Gluten-Free Porridge Bread (Easy Seed Bread, No Yeast)

Makes store-bought bread hard to go back to!

This hearty sliceable Gluten-Free No-Yeast Porridge Bread is packed with flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds for a satisfying, fiber-rich loaf with a deliciously chewy texture. Unlike traditional homemade bread, there's no yeast or kneading required.

Gluten-free Porridge Bread (Seed Bread) made with no yeast sliced on a cutting board.

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Made with simple whole-food ingredients, this easy seed bread is naturally vegan and can be made gluten-free with certified gluten-free oats and quinoa flakes. Psyllium husk binds everything together, creating a sturdy, sliceable loaf that's perfect for toast, sandwiches, or topping with nut butter. Similar to Mestemacher bread.

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🔍 Quick Look: No-Yeast Porridge Seed Bread
👩🏽‍⚕️ Dietitian's Note
👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🌱 Substitutions
📝 How to Make No-Yeast Porridge Bread with Flax Seeds
🌿 Variations
✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips
🍞 What To Eat with Porridge Bread
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍽️ Related Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
Gluten-Free No-Yeast Porridge Bread Recipe
🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
💬 Comments

🔍 Quick Look: No-Yeast Porridge Seed Bread

⏱️ Hands On Time: 5 minutes
💧Soak Time: 6 hours
🥣 Rest time: 25 minutes
🎛️ Cook Time: 90 minutes
👥 Servings: 10
📊 Calories: ~200 kcal (based on nutrition panel)
👩🏽‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Nutty, hearty, and savory with a satisfying chewy texture and the rich, toasted flavor of flax, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds.
💪🏼 Nutrition: 8 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber. Each slice provides approximately 28% of the Daily Value for magnesium, 17% for zinc, and 13% for iron.
⭐ Difficulty: Easy. No yeast, kneading, or bread-making experience is required.

👩🏽‍⚕️ Dietitian's Note

This No-Yeast Porridge Bread, inspired by Mestemacher-style breads, combines several ingredients I particularly like for supporting heart and metabolic health.

Oats provide beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber associated with lowering LDL cholesterol when consumed regularly in sufficient amounts as part of an overall heart-healthy diet.

Flax seeds contribute fiber and ALA omega-3 fatty acids, while pumpkin and sunflower seeds provide unsaturated fats, plant-based protein, and minerals.

Psyllium is another source of viscous soluble fiber. It forms a gel in the digestive tract that can help reduce cholesterol absorption and increase the excretion of bile acids. The liver then uses cholesterol to make additional bile acids, which can contribute to lower LDL cholesterol.

The combination of whole grains, seeds, and psyllium also makes this loaf substantially different nutritionally from many conventional breads made primarily from refined flour.

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

These Gluten-Free Seed Bread is delicious and easy to slice. Plus, it's:

A no-yeast homemade bread recipe: This easy no yeast bread comes together without proofing or complicated bread-making techniques.
Packed with seeds: Flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds add texture, healthy fats, plant-based protein, fiber, and minerals.
Made with whole grains: Steel-cut oats and quinoa flakes make this porridge bread hearty and satisfying.
Easy to make: Mix everything in one bowl, let it rest, press it into the pan, and bake.
Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free steel-cut oats and quinoa flakes for a naturally gluten-free bread.
Freezer-friendly: The dense, hearty slices store and freeze well and are delicious toasted.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.

Steel cut oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, quinoa flakes, psyllium husks, and apple cider vinegar.

Steel-cut oats form the hearty whole-grain base of this porridge bread. Soaking them for 6 to 7 hours softens the pieces enough for baking while maintaining their pleasantly chewy texture. Do not soak them for significantly longer, and drain them very thoroughly before adding them to the bread mixture.
Whole flax seeds give this loaf its characteristic seed bread texture while adding fiber and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. They also make this a particularly nutrient-dense flax seed bread.
Sunflower seeds add crunch, plant-based protein, unsaturated fats, vitamin E, and minerals.
Pumpkin seeds add a delicious nutty flavor along with protein, magnesium, iron, and zinc.
Quinoa flakes help fill the spaces between the larger oats and seeds, giving the loaf a more cohesive texture. You can also use oat flakes. For gluten-free bread, use quinoa flakes or certified gluten-free oat flakes.
Psyllium husk is essential for holding this no yeast bread together. Once hydrated, it forms a gel-like structure that binds the oats and seeds so the finished loaf can be sliced. Psyllium is also particularly rich in soluble, viscous fiber.
Apple cider vinegar adds subtle acidity and balances the hearty flavor of the oats and seeds.
A small amount of fine sea salt enhances the nutty flavors. You can reduce or omit it for a lower-sodium loaf.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🌱 Substitutions

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.

Quinoa flakes: Quinoa flakes work best in this recipe. For a substitute, use the same amount of oat flakes-quick oats are the closest match, followed by rolled oats. For gluten-free bread, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Pumpkin seeds: Replace them with additional sunflower seeds.
Sunflower seeds: Replace them with additional pumpkin seeds.
Apple cider vinegar: Use an equal amount of another mild vinegar, such as white wine vinegar.
Steel-cut oats: I do not recommend replacing the steel-cut oats with whole oat groats in this recipe. Their larger size can overwhelm the loaf and make it harder to slice cleanly.
Psyllium husk: I do not recommend omitting the psyllium. It is a structural ingredient that helps bind this no yeast bread.

📝 How to Make No-Yeast Porridge Bread with Flax Seeds

The complete recipe with exact amounts is below. These additional tips will help you get the best results.

Stick to the soaking time. Six to seven hours softens the steel-cut oats enough that they are pliable without allowing them to become overly waterlogged.

Drained soaked steel cut oats in a fine mesh sieve.

Drain the oats very well. After soaking, excess water can alter the hydration of the loaf and make the center too moist.

Drained soaked steel cut oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, quinoa flakes, and psyllium husks mized in a glass bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.

Drained soaked steel cut oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, quinoa flakes, psyllium husks, water, and apple cider vinegar mixed into a dough in a glass bowl.

Add the wet to dry and mix thoroughly. Psyllium needs to be distributed evenly throughout the mixture. Do not skip the resting time. Those 25 to 30 minutes allow the psyllium to absorb water and create the structure that holds this seed bread together.

No yeast seed bread batter in a loaf pan.

Pack it firmly. Once the mixture is in the loaf pan, press it down firmly across the entire surface, including the corners. Air pockets can make the finished bread more likely to crumble.

Bake low and slow. The lower oven temperature and longer bake time help the moisture gradually evaporate, giving this dense porridge bread a firmer, more sliceable texture without over-browning the outside.

Gluten-free Porridge Bread (Seed Bread) made with no yeast on a cooling rack.

Cool before slicing. The loaf continues to set as it cools. Cutting into it while very hot can compromise the texture.

Homemade no yeast bread on a cutting board showing the side view.

Check the sides. The loaf should look beautifully golden and feel firm and sturdy, especially along the sides.

Gluten-free homemade Seed Bread on a cutting board showing the base view.

Check the bottom. This firm base is a good sign that enough moisture has baked off for clean, easy slicing once cooled.

No yeast gluten-free homemade seed porridge bread sliced on a plate with psyllium jelly.

Toast it (optional). Like many dense whole-grain seed breads, the texture and nutty flavor are especially good toasted. Add a dollop of Psyllium Jelly for even more cholesterol-lowering benefits.

🌿 Variations

Extra-Flax Seed Bread

Replace some of the sunflower or pumpkin seeds with additional whole flaxseeds for an even more seed-forward loaf.

Gluten-Free Porridge Bread

Use certified gluten-free steel-cut oats and certified gluten-free oat flakes, or use quinoa flakes. Oats are naturally gluten-free but can be cross-contaminated during growing and processing, so certification is important for people who need to strictly avoid gluten.

Lower-Sodium Bread

Reduce the salt or leave it out entirely. The toasted seeds still provide plenty of nutty flavor.

Toasted Seed Bread

For a deeper, nuttier flavor, lightly toast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds before mixing them into the dough. Let them cool before using.

✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips

Let the porridge bread cool completely before storing. Store the loaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Because this homemade bread contains no preservatives and is naturally moist, refrigeration is preferable to leaving it at room temperature for several days.

For the best texture, toast refrigerated slices before serving.

Meal Prep

This flax seed bread is ideal for meal prep because you can bake one loaf, slice it, and keep individual portions ready to toast throughout the week.

For longer storage, slice the completely cooled loaf and freeze the slices with parchment between them. This makes it easy to remove only what you need. Toast individual slices directly from frozen or thaw them first.

🍞 What To Eat with Porridge Bread

This Psyllium Jelly is hard to beat. It takes just a few minutes to make and transforms psyllium husks into a lightly sweet, spoonable jelly.

Make this delicious and healthy Chia Seed Jam recipe using ground chia seeds for maximum health benefits.

Creamy, tangy, and dairy-free, this nut-free Protein Cream Cheese is made with protein-packed super-firm tofu, miso, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs.

Boost plant-based protein with this Lentil Bean Dip, combining creamy beans and lentils with bold flavors.

5-minute Protein Guacamole with plant-based protein and spinach! This healthy protein-packed dip tastes incredible!

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

What is porridge bread?

Porridge bread is a hearty bread made with oats or other grains that have been soaked, cooked, or softened before baking. This version uses soaked steel-cut oats with seeds, quinoa flakes, and psyllium for a dense, rustic loaf without yeast or kneading.

Is this porridge bread gluten-free?

It can be. Use certified gluten-free steel-cut oats and certified gluten-free oat flakes, or choose quinoa flakes. While oats themselves do not naturally contain gluten, regular oats may be contaminated with gluten-containing grains during processing.

Is this the same as seed bread?

This is a type of seed bread because it contains generous amounts of flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Steel-cut oats give it the hearty texture of porridge bread, while psyllium helps bind the loaf.

Does homemade bread need to be refrigerated?

This moist, flourless-style seed bread is best stored in the refrigerator once completely cooled. Refrigeration helps maintain freshness, and individual slices are excellent reheated in the toaster.

Do I need to grind the flaxseeds?

No. This recipe uses whole flaxseeds intentionally for texture. The psyllium husk is responsible for much of the binding, so there is no need to grind the flaxseeds for the loaf to hold together.