Keto Bread and Butter Pudding with Orange and Dark Chocolate

This keto bread and butter pudding is a low-carb take on the classic British bake: buttered slices of low-carb bread baked in a vanilla, orange and cinnamon custard with pockets of dark chocolate. It works out at 4.9g net carbs per serving and takes 1 hour 15 minutes from start to finish, including a 20-minute soak.

As the evenings draw in, few puddings feel as cosy as this one. Our multigrain low carb bread has the structure to soak up a rich custard without collapsing, so you get a soft, set middle and crisp, golden tips. Wondering how it fits into your day? Our guide Can You Eat Bread on Keto? covers how low-carb loaves compare with regular bread.

• Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 20 minutes soaking
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus 10 minutes resting
• Serves: 6
• Net carbs: 4.9g per serving

Ingredients

• 8 slices (200g) Groovy Keto low carb bread, ideally a day or two old
• 35g unsalted butter, softened
• 3 medium eggs (about 150g without shells)
• 250ml double cream
• 250ml unsweetened almond drink
• 45g monk fruit decoction & erythritol sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 5g)
• 40g Groovy Keto dark chocolate chips

You will also need a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish (about 20 x 25cm).

Method

1. Prepare the dish. Use 5g of the butter to grease a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish (about 20 x 25cm).
2. Butter the bread. Spread the remaining 30g of butter thinly over one side of each slice of bread. Leave the crusts on, then cut each slice in half diagonally to make 16 triangles.
3. Layer the first half. Arrange 8 triangles in the dish, buttered side up and slightly overlapping. Scatter over half of the chocolate chips and half of the orange zest.
4. Add the top layer. Lay the remaining triangles on top with their points standing up a little, so they turn crisp and golden in the oven. Tuck the rest of the chocolate chips and zest into the gaps.
5. Make the custard. In a jug, whisk the eggs with 40g of the sweetener, the vanilla and the cinnamon. Gently warm the double cream and almond drink in a pan until steaming but not boiling, then pour it slowly onto the eggs, whisking all the time.
6. Soak. Pour the custard slowly over the bread, then press the slices down lightly with the back of a spoon so every piece is coated. Leave to soak for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4).
7. Finish the top. Grate or sprinkle the nutmeg over the pudding and scatter over the last 5g of sweetener.
8. Bake. Bake on the middle shelf for 35–40 minutes, until puffed and golden with a slight wobble in the centre. If the tips brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
9. Rest and serve. Leave to stand for 10 minutes so the custard settles, then serve warm with a spoonful of extra double cream.

Tips for the best keto bread and butter pudding

• Use slightly stale bread. Slices that are a day or two old drink up more custard. If your loaf is fresh, dry the slices in a 120°C (100°C fan) oven for 10 minutes first.
• Don't rush the soak. Twenty minutes lets the custard reach the middle of every slice, which gives a softer, more even set.
• Bake it gently. For an extra-silky custard, stand the dish in a roasting tin and pour in hot water to come halfway up the sides before baking.
• Swap the flavours. Try lemon zest instead of orange, or a pinch of mixed spice in place of the cinnamon for a more festive feel.
• Taste the sweetness. Our monk fruit decoction & erythritol sweetener measures 1:1 like sugar, so you can add a little more or less to suit your family.

Nutrition

Per serving (one sixth of the pudding, about 165g):

Net carbs are carbohydrate minus polyols. On UK labels, fibre is already listed separately from carbohydrate, so it isn't subtracted again. Our guide Do You Subtract Fibre From Carbs on UK Labels? explains why. Figures are calculated from Groovy Keto product labels and UK (McCance and Widdowson's CoFID) and USDA food composition data, so they are a guide and will vary with the brands you use. Excessive consumption of polyols, such as erythritol, may produce laxative effects.

FAQ

Is bread and butter pudding keto?

A traditional bread and butter pudding is not keto, because it is made with white bread, sugar and dried fruit. This version swaps in low-carb bread and a monk fruit decoction and erythritol sweetener, which brings it down to 4.9g net carbs per serving.

Can I make keto bread and butter pudding ahead?

Yes. Assemble the pudding up to the end of the soaking step, cover and chill overnight, then add 5–10 minutes to the baking time. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat well in the microwave or a low oven.

Can I add sultanas?

You can, but they add carbs. A small handful (15g) of sultanas adds roughly 1.7g net carbs per serving, based on UK food composition data. Leave them out to keep the pudding at 4.9g net carbs.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

No. Our low carb bread contains cereals with gluten (wheat, spelt, rye and barley malt flour), soya and sesame seeds, and may contain traces of egg, milk, peanuts, nuts and lupin. The custard also contains eggs, milk (in the cream and butter) and almonds (in the almond drink). Recipes change, so always check the pack labels before cooking for anyone with an allergy.