Vegan biscuits? Yes!
Believe it or not, vegan biscuits can be just as delicious (if not more) than “regular” dairy biscuits. In fact, once you’re done whipping these vegan biscuits up, you’re going to want to share them with friends.
That is… if there are any left over for them to try. Once you have a taste, it’ll be hard to put them down. Imagine the look in “Grammy’s” eyes when she tried her first bite of my plant-based take on southern biscuits! Little did she know they were vegan!
These biscuits are especially scrumptious when you add on some dairy-free butter and a little bit of salt. Or, if you add some yummy strawberry jelly or jam! Or you could go southern style and pour on the gravy. And yes, you can make vegan gravy for your biscuits!
Whether you’re looking for a simple butter-free biscuit recipe, or you’re vegan but still want the taste of buttery biscuits (without the dairy), then you’re going to love these. So… grab some VEGAN butter, wrap your apron around your waist, and let’s get baking!
Pssst… Curious to know what makes vegan butter different from dairy butter? Check out my other post: What Is the Difference Between Vegan Butter and Regular Butter?
The Origin of Southern Biscuits
Are you wondering… What are southern biscuits?
Did you know southern biscuits originated in the U.K.?
That’s right. They came from British “scones”. But, let’s face it. American biscuits are better! Sorry to my English friends!
There’s nothing quite the same as southern biscuits with gravy or jam.
In the 19th century, Scones transformed into an entirely new specialty in the U.S. in the 19th century when wheat mills started revolutionizing the south. Cornbread got a new competitor to breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the arrival of delicious southern biscuits in the 1800s.
This recipe is similar to the southern version of biscuits. But, it’s a plant-based version of this scrumptious, buttery creation.
How to Make Vegan Biscuits (No Butter)
Let’s face it. Biscuits are hard to make just right. They’re either too tough, too flat, too inconsistent, or too dry. And… when you’re trying to make them plant-based, that’s a whole new level of difficulty.
However, crafting this recipe required pulling in all the biscuit and plant-based tips I could find. And, with the help of a few handy ingredients like butter-flavored coconut oil (yum!)It helped transform one of my favorite comfort foods into a plant-based treat.
All you need to get started is a single bowl, 25 minutes, and a few simple ingredients:
- Vegan Butter (I use Nutiva, but Earth balance is great too) If you only have coconut oil or another oil on hand, that will work too.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Plain almond milk
- One lemon (for lemon juice)
That’s all you really need to get started. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen. Now let’s make our way to vegan biscuit heaven!
8 Tips to Keep in Mind Before Making Vegan Biscuits
If you want to make a really tasty biscuit, you need to follow a few simple rules:
- Don’t use a rolling pin (use your hands)
- Don’t over-knead or over-handle your dough (or it won’t rise properly)
- Use cold vegan butter (oil still works but cold vegan butter works best)
- You need to use both baking soda and baking powder so they’re light and fluffy
- Brush a bit of vegan butter on top of the biscuits before they go in for a crispy, buttery top
- Remember to put a small dimple on top with your finger (so they don’t rise into a dome shape)
- You have to make sure your oven is hot (450 F / 232 C) so they rise and crisp nicely
- When placing them on your tray, make sure the biscuits touch (so they rise evenly)
And… Don’t forget: there’s one more important rule: If you want to get the most out of your biscuits, you’ve got to eat them fresh out of the oven (rather than 5 days later). There’s nothing tastier than slicing one open, spreading a bit of vegan butter with a pinch of salt on top, and popping one in your mouth (while it’s still a bit steamy from the oven). Yum!
These biscuits are easy to make, there’s no butter (only vegan butter), and best of all they are absolutely delicious whether you want something sweet or savory. Let’s dive right in!
Easy Vegan Biscuits (No Butter)
Light and fluffy vegan biscuits (without butter) that only take 25 minutes, 7 ingredients and a large mixing bowl. Perfect for a snack anytime of day or covered in strawberry jam!
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 Biscuits 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp Himalayan salt (or sea salt)
- 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp non-dairy (unsalted) butter or butter-flavored coconut oil (I use Nutiva)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C).
2. Pour lemon juice and almond milk to make a “vegan buttermilk”. Stir softly and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together.
4. Add cold plant-based butter to the dry ingredients. Use your fingers to hand mix the two together. Combine them until the mixture looks like sand. Remember to do this quickly so the vegan butter stays cool.
5. Create a well in the dry ingredients/butter mixture. Then, pour in the vegan buttermilk (almond milk and lemon mixture) 1/4 (60 ml) at a time. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir the mixture together to create a dough. You might not need all the vegan buttermilk. Stop stirring the mixture together when the dough has a somewhat tacky, yet moldable consistency.
6. Place dough onto a flat, lightly floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with some flour and very gently turn the dough over on itself 6-7 times. Don’t knead the dough too hard. Add more flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
7. Lightly press the dough into a 1-inch thick slab, handling and pressing the dough as little as possible.
8. Using a round dough cutter (you can also use a cocktail shaker or cup), push straight down through your dough and twist at the end. Repeat until you’ve cut out as many biscuits as possible with the slab. Then, gently reform the dough into a 1-inch slab to cut out another 1-2 biscuits. This should give you 7-8 biscuits.
9. Place biscuits onto your baking sheet in two rows (and make sure the biscuits just touch so they rise evenly). Brush the tops with some melted non-dairy butter, then use your index finger to press a small dimple into the center. This will help them rise evenly (and avoid a dome-shape). Add a small pinch of salt to the tops of the biscuits, and place them in the oven.
10. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until biscuits are slightly golden brown and fluffy. Serve them immediately. Place any remaining biscuits in an airtight container or bag (after allowing them to cool).
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Category: Breakfast, snack
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: vegan biscuits, southern biscuits, vegan southern biscuits
Here are a few ways to eat your vegan biscuits to take them to the next level…
Vegan Biscuits (No Butter) FAQ
Vegan biscuits are quite simple! However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when making them—especially if you want to make them taste just as good as non-vegan biscuits. Trust me, it’s possible if you follow the right recipe and use the right ingredients.
Here are some of the most common questions about making vegan biscuits without butter:
What Can I Use in Biscuits Instead of Butter?
If you’re wanting to bake biscuits but you’d prefer not to use butter (i.e. you’re dairy-free), then here are a few alternatives:
- Butter-flavored coconut oil
- Coconut oil
- Plant-based butters (i.e.Milkadamia Salted Buttery Spread, Forager’s Project Buttery Spread, etc.)
- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Lard
- Applesauce (will give it a cakier consistency)
Can You Use Oil Instead of Butter in Biscuits?
Absolutely you can use oil instead of butter if you’re making biscuits. Easily swap out butter for coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil. If you do use olive oil, try to go for extra light olive oil or it can give off a strange taste.
Why Do You Need Butter in Biscuits?
When making biscuits, one of the primary steps is to rub—or “cut”—butter into the flour. What this does is it brings the particles of flour together and coats them with the fat molecules. The effect is that this ensures any excess liquid (such as water, eggs, or milk) doesn’t absorb into the flour to create extra gluten.
If you overwork a pie, bread, or biscuit dough, the result is a tough, dense baked good. What butter does is it allows the dough to maintain a light, flaky consistency–almost a crispiness and lightness to the dough that makes pastries so desirable.
What’s the Secret to Light, Fluffy Biscuits?
The secret to crafting delicious, light, and fluffy biscuits? It’s to fully integrate butter and flour together. Of course, you can substitute butter for vegan butter (or some oil).
Should You Brush Biscuits Before Baking?
While you don’t have to brush your biscuits with melted butter before popping them in the oven, it’s highly recommended. When you brush some butter onto the tops of your biscuits, it helps to create a beautiful, flaky, golden brown crust that almost has a crispiness to it. In order to get a nice, flaky crust on top you just need a light stroke of the butter brush on the top then you can place your tray of biscuit dough into the oven right after.
Sources
https://www.ice.edu/blog/beyond-flavor-science-butter
https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/history-light-and-fluffy-biscuits.htm