Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

Last updated - ; Published - By Rhian Williams 60 Comments

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ThisGluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread is crusty on the outside, soft on the inside and packed with sweet raisins. It's filling and nutritious, slices well and is perfect for St. Patrick's Day!It's no-knead, yeast-free,oil-free, refined sugar freeand nut-free too.

Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (1)

Inspired by this Gluten-Free Vegan Breadrecipe, I was keen to experiment with more quick-bread recipes and I knew I would have to try making a soda bread!

What is soda bread?

Soda bread is a yeast-free bread made using bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) as the raising agent. It is often combined with buttermilk, as the acidic buttermilk reacts with the alkaline bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to make a fluffy dough.

It is really easy to make dairy-free buttermilk!

How do you make vegan "buttermilk"?

1. Mix almond milk with vinegar in ameasuring jug.

2. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Tip: This trick works with any kind of non-dairy milk, as the vinegar curdles the milk so that it resembles buttermilk.

How to make this recipe

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for thefull recipe.

Tip:This batter is much more liquid than a traditional soda bread, as gluten-free flours absorb a lot more moisture!

Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (2)
  • Transfer the mixture into a baking dish lined with greased baking paper(I used a 20 cm/8 inch circular tin).

Tip:Take asmall knifeanddraw a crossover the top of the batter, if desired.

Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (3)
  • Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes, until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (4)
  • Make sure to leave the bread to cool down completely on acooling rackbefore packing it away to store because otherwise the steam from the warm bread will get trapped and you'll end up with soggy bread, which nobody wants!

How long does this keep for?

This Irish Soda Bread keeps well covered in the fridge for a good few days. If not eaten on the day it's made, it's best toasted before eating.

Can you freeze it?

If you're freezing it, you can just slice it up and put the whole thing in the freezer. Then when you want to eat it you can just pop the slices of bread in the toaster straight from frozen.

Substitutions you can make

  • You can use any type of plant-based milk.
  • The rice flour and tapioca flour can be replaced with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
  • The vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice.
  • The raisins can be omitted.
  • The raisins can be replaced with dried cranberries or chopped dates.
  • You can add some chopped walnuts.
  • You can add some mixed seeds and/or sprinkle them on top.
  • You can add some caraway seeds!
Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (5)

More gluten-free vegan bread recipes

  • Gluten-Free Vegan Chickpea Bread
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Blueberry Banana Bread
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Almond Bread
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Oat Bread
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Dinner Rolls
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Seeded Buckwheat Bread
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Cornbread
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Bread Rolls
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Oatmeal Bread
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Biscuits
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Carrot Bread
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Bread
  • Quinoa Bread
  • or browse the whole collection!

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog,I’d really love to hear anyfeedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes onInstagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make this recipe

Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (6)

Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread

ThisGluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread iscrustyon the outside,softon the inside and packed withsweet raisins. It'sfillingandnutritious,slices welland is perfect forSt. Patrick's Day!It'sno-knead,yeast-free,oil-free,refined sugar freeandnut-freetoo.

4.16 from 59 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: Irish

Keyword: gluten-free irish soda bread, vegan irish soda bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 18 slices

Calories: 127kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

  • 375 ml (1 ½ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
  • 220 g (2 cups) chickpea (gram) flour
  • 220 g (2 cups) rice flour
  • 30 g (¼ cup) tapioca flour
  • 6 teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
  • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  • Pinch salt
  • 150 g (1 cup) raisins or sultanas (optional)
  • 120 ml (½ cup) water

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).

  • Measure out the milk and, leaving it in the measuring container, add the vinegar and stir - leave to sit for around 10 minutes, while you do the rest of the steps.

  • Place the chickpea flour, rice flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and raisins in a large bowl and mix well.

  • Add the milk and vinegar mixture and the water, and mix again.

  • Transfer the mixture to a baking dish lined with greased baking paper (I used a 20cm/8inch circular tin).

  • Take a small knife and draw a cross over the top of the batter, if desired.

  • Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes, until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

  • Leave to cool slightly before slicing.

  • Leave to cool on a wire rack before putting away to store.

  • Keeps well in the fridge for up to a few days - if not eaten on the day it's made, it's best toasted before eating.

Notes

  • You can use any type of baking tin you like, but to get a beautifully risen, puffed-up bread with a traditional cross on the top, I would recommend using a circular baking tin.
  • The cross on the top might look fancy, but it's super easy to make - all you need to do is use a knife to score the top in a cross pattern before you put it in the oven.
  • Make sure to leave the bread to cool down completely on aGluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (7)cooling rackbefore packing it away to store because otherwise the steam from the warm bread will get trapped and you’ll end up with soggy bread, which nobody wants!
  • This batter is much more liquid than a traditional soda bread, as gluten-free flours absorb a lot more moisture!

Substitutions you can make

  • You can use any type of plant-based milk.
  • The rice flour and tapioca flour can be replaced with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
  • The vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice.
  • The raisins can be omitted.
  • The raisins can be replaced with dried cranberries or chopped dates.
  • You can add some chopped walnuts.
  • You can add some mixed seeds and/or sprinkle them on top.
  • You can add some caraway seeds!

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Amount Per Serving

Calories 127Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 69mg3%

Potassium 316mg9%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 5IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 92mg9%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

More Baking & Dessert Recipes

  • Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Madeleines
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Muffins
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Cake
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. Giulianna Rivera

    is there a sub for chickpea flour… possibly quinoa?

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      You could use almond flour or ground almonds instead of the chickpea flour!

  2. Glenn Smith

    Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (12)
    This was wonderful. I used the Almond flour and also a little melted smart balance for a little butter flavor. Thank You

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!

  3. Dawn Solomon

    Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (13)
    This was so good and so easy to make with simple ingredients. I loved it! I used Bob's Red Mill All-purpose gluten-free flour. It came out perfect!

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!

  4. Amy S

    I'm excited to try this. I would like to bake this in a round dish but all I have is pie dishes. Are the sides on those too low?

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      Hi! Yes unfortunately a pie dish would probably have sides that are too low. You could bake it in a square baking tin though, if you have one of those.

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Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why did my Irish soda bread fall apart? ›

Assuming that you are asking about a yeasted or sourdough bread, 9 times out of 10 (if not more) this indicates that you have allowed the bread to rise too much before baking it. Note that I also assume that it had risen before you placed it in the oven.

Why is my Irish soda bread gummy? ›

And finally, don't immediately cut into the Fast Irish Soda bread when you pull it out of the oven. Although this bread is best served warm, cutting into it too quickly will turn the bread gummy.

What's the difference between Irish bread and Irish soda bread? ›

Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.

What ingredient did the rise to the Irish soda bread come from? ›

Traditionally it has just four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The baking soda and buttermilk react to cause the dough to rise. In Ireland, soda bread is often made from stone-ground whole-wheat flour, though white flour versions are available.

Is there a difference between soda bread and Irish soda bread? ›

A soda bread defined in America

If you want to make an authentic Irish soda bread, the difference lies in what ingredients you should omit. According to Epicurious, Irish-American soda breads use caraway seeds and raisins in the recipe, while soda breads from Ireland lack both of these add-ins.

What can go wrong with soda bread? ›

If your bread tastes soapy, salty, or bitter or if the crust is too dark: You might have added too much baking soda or baking powder or used self-rising flour. If your bread's texture is dry: You might have added too much baking soda, too little liquid or not baked it at high enough temperature.

Why is my Irish soda bread raw in the middle? ›

Your oven is too hot if it is uncooked in the center. Try lowering the temp on your oven by 25F and extending the bake time. Don't put anything on the top of the bread to aid in browning until the last few min. of cooking, and use an instant read thermometer (target temp to pull is 190F).

Why does my soda bread taste bitter? ›

In my experience, one of the things that puts people off soda bread is the bitter tang of bicarbonate of soda, so it's important to get the balance right: just enough to raise the bread, but not enough to taint the flavour.

Why is my Irish soda bread so dry? ›

It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.

Do people in Ireland eat Irish soda bread? ›

Ireland, for one, has embraced it's kind of bread – the soda bread. It is a basic staple among the Irish that they call it Irish Soda Bread. It's common to see the locals pair this famous bread with a bottle of Guinness too.

What do Irish people call soda bread? ›

In Ulster, the wholemeal variety is usually known as wheaten bread and is normally sweetened, while the term "soda bread" is restricted to the white savoury form. In the southern provinces of Ireland, the wholemeal variety is usually known as brown bread and is almost identical to the Ulster wheaten.

How are you supposed to eat Irish soda bread? ›

However, this bread is so easy to make, it's worth just making a fresh loaf in the morning or the night before. What's the best way to eat Irish soda bread? The slices are delicious simply spread with butter, jam, or marmalade. This bread can be toasted, too.

What country is most associated with Irish soda bread? ›

However, the bread's history in Ireland began more out of practical necessity than culinary fun. Though soda bread is now most commonly attributed to Ireland, the first people to use soda to leaven their bread was the American Indians.

Is soda bread good for you? ›

Nutrition Notes

Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

Is Irish soda bread the same as sourdough bread? ›

The main difference between sourdough bread and soda bread is in its leavening agent – sourdough bread rises due to the gasses released from yeast and bacteria fermentation, while soda bread rises from the gasses produced during the chemical interaction between baking soda and acids in the dough.

Why does my bread fall apart easily? ›

Too much flour and not enough water can cause crumbly bread – people often do this if the dough is too sticky and they add more flour rather than kneading through it. Other culprits can be overproving or not kneading enough – the things you need to do to get a good structure.

How do you keep bread from falling apart? ›

The longer dough rises, the more active the yeast becomes. If it goes too far, the gluten relaxes too much, and the bread will collapse or go flat while it bakes. By restricting it, you produce better bread with a more reliable crumb. Poke your finger into the dough to check if it has sufficiently risen.

How do you keep soda bread from cracking? ›

Cutting, or scoring, the top of a loaf of bread has a couple of functions. For soda bread (which does not contain yeast) the bread rises very quickly in the oven and scoring the top allows the bread to rise quickly without the top cracking.

How do you make bread that doesn't fall apart? ›

If you achieved windowpane and you're bread loaf was still crumbly, then it could be an issue of being too dry. In this instance, my recommendation is to add a little bit more fat. My favorite fat to add to my bread is melted butter. I personally love the flavor and extra richness that the butter gives the bread.

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