Learn how to make vegan naan from scratch! This Easy Vegan Naan Recipe is made with 8 simple ingredients and gives you soft and fluffy Indian flatbread that’s perfect for serving with your favorite Indian-inspired dishes, from curry to dal to chana masala.
Pair your fluffy vegan naan with my Tofu Palak Paneer, One Pan Tofu Curry, Chickpea Tikka Masala, and more Indian-inspired meals!
Have you ever tried to find vegan naan at the grocery store? It’s harder than you think. The last time I checked, I couldn’t find a brand made without eggs, milk, yogurt, or all three.
Luckily, this Vegan Naan recipe is surprisingly easy to make from scratch with just 8 everyday ingredients!
Just like what you’d find in an Indian restaurant, this vegan naan is chewy and soft, with an almost elastic texture. This makes it sturdy enough to scoop or dunk in your favorite Indian meals (so much more fun than using a fork or spoon!). I’ll whip up a batch whenever we’re having curry or tikka masala for dinner because the meal just isn’t complete without it.
What is naan?
Naan is a type of leavened Indian flatbread. Traditionally, the naan dough is broken into small pieces and cooked in a tandoor oven (a very hot clay oven) until they bubble and are lightly charred. It’s crisp on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside, and super pliable, making it great for tearing and scooping up your favorite Indian recipes.
How to make vegan naan
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large bowl. Set the mixture aside for a few minutes until it’s frothy on top.
If the yeast mixture does not bubble or froth, it means your yeast is dead. It’s best to start the recipe over with fresh yeast.
Stir the flour, salt, baking powder, coconut cream, and olive oil into the yeast mixture until the dough is shaggy.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it’s a smooth and soft ball. Add more flour if it’s too sticky or hard to work with.
Place the dough in a large bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise until it’s doubled in size. Afterward, flatten the risen dough and cut it into 8 pieces.
In a rush? You can skip the rise if you’d like. The naan will still be quite good!
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Meanwhile, use your hands or a rolling pin to roll a piece of dough into a circle or oval. Each piece should be about 1/4 inch thick.
Place the dough in the preheated pan and cook until large bubbles appear and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Place the cooked naan on a plate and cover it with a clean kitchen towel to keep it warm. Serve the pieces plain or brush them with melted vegan butter and top with fresh parsley or cilantro. Enjoy with your favorite Indian-inspired recipes!
Serving suggestions
Naan is traditionally served as a side dish with curry, korma, butter “chicken”, and endless other vegan Indian dishes. Use the torn pieces of naan to scoop up every bite! I especially love serving naan with my Red Lentil Dahl, Vegetable Korma, Chickpea Curry, Vegan Butter Chicken, and Chana Masala recipes.
But that’s not all it’s good for! Check out these other fun ways to use naan:
- It’s great for vegetable wraps since it’s so soft and pliable. Spread some hummus over the bread, fill it with falafel, curry tofu salad, and/or vegetables, wrap it up, and enjoy.
- Top the dough with pizza sauce, vegan pepperoni, shredded vegan cheese, and vegetables for an easy vegan personal pizza.
- Use it instead of pita bread with your favorite dips, like hummus, spinach artichoke dip, or baba ganoush.
- Enjoy the warm naan by itself! It’s too heavenly to resist.
Frequently asked questions
Traditionally, no, naan is not vegan because it’s made with yogurt, milk, and/or eggs and is sometimes brushed with melted butter or ghee. Thankfully, you can buy vegan naan at some well-stocked grocery stores or South Asian markets or make it yourself with simple dairy-free and egg-free substitutes.
No, because it’s usually made with all-purpose or whole wheat flour. I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour but it would probably work with a quality gluten-free all-purpose flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.
You can simply leave it out or replace it with unsweetened, non-dairy yogurt instead. I found that the naan is fluffier and richer with the coconut cream but is still soft and delicious without it.
You can press 1 or 2 minced garlic cloves into the naan dough as you’re shaping each piece. Alternatively, brush the freshly cooked pieces with melted vegan garlic butter as soon as they come out of the pan.
Sure! Prepare the dough and place it in a covered bowl as normal, but instead of setting it aside to rise, transfer it to the fridge. You can let it chill for up to 2 days.
Before forming and cooking the naan, let the chilled dough rest on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes so it can come down to room temperature. It will be easier to handle this way.
Personally, I think freshly cooked, warm naan is the best! The pieces do tend to dry out quickly, so try to eat the bread the day it’s made.
Otherwise, leftover naan will keep for up to 2 days at room temperature, in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Wrap the pieces in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent them from drying out.
Easy Vegan Naan
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream or plain non-dairy yogurt
- 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.
- 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).
I’ve mad this twice with recipe as is, and my wife and I loved them. Would I be able to use whole wheat flour with this recipe?
You can use whole wheat flour if you’d like! Of course it will taste different but it should work quite well. Thanks!
Top notch recipe! Super easy and quick to whip together! Tasted just like the real deal!
This is the only naan recipe our family will ever need. Thank you!
You are welcome, Katie! We love this naan at our home as well! Thank you for your awesome review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I always make these, they taste so good, I made them last night for curry night at a friend’s, and they said they tasted so much better than shop brought vegan as they are always dry! So easy and always a hit.
Hi Sue. I’m so glad the naan was a hit with everyone! Thanks for sharing your awesome review!
Soft, fluffy, tasty, and easy to make. Mmm.
Thank you, Heather, for your support and for loving my recipes! Happy cooking!
You know how it is: all day long you are thinking about tacos for dinner (stick with me). Can’t wait for those tacos. Then, as you start to make the tacos, you realize you don’t have any soy chorizo and everyone is sick and no one is leaving the house to get it. So you switch to black bean tacos but you don’t have chipotle in adobo sauce. OK. Curry? We always have those ingredients. But no naan. Again, no one is leaving this house. Nora. I’ll check with Nora. The odds of me having coconut cream are fairly high but holy smokes, for once I actually have plain vegan yogurt and who knows why I bought it so I’ll use that instead of the coconut cream. These are the best vegan naan I have made! And even as a last minute substitution for dinner, this didn’t take too long as I made a curry. I use SAF instant yeast so I don’t bother with the whole feeding the yeast part, I just chuck all the ingredients in at once. (I am very familiar with vegan bread making after 36 years of being vegan). The bread is soft and tasty. I wish I had put some garlic it before cooking but it’s good without it. And hey, my adult child complimented them. A great recipe that I will use again, possibly even if I am super lazy.
Hi Steph. Sounds like a long day indeed, with sickness in the house! I know about that! I’m happy you were able to pull dinner together, and that the naan worked out wonderful for you! Thanks for sharing your great recipe review! Hoping everyone will be feeling better soon! Wishing you happy cooking!
The most perfect naans! Fluffy, chewing and crisp. Thanks for the receipe Nora, I’ll be using it again and again 👌😁
You are welcome, Jess! I’m really glad that you enjoyed the Naan recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Very Delicious 😋 Finally I found a perfect recipe! Thank you for your recipe 😁❤👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 I used whole wheat flour and yogurt I love it!! Made chickpea stew to go with my naan! Good Blessings To you!
I’m so glad that you loved the recipe, Cynthia! It sounds like a perfect accompaniment for chickpeas stew! Thank you for sharing your awesome review! Wishing you happy cooking!
Fantastic, like all of your recipes! I used my partner’s homemade flax & coconut milk yogurt. The dough didn’t seem to rise much at all, but I went with and it turned out delicious. So happy for this quick, easy, wonderful recipe – thank you!
You are welcome, Heather! I’m glad you love the recipe! Thank you for sharing your awesome comments and review!
Would it be ok to leave out the olive oil and coconut cream?
I’m dairy and oil free.
I’ve been following you for sometime now and have loved some of your recipes that I can
convert.
I use no oil, dairy, nuts, seeds, or avocado.
You do such a Great job.
You must cook 24-7.
Thank you for all your work and for sharing.
You’re much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Charlotte
Aw thanks Charlotte, I’ve just been at this for 8 years or so, but I am in the kitchen a lot! 🙂 You could try leaving out the oil and coconut cream (can you sub both with a plant based yogurt?). It might not be as rich or soft but I think it will work okay. I hope you enjoy the naan!
This recipe is definitely a family favorite! My daughter has an egg allergy so this recipe is safe for her and so much better than anything we can buy at the store.
Hi Sarah. I’m so glad your family is loving the recipe! We love this one as well! Thanks for sharing your glowing review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Can you sub an unrefined sugar (honey, maple syrup, date sugar or coconut sugar)?
Yes, coconut sugar will work. It might darken the naan slightly but the flavor will still be delicious!
I’m not sure what I did wrong but the dough stuck to the pan and did not cook properly.
I tried adding water to the pan with no success so I have now put the remaining naans in the oven on parchment paper.
Are we supposed to add oil to the pan?
I do not add oil to the pan, but I do use a cast iron. Naan is not traditionally cooked in a pan with oil, but a dry, hot surface like a cast iron. If you are using stainless steel, that very well may cause sticking and I would not recommend it. I’ve never had my naan stick before using a cast iron or non-stick pan.
This recipe is excellent, my naan turned out perfect! I think I used a little extra flour but other than that, wonderful recipe. So soft but still chewy, I used coconut yogurt instead of regular and it gave them a delicious flavour. Will be using again!!
Hi Netty. I’m thrilled you loved the naan recipe! Thanks for sharing your recipe experience and fabulous review! Wishing you happy cooking!
CHEF NEEDS HELP!!
Can I scale this recipe by 100X or more?? Using a Commercial Mixer? Making small batches wouldn’t help. Too time consuming. I owned Pizzerias before, so im familiar with making pizza dough. I’m in the process of opening up a new restaurant and I want it to be Vegan Friendly,, Infact i might use this bread with all my sandwiches. So any tips or suggestions would be extremely helpful!!
Thanks, from one Chef to another!!
AMAZING RECIPE! I never review recipes but I just had to. I don’t know what kind of sorcery is in this but I couldn’t stop eating these fluffy, delicious breads! My boyfriend and I were actually fighting over the last one 😂 proceed with caution, folks
Also love that this recipe doesn’t exclusively call for hard to find ingredients like vegan yogurt for creaminess and offers coconut cream as an alternative. This will be a staple in my kitchen for years to come!
I’m so happy you loved the naan, thank you!
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe! Definitely the best naan I’ve personally ever had.
You are very welcome, Clare! I’m so glad you loved the naan! Thanks for sharing your glowing 5 star review! Happy cooking to you!
Best naan recipe I’ve tried (and I’ve made 3 or 4 different recipes). I’m done looking. It’s fluffy and tender and easy. I didn’t have time to let it rise and still was super impressed with the texture. Thanks Nora.
hi nora
naan…..so delicious but there is only one of me, so can you successfully freeze them
kindest regards
sharron
Yes, they freeze very well. Simply leave at room temperature for a few hours when you are ready to eat them. Or reheat in the oven until warm, wrapped in foil if possible.
Hi Nora, can I use bread machine yeast for this?
I’m not sure as I’ve never owned a bread machine. Maybe though!
Can you use an air fryer instead of pan frying?
I’ve never tried this, but maybe.
Followed to a tee and the dough is a soupy mess. Impossible to knead. Would at least another cup of flour to be able to knead by hand. Not sure what happened. I used the metric measurements instead of cups, doubled , so 500g flour, and 260g water.
I did exactly the same: metric doubled. Also a soupy mess (and I left out the 50+ grams of oil!). I added at least another cup of flour, but when it all came together, it was great. I’m thinking the metric conversion is off.
I was curious about this, so I measured in cups but used my scale. 2 cups (single recipe) of flour was 350g. So you’d need 700 for double… Funny enough, the bag of flour I used says “1/4 cup = 30g”. So either flour company incorrect or my measuring cups are off. Very odd.
Great recipe, came out perfect.
Love this recipe. I usually have leftover curry and I like fresh naan everyday. After using what I need for day I roll left over dough in a ball, lightly oil, cover and put in refrigerator till I need the next day. Next day I cut off what I want to use and let warm up to room temp before shaping and using. Tastes just as delicious 🤤
I did no coconut, added one more tbsp of evoo. And I used my stand mixer. The dough was almost not coming together and the texture looked off. I thought to myself “I can’t believe a Nora recipe didn’t work” But I went with it anyway. I let it rise for about an hour while I was making Japanese tomato curry. Omg these were so delicious with the garlic butter. Curry was great and the naan put the whole meal over the top.
Hi Rocky. I’m glad the recipe all came together well for you, and that you loved the naan! Thanks for sharing your cooking experience, and your awesome review! Wishing you happy cooking!
Thank you for the recipe! I have never made any type of bread before! I was intimidated, I admit it! I thought I would screw up, I procrastinated, waited to try it–but it came out great!! Delicious, thank you!!
This was fantastic. Easy to make too!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Tiffany! Thanks for your awesome review!