Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to preview Heather Crosby’s new book, Yum Universe, while it was in the final stages of production. Yum Universe is a guidebook to living a gluten-free, plant-based, vibrant whole food life, and includes oodles of healthy recipes, photographs, and tips to get you started. Many of you may know Heather’s inspiring blog by the same name and if you’ve read for any length of time, you know how passionate she is about a plant-based lifestyle. A former veggie-phobe, she now loves to encourage others to make positive changes in their own diets. I’ve especially enjoyed her YU Should Know series where she interviews other plant-based enthusiasts about how they’ve made the shift (you might remember my interview with her in the spring!).
Today, I’m sharing one of my favourite recipes from Yum Universe – Heather’s Toasted Super Seed Power Bread. It’s a recipe I’ve made a dozen times now and it never lasts longer than a few days in this house. It’s loaded with chia seeds, pepita seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds (my addition), and the only flour you’ll find in this bread is high-protein chickpea flour. I expect you could easily make this nut-free by swapping out the almonds for another seed. My brother in law likes to call this “bird seed bread” which I can’t really argue with. I love me some bird seed!! Think: Mary’s Crackers meets bread. It reminds me of Sarah’s Life Changing Loaf of Bread, which I’ve made in the past and also loved. I’m all about this trend of bread moving from nutrient-void to nutrient-packed. Bring it on.
Speaking of nutrient-packed, each small slice boasts 6.1 grams of protein and 4.6 grams of fibre (I calculated the nutritional info in the recipe notes below, just for curiosity). It’s also loaded with healthy fats. If you enjoy a hearty slice of crunchy, chewy bread this recipe is for you. Some people I served this to were expecting a traditional fluffy bread, so just be warned that it doesn’t produce the traditional bread we grew up with. It won’t be for everyone, but hey…more for us, right? I really think you have to try it at least once! To be honest, I would take a slice of this bread over the regular stuff any day. Bird seed for life.
Try it toasted with a pat of coconut oil on top. Minds will be blown. Stomachs will do happy dances.
I couldn’t help but play around with the recipe a tiny bit, so I’ll let you know my modifications in the headnote. Let us know what you think of it if you do try it out! Thanks Heather for letting me share your recipe today. Be sure to check out her book – Yum Universe – in bookstores now!
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Heather's Toasted Super Seed Power Bread
Yield
14 slices
Soak time
1 hour
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A hearty, crunchy, chewy, high-protein and fibre bread free of gluten! What's not to love? This recipe is lightly adapted from Heather Crosby's Yum Universe cookbook (2014). Some of the changes I made to this recipe are the following: Instead of letting the dough sit overnight, I was impatient (nothing new here!) and only let it sit for an hour. To my delight, it still worked out lovely. Just a tip in case you are short on time or patience like me. I didn't have any poppy seeds on hand so I subbed them with hemp hearts which adds a nice bit of complete protein and healthy fats, however my loaf is lacking those beautiful specks of black seeds. I imagine that you could change up the nuts and seeds as you see fit in this recipe. It's pretty versatile! Lastly, I used coconut sugar instead of Sucanat and I used thinly sliced almonds instead of whole almonds (so it would be easier to slice). I don't recommend skipping the toasting step - I tried this recipe both ways and taking the time to toast the nuts/seeds/oats in the beginning resulted in a more flavourful loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup pepita seeds
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1/4 cup hemp hearts
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or granulated sugar of choice)
- 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 cups water
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325F and grab an extra large baking sheet. Add the oats, sesame seeds, pepita seeds, almonds, and sunflower seeds onto baking sheet. Spread out evenly and toast in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. The dough will be very watery at first, but thanks to the psyllium husk powder and chia, it will thicken up quickly. After stirring, cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it sit for around an hour on the countertop. The dough will be very thick.
- Lightly grease a small loaf pan (9" x 5") and then line it with a piece of parchment paper so you can easily pull the loaf out. Scoop the dough into the loaf pan and press it down firmly and evenly.
- Bake the loaf at 325F for 30 minutes. Grab a baking sheet. Now remove the pan from the oven and carefully lift out the loaf. Carefully, flip the loaf upside down onto the baking sheet and bake it for another 45-50 minutes, uncovered, watching closely during the end of the bake time. The loaf will be lightly golden and firm when ready.
- Cool loaf completely on a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy! I love toasting this bread and spreading some coconut oil on top. It's just divine. Also try it with avocado and hummus, jam, or vegan butter.
Tip:
Nutritional info (per slice, based on 14 slices per loaf): 157 cals, 10.5 g fat, 130 mg sodium, 10.9 g carbs, 4.6 g fibre, 1.5 g sugar, 6.1 g protein
Notes: 1) Heather says you can use 1/4 cup psyllium husks instead of the 3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder. Where to find the psyllium husk powder? I've had success finding it in the vitamin/protein powder aisle of Whole Foods. 2) Do not skip the psyllium husk powder - it binds the loaf together. 3) Feel free to toss in finely chopped dried fruit like dried cranberries.
I got word yesterday that The Oh She Glows Cookbook advanced to the semi-final round in the Goodreads Choice Awards! Thanks to those of you who voted last week! If you’d like to see the cookbook advance to the final round you can vote again in the Best Food & Cookbooks of 2014. This round of voting is open until November 15th. hugs!
Made this a few days ago – it was delish! I’m just reading the comments now about storing in the fridge/freezer… Highly recommended from my experience. Thanks for the recipe!! :)
my mother made this cakes for me, but it not good this cake, i talk with my mother do again. thanks
Hey Angela! Do you think I can use ground flax instead of the psyllium husks? I’m super allergic to those guys! Thanks for everything you do!!!
Tried this, and was amazed at how incredibly easy it was. Very tasty too! Thank you so much for sharing.
What a lovely bread! I used black sesame seeds which resulted in a fabulously speckled loaf of bread, served it as an entrée with lentil soup at a dinner party and it was loved by all. Most definitely a staple in my diet from now own!
I changed the nut and oat for buckwheat, millet and flaxseed. I soaked the seeds (but not chia and flax) overnight before drying and roasting in the oven. Turned out very well. It’s a dense and very filling bread, but it’s perfect to pair a squash soup!
Whoa! This bread looks totally awesome. I don’t eat oats, and I do eat everything else. Can I make the bread without the oats? The psyllium husk powder caught my attention. I have only used it to cleanse my digestive system, and not to cook with.
I love everything you do! I’m 8 months pregnant and appreciate your helpful comments and wonderful stories about that precious baby girl!! :)
This bread is very good. Easy to make, filling and delicious.
I will definitely be making it again… especially when planning menus for kayak trips or camping.
This bread is delicious! Easy to make and really tasty. I will certainly make it again when planning menus for kayak trips and camping.
Oh she glows makes some Oh So amazing Tea! I ordered three and I’m so excited to try more. The customer service is amazing and the quality is nothing like you can find at even the best local tea shops
Wow! Looks great!
I am 15 weeks and 4 days pregnant today and food hasn’t sounded or tasted good in about 2 1/2 months; however, I still visit your blog a few times a week and I’ve asked for your cookbook for Christmas. I hope I get it! Thank you for sharing your delightful stories and your marvelous recipes!
At this phase in my life, I truly appreciate your baby story. It gives me encouragement to go through labor without medication which is what I want. I just hope my appetite comes back before baby is born as does my husband because he misses my cooking :). And I miss trying your new posts.
Thanks again for your blog and Merry Christmas!
what a great bread thank you I have made 6 loafs during this season as gifts and they look beautiful.. for a holiday look I added just a bit of agave, coconut oil, Pepita, and dried cherries to
the loaf pan before putting in mixture so that when the loaf was turned over it showed. it does not take much moisture this bread is not dry or heavy it is wonderfully designed loaf of bread.
Thank you for your generosity in sharing this divine bread with us I will purchase your book for sure.
Chef Patti
I have made this 3 times now and I absolutely love it! One thing I have noticed is it seems like it is a bit “doughy” in the center, even after baking it the full time or longer, but stick it in the toaster oven before eating and put some almond butter on it…..yummy!
Hi Angela. Having a hard time finding chickpea flour, do you think my coconut flour would work or are they too different?
I wonder if I can quinoa flakes for oats… I cannot tolerate oats (even certified gluten free) due to my celiac disease. This recipe sounds very good but it’s very difficult to find oat free recipes! Thanks
I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff! Found your recipe about 2 weeks ago and have made this bread at least 4 times now. Even my picky teenage daughter loves it (and that’s really saying something!). Recently modified to make it cinnamon/raisin bread by adding 1/4 cup raisins and 2 tsp cinnamon to batter. So dee-lish!
THIS RECIPE IS NOT GLUTEN FREE!! Although it does look absolutely delicious, I do have to point out that there is no such thing as ‘certifiable GF oats’. Oats are NOT gluten free. Yes, you can buy oats that guarantee no cross-contamination with gluten containing cereals, and these are okay for those who are simply gluten intolerant but NOT for coeliacs. I was really disappointed seeing the ‘GF’ tagline in the title of this recipe, only to discover that the recipe is in fact not GF at all :(. I’m a seasoned coeliac, so I know that oats are a no no, but for newbies or people cooking for coeliacs these kinds of recipes, and throwing around ‘GF’ like a trendy tagline are really confusing, not to mention dangerous!!! Following a strict gluten free diet is the only way to manage coeliac disease, which is very serious when not managed correctly. Imagine if someone made and offered this bread to me assuring me it was GF!? Yes, I am responsible for what I eat, but there needs to be a wider understanding and consideration towards gluten free foods and what gluten free actually even means. Because of the lack of understanding, if someone offered me this bread I would most likely refuse, because honestly I’d rather be safe than sorry. Do you know how much I’d like to be able to say yes and to have trust!? I’d love a wider understanding of what gluten free really means, and I’d like to see the end of ‘gluten free’ being used so damn flippantly, and reserved for foods and recipes that are actually 100% gluten free, no questions asked. I feel that using the GF tagline in the way that you have here discredits the term ‘gluten free’ and makes it extremely difficult for those like myself. Lets move towards people taking coeliac disease and the need for gluten free foods as seriously as they should!!! :) I love your blog and I’m not going to slander it or stop reading, but I think you could/should be better informed about gluten free foods before throwing the term around and using it as an incorrect, misinforming tagline. This is just a topic very near and dear to me so I hope I haven’t offended you in any way. Thanks !
From http://www.celiac.ca/?page_id=2831
“The safety of oats in individuals with celiac disease has been extensively investigated. Health Canada has reviewed the clinical evidence from numerous international studies and has concluded that the consumption of oats, uncontaminated with gluten from wheat, rye or barley, is safe for the vast majority of patients with celiac disease. A 2015 review entitled Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Claims on Uncontaminated Oats is available on Health Canada’s web page Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Claims on Uncontaminated Oats”
I buy Bob’s Gluten Free oats. It says gluten free on the bag. Is it not?
Just wondering if I could substitute the chickpea flour with smth…….can’t find it here at the moment
I’m sorry I am not sure as I haven’t tried it any other way. I think a couple readers have commented with subs, so I would scan them to see if anyone tried anything successfully. Good luck!