Gluten-Free No Yeast Naan in 30 Minutes
This easy Gluten-Free Naan bread recipe requires no yeast and comes together in 30 minutes! Make it with any gluten-free flour blend, with or without egg. Tested-and-perfected, highly rated, and tastes like traditional naan!
“These DO NOT TASTE GLUTEN FREE.. in the best way!!”
Kelly
Gluten-Free, 30-Minute, Yeast-Free Naan
I’m in love with these naan. My husband even more so. He says they taste just like real naan.
I know better since I’ve had naan more recently (he has been gluten-free for a few years).
But take it from me as I’m becoming quite the gluten-free taste testing connoisseur – these are a treat even for those who can have real naan.
This gluten-free naan bread recipe:
- Is easy to work with and roll out.
- Can be made with any gluten-free flour blend. I’ve tried several different ones (including ones with xanthan gum included), and the naan is always soft and pliable.
- Can be made with or without an egg. You can either use a flax egg (flax seed + water) or regular egg.
- Requires NO YEAST.
- Tastes delicious. My husband prefers this naan out of all the gluten-free flatbreads I make.
The best part? It takes a take a total of 30 minutes to make.
How to Prepare GF Naan
First, you make a flax egg by mixing ground flaxseed with water. Skip this step if using an egg.
Add yogurt and oil to the flax egg (or regular egg) and mix to combine.
Next, add this yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients, kneading the dough as you go. Then add (preferably) warm water, bit by bit, until you have a soft dough. If you used an egg, you may not need much water at all.
Divide the dough into 6 balls. If you want to make larger naan, divide the dough into 5 or even 4 pieces.
You can either make round naan, or form the balls into a teardrop shape by rolling one end of the dough between your hands.
Roll out the naan. Sprinkle the (optional) nigella seeds now or while you cook them.
Once you’re rolled them out, place them on a hot griddle, nonstick pan, or tava. Turn over and cook them with a lid on top to create steam. This allows the naan bread to cook quickly while charring the outside.
What Flour to Use for GF Naan Bread
Gluten-free breads usually benefit in texture and taste when various flours are combined. You’ll need 2 flours:
- 1 cup of any store-bought gluten-free flour blend. This recipe has been tested with King Arthur multi-purpose, Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour, and Dove’s Farm GF Flour available in the UK.
- A reviewer recently shared a quick recipe for a homemade gluten-free flour blend. I tested and found that it works beautifully with this recipe: 1/2 cup chickpea flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, and 1/4 cup brown rice flour (she used light buckwheat).
- 1/2 cup of another gluten-free flour of choice. I’ve tried almond flour, cassava flour, sorghum (jowar) and several others for different taste and texture. I typically use cassava or almond, but since everyone has access to and preference for different flours, I’ll leave that 1/2 cup up to you.
How to make this Naan Vegan or Dairy-free
Yogurt is intended to make the dough soft and moist. To make these naan vegan and dairy-free:
- Substitute whole milk yogurt with dairy-free yogurt, coconut milk, or more water.
- For brushing, replace butter or ghee with oil.
This recipe is quite forgiving and can take a fair amount of substitutions. Feel free to make adjustments and adaptations to suit your preference!
How to Freeze these Naan
These gluten-free naan freeze wonderfully, and I love to cook double the amount and then freeze half for later. Here’s how to freeze them:
- Wrap them in the cloth used to keep them warm.
- Place them inside an airtight container, large ziplock bag, or even a plastic grocery bag.
- Once ready to to use, place the naan only on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave (no need to thaw) for 60 seconds, or until heated through.
If you’d like to prepare the dough ahead of time, simply cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days. Then add a bit of water to soften and cook the naan as you normally would.
Some curries that go wonderfully with naan:
- Chicken curries like Chicken Karahi, Authentic Chicken Curry or Korma.
- Beef curries like Beef Kofta Curry (Meatball Curry) or this dump and go IP Beef Curry. Stews like Nihari or Haleem are also perfect with naan.
- Vegetarian curries like Baingan Bharta or Chana Masala.
Gluten-Free No Yeast 30 Minute Naan
Ingredients
Dry:
- 1 cup (~150 g) multi-purpose gluten-free flour blend (see note), with or without xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup almond flour or cassava flour, or other gluten-free flour of choice
- 1 tsp xanthan gum, omit if GF flour blend includes
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
Wet:
- 1 tbsp flaxseed meal , or 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt, or vegan substitute
- 1/4 cup or less (preferably warm) water or milk, will need much less if using egg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For cooking:
- 1/2 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji), optional
- butter or ghee, for brushing
- gluten-free flour, for dusting and rolling
Instructions
- Combine flaxseed meal and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl and set aside. Skip this step if using an egg.
- Meanwhile, in another medium bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.
- Add the yogurt and oil to the flaxseed mixture (or egg) and stir to combine.
- Add the yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients, kneading the dough as you go. Then add the warm water, bit by bit, as needed, making sure it is well absorbed before adding more. Depending on how watery your yogurt is or if you used an egg, you may not need water at all.
- Knead for a couple of minutes until the dough is well combined and soft. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls. You can do this by rolling the dough into a log shape and then slicing it into 6 pieces. Or you can take pieces of dough and roll them into balls. You can either keep these round or form into a teardrop shape by rolling one end of the dough between your hands.
- To roll out the naan, use a combination of rolling out the dough with a rolling pin and gently pressing it with your hands. It should be around 5-6 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Use a little rice flour or other gluten-free if the dough is sticky. Press in the edges gently to make them smoother.
- Heat a tava, griddle or non-stick (preferably cast iron) pan over high heat. Have butter/ghee and rice flour or other gluten-free flour nearby.
- Once you've rolled out the naan, sprinkle them with nigella seeds (kalonji) and lightly press the seeds so that they stick to the dough. (You can also do this after placing the naan is on the skillet.)
- Using a spatula, carefully lift the naan and place it on the hot skillet, seed side up. Add 1/4-1/2 tsp of butter or ghee to the top of the naan. After about 30-40 seconds, use your spatula to flip over the naan.
- Once you’ve flipped the naan, cover it immediately with a lid large enough to cover the naan. Wait for 30-45 seconds and then remove it from the pan.
- Brush with more butter or ghee, if desired. Cover with a cloth to keep warm while preparing the other naan. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- A reviewer recently shared a quick recipe for a homemade gluten-free flour blend. I tested and found that it works beautifully with this recipe. To make your own, try this blend: 1/2 cup chickpea flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, and 1/4 cup brown rice flour (she used light buckwheat).
The method for preparing the naan is inspired by Aarti’s naan recipe.
95 Comments on “Gluten-Free No Yeast Naan in 30 Minutes”
Yummy! My doctor recently suggested that I should go gluten-free and one thing I have sorely missed are Indian breads since I usually cook Indian food 3-4 times a week and rice dishes just get boring after awhile. So, I was excited to find this recipe. I’ve never made any kind of gluten-free anything so far and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Not completely like naan, but close enough to satisfy the Indian bread craving! Hurray! I used the aKing Arthur Gluten-free All-purpose Flour (the one without xanthan) as the gf flour. The only thing I would change is that they were a little salty, so next time I’ll cut the salt in half.
Thanks for the excellent recipe!
I hear you, Jeff! We frequently get tired of eating rice with curries. I just made these last night because my husband loves them so much. Now that you mention it, I’ll include the option to make them less salty. Thank you for your feedback and I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Could I just use a flour blend that has xanthan gum (seems most do) and omit it in the recipe? I miss naan! Thanks!
I believe that would work though I have not tried it!
How did it turn out?
Hi! Would it hurt anything to let the dough rest LONGER than 15-20 minutes? I don’t have 5 hours for a full naan recipe, but I’m trying to squeeze this in between errands/cooking the rest of dinner! ???? I’m so excited to try it!
Hi Sophie. Yes, that would be fine as long as you have it covered properly so it doesn’t dry out.
Love love love your recipe!
I used Pamela’s Artisan Gluten free flour and cassava flour.
Thank you for posting!
So great to hear that! Thank you!
Will this work without the yoghurt?
The texture will be different (less moist) and you may need to add more liquid. But I’d encourage you to try it still!
Is the GF Flour necessary? Can’t I use only the Jowar flour? Thank you
Sure! It may be a bit harder to handle because of the lack of starch within a GF flour, but it should taste great!
This naan bread was seriously good and very very easy to make. It’s been about 15 years since I had naan, but my husband, who is English and has eaten his fair share (or more!), thought they were very close to the gluten-y version. I did have to make a substitution, as I didn’t have any milk yogurt on hand and only had 1/4 cup of greek yogurt. So, I used 1/4 cup of greek yogurt and 1/4 cup of buttermilk instead. It meant that I didn’t need to add the water, since the dough was pretty sticky and it smelled a little nasty after I uncovered it (basically sour milk + greek yogurt), but it tasted delicious. We’ll be trying your other recipes out as well and I’ll be sharing your site with a gluten free group I’m on in Facebook.
Wow! I’m so glad to see this, Cassandra! Love the addition of buttermilk. I’m assuming it made it even softer. Thank you so much for trying and for taking the time to share your review! I appreciate it so much. Thanks for sharing – so thoughtful of you!
Hi I like the look of this but can I use non dairy yoghurt or Greek ? Thank you
Yes, you certainly can! Feel free to adjust water as needed!
Sorry another question , is the sugar essential , as I don’t have any in my house as I don’t use it ? Thank you
No problem at all! Not essential. Feel free to leave out!
Sorry yet another question as I’m making tonight , can I sub the xantham gum and use physillium husk instead ? I don’t have any of the former and have used this substitution in other recipes ?
I promise that’s the last of my questions x
No problem at all, Jo! It’s what I’m here for! I would just omit the xanthan gum. I have not used psyllium husk in these naan so I’m not sure how it’ll affect the taste or texture. The xanthan gum adds a little pliability but the naan will be fine without it. If you’d like video guidance, I have a video of how to make this naan saved on my Instagram Story Highlights!
Hey so I made them tonight they were so good !
I left out the sugar , used my own homemade yoghurt , used physllium husk instead of gum, used cumin seeds as I had no nigella seeds and although I needed more flour to make them workable and not too sticky they turned out great !
Best recipe I have tried
Thank u so much !!! Jo ????
I found your recipe last night. Requiring GF myself but with a ‘normal’ family I was doing a New Year Eve stay in curry evening and my husband said oh I have picked up some naan bread….. humpf I thought… then viola!! I found your recipe. Really lovely, I only had Greek yoghurt but perfect.
My husband who pinched one ( why ?!!!) said mine tasted much nicer than the shop bought ‘normal’ ones . He he / I win thanks to you – very easy and I enjoyed making them.
So glad to hear that, Kathy! Thanks so much for your review and rating.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It turned out beautifully. I have tried a few other gluten free naan recipes to experiment, but my husband says this one is his favorite because it tastes like traditional naan. It is probably the easiest of the naan recipes i have tried as well. The dough is super easy ti work with, and bakes up soft and fluffy, whereas most gluten free bread is really dense. Thanks again!
I am incredibly happy to hear this, Stacy! I hope to continue to give you and your family the best! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. Much appreciated!! 🙂
YUMMM!! I adore Naan too! Goes so well with so many dishes!! What GF flour blend did you use? And did you use the cassava or almond flour version (or both?! Shared everywhere and will make the next round of Indian food!
Thanks so much, Tessa! I used King Arthur! So I kept delaying posting the recipe because I would try it with various different flours and they would ALL work, just varied the texture and taste a bit. I put cassava and almond because they were my favorite! Cassava made it chewier, almond flour made it a little lighter.