Every year, I look forward to Paska - A Ukrainian Easter Bread. This Keto Paska Bread recipe is gluten free, easy to make, and tastes perfect!
Easter paska bread has been a spring tradition for me as long as I can remember, starting with the coffee cans of sweet bread that my grandma’s neighbour would bring over for the Easter Holidays.
Paska is a typical Easter bread found across eastern Europe, in many different forms.
Some have fruit, some don’t. Some are a soft bread, others are more like an Italian pannetone. Many are shaped and decorated with twisted designs of dough on top, before baking.
As I’ve always known it - a sweet Easter bread , just LOADED with fat, butter, and eggs - it’s generally not seen as something conducive to weight loss, LOL.
The fat content is *wild* compared to most breads - there’s a reason it’s SO good!
After developing a gluten sensitivity, I spent years trying to perfect a recipe for a Gluten-Free Paska, and finally achieved that goal last year!
Anyway, with me being on a keto diet this year, I took it as a personal challenge to come up with the perfect recipe for a Keto paska.
I don’t have a ton of keto Easter recipes - much less keto Easter bread recipes - but this is basically a necessity in our house.
Without a version suitable for a low carb diet, I’d be plowing face first into a batch of my Traditional Paska Recipe.
I have zero chill when it comes to Paska.
Happily, this version - using some of what I’d learned throughout the gluten free version experimentation - turned out AWESOME.
Seriously, look at this glorious nonsense:
LOOK AT THIS GORGEOUSNESS!!
As with the original version, I recommend serving it heated up a bit.
Anyway, let’s get to it...
Low Carb Paska Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand when making this recipe:
Keto Specialty Ingredients
These are the ingredients you may need to visit a specialty shop for, or order online.
- Super Fine Almond Flour
- Unflavoured Whey Protein Isolate Powder
- Coconut Flour
- Sugar substitute - I use an Erythriitol / Monk Fruit Blend
- Xanthan Gum
More Common Ingredients
The ingredients you’re likely to find in any grocery store.
- Heavy cream / heavy whipping cream
- Unsalted butter
- Large eggs
- 1 lemon - both for lemon juice and lemon zest*
- 1 orange - both for orange juice and orange zest*
- Active Dry Yeast
- Baking soda
- Salt
* After zesting the fruit, you’ll juice them both together. Measure out the ⅓ cup you’ll need for the bread from that mixture. If you’re doing glaze, save the remaining juice for that!
Keto sprinkles are always fun.
Sprinkles
Sprinkles are optional, and really only something to use if you're going to do the glaze (optional, and not necessarily even recommended - more on that in a bit).
I used Scratch Sugar Free Rainbow Sprinkles for this batch, but I have a few brands of keto sprinkles on hand.
Good Dees Low Carb Rainbow Sprinkles seem a little easier to find at the moment, though (I have their rainbow and chocolate versions, too)
Equipment
Here’s what you’ll need to make this keto paska recipe:
Mini Food Processor
With my traditional paska, I use a big stand mixer, and still end up usually doing several batches.
As this is a smaller yield, specialty thing - and I’m actually watching how much of it I snarf - the volume of butter and sugar substitute is pretty low, which makes using a stand mixer a bit difficult.
So, I did most of this in my mini food processor - powdering the sugar sub, combining the butter with it, beating the egg into it, etc.
If you don’t have a mini food processor, I’d recommend using a hand mixer or immersion blender in a small bowl. You’ll definitely get better results with the mini food processor, though.
Juicer & Zester
You’ll both zest and juice the lemon and orange for this recipe.
For zesting, I recommend a Microplane zester.
I use one that's kind of a ... triangular box with a handle. Love it, wish I knew where I got it - I've had it for over a decade.
Any decent microplane will work just fine, though!
As for juicing... I'll usually use my Cuisinart Pulp Control Juicer when I'm doing anything with citrus... but this is only 2 fruit. It seems like overkill, TBH.
So, I'll usually use my handheld Lemon Squeezer to juice it, or my Manual Citrus Juicer with Cup, which has been my go-to lately.
As long as you're using something that does a good job of getting the juice out, you can use whatever you want!
Mini Bundt Pans
Due to my utter lack of chill when it comes to paska, I decided that the best course of action would be to bake this up as individual servings - in a mini bundt pan.
I had purchased this set of 24 Mini Silicone Baking Cups a few months earlier, and was looking forward to finally using them, as they were super cute.
As I was working up my recipe, I COULD NOT find them anywhere, and ended up buying this 3 piece set of silicone bundt cake molds, as seen throughout this post.
I couldn't bring myself to re-purchase the same set, because I knew damn well that the SECOND they were in the oven, I'd find the original set.
... and I was close! I found the original ones when I went to get the frosting bags to glaze them!
Both work equally well, so I'd recommend whichever looks more your style.
If you have different mini bundt pans, just know that different sizes or materials may change the yield or baking time. Just keep an eye on it!
Note: This version of paska is baked up as a bundt, so there’s no rolling or shaping of the dough.
While I’d usually do swirls or a cross pattern on top of a normal paska, this is going to be more an issue of just finishing a pan style that you like.
There’s no egg wash needed, either!
My (second!) set!
Other Stuff
Large Pastry Bags - These are optional, but make getting the batter into the pans a lot neater.
Parchment Paper - To lay down under the paskas if you’re going to do glaze. No need for parchment if you’re not glazing, though!
How to Make Keto Paska
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, this is the pictorial walk through with additional commentary.
Make the Dough
Measure heavy cream and warm water into a microwave safe bowl. Heat this milk mixture just to warm - not hot.
Stir in yeast and 1 teaspoon of the coconut flour, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining coconut flour with the almond flour, protein powder, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda and sugar. Set aside.
Zest your orange and lemon, then juice them - combining the juices.
In a mini food processor, blitz sugar substitute until it’s a fine powder. Add softened butter, blitz until well blended.
Add eggs, blitz again until well combined.
Add ⅓ cup of the juice and all of the zest, blitz one more time to combine.
Add citrus mixture and yeast mixture to the large bowl of dry ingredients, stir well to combine.
Assemble, Rise, and Bake Your Paska
Arrange 2 sets of silicone mini bundt pans in a single layer on a large cookie sheet, spray with pan spray. While you don't necessarily need the pan spray with silicone, it helps with clean up AND gives it a nice crust.
Divide dough into the prepared mini bundt pans, filling each about half full. I like to spoon the dough into a large pastry bag and pipe it in, I find it a lot less messy.
Cover pans with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise somewhere warm for one hour, or until they’re about 25% bigger than they were.
Note: The volume of dough rise won’t be super obvious, given the sizing / shape of the pans. It won’t be a huge rise, you’re more looking for it to develop the flavour, than a big rise.
Preheat oven to 350F (180 C).
Place pan in preheated oven, bake for 15 minutes.
The baking time can vary wildly with these pans, 15 is about the earliest it will be done - don’t be surprised if it takes 20 minutes, though!
Check for doneness - insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, return to the warm oven and continue baking until it's fully baked.
Cool Paska for 5 minutes, then gently turn pans over onto a serving dish to continue cooling.
Allow them to cool to room temperature before glazing, or storing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Glazing Your Keto Paska Buns
I’ll be honest - while I love the look of these mini bundts drizzled with glaze, they REALLY don’t need it.
I used a monkfruit and erythritol blend of powdered sugar, and I found the cooling sensation was more pronounced than usual - maybe as a reaction with the acid from the lemon juice?
I’d definitely recommend using a different type of powdered sugar substitute, like Powdered Allulose (Not available here in Canada, though!)... just avoid the erythritol for this use, if possible.
I ended up picking the glaze off - they were fantastic without it!
Note: Because the glaze is optional - and not even needed - the recipe card does include the glaze ingredients, instructions, or nutritional info.
Sugar Free Paska Glaze Recipe
2 cups Powdered sugar substitute
Reserved Juice
Pinch salt
Sugar free sprinkles, optional
Once Paska has cooled, arrange them on some parchment paper, leaving space between each.
Measure 2 cups of powdered sugar substitute into a measuring cup. Add 2-3 tablespoon of the remaining juice, and the salt.
Use a fork to whisk the mixture until smooth, scraping down the sides of the cup. Mixture will be very thick.
Heat in a microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time - stirring between - until glaze is smooth and pourable.
Drizzle or pipe glaze over paska, and quickly scatter sprinkles over it. The glaze sets up quickly, so move fast!
More International Keto Recipes
Looking to add some international flavour to your menu? Try some of these low-carb versions of my favourites!
Easy Keto Ramen
Keto Cabbage Rolls
Keto Chicken Biryani
Low Carb Chicken Korma
Keto Doro Wat
Keto Gyoza [Potstickers]
Keto Jamaican Beef Patties
Keto Manakish
Keto Orange Chicken
Keto Pad Thai
Keto Perogies
Keto Sauerkraut Buns
Keto Fried Cauliflower Rice
Low Carb Shanghai Noodles
Keto Sushi Rice
Low Carb Vietnamese Noodle Salad
Paleo Stuffed Grape Leaves
Sugar Free Furikake Seasoning
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Keto Paska [Ukrainian Easter Bread]
Equipment
- 2 Mini Bundt Pan Sets
- mini food processor
- Citrus Juicer
Ingredients
Paska
- ¼ cup Heavy cream
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 ½ teaspoon Active dry yeast
- ¼ cup Coconut flour
- 1 cup Super fine almond flour
- ½ cup Unflavoured whey protein powder
- 1 teaspoon Xanthan gum
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¾ cups Granulated sugar substitute
- ¼ cup Butter room temperature
- 2 Large eggs
- ⅓ cup Orange juice Juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange - see notes!
- Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
Instructions
Paska
- Measure heavy cream and water into a microwave safe bowl. Heat just to warm - not hot.
- Stir in yeast and 1 teaspoon of the coconut flour, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining coconut flour with the almond flour, protein powder, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda and sugar. Set aside.
- In a mini food processor, blitz sugar substitute until it’s a fine powder. Add softened butter, blitz until well blended.
- Add eggs, blitz again until well combined.. Add ⅓ cup of the juice and all of the zest, blitz one more time to combine.
- Add citrus mixture and yeast mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients, stir well to combine.
- Arrange 2 sets of silicone mini bundt pans on a large cookie sheet, spray with pan spray.
- Divide dough into into prepared the prepared mini bundt pans, filling each about half full. I like to spoon the dough into a large pastry bag and pipe it in, I find it a lot less messy.
- Cover pans with plastic wrap, and allow to rise somewhere warm for one hour, or until they’re about 50% bigger than they were.
- Preheat oven to 350F (180 C).
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Check for doneness - insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, continue baking until it's fully baked.
- Cool Paska for 5 minutes, then gently turn pans over onto a serving dish to continue cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Of all the keto recipes I have followed this is one of the best!! I have been keto for many years and have found what I like so I tend to create my own based on my successful batches. This one needed no alteration! It gave me all the flavour I was looking for! Of course the texture is different from traditional wheat flour paska, but for a low carb item this was awesome!! Thank you for the recipe, my Easter will be easier with less temptation now.
Thank you so much for the kind words!
I have *zero* chill when it comes to paska, so this was a matter of Easter survival, LOL.
I tried this recipe! Super easy and tasty! Yum! They didn't really rise though. I've always made the traditional Paska but since I'm Keto now, I have been missing it. Thanks so much for your recipe.