Paleo focaccia bread… and fat-burning too? You read that right.
If you’ve recently given up gluten, bread (or grains, in general), then you’re doing a great thing for your health.
Not only will this help keep your blood sugar levels stable, but passing on the bread basket also helps to:
- Reduce systemic inflammation
- Ease digestive issues
- Reduce bloat
- Strengthen the immune system
- Create a leaner, healthier body
But what about the cravings? You know, those times when nothing but a hot, crusty piece of bread slathered in golden butter or dipped in olive oil will do?
I had one of those times last week (and just about every week, to be honest). But I wasn’t just craving sandwich bread – I wanted herbed focaccia with all of its chewy, crusty, rustic goodness – dipped in a garlic-spiked olive oil.
So, I quickly got to work adapting one of my recipes from my book, Better Breads. Using a few simple ingredients (most of which you probably have in your pantry right now) I whipped up an impromptu, artisan loaf of Italian focaccia in about 10 minutes. The hardest part was waiting for it to bake!
The focaccia emerged from the oven crowned with a chewy, golden crust and the perfect texture for sopping up a garlicky dipping sauce and my hearty Superfood Paleo Bolognese.
Paleo Focaccia Bread: The Fat-Burning Trifecta of Ingredients
Not only will this recipe satisfy your craving for bread – but also provide you with key nutrients that stoke your metabolism and help to burn stubborn fat, including:
- Protein – This is the power nutrient that kicks up your body’s production of glucagon– a key hormone for fat-burning. And this Italian-inspired bread provides three grams of protein per serving.
- Medium Chain Triglyerides (MCTs) – Found in coconut, these amazing fatty acids are burned by the liver for energy – not stored as fat. Studies show that eating a diet rich in MCTs can boost metabolism, improve blood sugar balance, benefit heart disease and even protect against fatty liver.
- Fiber – Part of the fat-burning “trifecta” of nutrients (which also includes protein and healthy fats), fiber is an essential part of a healthy, lean-body diet. Fiber helps to stabilize blood sugar, facilitate detoxification and reduce hunger.
If all this doesn’t send you running to the kitchen, get this: This recipe is also a great source of powerful antioxidants (thanks to the herbs!). These powerful molecules supercharge your body’s ability to fend off the free radicals that contribute to physical aging and degenerative disease.
So, without further adieu, here’s my super-simple, fat-burning recipe that’s sure to make your house smell like Little Italy and put a smile on your face…
Fat-Burning Paleo Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to check it off.
- 7 Tbsp. Let’s Do Organic Creamed Coconut
- 4 Tbsp. organic virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 Tbsp. organic dried basil
- 10 small organic olives, sliced
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 5 large pastured eggs
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 5 pieces Mediterranean Organic Sundried Tomatoes
Instructions
- Soften creamed coconut by placing packet in a bowl of warm water. Work with your hands to create a pourable consistency.
- Preheat oven to 300 F and lightly grease a 9” round cake pan (preferably stoneware).
- Add eggs, melted coconut oil, creamed coconut, sea salt and baking soda to a blender. Blend until very smooth (no lumps!).
- Pour batter into a medium mixing bowl and fold in herbs and olives.
- Pour into greased pan. Top with sliced sun-dried tomatoes.
- Transfer to oven and bake 40-50 minutes until golden brown and firm.
- Serve with a dipping oil made with high quality organic extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic and herbs, to taste
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving · Recipe makes 12- Fat13 g89%
- Protein2 g6%
- Carbs4 g5%
- Calories
- 145
- Total Fat
- 13 g
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0.3 g
- Cholesterol
- 66 mg
- Sodium
- 226 mg
- Total Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Net Carbs
- 2 g
- Protein
- 2 g
Why You Should Quit Bread — Even the "Healthy" Kind
Did you know that traditional grain-based breads & desserts contain a compound that is the #1 greatest danger in your diet?
Studies show that this compound (and I am not talking about "gluten") is toxic to your heart and blood vessels, weakens your immune defenses, and disrupts your nerves and brain function.
And if that's not enough… this hidden compound also makes it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to burn fat and lose weight!
The great news is that you can still have your breads and desserts… AND be well too!
Discover the Secret to the World's Healthiest BreadThis post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.
About the author
Kelley Herring
Kelley Herring, founder of Healing Gourmet, is a natural nutrition enthusiast with a background in biochemistry. Her passion is educating on how foods promote health and protect against disease and creating simple and delicious recipes for vibrant health and enjoyment.
Hi. I tried this yesterday. Easy recipe to put together and bake. The loaf looked wonderful when I first removed it from the oven after 35 minutes at 300 degrees. It was nice a puffy looking marengue and then it sank/fell. It is also doughy in the middle almost like a thicker creme brûlée consistency and didn’t really get brown on the top. It taste wonderful especially when dipping in an olive oil/herb combo.
Was the bread supposed to raise in the oven and then sink/fall? How do you combat the doughy middle and have it look like your bread picture above? Would cutting the loaf in half horizontal and placing both halves back in the oven for another 10 minutes with doughy middle exposed help with the doughiness?
Hi Jan,
The “crème brûlée ” comment makes me believe you used Coconut CREAM, NOT Creamed Coconut. They are very different, and I specify the difference above. Creamed coconut is the pureed whole coconut… coconut cream is the heavy part of coconut milk. You need to buy creamed coconut or coconut manna or coconut butter, as specified in the recipe. Or you will have basically a coconut crème brûlée… not bread 😉
Be Well,
Kelley
To those who’ve been looking for creamed coconut, I’m from Ontario and Loblaws and Bulk Barn (in addition to other stores) carry the Grace brand of creamed coconut, which comes in a teal box and is conveniently approx. 7 tbsp per box. Price varies from $1.29–$1.79 per box. This brand works well with this recipe.
To the chefs: Thank you for posting this delicious and easy recipe. I’ve made this 3 times, with the most successful being the last, and not having the best of luck with the second. Might I suggest specifying in the printable recipe that the eggs should be room temperature? The issue with my second one was cold eggs were causing the creamed coconut to solidify and, while tasty, the final product was flat and oily as I was unable to get the mixture to combine properly in my food processor. This last time, my eggs were room temp and it came out SO fluffy and airy.
I tried this tonight, but it separated while cooking. There was a very distinct jelloish layer at the bottom. It definitely didn’t look like the picture, and didn’t taste very good. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Catherine,
Hmmm… Jello layer? Sounds like you did not use the Let’s Do Organic Creamed Coconut. I’ve made this dozens of times and never had any “jello”… and it looks just like the photo. If you used “coconut cream” you would have basically made a custard, which sounds like what occurred. Please check your ingredients and try again.
I used “nutiva coconut manna”. I read through the comments and I thought that was accurate. If that not right?
I’m trying this tonight! Sounds so good! BUT, I too would love to know if anyone has tried and EGG-FREE version??
Hi Teri,
Due to the amount of coconut in this recipe, an egg free version probably would not work at all. Coconut requires a lot of lift in baking.
Be Well,
Kelley
I’ll be moving to AIP very soon and won’t be able to do eggs. I wonder if anyone has tried using an egg substitute such as a gelatin egg for this and if it worked out the same? Sure wish I could do the tomatoes, too, as I love and miss them so much, but tomatoes aren’t so fond of me! I was very glad to hear of everyone’s different combinations as its given me different ideas to try out instead of the sundried tomato.
Hi there,
This looks like such a great and easy recipe that I would just LOVE to try. However, I need to avoid coconut, so I was wondering if you have any suggestions as to what I can use to substitute for the creamed coconut. I would use avocado oil instead of coconut oil, and then wondered if maybe blending an avocado to a creamy consistency would be good substitutes. Your thoughts? Thanks so much.
Its dangerously delicious. The organic eggs and the organic creamed coconut cost $6.45 here in Canada I baked it in a 7×11 pan and the bread reached about 3/4 inch high. I had no olives so I put in about a tsp tapenade and used fresh garlic, and fresh Basil. The crust was similar but not the same as a quiche or frittata egg bake. I was thinking a serving is very small. Surprisingly to my delight its filling as it is tasty. No detectible coconut flavour.
Where did you find the creamed coconut. I live in BC and am having difficulty. Thanks
I’m glad you mentioned serving size. I saw all the nutritional information per serving, but that doesn’t isn’t terribly helpful unless you know the serving size or number of servings per recipe. I am probably starring right at it and can’t see it for looking, but would appreciate any comment that would help me,
Thanks,
Pam
Hi Pam,
There are actually two sources of nutrition information on this page. The “Nutrition Info Per Serving” is just below the printable recipe and just above the “Nutrition Per Batch”. It is an image. Each serving has 144 calories, 13 g fat, 4 carbs, 2.5 g fiber. Do you see it?
Be Well,
Kelley
Hello,
I am looking forward to trying new recipes. I have been diagnosed with SIBO and Rapid emptying. It has been a struggle, especially because of the weight gain. Everything I eat, my body seams to store as fat. I have gained weight; it is a health issue because of high cholesterol. If anyone has any information on how to lose weight with these two diseases, please let me know!!
I have not tried this recipe yet but will soon! It looks great! I have been going gluten free and very recently started looking into paleo. I enjoy creating things instead of buying them when it is possible and was also wondering about the creamed coconut. I googled how to make it but everything that popped up was coconut cream or coconut butter and I know that is not the same as creamed coconut. Do you have any suggestions on how I could make the creamed coconut myself? Thanks for your help! I can’t wait to try this focaccia!