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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Emma says
Can I ask what the chickpea flour does please? I must admit I really don’t like the taste and have thrown many recipes away after being able to taste it!
A Virtual Vegan says
The chickpea flour is essential in this recipe because of the protein in it and it's other qualities which make up for the loss of the eggs. They won't work as well without it. If you follow the recipe as it is and add the flavourings you can't really taste it.
Lindsay Wolsey says
Hi, I think freezing improves them - it seems to dry out the 'soggy bottoms'!
Sarah says
My kids love the fact that these are very gooey on the inside. They say it’s the best part! I wonder if they can be made ahead and frozen? Such a faff to manage on Christmas Day with all the rest of the dinner....
A Virtual Vegan says
I agree. I always make mine in advance. They freeze perfectly. Make them, put them on a wire rack to cool 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 and put them in containers or freezer bags. Then pop them on a baking tray straight for the freezer on 425°F/218 °C for about 10 minutes to heat through. Merry Christmas!
Emily says
Hello there, please could you give me the internal measurements of each cup of the muffin tray that you use for this recipe?
I'm trying to figure out which muffin tin to buy and they all have different measurements, I want to make sure I get one with the exact same dimensions as yours.
Thank you so much!
Timms says
Although my first attempt at making these Yorkshire puddings wasn't successful I have hope for my next attempt. Mine turned out beautifully on the outside but dense and uncooked in the middle. I think I overfilled the pans trying to use up the batter (I think I could have made 12 from this recipe) I also don't think I kept the oven hot enough during cooking. Having said this the sections that did cook and crisp were delicious. I used the kala namak salt instead of mustard.
Claire says
I made these today and they were very crispy but raw inside kept on a low heat for another hour but still raw so inedible shame as looked good
Christine B. says
Hi, thanks for this recipe. I too filled up all 12 muffin pans with oil as I didn't see until the end that they only make less than that. My mixture made 7. But I also made the mistake of putting far too much olive oil in each pan as (my fault!) I didn't see the recommended 1 1/2 tablespoon in the method section so although mine have come out beautifully crispy and soft on the inside, they are VERY heavy in oil! I am going to make them again and definitely with less oil so they will hopefully turn out lighter like yours! I must say though that your recipe is the closest I have come to finding one that matches taste and look to the original Yorkshire Pudding! Thank you.
Ally says
Made these last night and was not super successful, but I think I understand why.
Helpful info that is missing: it says in the middle of the recipe that you should end up with 6-8 puddings. I was worried about the extra oil getting baked and smoky if I filled all 12 wells in my muffin tin and did't use them all, so I went with 9. Luckily that's how many I ended up with!
My mistake: when filling the oil is so hot that it bubbles/froths up, and it's hard to fill to the top. I went back after the oil settled to add more batter, and that created a weird birds nest looking top instead of the nice divot/well of a classic yorkshire pudding. Oops. As I was doing it it dawned on me what was happening but it was too late!
Because I added more batter (I think?), they never cooked. Even after 40 minutes they were super wet.
So... they weren't great (except for the crispy top, anyway!), but I'm going to try to reheat them in the oven today first covered for 10-15 then uncovered another 5-10 and see how it goes!
Ally says
I am excited to try these for American thanksgiving (er, harvest, fk columbus) today! I'm from Newfoundland Canada and there are still a few people making them there (which is how I was introduced to them as a child).
In the recipe you say it should make 6-8 puddings but earlier it says to completely oil a muffin tin. Should I leave 4 of the 12 empty of oil, since they won't be used? Thankyou so much!
A Virtual Vegan says
I usually just oil them all. Otherwise if you end up with some excess batter and haven't oiled them you can't use it, since they won't work if the oil hasn't been preheated.
Ally says
Thankyou! I must have missed this reply. I ended up oiling 9 which was perfect.
Mark says
You are doing God's work here with this!
Oliver says
Made these today and they worked amazingly well!
I even left out the aquafaba as I forgot to buy chickpeas (just replaced with a little extra water instead) and they turned out great to my surprise!
Thank you for sharing this recipe x
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed them Oliver. Glad they worked out ok without the aquafaba!
Rachael says
Mine are currently cooking in the oven, but not feeling hopeful ? I used cups for the water as my jug was already in use and just realised I added 375ml instead of 260ml. There is still a lot of mixture left. Can I salvage it by adding more dry ingredients, or is it best to chuck it? Also does your oven temperature refer to a fan oven?
A Virtual Vegan says
My oven temperatures never refer to a fan oven. Usually when a recipe does it will say. As for adding more dry ingredients, I'm sure you could but you'd need to work out the correct amounts.
Tracey says
Just made these. Still came out like Yorkshire biscuits :( Every single recipe I’ve tried they don’t rise
A Virtual Vegan says
Happy to troubleshoot! Are you following this recipe absolutely exactly and using fresh baking powder (it loses power once opened)? A lot of people leave out the chickpea flour thinking they will be ok and they aren't. Every single ingredient is crucial, as is the absolutely searing/smoking (I mean literally smoking) heat needed, a metal muffin pan (nothing else will do) and lots of oil. As none of the recipes you've tried are working, have you double-checked the temp of your oven with an oven thermometer? It could be that it's slightly off. A lot of ovens are.
Ali says
Made these today and they’re delicious! They were a little runny in the middle but that’s totally my fault as I messed up my timings slightly and everything else was ready too soon, so I just served them up! However, the flavour is really good. I am a huge Yorkshire pudding fan and since becoming vegan, I’ve taught myself to just accept disappointing ones that don’t rise and aren’t crispy on the outside. So pleased I finally tried making these. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Melanie McDonald says
That's great Ali. I'm really pleased you enjoyed them! For future reference you can make some and once cool, freeze them on a lined baking tray then transfer in a single layer to containers/freezer bags once solid. Then you can take them out of the freezer when you want them, pop them in a lightly greased muffin pan and bake for about 10 minutes until hot and crispy. Saves having to time everything just right!
Ness says
I just made these tonight for supper, and they were delicious! I hadn’t had any since becoming vegan, and I missed them (and my grandma, who used to make them all the time) so much. These made me think of her and smile.
Melanie McDonald says
That's so lovely. I'm glad they brought back happy memories of your grandma!
Caitlin says
Tried the recipe and got mixed results. They looked really promising in the oven but after 35 minutes they were really crispy on the tops and held their shape but the inside is still fairly runny. I thought I followed the recipe exactly, where did I go wrong? The bits that are cooked taste delicious though!
A Virtual Vegan says
I don't think you did anything wrong. It just sounds like you didn't cook them long enough.
As per the last step in the instructions:
"they need to cook for at least 30 minutes, or longer until really golden and crispy and until the insides have dried out to your liking. I like them a little gooey inside and 30 minutes will get them there. If you prefer them a little dryer, turn the oven down and let them cook longer".
If they start colouring too much you can tent the pan in foil towards the end. How long things take to cook varies so much between ovens and even the bakeware you use makes a difference too. They all radiate heat differently.
Hope that helps!
Yasmin says
This recipe sounds great, we're planning to use it to make Toad in the Hole this evening, fingers crossed it works with a bigger pan!