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.
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What are Chelsea buns?
They are called Chelsea buns because they were created in the 18th century in a bakehouse in Chelsea, London. They are a sweet treat usually enjoyed with a cup of tea.
Chelsea buns are sweet breads made with currants (dried fruit) inside and glazed with a sweet sugar frosting. The bread is made with yeast, wheat flour and often cinnamon, spices and lemon peel
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 in the US. They are incredibly similar, so these could easily be called cinnamon rolls
Low carb cinnamon rolls
I can't remember the last time I ate a traditional Chelsea bun (or cinnamon roll). 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.
I developed this sweet recipe by first using the basic focaccia recipe which is mainly psyllium husk and water, but knew that needed some extra flavour, bulk and fluffiness.
Which flour do you need?
I used coconut flour in the focaccia bread but Chelsea buns need a sweeter taste without 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.
How to make the bread dough soft
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.
How to make cinnamon rolls
Step by step baking instructions
Follow these 4 easy steps to create the perfect low carb Chelsea buns.
1: Roll out the Chelsea bun dough.
Press out with your hands until it is a rectangle shape and 1cm / 1/2 inch thick.
Mix the cinnamon and sweetener together and sprinkle all over the rolled dough.
2: Roll the dough
Using the baking parchment/paper, start to roll the dough up along the longest side.
3: Make one long tube
Once you have rolled the dough into one long tub, get a sharp knife ready to cut the cinnamon rolls.
Continue to roll the cinnamon bun dough into one long roll, then cut into even slices.
Place each Chelsea bun into the oiled and lined ring tin with enough space to rise when cooking.
📖 Recipe
Low Carb Chelsea Buns
Calculate ingredients
Ingredients
Low Carb Chelsea Bun Dough
- 200 g (2 cups) almond meal/flour
- 40 g (½ cups) 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 (1 cups) 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.
Nutrition
Rainey
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
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
Oh dear, mine turned out quite heavy and dense and looked brown, not white like your picture. Tasted ok though.
Laura
These are so delicious! Thankyou Libby for another fantastic recipe!
Joseph
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
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
Your hard work at developing recipes is really appreciated. There is so much to learn about ingredients and how they work.
CiCi
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
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
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
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
Can I replace the psyllium husk with flax seed meal?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
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
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
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
Wonderful! I will give those a try!
Lisa
Hi - I can't do psyllium, would it be possible to replace it with something else? Thanks
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Sorry, not for this recipe. you could try the 1 minute muffins and add sweetener and cinnamon as I do. Yummy.
Ashlee
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
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
Hi,
I made these and during the baking process they turned black... what did I do wrong?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
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
Eve--it's your psyllium. Different brands react differently to heat. My LC tortillas I make with psyllium are usually purple 😉
Ingrid
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
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
These look delicious! Can't wait to try them!
Marija
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
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
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
Hi, I can't get psyllium husk, could I use some exanthan gum instead, I would love to try these, thanks.
Bobbi R.
These were good..thank you kindly ?
imaris1
Is the carb count for the whole recipe?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
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
Can these be baked then frozen?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
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.