Low-carb protein rolls from the Thermomix® need no flour. We replace wheat flour with pea protein and chia seeds. That brings the carbohydrate content down to 7 g per roll and keeps you full for longer. The Thermomix® chops the cheese in 5 seconds so finely that it distributes evenly throughout the dough. This gives structure and flavour.
We have been baking these rolls regularly for three years. For us, they are the go-to basic recipe for a low-carb breakfast. The combination of low-fat quark (200 g), cream cheese (100 g) and three eggs binds the dough without flour. The cheese takes on the role that gluten normally plays. It gives the dough structure and prevents the rolls from crumbling.
Low-Carb Protein Rolls with Cheese, Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 8 ✓
- 80 g Gouda or Emmental
- 200 g low-fat quark
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100 g pea protein (82% protein content)
- 20 g chia seeds
- 30 g sunflower seeds
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C, gas mark 2-3) and line the baking tray with baking paper.
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2
Chop the cheese.
Cut the cheese into pieces, place in the mixing bowl and chop for 5 sec / speed 8.
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3
Mix the ingredients.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix for 10 sec / speed 4, scrape down with the spatula and mix again for 10 sec / speed 4.
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4
Bake the rolls.
With damp hands, shape 5 rolls, place on the baking tray, sprinkle with the sunflower seeds and bake on the middle shelf for 20 to 25 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
Pea protein instead of wheat flour
Regular wheat flour contains around 70 g of carbohydrates per 100 g. Pea protein has only 7 g. The difference lies in the protein content: 82% for pea protein, 10% for wheat flour. We use pea protein because it has a neutral flavour and keeps the dough stable. Other protein powders (whey, rice protein) work too, but often taste sweet or artificial. Pea protein is purely plant-based and suits savoury rolls.
The 100 g of pea protein in the recipe, together with the chia seeds, forms the basic structure. Chia seeds absorb the moisture from the quark and cream cheese as they swell. This binds the dough further. Without chia seeds the dough becomes too soft to shape. The 20 g is enough to achieve the right consistency.
Chop the cheese first
The cheese must go into the mixing bowl before all other ingredients. If you mix it together with the quark and eggs, the mixture becomes sticky. The cheese needs 5 seconds at speed 8 on its own. Only then do you add the quark, cream cheese, eggs, salt, pea protein and chia seeds. The second run at speed 4 simply combines everything without chopping further.
Gouda or Emmental both work well. The important thing is that the cheese is not too moist. Soft cheese such as butter cheese makes the dough too wet. Hard cheese such as Parmesan makes it too dry. Medium-hard semi-firm cheeses are ideal. The fat content of the cheese affects the crust. The fattier the cheese, the more the surface browns. With Gouda at 48% fat the rolls turn golden brown. With Emmental at 45% they colour a little lighter.
Damp hands for shaping
Without flour, the dough sticks to your hands more than regular bread roll dough. With dry hands you simply cannot shape the rolls. Damp hands solve the problem. We hold our hands briefly under running water, shake them off, then shape the rolls. Do not use too much water. Wet hands dilute the dough. Damp is enough.
The dough makes 5 rolls. The size is similar to a small standard bread roll. We scatter the 30 g of sunflower seeds directly onto the rolls after shaping and press them lightly into the surface. This prevents them from falling off during baking. The seeds toast in the oven and add a nutty flavour. Without seeds the rolls taste a little flat.
180°C top and bottom heat
At 160°C fan the rolls dry out more quickly. Fan heat removes more moisture than top and bottom heat. For low-carb rolls without flour that is a problem, as there is less gluten to retain moisture. We bake with top and bottom heat at 180°C on the middle shelf. Baking time is between 20 and 25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes. If the surface is golden brown, the rolls are done. If they still look pale, bake for a further 3 to 5 minutes.
The oven must be preheated. If you put the rolls into a cold oven they will not rise. They stay flat and dense. Preheating takes 10 to 15 minutes for most ovens. During that time you can shape the rolls and prepare the baking tray. The timing works out perfectly.
Refresh the next day
The rolls taste best straight from the oven. After two hours of cooling they firm up. This is normal for protein-rich rolls without flour. The next day, warm them in the oven for 5 minutes at 150°C. They will soften again. Freezing works well. The rolls keep in the freezer for three months. To reheat, bake from frozen for 10 minutes at 160°C. No need to thaw them first.
More low-carb recipes can be found in our Mix Yourself Slim category. Coriander spread pairs well with these rolls. Buttermilk and radish shake also complements a low-carb breakfast.
Goes well with: Cream cheese.
