This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Easy 3-ingredient chia oat rolls! Soft and fluffy, they are vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, nut-free, & taste like whole wheat rolls. Pair them with soups, salads, and all of your favorite meals.
Hearty, satisfying bread is everything in January. It turns simple soups into complete meals, elevates minimalist lunches, and makes cold mornings brighter (especially if some jam or marmalade is involved).
These humble rolls are perfectly tasked for the job (or should I say role? Cringe, & apologies :)).
I am continuing my experiments with chia flour (simply chia seeds that you grind until fine), and loving the results. I know that many of you cannot eat psyllium husk, so I am especially keen to use chia flour as a psyllium alternative in bread recipes.
It turns out that chia flour plus oat flour makes for one heck of a great bread roll. Soft, fluffy, and easy to make, I know you will enjoy them!
Table of Contents
- Recipe Benefits
- Ingredients
- Step by Step Directions
- Step One: Prepare a Muffin Tin & Preheat Oven
- Step Two: Whisk the Dry Ingredients
- Step Three: Add the Water
- Step Four: Roll Dough into Balls (or Not!)
- Step Five: Bake the Rolls
- Step Six: Cool the Rolls
- Texture of the Vegan Oil-Free Chia Oat Rolls
- Taste of the Rolls
- Add Flavors to the 3-Ingredient Chia Oat Rolls
- FAQ
- Is There a Substitute for the Oat Flour?
- How Should I Store the 3-Ingredient Chia Oat Rolls?
- Can I Make Bigger Rolls?
- Can I Make the Rolls into a Loaf?
- I Have Whole Chia Seeds. How Much Will I Need?
- Is There a Substitute for Ground Chia Seeds?
- Related Recipes
- 3-Ingredient Chia Oat Rolls (V, GF, Oil-Free) Recipe
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Oil-free
- Nut-free
- Gluten-free
- Yeast-free
- Sugar-free
- No psyllium husks
- Fast & easy
- Made in one bowl
Ingredients
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.
- Oat flour (ready-to-use, or grind your own using rolled oats)
- Chia seeds, finely ground into a flour (“chia flour”–how to is in the recipe card notes)
- Baking powder
You will also need water (I use filtered tap water). Salt is optional, but I recommend adding it (to enhance the flavor of the rolls) if you can tolerate salt.
Step by Step Directions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
Step One: Prepare a Muffin Tin & Preheat Oven
Line the cups of a 12-cup standard size muffin tin with paper, foil, or silicone liners. Alternatively, lightly spray or oil the cups (if 100% oil-free rolls are not required).
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
No muffin tin? No problem. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper instead.
Step Two: Whisk the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oat flour, ground chia seeds (chia flour), baking powder, and optional salt until blended.
Step Three: Add the Water
Stir in the water until completely blended. You do not have to worry about over-mixing because there is no gluten in the recipe, so stir as much as needed to incorporate all of the dry ingredients into the dough. The dough will be thick and sticky.
Step Four: Roll Dough into Balls (or Not!)
EASIEST OPTION: NO ROLLING
Scoop the dough into 12 equal portions, placing them directly into the prepared cups of the muffin tin (or onto a prepared baking sheet). Use moist fingertips to smooth the tops slightly.
The rolls will be lumpy-bumpy, but just as delicious as the rolled balls. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?
OPTION TWO: ROLL DOUGH INTO BALLS
For smooth, rounded rolls, roll the dough into balls. Scoop the dough into 12 equal portions onto a piece of wax paper or parchment paper. I like to do this to ensure that all of the portions are relatively the same in size (and to avoid re-rolling).
Place a small bowl of water nearby. The dough is very sticky, but it is super-easy to roll if you have wet hands. Not just damp, but wet! Dip your hands into the water and roll each portion of dough into a smooth, round ball.
Place each rolled piece of dough into a prepared cup of the muffin tin (or onto a prepared baking sheet).
Step Five: Bake the Rolls
Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes until the rolls are risen, pale golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the roll comes out clean.
Step Six: Cool the Rolls
Cool the rolls in the muffin tin for two minutes. Remove the rolls from the muffin tin and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Texture of the Vegan Oil-Free Chia Oat Rolls
The rolls are soft, fluffy, and filling. The combination of the chia flour and oat flour is remarkably reminiscent of wheat flour baked goods. Imagine a whole wheat roll from a health food restaurant and you are spot on!
Taste of the Rolls
Oat flour and chia flour are both neutral in flavor. As mentioned above, the combination of the two results in a very pleasant, whole wheat-like flavor.
I love these rolls in the morning, with jam and nut butter, as much as when I layer them with hummus, sliced tomatoes, and greens later in the day. And if you have been looking for the perfect accompaniment to your healthy soups, stews and curries, you have found it!
Add Flavors to the 3-Ingredient Chia Oat Rolls
You can add any number of flavorings or topping to the rolls. Make them your own! Here are a few ideas to get your creativity flowing:
- Chopped fresh herbs (e.g., rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, chives)
- Dried herbs
- Spices (sweet or savory, such as cinnamon, curry power, turmeric, smoked paprika, or pumpkin pie spice)
- Sweetener (add up to 2 tablespoons of sweetener, such as coconut sugar, molasses or maple syrup)
- Chopped Nuts or Seeds
- Everything bagel topping
FAQ
Is There a Substitute for the Oat Flour?
No, not for this particular recipe.
If you decide to experiment with other flours, I advise using the same weight (210 grams) of an alternative flour (as opposed to using an equivalent cups measurement).
How Should I Store the 3-Ingredient Chia Oat Rolls?
Store the rolls in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to six months.
Can I Make Bigger Rolls?
Yes! You can make eight rolls instead of twelve rolls. Simply divide the total amount of dough into eight even portions instead of twelve. Bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
I do not advise making the rolls any larger than eight per batch (for the reasons noted in the following question about loaves).
Can I Make the Rolls into a Loaf?
No. I have tried, both with a large (9×5-inch) loaf pan and a small (5×3-inch) loaf pan. The dough rises nicely during baking, but then collapses moments after being removed from the oven. The inside of the loaf remains gooey.
I Have Whole Chia Seeds. How Much Will I Need?
You will need about 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of whole chia seeds (60 grams) to make 60 grams (1/2 cup, lightly packed) finely ground chia seeds (also known as chia flour). Instructions for grinding whole chia seeds are in the recipe notes.
Is There a Substitute for Ground Chia Seeds?
Possibly. You can most likely substitute flaxseed meal. Keep in mind that I have not tested the recipe with flaxseed meal.
Substitute 60 grams of flaxseed meal, which is about nine tablespoons. I strongly suggest finely grinding the flaxseed meal, as I do in my 2-ingredient flax bread and 1-ingredient flax tortillas.
Happy Baking!
Related Recipes
3-Ingredient Chia Oat Rolls (V, GF, Oil-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups, 210 g oat flour (see notes to easily grind your own)
- 1/2 cup 60 g finely ground, lightly packed chia seeds (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons 8 g baking powder
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups, 355 mL water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180 C). Line 12 cups of a standard size muffin tin with liners (or lightly spray/oil, if you do not need these to be 100% oil-free). See notes for using a baking sheet instead of a muffin tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oat flour, chia flour, baking powder, and optional salt until blended.
- Add the water to the bowl. Stir until completely combined into a dough (the dough will be thick and sticky).
- For very rustic rolls, simply divide the dough evenly between all 12 prepared cups (smooth tops with wet fingertips. For smooth, round rolls, divide the dough into 12 even portions on wax paper or parchment paper. With very wet hands, roll each portion into a smooth, round ball. Place each ball in a prepared muffin cup.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes until risen, pale golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center of a roll comes out clean.
- Cool in the muffin tin for 2 minutes. Remove rolls from muffin tin and cool completely on a cooling rack.
These were great. Very simple to make.
Plain like you say, but still good without anything (especially while still warm!)
I had some maple butter that was delicious with these and then had some with a little vegan margarine and some cinnamon sugar. 😙👌
You had me at maple butter 🥰 I’m so glad you like the recipe, Laura!
Hi Camilla, can this be made without flaxseed meal? Or use half of the flaxseed meal and half of the oat flour instead? Thank you.
Hi Janice,
No these rolls need to have the chia seed flour or flaxseed meal to work. Otherwise the results would be hard, flat hardtack-type biscuits instead of fluffy rolls. I am not quite clear on what you are asking with the second part of your question: do you mean replace half of the flaxseed meal with some extra oat flour? If that is what you mean, then no, that will not work. The ground chia (or ground flax), in the proportions listed, is essential for the recipe to work as rolls.
FINALLY! GF, oil free, low sodium, EASY rolls that TASTE GREAT! I dodn’t even use my spray butter! Perfect instructions, too. Thanks SO MUCH!
You are so welcome, Linda!!!
Do I measure the chia and oats before grinding or after? Thanks for your dedication to GF
Hi Debbie! The cup measurements in the recipe are for the (already) ground chia flor and oat flour. I have information in the notes about the amounts of whole chia and who oats needed to make these amounts 🙂
Mine were not light and fluffy. Any idea about what I did wrong?
Hi Marilyn,
Can you provide any other details? Did you make them exactly per the instructions (especially, did you make them the small size? If they are made bigger, they will likely not bake properly).
@Camilla, I did use a little less water. Could that be my problem?
That might be it, Marilyn. The rolls need all of the water (for steam, to puff up the rolls).
Love these! Have made them a few times. Once I ran out of chia so used a combination of flax meal and psyllium husk and it was just as good. Sprinkled with a little of the “Everything but the bagel” seasoning before baking is really yummy.
Ooh, thanks for sharing your adaptations, Karen–way to make it work in the absence of an ingredient! I have a serious love for everything bagel seasoning, so huge thumbs up for adding it to these!
These were amazingly good. I rolled them into balls and cooked them on a silicon baking matt. Silicone matts are a great invention especially for us oil free people. They are easy to roll with your hands but hands must be wet like you say. I like that you measure by weight which is more accurate as you know. Looking forward to experimenting with more flavors. Today i put a spoonful of Italian Seasoning in them and they turned out great.
Hooray, I am so pleased to hear that these were a success, Scott! Thanks for sharing re: the silicone mats. They are great tools, but glad to know that they are working especially well for your oil-free baking ventures. Cheers!
i was so excited to make these, i did not grind the chia – stuck to my muffin paper – made a mess – threw out because of the stuck muffin paper – / practice makes perfect – so i am trying again because i like 3 ingredient ease of this – i will grind the chia this time – but – i am going to try to make oatcake cracker by rolling it out somewhat thin – cutting to a size of some kind – i am excited again – i hope this mess turns out good enough to not feed the birds – am not using paper – if anything will grease or use parchment paper –
Hi Mx Faye!
Oh no, not grinding the chia into a flour is definitely the cause of these not turning out. It is 100% essential that you use finely ground chia (aka chia flour), not whole chia seeds. It would be like using a whole grain (like whole oat groats, buckwheat or quinoa instead of their respective flours). Yes, you could almost certainly make these into crackers, that would be a great idea :). I do hope that you give these another try with the ground chia.
Hi. I made these the other day and thought as I was putting the ground chia seeds in by weight that it looked like quite a lot. Mine were small, very dense and not cooked through. Today I weighed out in grams, 2T+1t whole chia and it was 24-25 grams. That is a lot less than the 60 grams you called for in the recipe. I will try the rolls again with the reduced amount of ground chia. I too would like to use them in hopes that the end result will not be gummy.
I happened across a blogger, whose posts I deleted from my computer :(, who used gelatin to hold gf baked goods together. I purchased some agar to experiment with.
Thank you for blogging. You are very creative.
What about using hamburger bun pans, which would allow them to rise enough because they would be thinner ? But would they hold together after baking or break in half ? If it works, you can have a recipe for hamburger buns.
I think these would work great in hamburger bun pans, Janet! Great idea. You could probably get 6 buns from the recipe.