Puffy, soft and crisp like classic naan but this deliciously upgraded vegan keto naan has only about 3g net carbs a piece!
Pin This for later!
Video Tutorial for Vegan Keto Naan
Why Make this Vegan Keto Naan
Each full sized naan is
- packed with plant-based protein (20 grams),
- high in fiber (12.9 grams),
- with about 3 grams net carbs,
- PUFFED so your naan has two distinct layers,
- deliciously soft on the inside with a touch of crispness on the outside!
Personally, I love it because I get to have my favorite curry dishes with REAL NAAN again without triggering my chronic pain! Also, this recipe makes 8 full-sized naan so I get plenty of leftovers. They keep for several days at room temperature or in the fridge. But I love to freeze them as well for longer-term storage.
I love to use the leftover naan for:
- scooping more curries,
- using as a pita for sandwiches, or
- as wraps, plus
- cutting up into small pieces and toasting for “chips”
How to Make Vegan Keto Naan
Make sure to block out enough time to make this recipe from start to finish. Because this is a yeasted dough and we’re working with a very limited amount of carbohydrates for the yeast to feed off of, the timing is pretty important. However, most of this time is spent “resting” the dough. There isn’t much hands-on time until we cook the naan.
Make the Vegan Keto Naan Dough
First, bloom the yeast in warm water enhanced with a teaspoon of maple syrup. Yes, you read that right! Don’t worry, the sugar is used up by the yeast while it makes carbon dioxide to make our dough rise.
Then, add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough forms.
The dough is kneaded until it’s smooth and elastic; about 8 minutes at speed 3 in my stand mixer. If you’re kneading by hand, it will take longer but try to work quickly since timing is so important for this dough.
Note: this step is super-crucial to the puff-abilty of your naan so make sure that dough becomes nice and smooth!
Divide and Shape the Dough
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Fold the edges into the bottom side and pinch to keep the tension on top. Then roll on your work surface to tighten the ball.
They will become firm and stiff during this process so you’ll let them rest afterwards.
Cover and rest for 45 minutes in a warm, draft-free location. Then the gluten within will become relaxed and the dough will become soft again.
Hand stretch the dough balls OR use a rolling pin to flatten into your naan shapes.
Cover the raw naan with damp, clean lint-free kitchen towels and to allow for more rising; one hour in a warm, draft-free location.
After the naan has puffed up to about double in thickness, they are ready to cook.
Cooking your Vegan Keto Naan on the Stove
Heat up a large non-stick pan, brush on a super thin bit of oil, and lay down your first piece. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom is golden brown with, perhaps, a few char marks.
Quickly brush the top with a thin layer of oil, then flip the naan. If all went well, it will puff up!
Continue cooking for another 2 to 4 minutes until the bottom is golden as well.
Transfer the freshly cooked naan to a dish and cover with a clean kitchen towel to hold in the steam.
As you cook the rest of the naan, pay attention to how fast the naan is cooking and adjust your times and/or the heat. Before long, you’ll have eight pieces of lovely puffy naan to enjoy!
Ingredients to Make the BEST Vegan Keto Naan
This low carb bread dough uses the same ingredients as my Vegan Keto Sandwich Rolls, Vegan Keto Bread Loaf, Vegan Keto Pita Bread, and Vegan Keto Pizza Crust with slight variations in quantities. Just like how traditional breads are all made with flour, yeast and salt, my vegan keto doughs all have the same key ingredients that work together to replace the qualities of whole wheat flour while omitting the starch.
In photo, clockwise from top left: salt, nutritional yeast, vital wheat gluten, freshly ground golden flax seed, oat fiber.
I’ve also found that the quality of the ingredients really matters to the success of the recipes. So in this section, I’ll also include links to the exact brands of the ingredients I’ve been using and recommend. Please note that some of the links are Amazon affiliate links. This means, I will earn a small commission if you decide to use them. There is no extra cost to you.
Nutritional Yeast
Because there’s no starch, the flavors that would develop from the yeast fermenting that starch would be missing from our naan. That’s why I add a bit of nutritional yeast for its savory flavor. You can also add other seasonings like garlic or onion powder, spices, or herbs.
Oat Fiber
With zero net carbs, this Oat Fiber adds bulk to the dough as well as a lovely toasty aroma during cooking. However, please be careful not to confuse it with Oat Flour which is made with whole oats and is very high in carbs. In contrast, Oat Fiber is made from the indigestible husks of oats.
Another thing to watch out for is the nutrition label. While the Anthony’s brand of Organic Oat Fiber I use is completely made of fiber, some that I’ve seen online are not so please check the label before purchasing.
When working with oat fiber, be careful because this ingredient is extremely light. It’s easy to kick up a cloud of dusty oat fiber so please be gentle. Also, for accurate measuring, a scale is best. I have stopped including “cup and spoon” based measurements for recipes with this ingredient because it’s just too easy to screw up.
Photo below: Vegan Keto Sandwich Rolls
Golden Flax Seeds
Flax seeds help this dough retain moisture and adds bulk to the dough without weighing it down and preventing rising (something too much oat fiber can do). I choose Golden Flax Seeds over regular brown flax seeds because they have a milder flavour and give a lighter, nicer appearance to the rolls.
Buy only whole flax seeds. They are less delicate and less prone to rancidity when kept intact. I store them in the fridge for maximum freshness and longevity. Before using, I always give them a sniff to double-check they haven’t gone off. Then grind just before I need them. Always be careful not to let them overheat. This way the oil inside stays fresh.
Also, these days I sift the ground flax seeds in a wire mesh sieve before adding them to the recipe. I find the crumb comes out nicer that way.
You may be tempted to buy pre-ground golden flax seed. Unfortunately, some commenters have reported trying my vegan keto bread recipes with pre-ground flax and having mixed results.
Flax Alternative: Chia Seeds
I actually enjoy the taste of this vegan keto naan made with chia seeds instead of flax seeds. However, chia does change the appearance. It will look more like whole wheat brown bread. And the fluffy interior of the naan tends to be a bit drier compared to using flax.
To substitute, measure out the same weight of chia seeds. Then grind and sift them as you would with the flax and use the same way.
Vital Wheat Gluten
The gluten in wheat flour is what creates structure in bread and allows it to rise and keep its shape. But instead of using the whole wheat that includes so much starch, we can use only the protein part: Vital Wheat Gluten. However, too much of it will make your dough too tough and chewy plus have an unpleasant doughy flavour. So it’s important to mix in the flax and oat fiber. Also, I like to use Anthony’s brand of Vital Wheat Gluten especially because it has less of that distinct “gluten-y” flavour.
Oil
You’ll need to brush a tiny bit of oil on to the hot non-stick pan before laying down the raw naan. Then after it’s cooked on one side, you’ll want to brush on a little oil on the top before flipping. This oil helps to crisp the outside and improves the flavor. Plus, it seems to help with heat-transfer.
I tested cooking these naan without oil and they did not puff up. So if you do not mind that and you prefer to cook without oil, you can omit it.
How to Store Vegan Keto Naan
I love to freeze the naan so I can have perfect crisp yet soft naan anytime! To keep them from freezing into a solid, hard-to-separate block, I put parchment paper between each naan and stack them. Then place the whole stack in a freezer bag, press out any air, and seal. You can keep them in the freezer for up to a month.
To reheat, I air fry at 400°F for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how soft or crispy I want the naan to be.
If you’re eating the naan within a week though, you can simply place it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
If you don’t have room in your fridge, your naan will be fine for a couple days on your kitchen counter. Just keep it in a bread box or bag.
Nutritional Info for Vegan Keto Naan
This recipe makes 8 full-sized servings of vegan keto naan. For the nutrition information, I plugged the ingredients straight into Cronometer. However, please keep in mind that Cronometer does not account for the yeast’s action in transforming sugar into carbon dioxide and ethanol which evaporates during cooking. So the carbohydrate count is a little on the higher than the actual.
Vegan Keto Naan
Delicious, puffy vegan keto NAAN with 20g protein, 14g fiber, and (less than) 3.4g net carbs!
Ingredients
WET
- 7g instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
- 7g maple syrup or sugar (1 tsp)
- 350ml warm water @ 110°F (1 ½ cup)
DRY
- 100g Golden Flax Seed, freshly ground and sifted
- 100g Oat Fiber
- 175g Vital Wheat Gluten
- 6g nutritional yeast (1 tbsp)
- 4g salt (1/2 to 3/4 tsp)
ALSO
- 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- In the mixer, combine yeast, maple syrup, and warm water. Let bloom for 5 minutes.
- Add dry ingredients. Stir to form dough. Knead @ speed 3 for 8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Divide and shape into 8 balls. Make the tops smooth as you can. If they get difficult to shape, cover and rest for 15 minutes before continuing. Place on a lightly oiled tray and flatten each piece (it will spring back so just do your best). Cover and rest in a warm, draft-free location for 45 minutes.
- Roll out or hand stretch the relaxed and puffy naan dough pieces so they are about 1/4" thick. Check that they will fit on your frying pan (1 or 2 at a time). Cover with clean damp kitchen towels and rest another 60 minutes in a warm location.
- Use medium high and a large non-stick pan. When the pan is hot, brush on a little oil and lay down your first naan. Cook 2 - 4 minutes until bottom is golden brown. Brush top with a thin layer of oil and flip. If all went well, it will puff up. Cook another 3 - 4 minutes until other side is golden brown.
- Repeat with rest of the naan but keep adjusting the time/temperature to prevent over-charring.
Notes
Oat Fiber - I use Anthony's brand as it's zero net carb. Other brands may not be zero carb.
Vital Wheat Gluten - Again, I use Anthony's brand as it is the best tasting without a strong "gluten-y" odor
Can't have Flax? Use chia instead. Grind it just like the flax seed first.
Do you know if there is a way to make these gluten free?
There isn’t. The gluten is an essential part of this recipe.
Is it possible to use pysllium husks instead of oat fiber?
Sorry, Janet. That won’t work.
Mary, what brand nutritional yeast do you use?
Have you developed a sourdough recipe yet?
Thanks for the energy you put into these?
Hi Joni
I appreciate your comment!
To answer your first question, I often use Bob’s Red Mill nutritional yeast. Lately I am using Noochylicious which is just as good but is not fortified.
As for sourdough, I don’t have plans to make a keto sourdough at the moment. Just too many different projects happening in my kitchen atm.
Cheers,
Mary
Hi, Could I use bamboo fiber instead of oat fiber?
Thank you.
Hi Cat,
I think it could work. However, I haven’t been able to try bamboo fiber myself (it’s way too expensive in Canada at the moment).
Some commenters have used it in my other keto bread recipes and said that it seems to absorb more water. So if you decide to give it a try, I would advise using less at first and see how it goes.
Hope that helps,
Mary
Thank you
I always use bamboo fiber in Marys recipes and they work out well 😊
Thank you for your recipe! We just made it and unfortunately only 1 of 8 of the naan actually rose and made a pocket but the others were tasty just the same. I wonder if it was the way it was rolled out? Is there a specific technique to how it needs to be rolled out?
Thanks for another wonderful recipe Mary!
Hi Kate,
Glad to hear you enjoyed this vegan keto naan regardless! There’s no special way to roll them out. In the video, I hand stretched half of them and rolled out half of them. The only ones that didn’t puff were when I did not brush on oil during cooking. I believe it affects the evenness of heat-transfer from pan to the naan.
Another technique I’ve heard of is using water if you don’t want to use oil. I haven’t tried it myself yet though.
Lately, I just want to reiterate how important it is for the dough to be very well kneaded before shaping them. Also, keep them covered while they are “waiting in line” to be cooked.
Please let me know if these tips help for your next batch.
Mary
Hi Mary, I just found your website and am very excited by your low carb vegan recipes. I also saw you made homemade pasta 10 years ago. Can I inspire you to adapt what you’re doing with low carb bread to homemade low carb vegan pasta? (!??)
lol if only you knew how long I’ve been trying! Nothing that I’d be proud to share yet…but I won’t give up 🙂