This chia almond low carb bread recipe has a texture just like whole-wheat bread and can be baked as a loaf or as rolls. A perfect everyday grain free bread, this easy recipe is gluten free, Keto and delicious with sweet and savoury toppings. No eggy taste!
Sandra: "This is the first low carb bread that tastes great and is like actual bread. I love it."⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Since I first published this recipe in August 2018, this bread has become a firm reader favourite with hundreds of five-star reviews like the one above.
Together with my almond flour bread, it is one of the most popular recipes on my website. That's why I have decided to give the post an update with step-by-step photos and more details.
I am so happy with this bread - it might just be my personal all time favourite. The texture reminds me of whole-wheat bread. It is soft, with a tender crunch in the crust.
Jump to:
Can you eat bread on a low carb diet?
Yes! As long as it is a grain-free, low-carb bread.
When I first went low carb, I thought I had to give up bread forever as grains are off the menu. Wheat and other grains contain easy-to-digest carbohydrates that the body converts into glucose (=sugar). Eating grains provides a short-term energy boost and will spike your blood sugar - whether you choose a white loaf or a "healthy" whole-wheat one. Shortly after, your insulin levels plummet and you'll feel hungry again.
As Dr Willam Davis writes, 2 slices of whole-wheat bread raise blood sugar higher than 6 teaspoons of table sugar. Read his book Wheat Belly, in which he explains in detail why we should ditch wheat and other grains - it's an eye-opener.
So much for the bad news. The good news is, there are plenty of bread recipes using grain free flours. These will not spike your insulin levels the way regular bread does AND they taste absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Let's talk ingredients! Here is what you need to make a delicious keto-friendly bread that does not taste eggy at all.
Quark - The Secret Ingredient
The secret ingredient in this low carb bread recipe is quark.
Quark is a German cooking cheese, which is made by heating soured milk until it curdles. It is available in larger supermarkets in the UK and Northern Europe. In the US you can get it online or in delis/natural food stores.
Why does quark work so well in this recipe?
Recipes using almond flour can result in a crumbly, dry texture because of the lack of gluten. The quark makes up for this and gives this low carb loaf a wonderfully moist bread-like texture.
Any other benefits?
Yes! Quark makes this recipe also less heavy than other grain free bread recipes, because you use it in place of fats such as butter or coconut oil. With almond flour or almond meal containing plenty of healthy fats on its own, you still get that lovely low carb long-term energy boost.
If you have difficulties sourcing it, you can replace the quark with Greek yoghurt. This will alter the taste slightly, but it would still work well.
Other Ingredients Needed
Eggs. The eggs should be large and room temperature. This helps the bread rise better.
Almond flour and coconut flour. Both almond flour and almond meal (or ground almonds) work in this recipe. The added coconut flour further improves the bread-like texture and taste.
Psyllium husk provides an extra dose of fibre, which we all need for well-functioning digestion. It gives the bread more substance and that whole-wheat taste. Check what kind of psyllium you have - if you want to use psyllium powder, use only 1 ยฝ tablespoons as opposed to the 3 tablespoons stated for the crushed husks.
Chia seeds. You can use black or white chia, whichever you can get hold of. These awesome superfood seeds are not only packed with nutrients, but they also act as a binder. That's why you only need 3 eggs for this bread. Other low-carb bread recipes use as many as six eggs. Fewer eggs = zero eggy taste!!!
In addition to the above, we're using baking powder, a pinch of salt and sunflower seeds. The sunflower seeds are optional. Any other seeds would work just as well - sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds, for example.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Below are the basic steps to make this bread. Scroll down to the recipe for a detailed method.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, blend the eggs and quark with an electric mixer until smooth.
Step 2: Add the almond flour or ground almonds, coconut flour, baking powder and salt. Blend until fully combined.
Step 3: Add the chia seeds and psyllium husks. Add the optional sunflower seeds if you're using them.
Step 4: Fill the dough into the loaf tin and let it rest for 15 minutes so the psyllium and the chia can absorb the liquid. Sprinkle more sunflower seeds over the top.
Step 5: Bake the bread for around 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a knife inserted comes out clean.
Let the bread cool fully before slicing. It is fragile while hot and firms up as it cools.
Expert Tip
I used a small loaf tin (18 x 9 cm / 7 x 3.5 inch) with a volume of 450 ml. It is about half the size of regular loaf tins. Low carb breads tend to be extremely filling as they are nutrient-dense, that's why this smaller size is just perfect.
Variations
If you want to use a full-size loaf tin, double the recipe and increase the oven time by around 15 minutes.
If you do not have a small loaf tin and don't want to double the recipe, you can make Keto rolls instead. Let the dough rest until the chia and psyllium have absorbed all moisture before you attempt to handle the dough!
For an even fluffier and lighter bread, separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold them in last.
Dairy-free: A reader has told me that she used silken tofu instead of the quark and it worked a treat. Almond or coconut yogurt also works as a dairy-free alternative to quark and yogurt - although I have not yet tried it myself in this recipe.
Storage
Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can you freeze this bread?
Absolutely! I like to pre-slice my loaves and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Then, I pop each slice straight from the freezer in the toaster. This is meal planning the German way - we were brought up on bread and I just NEED to know I can have a sandwich when I feel like one!
Ready to try out more keto bread?
I have plenty of coconut and almond flour bread recipes on the blog. Check out my rustic Paleo bread with seeds, this soft fluffy flaxseed bread or this lusciously chewy-crunchy low carb garlic bread.
โ Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!โ
โ STAY IN TOUCH on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more great food and join my NEWSLETTER for the latest updates.โ
Recipe
Everyday Low Carb Bread
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 250 g / 1 cup quark (use Greek yoghurt as an alternative)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup / 100g almond flour/meal or ground almonds
- 2 tbsp / 12g coconut flour
- 3 tbsp / 18g psyllium husks 1 ยฝ tablespoon if using psyllium husk powder)
- 3 tbsp / 30g chia seeds
- ยฝ tbsp / 6g baking powder
- ยฝ tsp / large pinch salt
- 2 tbsp / 15g sunflower seeds optional
Instructions
- Line a small loaf tin (450ml capacity) with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix the eggs and quark with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the almond flour/ground almonds, coconut flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until fully combined.
- Last, add the chia seeds and psyllium husks. Add the sunflower seeds if you're using them.
- Fill the dough into the loaf tin and let it rest for 15 minutes so the psyllium and the chia can absorb the liquid. Sprinkle sunflower seeds on the top.
- Preheat the oven to 170 Celsius / 340 Fahrenheit.
- Bake for around 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a knife inserted comes out clean.
Becky knight
Can you use yogurt made with almond milk?โ
Iโm lactose intolerant. The yogurt is also sugar free and not as thick as regular yogurt.
Katrin Nรผrnberger
There is a lot of quark in the recipe, which means that replacing it with another ingredient may require some adjustments. If you say that the yoghurt is fairly liquid, use less of it. And do check during baking to see whether you need to decrease or increase the baking time. Also, check the consistency of my dough (in the images and video) and try to achieve a similar consistency as a starting point.
Mima
My bread always ends up very moist - I'd say almost wet inside. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong? Or is it supposed to be like that?
Thanks
Katrin Nรผrnberger
Hi Mima, it is definitely not supposed to be moist. Ovens can differ (and not be as hot as they say they are), and the baking duration can also be affected by the type of bread pan you are using. Bake on the middle shelf and not the lower shelf, use room temperature ingredients. But. perhaps all you need to do is leave the bread in the oven for longer. Add another 5-10 minutes and see if that makes the difference.
Tammy
Could one replace the almond flour with oat? In South Africa the price of almond flour is through the roof.
Tia
Katrin Nรผrnberger
It is possible that you would get good results with oat flour. However, I am not sure if it would be exactly the same measurement. You may have to experiment with amounts.
Carol Dees
I was wondering if I could substitute sour cream for the yogurt? This recipe looks very tasty!
Katrin Nรผrnberger
You would be adding more fat as sour cream contains 20% fat, while yogurt only contains 3-4%. This could change the texture of the bread. It may taste great, but it will be an experiment.
Moira Steel
Can I ask why the proportion of coconut flour to almond flour is so low in this recipe? Iโm really interested to know how and why it works, because the suggested ratio in most recipes is usually 1:3 or 1:4, and this is 12:100, which is about 1:8. So lots less.
My first attempt didnโt go well and Iโm wondering where I made a mistake, because your recipes always work.
Katrin Nรผrnberger
I think you may confuse this with the suggested ratio for swapping almond flour for coconut flour (or vice versa). Almond flour is less absorbent than coconut, which is why you always need to use more when using it instead of coconut. As for this bread, the recipe does not only use almond flour and coconut flour, but also other dry ingredients. I found during testing that this ratio gave the recipe just the texture that I was looking for.
What was the issue with your bread? Tell me mmore details and perhaps I can help you figure out where it went wrong.
Mo Steel
I think Iโve realised the problem and itโs all my fault, duh. I was using powdered psyllium husks and I almost certainly used the wrong measurement (ie the husk instead of the powder measurement). It ended up like a moist brick, but still tasty. Thank you so much for answering so quickly! Iโm off for another try, and will report back my undoubted success!
Shelley
Would this also make 12 biscuits, or less? I'll be using a 3" silicone muffin top pan.
Thank you.
Katrin Nรผrnberger
My guess is that you may get 8 biscuits out of the dough. Depends on their size though!
Heather
First time making keto bread, or any bread for that matter! So easy and very quick to put together. I made double the amount for my larger loaf tin. I didnโt have enough baking powder but that didnโt seem to be a problem as it raised as it should and looks exactly like the photo! Iโve enjoyed a couple of slices with butter and the homemade blueberry keto jam, delicious!
Janet
Can you use fat free yoghurt? Or do I need to add fat to it?
Katrin Nรผrnberger
My guess is that fat free yoghurt should wrk as well. It MAY be more liquidy (as it contains more water), so perhaps reduce the amount by a little.
Ilkin
I use fat free yogurt, and also smear a thin layer of yogurt before putting it into the oven. It gives crunchy outer layer
Katrin Nรผrnberger
That's a great tip. Thank you fo sharing!
Rosemary
I tried this recipe today with thick yogurt instead of quark. I baked it in the bread machine for 45 mns. I was pleasantly surprised. The loaf was light and fluffy and didn't crumb but sliced real well. Plain but tasty.
Linda Ponzetto
Can we just mix everything in a high speed blender to really get the air in there?
Katrin Nรผrnberger
Yes, you could do that.
Carol Cripps
Oh, yum. The very thought of bread that truly has a bread-y mouthfeel is astounding. When I try this, however,I'll likely add a teaspoon of rapid rise yeast, just for flavour. My Mum's background was Belgian, but she was born on the plains of Saskatchewan during the Depression, and food was necessarily simple and filling. Lots of bread. Like you, I need to know that I can have a sandwich when I need one. Since starting the low carb life, I struggle to maintain my >50g of carb each day and still live a normal life. Thank you for this bread.
Katrin Nรผrnberger
Can't wait to hear how you like this. Be sure to come back and let me know here in the comments. I sometimes add a little yeast just for flavor to my breads and it works well. I did this in my keto croissant recipe.