Learn how to make the best vegan and gluten-free naan bread to dunk into your favorite vegan curries. You can make this bread with or without yeast. A soy-free, nut-free recipe.
I have a few naan recipes on this blog, including a delicious vegan naan, vegan grilled naan and vegan whole wheat naan. So when a reader recently asked me for a gluten-free version of this popular bread, eaten across the Indian subcontinent, I went to work to come up with a recipe that is as close as possible to the real thing. Now here I have for you the best vegan gluten free naan. It's a keeper.
This naan is super simple to make, and if you follow instructions you could be eating naan this afternoon for lunch. All you will need is a few pantry ingredients you likely already have around if you're used to gluten-free baking. Let's get started.
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this vegan gluten-free naan
- It's soft and light. The perfect naan.
- It easy to make once you've got the hang of it. If you're in a rush and don't have time for a yeasted naan just make it yeast-free. See FAQs for more on this.
- It tastes and looks like an actual naan, not like some gf flatbread that's shaped like a naan.
- It's soy-free and it can be made with nut-free yogurt, so almost anyone with any dietary restriction can eat it.
How to get the perfect vegan gluten-free naan
Picture this: you've followed instructions perfectly. You've waited patiently for your dough to rise, made those little balls of dough, placed one within cling wrap, and rolled it into the greatest looking little naan. You've even got the griddle to the perfect temperature, screaming hot and just begging to go to work making those delectable black and brown spots on your naan.
Confident, you bravely pick the gluten free naan with your fingers to transfer it to the griddle. Next thing, to your utter horror, it drops limply out of your fingers in pieces. Ugh. What did you do wrong?
But before you throw in the towel, wait. You've just learned the most valuable lesson in gluten-free flatbread making, one that will serve you well as long as you continue to bake with gf flours: your flatbread fell apart because, unlike a wheat one, it does not have the benefit of a structural net, the gluten, holding it all nicely together. So what do you do?
Gluten-free bakers usually get over this conundrum by using eggs. Eggs add structure and help the dough bind, but as you know, that's not an option here.
Instead, for our vegan version, we use starch. While starch is by no means as great a structure-builder as gluten, it will help your dough hold together a bit better. The rest of it is down to perfecting your technique.
Your gluten free naan, for one, needs to be smaller than you would make a regular naan. I shape mine to be about six by four inches and about a quarter of an inch thick. You can even make them smaller. The dough rolls easily so don't be tempted to make a big naan. Remember that bit where the naan fell to pieces? Yep.
When you're done rolling the naan, carefully peel back the cling wrap. Use a thin, wide spatula to pick the naan gently and flip it into the griddle. Or, if you're an experienced cook and not likely to burn yourself, flip the naan gently onto your palm and then, very carefully, flip it into the hot griddle.
Once your naan is on the griddle it will set up and no more worries about tearing!
More tips and tricks for making a foolproof vegan gluten free naan
- Make sure you roll your gf naan within the folds of cling wrap or parchment paper (I find cling wrap easier to work with). You don't have to flour the cling wrap, but if you find it easier to roll on a floured surface, flour it lightly. This will also make transferring the naan to the griddle easier.
- Adding xanthan gum will make your dough a little easier to work with. The flour I used already had some added to it, and I didn't add more, but if you're new to this you could add up to two teaspoons. Knead it in with the other flours.
- Gluten-free flours tend to be thirsty and dry out easily. To make sure your naan doesn't dry out, brush some water on the surface of the naan after placing it on the griddle.
- Brush on vegan butter or EVOO on the naan as soon as it comes off the griddle for best flavor. My favorite is a herb-garlic mixture I shared in my vegan naan recipe.
Step by step instructions
1. Bloom the yeast with ½ cup warm water and sugar.
Add gluten free flour and tapioca flour along with salt, vegan yogurt and nondairy milk. Knead into a smooth-ish and pliable dough that's neither too wet nor too dry.
2. Place the ball of dough in a large bowl and drizzle on the oil. Coat lightly, cover the bowl and place in a warm spot for 1 ½ hours or until it's visibly risen.
3. Remove the dough to a clean surface and knead lightly and briefly. Divide it into 12 portions. Roll each into a smooth ball. Keep the dough balls covered while you work. Heat the griddle over high heat until it's screaming hot.
4. Carefully, using a thin, wide spatula, prise the naan off the surface and quickly transfer it to the griddle.
5. Let the gluten free naan bake until the top becomes opaque and bubbly, about 2 minutes. While it's baking, brush on some water on the top. Gluten-free doughs tend to be thirsty and this step, although optional, helps keep the naan from drying out.
6. Check to see if the bottom has brown spots, then flip and let the other side cook another minute. As soon as the naan comes off the grill, brush on some vegan butter.
Recipe FAQs
I wanted the flavors to be very much like those in a regular naan, so I chose to use just plain gluten-free all purpose flour. The one I have in my pantry is King Arthur Measure for Measure. To help bind the dough and make it easier to work with I also used a couple of tablespoons of tapioca starch.
You can make this naan with yeast or you can make it yeast free. I think the yeasted version tastes and feels more like an authentic naan, so I strongly recommend it. You do need to give the yeasted dough about an hour and a half to rise. So if you're in a rush you can make this without yeast and instead use baking powder and baking soda for the leavening. To make the gluten free naan without yeast, mix 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda with the flours while making the dough. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then proceed with rolling and baking the naan.
What to serve with vegan gluten free naan
- Vegan Dal Makhani
- Vegan Palak Paneer
- Tofu Paneer Kalimirch
- Chana Masala
- Vegan Paneer Butter Masala
- Quick, Spicy Vegan Chicken Masala
More vegan gluten free breads
Vegan Gluten-Free Naan Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon active dry yeast (see recipe notes for yeast-free version)
- 1 cup water (lukewarm. You might no need all of it)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 ½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour
- 2 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan yogurt (you can use any kind, I used my homemade cultured cashew yogurt)
- ½ cup nondairy milk (lukewarm)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (olive oil is fine)
Instructions
- Place the yeast in a bowl with ½ cup warm water and sugar. Wait five minutes for it to become frothy and bloom.
- Add the glutenfree flour and tapioca flour along with salt, vegan yogurt and nondairy milk.
- Gently drizzle in the water (you might not need the whole cup) and knead the dough by hand or in a stand mixer with the dough hook. You might not need all of the water or you might need a little more depending on where you are and the weather. You want the dough to be smooth-ish and pliable but not wet nor too dry.
- Place the ball of dough in a large bowl and drizzle on the oil. Coat lightly, cover the bowl and place in a warm spot for 1 ½ hours or until it's visibly risen.
- Remove the dough to a clean surface and knead lightly and briefly. Divide it into 12 portions. Roll each into a smooth ball. Keep the dough balls covered while you work.
- Cover the rolling surface with a long stretch of cling wrap. Flour it lightly, then place the dough ball on it, fold over the cling wrap to cover the top, and then gently roll it into a small naan, about six inches by four inches and a quarter of an inch thick. If you find it difficult to transfer tha naans to the griddle you can make them even smaller.
- Heat the griddle over high heat until it's screaming hot.
- Carefully, using a thin, wide spatula, prise the naan off the surface and quickly transfer it to the griddle. Alternatively, you can gently flip the naan on your palm and then flip it on the griddle, but you need to be careful and not burn yourself. I wouldn't recommend you do this unless you are an experienced cook and used to hot griddles.
- Let the gluten free naan bake until the top becomes opaque and bubbly, about 2 minutes. While it's baking, brush on some water on the top. Gluten-free doughs tend to be thirsty and this step, although optional, helps keep the naan from drying out.Check to see if the bottom has brown spots, then flip and let the other side cook another minute.
- As soon as the naan comes off the grill, brush on some vegan butter or a mixture of melted butter or olive oil, garlic and herbs. To do this, place 4 tablespoon of olive oil or butter in a small skillet with a tablespoon of minced garlic and two tablespoons of cilantro. Heat on a low flame for 4-5 minutes until the garlic has infused the fat and is turning lightly golden.
- Naan is best eaten hot. If you have leftovers, reheat them on a hot griddle.
Recipe notes
- To make the gluten free naan without yeast, mix 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda with the flours while making the dough. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then proceed with rolling and baking the naan.
- Make sure you roll the gf naan within the folds of cling wrap or parchment paper (I find cling wrap easier to work with). You don't have to flour the cling wrap, but if you find it easier to roll on a floured surface, flour it lightly. This will also make transferring the naan to the griddle easier.
- Adding xanthan gum will make your dough a little easier to work with. The flour I used already had some added to it, and I didn't add more, but if you're new to this you could add up to two teaspoons. Knead it in with the other flours.
- Gluten-free flours tend to be thirsty and dry out easily. To make sure your naan doesn't dry out, brush some water on the surface of the naan after placing it on the griddle.
- Brush on vegan butter or EVOO on the naan as soon as it comes off the griddle for best flavor.
Elly
The recipe was great, worked a treat - how do you reheat it so that it doesn't get all gummy and dry?
Thanks.
Maryam
Which gluten-free flour blend do you use?
Vaishali
King Arthur measure for measure!
Jen
I made these tonight and think that perhaps I added too much water to my dough because after the rise it was STICKY. This was my first time making a yeasted gluten free bread, so maybe that's normal? I was unable to roll them out (I tried wax paper rather than plastic wrap). So, I ended up wetting my fingers and plopping the dough onto my skillet then flattening the dough down by hand. It worked out okay....the naan tastes very good and has a dense texture, which I've been missing. So it's a far cry from regular naan, but still a treat!
Vaishali
Hi Jen, so happy you liked the naan. You may not need the entire cup of water depending on the weather where you are, so drizzle a little at a time until the dough forms. I've clarified in the recipe as well.
Bess
I also think the recipe calls for too much water. I didn't add any additional water after the initial 1/2 cup for the yeast. After adding in the non dairy milk, it was the perfect consistency.
Jessica
Used wholemeal flour and still worked perfectly! Such a yummy recipe, thank you Vaishali.
Vaishali
So happy to hear ❤️
Amjad Humayun
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Can I bake this bread in oven?
Vaishali
Yes, preheat oven to 450 degrees F and bake around 8 minutes, flipping over halfway.
Uma
Thank you for this recipe. I
Can I omit the yogurt?
Vaishali
You can, but the yogurt helps soften the naan. If you can use some nondairy milk--the same quantity as the yogurt--and a splash of vinegar, no more than half a teaspoon.
Uma
Thank you. I will try that .
Sue
I don’t have a griddle.
.Would a cast iron pan work?
Thank you
Vaishali
Yes it would work perfectly.
Leslie
Thank you, Vaishali! I can't wait to try this.
Vaishali
You're very welcome, Leslie! I am so glad you asked for it. 🙂 I am going to be making this all the time now.