Easy Vegan Irish Soda Bread ☘️ Enjoy this simple vegan recipe for a soft, moist, and delicious traditional Irish soda bread made without dairy or eggs.
There's good reason Irish Soda Bread has been a popular part of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for generations - it's absolutely scrumptious!
Irish Soda Bread is a lightly sweet quick bread similar in texture to scones and shortcake. The crust is tender & slightly crispy and the bread itself is soft and dense, but not crumbly. The sweetness of the bread is created from the addition of a teaspoon of sugar plus raisins or currants and a small amount of fennel seeds, which add a lovely subtle anise or licorice flavor. If you aren't a licorice fan, simply omit the fennel. The bread is delicious with or without!
Table of Contents
Why we love this recipe
- It's so simple to make!
- Doesn't require yeast or rising/proofing time
- Ready in about an hour
- No electric mixer required
- It's versatile - you can add or change some ingredients if you like
- No buttermilk, dairy or eggs
- Perfect to serve on Saint Patrick's Day or any day
☘️ Serving Suggestions
Vegan Irish soda bread is the perfect partner with many Irish or savory meals, much like garlic bread is with with pasta, sourdough with soups and stews, biscuits with vegan sausages or dinner rolls are with Thanksgiving dinner.
This easy vegan version of a classic Irish quick bread is exactly what you want when re-creating the flavors and textures of a traditional Irish meal.
Enjoy a slice with a dab of vegan butter along with potatoes and cabbage - like our delicious Easy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes or Orange Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
How to Make Vegan Irish Soda Bread
This quick & easy plant-based recipe uses just a few basic ingredients, including plain (unsweetened) vegan yogurt instead of dairy buttermilk. The yogurt helps makes the bread dense, soft and moist. We used an almond-based yogurt. We also kept this recipe egg-free by using a powdered egg replacer. See more in the FAQ's below.
Ingredient Notes
🥕See the printable recipe card below for quantities and details.
Flour - we use all-purpose. See the FAQ's below for gluten-free flour instructions
Baking soda
Baking powder
Sugar - granulated
Salt
Vegan butter - Any non-dairy butter will work. Use what you like.
Raisins
Fennel seeds
Vegan egg replacer - we use Bob's Red Mill. See FAQ's below for options.
Vegan plain unsweetened yogurt
Non-dairy milk - rice, almond, oat, soy - your choice
☘️ Baking Tips
Use fresh flour, baking soda & baking powder. All-purpose white flour has a shelf life of about 3-8 months. Gluten-free and whole wheat flours may become stale sooner. Unless you bake a lot, it’s better to purchase flour in small quantities. Baking powder can lose its rising oomph after a few months. I like to keep an extra unopened container on hand just in case.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉/190℃
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients & cut in vegan butter. I use a pastry cutter when adding butter, but a fork works well too.
3. Stir in raisins & fennel seeds.
4. Mix in vegan yogurt & prepared egg replacer with a large spoon or silicone spatula.
5. Gently stir or knead the ingredients together, then roll the dough into a large ball.
6. Place into a buttered baking pan, cast iron skillet, or Dutch oven (like above). Cast iron helps make the crust nice and crispy. Use a pointed knife to score an X in the top (about ¼"-½" deep) and brush with non-dairy milk.
7. Bake at 375º for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
Enjoy while warm with a dab of vegan butter or simply as is. It's so delicious!
☘️ Variations
One of the great things about this easy vegan Irish soda bread recipe is you can add other ingredients you might enjoy, such as:
- Currants, chopped dates, sultana/golden raisins, cranberries, dried apricots
- Lemon or orange zest
- Caraway, anise or pumpkin seeds
Equipment
- A large mixing bowl
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Pastry cutter
- A long spoon or spatula for stirring/mixing
- Pointed sharp knife
- Pastry brush
- 1.5 or 2 quart Dutch oven, deep baking dish or oven proof pot
- Cooling rack
Need more ideas for delish vegan Saint Patrick's Day dishes? Try these!
☘️ FAQ's
What is Irish Soda Bread?
Soda bread originated in Ireland a couple hundred years ago, not long after bicarbonate of soda was first introduced to the U.K., providing a way to make bread or "quick bread" using inexpensive ingredients. Today, quick breads continue to be a popular way to create easy and delicious leavened breads without yeast.
What to use instead of eggs in this recipe?
Traditionally, this recipe calls for eggs, which we have substituted with vegan egg replacer. There are several packaged powdered egg replacers available which work well. You can also make your own by combining one tablespoon ground flax meal with three tablespoons of water (per egg). Allow it to sit 5 – 15 minutes to thicken before using.
How to store vegan Irish soda bread?
Keep your bread fresh by storing it in an airtight ziplock or food-safe plastic bag at room temperature or in a refrigerator up to 3 days. It can also be frozen up to 3 months.
How to make Irish soda bread gluten-free
To prepare this recipe without wheat gluten, choose a 1-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour. Be sure to check the labels of the other ingredients you use to ensure they are all gluten-free.
If you love this recipe ★★★★★ please be sure to rate it below! Sharing your experience lets me know that you enjoyed it and will help other readers decide if they should give the recipe a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕
Recipe
Easy Vegan Irish Soda Bread
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter
- Pastry brush
- 1.5 or 2 quart Dutch oven, deep baking dish or oven proof pot
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups all- purpose flour
- 1-½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar granulated
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ¾ cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 vegan egg replacer equivalent of one egg, follow package directions.
- ⅔ cup non-dairy yogurt vegan, plain unsweetened
- 2 tablespoon non-dairy milk almond, oat, soy - your choice
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
- Using a pastry cutter or large fork, cut in the vegan butter until the flour mixture has a coarse, mealy texture.
- Add raisins and fennel seeds. Stir to combine.
- In a measuring cup, mix together prepared egg replacer and yogurt.
- Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly.
- Gently knead dough to form a ball.
- Place into a lightly buttered pan or dutch oven.
- Use a pointed knife to cut a ¼"-½" deep x-shaped criss-cross across the top and partially down the sides of the dough.
- Brush the top of dough ball with non-dairy milk.
- Place in pre-heated 375º oven for 35-40 minutes. Begin checking at 30 minutes. Remove from oven when top of loaf is golden brown.
- Carefully remove hot loaf from pan and place on cooling rack for 10 -15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Dried fruits - currants, chopped dates, sultana/golden raisins, cranberries, apricots
- Lemon or orange zest
- Caraway, anise or pumpkin seeds
🥕How to make this recipe gluten-free
To prepare this recipe without gluten, choose a 1-1 gluten-free flour. Be sure to read the labels of all the ingredients you use to verify they are gluten-free. 🥕Storage Keep leftover soda bread fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Madeline says
SO GOOD. I wasn't sure how this would turn out because I subbed a few things -- I used half GF flour and half spelt flour, and also subbed coconut oil for butter -- but it was amazing! The texture, flavor... everything was so perfect. My boyfriend ate half of the loaf almost instantly. This will be a staple in our house now! Thank you!
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Madeline, thank you kindly for your great review! I really appreciate knowing that the recipe works with well with gluten-free flour since I have not attempted it myself. I'm so happy you & your boyfriend enjoyed the bread!💚🥕
nancy says
thanks for this dairy free soda bread ! it as perfect!! and so easy to make too
Deb says
I love that you offered a gluten-free option, I will be trying this recipe out soon!
abhi says
The bread looks so yummy. Thanks for sharing. I wild try it without raisins!!
Bobbie says
Perfect for st Patrick’s day baking! Easy to follow!
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
This quick & easy Irish Soda Bread is the perfect addition to any St. Paddy's day dinner or if you simply want a delicious hot loaf of home baked bread to serve with stew, soups or veggies.