This healthy whole wheat naan is so quick and easy to make! Plus this recipe does not use yeast, sugar or refined flour! You only need 5 ingredients to make this delicious and hearty versatile flatbread – perfect for weeknight dinner!

whole wheat naan served on plate, with onions, lentils and flabreads in the background.

Whole wheat naan without yeast

This whole wheat naan is a healthier alternative to classic naan/traditional naan. I don't use white flour or all-purpose flour (plain flour). This is perfect for regular meals to incorporate more nutrition!

I have experimented with the quantities of whole wheat flour to produce the tastiest version of homemade naan. I am excited to share this recipe with you!

This instant whole wheat naan recipe uses the same method as our butter naan and garlic naan recipes.

This is a simple, easy to follow recipe – to yield excellent results! It is amazing how you only need a handful of fresh, basic ingredients to make this naan!

You don’t need yeast or sugar in this recipe! Plus no need to let the dough rise/rest at room temperature! (Making it one of the quickest naans you will make)! You also don’t need any fancy techniques or equipment to make these naans!

This flat bread is slightly similar to roti as both use whole wheat flour. However this tastes more like a naan/pita bread.

birds eye view of whole wheat naans, served with daal (lentils) and onions.

Jump to:

Whole wheat naan without yeast
What is naan?
Notes about Recipe Ingredients
Equipment
How to Make Whole wheat Naan (step-by-step)
Tips to Make the Perfect whole wheat Naan
Can I make this vegan?
How to serve naan
Storage tips
Related
Fresh drinks
Whole Wheat Naan (Easy Indian Bread Recipe with no Yeast)

What is naan?

Naan is a popular Indian flatbread typically made using flour as well as ingredients such as yogurt, oil or milk, leavening agent. Naan can be made with or without yeast (versions with yeast require extra time for the dough to rise).
Naan is traditionally baked in a tandoor (clay oven). However you can also bake in an oven or cook using a tava. This recipe uses a tava to cook the naan flatbreads (the fastest and cheapest option to give you delicious restaurant-style naans!)

close-up of stacked whole wheat naans, garnished with coriander/cilantro.

Notes about Recipe Ingredients

To make this naan all you need is:

Whole wheat flour (or wholemeal flour): also known as Chakki Atta is a powdery pale brown flour which is made from the whole grain of wheat, I recommend using 100% whole wheat flour from a good brand (I use and highly recommend Pilsbury Chakki Atta).
Natural/homemade yogurt (yoghurt): natural homemade yoghurt is mixed with the flour to make the dough for this recipe. Whisk the yogurt
Baking powder: this is a leavening agent added to the flour before adding the yoghurt. This helps give the naan some lift, helping it cook to get the perfect texture (without using yeast)
Salt: this is added to the dough (before adding the yoghurt) to season the naan and enhance its flavour
Butter: use salted butter, this is used to spread on top of each naan once it is cooked

Equipment

Tava pan: I recommend using a non-stick tava pan (also known as a tawa) with a handle, which is a large round, flat and slightly curved pan used to make a variety of flatbreads. If you do not have a tava, you can use a large flat frying pan/non-stick pan (with a handle) instead.
Spatula and brush/spoon: You will also need a spatula to flip the naan
Rolling pin: this is used to roll out the dough to make each naan

How to Make Whole wheat Naan (step-by-step)

Make the dough. Mix dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt) in a large mixing bowl. Add the whisked yoghurt and combine to form a sticky dough.
Knead the dough. Gently knead the dough with your hands to ensure all ingredients are mixed and incorporated together to form a slightly soft and smooth dough.
Divide the dough into equal portions. One at a time, pinch a chunk of the dough and roll into 4 round dough balls. Repeat with the remaining dough. Meanwhile, preheat your tava/frying pan on medium-low heat.
Roll out into a round flatbread shape onto floured surface. Prepare your worktop area (by sprinkling some of the flour onto your worktop surface and placing some flour in a bowl). Take the dough ball, flatten slightly, sprinkle some more whole wheat flour onto the ball. Using a rolling pin, roll into a flat, round and thin tortilla/flatbread shape.

numbered collage showing steps to make whole wheat dough.

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Cook on tava. Place uncooked rolled naan onto a preheated tava and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the naan.
Flip to cook the other side of the naan for another 2-3 minutes. You will notice the naan puffing up with air and becoming golden brown.
Use a spatula to press down the sides of the naan to help cook evenly. Optional: Use Grill naan slightly on stovetop flame. Once both sides are cooked and have bubbles/air pockets, carefully place naan directly on top of a stovetop/open flame (on high heat). Grill for a few seconds or until you see the naan charring slightly. Use tongs to carefully flip the naan to grill the other side. This step is optional but recommended for a delicious, roasted flavour of naan that resembled Indian restaurant-style whole wheat naan made using a tandoor oven.
Spread with butter. Place cooked naan on a plate or tray and spread with salted butter. Repeat steps above with the remaining dough and stack naans on top of each other.

numbered collage showing steps to make whole wheat naan.

Tips to Make the Perfect whole wheat Naan

Use a pre-heated tava: preheat the tava on low-medium heat. This will help cook the naan at the right temperature. If the temperature is too low the naan will stick to the tava and not form bubbles, resulting in an undercooked, dry naan. With the correct temperature, the naan will form air pockets and bubbles which allows the naan to become cooked, crispy and fluffy. Cook the naans on medium heat so they evenly cook.
Use natural yogurt: avoid using yoghurt which is too sour. This will affect the taste of your naans, use natural yogurt or homemade yogurt in this recipe.
Use salted butter: I recommend spreading the cooked naans with salted butter for the best flavour.
Grill naan slightly on stovetop flame: although this is an optional step, it is highly recommended for a delicious, roasted flavour of naan that resembled restaurant-style naan made using a tandoor.
Ensure dough is kneaded to appropriate consistency: we want the dough to be slightly soft and sticky and kneaded appropriately to ensure ingredients are well mixed.
Sprinkle your worktop lightly with flour and roll dough gently with the rolling pin: This helps to create naan of even thickness and keeps them from sticking to the worktop. (If you roll them too hard the force will make them stick to your worktop, this could make you use extra flour, which will make the naan tough and reduce their softness).

whole wheat naan quarters served on plate, garnished with fresh cilantro/coriander.

Bonus time saving tip

Cook and roll simultaneously: in the method above, you’ll notice I recommend cooking the naan whilst rolling out the next naan, this helps you save time and make the naans faster.

Can I make this vegan?

Absolutely! To make this vegan, I recommend using:

Vegan butter or olive oil instead of salted butter
Vegan yogurt instead of natural yogurt

How to serve naan

Naan is so versatile and can be served with many dishes from the Indian cuisine. My favourites include quick stir-fried okra (bhindi ki sabzi), Indian Brussels sprouts, chana masala, paneer manchurian and dal makhani.
You can even serve naan with your breakfast – in a wrap with veggie scrambled eggs or green (spinach) veggie scrambled eggs and guacamole and blender salsa!
You can also use naan to make appetizers (check out our appetizers with naan)!

folden whole wheat naan in serving bowl, with glass of water and stacked Indian flatbreads in the background.

Storage tips

These naans can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Fridge: To store in the fridge, transfer cooled stack of naans onto a paper towel/kitchen towel and wrap with aluminum foil and seal to keep airtight.
To reheat, gently wet the naan under a running tap and allow to slowly heat on a preheated tava on low heat, using your spatula to keep flipping the naan to evenly cook both sides. Alternatively, place the naan on a microwave safe plate and heat for 30-40 seconds per naan, or until hot and steaming. (Optional: you can then transfer onto a preheated tava to crisp up the naan).
Freezer: to store in the freezer, line each naan with parchment/baking paper or plastic wrap and wrap with foil and seal to keep airtight. You can also check out these tips on how to freeze flatbreads including parathas for more detailed instructions.

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Fresh drinks

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