Delicious, versatile, 5-ingredient sandwich bread made in minutes with chickpea flour! It is naturally grain-free and vegan.
I love sharing recipes that require minimal explanation.
Also, minimal ingredients.
Minimal steps, too.
And minimal effort.
Case in point, my latest creation, Chickpea Flour Sandwich Bread!
This wonderful loaf is:
*Vegan
*Grain-free
*Made with 5 humble ingredients (plus optional salt)
*Ridiculously easy to make
*Ready, from start to finish, in under an hour
*Perfect for slicing (think sandwiches, toast, all around nibbling/snacking)
*SCRUMPTIOUS!!!
Here’s what you need from the pantry: chickpea flour, baking soda, granulated cane sugar, a 12-ounce can of seltzer water or club soda, and a small amount of oil. Salt is optional, so follow my lead with the recommended amount, or adjust to suit your particular tastes and needs,
I used olive oil for the recipe, but you can use any oil that you prefer. The same holds true with the sweetener. I stuck with natural cane sugar (I use 1-1/2 tablespoons in the recipe), but you can use any sweetener. If you use a liquid sweetener (e.g., maple syrup), simply add it along with the other wet ingredients. If you are wondering why the bread has sweetener, it is to (1) promote browning; (2) balance the savory flavor of the chickpea flour, and (3) enhance the rise of the bread.
Seltzer (or club soda) and baking soda are primarily responsible for the bread’s great rise, as well as it’s light, tender, sandwich-bread texture. I strongly recommend using a fresh can of seltzer; if measuring from a bottle, make sure that it is a brand new bottle (so that there is maximum carbonation).
Forget any and all difficulties you may have ascribed to bread-making; the assembly here could not be easier. (1) Whisk the dry ingredients; (2) stir in the seltzer water and oil; and (3) pour the batter into a parchment-lined baking pan. It will require about 3 minutes of your time.
Slide the pan into the oven and bake, at 375F, for 40 to 45 minutes until the loaf is risen, browned and a tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
You’ve got bread!
I’ve calculated the nutrition for this bread using the guideline of 12 thick slices per loaf. However, this bread slices beautifully, without crumbling, so feel free to slice it as thin as you like!
Pair the bread with sweet or savory fillings and spreads, it is delicious with everything! It also toasts like a dream.
Prepare to commit this recipe to memory, as I am confident you will want to make it often. Happy baking (and eating!).
- 2 and ½ cups chickpea flour
- 1 and ½ tablespoons cane sugar (or sugar/sweetener of choice)
- 1 and ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 12-ounce can unflavored seltzer or club soda
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or oil of choice)
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper; grease or spray the exposed sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Slowly pour the seltzer down the side of the bowl (to prevent a lot of foaming); add the olive oil and stir until combined. Immediately pour into prepared baking pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm or cool completely.
Sweetener Options: Use any granulated sugar you prefer (e.g., coconut sugar, sucanat). or an equal amount of liquid sweetener such as maple syrup (add with the other wet ingredients)
Tip: An uncooked piece of spaghetti can be used as a tester (instead of a skewer) for determining if the center is set!
I REALLY want this recipe to work as I so much want a sandwich bread. I followed the recipe exactly but my bread did not come out as expected. It tasted fine on about the top inch and it did rise a bit, however, the bottom 2 inches were more soggy and while cooked through were more like the texture of flan. Any thoughts on correcting this issue?
Oh no, I am sorry the recipe did not work! That sounds very unusual. The bread should be light a fluffy.
My first thought is that your oven may not be hot enough ( hence a partial rise, but not enough heat for the loaf to rise) your oven temp might be off, or perhaps it was not fully preheated.
A few other thought: making sure that you used baking soda, not baking powder.
Also, making sure that the water was slowly poured down the side of the bowl and the batter was not mixed for a long while. The carbonation is needed for the bread to rise, if it is over mixed, you will lose all of the bubbles.
I hope that the tips help! I make this bread regularly. All the best.
Just made a loaf with maple syrup.Looks and tasts good.Thanks a lot for the recipe.
Hurrah! So glad to hear, Ellie, thank you!
Hi Camilla. Just cut a slice off my first effort and it is wonderful. I used 1 1/2 tbsp. of Stevia instead of sugar and it works beautifully. Glad to say mine looks just like your pics. Now all I need is a suitably-sized little wooden board to put it on when it is sitting in the fridge. Thanks for yet another corker!
I made this today and it really is delicious. It’s hard to believe that such simple ingredients can make such a tasty loaf of bread. I used maple syrup as my sweetener and followed the recipe as written. Thank you, Camilla, for all of the great
recipes you share. I already have two of your cookbooks and I’m sure I’ll be adding more to my collection soon!
I love the taste and texture of this bread! I’m just wondering if it’s rising properly or am I baking it correctly. Mine only ends up about 2″ thick, making it a challenge to make a full sandwich. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? Definitely the best grain free bread I have had
Hi Andrew,
Glad you are enjoying the bread! It should definitely be higher than 2 inches, it should rise significantly. It could be as simple as getting some new baking soda? It loses its oomph over time.
Hi, I’ve tried your easy recipe and it looks nice, sadly I’m not a big fan of the taste of chickpea if i did 50/50 and used another flour with the chickpea,what flour with it would you recommend?
Hi Sat,
You might want to look into trying lupin flour (made with lupini beans). I have only been experimenting for a few weeks, but it is really amazing. It does not have a bean flavor at all, but you can use it in many chickpea flour recipes. I am not sre that any other flour would work in the recipe without a lot of trial and error.
At last a gluten free bread that is easy to make and not soggy. Thank you!
I admire your creativity in creating healthy new recipes. I have your published books and your chickpea flour graham cracker recipe is my favorite.
I started following your blog when you were creating pucks. I often make the granola recipie with added maple flavoring, yum!
I was amazed when you tried parsnips for pizza crusts. I bake them small on parchment paper, then transfer it to my dehydrator until the pizza/crackers are crisp.
Thank you helping me to enjoy delicious healthy meals. Marcia
Hello! Excited to try this recipe! I’m wondering – could sparkling water be substituted for the seltzer/club soda? It’s all I have in my pantry. It is bubbly so would that still give a good rise? TY in advance!
Hi Erin,
Yes, sparkling water should work just fine!
Hi! Tried your bread and it is fantastic! Have not had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in years! So happy to enjoy one finally thanks to you Camilla! Thank you!!!☺
I am SO happy to hear the news, Holly! As a PB & J addict, that is far too long a wait! 🙂
At last a gluten free bread that is easy to make and not soggy. Thank you!
I admire your creativity in creating healthy new recipes. I have your published books and your chickpea flour graham cracker recipe is my favorite.
I started following your blog when you were creating pucks. I often make the granola recipie with added maple flavoring, yum!
I was amazed when you tried parsnips for pizza crusts. I bake them small on parchment paper, then transfer it to my dehydrator until the pizza/crackers are crisp.
Thank you helping me to enjoy delicious healthy meals. Marcia
I am so flattered, Marcia, thanks so much! I love the idea o mini parsnip crusts! I have been contemplating a dehydrator for ages, you may have made up my mind 🙂
Hi Camilla! You outdid yourself with this recipe! I’m a total klutz when it comes to baking and even I managed to make three perfect loaves! As you say it’s great with savoury, sweet and toasts really well. I’m delighted! Alas if only it was calorie free ???
Whoohoo! So exciting to hear that you love it, too, Charmaine! xo 🙂
Bread is fantastic!! Made a half dozen of your recipes and they’ve all tuned out perfectly. We don’t eat grains, so bread has been out of our diet for years. Excited to have a healthy, delicious new bread recipe! This one’s a keeper…off to make a grilled cheese 🙂
Jo-Ann,I am thrilled to hear that you love the bread! Happy cheese-grilling! 🙂
What can I substitute for the oil?
Hi Janice,
You could try something like applesauce, or simply add 2 tablespoons water. Do you eat flax seed or chia seeds? It would suggest adding some ground up flax or chia seeds (perhaps 1-2 tablespoons, plus 2 tablespoons water)–the added fat should help the texture of the bread. I am also making my best guesses, so I cannot guarantee the results. But I think it should work, based on my experience with chickpea flour. I would love to know what you try, and whether it works out, Janice (I am sure that others would too!) 🙂
Camilla, I can’t wait to try this recipe! I am always amazed what you do with a few simple ingredients!
Thank you!
June
You flatter me, June! Thanks so much, I appreciate the encouragement!
Camilla, I made the bread yesterday and it turned out great! It is an easy recipe that makes a nice large loaf that is easy to slice. I think I will experiment and add some herbs next time.
Thank you!
Wonderful, June! I agree, fresh herbs would be delicious!
NEVER MIND! Sorry! Just read the full blog – will try with the maple syrup! Thanks!
No problem, Mindy! I added the variations to the recipe notes itself after reading your comments 🙂
This looks amazing! This is next on my list to try! Do you think I could use Maple Syrup in place of the sugar in the recipe? Wasn’t sure if that would change consistency too much?