Focaccia Flax Flatbread ~ paleo with vegan option

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This Keto and Gluten-free Flax Flatbread Recipe is one of our favorite recipes of all time. It tastes great with a sweet or savory filling and freezes well too, plus it’s easily adaptable for vegan diets.

This Focaccia Flax Bread Recipe whips up super fast and tastes great with both sweet and savory fillings. Plus it's grain-free too and freezes great! Perfect for dipping or sandwiches!

If you’re on either a gluten-free diet or a grain-free, low-carb, or paleo diet and you miss bread, this Flax Bread Recipe is just what you have been waiting for.

It’s grain-free and even vegan (if need be) to boot and is one of our family’s favorites. It’s a very forgiving recipe that you won’t even need my gluten-free baking tips for :).

And if you haven’t heard about how healthy flax is, then read on.

Because this focaccia flax bread recipe is well–just great.

We’ve been eating flax seeds for years, but mainly in shakes and as a substitute for eggs in baking, but this bread is a great way to get the health benefits of flax into your family.

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The Benefits of Flaxseed

Flax is high in:

  • omega-3 essential fatty acids
  • fiber
  • antioxidants

Sounds like a good idea to get you and your family to eat more of this wonderfood, right? Well here’s how!

I’ve shared this Focaccia Flax Bread with a number of folks, and everyone has asked for the recipe. It has a nice deep flavor and pleasing texture. And it’s a great bread alternative for those on gluten-free diets.

Gluten-free folks need to take great care not to load up on refined starches for those who do damage to their already compromised digestive systems. Alternatives like this are pleasing both to the palate and also healthy for your body.

If you’re not that familiar with flax seeds, there are two varieties–light and dark. The bread in the main photos here above was made with light seeds.

The light ones will (of course :-)) produce a lighter-colored bread, but from what I understand, there is no difference in nutritional value and we haven’t found there to be a taste difference either.

The light (golden) flax seeds are more expensive, so save your money (unless, of course, you really need the lighter variety for some reason) and buy the dark variety. The resulting bread will look like what you can see pictured below.

Flax Flatbread on white plate

Serving Ideas

You can top or serve this oh so delish flax bread with….

Ingredients

  • Flax Seed Meal
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt (I recommend Real Salt)
  • Healthy Sweetener (optional: sucanat or coconut sugar would be goo options. I use xylitol or stevia extract for a candida-friendly option)
  • Eggs (or equivalent alternative)
  • Water (use filtered water please)
  • Coconut Oil (other healthy fats may be substituted).
focaccia flax bread on wood cutting board with olive oil dipping sauce

Recipe Notes

  • Sweeteners: Use whatever sweetener you like. Stevia extract will work as well. If using stevia, use 1/32 teaspoon.  Organic sucanat or organic coconut sugar are good options if you don’t need low-carb or are AIP.
  • Egg Options: You can use an egg substitute like Ener-G Egg Replacer or my Homemade Powdered Egg Replacer. For a low-carb egg substitute use a flax eggchia egg, or gelatin egg.
  • All five eggs might be a too many for someone who doesn’t like eggs. You can try using 3-4 and substituting an egg alternative for the remaining eggs.
  • Flax Meal Info: If grinding your own flax (which I recommend), 4 cups of flax seeds yield about 6 – 6 1/2 cups flax meal.  If you have extra after grinding, just store it in the fridge or freezer for adding to smoothies, etc.
  • Pan sizes and conversion info: One recipe will fit well in a 10×15 pan. To use 2 9×13 pans, make 1 1/2 recipes.
    3 recipes covers 2 large circular baking stones.
    If you really want to bake in bulk, make 4 1/2 recipes for 2 large size pizza stones and 2 9×13 pans (this is what I always do since we eat it up so quickly!)
  • Baking Stones: Baking stones really make clean up easy and there is no greasing necessary. No need to grease and clean up is a snap!

Special Diet Options

How To Make This Bread in Bulk

I love baking in bulk so I can bake a lot but only clean up once.

You can of course change these proportions to make whatever amount of batches you want. I make 4.5 batches due to that amount working great for 2 large size pizza stones and 2 9×13 pans, which fits nicely in my oven.

Here are the ingredient measurements for making 4 1/2 batches.

9 cups flax meal
4 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
22 eggs, or equivalent (use 11 heaping tablespoons and 1 heaping teaspoon of this powdered egg replacer)
4 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 tablespoons sweetener (using the lower measurement)
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups coconut oil

This Focaccia Flax Bread Recipe whips up super fast and tastes great with both sweet and savory fillings. Plus it's grain-free too and freezes great! Perfect for dipping or sandwiches!

Focaccia Flax Flatbread Recipe (gluten and yeast-free with grain-free and vegan options)

This Gluten-Free Flax Bread Recipe is one of our favorites. It’s a great kid-friendly paleo bread recipe. Tastes great with sweet or savory toppings and freezes well.
4.50 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Breads, Snack
Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, THM:S, Vegan, whole30
Keyword: flax flatbread, focaccia flax bread, gluten-free flax flatbread, keto flax bread, keto flax flatbread
Servings: 12
Calories: 222kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease pans (coconut oil works great!). See below for pan selection information.
  • Mix dry ingredients well — a whisk works well.
  • Add wets to dries and combine well. If using eggs, make sure there aren’t obvious strings of egg in the batter.
  • Let batter set for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken up some (leave it too long and it gets past the point where it’s easy to spread.)
  • Spoon batter into pan and spread out.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes, until it springs back when you touch the top and/or is visibly browned.
  • Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want.

Notes

  • Sweeteners: Use whatever sweetener you like. Stevia extract will work as well. If using stevia, use 1/32 teaspoon.  Organic sucanat or organic coconut sugar are good options if you don’t need low-carb or are AIP.
  • Egg Alternatives: You can use an egg substitute like Ener-G Egg Replacer or my Homemade Powdered Egg Replacer. For a low-carb egg substitute use a flax egg, chia egg, or gelatin egg.
  • All five eggs might be a too many for someone who doesn’t like eggs. You can try using 3-4 and substituting an egg alternative for the remaining eggs.
  • Flax Meal Info: If grinding your own flax meal, which I recommend, 4 cups of flax seeds yield about 6 – 6 1/2 cups flax meal.  If you have extra after grinding, store it in the fridge or freezer for adding to smoothies, etc.
  • Paleo: Use this homemade baking powder (or another appropriate version).
  • Whole30: Use my homemade baking powder, or another appropriate alternative, and omit the sweetener to make this recipe friendly for Whole30.
  • Pan sizes and conversion info: One recipe will fit well in a 10×15 pan. To use 2 9×13 pans, make 1 1/2 recipes.
    3 recipes covers 2 large circular baking stones.
    If you really want to bake in bulk, make 4 1/2 recipes for 2 large size pizza stones and 2 9×13 pans.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg | Net Carbs: 1g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Note also that this post is one of the first ones that I put on my blog. I realize now that this recipe is on numerous sites around the internet–some with variations and some without. I don’t recall where this Flax Bread Recipe came from, but obviously, there are a lot of people who love it as much as we do!

How about you?
What would you serve this bread with?

Source: Web Md

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Recipe Rating




 

224 Comments

  1. Could I substitute the liquid in this with mashed overripe bananas to make a sort of unconventional banana bread?

      1. I haven’t tried that yet, but I have made the recipe above twice now and it takes much longer to get done in my oven for some reason. I’m neither high elevation nor at sea level. I followed the recipe as exactly as I could except I did use less oil than called for. But it still has taken at least 40 minutes to cook both times I’ve made it. The first time I used Ener-G egg replacer and the second time I used chia eggs. I made 1.5 flax bread recipes both times on a 10×15 baking stone, but only used the recommended number of eggs for 1 recipe. Seems that I’m using less liquid than called for so I can’t figure out why it’s taking so long to bake. Still tastes great, don’t get me wrong, I just can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. ?????

            1. I’m so so sorry for not getting back sooner. I have been inundated and all this stuff going on in the world. Just hired more help so I could get to things more quickly. Is the temp of your oven OK? I just baked a new cookie recipe last night and they took forever so I’m wondering if that is my problem. Sorry again and thanks for your patience!

    1. Hi there! Sorry for the delay–we had a lot going on here. The recipe information has been updated with serving sizes and nutritional information. Hope that helps!

    2. Hi there – sorry for the delay–we had a lot going on. The recipe has been updated with serving and nutritional information. Hope that helps!

  2. Made this again without baking powder. 2 teaspoon sea salt,3 eggs nd grape seed oil. Taste really good . Thank you

  3. Absolutely love – I just skip the sweetener and thinks it’s delicious, especially toasted. I’ve made it dozens of times now and I’m grateful to you for the recipe.

    1. Hi there – this is a recipe for sourdough starter–there are a number of sourdough recipes in the post. Please let me know if you don’t see them. Thanks for reading!

    2. Oops I just realized that you were commenting on the Flax Bread post–I’m confused. Were you expecting a sourdough recipe here? Please let me know!

  4. Just found this receipt. My 4 year old loves this. Used 3 eggs and some olives. Turned out great. Will try with golden seeds next time. Thank you so much all the way from Australia

  5. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. This happens to varying degrees every time I use flax. First batch, I made half the recipe. Used a gelatin egg (agar agar). Spread it out fairly thin, but it still took an hour to cook, didn’t rise. Turned out delicious, but more like a cracker than bread. Second time, made the whole recipe with the same (agar agar) eggs. Spread it out a little less thinly (this time on parchment paper). Didn’t rise, didn’t cook through, even after an hour – still very wet in the middle. I’m at 30′ sea level, so that can’t be the problem. I used 2 t cream of tartar and 1 t baking soda, which is a perfect substitute for baking powder. I’m so sad because the flaxseed was expensive, and I wasted 2/3 of it. I really love the nutritional value of this recipe, the low saturated fat content (I used algae oil) and the zero carb load. I want this to work!

      1. 5 stars
        No, I thought it would rise a bit because of the leaveners. Yours looks thicker than my first batch. I didn’t either batch sit either time, even to set, because after mixing it, the dough was pretty thick. However, it took some time to spread anyway, so I figured that was enough “sitting.” Regardless, after 20 minutes all I got was the very “greasy mess” your friend predicted, even at 30′ above sea level. So I tried cooking them longer. Next time, I’ll try actual baking powder and see if that makes any difference at all. I don’t know what else it could be otherwise. When I prep the agar egg, it’s the consistency of actual egg, and binds the ingredients beautifully. But perhaps that ingredient’s also a factor? I really need to stay away from saturated fat, hence avoiding eggs. Thanks for your reply, by the way – I know this is a very late conversation after your original post. I did love the cracker that the first batch turned into after an hour!

        1. Hi there. My recipe does best for me w/ eggs or the powdered replacer. I haven’t tried it w/ agar. With chia eggs, it is more flat. Any success since?

          1. I haven’t made a 3rd batch yet. The reason I don’t eat eggs is that I’m pescatarian. If I decide to try again, I’ll use the same agar egg and either eliminate most of the oil and use actual baking powder (aluminum free) instead of the cream of tartar and baking soda, or go back to what I did with my first batch, which turned into a giant cracker, rather than focaccia of any kind – but I loved it!

            1. Gotcha–I have made it w/ arrowroot only I think b/c I have read about health benefits of that but I understand! Hope it works out for you! I like meeting another flexible cook :)!

  6. 2 stars because I followed the recipe exactly but used vegetable oil instead (only oil I had in the house), same amount, and it was WAYYYY too oily I couldn’t even eat the bread. Will make it again tomorrow using just 1/2 tbs instead of 1/3 cup. Besides that I will stick to recipe. I’m gluten free and liked the flavor of the bread overall, though I will add more salt next time. Love the nutritional content of flaxseed so hoping it turns out alright next time!

    1. Hello Juliet – I am sorry for the delay in responding to you–I wanted to do some research into your results so I consulted with some allergy-free bakers and here is the response that I got:

      “Because eggs and flax are the only binders – and eggs can need emulsification, I would say there’s a good chance she is baking at higher altitude (3000 ft or above). Recipes like this are much more finicky as the rise quicker and separate. The type of oil shouldn’t matter mush (it’s possible that the saturated fat behaves a smidge differently in baking, but I haven’t found this), but I typically reduce the oil and add either more binder or just a touch more liquid. I don’t know that I would reduce the leavener though as you don’t use a lot. As a heads up, if someone tried to make this at higher altitude with the egg-free option (I read it), they would probably end up with a greasy mess that wouldn’t set up. So like people in the mountain states.”

      Otherwise they thought perhaps there was an error on your end that you weren’t aware of. Can you tell me your thoughts? Thanks for reading!

      1. I am at 4500 Feet. This is how I tweeked it after 2 tries: I use 2 cups flax meal, 6 eggs. 1/3 cup oil. I don’t add water till the end and then only as needed. 2 t. psyllium powder. 1 t salt, 1 t garlic powder, 1/2 t rosemary ground , 2 T honey 1 T bkg powder. I use an 8×11 pan. It bakes till golden on bottom rack on parchment buttered…it takes more than 20 min. I take out when it smells right. It is perfect and a game changer. So amazing! Thank you for the recipe. (Once I made it and forgot the honey and so I just spread it thinly on top….so yummy that way it adds a nice sweetness and texture for variety)

        1. Wow that’s a lot of changes. I guess you’re pretty experienced at amending recipes to work at high altitude? I agree that honey is GREAT on this!!

          1. I made it according to your recipe first. It was too wet at my altitude to cook out like yours looked. So I substituted another egg for the water and then only added a T or 2 T of water at end. I used large eggs. I also added the psyllium. The onion powder and rosemary and garlic powder are so optional-I added to taste. The best consistency for my altitude reminds me of almond butter. I do not know how the recipe with the extra egg and psyllium would be at lower altitudes. I have had consistent results with this version at 4500 ft. (I watched my mom bake at 6500 ft as a child. She had to tweek everything and taught our small community how to bake at high altitudes. I frankly did not know why I changed it the way I did–maybe mom was whispering in my ear that day–I miss her cooking. ) I am so grateful you posted this recipe-it was a game changer for me !!!
            it is so great to have this bread. You deserve the credit.

            1. So interesting and I understand. Yes it is like almond butter really. I should take a photo / video of how the bread looks when making it. SO much to do but it would help. I’m sooo glad it worked well for you. We love it too!!! You made my day – really!

              1. I will make some homemade pumpkin seed butter to put on my next batch….I am now wondering about a honey and cinnamon swirled into the batter before cooking (omitting the savory stuff) See what a good basic recipe you have here! endless possibilities and fun.

                  1. So i am still having fun with this recipe! I made a pumpkin flax yummy thing.
                    2 cups flax seed meal
                    2 Tablespoons Psyllium ground finely
                    1 Tablespoon coconut flour
                    1 Tablespoon organic corn starch (OR arrowroot or tapioca flour)
                    1 tablespoon baking powder
                    3/4-1 teaspoon salt
                    2 tablespoons coconut sugar
                    2 Tablespoons honey
                    6 beaten eggs
                    1 can pumpkin about 15 oz.
                    1/3 cup butter
                    1 Tablespoon cinnamon
                    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
                    1/4 teaspoon ginger
                    butter parchment. pour in pan. smooth with wet hands. spread 2 Tablespoons honey or maple sugar on top with wet hands. bake as usual. kind of like a pudding-kind of like bread-a new favorite!

  7. I made this yesterday. It had a very strong taste. Because of that I didn’t particularly like it. Could my flax seed have been old enough to cause that. If not what could I add to knock down the huge flax taste? Thank you.
    You have no idea how much I am using your site. Thank you.

  8. 5 stars
    Well, this recipe just increased my family’s quality of life. All joking aside, we’ve been really tired of our numerous dietary restrictions and this bread made us very happy. I was grateful when I tried your buckwheat galette recipe, but having both at my disposal just brings it to a new level. Thank you from my entire family. Just ate the second batch of bread, which turned out even better than the first, probably because I accidentally added more oil. The first one was also very good. I also had a zeroth try, which went in the garbage, because I dumped all of the ingredients into a blender, expecting to have a hard time mixing the ingredients, and wanting to save some of my energy. Only later I realized that as I dumped the ground flax seeds, the desiccant pack fell into the blender as well. Unfortunately all of those high quality organic ingredients went in the garbage as a result. I am wondering how much flax is healthy for adults and children, not wanting to overdose from this bread, LOL!

    1. Hi Lily! So glad you like it as much as we do!

      So flax and health is something that people have a lot of varying opinions on. You would have to do your own research. Maybe I can do a post on it at some point. I think it depends on the person, just as with almost everything! So sorry about the dessicant! We’ve had that kind of thing happen to us as well!

  9. Thank you I will definitely try this as soon as I get the flax meal. I am curious that I have not seen you mention Sweetleaf Stevia. That is what I have been using for several years.

  10. Thank you so much for this recipe! We battle Candida at my house and bread is our favorite thing- finding an exceptable recipe has been challenging( and expensive ) this is really good- totally satisfies our bread craving! One of the few gluten free recipes that turned out perfect the first time I made it.i went from preheating my oven to almond butter sandwich in an hour!

  11. I really prefer a bread that is not sweet so assuming that not adding a sweetener will still render me texture and quality without sweetness? Has anyone made this without sweetner?