Yet it’s still flaky, buttery, dense, unbelievably perfect toasted. And I love any excuse to make this dairy free Irish soda bread – it’s so so good.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Dairy Free Irish Soda Bread
• Ingredients
• How to Make Vegan Irish Soda Bread
• Can You Freeze Irish Soda Bread?
• More Irish Soda Bread Recipes

• Full, Printable Recipe
• Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

My mom used to make Irish Soda Bread every Saint Patrick’s Day. 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!

Just a few dairy-free subs and we have the flaky, buttery Irish Soda Bread of our dreams. Talk about luck. (Get it? Luck? Saint Patrick’s Day? Moving on …)

Why You’ll Love Dairy Free Irish Soda Bread

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 soda bread. 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.

Ingredients

• Non-dairy milk (I like oat milk in this), unsweetened and unflavored, mixed with vinegar to make a buttermilk of sorts.
• Currants – optional, but oh-so good in Irish soda bread!
• All-purpose flour – you can use whole wheat flour, or even sub in a one-for-one gluten-free flour mix. One reader reported using oat flour with success, too.
• Sugar – this helps enhance the flavors and sweetens the bread just a little
• Baking soda – this leavener interacts with the buttermilk to give this vegan Irish soda bread some air so it’s not too heavy
• Salt – enhances all the flavor
• Vegan butter – for buttery goodness without the dairy!

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 mix, 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.

Can You Freeze Irish Soda Bread?

Yes! Just wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer. It should keep well for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temp.

More Irish Soda Bread Recipes

• Cranberry Orange Irish Soda Bread
• Vegan Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Soda Bread Muffins
• Ina Garten Inspired Irish Soda Bread

If you try and love this recipe for vegan/dairy-free Irish soda bread, please leave a review! Even if you don’t absolutely love it, I welcome any and all feedback and I share all legit reviews. I test my recipes multiple times in my home kitchen, but I really appreciate knowing how they’re working for others; your reviews help me make tweaks until my recipes are just right! And they’re so valuable for other readers, too. Thank you! ❤️

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Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Just because you’re vegan or dairy-free doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a little bread-o-the-Irish! Whip up this vegan Irish soda bread and never go soda-bread-less on St. Paddy’s Day again.

Keyword dairy free irish soda bread, irish soda bread without buttermilk, vegan irish soda bread

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 1 medium loaf

Author Kare

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).

The post Vegan Irish Soda Bread appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Oh yes, I know – for many, it’s a time of year for all that is green and holy. But for me? It’s the time of year for currants and caraway seeds. Time for the most tender, heavenly, crusty crust known to man and leprechaun. It’s Irish Soda Bread season, lads and lassies. And when it comes to mid-March, well, it’s my bread and butter. Figuratively. And literally.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Ina Garten’s Irish Soda Bread
• More Irish Soda Bread Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Reviews & Comments

The Story Behind the Recipe

My favorite recipe is probably not terribly authentic but heck, it’s close enough, and like most Irish Soda Breads (and unlike many other St. Patty’s theme recipes) doesn’t involve one teensy drop of green food coloring. And genuine or not, it’s so delicious, I want to dance a jig. But I don’t actually dance a jig – ever tried to do that while eating a thick slice of buttered bread? Not good. Not good at all.

Ina Garten’s Irish Soda Bread

My recipe inspiration? None other than the Barefoot Contessa herself, the great and powerful Ina Garten of everything simple and fabulous. I follow her recipe almost to a T – I leave out the orange zest and often add some caraway seeds. And I add twice the butter – a happy mistake that created such an extra-terrific loaf of bread that I can’t go back now. The result is an amazing, crusty round of dense, slightly sweet bread that’s divine right out of the oven and, the next day, makes the most delicious toast you’ve ever had.

And so here, finally, is the recipe. Okay, fine, fine, enjoy it with a little green beer if you absolutely must.

More Irish Soda Bread Recipes

• Cranberry Orange Irish Soda Bread
• Vegan Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Soda Bread Muffins
• Ina Garten Inspired Irish Soda Bread

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Irish Soda Bread

This recipe yields one buttery, crusty loaf that basically makes the best. toast. ever.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 loaf

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour plus another tablespoon or so for the currants
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into squares
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk I make cheater’s buttermilk with milk and lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1 cup dried currants
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds optional

Instructions

• Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cookie sheet or cover it with a sheet of parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of flour into the currants, and set aside. Barefoot Contessa says the flour keeps the currants from sinking to the bottom of the dough, and who am I to question her?
• In the bowl of a stand mixer affixed with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
• Beating on low, mix in the butter until fairly well blended. You'll probably still see little lumps of butter here and there, but that's okay.
• Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it with a fork.
• Pour the egg into the buttermilk, give it a stir, and then add the buttermilk and egg to the flour and butter mixture while beating on low.
• Mix just until everything comes together.
• Add the currants and mix just until incorporated.
• Turn the dough onto a floured board. The dough will be very wet and sticky.
• Work enough flour into the bread to be able to knead it a just a few times.
• Form the bread into a round loaf.
• Move the loaf to the baking sheet.
• With a sharp knife, cut a shallow X into the top of the bread dough.
• Bake for 45 – 55 minutes, until golden brown and it sounds a little hollow when you knock on it. You can also try using a cake tester just to be sure – when it comes out clean, it’s done.
• Cool for a few minutes, and then enjoy Irish Soda Bread season! It’ll be gone before you know it. And then it’s Cadbury Egg season.

The post Irish Soda Bread appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.