This Keto Stollen is one of my favorite Christmas treats to make when I want something a little special for the holidays. It’s rich, buttery, and full of warm spices, orange zest, and delicious almond flavor, with little pieces of dried fruit in every slice. Made with almond flour and coconut flour, this low-carb Christmas bread is completely gluten-free and has a lovely, moist texture.
I love making stollen around Christmas because it makes the kitchen smell amazing, especially with all that cinnamon, citrus, and spice. It’s even better with a cup of hot coffee, and I usually save a few slices to enjoy over the next couple of days.
And if you love traditional German Christmas stollen with marzipan, you can add a little of my homemade keto marzipan right in the middle. That sweet almond filling makes every slice even more delicious! This version doesn’t require yeast or hours of rising, so it’s much easier to prepare during the busy holiday season.
What Is Christmas Stollen?
Stollen is a traditional German Christmas bread, usually made with a rich yeast dough, dried fruits, nuts, warm spices, and sometimes a sweet marzipan filling. Once baked, it’s brushed with melted butter and covered in powdered sugar, giving it that beautiful snowy appearance that’s so recognizable during Christmas.
This keto Christmas stollen is inspired by those classic flavors, but instead of regular wheat flour and sugar, we’re using almond flour, coconut flour, and a powdered sugar-free sweetener.
The texture is a little different from traditional yeast stollen. It’s moist, dense, and tender rather than light and fluffy, but it still has that lovely combination of citrus, spices, and almond flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Keto Stollen
- Perfect for Christmas. It looks beautiful dusted with powdered sweetener and makes a lovely addition to any holiday dessert table.
- No yeast or rising required. You don’t have to worry about kneading dough or waiting for it to double in size.
- Rich and full of festive flavor. Every slice has a delicious combination of warm spices, citrus, almonds, and dried fruit.
- Easy to make ahead. The flavors come together beautifully after resting, making it a great dessert to prepare before Christmas.
- Delicious with or without marzipan. You can keep it simple or add a sweet almond center for something extra special.
Ingredients for Keto Stollen
This recipe has a few more ingredients than my usual keto desserts, but most of them are simple baking staples, especially if you enjoy making Christmas treats.
For the Stollen Dough
- Almond Flour – Use finely ground, blanched almond flour for a soft, tender texture. I recommend avoiding almond meal, as it can make the stollen grainy.
- Coconut Flour – Helps absorb moisture and gives the dough enough structure to hold its shape.
- Powdered Sweetener – I prefer powdered allulose or a monk fruit blend suitable for baking. A powdered sweetener mixes more evenly into the dough.
- Baking Powder – Helps the stollen rise slightly and keeps it from becoming too dense.
- Eggs – Help bind everything together. Room-temperature eggs work best for mixing.
- Sour Cream – Keeps the stollen soft and moist while adding a slight tanginess. Coconut cream is a good dairy-free alternative.
- Butter – Adds richness and a delicious buttery flavor. You can also use melted coconut oil.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds a lovely hint of vanilla that pairs well with the spices and citrus.
- Spices – Cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, and cardamom give this stollen its warm, classic Christmas flavor.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and brings out the other flavors.
- Orange Zest – Adds a fresh citrus flavor that goes perfectly with the dried fruit and warm spices.
For the Fruit Filling
- Water – Helps soften the dried fruit before adding it to the dough.
- Rum Extract – Gives the filling that classic holiday flavor without using actual rum.
- Orange Extract – Adds an extra citrus note that complements the warm spices.
- Raisins – Add little pockets of sweetness throughout the bread.
- Dried Cranberries – Bring a slightly tart flavor that balances the sweetness. I recommend choosing unsweetened dried cranberries.
- Almond Flour – Helps bind the fruit mixture together after soaking.
For the Topping
- Melted Butter – Brushed over the warm stollen to add extra richness and help the powdered sweetener stick.
- Powdered Sweetener – Gives the bread that beautiful snowy finish, just like traditional German Christmas stollen.
Optional Marzipan Filling: If you love traditional German stollen with a sweet almond center, I highly recommend adding my homemade keto marzipan. Just shape it into a log and place it in the middle of the dough before baking. It makes the stollen even more delicious, especially for Christmas!
How to Make Keto Stollen
Don’t let the longer ingredient list fool you. This homemade keto stollen is actually quite easy to prepare, and most of the work is simply mixing everything together and shaping the loaf.
Step 1: Soak the Dried Fruit
Add the chopped raisins, dried cranberries, water, rum extract, and orange extract to a medium bowl.
Stir well and let the fruit soak for at least 30 minutes to soften.
You can also prepare the fruit the night before and keep it covered in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to make the dough, drain any excess liquid and stir in the ¼ cup of almond flour.
Step 2: Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
This makes it easier to remove the stollen after baking and prevents the bottom from sticking.
Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, powdered sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cardamom, and salt.
Whisk everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Step 4: Combine the Wet Ingredients
In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Make sure the melted butter isn’t too hot when you add it to the eggs.
Step 5: Make the Stollen Dough
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until combined.
Fold in the soaked fruit mixture and orange zest, making sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Let the dough rest for about 5–10 minutes.
Coconut flour absorbs moisture as it sits, so the dough should become thicker and easier to shape.
Step 6: Shape the Stollen
Transfer the dough to your prepared baking sheet.
Lightly wet your hands to prevent sticking, then gently shape the dough into a loaf about 9 × 5 inches.
The dough should be soft and moldable, almost like play dough, rather than stretchy like traditional bread dough.
If you’re adding marzipan: Flatten the dough slightly, place a log of homemade keto marzipan lengthwise along the center, then fold the dough over the filling and gently seal the edges. Make sure the marzipan is completely enclosed.
Step 7: Bake
Place the stollen in the preheated oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the outside is lightly golden and the center is set.
If the top starts browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.
Insert a skewer into the bread portion of the center to check for doneness. It should come out without wet batter. If you’ve added marzipan, avoid testing directly through the filling.
Step 8: Add the Topping
Remove the stollen from the oven and immediately brush the top with melted butter.
Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar-free sweetener for that beautiful Christmas stollen finish.
Let the bread cool before slicing so it has time to firm up and hold its shape.
Slice into 12 pieces and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Keto Christmas Stollen
- Measure the coconut flour carefully. It absorbs a lot of moisture, and using too much can make the bread dry or crumbly.
- Let the dough rest before shaping. Those extra 5–10 minutes make a big difference in how easily the dough holds together.
- Use fresh orange zest. It adds so much more flavor than bottled juice and pairs beautifully with the spices.
- Don’t overbake the loaf. Almond flour baked goods can dry out if left in the oven too long. Start checking around the 40-minute mark.
- Let it cool before cutting. The bread is delicate while warm and becomes easier to slice as it cools.
- Make it a day ahead. I actually love how the flavors come together after the stollen has rested overnight.
How to Store Keto Stollen
One of the things I love about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time, which is always helpful around Christmas.
Room Temperature: Once completely cooled, store the stollen in an airtight container in a cool room for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator: For longer storage, wrap the bread tightly or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Wrap the cooled stollen tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Let a slice come to room temperature before serving, or gently warm it if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Keto Stollen Need Yeast?
No, this keto stollen recipe doesn’t use yeast.
Traditional German stollen is made with a yeast dough, but this version uses baking powder along with almond flour and coconut flour.
That makes it much quicker to prepare, although the finished texture is more like a moist, dense sweet bread than a fluffy yeast bread.
Why Is My Keto Stollen Dough Sticky?
The dough should be soft and easy to shape, but it shouldn’t be runny or impossible to handle.
If it feels too sticky, let it rest for another few minutes so the coconut flour can absorb more moisture.
If it’s still too wet, add 1 teaspoon of coconut flour at a time until you can shape it with lightly damp hands.
Avoid adding too much extra flour, as it can make the finished bread dry.
Can I Make Keto Stollen Without Marzipan?
Absolutely! The marzipan filling is completely optional.
This recipe already has plenty of flavor from the orange zest, warm spices, and dried fruit, so it tastes delicious without any additional filling.
But if you’re a marzipan lover like me, I definitely recommend trying it with my homemade sugar-free marzipan at least once!
Can I Replace the Raisins and Cranberries?
Yes, you can adjust the dried fruit to suit your preferences.
You can use all raisins, all dried cranberries, or a mixture of both.
Just keep in mind that different dried fruits have different carbohydrate and sugar contents, so the nutrition information will change depending on what you use.
What’s the Difference Between Stollen and Fruitcake?
Both are popular Christmas desserts made with dried fruits and spices, but they’re quite different.
Traditional stollen is a German yeast bread that’s often filled with marzipan and finished with butter and powdered sugar.
Fruitcake is generally denser and contains a larger proportion of dried fruits and nuts. Some versions are also soaked or brushed with alcohol.
This keto stollen is inspired by the flavors of traditional German stollen but uses a gluten-free, low-carb dough.
More Keto Christmas Desserts to Try
If you’re planning your Christmas baking, here are a few more recipes I love making around the holidays:
- BEST Keto Carrot Cake Bread – A deliciously moist, spiced loaf for holiday breakfasts or dessert.
- Homemade Keto Marzipan – Soft, sweet almond marzipan that’s perfect for filling this stollen or making Christmas candies.
- Keto Snowball Cookies – Buttery, tender cookies with a snowy powdered sweetener coating.
- Keto Gingerbread Cake – A soft, warmly spiced cake that’s perfect with a cup of coffee.
- Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake – A rich chocolate dessert when you want something different from traditional Christmas baking.
Keto Stollen
Description
Ingredients
For The Fruit filling
- ¼ cup water
- 1½ tsp rum extract
- ½ tsp orange extract
- ¼ cup chopped raisins
- ¼ cup cranberries dried
- ¼ cup almond flour blanched
For The Stollen dough
- 2½ cups almond flour blanched
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup powdered sweetener
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream or coconut cream
- ¼ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp allspice
- ⅛ tsp cardamom
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp orange zest
For The Topping
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- Powdered Sweetener for dusting
Instructions
- Make the fruit filling. In a medium bowl, add the water, extracts, raisins, cranberries, and almond flour. Soak for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the dough. In a large bowl, add the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, spices, and salt to a large bowl.
- Combine the fruit filling (remove the excess water), orange zest, and dry ingredients with the egg mixture. Mix well to combine, and let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Shape the stollen. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and wet your hands to shape it into a 9"x 5" loaf. You can also place keto marzipan in the middle of the stollen.
- Bake the keto stollen for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Remove the stollen from the oven and brush with melted butter and dust with powdered sweetener.
How do we calculate the nutrition info?
These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.