This traditional Irish brown bread is made with whole grains and simple ingredients. It's a delicious quick bread that is nutritious and a great source of fiber. It's easy to make with no rising or kneading required!
We eat a lot of bread in our house. For sandwiches, with soup, or as a snack, there's nothing like a fresh loaf of homemade bread. I much prefer making a quick bread so that the dough doesn't need to rise and you also don't have to knead it.
While I make this whole what soda bread all year round, it's especially good for St. Patrick's day. For baked goods for St. Patrick's Day, try my Irish soda bread with raisins, Irish apple cake, matcha pancakes and green matcha cake with frosting.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a quick bread: There's no rising and no kneading.
- Hearty: This delicious bread of full of whole grains. It's perfect to have with a bowl of soup. It also makes a great sandwich bread.
- Great for St. Patrick's Day: While we love this bread all year long, I always make sure I make it for St. Patrick's Day as well as it's based on a traditional Irish brown soda bread recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Non-dairy milk - I prefer to use unsweetened soy milk but use your favorite variety. I would not use coconut milk or else your bread will taste coconutty.
- Apple cider vinegar - You can also use lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Vegan butter - My favorite vegan butter to use is Earth Balance. It comes in sticks as well as tub form so it's easier to measure.
- Stone ground whole wheat flour - My favorite brand to use is Bob's Red Mill stone ground 100% whole wheat flour.
How To Make Irish Brown Bread
Step 1: To begin, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
Step 2: Next, measure out the 2 cups of unsweetened plant-based milk in a large measuring cup. Mix in 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Set aside this milk mixture which will make a vegan version of buttermilk.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, add the whole wheat flour, white flour, salt, baking soda, 1 tablespoon of wheat bran, wheat germ, and sugar. Mix together with a whisk.
Step 4: Cut the vegan butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Use your hands to make smaller, pea-sized pieces of vegan butter and incorporate them throughout the flour. You can also use a pastry cutter.
Step 5: Make a well in the center of the mixture. Add in the vegan buttermilk you made in step 3. Use a fork to quickly mix up the dough. Do not over-work the dough or it will get too dense and tough.
Step 6: Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Leave it "rough" on top. You do not need to level it out. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of wheat bran over the top of the dough.
Step 7: Place the pan onto the hot baking tray in the preheated oven and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes.
Step 8: Take the finished bread out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Take the bread out of the pan and onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Slice, serve and enjoy. We love this bread with a little vegan butter spread on it.
This easy vegan Irish soda bread recipe was adapted from a recipe from the cookbook: In An Irish Country Kitchen by Clare Connery.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you use a serrated knife to slice the bread so it doesn't crumble.
- Do not over mix the dough or else it will get too dense.
Storage and Recipe FAQs
My favorite is unsweetened soy milk. Unsweetened almond milk or oat milk would work well too. I wouldn't use coconut milk as it will give it too much of a coconut flavor.
No. This is a quick bread, not a yeast bread, so there is no rising time needed.
Buttermilk is basically a sour milk. This recipe uses a vegan version which is just a plant-based milk plus an acid like vinegar or lemon juice.
This bread is best the day it's made. You can store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for another 1-2 days at the most. I recommend heating it up before eating.
Quick Bread Recipes
If you tried this Dairy-free Irish Brown Bread Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Special Thanks
Special thanks to my friend Kate F. who introduced me to the original recipe. When I heard everyone raving about her bread, I knew I wanted to veganize it.
Recipe
Traditional Irish Brown Bread (Dairy Free)
Equipment
- 7" cake pan
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon wheat bran, divided
- 1 tablespoon wheat germ
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon vegan butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° and place a baking sheet in the middle rack. Prepare a 7" round cake pan by spraying with nonstick oil spray.
- Measure out the non-dairy milk in a large measuring cup. Add the apple cider vinegar, stir, and set aside. This will make vegan buttermilk.
- In a large bowl, add the whole wheat flour, white flour, salt, baking soda, 1 tablespoon of wheat bran, wheat germ, and sugar. Mix together with a whisk.
- Cut the vegan butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Use your hands to break down the vegan butter to pieces no larger than a pea. Make sure they are well incorporated.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour in the vegan buttermilk. Use a fork to quickly mix up the dough making sure you don't over mix.
- Spoon the bread dough into the prepared pan leaving it "rough" on top. No need to flatten it out. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of wheat bran over the top.
- Place the pan on the baking sheet in the 425° oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 400° and bake for an additional 40 minutes.
- Take the bread out of the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- This bread is best the day it's made. You can store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for another 1-2 days.
Notes
- Make sure you use a serrated knife to slice the bread.
- Do not over mix the dough or else it will get too dense.
- I like to use Bob's Red Mill stone ground 100% whole wheat flour.
- My favorite vegan butter to use is Earth Balance.
Jen says
It's hard to believe this healthy bread tastes so good. I love that it uses whole grains as I’m always trying to get my kids to eat more fiber.