Grain Free Naan with Cassava Flour! A simple and flavorful Indian Inspired bread recipe, made grain free with simple ingredients! No oven required. Great with hummus, yogurt sauce, or by itself. Paleo and vegan option.
Disclosure – We are grateful to be partnering with Bob’s Red Mill on this post. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to create wholesome gluten free recipes.
The best gluten free naan (Indian bread) recipe!
Hello Loves! We’ve recently updated one of my favorite grain free recipes, Naan bread with cassava flour! (To see original photo, click HERE!)
Oh yes, this flatbread recipe has been a favorite of mine for YEARS now! It’s doughy, it’s soft, it’s paleo and vegan friendly, but more importantly, it’s EASY to make.
Heck, I’m even going to show you two ways to make it, just in case you’re a texture person like me. Sound good? Let’s discuss!
Working with gluten free flour
One of the hardest things about gluten free baking/cooking is finding a good flour (gluten or grain free) that is interchangeable with that white or whole wheat flour.
Tapioca, almond flour, coconut flour, and rice flour are all great gluten free flours, but you usually have to combine them with other flours. Which is why we opt for the gluten free all-purpose flours or gluten free 1:1 flours (I love Bob’s Red Mill, obviously).
That being said, what if you can’t tolerate grains or nuts? Finding a grain free and nut free flour mix can be tricky! Enter Bob’s Redmill Cassava Flour!
What makes Cassava Flour special?
Cassava flour is said to be a great 1:1 replacement for whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. But, in my experience, it still takes some tweaking.
Cassava flour has a very similar consistency but it is lighter than all-purpose flour. And it absorbs more liquid! So best to weigh out the flour when using it for baking.
Is it healthy?
Yes yes yes!
Cassava, also known as yuca, cassava is a delicious root vegetable. It’s a long tubular root with a thin brown skin and white inner flesh. Although, don’t ever eat it raw. Nope, not good for you!
Many cassava products are naturally vegan as well as nut-, grain-, and gluten-free, making them a great choice for those on an “Healing diet” or with food allergies and sensitivities.
The extracted starch from cassava goes into products like tapioca and arrowroot.
Think of Cassava flour as the sister starch for the tropical roots like yam, plantains, and taro.
Cassava Flour Nutrition Facts
- It’s rich in carbs and glucose – > Great for refueling glycogen into those muscles.
- Cassava flour is healthy and good for the gut!
- Anti--inflammatory and gluten-free! It also aids in the digestive process acting as a prebiotic fiber..
- Good source of minerals, especially Copper and Potassium, Thiamin, Folate, Manganese.
How is it different from tapioca flour?
Tapioca Flour, also known as Tapioca Starch, is the starch component only. Cassava flour is less processed and is ground from the whole root of the plant.
Okay, back to my recipe here…
How to make cassava flour naan bread.
I have tested this recipe out several times using just cassava flour! No extra flours needed. I’ve also tested out the naan bread recipe with yeast and tapioca, giving it a little rise and fluff! You’ll see that in the video coming soon. Both methods work and both are DELICIOUS!
Ingredients to make grain free naan
Quick Version – Without Yeast
Cassava Flour
Oil
Yogurt or non dairy yogurt/cream
Baking Soda/Cream of tartar
Seasoning
To make, combine your flours and mix in the wet ingredients. Roll into balls then roll out each ball, flat. Place on a cast iron skillet and watch the naan bread magic happen (2 minutes or so)! Flip, then bam! DONE!
Note that this QUICK VERSION is in the recipe card! The naan with yeast (longer prep) is below.
Grain Free Naan with Yeast (Softer Version)
Active Yeast
Honey or Sugar
Water
Cassava Flour and Tapioca Flour
Oil
Yogurt or thickened (chilled) coconut cream
Baking powder
Seasoning (salt/pepper)
PRO TIP – For a little extra fluff and softness, I recommend giving the yeast version a go!
To make cassava flour naan bread with yeast, first activate the yeast mix. You’ll follow the initial mixing instructions as above, but adding in the yeast and letting the dough rise for a couple hours before rolling into balls. I PROMISE it’s not hard!
- Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar in small bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes until fizzy (proofed). Set aside.
- In a bowl or stand mixer, sift the flour, baking powder, plus salt. Mix well! Next add in your yeast mixture. Combine with flours.
- Next, slowly mix in your yogurt or milk, 1-tbsp oil, vinegar, and a mix together with spatula or spoon. The batter should be thick, but not so thick you can roll it with hands. If the batter seems to dry/thick, add in 1/4 cup more warm water. It should look and feel like pizza dough. NOTE– You might need more or less water depending on the brand of cassava flour you use.
- Knead the dough for 5 minutes with dough hook or with hands.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with cloth. Place in warm dark place and allow to rise for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, flour your hands and counter space to prepare dough.
- If the dough is extra sticky, let it chill for 20 minutes. Printable version here.
BONUS — THIS NAAN DOUGH IS FREEZER FRIENDLY! So if you don’t have time to make all the naan bread, simply roll into balls, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer or fridge until ready to use.
Our favorite things to serve with Naan Bread!
One of my favorite new found discoveries while living abroad in Europe was Middle Eastern Food. The best Naan bread and hummus I ever had was in Germany a this little hole in the wall restaurant close to the Czech border! I know, not really authentic Turkish food but it was as close as I was gonna get as an exchange student. This is where I fell in love with hummus, dolmas, and the oh so soft delicious and fluffy Naan bread. The aroma of this place itself would immediately make you salivate.
Fast forward to today and I still love all those foods! And LOVE making this naan to serve on big platter.
Build your own platter with the following!
Fresh herbs, rice or potatoes, fresh vegetables, chickpeas, hummus, curries, creamy dips, and spicy soup! All to serve with this naan bread. If you’re a carnivore, you can add in bowl of stewed meat (lamb or chicken).
Other Ways to use Naan Bread!
- Flatbread pizza crust!
- Make a Naan Sandwich!
- Use it as a wrap or soft taco
- Cut into triangle for naan “pita” chips
You can’t go wrong yall!
Grain Free Naan Recipe (Quick Version)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4--6 pieces 1x
Description
Grain Free Naan with paleo/vegan options. With yeast, more fluff and softer texture. Yeast free and Yeast breads both delicious!
Ingredients
Note – This recipe has been updated January 2020 adding a yeast option to soften bread. If you’d like the like the yeast option, you can print it here or see blog post. Quick (no yeast) version below!
- 1 1/4 cup cassava flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1–2 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1/4 c -1/3 cup plain yogurt or non dairy milk – adjust with thickness of batter if needed
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/2 c to 2/3 cup purified water (Add a little a time until you get dough like batter)
- Pinch of black pepper
- Extra high heat oil or butter for cooking (i.e avocado oil, butter, or coconut oil, naturally refined).
Instructions
- In a bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, plus salt. Mix well!
- Next slowly mix in your yogurt or milk, 2 tbsp oil, and a mix together. I use the dough hook on the stand mixer processor and mix until combined. You can also mix with your hands/spoon.
- Next slowly add in your water a little at a time until you get a pizza dough like texture. NOTE- You might need more or less water depending on the brand of cassava flour you use.
- Roll the dough into 4 -6 medium size balls (a little smaller than a baseball)
- Place dough balls on wax paper and roll each one out between 2 pieces of wax paper in until you form an oval shape. Shape the corners to round after. Alternatively, you can use a tortilla press to make the dough even.
- You can roll the dough thinner but you don’t want to crack the dough when rolling. The thinner the dough, the crispier the bread on the outside and less dough texture in the middle.
- Next, heat a non stick pan, cast iron, or grill pan with oil on medium high. Place each flattened dough on pan one at at time on medium high heat. Cover with lid and wait 1 + minutes. You will start to see the edges puff up.
- Drizzle more a splash of more oil on top and flip to other side. Cover and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. The thicker the dough, the longer it takes to rise or puff/ cook through.
- Remove and repeat for the next until you get 4-6 naan breads.
- Serve with hummus or yogurt sauce. Store in ziplock bag or wrap in plastic wrap, once cooled. Best kept in fridge then reheat before use.
Notes
Cassava flour is a little chewier in texture, so the middle of the bread might feel that way, but it will still taste wonderful! You can resolve this by adding yeast.
QUICK NAAN WITH YEAST – You will need 3/4 c water warm 2 tsp active yeast 1 tsp sugar or honey, 1 1/2 cup cassava flour, 1/2 c tapioca flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 tablespoon, olive oil, 1/4 -1/3 cup plain yogurt or non dairy milk, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, 1/2 to 2/3 cup purified water, oil or butter. PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE or see video.
- Category: bread/appetizer
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: middle eastern
Keywords: bread, appetizer, naan, grain free, paleo, healthy, vegan, gluten free flatbread
Ever Tried Cassava Flour or Naan? I think now is the time! 😉
Keep up with the compassionate, fun-loving Bob’s Red Mill on social media. They are full of gluten free inspiration!
Cheers,
LC
MORE HEALTHY YEAST-FREE BREAD RECIPES HERE!
This recipe is part of our Healthy Yeast-free Bread Recipes collection. Check it out!
