Seed Bread
This delicious, hearty seed bread is easy to make with simple ingredients and is vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free and keto-friendly!
Introduction
This yummy, hearty and nutritious seed bread makes a wonderful breakfast or healthy snack and takes just minutes to prep, all in one bowl.
This wholesome bread is a great choice for those following a gluten-free diet or anyone looking for a high-fiber, low-carb alternative to traditional bread.
It slices and toasts up wonderfully and makes a great base for your favourite toppings like avocado or almond butter.
What is seed bread?
Seed bread is a hearty, dense loaf made from seeds. It does not contain any flour, egg or dairy. It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free and suitable for those following a low-carbohydrate or even keto diet.
Seed bread has a nutty, earthy flavour and chewy texture and is a delicious way to enjoy healthy seeds like flax, chia, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed.
Ingredient Notes
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
- Sunflower Seeds: Use raw, plain sunflower seeds with no added oil or salt.
- Pumpkin Seeds: Also known as pepitas. Again, use raw seeds with no added oil or salt.
- Mixed Seeds: For the remaining half cup of seeds you can use more pumpkin seeds or mix and match from hemp seeds, sesame seeds or finely chopped nuts if nuts are ok for you.
- Flaxseeds: Be sure to use ground flaxseed, not whole flaxseeds.
- Chia Seeds: You can use white or black chia seeds.
- Psyllium Husk Powder: This is fairly easy to find in well-stocked grocery stores, healthy food stores or online. It can’t be substituted unfortunately as it absorbs most of the water and binds the bread together.
- Sweetener: This is optional but I find the touch of sweetness really improves the overall flavour of the bread. I used stevia just to keep the recipe sugar-free but you also use 1 tbsp maple syrup or a granulated sugar of choice. Monk fruit would work as another sugar-free sweetener.
- Tahini: I like tahini best in this recipe but sunflower seed butter, almond butter or cashew butter also work, as does peanut butter.
How to Make Seed Bread
Step 1. Mix the dry ingredients.
The dry ingredients include all the seeds plus the psyllium husk powder and salt. If you want to add seasonings like herbs and spices or sweetener to the bread, add that now as well.
I recommend using 1 cup of sunflower seeds plus a mixture of other seeds like sesame, hemp and pepitas.
Step 2. Add the tahini and water.
Time to mix up the dough! Add the tahini and water and mix it into a doughy paste.
It’s going to be quite thick, paste-like and kind of dry but that’s perfect.
Step 3. Bake the bread.
Add the dough into the lined loaf pan and spread evenly until flat. Pop it in the oven and bake for 50 minutes.
Quick Tip: Do not skip lining the loaf pan with parchment paper. Parchment paper makes it super easy to lift the bread out of the pan once baked.
Once it’s done, lift it out of the pan and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes before slicing.
Recipe FAQs
Definitely! You can customize the flavors by adding herbs, spices, dried fruits, nuts, or sweetener. Herbs that work well for savoury bread are garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, dill, sage, basil and rosemary. You can use just one or mix-and-match to create your own flavour profile.
Spices that work well are cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pumpkin pie spices, black pepper and allspice.
Yes, this recipe is gluten-free as written.
You can use a mixture of chopped nuts such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans to replace up to 1 cup of the total amount of seeds.
Since this is a “seed bread” I kept the recipe nut-free but I’ve made it with walnuts and that’s delicious too!
Expert Tips
- Line the pan with parchment paper. Be sure to line the pan so you can easily remove the loaf once it’s done baking.
- Measure accurately. For recipe success, use a digital kitchen scale to accurately measure the ingredients.
- Cool before slicing. Do not skip the cooling process. The longer it cools, the firmer the bread will be. If you slice it early, it may crumble.
Serving Ideas
Try this delicious, hearty bread topped with:
- avocado – I like adding salt, pepper and hot sauce too!
- avocado and thinly sliced smoked tofu
- any nut or seed butter
- nut butter and banana
- jam – try this chia seed jam
- hummus – try with sprouts, cucumber, tomato etc.
- vegan cream cheese and tomato
- herbed tofu ricotta
- date paste
- apple butter
Storing Instructions
- The loaf can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry location for 2-3 days.
- It’s recommend to slice and store the loaf in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer.
- It will keep in the fridge for 1 week or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Enjoy straight from the fridge or warm for a few minutes in the toaster or oven.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Seed Bread
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 14
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This delicious, hearty seed loaf is packed with fiber, protein and healthy fats. It’s also gluten-free, grain-free, keto-friendly, paleo and vegan. Enjoy for a nutritious breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150 g) raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup (80 g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1/2 cup (approx. 70 g) mixed seeds of choice, choose from hemp seeds, more raw pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup (30 g) ground flaxseed
- 1/4 cup (45 g) chia seeds
- 1/4 cup (45 g) psyllium husk powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp powdered stevia, 10-20 drops liquid stevia or 1 tbsp maple syrup, optional*
- 1/4 cup (60 g) tahini
- 1 1/4 cup water (295 mL)
Instructions
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a standard-sized loaf pan (approx. 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 in) with parchment paper with the ends sticking out over the sides so you can lift the finished bread out of the pan.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add everything except the tahini and water to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the tahini and water and stir into a thick, doughy paste.
- Add Dough to Pan: Place the dough in the lined loaf pan and use your hands to evenly spread and press it down into a flat, even layer.
- Bake: Bake for 50 minutes. If you tap the loaf and it sounds hollow, it’s done. If not, return to the oven for a little longer.
- Cool: Remove from the oven. Let sit for a couple of minutes then use the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the pan. Let cool on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes.
- Slice: Store whole or slice into 12-14 portions. Store in an airtight container the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
You can use a mix of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans to replace up to 1 cup of the seeds. Since this is a “seed bread” I kept the recipe nut-free but I’ve made it with walnuts and that’s delicious too! Just make sure any nuts are are finely chopped before adding to the mixture.
The stevia is optional but I find a hint of sweetness really improves the final taste. Alternatives include monk fruit sweetener to keep it sugar-free, otherwise, use 1 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar. I used stevia to keep it sugar-free for those that need it. Maple syrup is my preferred sweetener here.
This bread is amazing will be making time and time again delicious
Is there an option for baking as muffins instead of a loaf? Any recommended temp/time?
Hi, I’m sorry I haven’t tried that out myself. Temperature the same and I would think the baking time be just a bit less. You can check after 30 minutes, they should be firm on top.
Are there any substitution options for the psyllium husk powder?
It’s the main binder in the recipe, so not really, or at least I haven’t tested it with anything else. You could possibly try it with 1/2c ground flax and no psyllium but I haven’t tested that out. Psyllium works really well here. Sorry about that!
I made it today and it is so yummy. I used all the ingredients. Can’t wait to finish it tomorrow. Thanks for this great recipe. I will try others soon.
I’m about to make my 6th bread with this recipe. It’s really good! I don’t put a sweetener and I really like it like this. I have tried it with tahini and almond butter, as well with a combo of both. For the additional seeds, I tried sesame seeds and macadamias, as well as just extra of the pumpkin seeds. Thanks a lot, this helps me stay full on a lower carb diet due to reactive hypoglycemia.
Can you please tell what temperature did you use to bake it?
Delicious! I made this recipe exactly as written (maybe a pinch more salt) and used the 1 T of maple syrup- it is chewy, hearty, delicious- and I can’t wait to try with other nut butters! Thank you for making this recipe available!
You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!