Easy Vegan Biscuits

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Vegan biscuits are a comfort food classic made mostly of flour, soy milk, and vegan butter. They bake up to a crisp, golden outside and flaky, buttery layers inside. They’re perfect for breakfast sandwiches, bread baskets, and soaking up vegan gravy.

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❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

Quick: Vegan buttermilk biscuits are ready to eat in about 35 minutes or less!
Simple Ingredients: With only 8 ingredients, this is a recipe anyone can make.
Versatile: Serve the biscuits as-is, with spreads or sauces on top, as a base for sandwiches, and more!

If you love quick breads, check out our gorditas de nata, pumpkin banana muffins, and banana almond flour muffins.

🍞 What do you mean by “biscuit?”

Ok. It may seem like a silly question, but the truth is it depends on where you’re coming from.

For this recipe, we created a vegan variation of Southern-style biscuits that are popular in North America. Here’s a quick explanation of what they are and how this recipe may vary from other things you could call a “biscuit.”

This type of biscuit is made similarly to a scone by combining solid fat with flour, leavening agent, and milk to make a simple quick bread.

Unlike a scone, biscuits are generally softer and more savory. And in the classic Southern style, they’re made with buttermilk.

These are not the same as the English usage of the word “biscuits,” which equates to what we call “cookies” in North America.

What makes buttermilk biscuits so special is their firm, crisp outside and flaky, tender interior. They’re best made with low-medium protein flour if you can find it, and high-quality ingredients.

Although most buttermilk biscuits aren’t vegan, we found a way to make it happen. They’re just too good to pass up.

Cut open vegan biscuit. — Serve vegan biscuits warm with butter

📜 History

The first-known biscuit in North America was created in the early 1800s. What started as a hearty, long-lasting travel food evolved over time based on the ingredients and machinery available.

Early “beaten biscuits” were made of a combination of flour, lard, salt, sugar, and cold water. They didn’t contain leavening agents like modern biscuits and were almost always eaten with gravy.

The dough was “beaten” and folded by pounding it vigorously with a rolling pin. This long process took up to 45 minutes before baking.

By the late 1800s, low-protein wheat flour became available in the Southern U.S., along with chemical leaveners like baking powder. These led to soft and fluffy style biscuits like this vegan biscuit recipe.

🌱 Are biscuits vegan?

Traditional buttermilk biscuits are made with real butter and buttermilk, which are not vegan. While crafting this vegan biscuit recipe, we made a couple of simple swaps.

First, we substituted the butter with vegan butter.
Second, we made easy vegan buttermilk by using vinegar to curdle the soy milk.
We also chose cane sugar since white sugar is commonly processed with bone char.

You’ll still get all the rich flavor and texture of a classic biscuit without animal products or cholesterol.

Baking soda, baking powder, sugar, flour, salt, vinegar, vegan butter, and plant milk on a table. — Make sure your vegan butter is cold!

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

All-purpose flour: We use all-purpose flour as the base for this recipe. A low-protein flour like White Lily makes these extra tender.
Vegan butter: Vegan butter helps create flaky layers in these biscuits. Quality brands include Earth Balance, Melt, and Miyoko’s vegan butter.
Soy milk: Soy milk has a high protein content that results in perfectly curdled vegan buttermilk. The next best options include pea milk, oat milk, or sesame milk.
White vinegar: Vinegar helps to curdle the soy milk, creating vegan buttermilk. You can also use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
Baking powder: Baking powder helps these biscuits rise, so they’re tall and fluffy.
Baking soda: Baking soda reacts with the acidity of the vegan buttermilk, aiding in the rising of the biscuits.
Cane sugar: Provides a touch of sweetness.
Salt: Enhances the flavor of the biscuits.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan buttermilk biscuits

Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cane sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Dry ingredients in a bowl. — Add the dry ingredients to a bowl

Whisking flour in a bowl. — Add the dry ingredients to a bowl

Step 2: Incorporate the butter

Cube or grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture. Cut it in using a pastry blender or fork, incorporating it into a coarse meal texture. Place the whole bowl in the fridge and chill for 10 minutes.

Vegan butter cubes in a flour mixture. — Make sure the butter is ice-cold!

Vegan butter cut into flour. — Make sure the butter is ice-cold!

Step 3: Prepare the wet ingredients

In the meantime, whisk the soy milk and vinegar together in a small bowl. Set the mixture aside for 5-10 minutes to allow the vegan buttermilk to curdle.

Step 4: Make the dough

Remove the flour and butter mixture from the fridge. Add the vegan buttermilk and stir together just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. The dough will look a bit shaggy.

Vegan buttermilk in a biscuit mixture. — Add the milk once it has curdled

Vegan biscuit dough. — Add the milk once it has curdled

Step 5: Shape and roll the dough

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form it into a ball, then pat the dough into a ½-inch thick rectangle.

Dough ball. — Shape the dough into a ball

Rolled out dough. — Shape the dough into a ball

Step 6: Roll and layer the dough

Cut the rectangle in half, then stack the two pieces on top of each other. Gently re-roll the dough into a ½-inch thick rectangle. Cut the dough in half again and stack it once more, then roll it to ¾-inch thick.

Cut biscuit dough. — Cut the rectangle in half and stack it

Step 7: Cut out the biscuits

Cut out your biscuits using a 2 ½ – 2 ¾-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Be careful not to twist the cutter. Lay the biscuits out on your prepared baking pan, leaving space between them.

Shaping biscuits with a biscuit cutter. — Use a biscuit cutter or a cookie cutter

Note: To avoid twisting the cutter, just push straight down to cut. This helps to maintain the flaky layers created during the rolling phase.

Step 8: Roll the remaining dough

Re-roll any leftover dough, then cut it again until there’s none left. You should end up with about 6-8 biscuits in total.

Unbaked vegan biscuits. — Keep re-rolling until no dough is left

Step 9: Brush and bake

Brush the tops of the biscuits with soy milk or other egg wash substitutes. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Transfer the baked biscuits to a wire rack to cool, then serve while they’re warm. Happy eating!

Brushing biscuits with soy milk. — Brush the biscuits for golden-brown tops

If you have questions about making vegan buttermilk biscuits, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🧈 What to serve with vegan biscuits

If you’re looking for the perfect side or garnish, here are a few great pairings for vegan buttermilk biscuits:

🌡️ Storage & reheating

For any leftover vegan biscuits, follow these storage tips:

Room temperature: Vegan biscuits are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container once they’re cool. They’ll taste best if eaten within 3 days.
Fridge: Biscuits will last a few days longer in the fridge in an airtight container. Consume them within 7 days. Note that they taste best at room temperature or warm.
Freezer: Store the fully-cooled biscuits in a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll last up to 3 months this way.
Reheating: Biscuits can be warmed up for 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Or heat them up in a 250-degree F oven or toaster oven until warm, which takes about 5 minutes.

♻️ Variations

Seasonings: Add chopped, fresh herbs like chives or thyme to the dry ingredients for savory vegan buttermilk biscuits that are perfect with gravy.
Sweetener: After brushing the unbaked biscuits with soy milk, sprinkle extra sugar over the tops. Then use the finished biscuits to make strawberry shortcakes.
Cheese: Add your favorite shredded vegan cheese to the dry ingredients to make cheesy biscuits.
Peppers and cheese: Add minced jalapeños and vegan cheddar to the dry ingredients for jalapeño-cheddar biscuits.
Butter: Brush the hot biscuits with melted vegan butter as soon as they’re pulled out of the oven for added buttery flavor.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

Flip for height: For extra-tall biscuits, flip them upside-down on the pan after cutting. It’s a strange trick, but it does work!
Weigh your ingredients: Weighing your dry ingredients with a scale will help ensure accurate and consistent results. Otherwise, use the scoop and level method for measuring your flour.
Don’t overmix: It’s okay if your dough looks shaggy when you’ve just mixed it together. Resist the urge to knead it, which can result in tough biscuits.
Make them soft: For biscuits with softer sides, you can bake the biscuits with their sides touching. They can also be baked this way in a round dish or cast-iron pan.

💬 FAQ

Can these be made gluten-free?

To make these gluten-free, we’d recommend using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup. They may turn out denser and drier than wheat flour biscuits.

Can I use whole-wheat flour instead?

To use whole-wheat flour, substitute half or less of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. Alternatively, you can try white whole wheat flour as a 1:1 substitute.

Can I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?

While it is possible to use coconut oil in vegan biscuits, we wouldn’t recommend it. Coconut oil melts faster than vegan butter and can cause your biscuits to spread too much and turn out flat.

🍴 More bread & tortilla recipes

If you enjoyed this vegan biscuit recipe, be sure to check out more easy breads and tortillas like the following:

Vegan flour tortillas: Just 5 simple ingredients are needed for fresh flour tortillas.
Dairy-free bread: Light, tender, and way better than store-bought.
No-knead sourdough bread: Artisan bread that’s crisp on the outside, and soft and tangy on the inside.
Corn tortillas: Make fresh tortillas at home with zero preservatives.
Vegan pizza dough: This pantry staple is ready in less than an hour.