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These vegan buttermilk biscuits are based on a family recipe that has been adapted to be made without eggs or dairy. Below, I’m sharing the best tips I’ve learned over the years for getting flaky layers, a crisp golden bottom, and biscuits that bake up oh so buttery.
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Biscuits
First things first, these vegan biscuits are the American southern-style kind… soft and tender in the middle with lots of flaky layers, not the British kind. The dough comes together quickly, and a few simple techniques help create tall biscuits with a crisp, buttery bottom. If you’ve made scones before, this method will feel familiar.
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: Buttery and rich.
- Texture: Tender and flaky.
- What Makes It Different: Uses a true vegan buttermilk substitute and preheating the pan creates a crispy bottom.
- Time: About 30 minutes.
Why This Recipe Works
Most vegan biscuit recipes rely on a quick buttermilk substitute made with just plant milk and vinegar. This swap can definitely work (and I’ve used it many times before in recipes like these poblano biscuits).
But this recipe uses a richer vegan buttermilk made with soy milk, dairy-free yogurt, and apple cider vinegar. It creates a thicker, tangier mixture that’s closer to traditional buttermilk and helps keep the biscuits tender.
Plus, a few simple techniques also make a big difference here. Folding the dough helps create flaky layers, and baking the biscuits on a preheated, buttered pan gives them a crisp golden bottom. See below for what you need and how to make them!
Ingredients
Ingredient Highlights & Some Swaps
Vegan Butter
Not all vegan butters work the same here. My favorite is Violife because it stays nice and firm when cold. In general, a dairy-free butter that is very firm straight from the fridge will give you the best texture.
Softer vegan butters, like Melt, tend to make the biscuits more cake-like. If you want more details, I also have a full vegan butter brand comparison.
Homemade Vegan BUttermilk
Like mentioned above, I’m using my homemade vegan buttermilk substitute in this recipe. This is a simple combination of unsweetened soy milk, plain dairy-free yogurt and apple cider vinegar.
If you don’t have vegan yogurt, you can use extra soy milk and a bit more vinegar (as noted in the recipe card) but the yogurt really helps make a soft and rich yet flaky biscuit.
Vegan Egg Wash
A vegan egg wash is optional but does help the biscuits get a shiny, golden crust. I’ve found that a 1:1 mixture of maple syrup + soy milk or Just Egg + soy milk make the best wash for this recipe. See below.
All Purpose Flour
I used King Arthur’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. For best results, measure it with a digital scale. If using measuring cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off. Don’t scoop directly from the bag, which can pack in too much flour and make the biscuits more dry or dense.
Baking Powder
Baking powder helps the biscuits rise when baked. If you’d like to make biscuits with self-rising flour (and no extra added leavening), be sure to check out this flaky biscuit recipe.
How to Make Vegan Biscuits
Exact ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below!
Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Cube the cold vegan butter and add to the dry ingredients.
Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to cut the butter into the mixture.
Pour the prepared vegan buttermilk into the dough. Start with 1/2 cup and add more as needed. You may not need all of it depending on the weather, kitchen environment and how your flour absorbs moisture.
Use a spatula to mix until a scraggly dough forms.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Shape the Dough & Bake
Fold the dough in half and then in half again. Re-roll the dough and repeat the folding process one more time. (This helps make flaky layers).
Roll the dough out to about 3/4-1″ thick. Use a circular cutter to cut the dough into 6-7 biscuits. You can also use a sharp knife to cut the biscuits into squares.
TIP: Avoid twisting the cutter when cutting out the biscuits as it can lead to a lopsided, uneven rise. See below! (They’ll still taste great though).
Optional: Brush the tops with vegan egg wash.
Bake the biscuits on a preheated pan at 475F for 10 minutes, then at 450F for another 5-6 minutes.
Ways to Serve the Biscuits
Once baked, the biscuits can be served warm, split open with melty vegan butter and jam spread on top. Or they can be cooled on a wire rack.
I personally love turning these biscuits into vegan breakfast sandwiches with my homemade vegan sausage patties or my tofu bacon plus some Just Egg or tofu scramble! See below:
Tips for Flaky Vegan Biscuits
- Use a firm vegan butter. A very cold, firm vegan butter gives you the best flaky layers. Violife is my favorite for this. Softer butters can work, but they usually give you a softer, more cake-like biscuit.
- Fold the dough a few times.This simple step helps create those tall, flaky layers. After bringing the dough together, fold it over itself a few times before cutting the biscuits.
- Don’t overwork the dough.Try to handle the dough as little as possible, especially with warm hands. If the butter starts to melt before baking, you’ll lose some of that flakiness.
More Recipes to Try
Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits
Rate this RecipeIngredients
Vegan Buttermilk:
- ½ cup unsweetened soy milk, cold
- 3 tbsp unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, or substitute 3 tbsp of extra soy milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, 260g – plus extra for rolling; spooned (not scooped) from the bag and leveled
- 1 tbsp baking powder, 15g
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup salted vegan butter, cold – like Violife (plus 1-2 tbsp for baking)
- ‘Egg’ Wash: 1 tbsp maple syrup + 1 tbsp soy milk, or 1 tbsp Just Egg + 1 tbsp soy milk
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 475°F. In a measuring cup, mix the soy milk, dairy-free yogurt, and apple cider vinegar to make the vegan buttermilk.½ cup unsweetened soy milk, 3 tbsp unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Cut In Butter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt with a fork. Whisk well so there are no lumps of baking powder. Add the cold vegan butter to the dry ingredients and blend with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, ½ tsp fine salt, ½ cup salted vegan butter
- Add Vegan Buttermilk: Pour in ½ cup of the vegan buttermilk and mix until the dough starts to come together, adding the remaining buttermilk only if needed.
- Shape Biscuits: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands gently press it into a rough rectangle. Fold the dough in half, and then in half again. Then press or gently roll it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Repeat one more time.
- Cut Out Biscuits: Use a biscuit cutter or circular glass to cut the dough into 6-7 biscuits, about 3 inches in diameter. Avoid twisting the cutter. Brush the tops with the vegan egg wash.‘Egg’ Wash: 1 tbsp maple syrup + 1 tbsp soy milk
- Preheat Pan: Place a metal baking pan or a 10 or 12-inch cast iron skillet with about 1 tbsp of vegan butter in the oven to heat while it preheats. Remove the hot buttered pan from the oven after about 5 minutes, place the biscuits on it.
- Bake Biscuits: Bake at 475°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 450°F and bake for 5 to 6 more minutes, until light golden brown. The biscuits should rise to about 2 inches high. Cool on a rack or serve warm.
Recipe notes
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