttered baking dish til lightly browning, then top with a keto icing.
Fathead dough recipe ingredients
- 170 g (1 ¾ cups) pre shredded/grated cheese mozzarella
- 85 g (¾ cups) almond flour* (flour, not ground almonds)
- 2 tbsp cream cheese full fat
- 1 eggs – medium medium
- pinch salt to taste
How to make fathead dough
- In a microwavable bowl combine the cream cheese and mozzarella. Heat for about 30 seconds until the mozzarella has melted
- Add the almond flour and egg, season if needed, combine to make a dough. If it’s really wet, just add some more flour in
- Chill the dough in the fridge for a bit to help it firm up.
- Roll out and use for the recipe you want.
I’ll definitely be continuing to eat fathead dough as an alternative to pastries and breads while eating low carb.
Have you tried fathead dough? What recipes do you recommend?
Like this post, try these other tips for nearby days out.
