There’s nothing quite as satisfying as Raw Vegan Bread. As one of the most sought after foods in the raw vegan world (understandably), this nutrient-dense and enzyme-rich healing food is easier to make than ever before.
With a few pantry staples, you can throw this recipe together and ensure that you’re eating for health and boosting your immunity all in one. Traditionally baked bread can’t compete with this Best Ever Raw Vegan Bread!
Why you’re going to love this recipe
Pantry Staples. All of these ingredients (minus the zucchini) are found in your pantry, making it super convenient for times like these where fresh isn’t readily available for everyone. Our pantry stays stocked up with these items year-round, which makes this recipe easy to throw together at any time.
Budget-Friendly. No fancy ingredients with hard to pronounce names or expensive price tags. They’re all staples that most people already have or can buy in the bulk section for cheap.
Guilt-Free Alternative. A sure swap for any store-bought bread, this raw vegan bread is completely guilt-free with all of its nutrients and enzyme properties.
How to make Best Ever Raw Vegan Bread
Soaked Buckwheat.
Buckwheat (also known with the term “groats”) is a gluten-free seed, unrelated to wheat, that can be used in place of wheat grains. It is an inexpensive source of high-quality protein. Seeds, like buckwheat, that are from non-grass plants that are eaten in a similar way to grains, are considered “pseudocereals”.
Raw foodists commonly soak buckwheat to break the seed down and make it easier for digestion. To soak buckwheat, place the seeds into an airtight container, cover them with filtered water, and leave them overnight. Then drain and rinse them before using them the following day. A gelatinous product results from soaking buckwheat, which helps raw vegan bread thicken.
Flax/Psyllium Husk
Flaxseeds and psyllium husk are the magic ingredients to making a raw vegan bread result with a spongy texture. Both are filled with fibers that thicken up once soaked with water. This aerates a mixture and gives raw vegan bread fluffiness to the likeness of traditionally baked bread that contains gluten and yeast.
Nuts/Seeds
Walnuts and sunflower seeds are used in this recipe to create fattiness and depth of flavor. Nuts and seeds provide a savory taste to recipes that lend exceptionally well to a savory raw vegan bread. Fat is an essential component of traditional cooking methods for creating flavor profiles and is no exception when it comes to “uncooking” with raw foods.
Dried Herbs
As an Italian, herbs are a way of life. Transform even the simplest of recipes with a few basic herbs for an elevated treat. We used dried rosemary, thyme, basil, and oregano for this raw vegan bread to create a flavor that was close to something you’d get from a fresh bakery.
Substitutes for this recipe
Buckwheat. If you can’t find buckwheat or don’t already have groats waiting in your pantry for you to use them, regular raw rolled oats would work fine. Just make sure they are soaked and soft in the same way before using them to get the same texture.
Psyllium Husk. This ingredient was tricky for us before we committed to raw food because we weren’t used to seeing it in recipes. Even though it is a staple for many raw foodists, it can be difficult to find in many commercial or chain stores because of the lack of use for it in traditional cooking. It’s considered a health food for fiber and can be found in many health stores and online. We purchased our big bag on Amazon and it’s lasted us months. You can try this recipe with only flax seeds or ground chia seeds instead, but you may lose some of the airy-ness that psyllium provides.
Nuts/Seeds. If you’re looking for a “low fat” version of this recipe, we would suggest replacing the ground sunflower seeds with a different seed of your preference, perhaps flax. And if you want to omit the walnuts, just use sunflower seeds instead. We love them because they are cheap and easy to keep on hand (as well as delicious). Or if you want to omit them, try it out with extra zucchini and see what results!
Coconut Aminos. Probably our favorite ingredient, by far. It provides so much umami and depth to any recipe. We don’t use soy sauce, but if you have it and can’t access coconut aminos, that would be a fine replacement to achieve a similar taste.
Customize this recipe
Got a different flavor you’re going for other than savory? Feel free to amp up the sweetness and omit the savory ingredients, by adding more maple syrup, coconut sugar, or the like, and your favorite dried (or fresh) fruits for a sweet loaf.
Want to try a different herb combination? Go for it! Omit the Italian-style and throw whatever combination of herbs you’ve got available to you (or not) to create a delicious bread that speaks to your needs, wants, and desires! No shame in your customized raw vegan bread game!
Love nuts and seeds? Make it your own and throw as many healthy fats you desire into it. The sky is the limit with what you can do with this base recipe.
We’d love to see how you turn it out (and what you top it with too)! Toast Tuesday is now a new world of possibilities with Raw Vegan Bread. Tag us in your creations and share them with us on Instagram.
Ideas to use Raw Vegan Bread include:
– Mini Raw Vegan Sandwiches
– Raw Vegan Avocado Toast
– Raw Vegan Carrot Lox Breakfast
– Side of Bread with Raw Soup
Best Ever Raw Vegan Bread
- Category: Raw Vegan
- Method: Raw Food Prep
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The Best Ever Raw Vegan Bread is a gluten-free, raw food alternative to baked bread, filled with nutrient dense and enzyme rich ingredients!
Ingredients
Wet Mixture
- 1 cup buckwheat, soaked (or sprouted)
- 1 cup peeled zucchini, chopped
- ½ cup walnuts, activated
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Water, if necessary to blend
Thickening Mixture
- ¼ cup flaxseeds
- ⅛ cup psyllium husk
- ⅓ cup water
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ sunflower seeds, activated then ground
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons dried herbs
Instructions
- Combine thickening mixture and let sit for 5-10 minutes until thick.
- Add wet mixture ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth, then set to the side.
- Prepare the dry ingredients; grind sunflower seeds and combine with coconut flour and dried herbs. Set this to the side.
- Add the thickening mixture to the blended wet mixture and blend again on high until thoroughly combined. Allow for this to sit for another few minutes, the entire contents will become thicker and gelatenous.
- Pour dry ingredients into a large bowl then combine with the wet mixture, using your hands. Fold until both are mixed together, be light with the combining to keep the contents aerated.
- Prepare a mini loaf pan by covering it in plastic wrap or a sheet of parchment paper that is cut to size, this will make removing the loaf easier.
- Fill the covered mini pan with your “dough” and shape into a loaf. Cover the top with extra dried herbs.
- Place pan into the dehydrator at 115ºF for 4-6 hours, until the bread develops it’s shape. (If kept too long in pan and dehydrating, mold can develop.)
- Place loaf onto a sheet with parchment paper or plastic wrap removed and continue to dehydrate for another 8-10 hours.
- Remove the loaf and using a sharp knife, create individual slices; the center should be spongy and soft.
- Place back into the dehydrator at 95ºF until desired texture and dryness results. (We like ours both soft and sometimes drier depending on what we will use it for. The dryer the center, the longer and easier it is to store.)
Notes
- Nutritional yeast may be added to this recipe for extra flavor, if desired.
- To activate nuts/seeds, soak them in water overnight, then rinse and drain before use.
- Dehydrate activated sunflower seeds to ground them up dry into a flour.
- Ground sunflower seeds can be substituted for almond meal or oat flour.
- You can dehydrate your bread until your desired texture results. If you would like the center to be softer and spongier like traditional bread, dehydrate it for less time. If you would like for it to be dry all the way through, dehydrate it for longer until all the moisture is removed.
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