An easy recipe for a quick, filling and tasty almond flour bread. This simple bread is keto and paleo and works great with savory or sweet toppings.
This delicious bread comes together quickly and smells so good when it bakes. It has a pleasantly neutral taste, making it the perfect canvas for sweet or savory toppings. It is also very filling!
You can bake a loaf on the weekend, then keep it in the fridge and toast a slice or two for your meals throughout the week.
Does it taste like wheat bread?
No, it doesn't. When making this paleo and keto almond flour bread, it is important to adjust our expectations. The yeasty aroma and gluten-induced fluffiness that we love about traditional bread cannot be achieved without yeast and gluten.
So this is more of a quick bread that fills the need (if you still have it) to make a sandwich or to have a slice of bread for breakfast.
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need six simple ingredients to make this tasty keto bread. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Eggs: I use large eggs in all my recipes, this one included.
Refined coconut oil: Virgin coconut oil is OK if you don't mind a coconut flavor. And melted unsalted butter works too.
Apple cider vinegar: The vinegar reacts with the baking soda and helps the bread rise. You won't taste it in the bread. And if you use baking powder instead of baking soda, you can omit it.
Kosher salt: Or use just a pinch of fine salt.
Almond flour: I use blanched finely ground almond flour. My dad uses almond meal with no issues, so that's an option too (but the bread might turn out coarser and drier).
Baking soda: You can use gluten-free baking powder instead - see the discussion below.
How to make almond flour bread
It's an incredibly easy recipe to make. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Simply mix all the ingredients by hand in one bowl. I like to start with the liquid ingredients, then gradually add the flour.
2. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Use a small 8-inch pan, not a standard 9-inch one. You can also line your pan with parchment paper for easier removal of the bread.
3. Bake the bread until set, 30-40 minutes at 350°F. How long you need to bake depends on your oven. When I first started making this recipe, I used an old oven and baked this bread for 45 minutes. I have since moved, and in my new oven, it only takes 30 minutes! Oven temperatures do greatly vary. So I suggest you start checking after 30 minutes.
What type of fat to use?
I use refined coconut oil in this bread to keep the flavor neutral and non-coconutty. Feel free to use virgin coconut oil if you don't mind the flavor, and especially if you plan to use this bread with sweet toppings or with unsalted butter.
Although I haven't tried it, extra virgin olive oil should give this bread an interesting flavor.
Lately, my favorite fat to use in this recipe is melted unsalted butter - you can see in the video below that this is what I use. It's more flavorful than refined coconut oil (which is essentially flavorless), so the bread comes out tastier, even without any toppings.
Why do you add vinegar to the batter?
I add apple cider vinegar to the batter so that it can interact with the baking soda, enabling the bread to rise (here's a good explanation on how to activate baking soda). You can use any other vinegar or fresh lemon juice instead. If you opt for baking powder, you can omit the vinegar.
You can use baking soda or baking powder
You can use either ½ teaspoon of baking soda or 2 teaspoons of baking powder (gluten-free if needed). Both work. If you use baking powder, there's no need to add vinegar to the batter.
Just keep in mind that the crust of this almond flour bread will not brown as much when using baking powder, so it won't be as "pretty." You can see in the photos vs. the video - the photos are of bread made with baking soda. The crust is beautifully browned. In the video, I used baking powder and the crust is paler.
Possible additions to this bread
You can turn it into an herb bread by adding ½ teaspoon each garlic powder, oregano, and thyme. Or use 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. In this case, olive oil will be a good option in terms of the fat you use.
You can also make it sweet by adding 1 ½ teaspoon of stevia glycerite (equals ½ cup sugar), 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. In this case, you can use virgin coconut oil for a slightly sweet coconut flavor, or unsalted butter.
How to store it
Once completely cool, you can place the bread in an airtight container or in a large resealable bag and store it in the fridge for up to five days.
It also freezes well. I slice it, and wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap, then put all the slices in a Ziploc bag. When ready to eat, I briefly heat a slice in the microwave or toast it.
Like most keto breads (90 second bread is a good example), this bread improves dramatically when toasted and buttered, so it's a good idea to go through this extra step.
What can I put on almond flour bread?
Anything, really. For breakfast, I toast it and spread it with homemade walnut butter or with keto chocolate hazelnut spread. Or just with sweet butter! It's also very good with soft boiled eggs.
For lunch, I make avocado toast, Swiss and ham sandwich, or a cream cheese and smoked salmon sandwich. Sometimes I use it to make keto grilled cheese. It truly is a versatile keto bread that goes with any topping you like.
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Almond Flour Bread (Keto and Paleo)
INGREDIENTS
- 5 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons refined coconut oil, gently melted in microwave (2.5 oz)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (don't skip - helps the bread rise)
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 ¾ cup blanched finely ground almond flour (7 oz)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan (a 9-inch pan will be too big). You can also line the pan with parchment paper with an overhang (As shown in the video) for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the coconut oil, vinegar, salt, almond flour and finally the baking soda.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake until bread is golden brown and set, and a toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. (See notes below)
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack before gently releasing the bread from the pan (carefully run a knife along edges if needed). Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes more, before slicing and serving.
- Keep leftovers in a Ziploc bag in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 