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Fast and easy 2-ingredient fluffy flax rolls! The small size guarantees a light, bready interior that is perfect for spreading and filling with endless sweet & savory options. The rolls are vegan, keto, paleo, oil-free, grain-free, nut-free and sugar free (zero grams).
Size matters with bread. This is true for traditional wheat flour recipes of all kinds, but it applies to unconventional breads as well.
Case in point, my 2-Ingredient Flax Sandwich Bread. I recently revised my original recipe, making the single loaf into several smaller loaves. It vastly improved the rise and texture of the bread.
I decided to try another shape shift, from loaves to rolls.
Holy moly. This simple size change–from 3 loaves to 12 rolls–as well as baking the rolls in a muffin tin (hot sides all around each roll) leads to remarkable results. Specifically, fluffy, puffy, evenly risen bread rolls!
I know you will love these simple rolls every bit as much as I do.
Table of Contents
- Recipe Benefits
- Ingredients for the Rolls
- Best Type of Flaxseed Meal for the Bread
- How to Make Easy 2-Ingredient Fluffy Flax Rolls
- Step One: Preheat the Oven and Prepare a Muffin Tin
- Step Two: Grind the Flaxseed Meal into a Fine Flour
- Step Three: Combine the Dry Ingredients in a Bowl
- Step Four: Add the Water
- Step Five: Divide & Shape the Dough
- Step Six: Bake
- Step Seven: Cool the Rolls
- FAQ
- What are the Most Important Elements for Making the Recipe Work?
- How Should I Store the Easy 2-Ingredient Fluffy Flax Rolls?
- How Should Flax Rolls Be Served?
- Can Flaxseed Meal Go Bad?
- Can I Grind Flax Meal from Whole Flax Seeds?
- Can I Vary the Flax Rolls?
- I Do Not Have a Muffin Tin. Can I Still Make these Rolls?
- Related Recipes
- Easy 2-Ingredient Fluffy Flax Rolls (V, Oil-Free, GF) Recipe
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- Oil-free
- Sugar-free
- Paleo-friendly
- Keto-friendly
- Easy to make
- 2 ingredients (plus water and optional salt)
Ingredients for the Rolls
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- Flaxseed meal (further ground into a very fine flour; directions below)
- Baking powder
You will also need regular tap water. I like to add some salt, but it is entirely optional.
Best Type of Flaxseed Meal for the Bread
Flaxseed meal is typically available in dark and golden varieties. The former is simply labeled “flaxseed meal,” while the latter is specially labeled as “golden flaxseed meal.”
I strongly recommend using golden flaxseed meal for this bread. The darker flaxseed meal works just as well, but the flavor of the golden flaxseed meal is much milder than the dark.
Whichever option you choose, just make sure the flaxseed meal is fresh. The high contention of natural oils in flax can go rancid (and fishy-tasting) if not stored properly. Flaxseed meal should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer once the bag is opened.
How to Make Easy 2-Ingredient Fluffy Flax Rolls
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
Step One: Preheat the Oven and Prepare a Muffin Tin
Preheat the oven to 400 F (200C) degrees. Spray twelve cups of a standard size muffin tin.
The muffin tin is another key to the success of the rolls. Surrounded an all sides by hot meal, the rolls rise and puff up evenly. (If you do not have a muffin tin, read the FAQ below; I have options).
Step Two: Grind the Flaxseed Meal into a Fine Flour
This is a very important step. Using a blender or a clean coffee mill, grind the flaxseed meal into a very fine flour. This affects how the texture and rise of the bread.
Step Three: Combine the Dry Ingredients in a Bowl
In a large bowl, whisk together the finely ground flaxseed meal, baking powder, and the (optional) salt.
Step Four: Add the Water
Next, stir in water. It will come together together into a thick, moist dough.
It may not look like enough water, but it is. Do not add more water. The dough will appear somewhat gooey.
Step Five: Divide & Shape the Dough
Divide the dough into twelve equal portions. With damp hands, shape each into a ball.
Step Six: Bake
Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 28 to 33 minutes until golden brown and puffed up.
Step Seven: Cool the Rolls
Cool the muffins for 15 minutes before removing from the muffin tin. Transfer the rolls to a cooling rack and cool completely. Pretty impressive, right?
Once the rolls are completely cooled, tear one open. The interior will be light and fluffy. Yippee!
FAQ
What are the Most Important Elements for Making the Recipe Work?
With minimalist recipes such as this one, following the process is especially important for success. These are the most important factors for making these rolls work.
- Grind the flaxseed meal as described. Even if your flaxseed meal appears finely ground, it must be ground again to create a light fluffy flour.
- Use a metal muffin tin/muffin pan. The rolls rise high and round (fluffy interiors) in large part from being surrounded on all sides by the hot metal (the metal muffin tin cups). I recommend avoiding silicone muffin pans. They are not good heat conductors and will not produce the same results.
- Bake in a standard oven. Convection ovens are not good for unconventional breads such as this one. These rolls need the slow, radiant heat of a standard oven. Small ovens (e.g., toaster ovens) are also not recommended.
Convection ovens, or the convection oven setting, can cause the top of the rolls/bread to bake first (pulling up the top of the rolls like a skin and creating a large air bubble beneath).
Baking the rolls in a small oven, at high heat, for a long bake will most likely use the rolls to burn before the are baked on the inside (limited room for air flow). Better toaster ovens have convection settings (to better circulate the air/heat), but, as mentioned above, convection is not good for this kind of unconventional bread.
How Should I Store the Easy 2-Ingredient Fluffy Flax Rolls?
Store the cooled rolls in an airtight container at (cool) room temperature for 3 days, the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
How Should Flax Rolls Be Served?
Serve the rolls as you would any other bread rolls! Enjoy them as an accompaniment to meals, salads, and soups, as a snack (solo, or spread with sweet or savory options), or split and filled for small sandwiches.
Can Flaxseed Meal Go Bad?
Yes. Flax seeds are very high in natural oils. If the flaxseed meal is old, or has not been stored properly, it can turn rancid and have a strange flavor and smell (almost fishy in quality).
For best results, use fresh flaxseed meal or flaxseed meal that is properly stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Can I Grind Flax Meal from Whole Flax Seeds?
Yes. It is best to use a high speed blender or a grain mill. For this recipe, it is important to grind the seeds for a longer period of time so that the results are fine, fluffy flax flour (i.e., not a coarse grind, or flaxseed meal).
Can I Vary the Flax Rolls?
Yes! You can add fresh or dried herbs to the dough. You can also add ground spices (sweet or savory) or garlic or onion powder to the dough. The rolls can also be sprinkled with seeds (e.g., sesame or poppy) or finely chopped nuts.
I Do Not Have a Muffin Tin. Can I Still Make these Rolls?
Yes! The rolls can also be baked on a large baking sheet. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper (or very lightly spray the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray).
The rolls may not puff up in a round manner to the same degree as when baked in a muffin tin, but they will still be fluffy.
Related Recipes
Easy 2-Ingredient Fluffy Flax Rolls (V, Oil-Free, GF)
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups, 260 g flaxseed meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/3 cups, 315 mL water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F(200C). Spray 12 cups of a standard size muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a food processor or clean coffee grinder, grind the flaxseed meal into a very fine flour. This is a very important step, Do not skip it.
- In large bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal, baking powder and (optional) salt. Add the water, stirring until completely combined (the dough will look thick and somewhat gooey).
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, With damp hands, shape each piece into a ball. Place each ball into a prepared muffin cup.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 33 minutes until risen and browned
- Cool the rolls in the muffin tin for 15 minutes before removing and placing on a cooling rack. Cool completely.
Hi. Thank you for this recipe. I tried it today. The flavour is lovely but mine turned out very dense, not fluffy at all
Hi Harps! Im sorry to hear that the rolls did not turn out fluffy. Just checking: did you follow the instruction for grinding the flaxseed meal into a fine flour? That’s key to making the rolls fluffy. If you leave the flaxseed as a rougher meal, they will not achieve a fluffy texture. If you did make the flax flour, let me know, so I can help figure out what went awry. Cheers.
I’d love to try these what do you think about subbing the flax to Chia seeds?
Hi Serena! Yes, chia works, but the proportions are slightly different. I tried it, here is the recipe. You can shape it into rolls, per this flax recipe, and follow the same baking times for the flax rolls to make chia rolls. Cheers 🙂 https://www.powerhungry.com/2023/06/10/2-ingredient-chia-bread-v-gf-k/
Hi Camilla,
Just wanted to say the way I put them into the muffin tin is the way I got them out. They didn’t spread out or rise at all and they were still freaking delicious!!
Just made the flax seed sandwich rolls yesterday – as well as some mixed seed bread. They’re lovely plain or toasted and loaded with crunchy peanut butter or honey. Very easy recipe but like all baking, vital to keep measurements accurate. I shall check out your others as I’m following Dr Myhill’s grain free Paleo Keto regime… and most of my joint pain has disappeared 🙂
So glad you like the bread, Augustine!
I followed the recipe exactly and the rolls were a bit gooey in the middle even after 33 minutes.
Hi Beverly,
I’m sorry the rolls did not turn out as expected. They should definitely be ready, not gooey inside. It could be as simple as needing 5 more minutes in the oven–ovens can vary in their cooking times. I also want to check that (1) you ground the flaxseed meal into a very fine flour, and (2) that you made 12 rolls . All the best.
Do you have any suggestions on how to modify these to be burger bun size? Thanks!
Hi Heather! Yes!
Follow all of the steps but shape into 4 pieces (shape as directed in post, roll into a ball). Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten to about 1/2-inch to 3/4 inch thickness (they will puff up). Make about 3 deep slices across the top of each. Bake as directed but for 40 to 45 minutes (more, if needed). Burger buns!
Really looking forward to trying this recipe soo. – do you think this recipe would still be successful if I halved the quantity?
Hi Adie! Yes, absolutely you can halve it. Hope you enjoy!
I needed some burger buns and turned this into four beautiful buns by shaping them like an English muffin and letting them rise. To make them a little less heavy (one bun=three dinner rolls!), I subbed 1/3 cup cassava flour for 1/2 cup flax flour. I might try again with even more cassava flour. With a black-bean burger inside, that made for a substantial meal!
That sounds AMAZING, Kathy! I am going to have to give that a try for summer veggie burgers, yum! Thank you so much for sharing!
I followed the recipe, using regular flaxseed – I thought I had golden but it turned out to be dark, considering how dark my rolls looked compared to yours. What I found was that they didn’t cook on the inside even after the full cooking time and seeming fluffy and done, and were undercooked even after allowing to cool completely. I did try putting them back in the oven a bit but that only made the outside crispier. Any idea why this happened?
Hi Sarah,
Sorry to hear you the recipe did not work out. Can I ask two quick questions: (1) did you ground the flaxseed to a fine flour? (2) did you make 6 rolls?
Do you think we could sweeten it a bit by adding maple syrup, agave, date powder or other sweetener?
Hi Madelyn,
Yes, that should work just fine! If using a liquid sweetener, reduce the amount of water by the amount of liquid sweetener you are adding. Sounds yummy!
I don’t use baking powder, baking soda, cream of tarter, featherweight or any saleratus. Do you know what could be used in their place, either in this recipe or in general? Several of your other recipes calls for baking powder and baking soda too. Many times I just leave it out of a recipe and it turns out fine, a bit dense, but this recipe seems like it may be an important ingredient for their fluffiness.
Hi Janie,
Can you eat yeast? In the absence of eggs, there are not many other options for making bread rise.
Hi, I only have my Chefman oven style airfryer right now but I can make these work. I make a half recipe and use a 4 well muffin tin. I preheat the airfryer with a small cast iron frying pan in the top 1/3. Then I put the muffin tin in bottom 1/3. The pan blocks the direct air but radiates the heat. Due to no true bottom heat the bottoms are not as crispy as yours but not a gooey mess either.
When I half the recipe I keep the whole amount of baking powder as mine are 4 and not 6.
Thank you for the recipe. Just wanted to share in case others only had an airfryer
Susan, thank you so much for sharing your tips! I know from comments that more and more people are relying on smaller ovens, so this is a great help. So glad you like the recipe, too.
I made 1/2 batch of these Flax Rolls tonight and they turned out! I used a NutraBullet to grind the flax into meal initially and then did it again to get the mixture as close as I could to flour. I was concerned like the other commenter that it might turn into flax butter! I stopped blending just prior to that point! After stirring the batter together, I didn’t roll the balls and did more of a similar size “dollop” of dough into parchment paper muffin liners in a muffin tin so there were little points on the rolls and it baked that way. I was concerned that I might be over-baking the rolls so I did 17 minutes at 400 and the rest of the time at 375 and that worked well. Next time, I will gently roll the balls as is in the recipe so they will look rounder and I’ll add in some dill or other herb. The final baked roll had a really “bready” texture so highly recommend this recipe!
Fantastic, Deb! Thank you so much for sharing your tips for other readers, too 🙂
These are outstanding and tasted great. I made the mistake of making these larger (half the number of rolls) on the first batch and they did not cook right. I followed your instructions exactly second time and made the smaller rolls. I realize now that the size matters, that’s why you wrote it that way (silly me). Because they came out perfect when I followed precisely. Lesson learned! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Oh wow! Did these rolls turn out beautifully! Mine look just like your pics. Tastes great. Love the texture and how they puffed up and slid right out of the muffin tins. No sticking. I’ve been on the hunt for a long time for a easy flaxseed muffin or roll recipe that didn’t include eggs, one with less ingredients. This is it! Thank you so much, Camilla!
Wow, I am so happy these came out so well, Jill! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to comment, it is really appreciated 🙂
@Camilla,
These are in the oven right now! I’ve made them over and over again and they always turn out just like the recipe. It’s made me a fan of grinding my flaxseed for other recipes. I’ve added cinnamon and stevia to these, and they’re tasty too. Have you ever added chopped nuts or bits of fruit like cranberries in them or dried fruit?
Hi Jill! I am so thrilled to hear that these have been such a success in your kitchen! I love the sound of your additions. Ooh, yes, I think you could add some dried fruits or nuts (I have not done it…but now think I must, asap). I suggest (1) chopping the nuts or fruit relatively small (bigger pieces might affect the rise. But not sure about this); and (2) not adding too much (for the same reasons as (1). Would love to know how it goes, Jill!
I tried these and LOVE every morsel! They have a crisp outside and a soft inside. Im going to try making them flat-ish to use for sliders.
I first tried to blend half of the flaxmeal/baking powder/salt in a Nutribullet, and it didn’t go well at all. It got hot and maybe started becoming flax butter. Dumped it plus the unblended half into Vitamix and then into a bowl. After the water, it was like concrete. I added 2t water and finally it got blended. I greased the non-stick muffin pan with coconut oil. Dipped 2 fingers into aquafaba/cannellini bean cooking water combo and that made it easy-ish to mold into balls. Had to redo a bunch that were too big or too small. I ended up flattening them into very thick disks so they’d touch all sides of the cup. But then I noticed that yours weren’t touching the sides.
STARTED WITH 28M on center rack NEAR THE DOOR. At 26M pushed it back to the center. At 28M wasn’t brown or puffed up, so gave it 4M more. They rose a bit and were darker, so I guess it was browned.
Every one of them completely stuck. Finally used a steel utensil to go around the edges from top to bottom and I got a few out whole. Most of them came out in pieces but I used them in tofu egg salad for extra oomph. The rest of them I break in pieces, too, like a thick smoothie. Today I had a bowl of thawed frozen cherries from Costco and all that juice that I broke a few rolls up to add oomph and calories to that. Fab.
I’ll make this again for sure in a day or two, this time going straight to Vitamix. How about using aquafaba instead of water? I could also use a 6-cup muffin pan and make them larger. Less work in getting them out of the pan maybe. I’ll report back.
Hi Marge!
I think things went off the track with the blending of the flaxseed meal. Blending it into a light, fluffy flour is 100% critical to the success of the recipe. It’s what allows the rolls to rise well and turn out light and fluffy. The rolls do not work if the flaxseed meal is not ground into a flour, so I am certain that grinding half of the flax to the point of a flaxseed “butter” meant that the recipe was not going work. The dough, once mixed, will be springy. Since this is such a minimalist recipe in terms of ingredients, it is all about the procedure. Using aquafaba instead of water could definitely be interesting, but the recipe does not need it to work. But I am confident you will have success if you first grind the flax meal into a fluffy flour and then follow the directions from there 🙂 Also, I think the sticking issue is from the same dough issue.
Nevertheless, I am super-impressed that you were able to salvage the dough, Marge! We are definitely on the same page, I usually try to make my failed experiments into something edible, and it sounds like you went above and beyond. Your baking of the dough is super-smart, and I love the way you used the flax pieces (especially the cherries combo!) I hope you do give this another go, you are clearly an inspired baker 🙂
How would you adjust to make mini size for hors d’oeuvres?
Hi Melissa! What a neat idea. I would use a mini muffin pan. You might need to experiment with using 1/2, 1/3 or even 1/4 the amount for each roll, rolled in a ball, and baked in the mini muffin pan. Depending on how small the size, perhaps start checking for doneness at 15-20 for the super min size.I would love to hear how it goes!
These came out perfect! Tried with light and dark , but the light golden was definitely the best. Thanks for such an easy recipe my whole family can eat.
You are very welcome, Tara!
Hello! Is it 12 muffins or 6? The recipe says to grease 6 muffin cups but then later it says to divide into 12 portions. Thank you!
Apologies, Patty, that was a brain blip on my part! had it as 12 everywhere else, it is definitely 12.Thanks for catching it, I have corrected the mistake 😊
I’m going away but cant wait till I come back to try these. I don’t have much success with making bread so will try my luck on a roll
I hope you love these as much as I do, Karen!
Looks fantastic. I was needing a good no-carb bread/roll recipe as I start on a special food plan to save my health and possibly my life (heart condition plus a huge belly that makes me look like something out of “Alien”)
. I already have golden flaxseed meal in my freezer and a good blender so good to go.
I’ve been collecting your recipes on Pinterest for some time now; amazing grain-free things to make.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks Mary! I hope you enjoy the rolls 🙂
COULD YOU USE GROUND CHIA SEEDS IN PLACE OF
FLAX SEEDS. PAT
Hi Pat,
I don’t think that would work. Sorry.
Camilla, these are delicious! I never cease to be amazed at the magic you can do with 3 or less ingredients. I keep saying that vegans are the Mcguivers of the culinary world, and you’re a master Mcguiver! 😀
As a note, I made half a batch (and it’s almost all gone!) and the bread didn’t turn out according to plan. It didn’t cook fully and the top rose, creating an empty top “shell”. I don’t have a metal muffin tin, so I used silicone and my oven is a microwave oven, so I can’t turn convection off. Didn’t think it would make much difference, buf after reading your comment on another bread recipe, I see that the combination of these two things is probably what caused it. Next time I’ll follow your indication for cooking the rolls on parchment paper, and I’ll see how I can work around the convection shell top, maybe covering the rolls with a tray or silicone muffin moulds.
And even though they did not come out according to plan, as I mentioned, they’re almost all gone, because they are delicious, so I can imagine how fast the new batch will follow! Thaaaaaaaaaank you!