This Vegan Irish Soda Bread tastes just like its dairy-filled cousin. Flaky, buttery, dense, unbelievably perfect toasted. And I love any excuse to make it.
My mom used to make Irish Soda Bread every Saint Patrick’s Day, too. That and Reuben sandwiches. I’ve yet to create a vegetarian Reuben (and I’m not sure I could duplicate that one successfully if I tried), but Vegan Irish Soda Bread? Completely, utterly doable, as it turns out! Talk about luck. (Get it? Luck? Saint Patrick’s Day? Moving on …)
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love It
- Vegan Irish Soda Bread Ingredients
- How to Make Vegan Irish Soda Bread
- Full, Printable Recipe
- Comments & Reviews
Why You’ll Love It
This Irish Soda Bread tastes just like the real thing – or at least just like my previous go-to recipe, which was this Irish Soda Bread recipe, based off of Ina Garten’s recipe, which is prettttty dang perfect.
But now that I’m a dairy-avoider, I wanted to come up with a dairy-free version. So I swapped in vegan buttermilk and vegan butter and decided to see what would happen if I left out the egg while I was at it.
And guess what? It’s still totally delicious! Which I guess makes sense because the most traditional Irish Soda Bread is actually made of a very simple list of ingredients – baking soda, flour, buttermilk, and salt.
I’m pretty fond of this version, though, with its added sugar and a nice bit of (vegan) butter. Plus, a nice handful of currants for a bit of sweetness studded here and there.
Look at that loaf. All golden brown, tender, flaky … just waiting for a big ‘ol smear of butter. And maybe marmalade, if you’re so inclined.
Vegan Irish Soda Bread Ingredients
- Non-dairy milk (I like oat milk in this), mixed with vinegar to make a
- Currants – optional, but oh-so good in Irish soda bread!
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Vegan butter
That’s it!
How to Make Vegan Irish Soda Bread
This Vegan Irish Soda Bread comes together in minutes. It’s so easy!
First, you create your vegan “buttermilk.” Add one cup of non-dairy milk to a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, then stir in some vinegar. Set that aside to do its thing. Meanwhile, toss the currants in a bit of flour. Doing this helps to keep the currants evenly distributed throughout your loaf.
Next, you stir together your dry ingredients. Then cut in your vegan butter. I like to use a pastry blender, then my hands to really get the butter distributed, because what the heck. Next, you’ll stir in the buttermilk situation, then turn your wet dough out on your floured surface. Then incorporate the additional flour – just enough so the dough’s no longer sticky – and knead 4-5 times for good measure.
Round your loaf, place on your baking sheet, and cut the signature “X” in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.
Plop it in the oven, brew up a pot of coffee, and worry not – your Irish Soda Bread will be baked up piping hot, golden brown, and truly delicious before you know it.
Pinch me.
Vegan Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened plain oat milk or other non-dairy milk + 1 tablespoons white vinegar*
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus another 1/2 cup or so for the light kneading and another 1 teaspoon for the currants)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain salt
- 1/4 cup 1/2 stick vegan butter (I use Earth Balance), cut into squares
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a medium baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Make sure you have a surface – clean countertop or pastry board – to use when it’s time.
- Make buttermilk. Add the milk to a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon vinegar. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.
- Prep currants. In a small bowl, toss the currants with the 1 teaspoon flour. Set aside.
- Stir together dry ingredients. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Mix together until combined.
- Cut in the butter. Using a pastry blender or two butter knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. I like to use my hands to really get I there and incorporate the butter.
- Add wet ingredients. Add the buttermilk and currants and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined. The dough will be wet and sticky.
- Finish prepping the dough. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour on your surface and turn the dough out onto the surface. Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough. Fold the dough onto itself, adding more flour as needed, just until the dough is no longer super sticky (a little sticky is okay). Knead about 5 times then fold the corners underneath to form a ball. Set the dough on your baking sheet and, using a sharp knife, cut a large “X” into the top.
- Bake. Place in your pre-heated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Cool. Remove from oven and place the loaf on a rack to cool.
- Eat. Slice, slather with vegan butter, and enjoy! Makes excellent toast, too. Keeps at room temp for a good 3-4 days (keep wrapped with plastic wrap or beeswax cloth).
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
Irish soda bread doesn’t have currants in it because it’s a bread and not a cake. Yuk.
Well, this one does, and it’s delicious this way!
I am heartened to find this recipe as my Irish by marriage family expects to see corned beef and soda bread each ST Patty’s day, lol! I am thinking of trying now as I found a tofu version of “corned beef” , too.
It looks delicious, and I’ve made a lot of non vegan Irish Soda bread in my life. Now that I’m vegan I’m so thankful people like you have developed these scrumptious recipes with so many options!
It may not be traditional, but have you never heard of raisin bread? It’s on the shelves of every supermarket.
The butter in the ingredients- I don’t see it in the recipe. Is it just for putting on the bread when it is done cooking?
What is the butter for, what does it need to be cut in squares…Is the only used to spread after the bread is cooked?
Hi Julie, it is to be cut into the dry ingredients. I mentioned it in the text above the recipe but forgot it in the instructions. The recipe is fixed now. So sorry!
Your recipe is missing a step. Step 4 should be to incorporate the butter.
When do you add the butter??? I just put my dough in the oven but realized I never added any butter. It isn’t in the steps. 🙁
Hi Sarah, so sorry. I’ve fixed the recipe but I know that doesn’t help you now. 🙁
Strangely, it still turned out delicious 😂 I’ll try it again soon with the added butter!
I’m making this today and realized that your instructions don’t say anything about cutting in the butter. Your article does, but not the recipe.
Thanks Carolyn. So sorry. All fixed now.
You don’t say when to add the vegan butter! Please fix recipe. Thanks, Erin
All fixed! So sorry!
This bread was delicious!! I used almond milk. I did a 1/2 TBSP of caraway to add a little zest, but that’s just the way I like it. Tested this next to a similar dairy recipe and it tasted just as good.
Also, step 4 is missing the instructions to cut the vegan butter into the flour.
I’m so glad you liked it, and thank you for the review! I love adding caraway seeds too – yum. Thanks so much for the heads-up on the butter. I feel terrible that I left that out of the directions (fixed now)!
I made this today. It turned out great, much better than the last vegan soda bread recipe I tried. Your instructions are missing the step to cut in the butter.
Hi Carolyn, I’m so glad you liked the recipe and I’m so sorry about the missing step! Thanks for letting me know!
Just stuck my bread into the oven and realized I hadn’t incorporated the butter. I printed off the recipe and referenced only that – just FYI, it doesn’t include the step about the butter! You may want to change that. 🙂 The recipe looks great though and will definitely be a go-to to the future!
Hi Piper, I feel terrible about missing the step with the butter! I’m sorry. Thanks so much for the heads up and thanks for being so nice about it (it’s fixed now!) I do hope you’ll try the recipe again sometime.
I made this for St Patrick’s Day and it turned out very well. However, I noticed that the directions did not include what to do with the 1/4 cup of vegan butter (other than putting it on the finished bread). Other recipes direct that the butter and flour be crumbled together before adding liquid ingredients. I’m wondering – did this step get omitted by accident? Or do you not need to do that?
Hi Maril, I accidentally left it out of the directions! Yes – it should have been cut into the dry ingredients. The recipe is fixed now. I’m sorry about that!
I made this recipe with sprouted wheat flour and added 1/2 cup of oats. It was great! I had to add a substantial amount of flour during the kneading process so that it wasn’t sticky, but it was the perfect size loaf. I did not have currants because I was having it with lentil soup, but it was very tasty.
That sounds DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing!
My dough is very liquidy and I’m unable to pour it out onto the sheet. What should I do?
Weird! Work in more flour.
CAn I use raisins instead of currants? I can’t find dried currants in my area.
Absolutely!
I tried your Vegan Irish Soda Bread. It was my first time making bread. It was so easy. My family loved it! I will definitely make it again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m so glad it was a hit. Thank you! Can I add a star rating to your review? Just reply to let me know – 1 to 5 stars. Thank you again and take care!
Awesome Recipe! Simple to make and very delicious. Irish soda bread has always been my favorite part of St. Patty’s Day dinner. Thank you. I used Oat flour and Oat Milk in my recipe.
Good to know that oat flour and oat milk will work in this one! Thanks so much for your comment; so glad you liked the recipe!
I used almond milk instead of oat and coconut palm sugar instead of granulated sugar. My “dough” was SO wet!!! It was like pancake batter!!!! I almost doubled the amount of flour (2 cups) and it still wasn’t “malleable” I am praying it works out but I know it went into the oven still quite wet… I double checked all of my methods and everything was incorporated properly. Hoping it works out as we are quarantined and in need of bread!
Oh how strange! Those substitutions definitely should have not had that result as the liquid to flour ratio didn’t change. Adding more flour was the right thing to do. Hope it turned out for you. We’re getting to the point of having to make our own bread here too. Take care.
I made this using almond milk and jumbo raisins. It came out perfectly and was delicious! I’m the only vegan but the rest of my family loved it as well and couldn’t tell it was dairy and egg free! Will be making it again for sure!
Woo hoo! Love it. Can I add a star rating to your comment? You can assign 1 to 5 stars – just reply and I can add it to your review. Thanks so much!
Five stars!
I made this today and it turned out great! I didn’t have currants, sadly, but followed the recipe to a T otherwise. Went very well with my lentil shepherd’s pie. Thank you!
Sounds like a delicious meal! I’m so glad you liked this one. 🙂
Delicious! We ate the whole thing already and we’re going to make more tomorrow. Thank you.
I’m so glad this one was a hit! 🙂
375 degrees at 45 minutes wasn’t enough, it’s a little undercooked inside. But it does look and smell delicious. I mean it’s not inedible but the temp/time is off.
Ovens can vary for sure. I hope yours tasted as delicious as it smelled!
This was delicious! Thank you! We had dried cherries so we used those and a few pecans and it was just delicious!!! Thank you again for posting this tasty recipe!
Yum! So glad this was a hit for you!
This recipe is a keeper! It’s a great recipe that resulted in a very nice soda bread! I came across this recipe first thing this morning and in just a little over an hour, had a nice breakfast bread for the family to enjoy! I don’t have currants, so used a mix of chopped dried cranberries & raisins. Nice crust, perfect texture, nice not-too-sweet flavor, you’ll never miss the dairy, and if you do, just eat it with real butter 🙂
The cranberries and raisins sound so delicious! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review.
Making this today with sundried tomatoes, vegan pepperoni and some Violife Mozzarella instead of the currants to go for a savory version.
Oh that sounds delicious! I love Violife mozzarella.
Delicious!!!!
So delicious – Thank you for a great recipe! I popes my shaped loaf into my cast iron frying pan, but otherwise follows this perfect recipe to the letter.
This was so delicious! I did add caraway seed but that was the only modification! My husband and I almost finished the loaf in one night! Thank you for this recipe! It will be my go-to vegan Irish soda bread from now on!!
I never rate or comment on recipes but THIS CAME OUT SO GOOD!!! Like, really, really good! And obscenely simple! Thank you!
Made this for St. Patrick’s Day and everyone went crazy for it. It was amazing! So simple and tasty.
do you think Oat Flour could be substituted for the AP flour?
Hmm possibly – sounds like it could be a delicious sub! If you tried it please report back on how it turned out!
Sorry but this recipe came out hard and undercooked.
A St. Patrick’s Day winner! The dough was very sticky and I had real trouble kneading it, ended up losing track of all the extra flour I was adding but at the end I was able to loosely shape it and use a bench scraper to get it onto parchment for baking — and it turned out fine. In fact it’s much more tender and flavorful than regular soda breads we’ve had in the past — I can see it in regular rotation as a breakfast bread! I used a combination of raisins and dried cranberries, with oat milk for the dairy and Earth Balance from the tub. I always reduce salt when using EB since it’s so salty on its own. Thank you for the great recipe!
This bread was wonderful. I’m making it again tomorrow. There were no leftovers!
This bread is the best Irish soda bread ever! My family gobbled it up!