Vegan Keto Baguettes – crispy crust, soft chewy crumb

This vegan keto baguette recipes makes beautiful loaves that are crusty on the outside and tender on the inside with an incredible flavor like a well fermented bread should! But compared to a typical French bread, it’s higher in protein, higher in fiber, and has next to no carbs (less than 4g net carbs per serving)!

Video Tutorial for Vegan Keto Baguettes

Thanks to the video sponsorship by AG1, I was able to dedicate the time to test multiple variations and this one was the absolute winner. And while this blog post is not sponsored, AG1 has a wonderful offer for new subscribers that I wouldn’t want you to miss! Simple click this link to the AG1 website and you will get a FREE Welcome Gift valued at $76 when you subscribe to AG1 for the first time. Plus you get $20 off your first subscription. 

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💡My Vegan Keto Baguette Inspiration & Development💡

The original inspiration for my basic vegan bread dough were the keto buns from my local Save-On-Foods bakery! They were the first keto buns I’ve ever seen that resembled REAL bread texture. But they were also expensive. I took the ingredient list, kept the stuff I could buy easily and skipped the ingredients that I couldn’t. Then it was months of adjusting ratios and the baking method until I came out with a recipe that was less flaxy, and more delicious than the original!

When I kept getting requests for a baguette version, I set to work on that as well! It took me more than a few tries. 

A good crusty crust is normally formed by the gelatinized starch of the top layer of a loaf of bread. With keto dough, we don’t have that starch to work with.

So after testing off and on to re-group from failure countless times, I finally came up with a version where the crust would actually stay crispy after cooling. Plus, I developed a “cheat” for the flavor of a well-fermented dough without actually having a long fermentation time.

❓Why Vegan & Keto?❓

Personally, I have stay in ketosis regularly and keep to a very low carb diet most of the time for my personal health reasons. I don’t think most people do. But if you also need to be vegan or keto or both, I hope this recipe helps! But you don’t need to be vegan OR keto to enjoy this nutrition-packed spin on the classic baguette!

Nutrition Info

This low carb French Bread happens to be:

• high in protein (18.7g per serving),
• a source of healthy fat from flaxseeds, and
• high in fiber (12.2g per serving), 
• with only 3.1g net carbs per serving (1/3 of a baguette)

⚠️Choose ingredient brands carefully⚠️

Use Anthony’s brand of Vital Wheat Gluten. I find it has less of the gluten-y aroma compared to Bob’s Red Mill. Also, Anthony’s Oat Fiber has zero net carbs but other brands may have more. Please keep this in mind when sourcing ingredients.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you use the link to purchase an item, I will get credit for referring you to the sale and will earn a commission. Please be assured there is never any extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work!

Oat Fiber

With zero net carbs, this Oat Fiber replaces the starch that would be in traditional flour. It adds volume to the dough as well as a wonderful toasty aroma during baking. However, be careful not to confuse it with Oat Flour which is made with whole oats and is very high in carbs. Oat Fiber is made from the indigestible husks of oats. Another thing to watch out for is the nutrition label. While the Anthony’s brand of Organic Oat Fiber I use is completely made of fiber, some that I’ve seen online are not so please check the label before purchasing.

When measuring the oat fiber, be careful because this ingredient is extremely light. It’s easy to kick up a cloud of dusty oat fiber so please be gentle. Also, for accurate measuring, a scale is best. However, if you are just out of options and you absolutely must measure by volume, use PACKED tablespoons instead of the usual sift, scoop, and level method. It’s the most consistent method that I’ve found (though still not perfect).

Golden Flax Seeds

Flax seeds help this dough retain moisture and adds bulk to the dough without weighing it down and preventing rising (something too much oat fiber can do). I choose Golden Flax Seeds over regular brown flax seeds because they seem to have a milder flavour and give a lighter, nicer appearance to the rolls.

You may find ground golden flax for sale. I haven’t tried that type myself but it should still work for this recipe. Make sure to smell the opened bag before using it in the recipe.  The oil in flax is delicate so you should smell it before using it in a recipe. Rancid flax oil smells fishy so throw it out if you detect that.

I avoid this possibility by buying whole flax seeds. They are less delicate when kept intact and can be stored in the pantry. Before using, I always give them a sniff to double-check they haven’t gone off. Then grind them as needed. Always be careful not to let them overheat, and store leftovers in the fridge. This way, the oil inside stays fresh. 

Also, these days I sift the ground flax seeds in a wire mesh sieve before adding them to the recipe. I find the crumb comes out nicer that way.

Vital Wheat Gluten

The gluten in wheat flour is what creates structure in bread and allows it to rise and keep its shape. But instead of using the whole wheat that includes so much starch, we can use only the protein part: Vital Wheat Gluten.  However, too much of it will make your dough too tough and chewy plus have an unpleasant doughy flavour. So it’s important to mix in the flax and oat fiber. Also, I like to use Anthony’s brand of Vital Wheat Gluten especially because it has less of that distinct “gluten-y” flavour.

Warm Water

It’s really important that the water is not too hot to start. I usually start with some cold tap water and then slowly add just-boiled hot water while keeping track of the temperature with a thermometer; stirring as I go.  It should be 110°F which is about 43­°C. Don’t make it too hot or it will kill the yeast. If it is on the cooler side, the yeast will just take longer to do its job.

Yeast

You can use any kind of baker’s yeast in this recipe: instant yeast, bread machine yeast, or traditional dry active yeast. They’ll all work.  But I typically use instant yeast as I can get it in a large package and keep it in my fridge so it will stay fresh for a long time. 

Sugar

Yes, this KETO recipe contains sugar. But the trick is, you will not be eating the sugar at the end. The yeast will get to it first. Yeast is actually a type of fungi which will consume the sugar and then produce carbon dioxide and ethanol. The carbon dioxide is what causes the bread to rise; filling up tiny pockets within the dough and expanding as it warms during the proofing stage and even more so during baking. The ethanol is a by-product that will evaporate in your hot oven.

In this recipe, you’ll notice I used maple syrup. But you can use any kind of real sugar, such as white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, and molasses. Don’t use low or no calorie sweeteners because they would not be good food for the yeast. In the same vein, some people claim that inulin can be used to activate yeast. However, I have tried it and it doesn’t work the same in my experience.

Salt

Without very much fermentation, just enough to make it rise once, this bread is fairly bland. Salt is really important for bringing out what little flavor is available. But feel free to skip it if you need to avoid salt for your own reasons. On the other hand, feel free to add spices, herbs and other seasonings to make this sandwich loaf your very own! Just add it last, on top of the dry ingredients so that it doesn’t burn the yeast directly. 

Nutritional Yeast

In this recipe, I’m using nutritional yeast powder but you can use the flakes as well (just double the amount). It will add a savory flavor which, combined with the Lactic Acid, mimics the fermented flavor of real sourdough bread without the need for extended fermentation.

Lactic Acid Liquid

This adds a sour flavor without any other taste or aromas. This makes it ideal for adding tang without making the bread seem vinegar-y or fruity. Together with the umami Nutritional Yeast, Lactic Acid Liquid is what gives this “sourdough” it’s signature flavor.

❓Looking for Gluten-Free?❓

This baguette recipe cannot be simply converted to be gluten-free. However, you can try my gluten-free vegan keto sandwich rolls!

Keep them Crispy

If you store the baguettes in a sealed container, the crust will quickly become soft again. So store them in an uncovered bread basket to keep them crispy. If you live in a humid environment, they might still become soft. If this happens for any reason, you can re-crisp them in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer. Just spritz your oven/toaster oven/air fryer basket with a bit of water first, them re-crisp at 400°F for a few minutes.

Special Ingredients & Equipment for Vegan Keto Baguettes

Ingredients

• vital wheat gluten
• oat fiber
• whole golden flax seeds (store in fridge and grind fresh before using)
• nutritional yeast powder
• lactic acid liquid (88%)

Equipment

• baguette pan
• parchment paper

Printable Recipe for Vegan Keto Baguettes (Low Carb French Bread)