Low Carb Strawberry Lemon Sweet Rolls

Fluffy sweet rolls that taste like REAL BREAD but ALSO happens to be low carb. Yes, this is real life. No need to pinch yourself, because you are NOT dreaming! I created this recipe for a special Valentine’s Day treat, but truly, they are perfect for any day of the year!

You will notice that I used a combination of two different types of sweetener for this recipe. This is one of my tricks to avoid any of the weird aftertaste that ALL sugar free sweeteners have. By using a combination of multiple sweeteners, I am able to get the perfect level of sweetness without it having that weird sugar-free taste that we are all familiar with.

Despite having cheese as part of the base, I can assure you that you do not taste it at all in the finished rolls. The cheese gives such amazing structure and texture to the rolls, but blends right into the background and you’d never even know it was there.

What you will end up with, however, are FLUFFY, TENDER rolls that do not taste low carb in any capacity. You seriously won’t believe how incredible they turn out. But please, please, PLEASE, be sure you follow the directions closely and to use the gram measurements. Like I said, I spent a ton of time getting things just right and if you start substituting or cutting corners, I promise the end result will be lackluster.

I do not have any substitutions to offer with this one. Some recipes just need to be made the way they are. Don’t try to healthify it or sub with a different ingredient. Trust me. It took me MANY trial runs to get the base recipe perfect, so I would recommend making this recipe the way I created it. If you feel like experimenting and want to test out dairy free subs, please let us know in the comments how it went. But don’t hold me responsible if it doesn’t turn out as good as the original. ;)

Fluffy sweet rolls that taste like REAL BREAD but ALSO happens to be low carb. Yes, this is real life. No need to pinch yourself, because you are NOT dreaming! I created this recipe for a special Valentine’s Day treat, but truly, they are perfect for any day of the year!

You will notice that I used a combination of two different types of sweetener for this recipe. This is one of my tricks to avoid any of the weird aftertaste that ALL sugar free sweeteners have. By using a combination of multiple sweeteners, I am able to get the perfect level of sweetness without it having that weird sugar-free taste that we are all familiar with.

Despite having cheese as part of the base, I can assure you that you do not taste it at all in the finished rolls. The cheese gives such amazing structure and texture to the rolls, but blends right into the background and you’d never even know it was there.

What you will end up with, however, are FLUFFY, TENDER rolls that do not taste low carb in any capacity. You seriously won’t believe how incredible they turn out. But please, please, PLEASE, be sure you follow the directions closely and to use the gram measurements. Like I said, I spent a ton of time getting things just right and if you start substituting or cutting corners, I promise the end result will be lackluster.

I do not have any substitutions to offer with this one. Some recipes just need to be made the way they are. Don’t try to healthify it or sub with a different ingredient. Trust me. It took me MANY trial runs to get the base recipe perfect, so I would recommend making this recipe the way I created it. If you feel like experimenting and want to test out dairy free subs, please let us know in the comments how it went. But don’t hold me responsible if it doesn’t turn out as good as the original. ;)

In order to keep this recipe keto and low-carb, I use sugar-free honey in the frosting and filling (see my note below about the real honey/maple syrup in the dough). My favorite brands are:

• Sukrin Gold Syrup & Honey Alternative

• Mrs. Taste Bee Free Vegan Honey (Zero Sugar)

• Nature’s Hollow Honey Sub Sugar Free

The Nature’s Hollow brand can cause a little bit of digestive upset for some people, but not everyone. The other three are really gentle on your stomach. All 4 brands will work great in this recipe.

Note: At this time my site is not set up to display nutritional info. Someday I will add that feature, but until then you can input the ingredients into any online calculator of your choice. There are a ton out there. It’s also worth mentioning that the real honey or maple syrup sugar content in the recipe gets eaten by the yeast, therefore it’s not counted in the final carb count. :)

Low Carb Strawberry Sweet Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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Yield: 9 sweet rolls

Author: Brittany Angell

Ingredients

Sweet Roll Dough

• 4 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp real honey or maple syrup
• 1½ tsp (6 g) fast-acting yeast (instant yeast)
• 2 cups (225 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp psyllium husk powder
• ½ cup (46 g) garbanzo bean flour
• ¼ cup (29 g) blanched almond flour
• ¼ cup (20 g) oat fiber
• ½ tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
• 1½ tsp (7 g) double-acting baking powder
• ⅛ tsp salt
• Mild-flavored oil (like avocado oil or refined coconut oil)
• 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) heavy cream (for brushing on top of buns)

Strawberry Filling

• 3 cups frozen strawberry slices
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 tbsp sugar-free honey (see my note above about sugar-free honey brands!)
• 1/4 tsp stevia extract or monk fruit extract
• Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese
• 3 tbsp sugar-free honey (see my note above about sugar-free honey brands!)
• 1/4 tsp stevia extract or monk fruit extract
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp heavy cream (use up to 2 tbsp depending on how thick you prefer your frosting)

Instructions

1. First, make the strawberry filling. Add all ingredients for the filling to a sauce pan and simmer over medium for 15-20 minutes or until it’s about the thickness of a thin jam. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C). When it is preheated, turn the oven off (it will be used as a hot box to quickly proof the rolls). Line a 7 x 7-inch (18 x 18-cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
3. To make the dough, in a small microwave-safe cup or bowl whisk together the 4 tbsp of cream and honey. Place in the microwave for 5 seconds intervals and heat until lukewarm. If it’s hotter than that be sure to let it cool or your yeast won’t work. Add the yeast to the mixture and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to activate. It should start bubbling and showing life.
4. Place the mozzarella cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. The cheese won’t be fully melted. Add the partially melted cheese to the bowl of a food processor and then add the eggs and psyllium husk powder. Process until the cheese has broken down fully. Add the yeast/cream mixture, then add the garbanzo bean flour, almond flour, oat fiber, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Process until a thick and sticky dough forms.
5. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the counter and oil it heavily. Using a spatula, scrape all of the dough out of the food processor and onto the oiled parchment. Oil your hands and press/roll out the dough until it is about ½ inch (13 mm) thick.
6. Spread all of the cooled strawberry filling over the surface of the dough. Then, using the ends of the parchment, gently roll up the dough into a log and place it seam-side down on the parchment.
7. Using a sharp knife or dental floss gently cut the dough log into slices about 1 inch (3 cm) thick. Lay the slices in the baking pan, leaving space between them. Brush the tops and sides with the remaining 1-2 tbsp of cream.
8. Cover the pan with a towel and place it in the warm (but turned off) oven for 45 minutes to allow the dough slices to rise. They should double or triple in size.
9. While the sweet rolls are proofing, make the frosting. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer combine all of the frosting ingredients and mix on high until light and fluffy. Set aside.
10. After the 45 minutes of proof time is up, remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven on to 350°F (175°C). Preheat fully.
11. Remove the towel from the pan and place the pan in the hot oven. Bake for 21-23 minutes, or until puffy and lightly golden brown on top. Top the hot sweet rolls with the lemon frosting.
12. Serve warm. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.