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This vegan Irish soda bread has no right being this good for something that technically makes itself. If you've got 15 minutes to spare, use it to mix all the ingredients, pop it in the oven for less than an hour, and then boom! A golden no-knead loaf that makes people think you know all things gluten as well as a majestic gluten-pony in the mist does. One who gallops on the broken dreams of all the pathetic gluten-free souls in the galaxy.
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This traditional Irish soda bread has been holding it down since the 1800s when Irish bakers used "bread soda" instead of yeast because their wheat wasn't exactly gym-bro strong on gluten. Now it's in your kitchen, vegan (because that's actually not completely untraditional here), rocking soy milk with a li'l apple cider vinegar that curdles into buttermilk's lactose intolerant stunt double.
And hey, if you're plotting a full St. Patrick's Day buffet for your Wild West mom, this loaf goes pretty darned lovely with my vegan corned beef, vegan scalloped potatoes, and maple roasted carrots.
So grab your mixing bowl, m'love. We're making fresh soda bread that's waaay better than your grandma's Irish soda bread recipe that's written in alien hieroglyphic chicken scratch on the back of a soiled dollar store receipt.
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🥰 Why you'll adore this Vegan Irish Soda Bread recipe
✊ Vegan AF: My vegan Christmas recipes never mess around with eggs or dairy but this banger still tastes like the real thing.
💨 Quick as Heck: Blink and it's basically done. This easy recipe doesn't wait for yeast, proofing, or your tangled mess of holiday emotions to get sorted.
🧂 Everyday Ingredient Energy: You probably already own these simple ingredients. Congrats, you're accidentally prepared. NBD.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan recipes I publish, this loaf's been tested by hundreds of people, some of whom own mixers and others who think a fork is a whisk. Everyone loved it except folks who hate bread and Irish food, because they are dumb and they smell bad.
🤘Learn to make insanely flavorful breads
This guide to my most popular bread recipes is 100% FREE, & you'll love the actual heck out of it 🥰
🥖 Vegan Irish Soda Bread Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar kicks off the chemical love story between acid and baking soda that makes the dough rise and the milk curdle into a buttermilk consistency. White vinegar, rice vinegar, or lemon juice can sub in if you don't have cider vinegar.
Baking Soda
What, did you think this bread got its name from being made with Diet Sprite? You've been smoking too much of that sphagnum peet, m'boy. This is the "soda" in traditional soda bread. It reacts with the acid in the vegan buttermilk to puff things up without yeast or even baking powder.
Vegan Butter
Because we're going for that scone-adjacent crumb, you're going to want to keep that vegan version of dairy butter cold and chunked, rather than fully integrated into the dough.
Call me old fashioned, but I still love Earth Balance because it actually tastes like butter. Trader Joe's version is cheaper but more annoying to measure, since it doesn't come in a marked wrapper. You can totally make your own by following the method in my vegan dairy crash course.
The Optional Fun Stuff
Optional, yes. But also kinda not if you want full-on flavor dramarama. Raisins make it snacky, oats make it pretty, and brown sugar for a burnished edge.
Try currants, cranberries, or chopped dried figs if you hate raisins. Swap oats with seeds or chopped nuts if you prefer, and use coconut sugar or turbinado sugar instead of the good ol' brown sugar if you avoid cane sugar like my wife Joey does.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯 Variations
Classic Spotted Dog Loaf
Toss in a handful of dried currants if you wanna give the homemade bread that full-on Irish granny-core. A small spoonful of caraway seeds makes it taste like you actually followed a classic Irish soda bread recipe from the 1800s and listen to podcasts about oats, or whatever.
Whole-Wheat Hearty Loaf
Swap no more than half of the white flour for whole wheat flour if you're tryna feel like a responsible adult without churning out a hyper-dry sad bread. It adds just enough of that nutty flavor and hearty texture without turning your delicious bread into a mouthful of sawdust.
📖 How to make Vegan Irish Soda Bread
Don't worry, I already made the mistakes so you don't have to (I know, "sucks to suck" as my younger daughter would say). Follow along the picturesque breakdown or skip to the printable full recipe card if you're already preheating.
Step One
Teenage Mutant Ninja Curdles:
Set your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly coat a baking sheet or Dutch oven with oil or line it with parchment.
Whisk the unsweetened non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a small bowl, then let it rest for about a minute until it curdles.
Step Two
Sift Happens:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Give it a good whisk or sift to remove any lumps and to distribute the soda thoroughly.
Step Three
Butter Call Saul:
Add the cold vegan butter and cut it into the flour using your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Step Four
Dough Cry For Me Argentina:
Pour in the soy milk mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Fold in raisins if you're using them.
Step Five
Bob (C)Ross:
Dust your surface lightly with additional flour, place the dough on top, and form it into a round loaf roughly 8 inches (20 cm) wide. Handle it gently to keep it soft inside. Transfer it to your prepared baking sheet or dutch oven.
Use a sharp knife to score a deep cross across the top, about ½ inch (1 cm) down. Sprinkle oats and brown sugar over the top if you're adding them.
Step Six
Baking and Entering:
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust turns golden and the bottom sounds a little hollow when tapped. Move it to a cooling rack and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
💡Serving Ideas
If you've got a warm loaf of vegan Irish soda bread fresh outta the oven, rip off a piece and dunk it straight into vegan butternut squash soup or roasted mushroom soup. Then main course your lifestyle up with some vegan shepherd's pie, vegan pot pie, or mushroom bourguignon.
👉Top tips
- Use Fresh Baking Soda: Don't trust that stale 200 year old box collecting dust and foul odors in your cabinet. Baking soda loses its mojo after a while, so use a fresh box (like from this year).
- Handle the Dough Gently: Treat the dough with care. Overmixing turns your loaf into a semi-edible pencil eraser with raisins to seal the deal.
- Cut a Deep Cross: Go deep or go home. Slice it relatively deeply so the round loaf opens up into 4 distinct quadrants. It's the key to an evenly cooked bread.
- Cool Before Slicing: I get it, it smells elite, but slicing early makes it gummy. Let it cool down for 20, which gives you just enough time to learn deeply about your two fave aviation topics: ekranoplans, and the guy who ate an airplane.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Make sure you don't over-mix or knead the dough. Stir till it just comes together and then back off. Overdoing it activates gluten like a demon and next thing you know, your loaf's built like a dumbbell.
Check that your baking soda is fresh and reactive. It needs to be fresh and ready to throw hands with the acid in your vegan buttermilk. If one of them's weak, or your dough sits around too long before being baked, your bread's going nowhere fast.
The cross lets heat penetrate and steam escape the center of the loaf. Basically the same reason many styles of donuts have holes in the center of them.
Yes, 1000% yes. If you slice too soon you'll compress the crumb and trap steam, which ruins that perfect tender texture you baked so hard for.
Wrap your loaf in a clean kitchen towel or stash it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days so it stays soft instead of turning into medieval weaponry. When you're ready for a slice, toss it in a toaster oven for a few minutes till it's warm and crisp again.
✌️You'll love these vegan Irish recipes too:
Vegan Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Pastry cutter (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter cold and diced
Optional mix ins and toppings:
- 1 cup raisins
- 4 teaspoons rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 60 seconds to allow it to curdle.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the cold, diced butter and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to work it into the flour mixture until it forms coarse crumbs.
- Pour the curdled soy milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms. If using raisins, fold them in at this stage. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a round loaf, roughly 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter. Avoid overmixing to maintain a tender texture. Place the loaf on the prepared baking sheet.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross, approximately ½ inch (1 cm) deep-across the top of the loaf. If using oats and brown sugar as toppings, sprinkle them evenly over the surface.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
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