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This vegan Irish soda bread is a traditional family recipe that has been passed down and modified to be dairy-free, egg-free and vegan friendly. It’s packed with flavor from a homemade vegan buttermilk, sweet dark raisins and lots of caraway seeds. This delicious bread has been a family favorite for years, and I hope you love it as much as we do.
I’ve been loving yeast-free baked goods recently, like this soda bread! I’m also loving this vegan monkey bread and these yeast-free vegan cinnamon rolls.
Originally Published: July 2020 | Updated: March 5, 2025
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: Buttery crumb, subtly sweet, lightly tangy.
- Texture: Perfectly crusty on the outside with a soft interior.
- Difficulty: This recipe is made without yeast, so it’s super easy!
Why We Love this Vegan Irish Soda Bread: Like many people, I have such fond memories of eating Irish Soda Bread on St. Patrick’s Day. I love that this plant-based soda bread is completely dairy-free, so it’s made without buttermilk! This is a traditional Irish soda bread recipe that’s been in my family for years. And now, I’ve modified it to be dairy-free and vegan friendly.
Watch How to Make It
Ingredients:
This bread only has 10 basic ingredients (not including salt) that you can find at your local grocery store. They are:
All Purpose Flour
The core ingredient of the bread. I’m using unbleached white flour from King Arthur. I haven’t tested this recipe with whole wheat flour, but I believe it will turn out well. The final bake will have a nuttier flavor.
- To Make this Recipe Gluten-Free: You can swap in King Arthur’s All Purpose Gluten Free Flour blend for the regular flour.
Granulated Cane Sugar
A little sugar goes a long way in adding flavor to this vegan soda bread.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda
These both act as leavening agents in the recipe. The baking soda works together with acid (from the vinegar) to help the bread rise without yeast. The baking powder helps give this recipe a controlled and stable rise.
Salted Vegan Butter
To add richness and flavor. I like using Country Crock Plant Butter and Violife Plant Butter. Dairy-free butter can be swapped with a 1:1 ratio with dairy based butter.
Vegan Buttermilk
Unsweetened almond milk and apple cider vinegar are mixed together to make a quick and easy homemade vegan buttermilk. Another dairy-free milk like soy milk or oat milk can be used. And ACV can be swapped for white vinegar or even lemon juice.
Ground Flaxseed
Ground flaxseed is mixed with water to create a flax egg. The traditional family recipe that this vegan version is based on calls for regular eggs…so this is a good swap to replace them. You can swap it for another egg substitute like Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer.
Mix-Ins
Dark raisins add flavor and a touch of sweetness to the bread and caraway seeds, while optional, add lots of extra flavor.
Helpful Equipment
- Dutch Oven, 8″ Round Baking Pan, or Cake Pan
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Parchment Paper
Step By Step Guide
How to Make Homemade Vegan Buttermilk
The ingredients in classic Irish soda bread are usually flour, baking soda, and buttermilk. Since we’re making a vegan version, we’re swapping the buttermilk with a dairy-free alternative.
You can easily make a vegan buttermilk alternative by stirring together almond milk and apple cider vinegar. No vinegar on hand? You can even use lemon juice!
Before mixing all the ingredients together, let the almond milk and vinegar curdle for about 10 minutes.
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix well so there are no lumps.
Cut in the vegan plant butter. Then, stir in the raisins and caraway seeds.
Combine the vegan buttermilk, baking soda and the flax egg together. Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Once you mix all the ingredients together, the dough should feel stiff and sticky.
Shaping the Irish Soda Bread
After shaping the dough into a circular loaf, you can cut an “X” in the top with a sharp knife. This “X” or deep cross shape is what gives soda bread its classic look.
Place in a parchment lined Dutch oven or round baking pan. Bake the loaf for about 55 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown on top.
Serving Ideas
This recipe is fabulous smeared with a little bit of dairy-free butter. So good served fresh, straight out of the oven, so it’s still a bit warm. For the best slices, use a sharp serrated knife!
It’s also great served with other Saint Patrick’s Day classics like cabbage, vegan beef stew (this recipe is very similar to vegan Irish stew), and vegan seitan corned beef.
Storage Tips
The loaf will stay fresh at room temperature for 1-2 days wrapped well in plastic wrap. After that, I recommend freezing the loaf to lock in it’s moisture.
- To Freeze the Loaf: Wrap it well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Or you can wrap individual slices and place them in an airtight container.
FAQ
Yes, Irish soda bread can be made without buttermilk. The buttermilk acts as a catalyst to help the bread rise since it doesn’t contain yeast. So, you need to replace the acid in the recipe to make the Irish Soda Bread with no buttermilk. This recipe combines almond milk with apple cider vinegar for a simple homemade buttermilk.
Yes, you can make vegan Irish soda bread! This recipe uses dairy free butter, almond milk, and flaxseed to replace traditional ingredients.
More Vegan Baked Goods
- Easy 35 Minute Cinnamon Rolls
- Cozy Maple Spiced Coffee Cake
- Vegan Hot Cross Buns
- Vegan Poblano Cheddar Biscuits
- Homemade Flaky Biscuits without Baking Powder
Easy Vegan Irish Soda Bread (with Gluten-Free Option)
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- 1 ⅓ cup unsweetened plain almond milk, or other dairy-free milk (see notes)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal, mixed with 2 tbsp water
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, 480g – or sub. King Arthur's 1:1 Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (see note 1)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, 50g
- 1 tsp table salt, 5g
- 1 tsp baking powder, 4g
- ¼ cup salted vegan butter, 56g – like Country Crock Plant Butter
- 1 cup dark Thompson raisins, 150g
- 2 tbsp caraway seeds, 18g
- 1 tsp baking soda, 6g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8" round baking pan or line a Dutch oven with parchment paper. If making this loaf gluten-free, see notes below before beginning.
- Make the vegan buttermilk by mixing the almond milk and apple cider vinegar together in a measuring cup or bowl. Set aside to curdle for 5-10 minutes.In a small bowl, mix the ground flaxseed with 2 tbsp water to make a flax egg.1 ⅓ cup unsweetened plain almond milk, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
- Combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.4 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp table salt, 1 tsp baking powder
- Cut in the vegan butter until the flour is crumbly. Stir in the raisins and caraway seeds so they are coated. Make a well in the center.¼ cup salted vegan butter, 1 cup dark Thompson raisins, 2 tbsp caraway seeds
- To the measuring cup with the vegan buttermilk, mix in the baking soda and the flax egg mixture.1 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix the dough thoroughly. The dough will be stiff and sticky. Try not to knead the dough- just mix until everything is incorporated.
- Shape the dough into a round loaf (about 7-8" in diameter), and put the dough in the prepared pan or Dutch oven. Cut an “X” in the top of the dough with a knife. (See pictures in the post above for reference).
- Bake at 350°F for 55-60 minutes, until golden brown on top. When you tap the loaf, it should sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack at room temperature prior to slicing.
Video
Recipe notes
- This recipe has been tested with King Arthur’s 1:1 Gluten Free Flour. It can be swapped 1:1 with the regular all-purpose flour (4 cups).
- I’ve found that the gluten-free flour doesn’t brown as much as regular flour. To help with this I recommend brushing the loaf with a vegan egg wash. Mix together 1 tbsp maple syrup with 1 tbsp oat or soy milk to make a vegan egg wash and brush on top of the loaf prior to baking to help it brown.
- I used almond milk but this can be swapped for another plain dairy free milk like oat milk or soy milk. Almond Milk can also be swapped with regular dairy based milk.
- Baking time will depend on your oven and how wide/tall you shape the loaf.
Did You Make This?
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I made this today for St.Patrick’s days and it was so good! It has a really nice flavour and texture that you can’t even tell it would be vegan. It was so easy to make as well. I will definitely make this again soon. Thank you!
Hi Olivia! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this Irish soda bread. It’s one of my favorites, especially this time of year!
Good recipe!
I made this yesterday and it is so delicious. I’m so happy to have found a great vegan Irish Soda Bread recipe. I look forward to making the hot cross buns for Easter xoxo
Hi Diane! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe. I can’t wait for you to try the hot cross buns too- they’re delicious!
I wrote a review but forgot to give the 5 stars. Love this recipe 🙂
I made this the other day and I’m baking it again today. The absolute perfect recipe for Irish Soda Bread without buttermilk.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Emily, your recipe for Soda Bread is my go to. It is so delicious! It’s the best!
Thanks so much for your comment, Diane! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂