Vegan English Muffins
Make your own Vegan English Muffins — it’s easier than you might think. This crispy bread recipe makes a perfect breakfast treat. You can also use it for a sandwich or snack or any time of day.
I love a simple breakfast — toasted bread with some peanut butter, vegan mascarpone, and maybe a bit of chia jam on top. Delicious! That’s what’s great about these vegan English muffins, they keep it simple (they’re even easy to make) and tasty, too.
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Vegan buttermilk makes these muffins light and fluffy while adding the best flavor
- Bread flour has a higher protein count and therefore creates soft and tender muffins
- Keep the oven off, you won’t need it for this recipe because we’ll be cooking English muffins on the stovetop or in an electric skillet
- Cornmeal keeps the muffins from sticking to the griddle and creates that iconic look that we all know and love!
Key Ingredients
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:
- Vegan Buttermilk — We’ll create vegan buttermilk by combining plant-based milk (my favorite for this is soy milk or almond milk) combined with apple cider vinegar.
- Flour — I’m recommending bread flour because it creates soft, pillowy muffins. You can substitute all-purpose flour. Use whole wheat pastry flour to make whole wheat vegan English muffins. Use a high-quality gluten-free baking flour to make vegan gluten-free English muffins.
- Vegan butter — Use storebought vegan butter or margarine or make homemade vegan butter.
- Yeast — You’ll need 1 packet of either instant yeast or active dry yeast.
- Salt — All bread is better with salt, and these muffins are no exception.
- Sugar — The same could be said for sugar. I use granulated sugar.
- Cornmeal — We’ll add cornmeal to keep the muffins from sticking to the surface of the hot griddle while they cook.
How to Make Vegan English Muffins
- Mix together the dry ingredients from the flour to the sugar.
- Add the vegan buttermilk and mix on low speed until combined.
- Knead the dough for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Let the dough raise until doubled in size (about an hour)
- Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll into balls. Set them aside to rise for around 30 minutes.
- Cook the muffins on a griddle until browned on both sides.
Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions:
Step One: Make the Dough
Here are the steps to make the English muffin dough:
- Create buttermilk — Stir together the milk and vinegar. Add the vegan butter and microwave for 1 minute until the butter is melted. Set aside to cool to 105 to 110°F (40° to 43°C).
- Make the dough — Add the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for a second or two to combine. Add the buttermilk and beat on low speed until the dough is combined.
- Knead the dough — Switch to the dough hook attachment and turn the mixer up to medium speed for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 5 to 6 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
- Raising the dough — Transfer the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover with a moistened kitchen towel and place in a warm place until it doubles in size, approximately 1 hour.
Step Two: Make Muffins
- Make muffins by dividing the dough into 16 pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball, and then flatten them until they’re 3 inches in diameter.
- Place the dough pieces on a prepared pan and sprinkle the top of each with cornmeal.
- Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and set it aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
Step Three: Cook the Muffins
- Carefully transfer each dough piece to a heated griddle.
- Cook for 10 to 15 minutes on both sides until it forms a golden-brown crust.
- This step is optional, but to make sure the interior is done, transfer them to a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 300°F/150°C for up to 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serving Suggestions
To serve, cut vegan English muffins in half and toast them (in a toaster, toaster oven, or oven) until they develop a golden crust. Then you can top them with any of the following:
- Chia Jam
- Vegan Butter
- Blueberry Sauce
- Peanut Butter
In addition, English muffins are great to use as sandwich bread. Create a vegan breakfast sandwich by adding any of the following between cut, toasted muffins:
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Kirsten
These are delicious! I have a triple batch rising as we speak. ☺️ Thanks for the recipe!
Storage Tips
Store these muffins in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days. They can be frozen for up to 2 months in freezer-safe containers or bags.
Frequently-Asked Questions
Can English muffins be eaten without toasting?
English muffins are made to be toasted. Because it’s difficult to cook the puffy muffins in the center, there is a certain rawness to eating the muffins without toasting. However, a quick stint in a toaster or toaster oven and these little gems deliver the best foundation for jams and jellies.
Are English muffins vegan?
Many English muffins are not dairy-free, as they contain either milk and/or eggs. However, it’s such an easy bread to make vegan that it’s a shame more brands don’t follow this practice. The good news is, you can make them at home and freeze them for future use.
Vegan Breakfast Ideas
That’s it for these vegan English muffins. Enjoy!
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Vegan English Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 4 ½ cups bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (one packet)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
Instructions
- Create buttermilk: Stir together the milk and vinegar. Add the vegan butter and microwave for 1 minute, until the butter is melted. Set aside to cool to 105 to 110°F (40 to 43°C).
- Make the dough: Add the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for a second or two to combine. Test the buttermilk to make sure it's in the right temperature range. If so, add it to the flour and mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the dough is combined. Switch to the dough hook attachment and turn the mixer up to medium-high speed for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Add up to 2 tablespoons of additional flour if the dough is too sticky. If you don't have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 5 to 6 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
- Raising the dough: Transfer the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover with a moistened kitchen towel and place in a warm place until it doubles in size, approximately 1 hour. See post notes for the best place to let the dough rise.
- Make muffins: When the dough is ready, spread cornmeal across a baking pan. Punch down the dough, divide it into 14 pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Flatten each ball until they're roughly 3 inches in diameter. Place the dough pieces in the prepared pan and sprinkle the top of each with more cornmeal. Cover and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Cook Muffins: Heat a griddle on low heat. Add a light coating of oil or spray with vegetable cooking spray. Use a spatula to carefully transfer the dough to the heated griddle. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Carefully turn muffins and cook on the other side for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the muffins and make sure they're not getting overly browned. If so, transfer them to a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 300°F/150°C for up to 10 minutes.
- Bake: This step is optional, but to make sure the muffins are cooked through, transfer them to a baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 300°F/150°C for 10 minutes.
- Cool: Transfer the cooked muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
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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.
These are delicious! I have a triple batch rising as we speak. ☺️
Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Kirsten. I’m so glad you liked them!