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Been missing sandwiches or bread while on the AIP Diet (Autoimmune Paleo Protocol)? This easy-to-make flatbread may be the answer to your dreams!
Table of contents
- Life Without Bread?
- Paleo Naan Bread to the Rescue
- AIP Flatbread Video
- AIP Flatbread Tips and Tricks
- Using Tigernut Flour Vs Cassava Flour
- Freezing the AIP Flatbread for Later
- Troubleshooting
- You May Need
- Use this Flatbread with the AIP Gyro Wrap
- More Helpful AIP & Paleo Resources in the Freebie Library
- AIP Flatbread Recipe
- You May Also Like
Life Without Bread?
There are people in this world that hear they can't have bread again, shrug and go on their merry way.
I am NOT one of them.
When I first heard I was Celiac and wouldn't be able to have glutenous, crusty french bread, pita bread, and pretty much anything else that had made up the majority of my diet my whole life, I was crushed. I mean, what was the point?
And then to make matters worse, as soon as I learned I was Celiac I went straight onto AIP. No eggs and no almond flour meant even fewer options – even my beloved Paleo muffins and quick bread were out.
Now mind you, this was back in 2014, the Dark Ages of AIP. Even pancakes were rare. Today there are MANY more options luckily.
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Yet, even when I went back on AIP for a few months in 2018 I still missed some sort of way to make sandwiches. My kids were a lot older this time around and that meant we were constantly going out on adventures every weekend. Sandwiches would have just made things easier – easier to tote around, not have to have completely chilled, not need a fork and knife – the list goes on and on.
I heavily relied on Squirrel in the Kitchen's crepe recipe from her book Simple French Paleo to make simple wraps, and while they were great, I wanted something a little more substantial.
See Also: The ULTIMATE Guide to the AIP Diet – Everything you need to know to be successful
Paleo Naan Bread to the Rescue
Fast forward a few months later when I was back on regular ole' Paleo (what I typically eat to keep my Hashimoto's and Celiac diseases under control) and I made a regular favorite recipe of ours – My Heart Beet's Paleo Naan.
Now if you've never had Ashley's Paleo Naan, you must do it. Well, if you aren't currently on AIP or can have almond flour that is. It's freakin delicious, makes the BEST side for curries, Indian Butter Chicken, and well, any other Indian dish you can think of. I've even passed this recipe on to non-Paleo Indian friends and they've loved it, plus I've served it to countless non-Paleo friends and they rave over it. So try it.
One evening recently I was making some of this Paleo Naan as a side to an Indian dish and wondered to myself – what if I replaced the almond flour with cassava flour to make it AIP-compliant?
So the next day I set about trying it out. It took a few tries as the ratios weren't exactly the same, but once I hit on the right ration I was PSYCHED!
I tried it again with tigernut flour and again, success. I know some of ya hate cassava flour, so I'm lookin' out for you 🙂
After making a ton of batches to make sure it wasn't a fluke, I decided to share it with you.
AIP Flatbread Video
For a full explanation of the process, watch this video on YouTube.
AIP Flatbread Tips and Tricks
To make this a successful recipe I have these tips for you:
• Use a small non-stick crepe pan if possible, as that will work the best for this. If you have to use a larger non-stick pan that's fine, you may have to cut your flatbread in half once you cook it to make it manageable and you might also have to cook it longer. When I've used a large pan I've almost doubled the time per side.
• The batter should be runny, not super thick. If you need to, add more milk or water to make it this way.
• I state in the recipe to cook it 4 minutes a side at first, and then you may have to adjust the time downwards as your pan gets hotter. This is a good starting point, but if you notice your breads are gummy in the middle or aren't flipping easily, give it more time. They will bubble up at first and then once the bubbles recede you can flip them.
• I like to put these on a baking rack after cooking to let them get air all around them. If you do not have a rack you can put them on a plate, but they tend to get a bit sticky/gummy/wet if you stack them before they are completely cool. So make sure to not stack them.
Using Tigernut Flour Vs Cassava Flour
I liked both the cassava flour version and the tigernut flour version, but I did notice that the tigernut flour version was a bit sweeter, darker, and also seemed to be a bit thinner. It seemed like a thick crepe to me.
The cassava flour one felt and tasted a lot more like a traditional pita bread or naan than the tigernut one.
Unfamiliar with either tigernut flour or cassava flour? See AIP Foods You May Not Be Familiar With
It really is up to you what one you'd make, but if you can't decide, I'd go with tigernut for a sweeter application (maybe a jam and tigernut butter wrap?) and with cassava flour for a savory sandwich (like the gyro wraps I'll share next week).
Freezing the AIP Flatbread for Later
One of my favorite parts of this recipe is that they freeze BEAUTIFULLY. This to me is a game changer in itself.
To freeze, simply make up a batch (or 2 or 3) and then put a piece of parchment paper in between each bread. Put into a bag or freezer-safe container and freeze.
When you want to eat them, remove one or more from the freezer, thaw on the countertop or in the fridge for a few hours, over low heat in a pan or in the oven for a few minutes, or in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Then use as desired.
I now have a batch of this in my freezer ready to go any time I need to have a sandwich ready to go in minutes, or have some sort of bready side to go with a curry, etc.
Troubleshooting
As soon as I posted this video on YouTube some viewers took to their kitchens to make this bread and helpfully shared some tips that may help you as well:
- This recipe does not do well on stainless steel pans, use a nonstick pan if possible.
- I used Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk with no guar gum but a viewer (Jen G, thanks!) used Golden Star Coconut Milk and had to add some water to make it less thick. She stated she was able to get 7-8 flatbreads out of the recipe as a result.
- A nonstick griddle can work as well (thanks GeekGirlGA!)
- You can put them back over the heat if you discover they aren't done
- I used Anthony's Cassava Flour and Organic Gemini Tigernut Flour – you may have different results with different brands (update: it sounds like Bob's Redmill Cassava flour and Lya Cassava flour lead to gummy breads – so do NOT use these. So interesting how cassava flour can differ so much between brands!)
- IF you do get a gummy flatbread, some people have reported that putting them in the microwave for 10-30 seconds seems to get rid of some of the gumminess. Again, I think this is based on the cassava flour you use, but this may help!
You May Need
These are the things I found helpful for making this recipe:
8-inch non-stick pan (this is the frying pan I used but you can also use a crepe pan)
A baking cooling rack for letting the air flow around the breads as they cool
I personally like Anthony's Cassava Flour the best, but use whatever brand you're loyal to
I like the Native Forest Simple brand of guar gum-free coconut milk, but there are several others. You can also make homemade milk.
Use this Flatbread with the AIP Gyro Wrap
One of my favorite ways to use this flatbread is with my AIP Gyro Wraps!
The meat is actually pretty easy to make, and it freezes well, so you can have a genuine-tasting gyro sandwich in minutes from frozen!
More Helpful AIP & Paleo Resources in the Freebie Library
If you find this recipe helpful, you may really enjoy the resources in my Paleo & AIP Freebie Library! There's a “dump” freezer meal plan, a list of AIP-compliant breakfast toppings, and so much more. Plus, you'll get even more ideas sent to your inbox! Get the password here.
AIP Flatbread Recipe
I hope you enjoy these flatbreads! If you make them I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!
AIP Flatbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 13.5 oz can Coconut Milk (OR use 1.5 cups homemade Coconut Milk or Tigernut Milk per 4 tortillas)
- 3/4 cup Cassava Flour (OR Tigernut Flour)
- 3/4 cup Tapioca Flour (OR Arrowroot Powder)
- 1 Pinch Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat a small nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Mix all of the ingredients into a bowl. If using tigernut flour, really make sure all of the lumps are broken apart (it really likes to clump). Make sure the batter is somewhat runny, you don't want it really thick. Add water or more milk if necessary.
- Pour enough batter into the pan to cover the bottom of the pan + about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. These are a tad bit thicker than crepes.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, adjusting the time up above 4 min if the batter doesn't look completely dry when you flip it, and adjust the time down if you get too many brown or black spots. Black or brown spots are totally fine, just don't want to burn these!
- You'll notice that the cooking time will get less as you continue to cook the breads, since the pan gets hotter. If the bread is gummy inside it needs to be cooked longer. (This all sounds kind of fussy and complicated but trust me, you'll figure it out after a few – it's just different pans, cassava flours, coconut milks, amount of heat, etc all makes it a little bit different for everyone).
Notes
Nutrition
I ground my dried tiger nuts into flour and used that with tapioca flour. It’s so good. I’m so happy to have an easy recipe that I can make anytime I’m feeling like I need more calories or am craving bread.
Happy to have something resembling bread. I know understand why the cooling rack. I found the combination started thickening up really fast. I did add water and wanted to play on the safe side.
Made these for the first time and I loved them. So easy and great ingredients. The consistency was chewy but I liked them that way because it was able to wrap everything inside without the wrap breaking.
OMG that is good! I think it taste even better than the regular wheat ones. I used cassava, tapioca, full-fat coconut milk, a little bit of water and a bit more salt than suggested.
Do you have any recommendations for a non toxic non stick pan?
Not really, unfortunately. I’ve seen so many different, conflicting studies on non-stick pans, etc that I’ve just given up and make sure instead that I use a nonstick pan that doesn’t have any holes in the nonstick coating. I think the majority of the issue is when there are holes…
Thank you Michele! I completely understand. Sometimes the research is solid and sometimes after all the digging we find we have more questions than what we started with. All we can do is our best.
I do have a second question. If you don’t have an answer, no worries. Since I don’t have a non stick pan, I’ve attempts to make the wraps in a cast iron skillet. I used the cassava and tapioca flours. They are browning up on the outside but the inside isn’t setting. The best way I can describe the consistency would be to compare with mochi. I’ve tried turning the heat down really low and cooking them longer but it doesn’t seem to change the result. I’m stumped. Lol
Though i haven’t tried this recipe, Cassava has a chewy consistency when cooked in most bread/tortilla recipes. Most people think it’s raw, but it’s not. I grew up eating it and it’s a texture many are not used to. Mochi is a good description.😊 💜
I appreciate your honesty Michele, non-stick toxins are a big deal to me. I use stainless steel but it obviously does not work quite as well. Thanks for encouraging us!
I’m just making a double batch in my cast iron pan and it’s working very well! I know cast iron can seem tricky, but this one is just a lodge brand pan from the hardware store that’s sold pre-seasoned (I think all Lodge cast iron is sold seasoned) and I maintain it by avoiding water sitting in it and occasionally wiping a fresh layer of oil in the clean pan.
I use non stick ceramic. Great alrternative to teflon.
Is it possible to make the batter for this and keep it the fridge until your ready to make them? I’ve made bug batches of these and they are great but get really hard if you don’t eat them right away. TIA
I’ve never tried to make them after keeping the batter for a while but I’d imagine it should work. Have you tried freezing them? That’s my favorite way of storing them. I just put parchment in between each one and put them in a ziploc bag and then into the freezer. When I need one I take one out and either microwave it for like 20-30 seconds, or put it in a pan on the stove for a few minutes a side to warm up. Super quick and convenient.
I loved this recipe. I made mine in a small 7” skillet so this recipe made so many for me! I put the unused mixture in the fridge and came back a couple of days later. It had thickened a lot and I thinned out. Sadly, the batter didn’t cook like it did the first time. My pan was smoking (on Med-low) and my bread wouldn’t set. My recommendation is to use all the batter ASAP.
I had a little trouble at first. They were coming out really gummy. But after I thinner the batter (I used 1 cup of water) they came out nice and crisp. They may not be like pitas, but I love them. This is an excellent recipe, I just could find the recommended cassava flour. Even my husband likes these and he is pretty selective on the foods he eats.
Hi- I’m three weeks into the AIP journey and struggling with what is meant by coconut milk sometimes. In this recipe, do you use the entire can, cream included, or do you skim the cream off and just use the liquid? Thanks!
Yes, the entire can. Typically if a recipe refers to coconut milk it is the entire can – but you should mix all of the contents together to make it one cohesive liquid.
These were delicious.
Can the batter be frozen in individual portions? If I make a whole batch I tend to eat more than one 😆
Yes – if you watch the video I show you how to do that with parchment paper! 😀
Best flatbread recipe ever! I mix in water for a thinner crepe-style roll up, which I prefer for my “sandwiches”.
I love this flatbread recipe!
I have made these 3 ways – with coconut and cassava, with homemade tiger nut milk and cassava, and with homemade tiger nut milk and tiger nut flour. All of them worked well, but I did have some gumminess with the cassava and I prefer the tiger nut milk to the coconut milk. Next time I’ll try the 1/2 cassava 1/2 tigernut flour.
Thank you for the great recipe. Total game changer for me!