Making gluten free vegan naan bread is way easier than what you might think. And with this no yeast naan recipem, it is also very quick. In less than 30 minutes you will be able to enjoy warm soft flatbread inspired by Arab and Asian cuisines! Also, it's no bake, you will only need a pan.
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What's Naan bread?
Naan bread is a type of leavened, oven-baked flatbread that is popular in South Asian and Central Asian cuisines. It is typically made with flour, yeast, water, salt, and sometimes yogurt or milk. The dough is then rolled into flattened rounds before being cooked in a cylindrical clay oven called tandoor.
Naan bread has a soft, fluffy texture with a slight chewiness and often has a slightly charred or blistered exterior due to the high heat of the tandoor oven. It can be served plain or flavored with various ingredients such as garlic, herbs, or spices. Naan is commonly served alongside curries, grilled meats, or used as a wrap for kebabs or other fillings.
Is Naan bread usually gluten free?
Unfortunately not, naan bread is usually made with wheat flour.
I spent a few months in Dubai and had the joy to eat at a few Indian restaurants. The food was INCREDIBLE (were it not for the strong spices, I could eat Indian pretty much everyday really) and I'd always order some naan. I could see my gluten/dairy-sensitive sweetheart cry a little inside everytime, so that's mostly why I decided to work on and share this recipe for gluten free naan bread.
So if you've been wondering "can naan bread be gluten free"? Well I am happy to say it can!
I also decided to make it yeast free too, so that it makes it quicker to make and meets the needs of yeast sensitive people too 😉
Disclaimer: this flatbread is similar to Arab pita bread too (Arab cuisine is SO good too). However you want to call it, I hope you will enjoy this recipe!
This gluten free naan or Arab bread is:
- made with rice flour and starch, no store bought commercial flour blends
- made without gums and psyllium husk
- dairy free and yeast free
- quick and easy
- soft and versatile, you can season it however you like
Ingredients
The ingredients for this gluten free naan bread are few and simple to source.
Not only it's yeast free but it is also made without xantham gum (or psyllium husk):
- brown and white rice flour, two of my go-to flours for gluten free cooking
- potato starch, but you can replace it with other gluten free starches too
- baking powder, yup, the one you use for your cakes, or - as I usually do - a mix of cream of tartar and baking soda
- neutral flavored plant based yogurt, I used soy yogurt, you can use oat or nut-based yogurt too, make sure they are certified gluten free and not flavored
- olive oil for cooking
- parsley, garlic and oil for dressing, if you want to enjoy delicious gluten free garlic naan!
How to make gluten free vegan naan bread.
Steps too are few and easy:
- in a bowl mix well flour, starch, baking powder and salt (optional)
- add the yogurt and mix with a spoon until the mixture is "crumbly"
- move to a worktop and work the dough with your hands, squeezing and "kneeding" until the dough is firm and compact
- divide the dough into two parts, flour the worktop (or place a piece of parchment paper and flour it with rice flour), place the dough on top, sprinkle with rice flour
- press a piece of parchment paper on top and roll the dough out with a rolling pin,¼ inch thick
- using an upside bowl, cut a circle into the the dough, remove the extra dough around it and using a flat spatula place the dough circle on a floured surface
- proceed with the rest of the dough, re-kneeding the left over dough and rolling it out
- brush olive oil on the pan and heat it over medium heat for 30 seconds
- add your naan disks to the pan and let cook on one side for 4-5 minutes (bubbles should form)
- check the bottom side, when it's nice and golden flip it on the other side and let cook for another 4-5 minutes
- flip a couple more times letting it cook another few minutes, if you like charred naan bread
- enjoy still warm, drizzled with a mix of chopped parsley, grated garlic and olive oil, if desired!
Tips and Substitutions
This gluten and dairy free naan bread is best enjoyed freshly cooked when it's warm and soft.
If you have leftover naan, keep it in an airtight container for up to a couple days and warm it up a few seconds in the microwave or a pan, before eating it.
I have not tried this specific recipe without yogurt, but if you want a quick soft flatbread without yeast, you can try my recipe for gluten free corn free tortillas!
Cooking and baking in grams
I cook and bake in grams as they are more accurate (than cups) when measuring ingredients. This is especially important when it comes to gluten free and vegan recipes.
Also, I weigh both dry and wet ingredients in grams and most of the time I share one- or two-bowl recipes, to make everything easier for you.
A simple affordable kitchen scale is definitely a useful and worthy investment for your gluten free cooking.
So you will simply need to place the bowl on the scale and weigh ingredients as you go!
If you make this recipe or have questions, leave me a comment down here! And a 5 star rating if you have loved it would help me grow the blog 😉
For all the updates, follow me on Pinterest and Instagram and tag me if you make this or any of my recipes! I absolutely LOVE to see what you make and share it in my stories!
Ciao!
Sonia
📖 Full Recipe
Gluten free Vegan Naan Bread (No Yeast, No Gums)
Equipment
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 bowl
- spoon
- parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- pan
Ingredients
- 100 grams gluten free brown rice flour
- 100 grams gluten free potato starch
- 2 tablespoons gluten free white rice flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 160 grams unflavored, white vegan yogurt (soy, oat, nut-based)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for the pan) (or ghee/coconut oil)
- chopped garlic and parsley + extra olive oil for the dressing (optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl mix well flour, starch, baking powder, and salt (if using)
- Add the yogurt and mix with a spoon until the mixture is "crumbly"
- Move the mixture to a worktop and work the dough with your hands, squeezing and "kneeding" until the dough is firm and compact
- Divide the dough into two parts, flour the worktop (or place a piece of parchment paper and flour it with rice flour), place the dough on top, sprinkle with rice flour
- Press a piece of parchment paper on top and roll the dough out with a rolling pin,¼ inch thick
- Using a bowl upside down (mine was ca 20 cm diameter), cut a circle into the dough, remove the extra dough around it and using a flat spatula place the dough circle on a floured surface
- Proceed with the rest of the dough, re-kneeding the left over dough and rolling it out
- Brush olive oil on the pan and heat it over medium heat for 30 seconds
- Add your naan disks to the pan and let cook on one side for 4-5 minutes (bubbles should form)
- Check the bottom side, when it's nice and golden flip it on the other side and let cook for another 4-5 minutes
- Flip a couple more times letting it cook another few minutes, if you like charred naan bread
- Enjoy still warm and soft, drizzled with a mix of chopped parsley, grated garlic and olive oil, if desired!
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheat in microwave or on a pan before eating.
Keith T Vogt says
people should know this: Baking soda is about three to four times stronger than baking powder, so you can't directly substitute one for the other. If you want to substitute baking powder with baking soda, you can divide the amount of baking powder needed by four and add double that amount of cream of tartar. Using too much baking soda can change the taste of the dish, while not using enough might prevent the dough from rising enough.
Sweet Sensitive Free says
Thank you for your input! Absolutely never swap baking powder for baking soda alone!
Jen says
I ordered Indian food but I didn’t want their naan. I instantly came to your site to see if you had a vegan gf version. And Bam…there it was. (I was going to make the tortillas). So while my food was being delivered I quickly whipped up a few naans to enjoy with my meal (yes, I usually have all ingredients on hand). It was so easy and fast. Texture was just as you described. I added garlic powder, cumin, coriander powder, and pepper! It was so delicious. I really appreciate how clean and simple your recipes are! Thank you for existing and creating!
Sweet Sensitive Free says
Thank you! I am so happy you enjoyed this naan bread recipe and the spices are such a great addition!