When it comes to quick bread this Vegan Irish Soda Bread recipe is the perfect no-knead bread! It’s made with only 9 ingredients, requires no rise time, and tastes phenomenal! Serve alongside a big bowl of Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup, Potato Soup, or Chowder for the ultimate comforting meal.
What is Irish soda bread made of?
Irish Soda Bread was traditionally made with flour, sugar, baking soda, butter, raisins, eggs, buttermilk, and in our family caraway seeds. So, if you are wondering, is Irish soda bread vegan? Not traditionally. However, to make this recipe vegan we just changed my great grandmother’s recipe a little!
The recipe only uses 9 ingredient’s and I would consider it a wonderful beginner-level bread because it’s so easy to make! For the full recipe and ingredient list, visit the recipe card below.
How to make vegan Irish soda bread
The first step is to make vegan buttermilk. To tell you the truth, vegan buttermilk is quite easy to make. I use the same recipe in my Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes too!
To begin, add a mixture of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to non-dairy milk and let sit for 10 minutes. The milk will begin to separate and curdle. Whaala! You’ve made Vegan Buttermilk!
After you’ve made buttermilk, you’re nearly halfway done! See, you’ve got this whole bread-making thing down already! Since this is a “quick-bread”, it’s yeast-free and requires no rise time. In fact, the acidity from the buttermilk works with baking soda as the leavening agent. As a result, it’s a beginner bread maker’s dream!
Next, combine all the wet and dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Transfer the dough to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and shape the dough into a circle. Bake and enjoy!
Why do the Irish use baking soda in their bread?
Ireland’s climate makes it more challenging to make yeast-leavened bread. So, a lot of traditional Irish bread contains a leavening agent, in this case, baking soda. It is usually made with buttermilk, sugar, eggs, flour, butter, baking soda, and sometimes caraway seeds and raisins. If you want to learn more about the different types of soda breads and the history check out this article here.
Because this bread uses no yeast, it requires no rise time, doesn’t need to be kneaded, and is ready to bake in only 5-10 minutes!
History says it was custom to pass the loaf around the table and rip a piece off instead of neatly slicing it. I don’t know about you, but I’m into that.
What does Irish soda bread taste like?
This rustic bread has a crunchy outer layer and a dense but soft inside. Similar to biscuits, Irish soda bread has a bubbly uneven texture and the outer layer turns brown while baking. It’s slightly sweet and studded with juicy raisins and aromatic caraway seeds.
Just imagine if a biscuit and a scone had a baby… It’s perfectly crunchy on the outside, slightly sweet and soft in the middle.
Tips for the perfect bread:
- Vegan Butter- I recommend using vegan butter sticks over butter spread or coconut oil. My favorite brands are Miyokos, Earth Balance, Betty Crocker, and Melt.
- Lemon Juice & Apple Cider Vinegar- I discovered that mixing 1 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar with 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice gave me the best “buttermilk” results.
- Soy Milk is Best- After many tests, I found that soy milk curdles and makes the best buttermilk. But, you can use any dairy-free milk!
- Wet Dough- Note that the dough will be wet! To make it easier to mold, I used extra flour on my hands and to cover the dough.
How long will it stay fresh?
The leftover bread should stay fresh in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Alternatively you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Simply remove from the freezer and allow to defrost and then toast before serving.
Can it be made gluten-free?
I haven’t tried this recipe gluten-free. When converting a recipe to gluten-free my favorite brands to work with are Cup 4 Cup and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour. If you make this recipe gluten-free, please let me know how it turns out!
In my opinion, Vegan Irish Soda Bread is the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors! The best part is it only requires 5 minutes of hands-on time! It pairs with lots of main courses or is great eaten by itself. Either way, don’t forget the butter!
If you recreate this Vegan Irish Soda Bread, please let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @flaxandsugar, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations! Hungry for more? Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more deliciousness!
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Vegan Irish Soda Bread
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
- Cuisine: Irish
- Diet: Vegan
Description
9-ingredient easy vegan Irish soda bread. This recipe requires no rise time, no-kneading, and is ready to enjoy in under an hour! It pairs perfectly with soups and stews for a hearty, delicious meal!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cup. non-dairy milk- I suggest soy
- 3 cups + 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar + 2 tbsp. additional for sprinkling on top* optional
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 tbsp. caraway seeds
- 4 tbsp butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- Make a batch of vegan buttermilk by combining 1 1/2 cup non-dairy milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Set bowl aside and for 10 minutes while you gather other ingredients. The milk with curdle and separate creating a “buttermilk”.
- In a large bowl mix 3 cups + 2 tbsp. flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tbsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 cup raisins, and 1 tbsp. caraway seeds together.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture and 4 tbsp. melted butter into the dry ingredients and mix untill a sticky dough forms.
- With your hands, shape the dough into a round shape. Note that the dough is sticky and you can use more flour to keep it from sticking to your hands. The round dough shape doesn’t need to be prefect, it’s a rustic loaf!
- Place the dough in a well-greased casserole dish or on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Transfer the dough to the oven for approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour until the top is perfectly brown. Isert a toothpick into the center to check that it is cooked thouroughly.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 mintues before serving.
- Slice or rip, and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 2″ Slice
- Calories: 200
Keywords: Irish soda bread, no nead bread, no yeast, quick bread, raisin bread, scone, muffin, easy bread,
This is one of the recipes on your page! I loved Irish soda bread growing up in an Irish household and this was an old family recipe! Thank you for sharing this!
★★★★★
Thank you! I hope you and your family love it!