Easy Vegan Naan
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Easy vegan naan- soft, fluffy flatbread perfect for serving alongside Indian inspired dishes or even using as a wrap or pizza crust. Only 7 ingredients and easy to make!
Last week I made Vegetable Korma for dinner, and I thought it would be fun to have naan to go with it. Have you ever tried to buy naan at a store? For the life of me, I couldn’t find a brand that didn’t have eggs, milk or both of those in it! So what did I do? I decided to make my own, a vegan version, and wow am I glad I did!
Naan is basically an Indian style flatbread, that is soft, pillowy with beautiful bubbles from cooking it on the stovetop. There is yeast involved, but it’s quite failproof, unlike making a loaf of bread which is a bit harder to get right.
How do you make homemade naan?
- Combine instant yeast, sugar and warm water. Let it sit a couple of minutes until a bit foamy on top.
- Now add the flour, salt, baking powder, coconut cream and olive oil. Stir with a spoon, then knead a bit with your hands until it comes together.
- Place the ball of dough in a bowl and cover. If you have time, let it rise for about 30 minutes. If not, it will still turn out good!
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into an oval or circle, using a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.
In a large pan (cast iron preferred) over medium-high heat, place the flattened dough. This is kind of like cooking pancakes, and you don’t need to oil your pan. Once bubbles appear, flip it over and cook for another minute or two. Repeat with the remaining dough.
You can also brush them with melted vegan butter once they are cooked.
Don’t have coconut cream? No problem! You can simply leave it out, or use unsweetened non-dairy yogurt instead. I have made it without and it was fine. It’s just a bit fluffier and richer with it.
What goes well with naan?
Naan goes great with any Indian inspired dish, such as Quick and Easy Vegetable Korma, Cauliflower Sweet Potato Curry Soup, Chickpea Curry, and especially Vegan Butter Chicken!
You can also use it for wraps, filling it with Falafel, Chickpea Tuna or hummus and vegetables.
It makes a great personal pizza crust- simply top cooked naan with pizza sauce, non-dairy cheese and vegetables.
Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes.
Easy Vegan Naan
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour, or white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream, *may omit if needed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Optional: melted vegan butter for serving, minced garlic or fresh herbs
Instructions
- Add the yeast and sugar to a large bowl and pour the warm water on top (think bath temperature, not too hot or it will kill the yeast). Let sit for a few minutes until it is frothy on top.
- Now add the flour, salt, baking powder, coconut cream and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes difficult, then turn the ball of dough out on a lightly floured surface (I just use my countertop). Knead the ball of dough for about 2-3 minutes, until the ball of dough is smooth and soft. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
- Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise for about 30 minutes. If you are in a hurry, you can skip the rising part. It will still come out quite good!
- After it rises, flatten the dough and divide into 8 pieces.
- Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan (cast iron preferred) over medium heat. Take a piece of the dough and roll it on a lightly floured surface into a circle or oval shape (about 1/4 inch thick). If using garlic, gently press a little minced garlic onto one side so it sticks at this point.
- Place the dough on the heated pan and cook until large bubbles have formed and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes more until that side is golden brown as well.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces. Cover the naan with a towel or wrapped in foil to keep warm until ready to serve. Serve plain or brush with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with fresh herbs, such as cilantro or parsley.
Video
Notes
- For the coconut cream, open a can of full fat coconut milk or coconut cream, and scoop out 3 tablespoons of the white, thick creamy part. May also substitute plain non-dairy yogurt (soy, almond, or coconut). Or leave it out, I have done this in a pinch and it worked fine.
- You could probably leave out the olive oil to make it oil free, but I haven't tried it.
- I haven't tested this with gluten free flour, but it would probably work ok. I would use a gluten free mix, such as Bob's Red Mill 1:1.
- If you only have regular active yeast, that is fine, you will just need to let the dough rise for longer (1-1 1/2 hours).
Nutrition
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235 Comments on “Easy Vegan Naan”
This was super easy! I didn’t see my dough rise much, so I was concerned, but it came out exactly as pictured and tasted delicious with a bit of vegan butter on top. I was nervous to cook it without greasing my pan, but it never stuck and flipped easily.
In the future, I might try this on my electric griddle, as it would be able to cook them all at once, as opposed to 2-3 at a time on my cast iron skillet.
Thanks for another recipe for me to add to the lineup!
Hi Emily! I’m so glad the bread turned out great for you! I like your idea! Thank you for sharing your great review and comments, and for using my recipes! Happy cooking!
These were so so good and very easy! Will definitely make these again.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! Happy cooking!
I’ve made this recipe many times with great results each time. I make mine in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and it makes easy work of the kneading. I do end up having to add about an extra cup of flour to the written recipe to get the dough workable and not sticky. Not sure why that is, but it’s consistent every time. Sometimes I’ll add some garlic powder or coriander to the dough to give it some extra flavor. I’ve made it with and without the coconut cream and there’s a definite difference, so I recommend adding the coconut cream. this naan goes great with all of Nora’s Indian dishes, tonight I’m serving it with her Korma.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review!
I just made this tonight. No coconut cream (my husband hates coconut!) and I used half white flour and half home-ground spelt flour. It was delicious! The best fluffiest naan bread I ever made or even had at a restaurant! Thank you for this amazing and easy recipe.
You are welcome, Elisa! I’m glad you love the naan! Thank you for taking time to share you fantastic review and comments!
This is my go to naan recipe. I frequently make it and since it’s just me I make the dough, cook what I need, then leave it in the fridge over night to use later. I just made a batch, it’s currently rising and will be used tomorrow morning for a breakfast dish I’m making!
Hi Brittany! I’m so glad you are loving the naan recipe! It sounds like you have a great system in place! Thank you o taking your time to share your wonderful review and helpful comments! Happy cooking!
I can’t believe I made naan—and it’s delicious! Ive never made any kind of bread or biscuits so I was shocked when they turned out so good! Thanks for such a DELICIOUS and beginner-friendly recipe!
I am so happy with you that your naan turned out wonderful and delicious! Thank you for taking your time to share your wonderful review and comments!
This works so well! I made them on a day that we had curry to use up and nothing to go with it. I assumed because the recipe was so quick and simple that they’d be a bit rubbish, but I was so wrong! They came out perfectly and everyone loved them. Will always make my own now rather than buying expensive dairy free ones! Highly recommend this recipe 🙂
I’m so thrilled that you love the naan! Thank you so much for sharing your great review and wonderful comments!
I love this recipe. Made it many times. Always a hit!!
Glad you are loving it! Thanks for sharing your review!
This is my 4th time making these, so delicious and easy. The whole family loves them .
I’m glad you are loving the naan! Thank you for sharing your review and comments!
Great recipe! Have you tried cooking it in the oven on a pizza stone? Thanks!
I haven’t tried that but it might work!
Made these for someone who avoids dairy. YUM! Will definitely make them again.
Thank you for sharing your review! I’m glad you loved the naan!
Hi Nora, Love this recipe. I used white whole wheat flour and coconut sugar then used a slurry of water and tahini (1 T. each) to replace the oil with excellent results. Hope this helps those who are oil-free.
Glad you loved the naan! Thank you for sharing your review and comments!
Can you prepare a day before? Or how does that work?
You could, yes. Just wrap it well and store at room temperature. It is best right after you make it though. It starts to dry out rather quickly. If possible, you could prepare the dough a day ahead, store in the fridge, then cook it right before serving. Hope that helps!
Hey Nora, I’ve tried making it with no coconut cream and then varying amounts up to 3 tablespoons. I also use whole wheat flour every time. When I use the coconut cream the dough is too sticky and it takes at least another cup of flour to make it not-sticky, but then it breaks really easy when I’m forming it later. Suggestions on what I’m doing wrong? Thanks!
The dough is quite different when using whole wheat flour. It’s a lot better with regular flour. Whole wheat will make it less pliable and workable. Technically it does work, but that’s why you are having issues. I’d suggest using white flour if you can, and also don’t add too much flour. The dough should be a little sticky, you just have to handle it gently, work it out on a floured surface and flour your hands and even the rolling pin if needed. Then your naan won’t turn out dry.
Hi! Can this be frozen after cooked?
Yes, it freezes well!
Hi Nora,
I made your vegan naan bread for my family. I wasn’t sure I could pull it off as I rarely work with yeast. Absolutely, delicious & so simple to prepare. I have also made many of your desserts including cookies, bars & donuts. WOW!! Amazing & so delicious & a BIG hit with my family. Thanks for making your recipes so simple & delicious!!
Hi Cathy! I’m thrilled that the naan was simple and delicious for you! Thank you so much for taking your time to share your review! I’m glad you are loving the recipes, and happy cooking!
Hello! Has anyone tried to make this GF? I made it both ways, the original turned out 100% perfect and was amazing but when I made it GF it didn’t turn out at all. Any advice?