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Vegan
Dairy Free
Gluten FreeGrain Free Naan Bread with Cassava Flour! A simple and flavorful Middle Eastern bread recipe, made grain free and in 20 minutes or less! No oven required, just a skillet and few simple ingredients. Great with hummus, yogurt sauce, or by itself. Paleo and vegan option.
Did I ever tell you I studied abroad starting at the age of 12? Yep. Most summers were spent in different countries. From age 12-16 I lived in Brazil, Quebec, and Germany. Then after age 17 (college years and beyond) I spent time France, Great Britain, Switzerland, South Africa and Zambia, and of course New Zealand (thanks to my kiwi husband). In fact, working at an orphanage in Zambia is where I contracted an intestinal parasite (back in 2006), which then led me to healing a a new gluten free lifestyle. Quite a journey, but that’s story for another day. And no, I don’t regret going.
Okay, back to my point here.. I love traveling, I love meeting new people, and I love experiencing the new culture and food.
Is there a way to make Naan Bread gluten free or paleo?
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, 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. I am sure Turkey or India make better Naan bread, but I have yet to travel there….YET! It’s on my list.
Anyway, the German family I stayed with took me to this little hole in the wall Turkish restaurant. Like I mentioned above, it’s 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. Such great flavors, fresh herbs, vegetables, curries, and more! Gah…I miss it.
Fast forward to today. I still love all those foods but have yet to find a good gluten free Naan bread or recipe, let alone a grain free Naan bread recipe. Yes, having to eat gluten free does put a damper on trying to recreate a fluffy bread recipe, but I was determined.
One of the hardest things about gluten free baking/cooking if finding a good starch (gluten or grain free) that is interchangeable with that of regular flour or whole wheat flour. Tapioca, potato, and rice flour work well, but it takes a tango of the three. Meaning, a little of this flour, that flour, etc. Kinda like when I made Serena’s amazing gluten free and dairy bread recipe. It was awesome, but it took more than just one flour. You see what I am saying here?
I was on a the hunt for one gluten free healthy starch flour that would replace it all.
Which leads me to this grain free Naan bread recipe.
And to my new obsession with CASSAVA flour!
What is cassava flour and is it healthy?
- 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!
- Think of it as a sister starch for the tropical roots like yam, plantains, and taro.
- It’s pulp is used to make tapioca pearls (and later can be used for starch in gluten free baking)
- It’s rich in carbs and glucose –> Great for post-workout (endurance or HIIT training) glycogen replacement in 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.
But here’s the thing. I never really new Cassava, when properly prepared, could be made into a flour. A healthy grain free starch and flour that has a 1:1 ratio to that of regular flour. BINGO! GAME CHANGER.
So you know what this means, right? It means I can make my beloved Naan bread (and so much more) grain free without sacrificing texture or taste. I means I can eat more good GRAIN FREE carbs without having to add any other flour. That just makes me and my gut happy! Gluten free baking with real food ingredients/nutrition –> YES!
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Grain Free Naan Bread
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 pieces 1x
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Grain Free Naan Bread with paleo/vegan options
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup cassava flour (see notes below for other flour options)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 2 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt or 1/4 cup non dairy milk – If using milk option, add in 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup purified water (Add a little a time until you get dough like batter)
- Pinch of black pepper
- Extra high heat oil for cooking (i.e avocado oil, grapeseed oil, butter, or coconut oil- naturally refined).
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional for serving)
- garlic and herbs to taste.
Instructions
- In a bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, cream to tartar, plus salt. mix well! Next slowly mix in your yogurt or milk, 2 tbsp oil, and a mix together. Then slowly add in your water a little at a time until you get a dough like texture. If you are using milk, add your apple cider vinegar last and then mix.
- NOTE– You might need more or less water depending on the brand of cassava flour you use.
- Roll the dough into 4 -5 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. If you are using regular flour, it might take less time.
- Drizzle more a splash of more oil on top and flip to other side. Cover and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. The thicker your dough, the longer it takes to rise or puff/cook through.
- Remove and repeat for the next.
- Once all cooked, sprinkle with garlic or herbs, balsamic vinegar, and oil/ghee if desired.
- Serve with hummus or yogurt sauce
Notes
- f you don’t have cassava flour you can use whole wheat or white flour but I would let it sit after you make into a dough for about 10 minutes covered.
- Cassava flour is a little chewier in texture, so the middle of the bread might feel that way, but it will still taste wonderful!
- Category: bread/appetizer
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: middle eastern
Keywords: bread, appetizer, naan, grain free, paleo, healthy, vegan, gluten free flatbread
You see, it’s pretty simple to make. Just combine your ingredients, roll into balls, roll out each ball, and place on a skillet. Bam! DONE!
Things to consider: This Naan recipe is somewhat untraditional, since I left out the active yeast. Am I am impatient or what? That being said, the grain free version still has a soft chewy texture! For real naan bread with active yeast, check out (this recipe/ .
What to serve with paleo naan bread?
ANYTHING! But it’s especially with eggs for breakfast, a mediterranean dip, or even use as a pizza crust. And the best part? We didn’t have to turn on the oven! Haha
Now, go make this and get ready for some serious hummus cravings! Please tell me I’m not the only one obsessed with hummus?
p.s. Want to learn more about paleo and safe starches? Definitely give this article a read!
Favorite Middle Eastern Dish or Recipe?
Cheers,
Hi, I’m Lindsay! Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of 
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Lindsay this looks delicious! Possibly my new favorite from the Cotter Crunch Kitchen.
I love cassava/yuca but I don’t think I’ve ever outright had the flour. Not that I can remember. I bet that it would be an excellent alternative and a great refueling flour. I’m definitely a big fan of naan bread–you know I love me a flatbread! This is calling to me with some of that carrot ginger hummus I tried the the other day (which I am now out of…). RATS
I loveeee middle eastern food. This looks like something you’d get in a restaurant..looks delicious! So fluffy and yum 🙂
Ohhhh this looks good! I had no idea you studied abroad, but that’s pretty awesome. LOTS of food inspiration from other countries I’m sure.
I so love naan. And that you are so well traveled–I’d love to hear about all your adventures some time!
Ohhhh man I so need to try this said flour! I love naan. I got hooked on it when studying abroad in Australia. The cutest little kebab place across from my friend’s flat had the best naan bread. Can’t wait to try this! Pinned <3
I haven’t tried it and I really want to! As you know I love yuca and I know I’d love this flour. I need to jump on board!
I love yuca!! I tried it in Central America for the first time and I’ve been hooked ever since. What a great use for it here.
Oh this looks good. Store bought naan is rarely vegan, but I love it! Thanks for the vegan options. I really can’t wait to make this!
If you like Middle Eastern food so much, I just so happen to know someone (cough me cough) that both lives in the Middle East & wouldn’t mind putting you & your hubs up. 🙂
I’ve never heard of Cassava! I do love Naan though but have never tried to make it. Thanks for linking up!
I always love all of your recipes! I can’t wait to try this!…I love using naan as crusts for personal pizzas. My husband and I have very different ideas about pizza toppings so small naan pizzas solve that problem!
I love Naan Bread! I’ve never made it before– I’m typically a horrible bread maker, but I never give up trying, because hot bread out of the oven is the food they serve in heaven. You photos make me want to dive in the picture with a tab of butter and an open mouth!
I have never tried Cassava flour… I will have to try it! Probably making these naan breads first as the girls love Naan bread, well we all like it but the girls, especially my oldest loves it!
I can understand why this is a staple in the Cotter household. I’d be eating this all the time too…Nom Nom! I’ve never used this flour…is another substitute or do you recommend this one? xoxo
I’m pretty sure you’re gonna be hooked! Image it with lentil stew!! You can use any other oat or wheat flour if you aren’t sensitive to grains. What do you have?
I love yuca but haven’t gotten may hands of the flour yet. Must try this. I love naan. Vegas thinks she hasn’t had it. I think she just didn’t know what it was called. Either way, I need to make this!
Naan is so good…with curries <3
But Yucca is like the greatest thing. I think I like the yucca even more than plantains! I know! Crazy :O
So excited to try this out! I was planning to make lentil soup today and this will be the perfect accompaniment. Adding cassava flour to my grocery list. Thanks for all your fantastic recipes and nutritional wisdom.
I LOVE Naan bread, really I love all breads, but flatbreads have a special place in my heart. This looks delicious!
★★★★★
you and me both friend!
I was just looking for a GF bread to go with a soup I’m making. I need to try this flour & recipe! P.S. you need to tell us sometime about all your travels. That sounds so intriguing!
I have been seeing cassava flour everywhere and I need to try it! This looks so good, I love Naan bread 🙂
Naan bread is THE BEST! Who knew you could make it grain-free? I’ve never heard of Cassava flour. You are such a wealth of information. Love it!
Your study abroad experiences sound incredible! I studied abroad in Germany and loved all the Middle Eastern food there also – donor kebabs were my favorite! This recipe looks delicious, definitely a must try!
OMG YES! those were so good!
I have been DYING to find a good naan recipe. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lindsay! I’ve been very intrigued by cassava, but haven’t taken the leap yet — looks like that needs to change ASAP!!
let me know if you do Leah!
I have never used cassava flour before OR tried to make Naan. This looks great and definitely makes me want to give both a try!
This sounds super cool! I have heard amazing things about cassava flour. I MUST track some down and try baking with it!
yam flour works too! You gotta try this!
…Soooooo…What time is dinner????
🙂
I had not heard of Cassava Flour – so thanks Lindsay! I love naan – but never ever made my own – I love that you added yogurt to these!
NOW!haha. i’ll remake for you!
hurry, go back! haha
Naan is so so delicious 🙂
That’s awesome that you’ve seen so much of the world! I never had the chance to study abroad in school, but I can understand how valuable and special the experience is.
Happy Monday!
really? i would have thought you would have!
So I was 5 seconds away from buying cassava flour the other day, I should have put it in my online shopping cart. Now I can’t wait to try it! This recipe looks fantastic!
I have never tried baking with cassava flour! It looks like it has a mild flavor, and I would love to try it out someday.
I can always count on you to come up with some of the most ingenious recipes! I’ve never heard of cassava flour, but I’m all about experimenting with different flours. Just please don’t leave me alone with naan and hummus. No restraint. None.
naan and hummus are like pringles.. once you POP (errr dip) you can’t stop!
India is on my list too. We should go together and eat all the naan and hummus. 🙂
deal! but lets bring Amanda. She’s a fellow hummus lover. <3
Naan is one of my all-time favorite breads…and I can’t believe you made it grain-free! YUM! Thanks for sharing!
anytime! keep me posted!
I still have a BUNCH of cassava flour left after my FAILED Foccacia recipe – ha! Perhaps me following YOUR recipe will make for a SUCCESSFUL recipe! 😉
★★★★★
yes! and there are some variations you can make without yogurt. or just use coconut yogurt.
Lynne and I love our Naan Bread, which I home make for our traditional Sunday curry. So this new recipe with Cassava flour is really interesting. I’ll need to see if that’s available in our local health food store, or maybe I’ll need to get that one online.
And I’m definitely interested in hearing all about your adventures in all those different countries you spent time in. Especially Great Britain! I had no idea you’d been here!! 🙂
★★★★★
oh how i wish i could come to your house for sunday supper!
I’ve been wondering about cassava flour, thanks for sharing! I’ll have to pick some up the next time the hubs and I wander over to Burlington! That naan looks so good! This post made me think of my time in Morocco, I spent a week there while I was studying in Spain and the food was absolutely amazing. They didn’t have naan, but they had a similar, slightly thicker bread. My favorite thing was the Mint tea that we had wherever we went in beautiful, hand decorated, little glass cups. It was SO DELICIOUS and fresh!
OMG I have a morocaan dish I am sharing tomorrow! wanna come for dinner? so wish we could have that tea together!
Indian is one of my favs!!! Love this! I am definitely going to try this!
Yum!!!! I love Naan and this looks amazing!
This looks so good! I have heard of this but never tried & of course I am lazy in the kitchen! 🙂
Wow this looks so good! I’ve been going through a tub of hummus every few days recently – I literally put it on everything. This sounds perfect!!
★★★★★
This looks SO good! And it seems much easier to make than I was anticipating… no kneading, no time to let it rise… that’s my kinda bread making!!
This looks amazing and I have cassava flour in my pantry. My problem is that I can’t eat balsamic vinegar. Do you have a suggested replacement for that?
actually, i just used that on top. I should note that. so you definitely don’t need it per se. LEt me know if you try it!
Oh! I feel foolish for not reading the interactions. I always scan the ingredients first since there are so many things I can’t eat. Thanks for your response. I will make this soon!
oh no, don’t be! i don’t think I specified it. <3
YUM! I LOVE naan!!!! Can you come make it for me though? ya know, to make sure I do it right?!
I’ve tried making this twice. Both times it came out crunchy on the outside, but raw on the inside. I’ve rolled it out about the same as yours, maybe even thinner. The second time, I added more flour but it came out the same. Thoughts?
They taste great so want to try to get them right!
What type of pan are you using? I found that a cast iron skillet worked best. It was a little softer in middle but we like that. Also, maybe try thinner in the middle when rolling. Are you covering it when you cook? Xxoo
stainless steel pan, covered… cast iron is on my list of things to buy, but i don’t have one yet.
Is there something I could use in place of any yogurt. I want to make these tomorrow and my small town doesn’t have coconut yogurt. I can’t have dairy. 🙁
You really don’t need it but do you have coconut cream or almond milk?
I’ve recently gotten some excellent results with a no-knead bread recipe, and cassava flour should work as well, since it has starch to feed the yeast.
Since I don’t think cassava will have gluten, the dough will be delicate and sticky, but it might still work – you’ll just have to shape it by hand, fingers coated in flour or oil, which is what I do anyway for my pizzas. Shape it while chilled, then let it come up to room temperature for a couple of hours before using and the yeast will reinflate the dough, for a light, airy, crispy dough.
I’ll try it, and report, if I can find cassava flour, but if you’d like to try yourself here’s my no knead recipe.
1000gm bread flour (sub cassava flour) – it’s 8 cups, I think, to 1000gm
3.5 – 4 cups of water
1/4 tsp of yeast
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs salt
Mix all dry ingredients first, to distribute yeast, sugar and salt through flour, then add 3.5 cups of water. Mix well, so there is no dry flour. The dough is very forgiving. Leave dough in the bowl you mixed it in, cover with a towel and let sit for about 16 hours, then refrigerate. Keeps for about 10 days, though it never lasts that long with me, and you’ve got enough dough for 5 pizzas, or a couple of loaves of bread.
thx! i’ll look into it!
Hi, I was really excited to try this recipe and when I got to the 1 cup water part I was skeptical, but I plowed ahead with the recipe. After adding the water I had very runny liquid rather than a workable dough. Is it possible there is a typo regarding water quantity?
Hmmm. sorry that happened. I’ve made this a bunch and usually that’s the amount. What cassava brand did you use? What I would do is just use water or yogurt instead of both. Or just add in the yogurt until you get a dough like batter. I’ll update that now. Keep me posted! Hope that helps! and thanks for the feedback
okay i just updated this. THe water was wrong. I think there must have a been a mistype when I switched recipe log formats. SO SORRY! I remade them again tonight to confirm correct amount.
Just curious what the yogurt is for? What is its purpose?
it’s basically to thin it out a bit and make it more tangy. But you can just use extra water or milk, no prob! I’ve done both!
Thanks for replying so fast. I’ll be trying that realllllll soon!
of course! I’ve tried this recipe so many ways. I know some people find the batter dry, so definitely adjust if need be. Keep me posted!
This was yummy! Perf ct for our Indian Meat Cubes! I rolled mine about 1/4 cm thick, took about a minute plus each side. I also added a tablespoon of yeast just for flavor. I use Moon Rabbit Cassava Flour, as it is what I have! Thanks for the recipe! It also worked as a tortilla!
★★★★★
OH yea! will have to check out that Cassava flour. Great tips and thanks Tessa!
This recipe was delicious! However, I had trouble with it sticking to the waxed paper and wasn’t able to transfer it to the pan without it breaking in at least one spot. I tried sprinkling tapioca starch and that helped, but not entirely. I also tried parchment paper-same issue.
Any recommendations? Thanks for a terrific recipe though. I used as a wrap with turkey, provolone and spinach with pesto as a condiment. Can’t wait to try them with hummus. So good!!
Hi sandy! Thanks for comment. Do you have any marble by chance? On your kitchen island or a cutting board? You could try covering that in flour first so it wouldn’t stick. Or maybe wood but make sure it’s super dry first. Keep me posted!
Parchment paper is better.
Love the cassava naan bread! Thank you so much for sharing this.
anytime! let me know if you try it
It’s not naan, it’s basically casabe at this point. It’s not middle eastern either. White people.
Looks delicious! So jealous, wish I could eat it! Several of the ingredients are actually high FODMAP and would bother the tummy! This bread looks so AMAZING though!!
Oh I’m sorry. Is it the cassava? If you are not paleo, you can use 1:1 gluten free flour without nuts or nightshade
Wow!! I just bought my first bag of Otto’s, made the tortillas and was thinking ” Hmmmm. Some Naan would be awesome. I wonder what would make the difference? ” Thanks!!!
OH Let me know if you try it! It’s thicker than tortillas. Why i loooove
Hi! I know it’s an older recipe, but do you have any recommendations if the bread comes out hard like a cracker? I was hoping for more softer consistency. The only thing is I used vegan plain coconut yogurt and the rest was the same. Thank you.
Oh no! What flour did you use? Cassava? I just made some the other day with cassava and greek yogurt.
I haven’t tasted casava bread so i cannot talk about that but the appearance is not my taste. My main point in this comment is, if you are concern about your health, seriously avoid baking soda and bakihng powder in your everyday bread.
thank you for your tips!
Help, please! I rolled these out pretty thin, put them on a cast iron skillet covered and left them for at least three minutes per side. The outside gets crispy, but the inside is gooey. I think it’s still raw. I’m not sure what I did wrong.
It also has an overwhelming baking soda taste. I would appreciate any tips, thanks!
Oh that’s not good! Did you use cassava flour? If so which brand? Did you use yogurt? Happy to help remedy this.
I used Anthony’s Goods cassava flour and macadamia milk with a dash of lime juice since I can’t have yogurt or any of it’s non dairy alternatives.
That’s strange. THe yogurt really helps. Even if it’s non dairy. Do you have any non dairy yogurt or sour cream (like Daiya) in a store near you? I’ll try it again with almond milk. I used Bob’s redmill cassava or ottos cassava. I’ll keep you posted!
Okay I just edited it again! I used bob’s redmill cassava with almond milk and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar added. Roll the dough a little thinner so it isn’t as chew in the center. I also reduced baking soda and added cream of tartar. Let me know if you try it again
Can this be made with just egg whites or with applesauce substituted for the eggs?
You’re in luck-this recipe is egg free, so no egg swap is needed:)
I finally had the chance to try the recipe again. Thanks so much for taking the time to figure out the non dairy milk sub! It came out so good and was really simple to mix up. I will definitely be adding this to my list of go to recipes.
★★★★★
Wonderful! So glad it worked Mareenez!
Also great frozen and reheated in the oven!
I made this recipe tonight. The naan was delicious! Next time I make it I’ll use less water because it was too wet. I’ll definitely make these naan again.
★★★★★
Wonderful! So glad you liked it Heather! thanks for the feedback. Did you use regular yogurt?
Very Good!!!! You can refrigerate dough for up to a week. Making one when you want it.
★★★★★
Made this with a little adaptation: I used sour cream (because that’s all I had available in my disorganized house!). Made a 1/2 recipe since it was my first time w/cassava flour and just wanted to sample it. I probably added to much water, my dough was sticky. I fried small mini-dumpling sized portions (less than 2 tbsp – pakora sized) in avocado oil in a stainless skillet.
These were fluffy and delicious! Crispy brown edges and soft centers. Cooked very fast! Flipped once and covered as directed in recipe. I made 3 batches of these little cakes and the first reminded me of the fluffy & thick delicious flour beer batter I remember when I could eat fish & chips. The other 2 batches were less oily so a little less “deep fried” but super delicious also.
I’m on a very restricted diet and bake with almond flour and tapioca flour but haven’t really had anything this “bread-like” in years. Thanks for the recipe!! Will def make again, and play with ratios and adding garlic etc.
Belated rating! Sorry forgot to include it with my comment 🙂
★★★★★
Oh I love your swaps! The sour cream is a great idea. Works so well with baking.
turned out a gluey mess. right to the trash. sorry. A long time cook, and tried to revive it, but nothing worked.
That’s not good! Oh no. What brand of cassava flour did you use? What type of pan. I have an IGTV that might show you how to make it. HEre is it. https://www.instagram.com/tv/BtW9CdQHo7R/