You need just four ingredients to make this classic but vegan Irish soda bread recipe. It checks all the boxes for the perfect soda bread: a crisp crust, a dense but soft crumb, and delicious flavor. And it's ready in 45 minutes!
Table of Contents
The perfect vegan soda bread
Classic Irish soda bread is a delicious treat with it's tender, moist crumb and tangy, buttery flavor from buttermilk. My vegan Irish soda bread recipe keeps all those flavor and texture elements intact and rewards you with a dairy-free but delicious quick bread that comes together quickly, slices beautifully, and is soulfully satisfying with just a pat of vegan butter or a bowl of vegan Irish stew.
What makes Irish soda bread alluring to the cook, besides all that fabulousness above, is that it is so easy to make. Even an inexperienced baker can make one successfully and that's because Irish soda bread doesn't use yeast and therefore doesn't need to be proofed, like yeasted bread does. The leavening agent in this bread is baking soda or bicarbonate - therefore "soda bread". The alkaline soda reacts with the acidic buttermilk, creating bubbles of carbon dioxide, which help the bread rise. You can go from scratch to freshly baked Irish soda bread in about 45 minutes flat.
I love Irish food and I have been making a vegan Irish soda bread for nearly two decades now and I first shared my recipe on the blog all the way back in 2009. At the time I used a quick "buttermilk" made with non-dairy milk and vinegar. The bread tasted great, but when I ate traditional Irish soda bread on a trip to Ireland I knew I could do better. So I replaced the quickie buttermilk with a mix of my cultured vegan yogurt (or my Instant Pot vegan yogurt) and plant milk, which adds the perfect buttermilk flavor (you can use a store bought vegan yogurt). In addition to making the bread healthier, this vegan buttermilk also adds a bit of fat into the crumb, keeping it moist.
Some Irish and many American versions of soda bread include raisins and/or caraway seeds, and you can certainly add those if you like to this basic recipe. Other versions incorporate butter, eggs and sugar. I have deliberately kept this recipe simple, as it was traditionally meant to be, but I do have some guidance on variations in the recipe card notes below.
Recipe card
Vegan Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup vegan yogurt
- 1 cup plant-based milk (I used almond milk. Any non-dairy milk is fine)
Instructions
- Make the vegan buttermilk by mixing the vegan yogurt with the non-dairy milk.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1 ½ cups of the buttermilk.
- Make a claw with your hand and quickly mix the buttermilk into the flour in circular motions, without kneading, just until he dough comes together. Add the remaining buttermilk if needed, a little at a time. You can also mix with a wooden spoon. The dough will look shaggy but that's fine. Don't knead it to smooth it--you don't want to develop gluten.
- Turn out the dough on a well-floured surface. Use your hands to shape it into a disc by patting down the top and tucking down the edges. Flip the dough over once so the smoother surface is on top, but keep in mind that this is a rustic bread and you don't need a very smooth disc of dough--it should look craggy.
- Place the dough in a floured cast iron pan or on a baking sheet. Cut a deep cross into the bread using a knife, almost but not quite all the way to the bottom.
- Bake the soda bread in a preheated 450-degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden-brown on top. The bread should sound hollow when you knock on it with your knuckles. After 10 minutes get it out of the pan and place it on a rack to cool. You can slice the bread when warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Variations
- To make this a whole-wheat soda bread, replace 1 ½ cups of the all purpose flour with whole-wheat flour.
- To make this a sweeter bread, add 2 tablespoons sugar to the dry ingredients and whisk in.
- Add 2 teaspoons caraway seeds to the dry ingredients before mixing in the buttermilk.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
How to make vegan Irish soda bread
Make the vegan buttermilk by mixing the vegan yogurt with the non-dairy milk.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1 ½ cups of the buttermilk.
Make a claw with your hand and quickly mix the buttermilk into the flour in circular motions, without kneading, just until he dough comes together. Add the remaining buttermilk if needed, a little at a time. You can also mix with a wooden spoon.
The dough will look shaggy and feel sticky but that's fine. Don't knead it to smooth it--you don't want to develop gluten.
Turn out the dough on a well-floured surface.
Use your hands to shape the dough into a disc by patting down the top and tucking down the edges. Flip the dough over once so the smoother surface is on top, but keep in mind that this is a rustic bread and you don't need a very smooth disc of dough--it should look craggy.
Place the dough in a floured cast iron pan or on a baking sheet (there's no need for lining with parchment paper or a silicone mat, although you can do it if it makes you feel better). Cut a deep cross into the bread using a sharp knife, almost but not quite all the way to the bottom.
Bake the soda bread in a preheated 450-degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden-brown on top. The bread should sound hollow when you knock on it with your knuckles. After 10 minutes get it out of the pan and place it on a cooling rack. You can slice the bread when warm or at room temperature.
Vegan Irish soda bread FAQs
I have a delicious recipe for a vegan and gluten-free Irish soda bread. To make it with vegan buttermilk instead of the plant milk and vinegar combo, just substitute it with vegan buttermilk made according to this recipe.
There are many superstitions and stories behind the cross in the Irish soda bread. Some believe it was made to keep the devil and/or the fairies out and ward off evil. Others believe it to be a blessing and a way of giving thanks. But in fact the cross is more science than superstition - the cross helps the bread bake in the center and rise as it bakes.
The soda bread is perfect with a soup, like this vegan Irish leek potato soup, or a hearty vegan Irish stew or vegan Irish chili.
The bread makes wonderful toast, especially the day after.
Irish soda bread is meant to be eaten the day it is made, and it does taste best when it's fresh. But you can refrigerate it in an airtight container or bag for up to four days, or freeze the bread - sliced or whole - in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Elizabeth says
I made this today - 3/16/25. I added 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup and 3/4 cup of raisins. It's delicious! I love your vegan buttermilk substitution of plant-based yogurt+milk. I will use that in other recipes that call for buttermilk. Thank you!
Vaishali says
Jenny, your meal sounds wonderful-- glad you liked the bread, and thanks for letting me know 🙂
Jenny says
i tried this bread and it was delicious! we had it fresh from the oven with melted sunflower butter and cauliflower soup, it was like eating autumn. thank you 🙂
Sushma Mallya says
Thanks for dropping by vaishali and leaving a lovely comment as well...U have a great blog....and this bread looks perfectly baked and must be as good as it looks...will surely try this one...do keep in touch and take care
Priya Narasimhan says
I was surprised to see your post without an introduction not relating to food. but the last statement by gary larson is a fitting end to the post. I have seen so many irish soda breads..have to try one..yours looks very nice.
Gita says
THe bread looks fluffy, love this instant bread 🙂
Cham says
Irish soda bread is great for beginner baker! Making healthy is wonderful!
Angie says
This is really good soda bread! I substituted some of the all purpose flour with wheat flour (1-1/2 cups) as suggested in the recipe and I also added 2 tablespoons of sugar. I'll be making this many more times.
Pavani says
Looks great. Thanks for ur advise on how to use miso, I have to try them. Happy Friday Vaishali.
Jaya Wagle says
That bread looks gorgeous Vaishali. The closest we came to a soda bread was a few months ago when T made a Tibetan soda bread in a skillet on the stove. He liked it more than I did.
After a few failed attempts a couple of years ago, T and I have stopped baking breads at home. I think it had something to do with the apt. oven we had. But visiting your blog and checking out all the delicious breads you make, I have been nagging T to collaborate with me again. Will let you know soon if we make one of them.
Vaishali says
Happy, Priya, Pavithra, Preeti: Thanks.
Anonymous, cream of tartar is the sediment deposited along the sides of the barrels used to make wine, so I'd say it's definitely vegan. It is used often by bakers to stabilize egg whites, which is why you might have gotten confused. Hope this helps clarify 🙂
Parita, thanks.
Pari says
No Yeast, then I must try. I am waiting to get over the yeast ghost.The bread looks great with the beautiful texture.
Parita says
Bread looks lovely!
Preeti Kashyap says
they look yummm!
Pavithra says
Wow looks flaky and airy .. looks so tempting vaishali.. Noted down the recipe..
Priya says
Such a gorgeous irish soda bread Vaishali...Will try out soon..
Happy cook says
That is indeed a wonderful and yummy irish bread.
Anonymous says
hi vaishali..i have recently become vegan since last 2 months..i was wondering if cream of tartar was vegan or where did you find a vegan cream of tartar