One of the biggest myths when it comes to healthy food is that if it’s good for you (like coconut flour bread) it can’t also be genuinely delicious. Nothing could be further from the truth though.
A slice of fresh homemade bread doesn’t have to be full of carbs and gluten to taste good. With this simple paleo and gluten free Coconut Flour Bread recipe you can enjoy a delicious low carb and keto sandwich anytime you feel like it.
Introduction to Coconut Flour
I’ve had a fascination with coconut flour for over 3 years now. The main reason being that everyone said it was difficult to work with – and it is, if you’ve never worked with coconut flour before and don’t know what you’re doing. It behaves nothing like traditional wheat flour and – consequently – it took me many months of experimenting to consistently get it right.
My first big coconut flour success were these amazing Coconut Flour Pumpkin Muffins. I was hooked. I wanted to not only learn everything I could about coconut flour, but also how best to cook and bake with it.
It greatly helped that my entire family absolutely loved the gluten free coconut flour muffins I had started making. After posting pictures and the recipe for them on this blog, they received a ton of raving comments. This ultimately lead me to continue experimenting and – slowly – figure out how to make delicious coconut flour mug cakes and pancakes as well.
Those three recipes were a huge success. So I decided to focus in on them and write a digital eCookbook in which I shared the ins and outs of Coconut Flour Muffins, Pancakes & Mug Cakes. You can get it HERE!
Not long after publishing the eCookbook, I also wanted to figure out how to make bread using coconut flour. In fact, I’ve been testing coconut flour bread recipes for over 6 months now. Crazy, right? I know!
How to make Bread with Coconut Flour
I started out with trying a few coconut flour bread recipes I found online. Some ended up dry, gritty, or eggy, while others tasted great but the process was overly involved or the batter ended up overflowing and baking onto my oven floor.
So – after many months of trial and error – I came up with this simple coconut flour bread recipe that is:
- super easy to prepare
- fits my 8×4-inch loaf pan perfectly
- and results in a great (low carb) coconut flour bread (to make the bread extra low carb omit the optional honey or replace with sugar-free monk fruit syrup)
It’s literally as easy as putting all the ingredients into a blender (I love my Vitamix for this), then pouring the batter into a parchment lined loaf pan. Since this is a gluten free recipe there is no danger of ‘over-developing’ the gluten in the blender.
If you don’t have or don’t want to use a blender, you can also mix the batter by hand with a wooden spoon or your handheld mixer.
Separate the Eggs for extra fluffy Coconut Flour Bread
Reader Bobby commented that one way to avoid too dense coconut flour bread, is to separate the eggs and to whip the egg whites until stiff. And to gently fold them into the batter as final step.
Usually I try to keep my recipes processes as simple as possible. This includes keeping ingredient lists short and using fewer tools, bowls, and utensils.
It’s because I know life is busy for all of us – me included. And fewer dishes to wash are always a good thing!
Personally, I never found my coconut bread to be too dense, but after hearing from a few commenters running into this issues, I wanted to see if simply using a slightly different method would have different results.
Whisking the egg whites until stiff
So I prepared the batter in a bowl (instead of the blender) and started by separating the eggs. The egg yolks went into the big bowl to be combined with the other wet ingredients.
While I whisked the egg whites (using the whisk attachment of my immersion blender) until they were very stiff. You know they are stiff enough when you can invert the bowl and the egg whites remain unmoved.
I then proceeded to prepare the rest if the batter with all remaining ingredients. As final step I added the stiff egg whites to the bowl and gently folded them into the batter.
It is really important not to stir or whisk too vigorously here, since you don’t want to deflate the egg whites again. At this point I noticed that the batter did indeed look lighter in colour and airier in texture.
While the bread was baking in the oven, it rose higher and more quickly. And it remained that way during the baking process and even while cooling.
The final coconut flour bread was indeed taller and lighter. And the texture more fluffy.
Takeaway
Going forward I’ll continue separating the eggs and whisking the egg whites for this recipe – when I have the time! I think it is worth the extra step and cleanup.
But if I am pressed for time I’ll know that I can still get a delicious (if slightly d
enser) bread when leaving the eggs whole or with my extra quick & easy blender method.
Is Coconut Flour Bread low carb/keto?
Originally, I developed this bread to make a delicious gluten free and paleo substitute for wheat bread. Then I realized that there was a lot of interest for this recipe from the low carb and keto community.
The recipe can be considered low-carb as it is written, with about 3.3 g net carbs per slice.
To make it strictly keto as well, the tapioca starch (arrowroot powder) needs to be omitted. So does the honey. I’ve tested the bread with keto substitutions (or omissions rather) and it still comes out delicious.
With keto modification (no starch, no honey) the carb count goes down to 1.5 g net carbs per slice.
How To Store Coconut Flour Bread
Coconut flour bread is very filling (dense) and I have a feeling you will not eat it all in one sitting. So the only thing more important than how it’s made, is how it’s stored.
I’ve tried storing bread made with coconut flour at room temperature, but unwrapped it dried out very quickly and wrapped it spoiled within 2 days. Probably due to the high egg and moisture content.
The best way to store this coconut flour bread – in my experience – is to wrap it tightly and put it in the fridge. I’ve used ziploc bags but I suppose you could use a regular plastic bag, tupperware container with lid, or – my personal favorite – a Beeswax Food Storage Wrap
.
What to Expect
Coconut flour absorbs a ridiculous amount of liquids. Meaning bread made from coconut flour is going to be very different from store-bought bread. In fact, if you’re hoping to end up with something as fluffy as white Wonderbread, you will be disappointed.
It simply does not happen and scientifically can not happen just because coconut flour is inherently a lot denser, more filling, and more nutritious than wheat flour. With that said, it hasn’t been an issue with anyone in my household (despite them all being big bread eaters).
This paleo bread substitute is indeed a substitute, but it is delicious and holds up well to your favorite toppings (we love almond butter) and can even make a very satisfying sandwich.
How to make a Coconut Flour Bread Sandwich
First of all, because I recommend storing it in the fridge, I also highly recommend lightly toasting the bread slices before eating. This way you won’t be eating cold bread and you’ll have the bonus of adding a lovely – lightly crunchy – texture and light brown colour to it. Yumm!
And secondly, you need to slice this low carb sandwich bread a certain way. Because this keto bread doesn’t rise super high, slicing it the usual way doesn’t leave a lot of surface area.
Reader Shelly A. left a comment sharing a great workaround trick that’s just pure genius. I’ve been using it ever since.
Slice the entire bread vertically into 2-3 big pieces. Then slice each piece horizontally into 4 slices. You get a lot more surface area that way – perfect to hold anything from ham and cheese, tuna salad, lettuce, etc.
If you need a visual guide to this slicing method watch the video below. I am demonstrating the sandwich slicing hack towards the end.
More Coconut Flour Bread Flavors
Now that I have figured out this coconut flour bread loaf, I went ahead and also turned it into a coconut flour banana bread version. And even a zucchini loaf and pumpkin bread for seasonal twists.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to figure out coconut flour bread with no eggs yet. Therefore vegan coconut flour bread has stayed out of reach so far.
No eggy taste!
But this is not to say that this low carb sandwich bread as any eggy flavor! NOT AT ALL!
Compared to many other coconut flour recipes, this one actually uses very few eggs. Looking at other ingredients lists I’ve seen anything from 6 to 12(!) eggs used per bread recipe.
Whereas mine uses only 4 eggs. I have found this to be the minimum amount of eggs required to make the batter hold up its shape.
And divided over at least 13 slices, there is just no way these 4 eggs would impart any eggy taste to the bread.
Get My Coconut Flour eBook
As you might have noticed by now, I love cooking and baking with coconut flour simply because it is a healthier alternative to wheat flour. Which is partially why I wrote an eBook dedicated to all things coconut flour.
It focuses on sweet recipes for baked treats. You can get a copy of it HERE!
More amazing Coconut Flour Recipes with Low-Carb Option:
Coconut Flour Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup ground flax flax meal
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder/tapioca flour* optional
- 2 teaspoons baking powder**
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup flavorless oil like avocado oil or melted refined coconut oil
- 1/3 cup dairy free milk unsweetened almond milk, coconut, etc.
- 2 tbsp honey optional***
Topping:
- sesame seeds or other seeds of choice - like sunflower seeds, chia, flax, etc.
- ground flax
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375° F. Prep a 8x4-inch loaf pan by greasing it with oil or by lining it with parchment paper.
One easy way to whip up the batter is by simply combining all ingredients in a blender. Pulse or blend on low speed until everything is fully combined. It will be easier for your blender, if you add the wet ingredients first.
If not using a blender, add all wet ingredients (eggs, oil, milk, optional honey) to a large bowl and whisk until they are well combined.
Next, add the dry ingredients (coconut flour, ground flax, arrowroot powder, baking powder, salt) to bowl. Then stir them onto the wet ingredients until no more pockets of dry mix remain.
Optionally: Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites until stiff. Proceed preparing the batter as usual otherwise. Then gently fold in the stiff egg whites as final step. (This makes for a lighter, fluffy coconut flour bread)
- Fill the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle sesame seeds and a little ground flax over the top. Bake the Coconut Flour Bread for about 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool fully.
- Store refrigerated for up to 1 week. Lightly toasting the bread slices is highly recommended.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*omit or replace with almond flour/psyllium husk to make keto
** paleo baking powder = 2:1 ratio cream of tartar and baking soda
*** for a slightly sweet low carb bread, replace the honey with sugar-free monk fruit syrup
TIP: For extra large sandwich slices, cut the bread into thirds. Then slice each piece into 4 slices horizontally (instead of vertically). You'll end up with 12 slices and more surface area for all your toppings.
Daisy
Tried this recipe yesterday and it turned out really good . Thank you for sharing.
Joy De los Reyes
taste good! only concern my loaf did not rise that much maybe 1.5inch only. is it because i overmix it or i did not do the separate egg whites and yolks technique?
Susan
So, mine came out very flat only about an inch or so high. I used the egg whites, but also used Chia seeds ground. Wondering if the Chia seeds made it not rise. The texture seems good and it’s not dense, just not very tall.
I wonder if doubling the recipe would make the difference. Your thoughts?
Regina | Leelalicious
I have never tried doubling the recipe because it usually rises to at least 2/3 of my pan. But if yours is very flat doubling might work.
Were you using ground or whole chia seeds (and how much). I’ll try to do some experimenting, to be able to give some better advise about how to replace flax meal with chia.
Emily Barnes
Love the bread! Mine was very dense still despite whipping the egg whites :/ it’s also definitely way to short to really use as a sandwich bread, but still tastes good! Just trying to look for easy bake at home options for GF/DF bread for my little guy.. the kind you find at the store is SO expensive, tiny and full of holes!
lisa
question, you mentioned to omit the tapioca or arrow root to make it keto.
do I have to repace it with almond flour? can I leave it out completely?
I have access to coconuts and I make my own coconut flour. do you think homemade coconut flour would work?
Regina | Leelalicious
In my experience the starch doesn’t need to be replaced. If you have almond flour it is nice, but if you don’t you can make the bread without.
So awesome you have coconuts available. I’ve also made my own flour with leftovers from making coconut milk. At the time I used it in one of my muffin recipes. It turned out great, so I think it should also be fine in the bread
Mickey
I don’t do well with flax. Could I substitute ground.chia.seeds instead?
Regina | Leelalicious
Yes ground chia should work just as well
Lisa
I’ve tried this recipe with flax meal and water to make it equivalent to the 4 eggs. It made the batter very dry, I had to add water and more almond milk to it. When I let the bread cool and tried cutting it, it was too soft and crumbled, but the taste was great! I am just unsure how to make this recipe with the replacement egg. Any ideas?!
Regina | Leelalicious
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback using flax egg replacement. Sorry it didn’t work out completely. I have never been able to replace the eggs successfully in this bread recipe. I just read this post about egg replacements and the best success was with carbonated water https://www.thekitchn.com/best-egg-substitutes-baking-23003895
But I have never tried it for this recipe