A low carb gluten free sunflower and pumpkin seed bread made with psyllium. It’s packed with hearty seeds and fiber. Enjoy it as a snack or along with a meal.
Do you love low carb bread? I sure do. But, I don’t make it that often. There’s so many recipes that it’s tough to decide which one to bake.
Being a food blogger, I tend to skip the tested recipes and venture out on my own. I’ll admit that I’ve had many disasters along the way. However, I’ve made some great discoveries along the way too.
The psyllium based recipes look wonderful. But, a lot of people have trouble with them. There seems to be a lot of factors involved to ensure you get a perfect bread.
I tend to stay away from recipes that are easy to screw up. Mainly because I don’t have a lot of time for more than 2 or 3 attempts. I usually give up at that point if the recipe doesn’t work out. That’s one of the reasons I haven’t experimented much with psyllium.
Thank goodness there are low carb psyllium bread mixes that are super simple to make. And, they pretty much guarantee a perfect loaf of low carb bread.
Have you tried any of the Sukrin bread mixes? They are quick bread mixes that only require water. This one is my favorite. However, the cost does start to add up, so I wanted to find a way to make a similar bread from scratch.
That’s why I created this sunflower and pumpkin seed bread recipe using psyllium. There’s one important thing I learned from using these bread mixes. It’s that to get a nice tall bread, it’s best to use a smaller loaf pan.
I used a disposable pan from one of the low carb flax bread mixes to make this sunflower and pumpkin seed bread. Using an 8×4 inch pan will make the bread a bit flatter.
Another tip on making psyllium bread is to make sure you bake the bread to an internal temperature of about 215°F. I picked up this tip from Kim at Low Carb Maven. She also provides some other great tips for making psyllium bread.
Although I have a psyllium bread recipe here, I haven’t really experimented a lot with making these amazing low carb breads. I just need more free time so I can test things out in the kitchen.
It is my goal to eventually move to low carb blogging full time so I can work on more recipes. I’m getting closer, but it’s still going to take more time to reach that goal. I really appreciate all of you dedicated readers. Without you, I would never have gotten this far in the blogging world.
Low Carb Sunflower and Pumpkin Seed Bread Recipe
Sunflower Pumpkin Seed Psyllium Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole psyllium husks finely ground, 60g
- 1/4 cup chia seeds 40g
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds 40g
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 40g
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (15g) or sesame seed flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 1/4 cup egg whites (300g) I used pasteurized in a carton
- 1/2 cup almond milk
Instructions
- In large mixing bowl, stir together psyllium, chia, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in coconut oil.
- Blend in egg whites and almond milk being careful not to over mix.
- When thickened, spread out into a greased or lined 8x4-inch loaf pan.
- Bake for about 70 minutes at 325°F or until internal temperature reaches about 215°F.
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Notes
Nutrition
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
About Lisa
Lisa has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and find new ways to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites! Her recipes have been featured on popular magazine sites including Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Women's Health, and Men's Health. Lisa lives in Southeastern Connecticut. Connect with her and Low Carb Yum at:
Oana-Corina Sirbu says
Great bread ! How long does it keep ? Does it freezes well? Thanks
Lisa MarcAurele says
It does freeze well. I typically store in the refrigerator for a couple weeks or the freezer for several months.
Holly says
Looks so great. Could another oil be substituted for coconut and if so, what might you suggest? Thank you!
Lisa says
You can try avocado oil. Butter might work too.
Nicole Toohey says
Do you think I could add some pumpkin puree and making spice to give this for a more fall feel or do you think it would be problematic?
Lisa says
I’m not sure, you could try adding in a little for flavor.
Nicole Smith says
Just made this today and wow! So excited to have a seed, almost “whole grain-y” bread back in my diet! Mine rose ALOT in the oven, and then fell somewhat minutes after taking it out… but still turned out to be a nice shape when sliced. The only issue I had was with the measurements given. I used my measuring cups and also weighed my ingredients, but they were way off the weight listed in the recipe… so I just went with my baking cups/tablespoons. All I know is the whole loaf weighed 518 grams before slicing! Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Lisa says
It’s tough to get the cups/weight to be completely accurate so standard conversions are used.
Anna says
Please help, I made keto seeded bread first time and I loved it BUT the next day it turned green ( green spots )
Why ?
Is it save to eat ?
Lisa says
It may be a reaction with aluminum if you aren’t using aluminum free baking powder. I’ve read that sometimes flax and baking powder can turn green.
Amy says
What can I use instead of eggs and can I use hemp milk?
Thanks
Amy
Lisa says
Egg whites are needed for this recipe. Hemp milk should be fine.
mIndy barringer says
I just made this for the first time and it was too gooey from the start. I followed the recipe to a T but even before I put it in the oven it never thickened. Has that ever happen to you before? I still put it in the oven and even after twice the amount of time it never cooked fully thru. I’d like to try again but don’t want the same results….thoughts?
Thank you!!! Your website is amazing!
Lisa says
What brand of psyllium are you using? Are you weighing it? I use the Now brand of psyllium and it’s this product that gives it a nice bread like texture.
Veronica says
CAN u use almond flour or another type flour instead of flaxseed meal or anything
Lisa says
Almond flour may work in place of flaxseed meal, but it wasn’t tested in this recipe. However, it has worked out well in other recipes.
Lyn says
HI!
I baked the bread and it turned out beautifully! Thank you!
What I’m confused about it the nutritional value. At the end of your recipe it states 2.5 net grams of carbs but the nutritional chart says 8.5g/ 55g serving. Can you clear this up for me? Thanks again!
-Lyn
Lisa says
The original values weren’t correct. I’ve updated the numbers.
Lyne Gagné says
hello would love to try this
wondering about chia is it ground chia or whole?
thanks xx
Lisa says
Whole chia.
Laura says
Hi Lisa
Can flax see or chia seed be used in place of the phylum seeds? Thank you so much, I’ll be waiting for your reply.
Lisa says
This is a psyllium bread so it’s not going to be the same without that ingredient.
Tiffany says
I will admit that I had no faith in this recipe, it didn’t look or sound promising. Boy was I wrong! I love this bread so much. I have made it 3 times and it will be a regular staple in my house. I absolutely love this recipe! I posted it and promote on my little low carb blog on FB called low carb craves. Home run!!!!
Mary McDonald says
I have tried making this three times unsuccessfully. I live in Boulder CO so there is the altitude factor. I upped the oven temp to 350 and reduced baking power 1/4 tsp. One time it got nice and tall but then deflated. The next time I bought a thermometer determined to get it to 215 which it never did after an hour and a half in the oven and is rock hard. I got it to 200 degree. Any thoughts? I do add a few more nuts to make it more like a nut and seed loaf, but not a lot
Lisa says
I’m sure a lot of it could be the altitude and I don’t really have any tips for that as I’m pretty close to sea level here in Connecticut.
Loren K Laughlin says
I made it in Parker, Colorado, and had no problems with it. Made it just the the recipe said. I’m on the southeast side of Denver.
Tiffany Barker says
OH MY GOSH! I cannot believe how perfectly you nailed this! I really expected failure on this one. I would say Im at near expert level when it comes to low-carb bread baking, I am pretty sure I have made them all. Ive done the measuring by scale, the science experiments, the accidental violet bread, the bread that falls, the bread that works but only half the time, the recipes with pics of bread that weren’t related to the recipe, the eggy, the cakey…all of the low-carb catastrophes associated with bread making. This recipes is forgiving, delicious, and amazing. I did have to cook it for about 15 minutes longer than the recipe stated and it was the kind of loaf that really sticks to the pan so it requires parchment and non-stick spray, but I am not complaining because it is totally awesome! Really wish I could post pics here because it is a beautiful loaf of bread. I have a small low carb group on FB called Low Carb Craves, please feel free to check out the pics. I LOVE THIS BREAD!!!! Thank you for your creativity 🙂 10 star recipe
Lisa says
I’ll definitely look the FB group up. My oven is a convection, but I adjust for normal ovens. However, it may still cook things faster.
Janette says
Thank you for this recipe. I did have the same problems as posted by others (collapsing, took well over 70 minutes and never quite reached the target temp). I wasn’t crazy about the flavor and therefore didn’t finish 2 mini loaves before they got a bit dry and hard after about 5 days, but here’s a TIP for other readers! I re-purposed the leftover bread by slicing thinly then baking on a sheet tray at 325-degrees until crispy. It transformed into some really excellent crackers. I will definitely make this again, but as crackers instead of bread.
Tonia says
Hi Lisa!
I just came across this recipe and can’t wait to try it. Have you ever tried drying/toasting cubes in the oven to make salad croutons?
Lisa says
I haven’t, but I bet it would work out.
Kayla says
Question about the psyllium husk you used. (I’ve never psyllium husk before at all). The link you provided shows “whole psyllium husk”. Are we supposed to ground it in a food processor or use it as is? If we are supposed to ground it further, would it be the same as psyllium husk powder? Thanks for your help!
Lisa says
I don’t bother using the ground psyllium although some prefer it. The whole husk work well. You can use the ground one, but be sure to go by weight and not volume.
Linda says
I live at high altitude. What adjustment would i make to keep it from falling?
Lisa says
Typically, baking powder is reduced and liquid is increased. And, the baking temperature is usually raised slightly.
Nancy Connally says
Is this bread made commercially by anyone? If it stays good in the freezer, many health food stores sell baked goods in their freezer section. Thanks.
Lisa says
Not that I know of.
Carol Ann Napolitano says
Hi Lisa, I was just wondering if I maybe could give a quick grind to the seeds, just so they’ll be smaller in size. I know you probably haven’t tried this, but do you think it would change the outcome of the bread? I assume you don’t use the salted sunflower seeds, that’s all I have, so I’m gonna have to buy the unsalted ones. Keep up the good work! Thanks
Lisa says
I wouldn’t grind them too much, but it should be fine if you want them smaller.
Raj says
Happy new year Lisa,
I’m about to try your pumpkin, sunflower, psyllium bread but need to confirm if I can use home made cashew milk or canned unsweetened coconut milk instead of almond milk.
Secondly I need tips on ovens, I have electric Breville smart oven pro with convection. So should I use 325°F with or without convection for 70 minutes.
Note: I baked similar bread recipe from Keto king seed bread, he’s on YouTube. After 70 minutes the loaf doubled the 8″×4″ tin, after cooling the bread deflated. Only issue I had was that loaf was full of oil, drenched. That’s why I am asking you for help to get some tips on baking.
I am guessing, cooking time has to be less than regular oven.
Thanks,
Raj.
Lisa says
I like to bake in my convection oven with the fan. I always use the same time, but lower the temperature 25°F.
Sandra says
How do u think itll taste if i add olives? Thanks
Lisa says
That sounds interesting. I’ve never baked with olives before. I think taste-wise, it should be okay.
Debbie says
Did this taste at all eggy?
Lisa says
Not at all because it uses only the whites!
ursula says
Mine tasted very eggy…and I used only egg white
Robyn says
Has anyone made this in a bread maker? I’m not sure what temperature my Morphy Richards bread maker gets up to, but it’s probably worth a try.
Lisa says
I wouldn’t use the mix/knead cycle. You have to be careful not to overwork the dough in psyllium bread.
Marijane says
I am so disappointed. I really had great hopes for this bread, as I have tried several and have only found most of them barely edible. So many of the reviews were positive that I just knew tis was the one. I followed all the directions exactly, and was extremely gentle with mixing the egg whites into the other ingredients. I baked to an inner temp of 205/206 and didn’t want to overcook so took it out of the oven. I had a beautiful rounded top in the bread pan, but as it cooled, it not only sank, but sank nearly to the bottom of the pan in the middle! I hoped it would at least taste good like one reviewer said hers was, but when I cut it open it was obviously wasn’t cooked through and tasted horrible, even after toasting! I know I obviously took it out of the oven too soon, but I hesitate to try again, as the ingredients are expensive to waste if it fails again. Is there anything I can try differently? Maybe cut the recipe in half to give it another try? If so, what size pan would I use? I love bread and miss it a great deal, but I am on the verge of giving up on finding one I like. Do you have another bread you might recommend I try that is more fail safe? Thanks for your dedication in sharing your recipes. I certainly don’t blame you for my failure, as many have had success with this one. I guess I am just not a good baker.
Lisa says
Ovens can vary which may be part of the issue. It sounds like your bread wasn’t fully cooked. You may have just tested an area of the bread that was more cooked than others. You could try a flat bread like this one.
Dawn says
Are the seeds raw or roasted?
Lisa says
You can use either, but I use raw.
Darcie says
Great recipe! Love the texture and flavor. What’s the best way to store the loaf?
Lisa says
I keep mine in the fridge for up to a week. Longer storage would be in the freezer.
Jane G says
Hey Lisa,
Thanks so much for this recipe. I have a few favourite grain-free, sugar-free bread recipes I use, but have never found one that has the softer texture that lends itself to being toasted and placed under poached or scrambled eggs. This fits the bill perfectly, and the volumetric requirements for the egg-whites meant I wasn’t put off by the huge quantity of eggs needed, as I have been with other recipes – I simply bought a pouch of egg-white from the supermarket.
I have one question – have you successfully frozen this loaf and defrosted for use later? I have enough sweet treats in the house right now so am making more loaves to use up the egg-whites! But now I have quite enough bread for my immediate needs, but still enough eggs to make another loaf!
Thanks so much!
Lisa says
I have frozen this in slices and it was just as good months later.
Nikki says
I do love the idea and the flavor of this bread, however the first time I made it it never reached a temperature of 215. It stayed right at 212 for the extra 20 min I baked it as the moisture continued to evaporate and the loaf actually got smaller. So the second time I just took it out when it reached 212 and it collapsed, so I guess I underbaked it. Maybe next time I’ll find the happy medium.
Lisa says
That’s an approximate value. Anything over like 205 should be fine.
Dorothy Kuehn says
Can’t wait to try this. I love whole grain bread!
Lisa says
This should be a treat for you. I like to make it in a small foil pain so I get a good rise.
Jerome says
Hi Lisa ! I tried your recipe yesterday, and the words fail me… I thought I’d never be able to enjoy cheese spread or cold cuts on a slice of bread again. Your recipe gave me just that, a dream come true! Thank you so much!
By the way 300g came up to 8-9 large egg whites. My loaf did lose half its height as I took it out of the oven, but I have to say I assumed your 325F temperature was for a conventional oven and so lowered the temperature to 150C/300F. I just saw in the comments that you use a convection oven too so next time I’ll try at the stated temperature instead… Or I’ll try to find a thermometer at my Lakeland.
Thanks again, keto life just got that little bit nicer thanks to you!
Lisa says
I’m glad this one worked out for you Jerome!
Melanie says
I am only a few months into my low carb journey, I’ve tried a few breads but none I am in a hurry to make again. This though, I will definitely be making again! I whipped the egg whites first and folded into the mixture. It rose beautifully while baking but did sink a bit after taking out of the oven. But the bread still has a lovely airy soft texture, and my first taste, slathered in peanut butter, was amazing! The closest I’ve found to a ‘real’ bread, I love it, thank you!
Lisa says
So glad it came out so beautifully for you Melanie!
Sue says
I love this! Thanks
Lisa says
You’re welcome!
Angela says
I made this bread last night. I followed the recipe to a T but I really dislike this bread flavour. It’s my first time using psyllium husks so maybe that could be a reason? I also don’t like the grainy texture, I’m guessing from the Chia seeds. I’ll really disappointed…
Lisa says
If you do not like multi-grain type breads, this recipe isn’t for you.
Sheila says
Just baked this looks great just like yours smells amazing..but…really funny bubbly texture…like the egg yolks are still not cooked or is that bubbly kind of texture due to the chia??? 325 for 70 minutes…have just popped it back in for another 10 minutes.Just checked the temp still not up there after 80 mins.Do you have a convection oven or forced air or gas??? As I would assume all of these would make a difference?
Lisa says
I do use a convection oven. I’m not sure what you mean by bubbly, but I did have air pockets in mine.
Sandy says
Hi! I want to try this but I am not to keen on using the seeds. Two questions: Do you think it will affect the bread very much to nix them (aside from nutrition)? How do you determine the nutrition value of your recipes (do you manually add everything up and then divide by the number of servings)?
Thanks! I’m excited to try this! I’m so glad you offered this recipe.
Lisa says
You should be able to eliminate the seeds, but you’ll lose volume so you may want to up the other ingredients.
Leigh says
Hello, I made the bread and the texture was wonderful. The closest to wheat bread of any low carb gluten free recipe that I have tried. I was just wondering if I could use a bit more Flax seed flour or almond flour to help cut down on the psyllium taste? The psyllium was a bit overpowering. Thanks!
Lisa says
I haven’t tried that, but it would be worth experimenting with.
Laura Gay says
Do you suppose this would work in a muffin pan? Thanks
Lisa says
I don’t see why not. You’ll just have to adjust the cooking time.
Slavka says
2is there anything I could replace the egg whites?
Lisa says
You could try chia eggs, but I haven’t tested those.
Gordana says
I just made this bread and I am thrilled with the results. It is my very first keto bread and I did not expect to be as good as it is, it exceeded my expectations! The texture is great, and I like the taste as well. I measured out everything on the scale, in grams. Thank you for this wonderful recipe Lisa 🙂
Lisa says
Thanks for letting us know how well it worked out for you Gordana!
Maxine Wright says
Hi Lisa, Thank you for this recipe this bread is perfect and I have tried dozens of recipes but nothing like this one..Cheers Maxine
Lisa says
You’re very welcome Maxine. I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
DonnaB says
Hi I have never used egg white before does it need to be whisked prior to being added to the mix or straight in? Sorry if this is a dumb question I’m new to low carb eating and really missing bread at the moment
Lisa says
I did not whisk it first before using. However, it may add more rise to the bread if that’s done first and the egg white is gently folded into the batter.
Elaine Roveroni says
Mine sunk in the middle. Any thoughts on this? Thanks
Lisa says
It was either mixed too much or not completely cooked. Hard to say. Did you go by the internal temperature to test doneness? If so, it was likely over processed.
Lena Raffa says
O my goodness Lisa this is the best low Carb bread ive ever made and I’ve made a few. My partner also loves it. The weight & texture of real bread. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’ve made it twice in 3 days. I went out & purchased some of the small disposable bread /loaf tin. Perfect for that size. It’s a game charger in our keto lifestyle.
Lisa says
Thanks so much Lena! I’m glad you love it as much as I do. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
This looks wonderful! It reminds me of those “super seed” breads I used to buy a long time ago, before I started eating low carb and gluten-free. I need to try this!
Lisa says
The seeds really make the bread!
Melissa says
Hi, what temp oven do I need, I am attempting this now but can’t see the oven temp? Thanks
Lisa says
I’m pretty sure it was 325F. I’ll double check and update the recipe.
Fionna says
Does this bread go green from the sunflower and pumpkin seeds?
Lisa says
Pumpkin seeds are green, but the bread didn’t go green for me.
Sarah Cole says
Just want to double-check. Does this really call for 1 1/4 cups egg white? Seems like a lot. Can’t wait to try the recipe. I love seeds!
Lisa says
That is the amount I used. A large egg contains about 2 tablespoons egg whites and you need to double that to replace one egg. So, 1 1/4 cups egg whites equals about 5 eggs. Hope that helps!
Sarah says
Can i used the eggjolks to?
Lisa says
You can, but it may make it more eggy and negatively affect the taste.