This gluten-free naan bread uses just 6 vegan base ingredients and around 20 minutes. Not only is this Indian flatbread incredibly simple to make, but as it’s yeast-free, it’s also super quick. Plus, this recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, and can be made low-FODMAP too!
You may have noticed from my blog, that I love wholesome, hearty dishes like soups, stews, curries, etc. What do all of those dishes have in common? They are just begging for some bread to mop up the juicy sauces (yum x1000). This is where this deliciously fluffy gluten-free naan bread comes in!
While naan bread is often served alongside Indian cuisine, this flatbread has origins across Asia and the Middle East.
Quick, Gluten-Free Naan Bread (No Yeast!)
With just six base ingredients, 1 bowl, a rolling pin, a frying pan, and not much time at all, you can whip up fluffy and flavorful vegan naan. The results are a soft, flexible, and tender pan-fried Indian flatbread.
Yes, traditionally, this Indian naan is cooked in a tandoor oven. However, you’ll be amazed how quick and impressive these pan-fried versions are.
Best of all – this is a super quick naan recipe thanks to the fact that it’s yeast-free! You can fry up a whole batch in no time at all.
Is Naan Vegan?
Traditionally, this Indian bread is not vegan friendly. It often contains ghee or butter, yogurt, milk, and even eggs.
Luckily, this naan recipe is not only gluten-free, but it’s also 100% vegan.
I have been working on this recipe for many months, trying out different flour combinations, etc. Honestly, it’s not easy to make vegan, gluten-free naan without yeast, and the result can never be identical to “regular naan” because of all these dietary restrictions. However, finally I am happy with the outcome!
Here are the ingredients that you will need:
How To Make Gluten-Free Naan?
Step One: Combine Dry Ingredients
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
Step Two: Add Wet Ingredients
Pour in the warm water, yogurt, olive oil, and aquafaba. Stir with a spoon, then use your hands to gather and knead the dough. It should be soft and pliable, more on the wet side but not too sticky.
Step Three: Make 4 portions
Divide the dough into four portions (by eye or by weight) and sprinkle the work surface liberally with tapioca flour.
Step Four: Roll Out The Dough
Preheat a large skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, roll out each dough ball with a rolling pin (or glass) into an oval/teardrop naan shape. Add a little more tapioca flour if needed to avoid sticking.
Step Five: Cook it
Once the skillet is hot, add the flatbread and cook it with a lid for a few minutes until bubbles begin to form on the surface (for me, that was around 3 minutes). Then flip the naan and let it cook for a further few minutes before removing it from the pan. Repeat this step with the remaining naan.
Serve them warm drizzled with a little oil or vegan butter, crushed garlic, salt, and fresh herbs (like parsley). Enjoy!
For the full ingredients list, ingredient measurements, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.
How To Serve Flatbread
This vegan naan is perfect served alongside hearty, saucy dishes like curries, stews, and soups.
Some of my favorite options include:
- Easy Red Lentil Dahl (Masoor Dal) – pictured below
- Sweet Potato Curry with Spinach
- Easy Potato Curry
- Easy Veggie Stew Recipe
- German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)
- Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
You can also top this gluten-free flatbread with this French Onion Dip, add some grated vegan cheese, then bake or broil it! So yummy!
How To Make Ahead & Store
To Make Ahead:
The prepared gluten-free naan bread dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. That way, you can bake them fresh every day as and when needed. However, since the dough is gluten-free, it will dry out a bit.
The dough is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months and can be thawed overnight in the fridge before using. You can freeze as smaller, portioned sections for faster freezing/thawing.
To Store:
These gluten-free naans are best eaten immediately while warm for the best crispy, fluffy texture. However, feel free to keep leftovers in an airtight container for between 2-3 days (though they will dry out, so I do not recommend it).
Reheat the naan in the oven for 5-8 minutes at 200C/ 390F until warmed and slightly crisp, or place back in the skillet for a few minutes (be careful not to burn them!).
Using a microwave will lose its crisp exterior, so it’s not recommended.
To Freeze:
The cooked bread is also freezer-friendly for up to 3 months and can be reheated from frozen at 200C/ 390F for 10-15 minutes.
Useful Recipe Notes
- Gluten-free flour: You can use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend (e.g., Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1 baking flour) or even self-raising gluten-free flour (skip the baking powder if using self-raising flour). I made my own GF flour blend with the following ingredients: 60 g precooked corn flour (e.g. Masarepa), 40 g tapioca flour, and 40 g white rice flour). I wouldn’t recommend using almond flour or coconut flour in this recipe.
- If you aren’t gluten-free, you can use regular all-purpose flour or spelt flour. Depending on the flour, you might need to adjust the liquid. I recommend using less water, you can always add more if needed.
- Aquafaba: It’s the clear liquid in a can of chickpeas. It adds moisture and acts as an egg replacement. You can replace it with more yogurt if you don’t want to use it.
- Dairy-free yogurt: I used soy yogurt, but any yogurt should be fine, i.e. coconut yogurt. I replaced the yogurt once with canned coconut milk and the dough turned out softer but a little more brittle when shaped. The naan was still tasty but not as fluffy as with yogurt.
More Tips & Variations
- You could optionally add a teaspoon of nigella seeds/black onion seeds to the batter for the authentic Indian bread naan flavor.
- Keep the gluten-free flatbread covered with a tea towel to keep them warm and fresh before serving.
- If you prefer the Indian flatbread to be crispy, I recommend cooking it without a lid. For a softer, and flexible bread, cook it with a lid.
- To make stuffed naan from this recipe, you can either roll the dough out thinner, spread the filling, and then fold it over and seal the dough. OR divide the dough into two pieces and roll into the same shape, then top one with the filling (e.g. sauteed spinach, pureed spiced potato, etc.) and then top with the other piece of dough and seal. Then fry as usual (I haven’t yet tried this myself).
- For a low FODMAP version, you can use garlic-infused olive oil rather than garlic. Make sure to use a low-FODMAP flour blend (i.e., oat flour or cassava flour- which may need a little extra liquid). Use a plain, low-FODMAP yogurt too.
- Make a sweet Peshwari naan by adding 1-2 tbsp of shredded coconut and some finely diced dried apricot to the dough before baking. You may need an additional tbsp or so of yogurt.
Related Bread Recipes
- Gluten-Free Pita Bread
- Potato Flatbread (Gluten-Free)
- The Best Gluten-Free Bread
- Gluten-Free Light Buns
- Multigrain Bread Rolls (German Brötchen)
- Easy Spinach Tortillas Recipe
- Gluten-Free Tortillas
- Gluten-Free French Bread (Baguette Recipe)
If you give this gluten-free naan recipe a try, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan – I love seeing your recreations.
Gluten-Free Naan
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140 g) gluten-free flour (see notes)
- 1/3 cup (80 g) dairy-free yogurt (see notes)
- 1/4 scant cup (50 ml) warm water (see notes)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil or any other oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Aquafaba liquid in canned chickpeas (see notes)
- Minced garlic, oil, and fresh herbs to garnish
Instructions
- Watch the video in the post for easy visual instructions.Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium-sized bowl, and stir to combine.
- Pour in warm water, yogurt, olive oil, and Aquafaba. Stir with a spoon, then use your hands to knead the dough. It should be a soft and pliable dough, not too dry but not sticky either.
- Divide the dough into 4 portions and sprinkle your working surface with some tapioca flour.
- Preheat a skillet on the stove over high heat. Meanwhile, roll out each dough ball with a rolling pin (or a glass), adding more tapioca flour if needed, to avoid sticking.
- Once the skillet is hot, add the flatbread and cook it with a lid over medium-high heat for a few minutes. I saw bubbles forming after less than 3 minutes. Flip the flatbread and let it cook for a further few minutes. Do this with the remaining dough. Cover the finished flat breads with a tea towel until serving.
- Serve warm, drizzle with some oil or vegan butter, add minced fresh garlic (and/or garlic powder), salt, and fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Gluten-free flour: I made my own GF flour blend with the following ingredients: 60 g precooked corn flour (e.g. Masarepa), 40 g tapioca flour, and 40 g white rice flour. I wouldn't recommend using almond flour or coconut flour in this recipe. You can use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend e.g. Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 baking flour (make sure it contains tapioca flour or arrowroot flour) or even self-raising gluten-free flour (skip the baking powder if using self-raising flour), but you will need to use less water.
- If you aren't gluten-free, you can use regular all-purpose flour or spelt flour (also make sure to use less water).
- Dairy-free yogurt: I used soy yogurt, but any yogurt should be fine, for example, coconut yogurt. I replaced the yogurt once with canned coconut milk and the dough turned out softer at first but once shaped into flatbreads it was a little brittle. The naan was still very tasty but not as fluffy as with yogurt.
- Aquafaba: It's the clear liquid in a can of chickpeas. It adds moisture and also acts as an egg replacement. You can replace it with more yogurt if you don't want to use it.
- If you prefer the Indian flatbread to be crispy, I recommend cooking it without a lid. For a softer, and flexible bread, cook it with a lid.
- Check the step-by-step photos in the blog post above. There you'll also find more helpful tips and variations.
- The recipe makes just a small batch of 4 flatbreads. Double the recipe if desired.
- You might also like this Gluten-Free Pita Bread Recipe.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Joi
I have tried a few other GF Naan recipes, and this is my favorite! I made it tonight with a red lentil dahl and THEN, I used the leftover dough to make PESHWARI NAAN with dried cherries and coconut! It was something that I’ve always wanted to try, but I’ve been gluten-free for over 20 years!
Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Ela
You are very welcome, Joi!
Gordon Tansey
Fantastic! Simple to make and loved by everyone. To give it a subtle change, will cook in garlic infused oil next time, but popular with everyone and stayed moist and pliable. What size Naan’s should they make (and how thin should I roll them out) for next time. Ella – Thanks for the recipe – and loved the red daal that went with it. With so many GF and Vegan family members – great to find this,
Ela
Hi Gordon, I am so glad you like them! I think mine were about 15 cm or 6 inches. And the thickness was maybe 3-5 mm. I hope this helps. 🙂
Debra
Ela, can I use an egg instead of acquafaba ? I’m vegetarian not vegan.
Thanks
Ela
Hi Debra, you just need 2 teaspoons, so I would recommend using an egg, because it’s much more.
Angie
I am GF & DF, but I can use ghee, and would like to use it in this naan. How would you suggest modifying the recipe to sub in ghee?
Ela
Hi Angie, you could add the same amount instead of the oil (1 tbsp, melted) and also use it to brush the naan with it, if you prefer.
judi
I am SO EXCITED to make these! I am SO HAPPY I found you and your meal planner! I am OVER THE MOON on your GF recipe email that came this morning! Like the person above, I have not had naan bread in a long time. Also, so many of the GF breads are just so……….complex in both ingredients and labor.. I have neither the time nor the interest. And the store ones are full of yuck – gums and who knows what. If I didn’t have to sit at my desk for another couple hours I would run downstairs and make everything RIGHT NOW
Ela
Aww, you are so kind! It makes me so happy that you like my recipes, Judi! 🙂
Tammy
I made these tonight and they were were absolutely delicious, Ela. Thank you for sharing your beautiful recipes.
Ela
I am so happy you liked the recipe, Tammy! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Badiya
Hi! I’m on a gluten free diet where I cannot use oils either. Is there anyway to make these without oil/butter?
Ela
You could use 1 tbsp of cashew butter.
Cori
Do these freeze and reheat well?
Ela
Yes, please check the section “HOW TO MAKE AHEAD & STORE”.
Jaya
Not sure what I did wrong, I followed the recipe almost exactly, using bobs read mill baking flour and it was waaay too wet. I had to almost double the flour and then they didn’t hold together very well. Love your blog and so many of your recipes but this one just didn’t work for me.
Ela
Hi Jaya, did you use less water? As mentioned in the recipe notes, if you don’t use my flour mixture, you will need to make adjustments. I used precooked corn flour, which soaks up a lot of water.
Every flour mixture is different, and I can only guarantee results for what I used (which is written in the recipe notes). Next time, you can first add the yogurt and then just a little water, if needed.
Jaya
Thanks, I’ll give this another try but start with just the yoghurt and slowly add in water.
BB
Have you made this with the You can find Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 you recommend? I just want to make sure it will turn out right 🙂 Masarepa is sooo expensive right now.
Ela
Hey, some people used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 with success. 🙂
Alexis
Hello! Would it be possible to use a kitchen aid mixer instead of kneading by hand?
Ela
Yes, that should be fine 🙂
Jan
No problems at all to make this wonderful quick bread. I suspect my stove might be hotter than yours. My naan was charring in 2 min. Never the less I’ll turn down the heat and make this again. We loved it.
Ela
Hi Jan, I am so glad you loved it. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Samina
Hi,
If I am using your GF flour blend for this recipe, is there any substitute for the precooked corn flour?
Please let me know
Thanks
Ela
Hi Samina, you could try adding more rice flour (60 grams more) and reduce the liquid because the precooked corn flour absorbs more water. 🙂
Samina
Hi Ela,
Thank you for your quick response. To what quantity should I reduce the liquid?
Can you please let me know.
Samina
Ela
I would use half of it, then add more if needed. But I never tried this version, so I am just guessing. 🙂
Samina
Ok,I will let you know how it turns out.
Thank you.
Eni
Hi Ela, I’m jumping on this thread because I have a similar question. What does “precooked” even mean? What kind if flour is it? I don’t have good experience with using a lot of ruce flour for these kind of things. If I were to use just gf it would be Schar brand. Maybe you can advise me if thats ok if you are familiar with this brand. Thanks, I look forward to making these!
Ela
Hi Eni, here is the one I am using: https://amzn.to/2XTXToU
You can read more about precooked cornmeal (masarepa) by googling “what is masarepa”.
I am not familiar with the brand you mentioned.
Alina
My outcome is a disaster ???? I used less water, more flour. I’m using almond flour and cashew yogurt. What am I doing wrong? ????
Ela
Hi Alina! You didn’t follow the recipe. The recipe notes clearly state the following:
Ashley
The bread is super yummy and I love this recipe. However, when I was making the dough, it wasn’t really a dough. It was suuuper sticky. I had to use a lot of extra flour. I used King Arthur gluten free flour that was a mixture rice flour, whole grain brown rice flour, whole sorghum flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, cellulose, and xanthan gum. Any tips?
Ela
Hi Ashley, every GF flour is different, that’s why I mention my homemade flour mixture in the recipe notes which you can try next time. 🙂
Melanie
These were amazing! My daughter has celiac disease so we are a GF house. I made Aloo Matar and we just had to have Naan too! 🙂 I substituted 3 tsp egg whites for the aquafaba, and brushed the finished breads with melted garlic butter. I then sprinkled them with chopped parsley. These were a huge hit. Thank you!
Ela
Thanks for your feedback, Melanie! 🙂
Margaret
This was easy and turned out so nice! My first time making naan and using gf / dairy free ingredients! My gf/dairy free diet is new and I’m glad I found this recipe!!
Ela
Hi Margaret, I am so glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Sue
This was delicious!! So much better than another recipe I tried, which was inedible. I added a tiny bit of oil to the pan, sprinkled with salt and parsley after cooking. Yum. Plan to make more tonight as so quick, easy and inexpensive to do. Thank you.
Ela
Wonderful! Thanks for your amazing feedback, Sue. 🙂
Lauren
These turned out wonderfully! I have celiac disease and haven’t had naan since I was diagnosed. I didn’t have aquafaba so I substituted 3 tsp of egg whites. Definitely making this again soon!
Ela
Hi Lauren, I am glad you liked the naan! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Mariana
I tried making the vegetarian Döner and therefore, I felt like I could also make the bread on my own. The taste was amazing, I have never had such a flavourful flat bread, however, the consistency of the dough was incredibly sticky and hard to work with. Dear Ela, do you know the specific type of mehl to use? We tried 1050 and we almost gave up since we could not work with it.
Ela
Hi Mariana, you need to use less water as mentioned in the recipe notes. Sometimes the yogurt is even enough liquid if working with regular flour that contains gluten. So I would suggest adding the yogurt first, and if the dough needs more liquid then add a little water, 1 teaspoon at a time. 🙂
kristina
So I tried this naan today together with your red lentil dahl and it was really amazing (even for my mainly meat eating husband 😀 ) Just had a little bit of trouble with making the naan as the dough was reaaaaaly sticky, like a lot….So i had to help myself with oil and the extra flour when making the flatbread, also had to use some oil spray for the skillet as it was too floury and I didn’t want it that crispy or dry, but in the end it was really amazing with the garlic oil and salt, will definitely make it again!
Ela
Hi Kristina, I am glad it turned out great eventually. Which flour blend did you use? 🙂
Lisa
Delicious and super easy!
Ela
Hi Lisa, I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
Donna
Delicious and so easy to.make!!! Finally, a bread that has the stretchy, chewy texture that ‘I missed so very much since going gluten free! Thank you. I will be making this recipe often.
Ela
You are very welcome, Donna! I am so glad you like it. 🙂