This Grain Free Flatbread may change your life
I know, that’s sounds like an extreme claim. But if you follow a restricted diet, then you know just how liberating it is to have a never-fail staple recipe in your culinary arsenal. This grain free flatbread, a healthy bread alternative, fits the bill when you crave something–for lack of a better term–bready. Even better, it requires only about 5 minutes of prep!
If you are on a grain free diet, then you know how comforting it is to have something that can be used for sandwiches. That’s one reason why I’m so excited about this recipe! It works for sweet (think jam or honey) or savory (like guacamole and sliced turkey) sandwich fillings.
I’ve been enjoying these for breakfast, with raw honey. I’ve even used these as a bun replacement for hamburgers! Although I haven’t tried it (because I can’t eat tomatoes or cheese) these would work for mini pizza crusts. Bake completely, then top with a thin layer of sauce and cheese and broil until the cheese is melted. It won’t make a crispy crust, but it is a healthy alternative to a wheat crust and an easier option than the labor-intensive zucchini/cauliflower pizza crusts.
Grain Free Flatbread ingredients
Grassfed gelatin – and I recommend this option – may sound like a strange addition to flatbread. You may be familiar with my love of gelatin, as I sing its praises in my popular recipe for Coconut Flour Pancakes… With Gelatin! As with those pancakes, the gelatin is important to the texture here. It provides some pliability and a slightly chewy texture and prevents a crumbly result.
“I don’t have gelatin,” you may be thinking, “can I leave it out?” Yes, I’ve made these without the gelatin. It works in a pinch, but they don’t hold together as well and aren’t as pliable.
Real eggs crucial to the integrity of the texture. I have not tried this with egg substitutes, and my guess is that it will not work without the real egg.
Butternut squash provides the base for this flatbread, as well as a hint of natural sweetness. I highly recommend using squash you have baked until tender and then mashed. Canned butternut squash puree will also work, however. If you don’t have the butternut squash, you could use mashed acorn squash or mashed sweet potato to make this grain free flatbread.
How to get your free coconut flour
Thrive Market is my favorite online health food store, and I’ve taken advantage of the steep discounts and the occasional free products they offer members. This is not a sponsored post, and I would like to pass on one of those freebies to you today: Thrive is offering a FREE 1 lb. bag of organic coconut flour, with orders over $50 here.
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Ready to start baking with coconut flour, and 25-50% on healthy living essentials? Click here to get your free coconut flour at Thrive.
- 2 Tbs. coconut flour
- 2½ tsp. grassfed gelatin, available here
- ¼ cup plus 2 Tbs. well cooked and mashed butternut squash or sweet potato
- 2 Tbs. butter, ghee or coconut oil
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ tsp. sea salt (more or less to taste)
- Have all ingredients at room temperature. (If the squash and butter is cold, you can stir them together in a saucepan over low heat to bring them to room temperature.)
- Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together the coconut flour and gelatin.
- Stir together the squash and the butter until smooth. Stir in the coconut flour/gelatin mixture until combined, then stir in the egg and sea salt.
- Spoon into rounds on the baking sheet. You can make these thinner or thicker-- experiment and find what you prefer! I made them about ¼ inch thick for the picture here, but I usually make them a bit thicker.
- Bake for about 12 minutes, then carefully peel them off the parchment paper and flip. Bake for another 5 minutes (or longer), until they are dry to the touch and pliable. (They will take longer to cook if they are thicker and they will cook faster if they are thinner... you know the drill.) Let cool completely, then enjoy within an hour or so of baking for the best texture.
I was quite excited to try this recipe, until I came across the word “Gelatine”. Yuk. That is soooo disgusting. Do you know what it s made from?
Anyway, it (the recipe) also calls for eggs. This recipe is not for me, sadly. I’m Vegan so won’t be coming back for any recipes you may have.
Enjoy your animal products.
My perspective on veganism, for those curious: https://empoweredsustenance.com/is-vegan-healthy/
Wow that was unneccesarily rude!
Thanks for the recipe. I use it often!
Really rude and uncalled for. Like would you go on a carnivore website and post nasty comments if you aren’t into eating carnivore? How about going on a website about whitewater rafting and expressing condescending judgemental remarks because you aren’t into white water rafting. While we’re at it, let’s go condemn anyone who posts recipes made of whole wheat flour or how about ripping someone who includes peanuts in a recipe if you happen to be allergic. Geez. I’m keto and not every recipe here fits my diet but I’ve found some excellent recipes here and a lot of helpful information too. Love the coconut curry meatballs. I think I probably used egg instead of tomato paste for the lower carb content. But no reason to massacre the blog creator with verbal vomit as a reward for all the hard work. Kindness matters. I love your site.
Why even bother to come on here and make a comment, when you know it’s a site that uses animal products ?
It’s bizarre, but that’s Veganism I guess.
Haven’t you just descended to the same level?
Can this recipe be used with pumpkin?
Yes, I believe so although I haven’t tried it.
It works with pumpkin! Being naturally lazy I’ve often made these with canned pumpkin
I have made it with pumpkin, turns out great!
Thanks, I had the same question (to make a low carb version) Did you use fresh cooked pumpkin or canned?
Is the gelatin like knox gelation
As a vegan I’m sure you know of alternatives to Gelatin. To judge a whole Web page on the basis of one ingredient is very ignorant.
I just might cry myself to sleep tonight over your egg and gelatin distress.
Ok karen, I am not Vegan so I do not go to Vegan websites. If you walk into a flat earth convention or a lizard people convention, do you really think that a comment like yours is going to change their minds?
I respect your ways, you can respect mine!
I don’t go around telling Vegan people they need a better diet or pointing out that farms use animal waste to grow the veggies that you eat. I also don’t point out that the factories that make your accepted products employ people who are not Vegan so you are still helping people to “abuse” animals by giving them your money so they can sell you accepted products and then they spend your money on animal products for their own use.
Also, what about the internet? You just made a comment using a technology that is created by heartless corporations that just want your money and at some point along the line they involve animal products, even if it is to feed their staff… not very Vegan.
Now you know that there is no such thing as a TRUE Vegan, no way to avoid it 100%, hope you have enjoyed YOUR animal products!
I love this response. Well said.
Ok karen, I am not Vegan so I do not go to Vegan websites. If you walk into a flat earth convention or a lizard people convention, do you really think that a comment like yours is going to change their minds?
I respect your ways, you can respect mine!
I don’t go around telling Vegan people they need a better diet or pointing out that farms use animal waste to grow the veggies that you eat. I also don’t point out that the factories that make your accepted products employ people who are not Vegan so you are still helping people to “abuse” animals by giving them your money so they can sell you accepted products and then they spend your money on animal products for their own use.
Also, what about the internet? You just made a comment using a technology that is created by heartless corporations that just want your money and at some point along the line they involve animal products, even if it is to feed their staff… not very Vegan.
Now you know that there is no such thing as a TRUE Vegan, no way to avoid it 100%, hope you have enjoyed YOUR animal products!
Hi Wendy,
I’m also a plant-based eater. You can substitute agar agar for gelatin and flax eggs for the real ones!
Y’all could have just moved along without making a fool of yourself.
Eggs are not a problem but gelatin is for those with glutamate issues.
So any substitutes for gelatin? Thanks.
There are vegetarian gelatins. The best, I think, is Vegan Jel. You can also try carrageenan or Agar-Agar. You might have to go to Amazon to get the Vegan Jel. I don’t think the carrageenan or agar will really work in this recipe.
I just wanted to thank you so much for posting this recipe. It has turned into my “go to” bread substitute. So easy to make and great for all those places I really missed my bread. Tomato sandwiches! Burgers! Toast with honey!
Thanks
Thank you for posting this recipe. Its very easy to make. Keep posting!
Sounds like a Great recipe, can I omit the egg whites ( not allowed in my diet) or substitute them with anything else
Unfortunately there are no egg substitutes that I’ve found to work in this recipe
I made with 1 egg and 1/4 cup egg whites (watching cholesterol)it turned out well.
Super delicious! Has become one of my favorite recipes for butternut squash. At our house we experimented with agar agar and no agar/gelatin at all.
It seemed to turn out just wonderful without that ingredient/step and so I’ve been making it without (I’m sure there’s a texture difference but it’s still great without).
I’m in process making a batch 16x of this recipe and am excited!
I have a question. Reading the recipe, it sounds like the gelatin powder doesn’t get liquid added, but that doesn’t seem right. Does it get dissolved in water first?
Not in this recipe! I know, it’s a bit of an unusual use of gelatin, but it works.
Can you freeze these??
Hi there, What does 1/4 cup plus 2Tbs for the squash?
Also, my flatbread didn’t come out harden or staying together. What do I need more of? They taste great though. 🙂