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.
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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?
I made this to eat at work and it is amazing! I am currently eating it with vegemite and could not be happier! Definitely making another batch this weekend! Thanks for another terrific recipe!
I just made this bread last night and I am LOVING it! I gave up white, wheat flour after my weight loss surgery and I sometimes miss bread and this really hit the spot. I put a little avocado with veggies on it and I was in heaven! This is a staple in my kitchen from now on.
I always make my own gluten free bread (only because the ones at the grocery store are too expensive). It was time to make another loaf, but I couldn’t find a new recipe that I wanted to make and didn’t feel like spending all the time on making bread. I decided to go simple and make this bread and I’m glad that I did. It has a wonderful texture and it’s full of flavor. I’ll definitely be making it again. However, I didn’t really like the texture of the pumpkin seeds. Would it still work to grind them up before adding? Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
This recipe rules! I modified it a little bit. Added some hemp hearts and dehydrated it. I’ve been wanting to make raw bread for awhile but had no idea where to start! This was really easy, and tastes delicious. Thanks so much! Also, your site is amazing! I always enjoy looking around for new recipes to try :)
I ADORE your blog! This recipe is actually amazing, I LOVED it when I made it for my trip to the states to shoot a wedding last weekend! I was wondering if you had made a sweeter version? I was thinking of replacing the spices with cinnamon & nutmeg, and throwing in some raisins. Do you think that would work? Thanks so much!
Hey Jessica! So glad you enjoy it so much :) I havent tried a sweet version (yet!), but I think a reader left a comment recently and mentioned trying it (and liking it). I would give a quick check through the comments if you are interested. I think she mentioned using cinnamon too. When I try it out, I’ll probably sub 25% of the water for maple syrup and see how that is. Probably 1 teaspoon cinnamon or a bit less. Anyway, have fun with it and let me know how it goes!
I’m going on a trip on Monday and I’m so excited to try these! I never travel with my own food, and I’m really looking forward to this!
O-M-G!! Just made these and they are DELISH!! Mine didn’t turn out as pretty as yours but they taste amazing! I added 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes and didn’t have any seeds so used nuts in place of. I will be making more of these for my upcoming trip on Tuesday! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I made this using oat flour, buckwheat flour, cumin seeds instead of oregano, ground coriander instead of thyme, roasted garlic instead of the powders, added flax seeds, buttered the pan instead of parchment (it came out fine anyway) and then made skinny slices like little wands – put it in a 450 degree oven for 20 or so minutes until everything was dried out and toasty. The second time I made a double batch – now I can’t leave it alone!!!
I love your changes!! thanks for reporting back :)
I just made a sweet version of these by omitting the onion, garlic and herbs and by adding an extra 1/2 tsp of sugar, approx. a tsp of cinnamon and approx. a tsp of vanilla. They are super yummy and will be perfect for my breakfast sandwich of almond butter and bananas.
Oh yes – and the second time I made these I also put in hemp hearts. Yum!!!!
I have made this bread only twice with some modifications but it has always turned out delicious. First time I did not have chia so I used 2 tbsp of ground flax seed and also I skipped the onion and thyme and added 1 tsp of ground cumin (I am from the Czech Republic and our traditional bread is made with cumin, that´s how I got the idea :) and it was really good.
The second time I wanted “the real bread” taste and no spices (I want to put some sweet spread on it:) so I used acorn flour instead of the buckwheat and only salt and sugar and it ended up just delicious better that any store bought flat bread, even my picky Italian boyfriend liked it ;). It will now be a real staple in our kitchen.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I like your blog a lot
Hey Gabriela, Thank you so much for sharing your trials with us! A few others have had success with sweet versions (and many like cinnamon added in too). I love how versatile it is and we make it here once a week now. Anyway, so glad you enjoy it too!
This bread is wonderful! I just love the crunch and differing textures of the various seeds. I will definitely be packing some on my next trip!
I link to your recipe in my latest post, a few times for various recipes, actually – you’re my favourite!
May I ask if you bake this bread at 325 in a glass or metal pan? And have you used a convection oven for this bread? I am wondering if there needs to be time or temperature adjustments made for using a glass pan and or convection oven? Thank you! Loving your recipes!
Hi Karen, I use a metal square pan (sometimes I spread out a double batch on a baking sheet too!) and I don’t use convection. It’s very versatile though so I’m sure it will work out. Just keep an eye on it and when it’s just firm remove it from the oven.
Wah, mine came out gummy from the start. :( I think I will stick to the endurance cracker recipe which I do in the dehydrator with nutritional yeast and really love!
Hi, this looks perfect for my upcoming trip! Do you think I could use other nuts, like almonds or walnuts, besides pumpkin seeds? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, Yes I think it’s very versatile so it should be fine. Goodluck & enjoY!
I made this today and I am in love. I had some GF flour on hand so I used 2 different ones (garbonzo bean and quinoa), I substituted rosemary for the oregon and thyme and added some hemp seed as well.
I see endless combination possibilities. Thank you so much for this recipe
I made these last night and they are sooo good :) perfect with avocado on top or nut butter or plain! How do you come up with these recipes? You’re definitely my favorite blogger :) looking forward to your book!
Thank you Stacie :) So glad you enjoy it…we make a double batch every week around here.
I made this bread this morning. So easy and so tasty. I was looking for healthy snacks for traveling and this bread is perfect. Love your recipes – thanks.
Thanks Angela. I am always on the lookout for good bread recipes. I tried it as stated here, and it worked very well. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi, even I am not vegan, I like to eat during the weak at least two days without meat.
I prepared the oil free chocolate , zucchini walnut muffins and the spice lentil kale soup and they were delicious, thank you! I please I am trying to buy chia seeds but I read about the importance of the quality.. Which brand do you recommend me? I was looking in Whole food and no clue which to buy. Thank you!
I’ve heard it’s best to purchase chia that doesn’t come from China, but aside from that white or black seeds are quite similar in nutrition.