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The Best Keto Farmhouse BBQ Cups

Sweet and smoky low carb barbecue sauce and a tender cheese crust combine in this keto-friendly, gluten-free version of Farmhouse BBQ Cups.

I’m a child of the 70s and 80s.

Growing up, my family ate a LOT of Pillsbury Bake-off recipes.

Like multiple times a week a lot.

I loved it when mom brought home a new Pillsbury Bake-off Cookbook from the grocery store!

I can remember poring over those cookbooks.

Reading the recipes.

Trying to imagine how they would taste (the desserts were always my favorite…).

And I loved the section that talked about the Bake-offs!

I dreamed of some day creating a recipe that was Bake-off worthy.

low carb cheddar barbecue cups on a white plate on a twig plate on a buffet

One of my favorite recipes, hands down, was Poppin’ Fresh™ Barbecups.

Who wouldn’t love sweet barbecue sauce mixed with cheddar cheese in a muffin-shaped biscuit?

Well, even if there’s someone out there who wouldn’t, this girl sure did!

If you’re a little younger than me, you may be familiar with something similar.

Taste of Home magazine published a very similar recipe under the name “Farmhouse Barbecue Muffins.”

If you aren’t concerned with reducing carbs in your diet, I’ve included easy substitutions in the Notes section of the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Why Make Keto Farmhouse BBQ Cups

When you stop eating refined wheat products and refined sugar, part of the process is letting go of some foods that may have been a favorite.

I thought my beloved Barbecups were in that category.

low carb cheddar barbecue cups on a white plate on a twig plate

But then I discovered “fat head dough.”

This dough was created by the son of the man who starred in the movie Fat Head. A docu-comedy about losing weight while eating a low carb, high fat diet.

Basically, it’s a dough made from mozzarella cheese and almond flour. Other ingredients can be added to give the dough a different consistency.

I first experimented with making my own “fat head” recipe with my Garlic Biscuits.

After all, I’m Italian!

I had to have a yummy bread to go with my spaghetti (okay, zoodles or spaghetti squash, but whatever)!

After making those biscuits, I started to think about other ways to use the dough.

Could I substitute some cheddar cheese in the dough?

Would it be sturdy enough to replicate my old favorite?

I gave it a try, and was so excited to discover that I could still have one of my childhood favorites, with just a few tweaks.

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Ingredients in Keto Farmhouse BBQ Cups

What are the ingredients to make my low carb barbecue cups?

  • ground beef
  • low carb BBQ sauce
  • red onion
  • low carb sweetener
  • THM Baking Blend (or blend of almond flour & coconut flour)
  • salt
  • low moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese
  • cheddar cheese
  • butter
  • cream cheese
  • glucomannan powder or xanthan gum
  • baking powder
  • eggs

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THM Baking Blend

I love the Trim Healthy Mama Baking Blend.

What makes it so wonderful? First, it is a blend of low carb, gluten-free flours.

But instead of relying primarily upon almond and coconut flours, it contains a large percentage of oat fiber (not to be confused with oat flour).

Oat fiber is essentially pure fiber.

And what that means is when you’re baking with it, you can lower the fat load in your recipes.

If you’re following a keto diet, that can help improve the macros in recipes that contain a high amount of fat from other sources (hello, butter and cheese!).

And if you’re following THM, you may not have to count your fat grams or calories, but you should still be mindful of how they impact the calories in a recipe.

After all, Pearl and Serene teach us not to abuse calories.

Second, the THM Baking Blend produces a really nice crumb in baked goods.

It’s not the same as refined wheat flour, but it is better than the crumb with just almond flour.

Glucomannan Powder or Xanthan Gum

Glucomannan Powder and xanthan gum both act as binders when used in baked goods.

I’ve made versions of fathead dough without them, but the dough doesn’t come together and hold together as nicely as it does with them.

Both ingredients last forever because a small amount goes a long way.

You can also use them to thicken gravy or sauces or pudding.

But do NOT use the same quantity as you would if using flour or corn starch!

hand holding a keto farmhouse BBQ cup over a white plate with pickled okra

Ways to Enjoy Your Keto Farmhouse BBQ Cups

My family loves Low Carb Farmhouse BBQ Cups for dinner, lunch, or as a snack.

Pretty much any time of the day!

I’ve enjoyed them piping hot, straight from the oven. And I’ve also had them cold from the fridge.

They’re yummy both ways!

low carb cheddar barbecue cups on a white plate on a twig plate

Since they’re hand-held pies, these tasty barbecue cups are great for meals on the run.

And you can make them smaller to serve as finger food at a party.

They pack up and travel well, so we enjoy taking them for tailgates too!

Tips for Making Keto Farmhouse BBQ Cups Recipe

The recipe calls for my Sweet & Smoky Low Carb BBQ Sauce.

I keep this condiment on hand in my fridge because I use it often.

If you don’t have any on hand, you will need to start by assembling and simmering the sauce.

overhead view of Sweet and Smoky Low Carb Barbecue sauce cooking in a saucepan

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While the sauce is simmering, start browning the ground beef and onions.

You can add 2/3 cup of the sauce once the meat has been drained and let it continue simmering while you finish with the dough.

overhead view of browned ground beef in a saute pan with low carb barbecue sauce

I like to assemble the dough while the meat is browning.

I have a simple trick to make mixing the dough super easy!

overhead view of dry ingredients with butter, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese

Combine the dry ingredients and the cheese BEFORE you begin melting the cheese!

This makes the dough come together so much more easily!

overhead view of cheddar cheese fat head dough

When all the ingredients have been added, the dough resembles the consistency of a drop biscuit.

The first time I tried making this recipe, I tried putting the dough in my muffin tins.

After all, that worked great when the dough was a refrigerator biscuit.

But even with a generous amount of cooking spray, the dough did not release well from the tins.

You could use parchment paper baking cups, but I found simply flattening the dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet worked really well.

overhead view of 12 balls of cheddar dough on parchment paper-lined baking sheet

Simply drop the dough onto the parchment paper and flatten it down into circles.

You can bring the edges up a bit to make a cup shape if you want, but it’s not necessary.

overhead view of 12 cups made from cheddar dough filled with barbecue meat topped with shredded cheddar cheese on parchment paper-lined baking sheet

Top the dough with the meat mixture and some more cheddar cheese.

Pop them in the oven and in 15 minutes these tasty low-carb barbecue pies are ready to enjoy!

hand holding a keto farmhouse BBQ cup over a white plate with pickled okra

Serve them up with some raw veggies or a salad.

Or maybe a batch of my Low Carb Coleslaw for a complete meal.

Be sure to leave a star rating and review after you make the recipe!

This helps other people to find and enjoy it too.

Plus it means the world to me!

keto farmhouse barbecue cups on a white plate on a twig plate on a buffet

Keto Farmhouse Barbecue Cups | THM-S

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Sweet and smoky low carb barbecue sauce and a tasty cheddar cheese crust combine in this keto-friendly version of Farmhouse BBQ Cups.

Ingredients

Meat Filling

Cheddar Biscuit Base (**see notes for substitutions)

Topping

  • 1 cup medium or sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. In a skillet, brown the ground beef and then drain. Return the drained meat to the skillet and add the finely chopped onions. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 more minutes to let the onion soften.
  2. Stir in the low carb barbecue sauce and sweetener.
  3. While the beef is cooking, add the baking blend, glucomannan, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese to a microwave-safe bowl. Stir to mix the dry ingredients through the shredded cheese. Add the cream cheese and butter to the center of the bowl, and cover with the shredded cheese mixture. Microwave on high for 1-minute increments, stirring after each minute until the butter and cheese has all melted and a soft dough forms. Add the eggs and baking powder and stir by hand until mixed in.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions on the parchment paper and flatten into 2-3-inch disks, pressing down a bit in the center to make a well for the meat. Scoop the meat mixture on top of each disk. Top each meat pie with cheddar cheese.
  6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges of the biscuits have begun to brown and the cheese on top has melted. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

* If you prefer using a different low carb sweetener, these sweetener conversion tables will help you find the correct amount to use.

** If you aren't concerned with carbs in your diet, you can skip making this dough and use two cans of refrigerated biscuits

*** Substitute 1 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour for the THM Baking Blend. This will impact the amount of fat shown in the nutrition label.

Please note that we are not medical or nutritional professionals. We include nutrition information for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. Nutrition data is calculated using WP Ultimate Recipe and we subtract all sugar alcohols from erythritol and xylitol from the final carb count because that is how THM calculates carbs. Please refer here for our complete Nutritional Disclosure.

Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1 grams
Amount Per Serving Calories 262Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 91mgSodium 594mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 5gSugar 2gProtein 22g

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