Meet Cloud Bread, Your New Favorite Gluten-Free Bread

Get the scoop on the bread that’s been named one of the top health trends of 2016. Cloud bread is the new gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb bread that more and more people are beginning to swear by.

What is Cloud Bread?

It’s hard to believe that bread can be made out of 3 incredibly simple ingredients. Cloud bread calls for eggs, softened cream cheese, and cream of tartar, which when combined result in a crispy texture out of the oven that transforms into soft and chewy deliciousness when stored overnight in a plastic container. We’ve got your questions all answered below, plus we’ve added a fool-proof recipe so you can make your own!
 

Is it Easy to Make?

Although cloud bread only has 3 ingredients, it’s a bit more complicated than it sounds to make. Making the bread involves whipping egg whites with cream of tartar to give it a fluffy texture (hence the name), and then gently folding in a mixture of egg yolks and cream cheese. Most people at this stage add some sort of sweetener as well, honey being a favorite. Trust us though, it’s well worth the effort.
 

What Should I Eat it With?

Cloud bread is great for sandwiches, mini pizzas, and even desserts. Two of my favorites are cloud bread mini pizzas (in the oven with sauce, shredded cheese and veggies), and cloud bread breakfast sandwiches (I usually add cream cheese and strawberry jam).

Depending on how you spice your cloud bread, you can make sweet cloud bread pancakes, or savory rosemary & sage cloud bread which works great for sandwiches! Cloud bread also doesn’t have to be the same round shape, it’s possible to make entire baking sheets of cloud bread and use them for lasagna.
 

Is it Actually Good for You?

Just because something is grain-free or carb-free doesn’t mean that it’s inherently healthy. What cloud bread essentially does is replace grain with eggs and cream cheese. Since cream cheese is high in saturated fat, it doesn’t really pose a healthy alternative to other breads. That said, many gluten-free breads have hidden added sugars and fats, so cloud bread isn’t all that worse either! In general, gluten-free bread should be eaten in moderation and balanced with a diet rich in healthy proteins, veggies and fruits.
 

How to Make Cloud Bread

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, separated
• 3T whole milk cottage cheese or 3T cream cheese
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 1 packet artificial sweetener or 1T preferred sweetener (honey, agave, coconut sugar)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Separate the eggs (carefully! there must be no yolk in the white).
• In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks and 3T of cream cheese or cottage cheese, and your prefered sweetener until smooth.
• In another bowl, add ¼ tsp of cream of tartar to the egg whites, and beat the whites on high speed until they are fluffy and form nice peaks.
• Very carefully fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites until mixed, but try not to break down the fluffiness of the egg whites too much.
• Spray two cookie sheets with Pam or preferred cooking spray.
• With a large spoon, scoop the mixture into 10 even rounds on the sheets (roughly ¾ thick and 4-5 inches across).
• Bake on the middle rack. Here is when you have to watch them, because the cooking time will tend to vary between batches. It will be somewhere around ½ hour, but could be a bit less or more. Watch them and remove from the oven when they are a nice golden brown.
• Cool on a rack or cutting board.

While warm, cloud bread is crumbly and similar to cooked meringue. Once completely cool, seal them in a ziplock storage bag or tupperware overnight. They will completely change their consistency to something much more like bread – a softer texture that is nice and chewy.

This recipe originally appeared on food.com.