Naan is a South Asian flatbread β naan just means bread β and the type most often seen in the global north is typical to parts of India. Itβs traditionally cooked in a tandoor, a cylindrical oven (and many Indian or other South Asian restaurants in Europe/America will make it in a tandoor). Using a pan is obviously not authentic, but itβs as close as you can get without a proper oven.
Iβve been making naan (with varying success) since I was just little. Itβs one of the easiest breads to make, and turns out well at home using a frying pan. I make it all the time to have with curry, red lentil patties, just with hummus, or whatever.
Even if youβre completely unfamiliar with making yeast-leavened breads at home, you can make still make this easy spelt flatbread. Only one rising period, no baking, no complicated shaping. This is great for beginners.
This vegan version uses olive oil instead of ghee and works well for a dairy-free diet. Use either light or whole grain spelt depending on how soft you want the end result to be.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Spelt flour: use light for the most tender flatbread, or go up to 100% wholegrain for a more nutritious option. Plain white flour can be substituted for the spelt. Regular whole wheat flour is harder than spelt, so I donβt recommend going over 50%. Other ancient grains like einkorn and khorasan wheat can be used.
- Yeast: there is no substitute for yeast, unless you want to use sourdough starter. For sourdough, make the same dough as my sourdough pizza dough, and then roll out and fry as instructed here.
- Olive oil: I find that olive oil makes for the best texture when frying, but it does have a tendency to splatter, so be careful or use a guard.
Step-by-Step
Since the dough only needs one rising period, itβs ready from start to finish in about an hour and a half, and easy enough for beginners to make. Follow the instructions carefully and youβll have perfect naan the first time and every time.

1. Mix the yeast: add water, sugar, and yeast to a mixing bowl and bloom the yeast.
2. Mix the dough: add the remaining water, oil, salt, and flour, and mix into a shaggy dough.
3. Knead: mix in the remaining flour, then knead into a soft, stretchy dough.
4. Rise: set aside to rise until doubled, about an hour.

5. Divide: portion the dough into 12 balls and set aside.
6. Roll and cook: roll each ball into a very thin oval, then cook in a frying pan. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
My trick for really good vegan naan at home is liberal amounts of olive oil in the frying pan and adding a little salt to each side as you cook it. Not the healthiest, I know, but I was told to add more sodium to my diet to help with black spots and lightheadedness and have embraced that wholeheartedly β if you follow a low-sodium diet, perhaps avoid this step.
This recipe makes a big batch, about a dozen pieces, and if you donβt want to have lots left over then Iβd recommend reducing by half. Itβs best fresh, but still pretty good on day two, so donβt make more than you think you can eat in two days.
Looking for something similar with no yeast? Try these spelt tortillas or sweet potato flatbread, or go with socca for a GF option. I have a sourdough naan recipe over at Baked, too, if you prefer to use starter.
Try adding different herbs and spices to the mix to change things up. Thereβs a garlic naan in my cookbook thatβs great, or try adding cumin seeds, nigella, finely chopped parsley, and so on.
Make Ahead and Store
Make Ahead: the dough can be frozen after rising β this is great if you just want to cook half β and thawed to use later. Freeze in an airtight container, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then roll out and cook as usual.
Storage: naan is best the day itβs cooked, but can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for a couple of days.
Freezing: if you prefer to freeze the cooked naan, place it in an airtight container once cooled and freeze for up to three months. It will be slightly dried out when thawed, but tastes almost fresh if you reheat it slightly before serving.

Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Make sure to preheat: the pan needs to be hot before starting to cook. If the bread doesnβt immediately start to bubble up when it hits the pan, it needs to heat up longer.
- Use a fan: your kitchen might get a little steamy or smokey when youβre cooking this, so keep a fan on or crack a window! Iβve had the fire alarm go off several times while making naan.
- Donβt cook the flour: if you need quite a bit of flour to roll the pieces out, try to brush as much of it off before frying as possible. This is part of what makes the kitchen quite smokey during cooking (the flour burns as it remains in the pan).
Serve with Naan
Lentil and Greens Patties
Chickpea Pumpkin Curry
Avocado Aioli
Cauliflower Tikka Masala
Smokey Eggplant Curry Dip
If you make this Vegan Naan or any other bread recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Itβs such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Vegan Spelt Naan
Ingredients
- 60 ml warm water
- 2 ΒΌ teaspoons dry yeast*
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
- 250 ml room-temperature water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for cooking
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 375 β 450 grams spelt flour**
Instructions
For the Dough
- Add the warm water, coconut sugar, and yeast to a large bowl.60 ml warm water, 2 ΒΌ teaspoons dry yeast*, 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
- Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes, until the yeast blooms*, or looks frothy.
- Stir in the remaining water, olive oil, salt, and 150g (1 cup) of flour with a wooden spoon.250 ml room-temperature water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 375 β 450 grams spelt flour**
- Add the remaining flour 75g (1/2 cup) at a time, stirring between each addition, until it becomes too difficult to stir by hand.375 β 450 grams spelt flour**
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead for 5-10 minutes, sprinkling additional flour as needed, until a soft and smooth dough forms. You can also use the dough hook in a stand mixer if you have one.
- Drizzle a little olive oil into the bowl and place the kneaded dough into it, turning the dough to coat it in oil. Cover with a tea towel and plate or beeswax wrap.
- Place the dough in a warm spot (like an oven with the light on) and let the dough rise for about 50-60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Cook the Naan
- Heat a large, flat bottomed pan on medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Portion the dough into approximately 12 equal pieces, then flour a surface and roll one out at a time into rough ovals, about 5mm β 1 cm (~.5 in.) thick.
- Once the pan is very hot, add add a piece of rolled out dough. The bread should immediately bubble and start to puff up.
- Sprinkle a little pinch of salt if desired, and cook for about 45 seconds. Carefully flip and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Roll the second naan while the first is cooking. Repeat until all of the dough has been used, keeping the cooked flatbreads in a warm oven while cooking.
- The naan is best eaten fresh but will still be good on day two, if stored in a sealed container on the counter. It freezes well and can be thawed to use as a side or a quick pizza base.
Notes
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says βAmericanβ.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
This post was first published in January 2018. It has been updated most recently as of December 2022.
Nicole says
This came out great π I fried it in ghee instead of olive oil then topped with a little ghee, salt, garlic powder and chopped cilantro after it was cooked. Thanks Iβll make it again!
Donna says
Loved this naan! I didn’t salt it in the pan, just forgot, and that’s the only thing I’d change. Oh, except I found 1/2 inch to be thicker than I wanted. I tried it for the first one and didn’t get the quick bubbling. The others I rolled out much flatter (more like 1/8 inch), and they bubbled quickly, cooked fast like the recipe says. I’d say were a normal naan thickness, though maybe it’s personal preference. I used sprouted whole grain spelt and it felt like a super healthy treat. Thanks for the recipe!
mkho says
The proportion of flour to water is incorrect I think. It adds up to 225gm and not 375gms.Please advise if this is so?
Alexandra Daum says
The measurements are correct. Use grams first if you have a scale, as they are listed in the recipe. 150g of flour is 1 cup using the scoop and level technique from a bag of store-bought flour, which is what most home bakers do.
Bonita says
Looking forward to trying this. I’m using a blood type diet in which sweet potato rates Beneficial on the list for blood Type O.
I have been gluten free for many years but am also now venturing to try rye and spelt as they rate neutral on the blood Type O diet.
Thanks for all your recipes!!
Cheers
Alexandra Daum says
Hope you like it, Bonita!
Dawn says
Amazing! Fluffy, soft-I used whole spelt flour and am amazed at the texture these have. Will be making these, and replacing my old recipe!
Beulah Agbabiaka says
I had been looking for vegan spelt nan and tried several that weren’t great. This recipe has come out amazing several times and it’s now my go-to recipe.
Masha says
I’ve been making this recipe for 2 years now, without fail, every time I make Indian food. So delicious! Also I have to say my boyfriend who is usually super anti spelt loves these!
Alejandra says
Hi, what’s the alternative for coconut sugar? Can I use honey instead (I know this is not vegan), will it still work?
thank you!
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Yes, honey will work well : )
Uma says
Hi, Alexandra. I’m hoping to try this recipe soon. I have one question – why the range in the amount of flour? Do certain types of spelt flour absorb more water? Does it have to do with seasonal humidity?
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Hi Uma! It’s standard to include a range in flour amounts as the absorbability of different varieties ranges so much. Because you add a bit at a time, you can see how much you need by touch and texture. I hope that helps!
Uma says
Thanks for your response. Is the dough meant to be sticky, or should it be smooth and easy to work with?
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Once you’re done kneading, it should be quite smooth and pliable. Your questions are telling me that I need to update this recipe with more information and pictures! It’s now on my schedule for this upcoming week.
Alice says
This recipe is AWESOME !! I made it for dinner tonight, it was sooo delicious !! I didn’t even use any oil in the pan and they turned out perfect !! Thank you so much for sharing !
Alice says
This recipe is AWESOME !! I made it for dinner tonight, it was sooo delicious !! I didn’t even use any oil in the pan and they turned out perfect !! Thank you so much for sharing !
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
So happy you loved it, thanks Alice!
Kristin Hope says
This worked great! Very delicious. I used sprouted spelt flour but the only issue was I ended up needing nearly 4 cups to bring it together instead of 3. Next time I might go lighter on the water. I kept the dough in balls in the fridge and cook to order!
Emerald says
For how long did the dough keep in the fridge?
Sam says
Is it possible to have similar results if I don’t use yeast? I am unable to use yeast in my diet right now. Or do you have any substitutes?
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs says
Hi Sam! I haven’t tested this recipe with an alternative rising agent, but I can highly recommend this one and you can sub spelt flour and vegan yogurt into it. If you use my recipe and simply leave the yeast out I’m afraid it won’t work, but Asha’s recipes are great. I hope that helps!
sam says
Thank you so much for your reply! Okay I’ll check it out:)
Alexandra Daum says
Woohoo thanks for letting me know, Nicky! Salt is love!
Nicky Hawthorne says
made them. turned out AMAZING. thank you!! lots'a salt is definitely the ticket. is a new staple xo