Vegan Keto Sunflower Seed Bread {nut-free, grain-free, oil-free}

My vegan keto sunflower seed bread is equal parts scrumptious, frugal and easy to make! It is also nut-free, oil-free, & grain-free.

Nut-Free, Grain-Free & Egg-Free Bread Made Simple

Calling all bread lovers! I know you’re ready and waiting for a slice of this nutty, yet nut-free, toast-worthy loaf of goodness.

This quick, simple and so-easy bread–made with humble sunflower seeds–is an invitation to fall baking. As in, if there is a reason to be a little less sad that (1) summer is coming to a close and (2) we’re still staying home for dinner, this bread is it.

This lovely loaf has a wholesome texture that you might swear is made from wheat flour, with just the right amount of crustiness at the edges, and speckled with crunchy sunflower seeds on top. 

Bring. It. On!

Ingredients for the Sunflower Seed Bread

Here’s the (brief) list of ingredients you need to make this wonder bread happen in your own kitchen:

• raw sunflower seed kernels
• coconut flour 
• flaxseed meal
• whole psyllium husks
• baking powder
• salt
• lemon juice

Grind the Sunflower Seeds into Flour

First things first: grind the sunflower seeds into flour. It is easy and will only take about a minute. 

Place the seeds in a high-speed blender, a food processor, or a flour mill and process into a fine flour. For the former two options, use the pulse function, as opposed to continuous power, to prevent over-processing and turning the flour into nut butter (delicious, but not what you want here).

It is perfectly ok if the flour has a few uneven bits of seeds, it will add to the texture of the bread (i.e., no need to sift).

Will the Sunflower Seeds Turn the Bread Blue or Green?

If you are new to baking with sunflower seeds, blue-green bread may sound like crazy talk. 

As strange as it sounds, ’tis true: baking with ground sunflower seeds (ground into a flour, or sunflower seed butter) can lead to dramatically green-blue results. For example, this test loaf I made:

While alarming, the color is 100% harmless. It is caused by a chemical reaction from the chlorogenic acid (a healthy polyphenol) in sunflower seeds. When sunflower seeds are crushed (flour, seed butter), they react with themselves. This reaction is further enhanced by the alkalinity of baking soda. 

You can embrace the color (especially at Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day) or work around it adjusting the alkaline/acid balance of the recipe.

Here’s how I prevent the color change, entirely, in this recipe:

1. Baking powder instead of baking soda 
2. A generous dose of lemon juice (the acidity prevents the reaction)

The acid from the cream of tartar (in the baking powder) and the lemon juice keep the bread a neutral beige-brown.

How to Make the Sunflower Seed Bread Dough

Now, on with the making of this bread!

Once the sunflower seeds are ground into flour, whisk them with the remaining dry ingredients in  a large bowl until blended.

Combine the water and lemon juice in a bowl or measuring cup. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until combined into a moist, stiff dough.

Shape the Bread Dough Into a Loaf Form

Gather and press the dough into a ball shape. I moisten my hands with a bit of water at this point to smooth out any cracks in the dough.

Place the dough ball on a large piece of plastic wrap, wax paper, or parchment paper. Enclose the dough and press, roll and flatten into an oblong loaf shape that approximate the size of a 9×5-inch loaf pan. This bread does not change shape (much), so the pre-bake loaf shape will determine the post-bake shape.

Unwrap the dough and place it in a 9×5-inch loaf pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Do not press out the dough to conform with the pan.

If you, like me, are pro-crunch, press some additional sunflower seed kernels into the top of the dough.

Pretty easy, right?

Bake the Bread

Bake the bread in a preheated 375F oven for roughly 55 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. The bread is not a high-riser, but it does expand (some) as it bakes.

Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a cooling rack.

Once cool, slice ultra-thin, thick, or anywhere in between. That’s literally all there is to it :).

The neutral flavor of this bread goes with anything and everything. Hooray for bread and hello fall!

Happy baking!

More Grain-Free & Vegan Breads to Love:

• 4-Ingredient Coconut Flour Bread
• Keto Vegan Coconut Flour Bread
• 3-Ingredient Keto Vegan Almond Bread
• 5-Ingredient Chickpea Flour Sandwich Bread
• 2-Ingredient Lentil Flax Bread
• Almond Flour Soda Bread
• Keto Almond Flour Bread Rolls