Vegan English Muffins (2024)

Vegan English Muffins are small round, yeast-leavened bread cooked in a hot skillet. They are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle with a delicious yeast flavor.

Table of contents

I love English muffins, but the classic recipe contains milk and sometimes butter so I knew I had to make a plant-based version, the same way I made my Vegan Crepes and Vegan Waffles. Some store-bought English muffin brands are accidentally vegan-friendly, using vegetable shortening and water instead of milk but I prefer to make my own!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Bread Flour –or all-purpose flour. You can also use spelt flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour.
• Vegan Butter – or any plant-based spread you like.
• Sugar – I prefer to use cane sugar, but you can use any light-colored crystal sugar for this recipe.
• Almond milk – I prefer using unsweetened almond milk or any plant-based milk you like.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – to make them rise.
• Active dried yeast – yeast is a great source of vegan minerals and vitamins.

How To Make Vegan English Muffins

It’s very easy to make your own vegan English muffins at home using 5 basic ingredients. All you need is a bit of patience because these require two rises.

1. First, make the vegan ‘buttermilk’. To do so, whisk together almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a small mixing bowl.
2. Then, add the vegan butter and bring the bowl in a microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between, until vegan butter is melted.
3. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
4. Stir in the active dried yeast and sugar into the lukewarm milk. Set aside 10 minutes until it becomes creamy and the yeast has dissolved.
5. In another large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add bread flour and salt.
6. Using the dough hook attachment, quickly combine the dry ingredients.
7. Add the yeast mixture and lukewarm water, and start kneading the dough for about 3 minutes on medium speed. You can also knead the dough by hand. Lightly flour your hands to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers.
8. When the dough is soft, elastic, and unsticks from the sides of the bowl, it’s ready. Transfer the dough into an oiled glass bowl. Wrap the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.
9. Place the bowl in a dark, lukewarm room and let rise for 1 hour 30 minutes or until it doubles in size. You can also let it rise overnight for 24 hours.
10. Push down the dough and transfer it onto a lightly floured surface.
11. Knead the dough for a few minutes to remove any air, adding more flour if needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
12. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough on the work surface into a 1/2-thick layer.
13. Place each piece of dough onto a baking tray covered with parchment paper and fine cornmeal.
14. Repeat rolling leftover dough and cutting into circles until no more dough is left. This recipe makes about nine 3-inch English muffins.
15. Cover each baking tray with a kitchen towel and let the muffins rise for another 30 minutes.

Cooking English Muffins

Warm a pancake griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook each bread for 4-5 minutes on each side until crispy and puffy. You can add a lid on top of the pan to help them raise even more. Store the cooked muffins on the baking tray in a lukewarm oven at 122°F (50°C).

Toasting The Vegan English Muffins

Before serving, slice the muffins halfway and bring them into a bread toaster to add some crispiness to the center. You can also use my oven toasting method below.

Toasting English Muffins In The Oven

Set your oven or toaster oven on broil mode. Cut the English muffins on a baking sheet with their cut side facing up. Broil for 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip and broil for 1 minute on the other side. Watch them carefully as they can burn fast on broil mode.

Serving Suggestions

English muffins can be used as breakfast toast or breakfast sandwiches. You can serve them with a sweet or savory filling/topping. They are better sliced halfway and toasted in a bread toaster to add a crispy texture to the inside of the bread.

The best plant-based toppings for English muffins are:

• A dollop of whipped margarine
• Jam
• Nut butter of choice, like peanut butter or almond butter
• Mashed avocado and spinach
• Hummus and sundried tomatoes
• Vegan cream cheese and toasted nuts or seeds

Storage Instructions

English muffins are yeasted bread, and therefore they last longer at room temperature than regular bread. You can store the vegan English muffins for up to 2 weeks wrapped in a clean towel at room temperature.

You can freeze your vegan English muffins in a sealed box. Thaw the day before use. Also, they thaw faster if you cut the muffins halfway before freezing. You can rewarm muffin splits in a toaster on defrost mode.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegan Breakfast Recipes

I love baking for breakfast, and below, I listed my favorite vegan breakfast recipes for you to try.

About Carine

Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, photographer, and published author of a cookbook and founder of The Conscious Plant Kitchen with my husband Damien.Learn more about us.