Vegan Almond Flour Bread with Yeast (Oil-free, GF)

Quick and easy vegan almond flour bread with yeast is the grain-free, gluten-free, oil-free sandwich bread you’ve been waiting to make & eat!

Easy & Delicious Almond Flour Bread (without Eggs or Oil)

A gluten-free almond flour bread recipe that is also (a) vegan, (b) oil-free, and (c)quick and easy to make? It sounds hard to believe, but I am happy to deliver the results of my most recent bread experiment.

I have made vegan almond flour bread before now (My grain-free vegan sandwich bread). The leavening agent in that recipe is baking powder and, while delicious, I missed the yeast-y flavor of traditional bread. Hence, my new, equally simple-to-make, almond flour bread is a yeast bread, made with quick yeast!

If you have never baked bread with yeast, now is the time, and this is the recipe! No kneading is required, and the one rise required is a mere forty-five minutes. Yeast-leavened gluten-free bread does not have to be difficult, and this recipe proves it.

Grab a bowl, friends, and let’s bake some delectable almond flour bread!

Recipe Benefits

The hearty, vegan bread recipe is all of the following, and more:

• Grain-Free
• Gluten-free
• Vegan (egg-free & dairy-free}
• Xanthan gum-free
• No added starches (e.g., no tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch or arrowroot starch)
• Oil-free
• Good source of fiber
• Minimal ingredients
• Easy

Ingredients for Vegan Almond Flour Bread

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.

Below are the humble ingredients required to make this loaf of homemade bread:

• Finely ground almond flour
• Chickpea flour
• Whole psyllium husk (not psyllium powder)
• Coconut sugar (options are included in the full recipe, below)
• Fast-rising or quick-acting granular yeast
• Salt (always optional/adjustable)
• Very warm water

What Is Chickpea Flour?

Chickpea flour is a multipurpose flour made from finely grinding dried chickpeas. Also known as garbanzo bean flour, gram flour or besan, it is gluten-free, grain-free, high in protein and fiber, and a good source of iron, phosphorus, and folic acid. What a flour!

Check out more of my Chickpea Flour Recipes.

I love chickpea flour for all kinds of baking ( for example, Chickpea Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chickpea Flour Banana Bread, and Chickpea Flour Drop Biscuits). It can also be used as an egg replacer in plant-based scrambles, frittatas and quiches. 

If you are wondering why this almond flour bread contains chickpea flour, it is all about structure and support. Vegan baking recipes made with other grain-free flours (notably almond flour and coconut flour) require the protein and fiber architecture (in lieu of eggs) that chickpea flour provides. It keeps recipes like breads and cakes from (literally) falling flat!

Step by Step Directions

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Yeast bread worries, be gone! You have got this.

Step One: Combine the Dry Ingredients. 

In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, chickpea flour, whole psyllium husks, coconut sugar, yeast and salt until blended.  

Step Two: Add the Very Warm Water

Measure the very warm water and then add it directly to the bowl with the whisked dry ingredients. Stir until completely combined and no dry ingredients are visible in the bowl. 

The psyllium husks will activate very quickly, soaking up some of the added liquid, and thickening the dough.

Step Three: Transfer Dough to Prepared Pan

Scoop the bread dough into a nonstick baking pan (alternatively, line with nonstick parchment paper, lightly grease the pan, or spray with nonstick cooking spray). Use a spoon or silicone spatula to smooth and even out the top of the dough.

Using a sharp knife, cut a lengthwise slash (about 1/4-inch deep) across the top of the loaf.

Step Four: Let Dough Rise for 30 Minutes

Place the pan with the bread dough in a warm, draft-free place. Let rise for 30 minutes. Go and do something fun, finish some tasks, or take a nap (set your alarm!).

Step Five: Preheat the Oven

After the bread has risen for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 325F (160C). 

Important Tip About Convection Ovens 

If your oven has a convection option, I recommend that you do not use it for this bread. This bread needs to be baked using the regular (conventional, radiant) heat setting. More about this in the FAQS at the end of the post.

Step Six: Let Dough Rise 15 Minutes Longer

Let the bread dough rise for 15 minutes longer while the oven preheats.

Step Seven: Bake the Vegan Almond Flour Bread

Bake the bread in the preheated 325F (160C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes until risen and the surface of the bread is a golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Important note: This is not a high-rising bread. It translates to a lovely, firm texture.

Step Eight: Cool the Bread

Let the bread cool, in the pan, on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pan and cool the loaf completely on a cooling rack.

Done! You made yeast-risen, grain-free vegan almond flour bread!  

Slice the Bread

This is a sturdy bread, with minimal crumbs. You can slice it thick or thin, as you desire. 

What is the Texture & Taste?

First, texture: This is a hearty, firm bread. It is wonderful as is, yet also makes stellar toast.

Taste: The flavor of the bread is so appealing: neutral but with a mild yeast-y bread flavor (much like traditional bread). Use this vegan almond bread to make sandwiches (open face, or two slice sandwiches) with a variety of sweet or savory fillings. It is perfect for avocado toast, or top your toast with nut butter or seed butter, hummus, vegan cream cheese, or fruit preserves.

The bread is a great accompaniment to dinners and lunches, too. It is wonderful with soups, stews and salads.

FAQ

How should I store the bread?

Store the cooled bread in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 3 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, and the freezer for up to 6 months.

Can I use different flours (in place of the the almond flour and chickpea flour)?

I do not recommend using any other flours besides almond flour and chickpea flour in this particular recipe. The proportion of wet and dry ingredients, as well as the quantity of whole psyllium husks, is particular to the properties and quantities of these two flours. You might be able to substitute finely ground pumpkin seeds (pepitas) for the almond flour, but I have not tried it.

I have many other bread recipes, including grain-free breads, that are made with other flours, such as coconut flour, as well as legumes (such as lentils) and seeds (specifically, sunflower seeds). 

Below are links to a few of them that are similar to this bread. Alternatively, type bread or sandwich bread into the search box, for a wealth of other easy, gluten-free, vegan breads.

What kind of almond flour do you use?

I use finely ground almond flour to make this bread. The brands I use are blanched almond flour (i.e., the almond skins have been removed prior to grinding into flour). Almond flour made with whole (skin on) almonds that is still very finely ground can also be used. 

Almond meal should not be used in place of almond flour. Almond flour is more coarsely ground than almond flour (hence the name meal instead of flour). The bread will not rise properly when made with almond meal.

Can I replace the almond flour with an equal weight of almond butter?

No, almond butter cannot be used in place of almond flour in this recipe. Even though both are made from almonds, the grinding process (into a fine flour versus into a smooth past or “butter”) changes the way each works in a given recipe. Processing the almonds into butter releases the oils in the nuts. If used in place of almond flour, the results would be heavy and oily.

My oven has a convection setting. Should I use it for this bread?

No, I do not recommend it. Convection ovens are wonderful for many types of recipes, but not every recipe. Convection ovens excel at quick, crisp cooking. They are not the right choice for long slow baking, and that is definitely the case for this bread.

Convection ovens (or the convection oven setting) can force the outer layer of this bread to rise and separate from the inside of the bread. This will lead to some, or all, of the following results: (1) a big bubble under the surface of the loaf; (2) a gooey middle and bottom; and (3) a very hard outer crust.

This bread recipe works best when baked using the low, slow radiant heat of a conventional oven.

My bread came out gooey in the middle. Why?

The most likely reasons are the following:

1. Baking in a a convection oven instead of conventional oven. See the section above explaining why this makes a huge difference.
2. Ingredient measurements are off. For best results, weigh the ingredients. It is very easy to mis-measure flour, in particular, with cup measurements.
3. Oven temperature is off. I regularly check my oven temperature setting using an inexpensive oven thermometer. Check to make sure the oven is accurate before baking. If the oven is too hot, it can force a faster rise to the bread, leading to a bubble under the top of the loaf.

Can I Use Something Other than Whole Psyllium Husks?

No, it must be psyllium husk. Other gelling agents, such as ground flax seeds (flaxseed meal) or chia seeds, will not work as direct substitutes (they might work, but it would involve some experimenting to determine their efficacy).

You should be able to use an equal amount (by weight, not volume) of psyllium husk powder. I have not tested the bread with psyllium powder. 

How Can I Vary the Flavor of the Bread?

Consider adding dried herbs or spices to the bread to vary the flavor. For example, 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence or 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground cumin, curry powder, garlic powder, or onion power.

You can also add:

• chopped nuts or seeds (up to about 2/3 cup, total)
• sweetener, such as maple syrup or coconut sugar (up to 1/4 cup)
• Sweet spices (such as cinnamon, cardamom, or ginger)

Can I Make this in a Bread Machine?

I have not tested this in a bread machine so I cannot recommend how to make adaptations to the recipe, or whether it will work. 

Can I Leave Out the Sugar?

No, sugar is needed to activate (and feed) the yeast. The bread will not rise much at all without it.

Can I Use another Type of Sweetener in Place of Coconut Sugar?

Yes! You can use an equal amount of maple syrup, agave nectar, molasses, or granulated sugar of your choice. Sugar substitutes will not work (for the same reason, above, that the sugar cannot be omitted from the recipe).

Happy baking! 

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