Vegan Biscuits
These fluffy Vegan Biscuits are made with only 7 ingredients, yet they have an authentically rich and flaky texture with a delicate, buttery flavor. This holiday side is so crave-worthy and easy to make! You never knew vegan baking could be so good!
Fluffy Homemade Vegan Biscuits
It’s official: the holidays are upon us! And if you’re anything like me, your holidays wouldn’t be complete without *drumroll* some sort of yummy carbs, be it biscuits, dinner rolls, mashed potatoes… you get the idea. So, in addition to all the other divine and delicious recipes I’ve shared, I bring you these Vegan Biscuits.
Not only are they super allergy-friendly, they are made with only 7 ingredients, and come together in a snap. In just 25 minutes, you’ll be putting these flaky, buttery biscuits on your table. Make sure to save yourself one before you serve them, because they’re bound to be eaten immediately!
Notes on Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe couldn’t be simpler. There’s nothing fancy here, just the same kinds of ingredients you would use in a classic biscuit recipe, but vegan and gluten-free. It’s all really easy and uncomplicated, which is how I like it!
- Flour: You’ll need about 2 cups, plus extra for rolling and cutting.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Using both of these gives the biscuits a great flaky texture and a good rise. Be sure not to mix them up, and always test them first.
- Sea Salt: remember that sea salt is larger than table salt. I always recommend using sea salt for my recipes; if you’re not, you’ll need to reduce so it isn’t too salty.
- Vegan Butter: The vegan butter should be very cold, so that it melts only during the baking and creates that flaky, tender biscuit texture.
- Vegan Milk: This should be cold as well, to help keep the butter cold and produce a light biscuit.
- Vinegar: You can use regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar. The vinegar helps to activate the baking soda, and it also adds a slight tang, similar to the flavour of a buttermilk biscuit.
How to Make Vegan Biscuits
As far as technique, there really isn’t much to say other than how easy they are to make. Biscuit making can seem like a very intimidating process, but it’s really nothing to be afraid of. I always just make sure that ALL of my ingredients are really cold.
Prep Oven, Butter & Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the butter in the freezer until your oven preheats. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a well-greased piece of parchment paper (I highly recommend using a silicone mat for this). Don’t start the process until your oven is already preheated, to ensure your biscuits go in at the best temperature.
Combine Milk & Vinegar: In a small bowl or jar, combine the apple cider vinegar and the vegan milk together, stirring to combine. It will curdle. Set aside.
Whisk Dry Ingredients & Add Butter: In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt until thoroughly combined.
Add in the cold vegan butter by cutting into chunks, or by grating the butter into the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your hands, mix everything together until it resembles coarse, sandy crumbs.
Add Milk Mixture: Make a well and add in the milk, folding and stirring gently with a wooden spoon. You want a dough that looks shaggy; it should not be dry, and should not be very wet, but it might be slightly sticky.
Turn Dough Out & Fold to Create Layers: Flour a flat surface, dust your hands with flour, and turn out the dough onto the surface. Form the dough into a 1-inch tall rectangle. Sprinkle some loose flour on top, then fold the dough over onto itself. Using your hands, press it down into a flat rectangle again. Turn the dough 90 degrees, then fold it onto itself again. Flatten again. Repeat up to 5 times. This helps to create layers in the biscuits when they rise. Finish with a dough that is rectangular and no lower than 1 inch high.
Cut Out the Biscuits: Using a biscuit cutter, a drinking glass, or the lid of a mason jar, cut the biscuits as close as possible to each other. Place the cutting tool straight down onto the dough; don’t twist it, since that can affect the layers. Place the biscuits one by one onto the baking sheet, just touching (this helps them rise). Repeat with the extra dough until you have 6 biscuits. You may have to push some scraps back together to form all the biscuits.
Bake: Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden and fluffy. Remove from the oven. Feel free to brush with more vegan butter as soon as they come out, if desired. Let them cool slightly before serving.
Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Biscuits
- Get the Right Flour/Butter Texture: I call this coarse, sandy crumbs. Another way to say it is that the butter should be broken down into the dry ingredients, but not all the way. Rather than a smooth paste or evenly-textured mix, you should have bits of flour-coated butter from the size of a poppy seed, up to the size of a corn kernel.
- Get the Right Dough Texture: Don’t overwork the dough. You want to gently stir and fold until it just starts to come together in a big, messy ball. That way you get a nice shaggy dough, which means that it’s not dry, but not too wet either, almost like a shaggy rug. Not the tastiest comparison, but very helpful for visuals while you’re making these.
- Change It Up: While the default is basically cutting these into a circle, you can also try cutting them into squares. I often do this, because it eliminates the problem of putting the scraps back together without overworking the dough or losing the layers you folded into it.
- Make It Sweeter: Another nice alternative is to make these biscuits a little bit sweet. Try stirring a tablespoon or so of sugar (or your favourite granulated sweetener) into the dry ingredients. A slightly sweetened biscuit makes a nice base for a strawberry shortcake or other dessert!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover biscuits can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap to keep them as fresh as possible. They are tastiest if you reheat them or toast them before serving!
Can I Freeze Homemade Biscuits?
Yes, you can! Place leftovers in freezer bags and push as much air out as possible before sealing. If you can individually wrap the biscuits in plastic wrap before sealing them in freezer bags, they will keep even better. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before serving.
If you try these Vegan Biscuits please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen! For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen.
Vegan Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour, 240g
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup very cold vegan butter
- 1/2 cup cold vegan milk, 120mL
- ½ tablespoon vinegar, regular or apple cider vinegar
- Up to ⅓ cup extra flour for rolling and folding
Equipment
- Oven
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Place the butter in the freezer until your oven preheats.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a well greased parchment paper (highly recommend a silicone mat for this).
- In a small bowl or jar, add the apple cider vinegar and the soy milk together and stir to combine. It will curdle. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt until thoroughly combined.
- Add in the cold vegan butter by cutting into chunks, or by grating the butter into the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, fork or just your hands, mix everything together until it resembles coarse crumbs/sand.
- Make a well and add in the milk, folding gently and stirring gently with a wooden spoon.You want a dough that looks shaggy; it should not be dry, and should not be very wet but it might be slightly sticky.
- Flour a surface, dust your hands with flour, and turn out the dough onto the surface. Form the dough into a 1 inch tall rectangle. Sprinkle some loose flour on top, then fold the dough over onto itself. Using your hands, press down into a flat rectangle again. Turn the dough 90 degrees, then fold onto itself again. Flat again. Repeat up to 5 times; this helps to create layers in the biscuits when they rise.
- Finish with a dough that is rectangular and 1 inch high, no lower than that.
- Using a lid of a mason jar, a drinking glass, or a biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits as close as possible to each other. Place the cutting instrument straight down onto the dough; don’t twist it since that can affect the layers. Place one by one onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the extra dough until you have 6 biscuits. You may have to push some scraps back together to form all the biscuits.
- Let the biscuits touch on the baking sheet (this helps them while rising).
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until golden and fluffy.
- Remove from the oven. Feel free to brush with more vegan butter as soon as they come out. Let them slightly cool and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Get the Right Flour/Butter Texture: I call this coarse, sandy crumbs. Another way to say it is that the butter should be broken down into the dry ingredients, but not all the way. Rather than a smooth paste or evenly-textured mix, you should have bits of flour-coated butter from the size of a poppy seed, up to the size of a corn kernel.
- Get the Right Dough Texture: Don’t overwork the dough. You want to gently stir and fold until it just starts to come together in a big, messy ball. That way you get a nice shaggy dough, which means that it’s not dry, but not too wet either, almost like a shaggy rug. Not the tastiest comparison, but very helpful for visuals while you’re making these.
- Change It Up: While the default is basically cutting these into a circle, you can also try cutting them into squares. I often do this, because it eliminates the problem of putting the scraps back together without overworking the dough or losing the layers you folded into it.
- Make It Sweeter: Another nice alternative is to make these biscuits a little bit sweet. Try stirring a tablespoon or so of sugar (or your favourite granulated sweetener) into the dry ingredients. A slightly sweetened biscuit makes a nice base for a strawberry shortcake or other dessert!
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
These biscuits are amazing and so easy to make! Flaky, buttery and utterly delicious! Made to go with an impromptu pot of red lentil soup. Directions are easy to follow. The tip about using a box grater for the butter was so helpful. Did not use a biscuit cutter, just cut into rectangles for the easy way. Will be making this recipe all the time and will add a little sweetener for strawberry shortcake season! Thank you Jessica!
Oh wow Cindy! you made it already! We’re so happy that you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading!
Jessica has done it again!!!! Every Sunday I love to make a savory breakfast for my household and with the snow falling I felt biscuits were perfect!!! These were fluffy and flaky at the same time!!! Definitely will be making these again!!!
HAHA! We’re so happy that you enjoyed this recipe Timothy! Thank you so much for reading and leaving such a nice comment!
Made these biscuits twice in the last 2 weeks! The recipe is easy to follow and not a lot of ingredients which makes the prep time quick. I still have not mastered getting my biscuits to rise like the ones in the photo, but they are tasty nonetheless! Thank you Jessica for sharing this recipe!!!
I made these with gluten-free flour for Christmas Eve dinner. They didn’t rise much, although that could well have been my baking skills (or lack thereof), hahaha. I used 1/2 tsp xanthan gum and a plain gluten-free flour mix (rice/maize/potato flour). They still tasted absolutely delicious, and were fluffy and soft. I will try again and do better with the rolling/layering and hopefully they will rise a bit more! But even if they don’t, I would 100% keep making them – so fun and yummy!
Also, 4 of the 5 recipes I made for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning were yours, and they were all fantastic – you make being a gluten-free vegetarian so easy and delicious! Thank you so much 🙂
These biscuits are delicious!!! I tried making them with GF flour (used my favorite blend from our local GF bakery, but I’m sure Bob’s would work too) and coconut milk. I needed about twice as much liquid as the recipe called for (GF flour soaks up a lot), but they came out AMAZING! I haven’t had a really delicious biscuit in 12 years of eating GF, but this is it! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
What are the ingredients in your gf bakery flour? 🙂
Hi Sharyn we actually use a gluten free baking flour from Bobs Red Mill. I hope this helps.
I forgot my source for this recipe until I saw it today and want to let everyone know that these are wonderful! I’ve been baking my own gluten breads for about 10 years and by substituting my flower mix for “flour” in this recipe, they are now something I would rather have than bread. Who would think biscuits could be made without eggs? I foo-fooed them until I got desperate one day and decided “what the heck?” They can’t be worse than any I’ve tried! They have definite layers and separate easily and look so inviting! I love the trick of grating the butter! It works perfectly! Thanks so much, Jessica for the delicious way to put bread back in my life when I am having breakfast or soup or one of those things that go well with biscuits! They are definitely a treat fit to serve company, even.
Aww I loved this review soo much – thank you so much Randy and yay you’re SO welcome!!!
These were absolutely delicious and were a hit with my whole family. Perfect with some maple syrup or vegan butter on top. They are so buttery and the recipe was very easy to follow. These are better than the non vegan biscuits I remember from years ago! Thanks for all your amazing recipes! 🙂
Awesome thanks Kathryn! We’re so happy that you like it.
Hello! I will be making these biscuits soon. Suggestions for vegan butter? What do you use?
Hi Leanna,
I usually use Earth Balance butter for these. Just ensure it’s VERY cold. Enjoy so much!
I’ve made these multiple times and they’re always great. I’m too lazy to meddle with butter and I discovered that olive oil works beautifully instead. They still taste really rich and buttery, which is fascinating.