Tomorrow, I’ll be flying from Toronto to Vancouver and then from Vancouver to Portland, on my merry way to the Vida Vegan Conference! I seriously can’t wait. In my typical fashion, I’ve been dealing with a lot of anxiety about this trip, but I’m sure I’ll be having too much fun to even notice it. I mean, come on – it’s Portland – only one of the most vegan friendly cities in the world! I’m looking forward to meeting the wonderful people behind many of the blogs I read each day.
Of course, before all the fun happens the traveling has to take place. If I’m going to be traveling for 9-10 hours, I want to have something exciting to look forward to (and of course I mean healthy, great-tasting food). What is it about being trapped on a plane that makes me so hungry? With just a little preparation, I’ll be feasting like a queen. A good book, music, and in-flight TV never hurts either!
This week I racked my brain to think of a new food to bring on the flights. At first, I thought of my Endurance Crackers, but then I decided they were slightly too delicate for travel. I played around with the recipe and this is what I came up with. I’m happy to say this power bread turned out exactly as I hoped. It’s bursting with chia seeds (1 tablespoon per slice!) and it also happens to be gluten and nut-free, making it friendly for many travelers. Best of all, it’s perfectly sturdy for travel.
Plus, it’s only 5 minutes to prep which is a huge bonus, especially when getting ready for a flight. Just like my Endurance Crackers, you simply dump the ingredients into a bowl and stir in water. After that, I spread it into a 9-inch baking dish and baked it for 25 minutes.
Now this is some quick and easy bread – ready in 30 minutes flat! It disappears just as quickly. Try it with all kinds of toppings. I personally love hummus, avocado, and Herbamare as well as almond butter and strawberry jam.
Super Power Chia Bread
Yield
4 slices
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Thick, hearty, and dense – this isn’t your average slice of bread! Packed with 9 grams of protein and over 7 grams of fibre per slice, this bread will keep you going for hours. Inspired by Endurance Crackers.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds*
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats, ground into a flour
- 1/4 cup raw buckwheat groats, ground into a flour (or more oat flour)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup water
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a 9-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way.
- Add rolled oats and buckwheat into a high-speed blender. Blend on highest speed until a fine flour forms.
- Add all dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir well until combined. Stir in the water and quickly scoop this mixture into your prepared pan. Spread it out with a spatula as evenly as possible. You can use lightly wet hands to smooth it down if necessary. Sprinkle the bread with Herbamare or fine grain sea salt before going into the oven.
- Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then lift it out and transfer it to a cooling rack for another 5-10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
- This bread keeps for 2-3 days max – any longer and it gets gummy in texture. I suggest freezing it for enduring freshness. I like to toast it straight from the freezer!
Tip:
1) I made a batch without sunflower seeds and it still turned out great. I’m sure you can play around with the seeds (or even add nuts!) and reduce them if desired.
2) A reader successfully made a batch using brown rice flour and quinoa flour- I’m sure you can play around with the flours too.
3) I’m not yet sure how long this stays fresh for – my guess is a couple days. However, I expect it should freeze well, but I have yet to try it. I’ll update this when I do and be sure to leave your own tips in the comments section!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
I hope this bread brightens up your own travels or busts you out of a lunch or breakfast rut. I’d love your feedback on this recipe if you try it out or make other variations.
If you’d like to check out what I’m up to at the conference, you will most likely find me on Instagram documenting my journey. If you are attending the conference, I hope to meet you soon! Please come say hello!
What are your favourite foods to pack on a flight?
Your slices are so…geometrically perfect. I wish I had these when I used to fly back and forth from TO to Vancouver, they look delicious and travel-friendly! Have a great time at the conference, looking forward to reading your recap :)
Haha… it usually lacks me the patience to cut them so geometrically perfect… looks great! Guess we’ll just take some fruit on our flight tonight….
I can’t wait to try this recipe! It looks so easy & so delicious! Question – do you think it would work to substitute spelt flour or more buckwheat flour in place of the oat flour?
I tried a version using all raw buckwheat flour and it turned out, although the buckwheat made it a bit strange in texture (it gets a bit chalky white on top) but otherwise tasted fine! Im sure you could experiment with other flours too.
This looks so amazing, i can`t wait to try. I am going to dehydrate it tho, will let you know how it turns out !!
Yes please do :)
Teri – did you dehydrate this? I want to try that too and would love to know how long/what temp…and if it turned out. Thanks!
I was already afraid that this could be a dehydrator recipe cause I don’t have one – and it looks like perfectly dehydrated!
I made these using coconut flour. I also added some chopped walnuts. Yummo!! I dehydrated them for about 24 hours at 115 degrees. Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad it worked out for you! Thanks for letting me know :)
how much coconut flour did you use and did you use any of the other flours? sounds like a great way to use coconut flour – it’s hard to find good vegan recipes using coconut flour!
Do you know how much coconut flour to use vs. oat flour?
making them right now…will let you know how it turns out :)
I successfully made this recipe in my dehydrator…it was amazing…115 degrees for approx 4 hours…have to play with the time a little…could be a little moister…the flavor was incredible tho…great great recipe :)
Awesome – thank you so much for sharing!! :-)
When this bread is dehydrated does it have a shelf life longer than 3 days? I want to take it on a long canoe trip!
I am wondering this too as I’m going backpacking for a week. I think the trick is to spread them thinner, and get them really dry so there is no chance of spoilage. More like a cracker than a bread. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Hi! I love your site! How long do you think this bread would last in the freezer? I would love to make some, freeze it, and eat it throughout the semester at college.
This bread sounds amazing…it’s do different! I love the fact that it’s gluten free! Great recipe!
These. Look. Amazing. As a Celiac gal who does a lot of flying, these would be the perfect solution to my travel food woes! I can’t wait to whip these up, especially when the toppings involve avocados and hummus. (Two of the best foods known to man, IMHO.)
Safe travels, and have an awesome time at the conference! :)
I put guacamole, tomatos and basil on ….divine !!!!
I love this! I make a spinach bread but yours looks like it holds up a lot better than mine…the spinach can make the bread kind of flimsy so I’m anxious to try your chia bread. Looks so healthful!
Question — is a serving one slice or two??
nevermind I got it!! :)
Oh my gosh, this looks amazing!!!! I love that they are somewhere between bread and a cracker almost. Sooo many possibilities. I will be trying this ASAP. Thanks for another amazing recipe.
Now that is some beautiful bread! I can’t wait to try it!
I’ll always pack some fruit with me on flights. It helps to combat the dry air in the plane as well. Safe Travels:)
I love how these bread slices can work with savory or sweet toppings. And only 30 minutes…almost seems too easy! Can’t wait to try these nutrient powerhouses!
I love love love hearty snacks for traveling! Have fun at Vida, so jealous I won’t be there this year, but I’m shooting for next year : )
Finally! Maybe a yummy bread my son can actually eat! Thank you thank you!
This is such a cool recipe. I can’t wait to try it. I seems like it’d be awesome with a little goat cheese and avocado. Tho that totally de-veganizes it. But I’m only a vegetarian so it works for me! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Maria:
I like your thinking! I’ve just discovered a recipe for vegan almond “cheese” which is out of this world as a spread for this bread. With toppings, it makes a lovely platter for guests.
This sounds great!! BUT, I think I need to try your endurance crackers first because I’ve been saying how I want to make them for forever now!! Happy travels!!!
Man, where were you 3 weeks ago when we left for Kauai? ;-) I know we’ve got road trips coming up so this will be the perfect thing for breakfast on the go! Safe travels!
I love your endurance crackers so I know I would love this bread! Have fun at VVC!! So jealous, I’d love to attend and to spend time in Portland.
This looks so good!
Thanks for the great recipes :)
Have a great time in Portland! It’s really the best city ever for vegans, so many options everywhere! Try to make it Blossoming Lotus for brunch on Sunday, it’s amazing.
Could this be dehydrated instead of baking ??
Yes I can’t see why not! Just keep an eye on it as Im not sure how many hours it would need.
These look great, I’ll be trying them out very soon. If my kiddos approve, I’ll be sure to bring some along on our flight this summer from Ottawa to Calgary. Some of our current favorite in-flight snacks include apple slices, raisins and Lara bars. Those last snacks are bit expensive, but seeing as I have 3 little people to pack for and take care of, I allow myself this small indulgence :)
I’d love to make these tonight. But I have a bunch of roasted pumpkin (non-salted) and sunflower seeds on hand already. Think they would work okay? Thank you!
oh for sure they would…I probably should have put either raw or roasted in the recipe!
Fabulous, Thanks!
I I bought the stuff to make this recipe today and didn’t realize that there were different types of seeds available (roasted, salted, etc). I bought the “raw” pumpkin and sunflower seeds and made a batch of “bread” with them and it turned out great. Angela, thank you for the recipe. It is wonderful and so healthy. I made some mushroom “caviar” to put on it but it would also be good with just about anything. 1/4″ inch makes for chewy bread bars, but I think if I spread it out thinner I could end up with more cracker-like substance.
Angela, this is my first post here because I just found you, but THANK YOU for your recipes!
Hey Kris, Thanks for your lovely comment! I’m so glad the bread turned out for you :) That mushroom “caviar” sounds right up my alley too…anything mushroom and I’m game. Enjoy the rest!
Angela,
This recipe looks great! I love chia seeds!
Off topic – I picked up a book a few weeks ago. It is new, just released at the beginning of the year. I remember reading a post on your blog about IBS and various food allergies(?) causing health problems. I thought of you while reading this book. It is titled WomanCode by Alisa Vitti: it is about maintaining a lifestyle balanced around your hormones and monthly cycle through food, exercise, and overall well-being. I highly recommend you read this. It is very informative and it makes sense!
Good luck and have a wonderful trip!
Safe travels!
Dara
this sounds like a great book- thanks for sharing. I’m going to look it up!
Thanks Dara, I’ll be sure to check it out :)
I don’t know how you come up with these things… this bread sounds awesome! Hope you have a great trip, I can’t wait to hear all about it. :)
Angela, I’m suuuuper excited to meet you in Portland! Okay, truth be told, I’m also anxious about meeting new people, but I was at the conference last time and it was a total love-Fest, everyone is so nice and fun. Safe travel, gorgeous lady! :)
I can’t wait to meet you too!!!! 1 more sleep :)
This bread looks great!! Love pumpkin seeds in any type of bread/cracker. One question though: may I ask what brand of chia seeds you usually buy? I am located in Toronto and have numerous grocery stores around me, but I’ve never shopped for chia seeds before and am not sure what’s the best brand or least expensive! TIA!
Hi,
I know this is late so it’ll probably not help you much, but I found some of the best prices on chiaseedsdirect.com
They only sell chia seeds & almost always have a good sale going. I bought 12 lbs for USD 41.99 last month :)
This bread looks delicious!! Can’t wait to try it!
This looks amazing! What a healthy and flavorful bread!
See you this weekend! I’m anxious too (even though I went to the first VVC, and ended up being quite comfortable), but that’ll dissipate by the end of the first few hours. :)
This recipe is incredible! I love dense bread! I’ve been eating gluten-free lately and a good bread alternative is always difficult to come by. I will definitely be making this! :)
So excited that you’ll be at VVC! I am looking forward to meeting the people behind these amazing blogs/recipes!
I am terrible about making food for the plane – I always end up getting icky energy bars. I doubt I’ll get around to making these for VVC – I haven’t even started packing yet (yikes!) – but I am traveling a lot in June and will definitely have to try them out!
Safe travels!
What a great snack for plane rides! My favorite food to pack for flights is easily a PB&J. A PB&J with your chia bread would be perfect because it packs such a nutritional punch! I’ll have to make some for my flight to New York this summer :)
Hi Angela,
This recipe looks so creative and wholesome! I’d like to try it and have most of the ingredients on hand; just wondering if you think the ground chia I have would be acceptable, or if I should wait until I’ve replenished my supply of whole seeds.
Thanks, safe flight, and hope you have a wonderful time at VVC!
Oh Angela this is so exciting! Airplane food sucks and it is certainly not gluten free or vegan. I am really looking forward to making these since I will be traveling in the next couple of months. I just (last night) returned from a week in Europe and I packed an entire box of Larabars to keep in my purse for flights and emergency snacks. They were perfect but I wouldn’t mind something new for my next trip!
I hear you about the anxiety before a trip as well. I finally decided to be kind to myself and went to the doctor hours before my flight. He prescribed meds to help with the anxiety to take as needed. Honestly it was just enough to know I had them in my purse in case I needed them. Looking forward to your posts on Portland!
Safe travels!
Hi Angela
I have this in the oven, as I type this. Your Endurance crackers were so good, I couldn’t wait to try this. Smells really great! I am wondering what size pan you used for this recipe??…..
Forget I asked about the size of the pan……I was so excited to make it I missed it….
Have a great time in Portland!!
Traveling makes me so hungry too! This past week I packed a normal-sized lunch for an international flight, and it didn’t end up being nearly enough – I was still starving afterwards! Probably just the boredom :) This bread looks like just the thing to look forward to!
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing! Also, if you are ever in Vancouver I’d love to show you around! There are some awesome vegan restos here!
xo
Phalyn
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
I cannot wait to make these! They just jumped to the top of my recipe priority list. (The easy recipes always do, haha!) I recently began a gluten-free and vegan diet, so this bread is pretty exciting. Plus, I’m kind of obsessed with chia seeds. Do you think a less savory/slightly sweeter version of this recipe would work? Maybe increase the sweeter to two teaspoons and substitute cinnamon for the herbs? Hmmm.
Thanks so much for that recipe. I’m on a detox right now and it was a lifesaver! I just made it for lunch and it was great. I didn’t have pumpkin seeds, so I doubled the sunflower seeds and it turned out great.
Angela, I am going to be trying this recipe very soon.
Oh the possibilities of this bread. The fact that it is so quick and easy means that it will probably become a staple in my kitchen.
Thank you for the storage information. I will definitely be freezing some to use later. I too wonder how long they will actually last for.
There are so many different things that I want to top this with.
For starters I am thinking a homemade raspberry jam. After that I will probably want to go with cashew butter.
I think the possibilities are endless.
I gave up all bread one year ago. I made this bread one hour ago and love it. Occassionally I would like a taste of bread and this was awesome!
Omg awesome! My bf was just asking me to make the chia crackers and I clicked on your site to find this!!!! Woo hoo!
This looks awesome! I’m going to Ireland and Scotland in a few weeks and wanted to find new recipes to try for the trip over. In Denver, our airport has a restaurant that makes awesome lemon hummus that I always get before a flight (as it’s the only real vegan option with protein). They serve it with veggies and pita chips (though they set the pita on the same cutting board with meat) so I ask for extra cucumbers and cornichons instead. I think I’ll make this bread and use it to dip in the hummus this time! I also hate to admit to this, but my favorite snack to eat while flying is gummy bears (they make vegan ones sweetened with agave but it’s still sugar). It’s the only time I really eat them but they’re just so good!
Just made this delish bread – yum! Next time I’m going to try sreading it out into a circle (slightly thinner) and bake it on a pizza stone so it’s more like a cracker/pizza crust….will keep you posted…
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your candid mentioning of anxiety. When I first started struggling with anxiety, the shame I felt about it was almost as bad as the issue itself. Its so helpful and heartening to me to see a positive role model like yourself putting it out there that its something you deal with from time to time, and it makes me feel much less alone! I also think its brave of you.
Have fun on your trip!
I can’t wait to try this. Do you think i could use ground flax instead of chia? I don’t have access to chia seeds where I live, unfortunately.
Have an amazing time at the conference Ange!! I can’t wait to hear all about it and I’m sure it’ll be a wonderful experience. Great job on this recipe. I’m addicted to avocado right now so that sounds like the perfect topper! :)
I just made this and it turned out amazing!! Thank you sooo much, its just what I was looking for!!!
This looks like some seriously healthy, good-for-you bread! I need to work this into the lineup! I’ve been into chia seeds again after not using them for 3-4 yrs..I dont know why, I just sort of forgot about them. This would be the perfect use for them!
Thanks for the recipe share! I’ve been wanting a GF bread that is not full of added starches.
If you have some free time to explore in Portland, you should check out the vegan mall. It’s a vegan bakery, grocery store, clothing shop, and tattoo shop on one block. SE 12th & Stark!
I just made this and it is GOOD! The photo with the hummus and avocado inspired me so I made hummus, too.
I’m thinking this might also be good “bike ride food” to stuff in my jersey pockets on 50+ milers….
Thanks! Love your blog!
:)
-Kate