Flourless Irish Oat Bread Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: This Flourless Irish Oat Bread recipe yields simple yet delicious slices of oat heaven. With just 6 ingredients, you’ll have the perfect foundation for all of your favorite spreads!

First off, a big THANK YOU to my mum’s friend Mary McManus, whose game-changing recipe this is! I can’t wait to pass on to you because this Irish Oat Bread recipe is easy to make with no proofing, bread machines, or flour! It has got a nutty, toasty, and subtly sweet flavor alongside a beautiful brown crust that everyone can enjoy – and for all my gluten-free bakers, this bread is for you, too!

There’s nothing better than a warm slice of toasted bread in the morning. While you can reach for some store-bought bread, why not put your baking skills to the test by making your own from scratch? 

Though this recipe gives you the basics, you can go wild with healthy mix-ins such as dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. Gather just 6 ingredients and a few tools, and you’ll be on your way to making fresh and delicious Irish Oat Bread in an hour!

Table Of Contents

• What Is Irish Oat Bread
• What’s The Difference Between Irish Oat Bread And Irish Soda Bread?
• Tools You Need To Make Irish Oat Bread
• Ingredients You Need To Make Irish Oat Bread
• How To Make Irish Oat Bread
• Can I Make Irish Oat Bread In Advance?
• How To Store Irish Oat Bread?
• FAQs
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• More Irish Bread Recipes

What Is Irish Oat Bread?

Irish Oat Bread is a traditional type of bread that consists of oats, flour, salt, and buttermilk. It’s known for its tender texture and slightly sweet, nutty flavor. In my version, we’re omitting the flour by using oat flour and incorporating yogurt instead of buttermilk.

Just like many other kinds of bread, Irish Oat Bread pairs nicely with butter, jam, and honey. It’s a great oat bread recipe for beginner bakers, as it only uses a few ingredients and doesn’t require any fancy tools.

What’s The Difference Between Irish Oat Bread And Irish Soda Bread?

You may have heard of Irish Soda Bread and are wondering if it’s the same as Irish Oat Bread. Well, both Irish Oat Bread and Irish Soda Bread are traditional types of bread from Ireland, but they differ in ingredients and texture.

The oats in the Irish Oat Bread give it a chewier, denser texture with a slightly sweet and tangy flavor from the molasses and yogurt. On the other hand, Irish Soda Bread does not contain oats and – although dense – it has a crumblier texture with a more sour taste.

Moreover, Soda Bread traditionally includes a cross mark on the top of the loaf to help the bread cook more evenly and ward off evil spirits. Back in the 19th century, cutting a cross on the top of your bread was believed to let the devil out and bless the bread while baking.

Tools You Need To Make Irish Oat Bread:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• 9×5-inch (23×12½ cm) loaf pan 
• Parchment paper
• Food processor
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Silicone spatula
• Skewer
• Wire cooling rack
• Bread knife

Ingredients You Need To Make Irish Oat Bread:

• Rolled oats: I recommend using old-fashioned (rolled) oats because they grind down very well into fine powder.
• Baking soda: Baking soda is a chemical leavener that will make your bread rise.
• Salt: Just a pinch will bring out the flavors of your ingredients.
• Egg: Use a large, good-quality, room-temperature egg.
• Whole milk yogurt: Yogurt makes your batter soft and fluffy without using oils. Do not use Greek yogurt because it will make your batter too thick.
• Molasses: Adding molasses will add more moisture and texture to your delicious oat bread. Make Homemade Molasses from scratch!

How To Make Irish Oat Bread:

1. Preheat the oven. Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Place the oats into a food processor and process until ground into flour.
3. Transfer oats into a bowl and toss with the baking soda and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, and molasses until well combined. Then, stir it into the oat mixture.
5. Spread batter evenly into your prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven until firm and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool in the pan before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Slice and enjoy with some Irish Brandy Butter.

Can I Make Irish Oat Bread In Advance?

Yes, you can! If you want to serve freshly baked Irish Oat Bread, make the batter, spread it in your prepared loaf pan, and pop it in the refrigerator for up to a day until you want to bake it off.

How To Store Irish Oat Bread

If you have leftover Irish Oat Bread, store covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months.

FAQs

What kind of oats should I use in Irish Oat Bread?

The best oats to use are old-fashioned rolled oats and quick-cooking oats. They’ll pulverize into fine powder for your flour. Unfortunately, steel-cut oats will not work for this recipe, as these oats are quite dense and will make the texture of your bread too dense.

What do I do if I don’t have molasses?

No worries! You can substitute the molasses with honey, but your Irish Oat Bread will turn out lighter in color.

Is Irish Oat Bread gluten-free?

The good news is Irish Oat Bread is gluten-free (with certified gluten-free oats)! I don’t use all-purpose flour in this bread like traditional recipes, but it tastes just as good or even better. Take a look at my Gluten-Free Flours Guide if you want to substitute the oats and make a different kind of bread.

Is Irish Oat Bread vegan?

Though my Irish Oat Bread recipe contains eggs and yogurt, you can go ahead and substitute them with different ingredients. For the eggs, check out my Egg Substitutes post for more information; and for the whole milk plain yogurt, I recommend replacing it with buttermilk (make it vegan) , sour cream,  cottage cheese, or ricotta. 

What should I do if I don’t have a food processor?

If you don’t have a food processor, the next best option will be a blender. It may not be as smooth of a flour texture, but it will get close enough.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips:

• Use rolled oats (old-fashioned oats), but steel-cut oats will not work.
• This recipe calls for Plain yogurt, not Greek. Greek is too thick for this recipe.
• You can use my Homemade Molasses if you don’t have it to hand.
• If you don’t have molasses, you can use honey instead. The loaf will be lighter in color.
• This bread is flourless, so it’s perfect if you are gluten-free.
• You can sprinkle 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) of chopped dried fruit, nuts, or seeds into this loaf just before baking. I recommend raisins and caraway seeds.
• This bread dough is a little heavy like Soda Bread and won’t rise very much but it will be very soft.
• Try serving this with one of my Compound Butter recipes!

For More Irish Bread Recipes, Check Out:

• Traditional Irish Bread and Butter Pudding
• Simple White Irish Soda Bread
• 5-Minute Authentic Irish Brown Bread
• Mum’s Traditional Irish Soda Bread

And don’t miss more everyday baking recipes in my NEW Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook!

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