Perfect Vegan Yorkshire Puddings - Tall, crispy, golden sides, soft and slightly gooey bottoms, and a deep hollow just waiting to be filled with tasty gravy! And there's a gluten-free option. Perfect for enjoying with roast vegan beef and all the trimmings!
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Wanna know something? This Vegan Yorkshire Pudding recipe officially breaks all recipe testing records. I have been working on this recipe, on and off for well over a year in a desperate attempt to make my Vegan Roast dinners great again and I finally cracked it!
Are Yorkshire Puddings Vegan?
Traditional Yorkshire Puddings are not vegan because they contain eggs and milk.
In a vegan Yorkshire pudding the milk part is easily replaceable with any plant-based milk (or water as is the case with my recipe) but just like with vegan quiche, the eggs are much harder to substitute. They have a unique job when it comes to Yorkshire Puddings, and unlike in other kinds of vegan baking, a couple of flax or chia eggs in their place will not act in anything like the same way.
Even the magical aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) struggled a bit with this job. But I finally did it and these Yorkshire Puddings are, I am pleased to say, vegan!
I grew up eating Yorkshire Puddings every Sunday while growing up in England and was a Yorkie master before I turned vegan, so I know what I'm talking about. But, if I am completely honest, this recipe I am sharing with you today is delicious and very similar to a traditional Yorkshire Pudding, but it is not exactly the same. This is something I really struggled with and I nearly didn't share it for that reason. As with most of my recipes though, I share my recipe testing on my Instagram stories. People were quite literally going crazy there wanting the recipe, but I still didn't feel confident about it.
The whole premise of my blog, A Virtual Vegan, is that I want the recipes I share here to be amazing with no compromises. With this recipe, there is a compromise because it is not the same as the non-vegan equivalent. That's why I wasn't completely sure that I should share it.
So, how did I decide I would?
I Googled "Vegan Yorkshire Pudding" recipes, and I printed out every single one there is on the internet and I made them all. All of them. Every. Single. One. Multiple times. My house was seriously like smoke central for 3 days.
And you know what I found? None of them were any good. They were all cakey, squat, and not well risen, and none of them had a proper hollowed-out bowl-shaped inside for holding gravy and they didn't have crispy outsides. Or not consistently anyway. Even the recipe from Sainsbury's that everyone seems to rave about. You can find it here if you want to check it out. And most importantly of all, none of them tasted that great.
That's when I realized that my Vegan Yorkshire Pudding recipe was actually pretty good. Much better than any of the others and it deserved to be let loose out in the wild. So here it is!
Ingredients
Perfect Vegan Yorkshire Puddings are not difficult to make, but you must follow the recipe exactly. There can be no substitutions at all. Believe me, I have tried every combination of ingredients and methods possible, and to get the best result you cannot change a thing.
Here is what you need:
- You will also need a muffin pan. You cannot use a shallow Yorkshire pudding pan for these. It must be a muffin pan and it must be metal and not any other material or they will not work. Don't use your very best muffin pan because the smoking hot oil tends to not be too kind to them and it's pretty impossible to clean them up perfectly after. I have an old pan that I use just for Yorkshire Puddings.
- A medium-sized mixing bowl
- A jug for pouring the batter into the pan quickly and easily
- And a balloon whisk
I also highly recommend that you weigh the flour when making this recipe. Cup measurements are not accurate enough to get the best results. If you do need to use cups then be sure. to use them correctly and spoon the flour into the cup then level off the top with a knife without compacting it or shaking it down. By doing it like this you will get roughly the correct amount.
If you scoop the flour up into the cup, you will end up with much more than is needed and it will affect the outcome of the recipe. Digital scales are available at most grocery stores or online stores like Amazon and you can pick them up cheaply. They are a great investment and so worth having!
How To Make This Yorkshire Pudding Recipe Gluten-Free
Yes! Finally a decent gluten-free Vegan Yorkshire Pudding! You can safely replace the all-purpose flour in this recipe with more chickpea flour. It works like a dream. In fact, they turn out even lighter. But they do have more of a chickpea flour flavour which isn't unpleasant but worth mentioning. I did try some other gluten-free flours but they didn't work nearly as well.
How To Make Vegan Yorkshire Puddings
Ok, so now you've got what you need, here is how it's done (if you're more of a visual learner watch my recipe video):
STEP 1 - Preheat the oven. Very high consistent heat is key to good results.
STEP 2 - Make the batter. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl, then combine to make a thin batter. Let it rest.
STEP 3 - Oil the muffin pan and preheat it until it is quite literally smoking. The trick to successful Yorkshire Puddings, vegan or not, is smoking hot oil!
STEP 4 - Work super quickly and pour the rested batter into the smoking oil and get the pan back in the oven as fast as humanly possible. Now is not the time to get distracted. You will see the batter start to fizzle and cook as soon as it hits the oil.
STEP 5 - Watch through the oven door as they grow before your very eyes!
Expert Tip - When making these Vegan Yorkshire Puddings, you need to use a muffin pan or a popover pan. Both have deep wells. A traditional shallow Yorkshire Pudding pan will not work well.
Making Ahead
Vegan Yorkshire Puddings freeze perfectly. Make as directed, cool on a wire rack then lay them out on a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking tray. Pop the whole thing in the freezer uncovered. As soon as they are hard remove them and put them in containers or freezer bags. Treat them gently so they don't crack or get squashed.
When you want them put them on a baking tray straight for the freezer at 425°F/218 °C for about 10 to 15 minutes to heat through.
Serving Suggestions
Yorkshire Puddings are traditionally served with roast beef and of course, I had to make a vegan beef recipe so this was possible. You can also serve them up with my Vegan Turkey Roast and you'll be onto a winner!
They are also great with my Vegan Meatloaf and Gravy, Crispy Roasted Potatoes and steamed veggies, or with my Vegan Instant Pot Portobello Pot Roast, but any meal that has copious amounts of gravy involved will do. They work incredibly well with vegan sausages, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
My grandparents always used to cook extra, so that leftover puddings could be eaten for dessert. They were reheated and served up with Lyle's Golden Syrup and clotted cream. Again, not very vegan, but if you were to omit the mustard or Kala Namak in my recipe, you could do something similar. Lyle's Golden Syrup is something that's popular in England and it's a really unique product. I've never seen anything like it here in Canada, except in the English aisles in some supermarkets where it is imported from England. It is vegan and it is a sweet-toothed person's dream.
So for a vegan Yorkshire Pudding dessert, serve up the hot puddings with either Golden Syrup (if you can get it) or maple syrup then top with whipped coconut cream in place of the clotted cream. Totally indulgent, not very good for you, but so amazingly delicious!!
More English Recipes
Recipe
Perfect Vegan Yorkshire Puddings
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 75 g (½ heaping cup) all purpose flour ,(plain flour in the UK). SEE RECIPE NOTES FOR GLUTEN-FREE
- 75 g (scant ⅔ cup) chickpea flour
- 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric , OPTIONAL - helps to give the puddings a slightly yellow colour.
- scant ½ teaspoon dijon mustard , or ¼ teaspoon of Kala Namak (I think mustard gives the best flavour)
- ¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 6 tablespoons (90 mls) aquafaba , (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- 360 mls (1½ cups) water
- lots of oil for pan , mild olive, canola, vegetable, or sunflower oil.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218 °C) and have a shelf set about ¾ way up with an old baking tray on it. The tray must be preheated with the oven.
- In a medium bowl, add the all purpose flour, chickpea flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk them together. As I mention in my post, I highly recommend weighing the ingredients for optimum results.
- In another bowl or jug, combine the mustard, apple cider vinegar, aquafaba, and water and whisk them together.
- Pour the combined liquids into the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth and bubbly. Pour into a jug to make pouring quick and easy, then leave to rest while you proceed with the next step.
- While the batter is resting, prepare your muffin pans. They must be metal muffin pans and not silicone or ceramic, and they must be muffin pans and not shallow Yorkshire pudding pans. If you use a pan with shallow wells this recipe will not work.
- Add enough oil to give a depth of about 3 to 4mm, then swirl it around in the pan so it goes up the sides. Don't be tempted to use less oil as the recipe won't work as well. Put the oiled muffin pan in the oven on the old baking tray that preheated in the oven until it's literally smoking hot. This should take about 10 minutes.
- You need to work very quickly now. Make sure your jug of batter is right next to you as you open the oven. Very quickly, but very carefully, remove the baking tray & muffin pan from the oven, making sure to close the door immediately to keep the heat in. In a long, thin stream, pour the batter into the hot oil in each well of the pan. You need to fill them nearly to the top. The oil will rise above the batter. Stop pouring once the oil is just about level with the rim. You need to do this really quickly because you need to keep the heat in the pan for the puddings to work well. As soon as the wells are all full, put the pan (on the baking tray) right back into the oven and shut the door quickly. Do not open the oven door, not even for a quick peek until you are at least past 25 minutes of cooking or they will collapse.
- Cook the puddings for at least 30 minutes, or up to 40 minutes for more dried-out, crispy puddings. I like them a little gooey inside and 30 minutes is about right. If you prefer them dryer again, turn the oven right down and let them cook a bit longer. Do not open the oven door, not even for a quick peek until you are at least past 25 minutes of cooking.
- Remove the puddings from the oven and serve immediately.
NOTES
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Marie Winship says
Exactly the happened to me. But that's the Same with all vegan Yorkshire pudding recipes I've tried. I think it must be me!
helen says
Thank you for this EPIC recipe! I've missed yorkshire puds so much. The upsode is my family actually prefer these and have requested them for next Sunday!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you and your family enjoyed them Helen!
bea says
Hi
Can you add into a giant tin rather than individual muffin tin?
Thanks
Star says
I can’t wait to try this, my mom always made Yorkshire pudding
And bubble and squeak . Haven’t had this since becoming Vegan.
Just made your orange donuts today, delicious
Abi says
Made this recipe yesterday!
It was amazing! Soooo yummy ?
And I’m a Yorkshire Lass! Nothing has ever beaten my granny’s before but these came very close!
Followed the recipe to the T!!
Thank you so much for making it and sharing
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! I'm really pleased you enjoyed them!
Joan Ord says
I followed the instructions to the letter, and they came out looking like skimming stones!
Elizabeth Price says
Well, you said they weren’t really like regular (non vegan) Yorkshires, and you were right! They were sooo much better! None of that horrid eggy flavour that you can sometimes get. I was a bit sceptical when I took them out of the oven, but wow! They tasted fantastic! Thanks for this recipe, as now there is another favourite that I am no longer deprived of being vegan. (Wish I could upload a pic, as am proud of them. ?
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed them Elizabeth and thanks so much for coming back to leave a review! Unfortunately, I can't allow pics to be uploaded here because they are so resource-heavy and could potentially introduce viruses etc, but if you use Instagram you can share a pic there. I'd love to see! Tag me @avirtualvegan and use the hashtag #avirtualvegan just in case I miss the tag, then I'll find it later. You can also share pics on my Facebook page!
Bozena says
I just did these and they exploded everywhere! I did wonder that the mixture looked very runny, should it be? 75g of each flour combined with the 450ml of water means it must be... So sad, because they looked so promising.
A Virtual Vegan says
You should have used 360 mls of water.
Paula Braham says
Is there an alternative for chick pea flour I have whole wheat atta flour?
A Virtual Vegan says
No there isn't. The chickpea flour is essential for these to work.
Kathryn says
Do you mind me asking about the science behind chickpea flour. I'd love to know as struggling with baking and trying to gather as much info to help.
A Virtual Vegan says
Not at all. It's good to get geeky! ;O) And I love that you're really thinking about it like that. A lot of the problems people have when trying to make non vegan recipes vegan are caused because they don't think through the qualities of the different ingredients they are replacing so you're giving yourself a head start.
When making a recipe like this or a vegan cake for instance, just replacing eggs with flax eggs or aquafaba just won't work as well because eggs bind and leaven and set. Flax eggs and aquafaba don't. They just bind. So when you use them you need to also provide some extra leavening to replace it. My go to in cakes/muffins etc is baking soda and vinegar because the chemical reaction causes lift and bubbles. Also in vegan cakes etc it's necessary to use less liquid to make up for the eggs not being there to set things up. Otherwise sponges end up a bit damp and not fluffy.
In this Yorkshire Pudding recipe chickpea flour is used because it has a high protein content and replaces the protein that would have been provided by egg if it wasn't vegan. It also has a similar fat content to egg. That's why it works so well here. I also add baking powder which wouldn't be in a non vegan recipe to make up for the leavening lost by not using eggs.
I hope that helps!
Mel says
I’d like to try this but only have silicone muffin tins. I know you said ceramic won’t work. Have you tried making them in silicone ones?
A Virtual Vegan says
They will not work in silicone. It has to be metal.
Luciftian says
I have not tried this yet but I am about to using lupin flour... because we aren't just trying to go vegan but also keto... it is a NIGHTMARE!
So, apparently lupin flour (which is silly expensive) does work as a replacement for normal flour in many recipes, including non-vegan yorkshire puddings: it is low in carbs (11%) and high in protein (45%), with 8% fat.
Have you ever tried it?
A Virtual Vegan says
I can almost guarantee it won't work in this recipe. It has to be followed absolutely exactly to work well. Any changes at all and it will fail. I'm not saying vegan Yorkshire puddings can't be made with lupin flour (I've never tried it or used lupin flour) but you'd need to formulate a whole new recipe. If you just switch it for the wheat flour and chickpea flour in this recipe it will likely be a disaster. Hope that helps!
Mike Smith says
Followed the recipe exactly...smoking hot oil, weighed, etc....The tops are crispy and didn't fall. The insides were raw. No one would eat them...but don't believe in throwing food away so will do something else with them. Sad :(
Simon Trundle says
Yes...YES!!! I’d given up on ever having a proper Yorkshire again, but you’ve done it. Countless flat failures til now, but this did it. First time i tried your recipe they were nice but not fully risen, this time...amazing. Took me back years to having Yorkshire’s when I wasn’t vegan...THANK YOU. A splendid Sunday treat in the midst of coronavirus.
A Virtual Vegan says
So pleased you enjoyed them Simon! This is a really finnicky recipe. Everything has to be absolutely spot on for them to work well. Maybe something was slightly off the first time. Or practice makes perfect ;O) I'm glad they brightened up your Sunday!
Helen says
So impressed with this recipe. My son is allergic to egg and we have not had a tasty vegan Yorkshire Pud for 7 years! So grateful!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I'm really pleased you are able to enjoy them again!
Simon Trundle says
Two weeks running, perfect Yorkshire’s. I salute you!!!
Nicola says
They rose ok, but they didn't sink in the middle and they tasted awful. Really bitter. I followed the recipe exactly to the letter, so no idea where it went wrong. The only thing I can think of is my aquafaba is homemade rather than tinned? Disappointed:-(
A Virtual Vegan says
Not sure why they would taste bitter? I've never had anyone find that before. Homemade aquafaba wouldn't be as effective as canned though unless you reduced it down in a pan to make it really thick like it is out of a can. It's way too thin otherwise.
The number one reason these wouldn't get the hole in the middle is because you didn't use enough oil or the oil wasn't hot enough, or a combo of both. There needs to be plenty of oil to weigh it down in the middle and it has to be smoking, smoking hot. And you have to be super quick to pour the batter in so you don't lose too much heat. Although also if the batter was too thin because of the aquafaba that could have contributed too.
With this recipe everything has to be absolutely spot on for it to work. It's finnicky and if one tiny thing is not right they won't work properly.
Sarah says
Hi. Can anyone advise whether you can just use all plain flour rather than a mix of plain and chickpea? I don't have any chickpea flour in the house but quite fancied adding Yorkshire puds to our roast dinner today. Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
They don't work nearly as well without the chickpea flour. It's necessary for the protein content that you are missing by not using eggs.
Vic says
I used all self raising flour because that's all I had in. Can they be frozen because they were so faffy I want to batch cook them?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes they can be frozen. Lay them out on a lined baking tray and pop it in the freezer. As soon as they are hard you can transfer them to a container or freezer bags. When you want them pop the frozen puddings in a muffin pan and cook on 425°F/218 °C for about 10 minutes.
Dave says
Hi, thanks for the recipe! I’ve given it a few goes so far but really struggling to get them to cook throughout!
I follow the recipe to the letter, smoking hot oil, measured using digital scales etc. They rise really well after about 15 mins then sink down creating the well. I followed some of your previous comments and kept the temperature up and door shut for 25 mins minimum. I then have tried different lengths with and without foil for another 45 mins (total 1hr10!) and they were crispy on the outside but quite flat and still gooey in the bottom. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but would be great if I can get them working eventually! Flavour is great just too gooey for me!
Lindsay Wolsey says
Hi Dave, I found myself in exactly the same situation but then I froze the puddings after cooking, ( very carefully! ) Reheating in hot oven for a minute or two and they are a lot drier on the bottoms. Hope this helps. Regards, Lindsay
Abigail Whyte says
Hi. Can you advise whether this will work making one big Yorkshire pudding as in like with toad in the hole?
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't tried it!