Ezekiel bread is a sprouted whole-grain bread that’s derived from an ancient recipe in the Biblical Book of Ezekiel, where the bread gets its name.
It includes wheat, barley, millet, spelt, and lentils, and some variants include other legumes as well.
This broad range of grains provides a robust source of amino acids and fibers that are great if you are trying to diversify your carbohydrate sources, or if you are a vegan and need to expose yourself to a wide range of different plant-based protein sources.
Our research team has ranked the ten best Ezekiel breads and reviewed the science behind how this type of bread stacks up compared to other types of whole grain bread.
Research
Rankings
1. Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Bread
Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Bread is by far the most popular and highest-quality Ezekiel bread on the market. Each loaf is super-dense, at 24 ounces each, and the ingredients are completely organic.
That does mean that you need to keep this bread frozen right up until you’re ready to use it, though, since it has no preservatives or pesticides.
2. Dave’s Killer Bread
Though not technically Ezekiel bread, Dave’s Killer Bread sports almost all of the necessary sprouted grains, which gives it an impressive amount of fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.
Despite these advantages, sticklers for low sugar diets will not like the cane sugar used to sweeten this bread, though the total amount of added sugar is still small.
3. Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Cereal
In addition to its flagship Ezekiel Bread, Food for Life makes a high-quality cereal version of the Ezekiel 4:9 grains, except they are toasted and mixed together instead of being baked into a bread loaf.
It has all the same advantages and health benefits of Ezekiel bread, and goes well with healthy non-dairy milks like flax or almond milk.
4. Columbia County Bread & Granola Sprouted Wheat
Columbia County Bread & Granola Sprouted Wheat uses sprouted wheat, salt, yeast, and water to make this bread. While it’s missing the barley and millet it would need to be true Ezekiel bread, the raw simplicity and high quality of this dense 24 ounce loaf outweighs that drawback if your primary priority is purity.
5. Oasis Flaxseed Bread
Oasis Flaxseed Bread also misses a few of the key grains that qualify a bread as Ezekiel bread, but it nevertheless has a lot of fiber and protein relative to its caloric content.
Its heavy reliance on flax makes this bread more dense and lower in both glycemic index and total carbohydrate content, making it a great alternative to white bread.
6. Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Multi-Grain
Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Multi-Grain comes with several (but not all) of the grains necessary for Ezekiel bread, and ships frozen to preserve its freshness.
It does have honey added for sweetness, but that aside, the ingredients list is pretty solid.
7. Virginia Gourmet Ezekiel Bread
Though billed as Ezekiel Bread, Virginia Gourmet Ezekiel Bread is missing a few of the key ingredients.
It’s still a sprouted spelt flour bread with no preservatives, though some people may not like the fact that this bread includes cane sugar as one of its ingredients—sprouted breads like Ezekiel bread are advantageous precisely because their glycemic index is low, and adding sugar to the ingredients will significantly increase the glycemic index of the bread.
8. Silver Hills Bakery Squirrelly Sprouted Bread
Silver Hills Bakery Squirrelly Sprouted Bread uses several sprouted grains to create an Ezekiel-like bread, though its actual health benefits are hampered by the fact that the second ingredient is sugar. Because of this, it’s not the best choice for a regular, everyday bread.
9. Food for Life Flourless Sprouted Grain Bread with Sesame
Based off of it’s number 1 rating on this page, we know Food for Life ezekiel bread is top notch. This is another version with sesame seeds for added flavour.
This non-GMO and gluten-free option is a great choice for people looking to satisfy their sesame cravings.
10. Food for Life Sprouted Grains English Muffin
Food for Life comes in with another great product for your mornings. These english muffins have the same quality as their ezekiel loaves but are much more convenient for those on the go mornings.
A great choice for someone looking for a gluten-free breakfast sandwich.
Category winners
Best Ezekiel bread overall: Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Bread
Food for Life has a well-deserved reputation for making high-quality organic food. Their Ezekiel bread is true to the formulation, and is both organically certified and GMO-free. This super-dense 24 ounce loaf is our favorite overall choice.
Best Ezekiel bread with more grains: Dave’s Killer Bread 21 Whole Grains and Seeds
Want more whole grains than the traditional Ezekiel 4:9 formulation? Dave’s Killer Bread has an unbeatable 21 different whole grains and seeds packed into an amazing-tasting 20 ounce loaf, and for that reason, it’s our favorite broad source of whole grains.
Best organic Ezekiel bread: Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Bread
Food for Life’s Ezekiel bread is not only organically certified, it’s GMO-free and made with zero preservatives. For an all-natural option, there’s no better choice.
Best Ezekiel bread pizza crust: Angelic Bakehouse Sprouted 7 Grain Flatbread Pizza Crust
While it’s not technically a Ezekiel 4:7 bread, Angelic Bakehouse nevertheless puts together a great seven-grain flatbread pizza crust that’s vegan and non-GMO, making it great for all-natural oven-baked pizza.
Best Ezekiel tortillas: Food for Life Ezekiel Sprouted Whole Grain Tortillas
Tired of sliced bread? Food for Life also uses the same Ezekiel 4:9 grains to make an organically-certified tortilla as well. It’s great for quesadillas and burritos, though it’s not quite flexible enough for wraps.
Best Ezekiel cereal: Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Cereal
If you want the benefit of Ezekiel 4:9 grains in a different form, Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 cereal is a nice alternative. Great with milk or your favorite vegan substitute, this cereal is incredibly high in fiber, protein, and micronutrients.
Who should buy Ezekiel bread?
Ezekiel bread is great for both adults and children as it provides a variety of vitamins and nutrients designed to support a healthy body. Because it’s packed with more fiber, it’s great for individuals eating healthy or trying to lose weight.
Ezekiel bread is great for people on a restrictive diet as well. However, it’s not entirely gluten-free, so celiac patients will need to be careful.
How we ranked
Ezekiel bread is known to be a healthy alternative to bread, but with such a rise in popularity, many copycats have come to the market with a subpar product. When ranking Ezekiel bread, we first looked at the ingredients list. We preferred Ezekiel bread, like Food for Life, that needs to be kept frozen because it indicated that it was free of artificial preservatives.
The taste was another important factor, as long as it didn’t counteract the health benefits of natural Ezekiel. Products that contained excess sugar, like Silver Hills, was ranked lower since it was significantly less healthy.
Dave’s Killer Bread made it high on our list because it combined almost all of the necessary sprouted grains, which gives it an impressive amount of fiber and omega 3 fatty acids. However, it didn’t rank in our top spot since it included cane sugar to improve the taste.
Benefits
Ezekiel bread gains its nutritional value from sprouted grains. This dense, nutty, vitamin-rich bread comes with a long list of health claims, mostly based on the incredible variety of grains, seeds, and legumes it contains.
These grains, seeds and legumes have their nutritional value enhanced by allowing them to sprout, which converts some of the carbohydrates present to stimulate growth and increase the concentration of vitamins and protein, and enhance the bioavailability of several minerals.
More and more people are turning away from white, processed-flour breads and towards complex carbohydrates that include energy-dense seeds and grains. For this reason, a sprouted bread like Ezekiel bread is continuing to grow in popularity.
Ezekiel bread is made from sprouted grains and seeds rather than flour. There are many varieties of Ezekiel bread, but the traditional and biblical recipe calls for a few essential components; namely, wheat, barley, millet, spelt, and lentils. On top of these key ingredients, you may also find types of Ezekiel bread that include soybeans and other legumes.
The five essential ingredients are taken directly from the Bible, where it’s stated that Ezekiel was instructed to take those ingredients, store them in a jar, and use the results to make bread (1). He’s believed to have lived on this bread for roughly one year and one month.
The bit about the jar is where we get the idea that Ezekiel Bread is made from sprouted grains and legumes. Essentially, this is a sprouted grain bread.
Sprouted grains are thought to be beneficial because the sprouting process increases the production of many essential vitamins and amino acids in the grains and seeds, making it healthier than the pre-sprouted ingredients.
Sprouting turns carbohydrates in the grains and seeds of Ezekiel bread into more nutrients, fiber, and vitamins. To understand the benefits of sprouting, first you need to take a look at how traditional flour bread is made.
In traditional bread, wheat kernels are ground up into flour. If it’s whole wheat bread that includes the outer shell and the bran. If it’s white flour, that includes only the endosperm. The endosperm is rich in amino acids and carbs but not fiber (2).
With sprouted grain bread, those wheat kernels are allowed to sprout first. Then they’re ground up and baked into bread.
A sprout is when a grain, a seed, or a legume grows from its “seed” stage into its next stage of development before there are any leaves. It’s not yet a full plant: only a seed whose outer shell has been broken through by tiny new roots.
The reason for allowing the grains to sprout is that during the process of sprouting, some carbohydrates are lost. That means the protein content of the sprout is higher than that of the flour, and that the carbohydrate count is lower.
There are also certain trace minerals which are released during the sprouting process.
In addition, sprouted grains contain more nutrients and fiber. However, sprouted wheat seems to deliver the highest nutrient benefits, as opposed to millet, barley, and the other ingredients in Ezekiel Bread.
The sprouting process may create better bioavailability of vitamins and minerals. Folates and dietary fiber are also increased via the wheat germination process.
When grains like wheat are sprouted, the body is better able to absorb trace minerals like selenium (4). Further, millet, when sprouted, also may deliver superior bioavailability of iron and calcium (5).
Millet also increases its protein content when it is allowed to sprout (6). Likewise, if red beans (a type of legume) are used in the breadmaking process, sprouting results in an increased level of digestibility (7)
On all counts, however, the increased nutritional value is fairly small.
Side effects
As a naturally-processed food, there are no major side effects to Ezekiel bread that you would not get in a similarly formulated standard bread.
The biggest concern for most people would be its wheat content: since one of the key ingredients in Ezekiel bread is sprouted wheat, it cannot be gluten-free.
This means that people who are gluten intolerant, or who have celiac disease, can’t enjoy the health benefits of Ezekiel bread.
If you fit into either of these categories, there are plenty of other options for getting high-quality and nutrient dense whole grains in your diet. Barring that, you can always take a fiber supplement to shore up your dietary fiber requirements.
Another disadvantage of Ezekiel bread is that, being derived from seeds and grains, it is not by any measure a low-carb food. While its glycemic index (a measure of its effect on blood sugar) is a lot lower than refined carbohydrates, it’s still fundamentally a carbohydrate-rich food, even if these carbs are released slowly into your body versus quickly.
FAQ
What is Ezekiel bread? Ezekiel bread is a sprouted bread, meaning it is made from grains and legumes that have started to sprout. It’s typically low in calories, flourless and packed with nutrients. It has become quite a popular option amongst people who are looking to get more vitamins and minerals in their diet.
Is Ezekiel bread nutritious? Yes, compared to other bread, Ezekiel bread is considered very nutritious. Instead of being made for a refined flour with minimal nutrients, the sprouts and grains help pack nutrients into every slice of bread. It contains a lot of vitamins and fiber that are good for your health (8).
Do you need to store Ezekiel bread in the refrigerator? It depends on how long you want your loaf of Ezekiel bread to last. It can last on the counter for up to 5 days but will last for up to 2 or 3 weeks if stored in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze Ezekiel bread, making it last even longer, possibly lasting up to a year if stored in the freezer.
Can you toast Ezekiel bread? Yes, you can toast Ezekiel bread just like you would toast any type of bread.
What does Ezekiel bread taste like? Ezekiel bread has more of a taste to it than a plain piece of white bread. You will taste sprouts, grains, and possibly a nutty aftertaste.
Is Ezekiel bread a good source of protein? Yes, Ezekiel bread contains 5 grams of protein per slice, as well as all nine amino acids.
Is Ezekiel bread gluten-free? No, Ezekiel bread is not gluten-free. While Ezekiel bread isn’t made with flour, it does contain wheat and barley, which cannot be consumed on a gluten-free diet. If you have Celiac disease, you’ll need to stay away from Ezekiel bread.
Can you make Ezekiel bread at home? Yes, you can make Ezekiel bread at home. However, there are more ingredients, which means you’ll have a little more prep work before your loaf is ready to bake.
What is so special about Ezekiel bread? People love Ezekiel bread because of the nutrients packed into a single slice of bread. With all the beans and sprouts in this bread, you can eat a piece and instantly add vitamins and other health benefits to your diet. Eating this Ezekiel bread is shown to have improved glucose homeostasis in studies (9).
What are the differences between Ezekiel bread and whole-wheat bread? Whole wheat bread is considered one of the healthier bread options on the market (10).
Ezekiel bread has more nutrients in it that whole-wheat bread, making it even healthier, as it has more grains and legumes. While whole wheat bread mashes grains, Ezekiel bread sprouts the grains, which means more nutrients from the grains are in the bread.
There are also no preservatives in Ezekiel bread, whereas there might be in whole wheat bread.
Is Ezekiel bread considered healthy? Yes, Ezekiel bread is considered healthy since it offers a lot of nutrients and vitamins. However it does have carbs, so if you are watching how many carbs you consume, it’s best to eat Ezekiel bread in moderation.
Where can you buy Ezekiel bread? Ezekiel bread is available at many health food grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. You can also order it online through many stores like Amazon and have it delivered to your doorstep.
Is Ezekiel bread expensive? Since Ezekiel bread has so many sprouts, grains, and nutrients, it tends to run a little more expensive than whole wheat or white bread.
Is Ezekiel bread low-carb? One slice of Ezekiel bread contains around 15 grams of carbohydrates. Most low-carb diets require you to consume less than 50 grams of carbs in a day, so you can eat Ezekiel bread while you are on a low-carb diet.
Does Ezekiel bread have GMOs? No, Ezekiel bread is not genetically modified. There is nothing artificial in this bread, and there are no additional preservatives.
Why is Ezekiel bread called Ezekiel bread? It is named for the Ezekiel in the Bible. The exact verse in the Bible is Ezekiel 4:9, and reads, “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelled; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself”.
Is Ezekiel bread good to use for a sandwich? You can use Ezekiel bread for anything you would use regular bread for, including sandwiches. The sprouts and grains will likely make your sandwich even tastier than if you made it with plain white bread, not to mention healthier.
Is Ezekiel bread safe for children to consume? Yes, since Ezekiel bread is naturally made and does not contain additives or preservatives, it is considered safe for children and adults of all ages to consume.
What do you put on Ezekiel bread? While Ezekiel bread is tasty and can be eaten on its own, and goes with anything that you can put on normal toast. You can make avocado toast by spreading avocado, salt and pepper, and even adding an egg. Ezekiel bread is also good with peanut butter and jelly, or toasted and adding some butter and jam.
Can you use Ezekiel bread to make French toast? Yes, Ezekiel bread is great for French toast because it’s got extra sprouts and grains than regular bread, which will enhance its flavor.
Is Ezekiel bread paleo? Ezekiel bread is not paleo. On the paleo diet, you stay away from eating grains and beans, both of which are the foundation of Ezekiel bread. Ezekiel bread is also not an option if you are on the keto diet due to the high carbs found in the bread.
What type of beans are made in Ezekiel bread? The most common beans used in Ezekiel bread are dry kidney beans, dry pinto beans, and dry northern beans.
Does Ezekiel bread go moldy? Yes, and Ezekiel bread can go moldy quicker than some other bread because it does not have additives or preservatives. Its all-natural ingredients will cause it to spoil fairly quickly, which is why it’s a good idea to store Ezekiel bread in the freezer.
Can you refreeze Ezekiel bread? Yes, you can refreeze Ezekiel brad. It may lose some flavor, but it is perfectly safe to refreeze Ezekiel bread, and you most likely won’t taste a difference.
Is Ezekiel bread kosher and organic? Yes, Ezekiel bread is certified as both kosher, organic and vegan, as the bread is not made with any dairy products. Organic certification allows you to be confident that the ingredients in Ezekiel bread contain no pesticides or fertilizers.
When was Ezekiel bread created? Ezekiel bread was created in 1964. Its creator was looking for a more heart-healthy bread option than what was available at the time.
Is Ezekiel bread unleavened? Even though there is no baking flour or other artificial ingredients in Ezekiel bread, it still is a rising bread, so it’s not considered an unleavened bread.
Can you eat Ezekiel bread on a diet? Yes Ezekiel bread is safe to eat on a diet, especially if you are restricting carbs or gluten.
Is Ezekiel bread easy to digest? The beans and sprouts in this bread make it easy to digest because the sprouts help break down starches in grains, which improves the digestive process. Without the sprouts, grains can sometimes be difficult to digest.
Is Ezekiel bread vegan? While it is not gluten-free, Ezekiel bread is indeed vegan.
What makes Ezekiel bread the healthiest bread you can buy? Ezekiel bread is one of the healthiest breads you can buy because it contains less harmful antinutrients, like phytic acid, and less gluten. Ezekiel bread also includes more fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein compared to standard bread.
Is Dave’s Killer Bread considered Ezekiel bread? No, Dave’s killer bead is not Ezekiel bread since it does contain some other ingredients, not found in the bilabial recipe.
Does Ezekiel bread spike blood sugar? Yes, Ezekiel bread can spike blood sugar. However, because Ezekiel bread has a low glycemic index, it’s less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar similar to refined breads.
How long does Ezekiel bread last? Due it’s lack of preservatives, Ezekiel bread tends to have a much shorter shelf life than standard bread. Ezekiel bread will last a few days at room temperature and around 10 days in the fridge. If it’s keep frozen, it can last up to a year.
Is Ezekiel bread vegan? Yes, Ezekiel bread is vegan friendly and a good alternative for hose following this type of diet.
Is Ezekiel bread alkaline? Ezekiel bread is considered alkaline and has a pH value around a 6.5, which is very close to neutral and slightly on the alkaline side. However, if there is added sugar, it may tip the scales to the acidic side.
Is Ezekiel bread made from flour? In general, Ezekiel bread is not made from flour, but from sprouted grains and seeds. Of course, there are many varieties of Ezekiel bread, but the traditional recipe includes wheat, barley, millet, spelt, and lentils. Some types of Ezekiel bread may include soybeans and other legumes.
Can celiac patients consume Ezekiel bread? No, celiac patients cannot consume Ezekiel bread. One of the key ingredients in Ezekiel bread is sprouted wheat, making it full of gluten.
What is a sprout? A sprout is the process of a seed, legume, or grain grwoing into next stage of development before there are any leaves. It’s not yet a full-plant: only a seed whose outer shell has been broken through by tiny new roots.
Is Ezekiel bread low carb? Ezekiel bread, being derived from seeds and grains, is not by any means low-carb. While its glycemic index is a lot lower than refined carbohydrates, it’s still fundamentally a carbohydrate-rich food.
Why is sprouting beneficial? Sprouting is beneficial because it transforms the simple carbohydrates found in the grains and seeds of Ezekiel bread into more vitamins, nutrients, and fiber. Furthermore, it increases the protein content and improves the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals like selenium, calcium, and iron.
Does Ezekiel bread have side effects? Unlike normal bread, Ezekiel bread tends to be significantly lower in causing side effects, especially issues in the gut like bloating and diarrhea. Furthermore, Ezekiel bread can cause significant spikes in blood sugar, which can be troublesome for certain populations. If you are celiac or have a gluten intolerance, you need to stay away from Ezekiel bread because it does contain gluten and will cause digestive issues for you.
How many calories are in a slice of Ezekiel bread? 1 slice of Ezekiel bread (34g), contains 80 calories, 0.5g of fat, 4g of protein and 15g of carbs.
Does the fiber, found in Ezekiel bread count as calories? Unfortunately, there’s no clear consensus on fiber’s caloric contribution since it often cannot be digested and absorbed in the small intestine like other nutrients. As such, it’s somewhat safe to say that fiber does not count towards the total calories of a food or meal and can be deducted from the total carbohydrate count.
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Recap
It’s true that eating Ezekiel Bread is far more healthy than eating white bread. It has obvious nutritional advantages, which include a high fiber content and the presence of various amino acids, vitamins, and minerals which are better synthesized and absorbed thanks to the sprouting process.
Allowing the seeds and grains in Ezekiel bread to sprout “burns off” some of the carbohydrates, and increases the concentration of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
However, compared to the nutritional profile of whole grain breads, the absolute advantage of Ezekiel bread is not enormous. Ezekiel bread is not an option for people who are gluten intolerant or who have celiac disease, because one of the primary ingredients is (sprouted) wheat.
Moreover, it’s a poor choice for people looking to stick to a low carbohydrate diet. While the top brands of Ezekiel bread and other sprouted breads are free of added sugar, the whole grains in Ezekiel bread are still primarily a source of carbohydrates.
If you can get past these minor disadvantages, you can see why Ezekiel bread is quite popular. It’s both healthy and delicious thanks to its distinctive and unmistakable nutty flavor.
If you’re trying to boost nutritional levels in your diet, Ezekiel bread is a great way to do it. It’s a nutrient-dense source of multiple grains and seeds, with a nutritional value that has been enhanced by allowing the seeds and grains to sprout. Thanks to these benefits, Ezekiel bread is one of the hottest health food trends right now.
For BodyNutrition’s #1 Ezekiel bread recommendation, click here.
