Easy Vegan Irish Soda Bread ☘️ A simply delicious vegan recipe for a traditional Irish soda bread made without dairy buttermilk or eggs. GF option.
There's good reason Irish Soda Bread has been a popular part of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for generations - it's absolutely scrumptious!
If you're not familiar with Irish Soda Bread, it's 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.
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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 buttermilk, dairy or eggs
- It's soft, moist and chewy - not crumbly or dry
- Not too sweet - just enough
- It's versatile - you can add or change some ingredients if you like
- 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 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 buttermilk. The yogurt helps makes the bread dense, soft and moist. We used an almond-based yogurt. Here is all you need to prepare this yummy recipe:
🥕See the printable recipe card below for quantities and complete details.
Ingredients
- Flour - we use all-purpose. See below for gluten-free flour instructions
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Sugar - granulated
- Salt
- Vegan butter - We like Miyoko's, but any non-dairy butter will work.
- 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℉
- Sift together dry ingredients & cut in butter.
- Add raisins & fennel seeds.
- Mix in vegan yogurt & egg replacer.
- Roll dough into a ball.
- Place into buttered pot, score top & brush with non-dairy milk.
- Bake at 375º for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
- Enjoy!
☘️ 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
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.
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.
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.
To prepare this recipe without wheat gluten, choose a 1-1 gluten-free flour. Be sure to check the labels of the other ingredients you use to ensure they are all gluten-free.
very vegan ☘️ very good
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please rate it in the comments below. Sharing your experience helps others decide if they should give it 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*
- 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 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 knife to cut an 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
🥕Gluten-fre
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
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please rate it in the comments below. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sharing your experience helps others decide if they should give it a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕
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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
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
nancy
thanks for this dairy free soda bread ! it as perfect!! and so easy to make too
Deb
I love that you offered a gluten-free option, I will be trying this recipe out soon!
abhi
The bread looks so yummy. Thanks for sharing. I wild try it without raisins!!
Bobbie
Perfect for st Patrick’s day baking! Easy to follow!
Connie Edwards McGaughy
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.