Almond Flour Bread

published May 29, 2022
Two slices of almond flour bread topped with butter and honey, with the rest of the loaf on a wooden plate in the background.
Credit: Tara Holland

This tender gluten-free loaf is both sweet and savory thanks to a combination of honey and chopped fresh rosemary.

Serves6 to 8

Prep20 minutes

Cook30 minutes to 35 minutes

Jump to Recipe
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Two slices of almond flour bread topped with butter and honey, with the rest of the loaf on a wooden plate in the background.
Credit: Tara Holland

I went gluten-free for health reasons just for a couple of years, and the main frustration I found was finding decent bread to buy. Everything was either so dense and moist that you could barely toast it, or it was just dry and unappealing. Since then, things have come a long way with gluten-free flours and bread. Had I tried baking bread with almond flour back then, I may have stayed gluten-free for longer! In my head, almond flour was meant only for sweet cakes and cookies, but I’ve since discovered that with the right seasoning, it’s easily adaptable to make savory quick bread, too. 

What Is a Quick Bread?

A quick bread is exactly that: It’s quick to make! This means there is no yeast to bloom or dough to proof for hours. Rather than a dough, it’s made with a batter, and rather than yeast, it’s leavened with beaten eggs, baking powder, and baking soda to help make it rise. I initially created this bread with only baking soda, but the baking powder addition made the texture even lighter. Apple cider vinegar is also added, which, once mixed with baking soda, causes a chemical reaction, creating tiny bubbles. You may have some tiny holes in the texture of the center of the loaf, which is perfectly normal and adds to the airiness of the loaf. 

Add-Ins and Substitutes

Although this bread is lightly sweetened with a touch of honey, it’s savory thanks to extra-virgin olive oil, rosemary, black pepper, and flaky sea salt. You can also easily swap out the rosemary for fresh thyme. Or, if you prefer a sweeter flavor profile, swap out the olive oil for melted coconut oil, increase the honey to 3 tablespoons, omit the fresh herbs, and top with sliced almonds instead. Black pepper and almonds are a surprising match, as the pepper gives the almonds a vibrant kick, so you can keep that ingredient in for both sweet or savory loaves, if you desire. If you are heading down a sweet route, you can also add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange zest into the mix, which I tried, and also enjoyed. The base of this recipe is simple to make, and the add-ins are easily adaptable. 

Credit: Tara Holland

Almond Flour Bread Versus Bread with All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

There are some great all-purpose gluten-free flours on the market now, such as Thomas Keller’s Cup4Cup, so if you are looking for a regular white loaf, you can use an alternative white gluten-free flour like that in a traditional recipe for white bread. However, almond flour is naturally low-carb and yields a moist loaf, which brings a different texture entirely to regular all-purpose flour. 

Why Add Ground Flaxseed?

Ground flaxseed brings various things to the table when it comes to baking, especially with almond flour. Along with the oil naturally found in almond flour, flaxseed also has a high oil content, so you don’t need to add much extra fat to the batter. Flaxseed meal also helps absorb water consumption, which helps to improve the loaf’s texture.

How to Serve Almond Flour Bread 

This almond flour bread is delicious served sliced and buttered, but here are a couple of other ideas for serving.

Almond Flour Bread Recipe

This tender gluten-free loaf is both sweet and savory thanks to a combination of honey and chopped fresh rosemary.

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes to 35 minutes

Serves 6 to 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons

    extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 3 to 4 large sprigs

    fresh rosemary, divided

  • 2 1/2 cups

    blanched almond flour

  • 1/4 cup

    ground flaxseed meal

  • 1 teaspoon

    baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon

    baking soda

  • 3/4 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons

    honey

  • 1 tablespoon

    apple cider vinegar

  • 5

    large eggs

  • 1/8 teaspoon

    Maldon or other flaky salt (optional)

Instructions

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  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom and two long sides of a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a 9x12-inch sheet of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the sides. Coat the paper and pan with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil.

  2. Pick the leaves from 2 to 3 of the large fresh rosemary sprigs and finely chop until you have 1 tablespoon.

  3. Place the rosemary, 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour, 1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Push the mixture to the sides to create a well in the center.

  4. Place 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Add 5 large eggs and whisk to combine. Pour wet ingredients into the well of dry ingredients and gently fold with a rubber spatula until combined.

  5. Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Brush with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and lay the remaining rosemary sprig in the center. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon flaky salt if using.

  6. Bake until the crust is evenly golden brown, crisp to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the short sides of the pan. Lift the loaf from the pan using the parchment paper, place on a wire rack, then carefully peel away the parchment paper. Let cool for at least 1 hour. Slice and serve (remove the decorative rosemary sprig before slicing if the stem is too woody to eat).

Recipe Notes

Rosemary substitution: 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves can be used instead of the chopped rosemary leaves.

For a sweeter flavor profile: Omit the herbs and black pepper. Add 1 additional tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or orange zest to the batter; top with 3 tablespoons sliced almonds before baking.

Storage: The bread is best served the day of baking. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in a ziptop bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen bread overnight in the refrigerator.