Many moons ago, I posted a recipe for 4-ingredient Power Bread. It is easily one of my favorite recipes.  It features some of my favorite go-to ingredients (oats, nuts and/or seeds, and flaxseed meal) and is so darn delicious and easy to prepare. It lives up to its name, and then some, too: one or two slices can power me through the hardest workout, task, or day. When I am power hungry, I eat power bread :).

While updating the photos the other week, specifically while measuring ingredients, I had a quick thought: could I make the bread grain-free? Oats are a fundamental component of the recipe (1 and 1/2 cups per loaf), but perhaps I could use a grain-free flour for a tasty twist that is also perfect for those who cannot or do not eat oats.

You know me. I love a challenge. Especially an alternative, healthy baking challenge. Bring it on!

I hope you are as excited about my new bread as I am, because it is all-around amazing.

It's 4-Ingredient Coconut Flour Power Bread!

Here's the beauty of this bread: it is every bit as easy as the original. And delicious. And awesome. The texture is very close to the oat version, and yet...even better. Yup. Especially when toasted. 

When I first started experimenting with a grain-free option for the bread, I changed the proportions of psyllium, flax and water from the original. Further, I tried combining several grain-free flours. The batches were close, but still off.

My test loaves with (some) coconut flour showed the most promise. So, in went more coconut flour. The results were better still. Perhaps all coconut flour? I was in the home stretch, I just needed a few more adjustments. So I returned to my original proportions (of the other ingredients) plus coconut flour in place of he oats.

YES!!! In no time I had the ratios just right.

Now, it's your turn!

Make 4-Ingredient Coconut Flour Power Bread that is Vegan, Keto & Paleo

First up, gather 200 grams (about 7.1 ounces or 1 and 1/2 cups) of nuts and seeds.

As I noted in my original recipe, you can go with one type of seed or nut (e.g., 100% pepitas or 100% almonds) or round up whatever combination you like or have on hand.   

If you have the time and inclination, toast what you gather (approximately 10 minutes at 350F/175C). Nothing wrong with adding some toasty flavor, anytime :).

The remaining three ingredients? Flaxseed meal, psyllium husk, and coconut flour. You will need some water, too, as well as (optional/adjustable) salt.

1 Bowl and 1 Minute of Mixing

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Surprise bonus: no chopping of the nuts or seeds required. Yay! This is my kind of breadmaking.

Add 2 cups of water to the dry ingredients and stir. The mixture looks  loose with the first turns of the spoon, but in a matter of seconds, the coconut flour, flaxseed meal and psyllium soak up the water. The result (in under a minute) is a thick, stiff, yet slightly moist dough.

Press the dough into a sprayed or greased 9x5-inch loaf pan, smoothing and shaping the surface into an even loaf. I lined the loaf pan in my original power bread recipe, but no with this version. The coconut flour version browns better when baked directly in the pan. 

I left out a few seeds and nuts from the mix in order to press into the top (I was thinking of my photo ops). If you are not planning to photograph your loaf, you certainly do not need to follow my lead in this regard.

Let the loaf stand while preheating the oven to 400F (200C). This allows for additional absorption as well as solidification of the loaf before baking.

Once the oven is heated, bake the loaf for 55 to 65 minutes. It is ready when browned, the surface appears dry, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped near the center. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

The bread is not high, but it is mighty!

One completely cooled, the bread can be sliced thick, thin, or anywhere in between. I like mine about 1/4-inch (generous 1/4 inch) thick, which yields about 20 slices per loaf.

Toast it, top it sandwich it, or gnosh it plain!

Can Chia Seeds Be Used in Place of the Flaxseed Meal?

Yes, if you prefer to use chia seeds, you most definitely can, with a caveat: the chia seeds need to be ground into a meal. Grind the seeds in a food processor, blender, or coffee grinder and then use an equal amount of chia seed meal to replace the flaxseed meal.

Note that the color of the bread will be less brown (black chia seeds in place of brown flax). But it will still be 100% delicious!

Can I Omit the Psyllium from the Recipe?

No, psyllium is essential to the recipe. It is the super-binder that literally holds this bread together; the recipe will not work without it.

Can I Use Psyllium Powder in Place of Psyllium Husks?

Yes, psyllium husk powder can be used in place psyllium husks, but the quantity is different.

1 tablespoon whole psyllium husks = 5 grams / 1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder = 9 grams

My recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of whole psyllium husks, which is 15 grams. Use the same weight (15 grams) for the psyllium husk powder. One tablespoon powder is 9 grams, or 3 grams per teaspoon. Hence you will need 5 teaspoons (5x3=15) of psyllium husk powder.

Happy baking!

[tasty-recipe id="17367"]