This Low-Carb Keto Cheese Danish is made with Fathead dough that is grain free, tree-nut free and made without sugar! Just 3 g net carb per serving!
Low-Carb Cheese Danish
You might be wondering why the word fathead is in the title right? Maybe some of you know what I'm talking about and you are super excited for this keto recipe!
If you've never heard of Fathead dough before, you may be very new to a low-carb diet or keto diet. It's a simple dough that is basically made of CHEESE! It's a cheese dough!
Yep. You heard right!
The original low carb cheese dough has almond flour in it. Not even quite sure who the original creator of the Fathead dough is, but a reader found this and thought that might be the origin.
My keto version is very far from the original amazing recipe with the ingredients, but it all starts with mozzarella cheese!
Carbs in Traditional Cheese Danish
If you've ever gone to a coffee shop for a simple cup of coffee while on your low carb or keto diet, and then spied a delicious looking danish with a flaky crust, you may have had serious FOMO!
If you're tracking your macro carb count each day on an app like Cronometer, you hopefully decided to stick with just the coffee and skip that sweet treat!
Total carbs in a sugar filled coffee shop cheese danish in a 100 gram serving has 33.8 grams of carbs, and 345 calories.
No need to give in to temptation, when you can make our keto cheese danish with just 7 total grams of carbs and 296 calories!
If you've been following me long enough, you may know that my youngest son has a tree nut allergy so almond flour for family keto recipes are out of the question.
Instead I use coconut flour. You might be thinking, oh boo, I hate the taste of coconut, but don't ditch this amazing recipe just yet!
My little guy is the greatest coconut detector of all and if he can't taste it, neither will you. Plus the flavor is all in the cream cheese filling of this danish anyway.
Can I Use Almond Flour instead of Coconut Flour?
Swapping coconut flour with almond flour is tricky because about ¼ cup coconut is equal to about 1 cup almond.
Coconut also requires more liquids and eggs so for this recipe, you would need at least 2 cups almond flour and reduce eggs to 2.
New Updated Food Processor Method for Fathead Dough
The typical method that most recipes use is to melt the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese in a microwavable safe bowl, then stir together with the rest of the ingredients.
I found it quite difficult to work with the dough and truly incorporate the flour with the melted cheese, so I created this newer method which makes it a lot easier to work with.
Directions for Old method
- In a microwaveable safe bowl add the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese.
- Microwave 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir until combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk flour, the eggs, vanilla extract and vanilla stevia together until combined.
- Add this to the cream cheese mixture and continue to stir. If you're having a hard time, wet hands to combine by hand.
Directions for New method
Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until combined. Remove and place into a microwavable bowl and microwave for 2 minutes or double boiler to melt mixture over low heat on the stove.
Stir again to combine and then flatten to make the danish shape.
Low Carb Sweetener Options
You don't necessarily need the dough to be sweet, but I think it makes it feel more like a sweet cheese danish with some sweetness to it.
To make this a sweet dough, we do need to add a low carb sweetener. I prefer to use liquid stevia for this dough as I feel like a granular sweetener wouldn't absorb as well into the dough and leave the puff pastry like dough a bit grainy in texture.
A powdered low carb sweetener might work better than granular if you don't want to use liquid vanilla stevia. Monk Fruit also has a liquid option that does not include any erythritol sweetener in it.
I would use a ½ cup of your sweetener in the dough and filling. You can always taste and adjust as you go along. Here's my Sweetener Guide & Conversion Chart to help you decide how much to use.
A creamy cheese danish pastry like this has been on my foodie bucket list for a long time.
I just never thought I could make it well with any of my favorite doughs, that was until I started making recipes with fathead dough!
This dough is a GAME CHANGER!
I've made some pretty cool keto recipes with this fat head dough, but this one is my first sweet recipe using mozzarella dough as opposed to savory.
More Fathead Dough Recipes
Cloud Bread Individual Danish Pastries
and NOW this EPIC keto danish recipe!
Check out my new Cranberry Cream Cheese Danish which is the perfect keto breakfast pastry for the holidays!
You can even get pretty versatile with the cream cheese filling if you like by adding in some pureed fruit or fresh fruit to the cream cheese.
I just wanted it plain and simple, vanilla flavored cream cheese filling to enjoy with my morning coffee!
My teen and I tried this right out the oven and were not fans of warm cream cheese so it's best if you refrigerate it for a bit, tastes even better the second day!
The entire family loved this keto pastry danish and continue to ask for it again and again, even the picky one!
Keto Cream Cheese Danish
Low Carb Keto Cream Cheese Danish {Nut Free}
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia
Filling
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until combined. Remove from food processor and place into a microwavable bowl and microwave for 2 minutes or double boiler to melt mixture over low heat on the stove.
- Spread mixture onto a piece of parchment paper lined onto a baking sheet or use a rolling pin between two pieces of parchment.
- Slice on sides of dough at an angle. See video. Set aside to make filling.
- Add the filling ingredients to a stand mixer or use a hand mixer and blend on high until smooth.
- Spread the filling down the middle of dough and fold sides across the middle.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool about 10 minutes before serving if enjoying warm or cool completely, cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Ivette
Thank you for not using almond flour! Can't wait to try it!
Sheila
I wonder how almond flavoring would be instead of the vanilla?
Angelin
Tried this recipe out and came out well. Only one thing sugar I needed extra so I added and other thing the shape didn’t work so I wrapped it fully that scratch out with knife on top to give bread like look.
Teresa
This is a wonderful recipe!!! I love it!
I have made it with berries and without. It tastes so yummy and my whole family loves it.
Carol
Oh yes! You are the one I want to follow! So many others use almond flour, which is inflammatory, and causes me to have a flare up of the IBS. I knew there was someone out there who had a son allergic to almonds, and I have been looking for you! I dont have the time or patience to try changing recipes to eliminate almond flour, so I just want to follow you. Thank you!!
The Bee
I see your nutrition label, but it does not state for what size piece. Could you elaborate what size piece it’s for?
Thank you! It’s delicious and my husband can’t believe it’s Keto!
For everyone, instead of the vanilla stevia, I used 1/4 cup swerve in both the dough and the filling. Just sweet enough without being cloying.
Brenda
There should be 12 servings shown under the title of the recipe so you just need to slice into 12 pieces.
Brooke Sullivan
I had already sworn I'd never use ? flour after repeated recipe fails. It's tough, it tastes awful- ? like, as they're always hand in hand.. But after reading about your picky child, successful reviewers’ posts & researching almond flour swap would require 1c per 1/4c of coconut flour (along w/info about eating too much almond due to high Omega 6?) I rolled ? & made your recipe as posted- but halved. I topped with simple icing( erythritol & milk). Def needed it. It tasted ok warm. It is tough as nails cold . Filing tastes good but could be absolutely be doubled. I just cannot see any child ? enjoying this. My husband wouldn’t touch. I did not look like your photos. Also, weird side effect, I feel like the uber absorbent ? ? flour sucked all the ?? outta my body?. Ok, now, I am officially never using coconut flour again. Mine is Nutriva, a good organic brand. I am still curious if almond flour swap would be better, but 4x the flour?!!?? Another review said she doubled. Interested to give another go w/almond flour.
Nikki
I’m just confused about the serving size. It says 1g at the top for the serving size. That can’t be right - right? 1 gram of danish? What’s the actual serving size, do we just go with 1/12 of the finished product?
Brenda
My nutrition plug in had a glitch which caused all serving sizes to convert to 1 gram. Slice into 12 slices and the nutrition is accurate for 1 serving.
Tara
This looks super inviting! When i started down on Keto journey, I would have never expected to be enjoying cheese danish on occasion. Thanks for sharing.
Rhiannon
If l am ok using sugar (l need gluten free it not worriedAbout sugar free) any idea who much sugar l would use instead of stevia?
Brenda
I think just a 1/2 cup.
Terry Precious
Hi Brenda, really want to try this but can I use fat free and cream cheese instead of the regular? Trying to cut out some of the fat on some of the fat in dough and filling by using fat free or low fat.
Brenda
I have to say I never have used fat free only because often the fat free kinds have some sort of sugar added. I'm not sure how it would work, maybe try cutting the recipe in half so in case it doesn't work for you, you won't have wasted all the mozzarella. In the filling itself I don't see an issue using fat free, but in the dough it might not work.
KdonnRN
Do you buy a block of mozzarella and shred it or do you use preshredded cheese?
Brenda
I used pre-shredded because it has less moisture than fresh mozzarella.
Pam
I've made this several times and we LOVE it!
I use almond flour and was wondering if I need to weigh it instead of using a measuring cup? This time the dough came out very thin- I ended up adding more than 2 cups more almond flour?!! We buy organic, pastured large eggs. Maybe the eggs were really large?! I'm stumped! Any ideas? We're in the mountains of Colorado on vacation so I'm not used to "baking" here??
Brenda
I have chickens and my issues is always egg size, some large and extra large really makes a difference in my recipes.
Lisa
I just made this with sugar free apple pie filling because my family wanted apple pie. It smells so good baking. Can't wait to eat it tonight with some whipped cream.
Kim
Lisa how did your apple pie turn out? I have been looking to make a fat head apple pie for thanksgiving!
Marla Johnson
I do not know if you know by now, Fat Head is a movie. The dough recipe appeared on the site, and hence the same "Fat Head" pizza.