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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Victoria says
Thank you so much for creating and sharing this recipe. I absolutely love Yorkshire puddings but it’s really hard to get hold of vegan ones. I’ve made this recipe twice and they turned out brilliantly and were really delicious! I followed the instructions both times. My mum has even made them too, and had the same results. Thank you!
Danielle says
Made these for the first time tonight, they have turned out really well! They started to form a dip while cooking, then they all rose but then dropped again, so I had to create the well with the back of a spoon. (not sure what I did wrong) maybe not enough oil or something. I tasted 2 of them, they were a really good alternative, obviously they don't taste like traditional puds or get as big, but I am very impressed. Maybe I will get better at making them in time, well done for coming up with a decent alternative for Yorkshire puddings.
Chuck says
I cannot believe that people give 1 star because they are unable to replicate the instructions or have success. I'm gonna give you 5 for all the hard work and research that obviously went into this and for all the other 5 star ratings for those that followed it exactly.
Well done for a totally inspirational recipe. I will pop another note in when I've had a go.
Melanie McDonald says
Ah, thanks Chuck! I appreciate your support. I hope you enjoy the recipe when you get to try it!
Sally UK says
Where is the oven temp. & cooking time for this recipe?
Melanie McDonald says
Everything you need including oven temperature, cooking time is there (in detail) in the printable recipe card.
Dana says
I'm just attempting your recipe and wondered if your celsius temperature (for the UK) was conventional top/bottom heating, or convection?
Melanie McDonald says
All of my recipes are tested with the convection/fan turned off so are for a traditional/regular oven and all stated temperatures are for a regular/conventional oven. Always assume that recipes online and in books (unless they specify otherwise) are giving you the recommended cooking times and temps for a traditional oven. Most recipe developers won't use convection/fan and in the rare event they do they will clearly state that.
I definitely don't recommend using convection/fan for anything that needs to rise (bread, cakes, this recipe (Yorkshire puddings), muffins etc) because you won't get the best results. It's best to turn that function off and bake with the traditional oven settings.
Hope that helps!
Jane says
Mine didn’t rise?
Louise says
Can I make these in an air fryer? I don't have a traditional oven.
Melanie McDonald says
I've never tried it.
sharon says
Hi - I know you've said no substitutions, but I wonder if you tried the recipe with FINE matzo meal?
Melanie McDonald says
That definitely won't work. There cannot be any substitutions in this recipe or it won't work. The chemical makeup of the chickpea flour is extremely important. Matzo meal isn't similar at all. It's basically just flour and water.
Tom says
I have tried this recepie 3 times now, following it exactly.
Every time they end up like a cake with loads of oilnit it,
I've tried increasing the oil to make the middle sink on the second attempt and tried increasing the temperature a little for the third attempt, same results every time, no idea what is going wrong.
Lynda says
Goodness gracious!! Finally a decent vegan Yorkshire pudding recipe. I think I love you!! 🤣
Julie says
Greasy and horrid. Back to the drawing board for me unfortunately 😔
Lin says
Hi Melanie! You are right - not exactly original flavour, but sooo good!!!!
Brent says
Wow was very sceptical I'm not vegan but wanted Yorkshire pudding but no flour had a bag of chick pea flour it works beautifully
Louisa says
Love this recipe!
Gee says
I made these to go with vegan Christmas lunch and they were divine. Your clear instructions are gold too and thank you for doing all the experimenting/research for us. They made magnificent cup shapes during the cooking process, and fell back to a slightly flatter shape on cooling (but not bad for a first attempt and next time I make them I'll recheck my technique). They were crispy on the outside and slightly doughy on the inside - perfect and delicious. This is my go-to recipe now. 5 stars!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm really pleased you're enjoying them and thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Cynthia Pierce says
Super tasty! I've made them twice now; once baked for 30 minutes and second for 35 minutes. I didn't really get the nice cup-shape that you show--both times mine ended up being nice and crispy on the outside but very soft in the middle, like creamy polenta-textured. I really liked them that way but my UK-born husband remembers them to be more tearable, like roti or a croissant. Based on how my 35-minute batch came out, I don't think baking them longer will get them to firm up without burning the outsides. Any ideas on what I could do differently? I followed your directions exactly and used canola oil in my tins. Thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed them! It could be that the oil wasn't quite hot enough. Maybe try leaving it a little longer next time. It's important to use plenty of oil too. The weight of that helps create the dip and crisp the middle up. You can also tent them in foil once they are well formed and crispy so that you can cook them longer without the outsides burning. Double cooking helps make them extra crispy too. Make a batch (or a double batch, let them cool on a wire rack then freeze. Bake them straight from the freezer on a baking tray in a nice hot oven (about 400) until hot and crispy. Hope that helps!