I was thrown the challenge to make low carb Chelsea buns – well what do you know, I did it. The best and easiest low carb chelsea buns you’ll ever find – seriously, these taste so good.
At only 5.5g net carbs per serving, these low carb Chelsea buns are soon becoming a favourite in our house, and hopefully yours too.
Low Carb Chelsea Buns
I can’t remember the last time I ate a Chelsea bun. Soft on the inside, full of sweet cinnamon and drizzled with a sweet glaze. My recipe for low carb Chelsea buns replicates all of this, only low carb, sugar free, grain free, gluten free and super simple.
Chelsea buns look a lot like cinnamon rolls, so what is the difference? Chelsea buns are more common the UK and cinnamon rolls are more commonly found across the ditch in the US. Chelsea buns inside sometimes have lemon zest, raisins or mixed fruit. They are so incredibly alike, so call them what you wish.
The best low carb chelsea buns you'll ever find - and only 5.5g net carbsI had a play around with my focaccia recipe which is mainly psyllium husk and water, but knew that needed some extra flavour, bulk and fluffiness. I used coconut flour in the focaccia bread but Chelsea buns need a sweeter taste that is devoid of the coconut taste. I replaced whole eggs for egg whites so it was lighter and white in colour.
By adding some almond meal/flour, made the dough light and fluffy but sturdy enough to roll up with sweetened cinnamon inside. I tried the recipe a few times and came to the conclusion my original focaccia with coconut flour just wouldn’t work.
TOP TIP :: I experimented with the amount of water the recipe required. It actually varied each time I made it depending on how humid the weather was. So if your dough is a little sticky, add an extra tablespoon or two of psyllium and if it’s too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time.
Low Carb Chelsea Buns
Ingredients
Low Carb Chelsea Bun Dough
- 200 g almond meal/flour
- 40 g psyllium husk
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 5 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
- 4 egg whites
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 250 ml boiling water
Cinnamon filling
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp granulated sweetener of choice
- lemon zest optional
Glaze
- 4 tbsp powdered sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla optional
- water enough to make a liquid glaze
Instructions
Low Carb Chelsea Bun Dough
- Place all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
- Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the egg whites and vanilla. Mix just a little so you can't see the egg whites any more.
- Add 1/3 the boiling water gently and slowly, mix. Add another 1/3, mix. Add the final 1/3 and mix until it looks like a sticky dough.
- If the dough looks too wet, add an extra tablespoon of psyllium husk, if too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time.
- Pour the dough onto a large sheet of baking parchment/paper. Place another piece of baking parchment/paper on top.
- Press out with your hands until it is a rectangle shape and 1cm / 1/2 inch thick.
Cinnamon filling
- Mix the cinnamon and sweetener together and sprinkle all over the rolled dough.
- Using the baking parchment/paper, start to roll the dough up along the longest side.
- Continue to roll it into one long roll, then cut into even slices.
- Place each slice in a ring tin that has been oiled and lined.
- Bake at 180C/350F for 20-30 minutes, or until golden, and baked in the centre of each Chelsea bun.
Glaze
- Mix the powdered sweetener, vanilla and water together to make a liquid glaze.
- Drizzle, pour or spoon all over.
- Enjoy warm or cold.
Follow these 4 easy steps to create the perfect low carb Chelsea buns.
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- 1: Roll the low carb Chelsea bun dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle with cinnamon filling.
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- 2: Using the baking parchment/paper, roll the dough tightly.
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- 3: All rolled up, ready to cut.
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- 4: Cut with a sharp knife into even slices.
Place each Chelsea bun into the lined ring tin with enough space to rise when cooking.
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Rainey says
This looks a great recipe, but I have to say Chelsea buns ALWAYS contain dried fruit – if there’s no fruit in the middle, they’re not Chelsea Buns.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Not necessarily. I have enjoyed Chelsea buns across the world and they don’t always contain dried fruit. We avoid dried fruit when living sugar-free because dried fruit is so incredibly high in sugar. Feel free to add some, just be aware it will no longer be sugar-free nor low-carb. But a healthier version nonetheless 🙂
Michele says
Oh dear, mine turned out quite heavy and dense and looked brown, not white like your picture. Tasted ok though.
Laura says
These are so delicious! Thankyou Libby for another fantastic recipe!
Joseph says
Gave these try this weekend, reckon they came out pretty well, could have been lighter, but like you said the particular version of Almond flour makes a difference to texture.
How can I post a pic so you can give me some suggestions please?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
It’s pretty difficult to add photos here. An easy way for me to take look, is to post them to Instagram and tag me @ditchthecarbs then I can see. I love seeing what everyone is making and sharing there.
Carol says
Your hard work at developing recipes is really appreciated. There is so much to learn about ingredients and how they work.
CiCi says
I made these today and they were dark and chewy after 18 min. It seemed as if the middle was not cooked all the way through. So I popped them back in for another 10. What could I have done wrong?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
It sounds like the oven wasn’t hot enough or you didn’t make the centre hollow like I do with my ring tin. I love the ring tin as it allows the centre to cook so evenly.
Cathy Clark says
These look wonderful! My mom’s traditional recipe uses butter in the cinnamon mix. Would that work with these, or would it screw up the texture?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I add the butter AFTER it is cooked. I cut the muffin in the centre, then pop slices of butter, sweetener and cinnamon in there – amazing.
Sonali says
Can I replace the psyllium husk with flax seed meal?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Unfortunately not. Psyllium husk has the amazing quality of absorbing water and swelling so creates a lovely light fluffy “dough”. Here is my Ultimate Guide To Low-Carb Flours which may help.
Lisa Price says
This is a little off topic but do you have any suggestions for leftover egg yolks? I’m starting to accumulate egg yolks because several recipes that I have tried call for whites only. I’ll be trying this recipe tomorrow and I love your site. I am new to LCHF and this site has been a godsend for recipes and information! I recommended your site to my doctor and she is giving it to other patients with high cholesterol and pre-diabetes.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Firstly thank-you so much for recommending my website to your doctor, how wonderful that she is advising low carb to her patients with pre-diabetes and cholesterol problems. Secondly, the egg yolks. OK, I use my leftover egg yolks in super duper “pimp my scrambled eggs”. I add an extra yolk or two to my usual 2 eggs. Otherwise, I use them to make lemon curd. I have just developed a new ice cream which I will post soon which uses egg yolks and coconut cream. Or there is this recipe for coconut ice cream too. Enjoy 🙂
Lisa says
Wonderful! I will give those a try!
Lisa says
Hi – I can’t do psyllium, would it be possible to replace it with something else? Thanks
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Sorry, not for this recipe. you could try the 1 minute muffins and add sweetener and cinnamon as I do. Yummy.
Ashlee says
Made these and they came out dark, dense, and chewy… Not at all what I was hoping for…. What could I have possibly done wrong?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Hmm, did they sit too long before popping in the oven? The eggs, psyllium and hot water should have made them fluffy and light. Pop them straight in the hot oven as soon as they are rolled up and in the baking tin.
Eve says
Hi,
I made these and during the baking process they turned black… what did I do wrong?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Wow, I have never ever heard of this before. I have made this at least 6 times and never found this. Are all your ingredients in date? Did you accidentally add something else? I think we can blame some sort of gremlin at work here.
Naomi Marie Word says
Eve–it’s your psyllium. Different brands react differently to heat. My LC tortillas I make with psyllium are usually purple 😉
Ingrid says
Do you beat the egg whites to stiff first as my first batch came out very dense? Also very dark. Are there lighter/darker versions of psyllium husk?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
No I don’t whisk the eggs at all, just kind of ‘throw it altogether’ type of thing. The hot water makes the psyllium husks swell and go light and fluffy. Ensure it is cooked as soon as it is made to ensure any air bubbles caught up in the dough are cooked into the cinnamon bun.
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them!
Marija says
Hi, the ingredient list say psyllium husks and the on the picture of the products you use is psyllium husk powder. Which one is it? It really does make a difference in a recipe 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I refer to psyllium and psyllium husk powder as the same thing. As long as it’s not the whole husks or the seeds. We can only buy one type here but I see there are so many variants available in the US. If you are adding psyllium to foods, the powder may be a better choice because of its finer texture, but both forms of psyllium will work and provide the same health benefits.
Marija says
I have used both the powder and the whole husks and it behaves differently. Thanks, I will let you know how it turns out 🙂
Linda says
Hi, I can’t get psyllium husk, could I use some exanthan gum instead, I would love to try these, thanks.
Bobbi R. says
These were good..thank you kindly ?
imaris1 says
Is the carb count for the whole recipe?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
No it is total carbs per piece, to find net carbs, just deduct the fibre. 13.7g – 8.2g = net 5.5g. It is high in fibre due to the psyllium.
Shannon says
Can these be baked then frozen?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m not sure, I would think that would work as long as it is an airtight container. We have 5 in our house so this is devoured before I know it.