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 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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Chia Almond Low Carb Bread
This chia almond bread recipe has a texture just like whole-wheat bread and can be baked as an easy-to-slice loaf or as rolls. A perfect everyday low carb bread, this recipe is gluten free, Keto and delicious with sweet and savoury toppings. No eggy taste!
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.
Recipe Notes
Quark is a German cooking cheese. If you cannot source it, you can substitute with Greek yoghurt.
I used a small loaf tin (18 x 9 cm / 7 x 3.5 inch) like this one (450ml volume). It is half the size of a full size loaf tin/bread pan. I'm finding it really useful because low carb bread is filling and denser than wheat bread. Less is more 🙂
The sunflower seeds taste good in the bread, but are not necessary for the texture. You can leave them out or replace them with sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Nutrition is calculated per slice on the basis of 12 slices. A portion is 1 - 2 slices, depending on how hungry you are. 2 slices of this bread are VERY filling.
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Chiara says
May 16, 2019 at 9:11 pmI 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
May 17, 2019 at 1:28 pmThat’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.
Mariam says
May 15, 2019 at 3:44 pmMy 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
May 15, 2019 at 6:16 pmGood to know! Thank you for your comment.
Raelene Lobban says
May 13, 2019 at 11:48 pmHello, trying this recipe today and I want to make rolls. How long would I cook them for please?
Katrin says
May 14, 2019 at 12:02 pmI would go for about 25 minutes. Then test if they are browned and cooked through.
Burch Carr says
April 13, 2019 at 11:50 pmI just made this bread today and I love it. Most low carb bread recipes are BORING, and they almost all taste almost exactly yhe same way, but not this one. Bursting with flavor, it is now, officially my go to recipe for breakfast bread that is also excellent for sandwiches or just a snack. Really good. Thank you so much Katrin!!!
Katrin says
April 14, 2019 at 10:58 amAaaw Burch, thank you SO much for your lovely words. I’m so pleased you like the bread 🙂
Kate Koger says
April 10, 2019 at 10:43 pmThe loaf of bread using Greek yoghurt turned out amazing and hubby and three kids loved it. Made another batch tonight using Quark and again they all LOVE it! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! Could easily add flavours to it such as cinnamon, savory – cheese, chives, olives etc just for something a little different. So going to try all the things with this bread. Next to try are your flaxseed wraps!!!! So glad I found your website and follow you on IG.
Katrin says
April 11, 2019 at 7:41 amThat’s so good to hear Kate!!
Kate Koger says
April 9, 2019 at 5:19 pmJust decided to whip this up now!!!! Can’t wait to try it. Using Greek yoghurt as I don’t have Quark. Can’t wait to try it!!!!
Katrin says
April 10, 2019 at 11:32 amOh, I can’t wait to hear how you like it!!!
Deborah says
March 17, 2019 at 6:07 pmThis is a lovely little bread. I cannot find quark in the US (DC area) where I live so did a mix of 3 oz cream cheese and the balance (by volume) very thick Greek yogurt. Put that in a blender with the eggs and then added that to the flour mix in the bowl. Worked great.
This bread has such a light fluffy texture with a bit of elasticity from the chia/spyllium that might make great burger buns….will try next time using Enligh muffin rings to initially stabilize the sides/base until the rolls start firming up in the oven. Worth a shot.
Katrin says
March 17, 2019 at 7:06 pmThat’s a great idea Deborah!! The bread WOULD be good as buns.
Carolina says
March 16, 2019 at 7:46 pmHi Katrin,
I made this bread today and am enjoying it. I think it tastes a bit better than your other bread (the almond one). That’s just a subjective judgment though. I think it is because of the strong taste of almond that I need to get used to. Could I maybe substitute some or most of the almond flour in this recipe with coconut flour? What would you suggest?
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes. I’m already deciding what to try out next.
Katrin says
March 18, 2019 at 10:50 amAs a rule of thumb, use half the amount of coconut flour if you substitute for almond flour. Coconut flour absorbs more liquid. I have a coconut flour flaxseed bread you might like
Katrin says
March 18, 2019 at 10:50 amAs a rule of thumb, use half the amount of coconut flour if you substitute for almond flour. Coconut flour absorbs more liquid. I have a coconut flour flaxseed bread you might like
Joi Thomas says
March 2, 2019 at 5:21 pmOMG!!! I added sunflower seeds to to mix && sprinkled the top with TRADER JOE’S EVERYTHING BUT THE BAGEL seasoning & flaxseed tastes like a bagel!!! Thanks so much for this easy and tasty recipe!!
Katrin says
March 2, 2019 at 8:03 pmThat sounds like a great idea!!!
Angie says
February 26, 2019 at 5:16 pmLove this recipe! I doubled it and I’ll have to cook it a bit longer next time because it’s just slightly moist in the middle. How did you calculate the macros for the bread? I included all of my ingredients into my Lose It! App to calculate the macros and the net carbs come out far less. Just checking. Thanks!
Katrin says
February 26, 2019 at 7:31 pmHi Angie, I use the nutrition calculator on the sparkrecipes website. I put in exactly the ingredients I used. What I have found is that nutritional values can differ from product to product, even with items such as coconut flour or almond flour, where you’d think they should be exactly the same. I don’t go crazy over my macros, but it’s good to get an indication where you’re at. I hope this helps 🙂
Karen says
February 25, 2019 at 7:46 pmBest keto bread result ever! Love how it stays so firm, I used a cake dish, and now have adorable “mini-bread slices”. I want to try if I can turn them into french toast for dessert
Katrin says
February 25, 2019 at 8:39 pmThat’s a great idea! Will you share with us how it went if you try?
Barsco says
February 24, 2019 at 5:45 pmTried this yesterday and it is my favourite so bread recipe so far. I used sour cream in place of the quark. I think I might have over mixed as it didn’t rise much but the flavour was fantastic. I am wondering if there is a substitute for the chia seeds as they upset my husbands stomach. Thanks
Katrin says
February 25, 2019 at 11:10 amI think you could try to replace it with ground flaxseed. I haven’t tried this myself, but chia soaks up liquid and expands and so does flax meal.
Barsco says
February 25, 2019 at 4:43 pmThanks – I will give the ground flaxseed a whirl. I am totally impressed with this bread. It is the best (and so easy) low carb recipe that I have tried. Glad I found your site!
Desiree says
March 2, 2019 at 8:18 amHi
I’m curious about your comment that chia seeds upset your husband’s stomach – as this used to happen to me also. I have IBD but couldn’t tolerate any more than maybe 1tsp max of chia seeds. Then once I started a keto-type diet I found that I could tolerate them as well as stop my medication Just wondered if that might provide any insight to your husband.
DONNA D GLASS says
February 18, 2019 at 3:57 pmhi i was reading the recipe and the comments i dont like psyllium husk powder and i c u have chia seeds in the list of ingredients do i need to add more chi seeds if i take that out
Katrin says
February 20, 2019 at 5:22 pmI would be more inclined to replace with ground flaxseed. I think it’s more similar in consistency. Or maybe try an extra 1 1/2 tbsp of GROUND chia seeds.
Sophia Ripley says
February 3, 2019 at 10:46 amThis bread is really delicious…..all your recipes I’ve tried thus far have been amazing! The Fathead dough bagels were incredible and the peanut butter fudge 🙂
I doubled the quantity on this loaf and got an amazing rise!!
Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes.
Katrin says
February 3, 2019 at 6:56 pmWonderful to get the thumbs up for 2 recipes in one comment! I’m so glad you like the recipes 🙂
Ana says
January 27, 2019 at 10:15 amThank you for this wonderful recipe ❤ I made this yesterday and it turned out lovely! I used 2% Greek yogurt. I also subbed some of the almond flour out for hemp flour, just because I had it on hand. Turned out a little more green but still tasty
I wish I knew how to give this more rise! Could baking soda work?
Katrin says
January 27, 2019 at 7:15 pmYes, you could absolutely experiment with that. And make sure your baking powder is fresh. That also makes a difference. It should fizz when you put it in water.
Russ says
January 26, 2019 at 1:14 pmI’ve been through a host of low-carb breads and this has shot straight to the top of my list. My only modification is to go with 4 eggs rather than 3, as I was eyeballing the texture when I was combining in the dry ingredients and it felt a little too solid for my tastes.
Thank you for the tip about leaving it to rest before cooking – I’ve used chia and psylium in breads in the past but it never occured to me that they’d need extra time to absorb moisture. I think it’s made all the difference
Katrin says
January 26, 2019 at 1:47 pmI’m glad you’re liking the bread!!
Helene Caliguari says
January 19, 2019 at 7:09 pmFollowed recipe exactly except i used greek yogurt. I used fresh baking powder too. The bread never rose. I may have over beat it. The taste never the less was ver good. I will be careful next time i make it. I won’t rate it just yet but high marks for taste and ease of recipe.
Katrin says
January 21, 2019 at 10:14 amHi Helene, I hope you’ll try it again. Let me know how you get on next time, trying to keep air in the dough.
Karen says
January 17, 2019 at 8:54 pmJust found your website. It’s great!
I’ve just read about concerns using almond flour Too much can not be beneficial health wise. Have you got any views on this and do you regularly eat almond bread?
I have been making another recipe too using full fat cream cheese. Do you think it will work in your bread recipe rather than quark?
Katrin says
January 18, 2019 at 9:44 amI don’t eat almond flour on a daily basis, but I do eat nuts every day. In terms of flour, I use both almond flour and coconut flour. Quark contains less fat than cream cheese, so if you subbed cream cheese for the quark, your bread might end up very heavy. I think substituting with yogurt would work better.
Christine Cort says
January 14, 2019 at 11:21 pmEach time I bake with psyllium husk I end up with a really dense, and almost ‘soggy-middle’ end result – even after baking for much longer than advised. I’m really not getting along with it! 🙁 What could I be doing wrong? I can’t work out if I’m over-mixing or not mixing enough – over-cooking or not cooking enough – any suggestions? I don’t have a food processor (i do everything by hand or with an electric whisk) so not sure if that us why? Help!
Katrin says
January 16, 2019 at 2:39 pmAn electric whisk is absolutely fine for these kind of recipes. I’d say don’t over-mix, so you keep some air in the dough. Another thing you can do is check that your baking powder is fresh! It should fizz when you put it in water. If it’s old, bread and cakes won’t rise as well. Hope this helps 🙂
Deborah Reasoner says
January 1, 2019 at 2:14 amI made this bread last night. My family loved it. We all thought it was amazing. I used Greek yogurt and it was delicious!!
Katrin says
January 1, 2019 at 12:47 pmGlad you liked the bread Deborah!
Lara says
November 26, 2018 at 3:46 pmHi mine turned out a little doughy don’t know where I went wrong my first time eating low carb bread so maybe it’s an acquired tadte
Katrin says
November 26, 2018 at 6:31 pmHi Lara, if you felt the bread was too wet it may be your oven – they can vary in temperature. Next time, just leave it in a bit longer, and test with a knife, making sure it comes out clean.
Lara says
December 23, 2018 at 4:29 pmHi Katrin
I made this today with Greek yoghurt and cooked for 48 mins it was perfect and delicious
Katrin says
December 24, 2018 at 11:37 amWOnderful! Glad to hear it went well 🙂
Alison Anderson says
October 27, 2018 at 10:00 amLooking forward to trying this recipe. Would it work if I doubled the recipe and cooked it in a regular sized bread tin? How much longer do you think it would take to cook?
Katrin says
October 27, 2018 at 10:17 amHi, I’m sure it would work. I‘d leave it in the oven for an extra 20 minutes. You may have to cover the top at the end with aluminium foil to prevent it from burning. Be sure to test it’s done by inserting a knife, it should come out clean
Diane says
October 14, 2018 at 1:38 pmFantastic recipe. So easy and tasty. This will now be a regular for me! Thanks
Katrin says
October 14, 2018 at 6:31 pmThat’s fantastic! Thank you for your comment – I’m so happy you like it 🙂
Mandy says
October 14, 2018 at 6:25 amI made a lot of GF bread, this definitely has the best texture and so tasty. I used buckwheat flour instead of coconut flour because that’s what I had and added Flax meal and Teff seeds to make it more grainy. This will be my new bread recipe.
Katrin says
October 14, 2018 at 11:12 amI’m glad you found a winner 🙂 Thanks for including your alterations, it’s always interesting to see how a recipe can be adapted.
Joanna says
October 8, 2018 at 10:10 amI am making this bread weekly for my husband, and it’s a huge success. For those who wonder about alternatives to quark, I’ve used thick Greek yogurt and also something called Icelandic yogurt (Skyr) and both work fine. I also use 1 C egg whites from a carton instead of whole eggs, and add 1/2 cup of protein powder, 1/4 cup of oat bran and 1/4 quarter cup of almond milk, in order to fill a regular loaf pan. It rises beautifully and slices really thin!
Katrin says
October 8, 2018 at 11:45 amThank you for your detailed recipe alteration tips! I’ve been meaning to start using protein powder in recipes so these are great recommendations 🙂
Helen Gregory says
October 1, 2018 at 7:43 amI now use this bread as my go-to bread alternative, baking it 2-3 times a week. It’s delicious, keeps really well in the fridge, tastes great as a sandwich or just as toast with lashings of butter. Brilliant recipe.
Katrin says
October 1, 2018 at 7:56 amWonderful! I’m really happy you like it 🙂
Wendy says
September 24, 2018 at 11:51 pmCan you sub out sour cream for Greek yogurt…I don’t want to run back out to the store
Katrin says
September 25, 2018 at 9:32 amI think that could work too. You’d have a higher fat content. See if it has the same firmness as Greek yoghurt. Maybe use a tiny bit less if it’s really liquid (or increase the baking time accordingly)
Lawren Phillips says
September 24, 2018 at 4:22 pmHow much fiber and omega 3 does this recipe have? My daughter needs both of these added to her diet..
Katrin says
September 24, 2018 at 5:31 pmA serving contains 3.9g of fibre and 0.5 g of omega 3 from the chia seeds.
Ruthie says
September 19, 2018 at 12:25 amMade this on Saturday and it’s AMAZING!!!! A piece of this bread toasted and the Keto/low carb lifestyle is missing NOTHING!!!! Recommended it to my mom (who is not Keto/LC/grain-free/sugar-free) and she made it today and likes it as well. Thank you so much!!!!
Katrin says
September 19, 2018 at 9:04 amBrilliant! I’m glad it was a success. We love this bread 🙂
Tina says
September 9, 2018 at 5:13 pmHow is the bread stored if not freezing it? Can it be kept in the fridge?
Katrin says
September 9, 2018 at 5:32 pmOf course, I’d say you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week. On the counter for a couple of days.
Tina says
September 9, 2018 at 3:32 pmI made this and love it, finally a recipe that tastes like bread!
My sister is allergic to coconut, can I leave the coconut flour out or substitute it for something else?
Katrin says
September 9, 2018 at 3:37 pmYou could try adding double the amount of almond flour (4 tbsp) in place of the coconut flour. Almond flour absorbs less moisture than coconut flour, so you need more of it. I have not tried this myself with this particular bread, but this ratio normally works well when adapting recipes.
Tina says
September 9, 2018 at 4:08 pmThanks Katrin I will give it a try!
Alli says
September 5, 2018 at 6:30 pmHi! I’m excited to try this, what can I substitute the 1 cup of quark or yogurt for? Or can I take it out? I can’t do dairy. THank you
Katrin says
September 5, 2018 at 6:44 pmThe only other thing I can think of would be coconut yoghurt. In the UK there is a brand called CoYo.
Teresa says
August 25, 2018 at 8:21 amHi Katrin, thanks for the recipe! Since I live in the Quark country Germany (!), would you recommend using full fat 40%, 20% or Magerquark? Tschüß!
Katrin says
August 25, 2018 at 8:49 amHi Teresa, I’ve made the recipe with both full fat and with fat free quark (Magerquark). The bread in the photos is made with fat free quark, which is more common here in the UK.
Laura says
August 23, 2018 at 5:17 pmThank you so much for this recipe. I have tried many different types of Keto Bread and this is my absolute favourite. It toasts well and tastes amazing!
Katrin says
August 24, 2018 at 8:24 amThat’s so good to hear. I’m happy you like it as much as we do!
Jacklyn says
August 23, 2018 at 12:11 pmHi, if I were to substitute the almond flour for chickpea flour, would I need to change the quantity required for this recipe?
Katrin says
August 23, 2018 at 2:14 pmHello Jacklyn, I have no experience with chickpea flour, so I”m not sure how it would work in this recipe. I’ve heard it absorbs more moisture than almond flour. You’d have to try it out…
Marie says
August 20, 2018 at 4:56 pmWhat can I substitute the quark for. I don’t think I can buy it in the US. ~Thank you.
Katrin says
August 21, 2018 at 7:59 amHi Marie, there is a company called Vermont creamery that makes quark in the US. You can buy it on Amazon here. As a suitable replacement I would recommend Greek yoghurt
Sherry says
February 7, 2019 at 9:39 pmWhen I make keto farmers bread, I use Farmer’s cheese. It’s wetter than Quark, so I reduce the amount. Publix sells Friendship brand, which is what I use. You might try that.
I’m going to try this recipe next time I need a loaf!
Jen says
August 20, 2018 at 3:11 pmI just bought some farmer’s cheese. I’m wondering about using this in place of quark. What do you think?
Katrin says
August 21, 2018 at 8:07 amHi Jen, I’m not familiar with Farmer’s cheese and just looked it up online. Most of the images suggest that it’s quite firm and in some cases was even sliceable. I think a better substitution would be Greek yoghurt.
Donna says
August 20, 2018 at 10:29 amSounds awesome, I’ve printed the recipe to try 🙂 I also like the muli-seed bread very much! Question, if I don’t have psyllium, could I sub in extra coconut flour?
Katrin says
August 21, 2018 at 7:49 amHi Donna, I think flaxseed would be a good alternative. You could try using more coconut flour, but it might alter the texture and make the bread more crumbly. Perhaps using more chia in place of the psyllium could also work.