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!
💌 SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and I'll send the link straight to your inbox.
Watch out for more tasty treats coming your way too! Unsubscribe at any time.
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
💌 SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and I'll send the link straight to your inbox.
Watch out for more tasty treats coming your way too! Unsubscribe at any time.
Nina says
👏👏👏 thank you Melanie for the fabulous recipe and video. I can’t wait to experiment and make these for Vegan family members this Christmas Day. I am UK Yorkshire born. I live in North Yorkshire and like you know a thing or two about Yorkshire Puddings…..I always have fond memories of both my mother and grandmother (both now sadly lost) making Yorkshire Puddings with onion gravy as a starter to fill you up, this started when there wasn’t a lot of meat (especially in my grandmother’s day) it was either scarce or expensive so before the roast Sunday dinner you would be served hot gorgeous Yorkshires with lashings of onion gravy to fill you up. I still continue that same tradition today. Even if we go out to a restaurant I always ask them to serve my Yorkshires as a starter…. Memories make memories….. Thank you for your amazing blog. I love your cookbook too…Have a peaceful and happy family Christmas… Stay safe 🙏
Miracle says
Can be this one works with gluten free flour instead of chick flour?
thanks
Melanie McDonald says
No. You need to follow this recipe exactly for it to work.
Lois CARRINGTON says
Please explain the actual size of this tin you speak of. Could you show a photo to give some idea of size, depth etc.? Between American and British English is a lot of difference in description. I have always cooked yorkshires in what we call a bun tin. Tell me what I need and I will buy one.
Amy says
How big a muffin tin is needed? I have two different sizes and one is much bigger than the other
Melanie McDonald says
Just a standard deep muffin tin. Not a tin that makes mini muffins or jumbo muffins or a shallow pan you'd make jam tarts in. I'm pretty sure they are all pretty much a standard size.
Dirk says
Hi!
I just need a clarification on oven position… in the recipe it says 3/4 of the way up for the drip pan… does that mean the muffin tin needs to go all the way up at the top rack of the oven? I was thinking the drip pan would be on a lower rack and the muffin tin in the middle… ? Thanks!!
Melanie McDonald says
The muffin pan goes on the baking tray. It catches any spillovers and having the pan sat on the metal also helps with heat conduction and crispy bottoms.
Suzy says
Thank you for the amazing vegan Yorkshire pudding recipe, so tasty, golden and crispy. However, mine didn't have the well as per your picture, I followed the recipe precisely. What could be the reason why mine didn't have the well?
Noreen says
I made these today, for Fathers Day Roast. They were outstanding. Crunchy outside, perfect inside. I will never use another recipe for Yorkshire Pudds. Thankyou so much for creating and sharing.
Neil says
can this be used for toad in the hole batter ?
A Virtual Vegan says
Several people have said they have successfully but I've never tried it.
neil says
Thanks for reply. Will let you know how it turns out am going to give it a try tonight.
Chris J says
Great recipe, turned out lovely, crunchy yet melted in mouth - many thanks - vegans rule :)
Scubalu says
Someone help! Have tried three times to exact ingredients and they’re always raw in the middle and over cooked on the outside
Liana says
Finally! Vegan yorkshire pudding recipe that works! So happy with the taste, but the batter was only enough for 3 yorkshire puddings. I must have a mutanly big muffin pan. But worked and tasted amazing
Alice says
Didn’t work for me unfortunately, though I don’t mind the weird cakey biscuits I ended up with. May have overfilling the wells as it made a lot more than 6-8. I’ve had a lot of success with the Sainsbury’s really simple recipe (tho that doesn’t always go well either).
Anna says
I still need to perfect the cooking of the bottom part but first recipe for vegan yorkshires I have tried - I was sceptical but had to give it a go and my family was impressed. Thank you
Charlotte says
I've made these four times now, one edible, one moderately successful and two perfect. The times which worked out perfectly I made sure to commit to using a *lot* of oil, and to cook for 35+ minutes rather than 30 to reduce the gooeyness of the inside to the level I wanted. Amazing recipe, thank you so much!!
Laura says
I never comment on recipes but I have to say this recipe is absolutely brilliant! Not being a very confident cook, I followed the very detailed instructions to the letter and my Yorkshire puds came out just like the photo. I can’t fault this method. Thank you so much for making a Brit’s Christmas in the US slightly more bearable during the pandemic!!!!
Victoria says
And also I know you said no substitutions, but could I use plain WHOLEMEAL flour rather than plain white flour? Only asking cause I couldn’t tell which one you meant (although obviously it is usually white flour)
A Virtual Vegan says
No, wholemeal flour won't work in Yorkshire puddings. There really can be no substitutions in this recipe if you want it to work well. As per the recipe it needs to be all-purpose flour which is the standard flour we use for everything in Canada or the US or if you are in the UK you should use plain flour. Both of those are white flour.
Victoria Willis says
Love your recipes, thank you. I just wanted to know whether I could use this recipe to make toad in the hole as well? Assuming you have heard of that recipe, but it is usually the same recipe but in a large dish with (vegan) sausages. Would this work?!
Nicholas Nichols says
Made toad in the hole yesterday following this exact recipe and it worked amazingly. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad it worked out well. I'm putting it off because my oven is nice and clean and I don't want splatters!
Kat says
Hi,
I have followed this recipe meticulously 3 times now and always end up with very brown Yorkshire with uncooked dense bottoms! They start well and then after 15 minutes they start to brown.
Last time after 25 mins I opened and added foil and cooked for 15 minutes further but still they are uncooked inside and super oily! Has anyone tackled this issue? What could I be doing wrong? I even measured my oil with a ruler!
Thanks for any help, do we think I could open my door earlier for the foil? It seems I just have a monster oven
A Virtual Vegan says
Have you checked your oven temperature with an oven thermometer? It sounds like the temperature could be off. It's not uncommon with a lot of ovens and could be what's causing the issue. And are you getting the oil literally smoking hot before you add the batter and adding the batter really quickly before getting them back in the oven? That immediate heat is essential to cook the bottoms and stop them from being super oily. A bit like deep frying. If the oil isn't hot enough it doesn't work out well and everything gets oil-logged.
As for foil, I wouldn't open the door too early or you'll end up with flat puddings.