This gluten-free honey oat bread is delicious and made with wholesome ingredients! Perfect for sandwiches or fresh out of the oven with honey butter!
I’ve been a bread lover ever since I could remember. My mom says that even while pregnant with me, she craved soft, doughy bread often. This odd, bread-loving gene has also passed to my children. We’re like the bread-eating version of the Cookie Monster 😉
I used to make homemade bread and rolls often and the batch would usually be eaten before the end of the day. I even had to start “rationing” out daily portions, just so the bread would last into the next day! I know, it sounds a bit ridiculous, but it worked!
Several years ago, I started getting migraines and really bad stomach pains after eating certain foods which contained gluten and dairy. I was really sad when I had to give up many of my favorite foods because of this newly developed sensitivity. I searched everywhere for comparable foods, but they’re pretty difficult to find. The good tasting ones are anyway.
I’ve found that gluten and dairy free foods taste much better when you make them from scratch. For some reason, many of the store-bought products, especially breads, taste like cardboard. I’m not sure where the disconnect is, but it is possible to make soft, gluten-free baked goods, including bread!
This bread will forever replace the frozen, rock hard, super tiny, gluten-free bread loaves we spent a fortune on at the store. This bread is soft, slightly dense with a little chew, includes whole grains, and is free of dairy and refined sugar. It’s perfect for sandwiches or slathered with a bit of honey-cinnamon butter! I hope you enjoy it!
Gluten-Free Honey Oat Bread
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 mins
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
A soft, gluten-free bread loaf perfect for sandwiches or sliced with honey butter! Also dairy and refined sugar free.
Ingredients
YEAST MIXTURE:
- 1.5 cups warm milk (I used plain unsweetened almond milk)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 pkg yeast
BREAD INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups Brown Rice Flour
*
- 2/3 cups Potato Starch
*
- 1/3 cup Tapioca Flour
*
- 1 cup Gluten Free Oat Flour
**
- 2 teaspoons Gluten Free Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup olive oil OR 1/4 cup melted and cooled butter
- yeast mixture
- Gluten Free Rolled Oats
, to sprinkle on top (optional)
- *You can also use your favorite cup for cup gluten-free all purpose flour in place of the brown rice flour, potato and tapioca starches, although the texture may vary depending on the brand used. Will equal 3 cups total (Does not include oat flour)
- **You can make your own oat flour by grinding whole oats in a food processor or coffee grinder. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats, if needed.
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl (or pot) combine milk and honey. Heat for 1 minute or until warm to the touch. Sprinkle yeast over and gently mix. Set aside and let proof for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch (or equal an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour) and oat flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum. Mix in eggs and oil, and then carefully pour in proofed yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth. The dough will not be thick like regular dough made with wheat. It will be more like a thick paste (see photo above.) Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula, cover bowl with a clean towel, and set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
- At the end of the hour, dough should have risen to almost double. Scrape mixture into a greased 9×5 loaf pan. Using slightly dampened fingers, smooth the top of the bread. Sprinkle oats on top and cover pan with towel again and let rise again for 45 minutes or so, until bread has risen to the rim of the bread pan, preheating the oven to 350F when you have 10-15 minutes left. Place pan into the preheated oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let cool slightly and remove bread from pan to cool on wire rack. Bread is best eaten fresh. Wrap sliced leftover bread really well and place in a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer and thaw as needed. Makes 1 loaf
- Prep Time: 2 hours 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Bread
Hi Erica, I’ve never tried this without oil, but you may be able to use unsweetened applesauce instead. It may give it a subtle apple flavor, but as long as you don’t mind that it should work fine. 🙂
Looks amazing! Is there a way to substitute the oil/butter it calls for? We’re avoiding oil/butter for health reasons.
Hi Erica, I’ve never tried this without oil, but you may be able to use unsweetened applesauce instead. It may give it a subtle apple flavor, but as long as you don’t mind that it should work fine.
Hi
Can you give a substitute for Tapioca floor?
I have allergies to it:(
Hi Nooshin, I haven’t tried anything else other than tapioca flour, but I’ve heard arrowroot and cornstarch can be used as a substitute. If you do use either arrowroot or cornstarch, you would use half of the 1/3 cup (about 3 tablespoons.) Please let me know how it turns out if you give it a try! 🙂
Can I leave out butter and oil? Or replace with apple?
Hi Laura, you can leave out the butter/oil if you wish, but it improves the texture and adds moisture to the finished product. I’ve never used apple as a replacement, so I’m not sure how it’d turn out, but if you’ve used it as a substitute in the past with success, then it might be worth a try. Let me know how it goes if you do!
I love this recipe! My 3 kiddos & I have Celiac. We buy frozen bread but it’s not great. I have a cooking degree but I have been disappointed with making breads. Cookies, pastries and muffins i make often. I made a couple loaves of this today and it is fantastic!! Even my picky teenager was in heaven. It didn’t fall apart like a lot if GF breads. You can slice it thick or in thin slices. We will be using this recipe often. Thank you!
Aww, that makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for the feedback, Erin! I’m so glad you all enjoyed the bread as much as we do! Thanks again for taking the time to leave a review 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Found this recently and very happy with how easy it is to make and how tasty. I have been making it to make Challah (not braided of course but in a loaf pan). I used flax egg for egg and applesauce to replace oil. Used maple syrup most of times instead of honey. Put sesame seeds or zaatar as topping instead of rolled oats/oat flakes. Thank you for sharingbthis recipe!
How deep was the bread pan that you used? As I used a 9×5 and my bread still came out dense. Also does the bread rise anymore in the oven? As mine only ever reached the top of the bread pan
Hi Ebony, my pan is 9×5 and about 3 inches deep. My dough will usually rise just above the pan, but not much higher than the rim. It doesn’t really rise much more in the oven either. This bread will have a slightly more dense texture than regular sandwich bread but should still be a little fluffy, kind of like banana bread. Did you make any substitutions at all?
Hi, I recently started a FODMAP diet and am not allowed honey, could you please suggest a replacement
thanks,
Hi Jules, any liquid sweetener will work, coconut nectar, agave, etc. Just bear in mind if the flavor is distinct (like maple syrup) your bread may have that subtle flavor. Let me know which you decide on and how it works for you!
I attempted to make this in the bread machine and it completely caved in 🙁 Hopefully, I can still taste it when it’s done!
I’m sorry, I’ve never made it in a bread machine, so I don’t know why it would’ve done that. For best results I recommend making it by hand, using a stand mixer if necessary.
I substituted the milk out a replaced it with Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk yogurt keep it dairy free. It came out delicious!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this miracle bread!!!!
Not yogurt…just the almond milk. My auto correct is at it again. Lol
How does this recipe work in a bread maker? As anyone tried, or will I be the Ginuepig?
Haven’t made it in a bread maker before, but please share your experience if you give it a try! Thanks for all your feedback, Denise! It’s nice to have a soft and delicious gluten-free bread for sandwiches, isn’t it?! Hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend!
I tried in in a bread maker. I used the regular cycle instead of the GF cycle as the rise times lined up better with what is posted here. The bread is delicious, but not as light as posted here. It didn’t rise fully and so has a dense consistency. I just enjoyed a day-old piece, plain, unheated(and I never do that with GF bread). The taste is sweet and reminds me of a challah bread flavor-probably due to the egg and honey.
Thanks for sharing, Nancy. I wonder if the GF cycle does anything different besides change in time, like a different temperature, etc. It does need two good rises to get that fluffy consistency. Glad to hear it was still tasty, though dense. A dense, challah like bread would be perfect for french toast! I need to recreate your scenario and try to make gf challah! 🙂
This bread is amazing! Thank you!!
It is, my whole family loves it!!! It makes great sandwiches for my preschooler!!!
Thank you so much for letting me know, Christy! Glad you enjoyed it!!!
The best gluten free bread so far I have made. Even my Husband who does not like gluten free stuff said this is the best bread ever. Thanks
Wow, thank you for your feedback, Paula! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it so much. My family feels the same! Hope you’re having a great weekend and thanks again for taking the time to comment. 🙂
This sounds great! We also have egg allergy in our family. Has anyone tried this recipe using flax egg substitute? I may try later today, so I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Update: I used flax eggs to replace the eggs. The bread tastes great. Can’t even tell it’s gluten free. Yay! But the consistency is more dense like a banana bread. To be fair, I got distracted and let the dough over-proof (by quite a bit, actually). Will try again and be more careful with timing. Also, used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour blend.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Karen! Glad to know flax eggs work as a substitute for those who are egg-free. Regular eggs help hold the bread together, but also gives it a bit of rise in the oven so the flax substitute may have caused it to be slightly more dense than normal. Happy that you still enjoyed it nonetheless!
I’m wondering if you think this recipe will work if I use homemade sourdough starter in place of the yeast blend. I just started trying gf bread recipes at home and I’m trying to find a simple recipe that isn’t so dense! I’m tired of buying the expensive frozen cardboard. I love my bread. I can’t wait to try this one out. Just thought I’d ask since I have some starter on the counter. Thank you!
Hi Danielle! How cool, I’ve always wanted to try sourdough starter! The only thing is that this recipe uses both yeast and baking powder to give it a more fluffy texture than the store-bought “cardboard” loaves. I’m not sure how baking powder reacts with sourdough (I’ve heard baking soda diminishes the sour flavor) so I would suggest to maybe leave the baking powder out and see how it goes. If you do end up trying it with the starter please let me know how it turns out! I’d love to add a sourdough loaf recipe to the blog in the future!
I found this recipe a few weeks ago and finally got around to it. I used the gf flour blend I had on hand. Unfortunately I only had two cups and it was not fortitfied with xantham gum… Sooooo I took a chance. Added one cup of almond flour that I ground down to be as smooth as possible and threw caution to the wind and ignored the xg.
It came out beautiful. It’s dense, but soft, and perfect toasted with honey butter and my morning Irish breakfast tea!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Shannon! I love your flour variations as well..will have to try adding almond flour next time 🙂 Thanks for your feedback and for the inspiration! Have a wonderful day!!
Oh heaven! This honey oat bread looks super soft, moist and yummy. I love this is so easy and gluten-free too! Ah, and oat sprinkles on top looks so pretty. Bravo, girl! Have a lovely weekend! 🙂
I adore this!! I love that you’ve made a perfect, sweet honey loaf of bread without a fancy bread maker. I am so excited about this! I have a big jar of pumpkin butter and this bread will make an amazing base for that. Thank you!
This bread looks light as a cloud and super fluffy! I haven’t completely cut gluten out of my diet yet, but I’ve slowly been trying to make simple swaps. I can’t stand the frozen cardboard bread from the grocery store. I don’t understand how they can sell it. You’re right, it tastes like cardboard! Your gluten free bread puts theirs to shame!!!
I’ve been searching high and low for an uncomplicated and delicious bread recipe and this one looks divine! Now that grilled cheese season is upon us, I can’t wait to whip up this bread! And I know that it’s going to be delicious, coming from you 🙂
I love this and isn’t it funny we were both on a bread trip this week? It must be the weather.
I have never made bread using milk before. I must try that now. Sounds so lovely.
Thx for inspiring 🙂
Thank you, friend! Yes, I noticed that in one of your photos! I think it’s the time of the year…the cooler weather somehow gets me into the baking mood:) I’ve only ever used milk in bread making, so not sure if there’s much of a difference. Let me know if you notice one! Have a great week, Kimberly!
That looks delicious! Also, those photos look great.
— DT | Here I Scribble
Thank you so much, DT! 🙂
This looks amazing as always! I can’t wait to try this out. I love both bread and oats so this makes for a great combo!
Thanks, Raj! I hope you enjoy it!
This is a great recipe…however I just want you to be aware that whole oats are actually not gluten free. It may work for gluten intolerant individuals, however if you have been diagnosed with “Celiac Disease”, the oats will absolutely rip your intestines to shreds.
I think the recipe overall though is really great – minus the whole oats!!
Thank you, Samantha! You’re absolutely right that regular oats contain traces of gluten. I updated the recipe to specify to use certified gluten-free oats, if needed. Thanks again! 🙂
This looks absolutely amazing!!! I so need to try this, the gluten free is a plus for me! I’m not allergic, but when I have things like chips, pasta, etc my nose gets itchy. Not the end of the world, but I suspect its from the gluten! So eating foods without gluten has been what I’ve been leaning toward more or less. Love the recipe!
xo Adriana – Daily Dose of Design
Thanks, Adriana! Yes, I have a sensitivity to it as well. It has made a world of difference by limiting it in our diet too. With all the substitutions out there now, it’s easy to make your favorite recipes gluten-free so it’s not a sacrifice!
This looks so good! I was just talking to my husband about making homemade breads again because the bread we buy at the store just doesn’t taste as good as freshly made. I’ll have to try your recipe. And with the honey-cinnamon butter, yum! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Kristy! You just can’t beat homemade bread! Please let me know how you like it…and you definitely must make the honey-cinnamon butter too 🙂
Mmm! Delicious, delicious carbs! 😉 This bread looks so soft and the texture is just spot on! And it’s great that you’ve found a gluten free alternative that you can enjoy! Great job with this beautiful recipe! 😀
Haha, yes I love carbs! It was the best gluten-free bread I’ve had..thank you for your kind words, Kennedy!!
This looks so good. The photos are wonderful. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Will be pinning it.
Brooke
Thank you so much, Brooke! I hope you like it!
What a great homemade bread option for those who are gluten free! I love honey!! You’re awesome, Joscelyn 🙂
Aww, you’re sweet! Thank you, it was really yummy! 🙂
ah oh my goodness, I have been searching for a GF bread recipe like this!! i’m such a bread addict, but try to not have it too much.. otherwise i’ll eat the whole basket haha! how well does this bread hold a messy sandwich together? I need to try this- the honey oat flavors would be delicious with cinnamon butter!
I know, I am definitely a bread addict too, haha! This bread has a great consistency and is definitely not crumbly like some others, but has a bit of elasticity and chew. I’d say it would hold well, as long as you cut the pieces a little thicker rather than thinner. We’ve been eating it by the slice with that cinnamon butter, so haven’t gotten to make sandwiches with it yet. Next time, I think I’m going to try some flavor variations 🙂
Can this be made in the breadmaker?
I’m not sure Carla. I’ve never tried it in a bread maker.