Vegan Naan
This oven-baked vegan naan recipe creates puffy bread that’s a little crispy on the outside, but soft and pillowy on the inside. This bread is perfect for soups, salads, and hummus.
Pair this bread with One-Pot Chickpea Coconut Curry.
The thing about vegan naan is it’s crispy on the outside, and soft and dreamy on the inside. If you love vegan bread, be sure to check out my Vegan Pecan and Cheese Artisan Bread and this Vegan Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread.
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Using vegan sour cream keeps this bread pillowy soft, just like the original kind.
- Baking the bread in the oven keeps it easy to make because you can bake them all at once rather than one at a time in a skillet.
- Using both yeast and baking soda/baking powder makes this bread so soft and tender. It’s perfect for soaking up soups and stews!
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:
- Active dry yeast — You can substitute instant yeast.
- Brown sugar — A little sugar adds flavor and interacts with the yeast. You can substitute maple syrup.
- Flour — Use all-purpose flour or gluten-free baking flour.
- Salt — We’ll use salt to regulate the yeast, creating a steady rise.
- Baking powder + baking soda — This combination of ingredients is a powerful rising agent, helping make soft bread.
- Vegan sour cream — You can substitute plain vegan yogurt.
- Olive oil — Adding oil helps to create rise and a crispy crust. You can substitute a neutral oil, such as canola oil or melted vegan butter.
How to Make Vegan Naan Bread
- Proof the yeast with warm water, and brown sugar.
- Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Add the sour cream and oil to the yeast. Pour this in with the flour and stir until well-combined.
- Cover and set aside to rise in a warm place in the kitchen for about 45 minutes, until double in size.
- Punch down the doubled dough and make 8 to 10 balls the size of a golf ball. Set these on a pan, cover, and set aside to rise another 30 minutes.
- Flatten the dough balls into small, flat pieces, about 6″ in diameter. Place on the prepared and bake for 4 to 5 minutes. Use tongs to flip the bread when they’re golden brown on one side. Bake for another 4 to 5 minutes on the other side.
Marly’s Tips
The best place to let the dough rise is in an oven that’s been briefly heated to its lowest setting and then turned off. Another favorite place is the microwave. Heat a mug full of water until boiling. Then add the covered dough and close the dough. The steam from the cup creates a perfect environment for rising dough.
Serving Suggestions
Serve vegan naan with any of the following as side dishes or even dips:
- Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Sweet Potato Hummus
- Brush some vegan garlic butter over the top before serving
- Tahini Sauce
- Vegan Shakshuka
- Vegan Caesar Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
What is naan?
Naan is a leavened flatbread recipe that originated in Asian and India. The kind of naan we mostly eat today is inspired by the recipe that originated in India.
Is naan bread vegan?
Most naan bread you find in stores is not vegan. So, I wondered if was even possible to make an easy naan recipe vegan. I was so pleased when I got into the kitchen and made it!
What vegan ingredient can be substituted for yogurt in naan bread?
Yogurt is a key ingredient in naan bread. That means homemade naan without yogurt seems like a stretch. However, you can use either vegan sour cream or plain vegan yogurt in place of cow-based dairy to make vegan naan bread.
Vegan Naan Pizza
Here’s how to make these into mini pizzas:
- Topped baked naan with pizza sauce
- Add your favorite veggie pizza ingredients (like vegan pepperoni)
- Top with vegan mozzarella
- Bake it in the oven until the cheese melts
More Bread Recipes
If you love this vegan naan bread, here are even more vegan bread recipes:
That’s it for this vegan naan bread recipe. Enjoy!
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Easy Vegan Naan
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons vegan sour cream
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl stir together the yeast, warm water, and brown sugar. Set it aside until it becomes frothy.
- Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Add the sour cream and oil to the yeast mixture. Pour this in with the flour and stir until combined. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm place in the kitchen. Set aside to rise for about 45 minutes.
- Once the dough has doubled, add some flour in a small bowl. Spray a baking pan with vegetable spray. Punch down the dough and make 8 to 10 balls that are approximately the size of a golf ball. Use the flour to help shape the balls because the dough will be sticky (which is what you want). Set these on the pan and set aside to rise another 30 minutes.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Flatten the dough balls into small, flat pieces, about 6" in diameter. Place on the prepared and bake for 4 to 5 minutes. Use tongs to flip the bread when they're golden brown on one side. Bake for another 4 to 5 minutes on the other side.
(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2014 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.
Hello all, this recipe looks awesome and yummy.
but I do have a question if you use yeast why do you need baking soda and baking powder?
blessed day hugs to all 🙂
Hi Susan. Great question! I add the baking soda and powder to give it a little more lift…and it helps it brown a little too. Hugs to you too!
what can i replace for this ”3 tablespoons vegan sour cream” ? or can i not put the vegan sour cream. thank you
Well, you could add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to 3 tablespoons of the creamy part of coconut milk. Let that sit for a few minutes and you can use that in place of your sour cream. Let me know if that works.
I have the dough rising right now! Can’t wait 🙂
Oooh, can’t wait to hear how it works for you. I find it’s so easy to throw this together and let the dough rise while I’m doing other things. Love it!
I just made this and the entire family loved them! The whole batch got eaten. I switched the olive oil out for coconut oil.
Yay! So glad you liked it!!
Loooooove naan and stoked to give making it at home a try now.
These are amazing! I made them tonight and sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
The recipe looks great. Have you ever tried making the dough in a bread maker?
Man, I love, love homemade bread! I am all over these babies!
Marly, I can’t wait to give this recipe a try! My children are absolutely enamored with naan and I’d love to make my own.
Love this recipe! It looks fantastic.