Oat & Walnut Blender Bread {vegan, gluten-free}

Quick, easy, and nutritious oat & walnut blender bread made in mini loaves (or muffins). The breads are oil-free, gluten-free & flourless, but 100% delicious and versatile.

Healthy, Wholesome, Gluten-Free Bread

Good morning, everyone, and Happy Halloween!

My 6th-grader doodle is costumed (Han Solo; I must resist bragging about the felt vest and pleather holster I constructed, as well as my mad hot glue gun skills, which made this costume happen) and off to school.  My costume today is clown, made possible by a sudden bout of allergies that have me bright nosed and sneezing with hilarious force.

In the spirit of this haunting day, my recipe du jour is bread. Because bread is terrifying.

For example, a participant in my spin class recently confessed that she is afraid of bread. She’s been reading horror books at night, all of which detail the misery and havoc it causes to any and all. It can make adults and children quadruple in size, deform their bellies, make them vulnerable to other ailments and poisons. At worst, she confided, bread kills.

I was so shaken by her tale of doom that I went home and ate two pieces of toast.

They were made from this loaf: my Oat & Walnut Blender Bread.

Bread shouldn’t be a four letter word. Especially since it’s five letters :). I eat bread every day (most typically slathered with nut butters, plant butter, or some variety of homemade hummus).

You can, too. If I don’t replenish with carbohydrates after spin class or a long run, I am for more frightening than bread can ever be. Just ask my husband and son for eye-witness accounts!

True, not all breads are created equal, but such is true for almost every food category. I love making small batches of  breads and muffins to control what goes in. However, I am also impatient, so fast and easy are key.

Important: Make the Loaves Small

These little loaves are ideal. They are perfection with both sweet and savory toppings or fillings, can be sliced thick or thin, and are packed with wholesome goodness, Best of all, the loaves can be assembled and ready to bake in roughly 3 minutes!

Yes, I am saying loaves, not loaf. This bread batter cannot be baked in a regular 9×5 inch loaf pan (it will rise and fall). Instead, bake the breads in three 5×3-inch mini loaves or in a 12-cup standard muffin tin.

Use your Blender to Make the Batter

If you’ve made my Blender Oat Muffins, this recipe will look familiar: place oats, nuts, water, and a few other basic ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Easy!

I wanted this loaf to be savory, with a deep, full flavor similar to a whole wheat yeast loaf (I have in mind one that my mother used to make). I accomplished this with a few tweaks:

1. Cut the amount of sweetener
2. Use unsulfured blackstrap molasses for the sweetener
3. Add flaxseed meal, both for a rich “grain” texture to complement the oats (it also adds extra body and structure; important since these are small loaves instead of muffins).
4. Swap in toasted walnuts for the nuts (Walnuts have great umami flavor; adding to the savory goodness of this bread. The toasting is optional, but it adds so much if you have the time).

Mission accomplished!

In parting, dear readers, be brave on this day, the spookiest of the year.

Bake some mini loaves of bread. Eat a slice (or two). Vanquish your fears.  Cheers!

More Healthy Bread Recipes to Love:

Chickpea Flour No-Corn Cornbread {vegan, grain-free}

Chickpea Flour Sandwich Bread {vegan, grain-free}

Almond Flour Soda Bread {vegan, oil-free, grain-free}

Chickpea Flour Beer Bread {vegan, 3 ingredients}