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!
Bread. Do you love it as much as I do?
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, which explains in detail why we should ditch wheat and other grains – it’s an eye-opener.
So much for the bad news about bread. The good news is, there are plenty of low carb bread recipes using grain free flours. These will not spike your insulin levels AND they taste absolutely delicious.
I am so happy with this almond flour bread – it might just be my all time favourite. The texture reminds me of a whole-wheat bread. It’s soft, with a tender crunch in the crust.
The secret ingredient in this low carb bread recipe is quark.
What 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 low carb 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.
Expert tips to make the perfect chia almond low carb bread:
You can use black or white chia, whichever you can get hold of. These awesome superfood seeds are not only packed with nutrients, they also act as a binder. That’s why you only need 3 eggs for this bread. Other recipe use as many as six eggs. Less eggs = zero eggy taste!!!
Psyllium husk provides an extra dose of fibre, which we all need for a well-functioning digestion. It gives the bread more substance and that whole-wheat taste. Check what kind pf psyllium you have – if you want to use psyllium powder, use only 1 1/2 tbsp as opposed to the 3 tbsp stated for the crushed husks.
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.
Important!! I used a small loaf tin (18 x 9 cm / 7 x 3.5 inch) like this one (450ml volume) – 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. If you want to use a full-size loaf tin, you would need to double the recipe and increase the oven time by probably around 15 minutes or so.
If you do not have a small loaf tin and don’t want to double the recipe, you can make Keto rolls instead of almond bread. Let the dough rest until the chia and psyllium have absorbed all moisture before you attempt to handle the dough!
Can you freeze this bread?
Absolutely! I like to pre-slice my loaves and pop each slice straight from the freezer in the toaster.
The sunflower seeds are optional. Any other seeds would work just as well – sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds, for example.
Ready to try out some more low carb bread?
I have plenty of coconut and almond flour bread recipes on the blog. Check out my rustic Paleo bread with seeds, this flaxseed bread with coconut flour or this lusciously chewy-crunchy low carb garlic bread.
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Everyday Low Carb Bread
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 1/2 tbsp if using psyllium husk powder)
- 3 tbsp / 30g chia seeds
- 1/2 tbsp / 6g baking powder
- 1/2 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Sharon says
I have bread again! This bread is super plain or toasted. Doesn’t taste eggy or crumble like a lot of GF breads. This is a winner!!
Katrin Nürnberger says
hi Sharon, so glad you like the bread!!!!
Ruth Cox says
Fantastic recipe and wonderful bread. I’m just starting journey of no carbs and sugar. Your website and recipes are a life saver for a beginner
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Ruth, I”m glad you’re finding the recipes on my site useful – and that you’re enjoying this bread!
Sarah says
Can I substitute the husk for Milled flaxseed? Definitely going to give this a go at the weekend
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Sarah, my feeling is that psyllium absorbs more liquid than flaxmeal. So, if you want to substitute with flax you MAY have to increase the amount. Check the consistency of the dough and add if necessary.
Del says
I can tell you that I didn’t have quark (or anything else that would be a good substitute) but was really needing “bread”. I used almond milk and cream cheese mixture) and mixed all the dry ingredients together…(yup, seems to happen to me). But did get a good bread. This will definitely be my go to. I’ve already mixed the dry ingredients without chia/psyllium for another batch as soon as I can get my hands on quark. YUM. I was able to get 18 slices but ate 3. YIKES, this will be dangerous. I’ll have to be careful with this one. THANKS SO MUCH. I have tried many of your recipes.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Del, good to know that you can replace the quark with a cream cheese/milk mix! I guess it’s the same consistency – I love it when clever substitutions like these work out, being a bit creative is half the fun of cooking 🙂
Tania says
Hi I am about to try this bread recipe which sounds delicious. Under the nutrition would you deduct the fibre from the carb amount to get net carb or is the carb amount already the net carb?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Tania, you have to deduct the fibre from the total carbs to get the net carbs 🙂
marcia stuhlsatz says
I don’t have chia seeds. Is there something else I can substitute with. More coconut flour? Also I’ve had bad luck in other bread recipes using pysslum husk powder. It turned the bread BLUE. Have you had any problems with it? I use NOW brand.
Katrin Nürnberger says
I cannot guarantee that the bread will work out just as well if you leave out the chia seeds. As for the the psyllium, I have heard that the Reason why it turns blue is actually the type of baking powder you use. Check if your baking powder contains aluminium, which may be the reason. I have heard from other people that they have used the now brand without problems
Franni Ferrero says
I made this yesterday and it was the best keto bread I’ve found. I doubled the recipe and, in size, it looked like “regular” bread. I experimented with half almond flour and half ground almonds and it had nice texture and flavor. In general, it was easy to make and used ingredients that I typically have handy…a great combination!
Katrin Nürnberger says
That’s so good to hear! Thank you for your comment 🙂
Aida says
This is the best keto bread I have ever tried.
The first time I made it in two small tins and it came out great, today I doubt led the recipe and so far it looks perfect, I just hope it is not to eggy, I increased the salt to one teaspoon just because I thought the first Bach was not salty enough.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Glad you like the recipe!! I think food is always the best when you make it the second time because you can adapt the recipe to exactly how you like it best.
Julia says
Have made this bread twice now. Turned out perfect both times. Thanks for the recipe.
Katrin says
That’s great! Glad you like it 🙂
Melissa says
This bread turned out just wonderfully! I’m an american living in Germany, and was happy to find a low-carb, grain-free bread recipe with high protein quark in it (you can find that everywhere here!) love that it has chia seeds and psyllium husk for added fiber. I was a little worried that the bread wouldn’t rise, and that the texture might be a bit different, but boy was I mistaken! It rised beautifully like a normal bread, and the texture was just perfect! I will definitely be making this regularly! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Katrin says
So glad you like the bread! It’s one of my favourites too 🙂
Liliberh says
Can i use cremy yogurt instead of greek yogurt in baking?
Katrin says
I would choose yoghurt that’s as firm as possible. Definitely check the consistency of your dough to make sure it does not end up watery/too soft
Bharat says
Can I use curd instead of greek yogurt? Curd is not as fatty as greek yogurt.
Katrin says
Hello Bharat, as long as it has a similar consistency it should be fine!
Wendy Araiza says
Can I use a bread machine with this recipe?
Katrin says
I don’t have a bread machine, so I cannot help with particular tips, I’m sorry! I know that you CAN make almond flour bread in the bread machine though, there are plenty of recipes online. i’d check those timings and set your machine to that cycle using this recipe.
Jehna Caron says
This is our favorite bread, of all the low carb breads I’ve made, so far! We usually have it for breakfast with a sweet fat bomb spread on it. I accidentally put the sunflower seeds in the batter, so I added more on top. It’s delicious, thank you for the recipe!
Katrin says
Mmmmmh,I wonder what a fat bomb spread is? Sounds delicious!!!
Nisan says
Hello,
My bread turned out very humid inside, what could be reason for that?
Katrin says
It sounds like it simply wasn’t done. Next time, keep it in the oven longer 🙂
Bharat MV says
I like to soak the chia seeds overnight for better digestion. Can I use that chia gel directly in this recipe?
Katrin says
To be on the safe side I would probably reduce the amount of quark or yoghurt by the amount of liquid you are using to soak the Chia seeds in. In my version of the recipe, the chia seeds absorb the liquid from the quark. You don’t want your bread to end up soggy.
Bharat says
Cool, I’ll reduce yogurt and try.
Claire says
If there were 6 *s, You’d have them. Gosh this is the best bread ever… I used the large loaf tin and it rose to the top. I did mix the eggs first before I added other ingredients. I don’t think we’ll ever buy bread again and it was so very easy!
You’re recipes are the best Katrin!
Claire xo
Katrin says
How very excellent! I think you’ve just made my day 🙂
Blake Dunn says
Being a diabetic I am for sure going to try this..Ty for sharing
Katrin says
Glad you like the look of it Blake! Let me know what you think once you’ve made it 🙂
Blake Dunn says
The bread tasted great, but it didn’t rise very much???? I think it only rose up an inch..what could I do or what didn’t I do? I used a smaller bread pan…seems the parchment paper it was hard to fold it without krinkles which makes the bread look weird…can I try the non-stick pan?
Katrin says
It could have something to do with the baking powder… was it fresh? I have a few tips in the post about how to get low carb bread to rise and what can go wrong. The crinkle problem can be solved by cutting 2 sheets of baking paper which fit into the pan lengthways and sideways. That way there’s no folds at all. I would definitely recommend to use parchment paper because it’s an easy and mess-free way to ensure the bread does not get stuck.
Blake Dunn says
Okay I followed the recipe very close…I’m still having trouble with it rising…my baking powder is fresh and I even added more…..I watched another bread making video and they added yeast and warm water with a TBSP of sugar and salt and then lightly kneaded it and put it in the bread pan and put a towel over it and left it for 2 hrs and it rose good….is the yogurt which has like 11 grams of sugar and with the added salt…is that what is supposed to activate the baking powder? Or can I just add warm water and yeast with sugar and salt and let it rise that way???? Help
Katrin says
Hi Blake, the baking powder activates all on its own. It’s the yeast that needs sugar fo feed on. Maybe this recipe is just not your cup of tea. I have not tested it with yeast so cannot give any recommendations. But I DO have a recipe for yeast rolls which do rise nicely. You might like those! Here’s the link:
Blake Dunn says
Well I like the bread…I’m not going to quit just yet….TY for all your help
Katrin says
keep me posted!!
Sharon says
This is the best keto bread I’ve tried. I love how it’s not eggy and doesn’t use cheese to bind it together…those breads are so heavy to me. My daughter is a type one diabetic, so I like to have low carb options when necessary, and this is the perfect substitute for regular bread! My whole family of picky eaters liked it!
Katrin says
Thank you so much for your comment… I’m glad the bread goes down well over at yours! It’s great to find something the whole family likes 🙂
Heidi says
Katrin thank you so much for ALL your recipes – they are reliably awesome and bring much joy to our housefhold. I made this bread today using 2 whole eggs and 4 egg whites (=150grams of liquid egg white) it turned out amazing. Zero eggy smell or taste. I whipped the egg whites before adding in the greek yoghurt and other ingredients.
Katrin says
So glad you liked the bread, it is one of our favourites too!
Julie says
This. Bread. Is. Wonderful. I made it alongside the sugar-free blueberry jam and that with a slab of butter on a heated up slice is a highlight of the day.
I am so thankful for this website! It is a treasure for those low-carbers. I haven’t found a disappointing recipe yet and doubt I will. Thank you so much!
Katrin says
You are so kind Julie – thank you for putting your trust in my site!
Darrel Timpany says
Can i substitute Quark ( its very runny) with Farmers cheese versus greek yoghurt. Either way Im looking forward to trying your recipe.
Katrin says
I”m not sure what Farmer’s cheese is. But whatever you use should have the consistency of and be similar in taste to a firm, scoop-able yoghurt.
Krisanne says
I just cooked this and must say it turned out a winner , I didn’t have a smaller loaf tin but am happy with the result, we had some with butter and yes very delicious will be doing again and again, will let it cool and then freeze the slices thanks so much for your fabulous recipes.
Katrin says
You’re welcome! So glad you like the bread 🙂
eirinn says
Could you use cream cheese instead of quark?
Katrin says
You could try that, but cream cheese has a higher fat content. I think Greek yoghurt is a better alternative.
Carol says
Hi Katrina, just popped a loaf of your almond and chia seed bread in the oven. It smells delicious. My daughters and I started the Keto diet yesterday so your bread recipe is very welcome. Thank you for all your recipes. I’m looking forward to trying out a lot of them.
Katrin says
I’m so glad you found my website! Keep me posted on your cooking and baking, I’d love to hear how it goes 😉
Michelle says
This is a great recipe! I make a seed loaf for when i want toast, but really miss a light fresh bread. This nails it. I don’t ever toast this one – it goes a bit cakey but my absolute new favourite breakfast is two thin slices of this stuffed with bacon. Yum!
I also have some feedback for your readers wanting to make a full sized loaf.
I doubled the recipe and baked it in a silicone loaf pan. I put the silicone pan inside a regular loaf pan to keep its shape initially. After 40 mins at 170 C, it was golden on top and had risen beautifully. I lowered the temp to 160 for fear of burning the top, and removed the metal loaf pans and rotated the loaves, cooking for another 20 mins. Then I removed them from the silicon pans and put them directly onto the wire rack at 155 C for another 20 mins. Then let them cool on a wire rack overnight.
In the morning the top had sunk a little, making me think they might still be raw inside, but when I sliced them they were fine. The ends were perfectly done, the middle just a tiny bit more moist than I’d like, but not inedible. Next time I think I will maintain the 160, or even let them sit in oven overnight after turning it off.
I only recently found your site and have made a couple of things. I have a small hobby business providing low carb meals to some friends in my community and this bread is fast becoming one of the most popular items.
Katrin says
Thank you so much for detailing all your recipe tweaks Michelle! This is really helpful for others. And I am super super happy you like the bread!!
Zoe says
Hi, tried this recipe last night and I like it overall however mine Reid not rise very much and had an eggy texture. Any suggestions what might be wrong? Tin is the right size. Thanks
Katrin says
Grain free bread has less of a rise than wheat bread, but it should rise and give a nice dome shape on the top. You could try to use room temperature ingredients next time, that may improve the rise. As for the eggy taste, that’s a very individual thing. I did not think the bread was eggy in texture or taste. But if you want it less eggy, you can leave out 2 of the egg yolks (or even all of them) – that’s the part that makes egg taste of egg 🙂 Also, you can whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, which should help to keep more air in the dough and in turn improve the rise more. I hope this helps
Tam says
I doubled the recipe, it looks amazing but still not getting a clean knife when I check it. Keep popping it back in for ten mins and fingers crossed!
Katrin says
How long did you keep it in the oven in the end? Would love to know!
Judy says
Simply the best keto bread I have made. This bread satisfys my cravings and is delicious. I used greek yogurt and it worked well. Thank you for the great recipe.
Katrin says
That’s great news! Glad you’re enjoying the bread.
yvonne says
i was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and being a bread lover, i was struggled a little to cut down all bread until i found your site! thank you so much for the recipe.
i have made this bread for the fourth time. i would double the ingredients to bake two loaf to share with my mum, and she loves it.
i would freeze them and toast them for breakfast. salted butter and peanut butter on them are delish, they do taste perfectly on their own too.
Katrin Nürnberger says
So glad you like the bread! It is one of my favourites, too 🙂
Healthy Keto Club says
Love you, love this recipe! The best bread recipe for ketoers. The first batch with quark was excellent. Just did the second batch with yogurt. Excited to taste it! No eggy taste, really great texture and a great substitute for bread. Making some to take on holiday. And yes I cut and freeze them, ready for toasting any time. Thank you. Natalie @healthyketoclub
Katrin says
Hi Natalie, that’s so good to hear! I’m glad you like the bread 🙂
Chiara says
I simply loved this bread! So tasty and moist 🙂 the only thing I noticed is that it did not rise a lot, but I think half of the problem is that I have used a bigger mold, and that I can’t really set the temperature of my oven (I am in a flatshare and the oven is so old that I can’t read the temperatures marks anymore). So I might have set a too high temperature and did not let it rise properly, in fact it was cooked after 30 minutes. But I love the taste and can’t wait to try it tomorrow morning with some butter and coffee!
5 stars!!
Katrin says
That’s good to hear! I’m using a smaller bread tin now, which I have mentioned in the post. That way you’ll get that bread shape you’re looking for.
Ann Walker says
Get an oven thermometer to check the temperature. They’re inexpensive and work really well.
Mariam says
My favourite keto bread recipe. This is the one I personally recommend to any friends or family starting a Keto way of life. Have made it with seeds and without, delicious both ways.
Katrin says
Good to know! Thank you for your comment.
Raelene Lobban says
Hello, trying this recipe today and I want to make rolls. How long would I cook them for please?
Katrin says
I would go for about 25 minutes. Then test if they are browned and cooked through.