Vegan Biscuits Recipe: 4 Tips for Making Vegan Biscuits

Vegan biscuits are biscuits made without dairy. Buttermilk biscuits, a variety of quick bread, traditionally feature flour, butter, salt, and a liquid dairy like milk or buttermilk. They get their signature puff from two leavening agents: baking powder and baking soda. They can be tender (like scones) or flaky (with doughy layers), savory (with the addition of veggies or cheese) or sweet (with a hint of sugar).

Dairy-free biscuits rely on chilled vegan butter or vegetable shortening instead of regular butter. In place of buttermilk, vegan biscuits use vegan buttermilk: nondairy milk curdled with lemon juice or vinegar. To make vegan biscuits gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour blend.

Here’s what to know when making homemade biscuits for the first time:

1. 1. Overworking the dough yields tough biscuits. After combining the dry and wet ingredients, fold the dough over itself like a book, or cut and stack it like cards—the goal is to create natural layers within the dough without over-kneading.
2. 2. Speed is of the essence when working with cold butter or shortening. While working vegan butter or shortening into the dry flour mixture, you can smash it between your fingers (like when you make pie dough) or use a pastry cutter. Because the dough comes together so quickly with softer vegan products, there’s no need to use a food processor.
3. 3. Add flavors for an even more delicious biscuit. Mix your favorite flavors directly into the dough. Try nutritional yeast and chives or dried onion flakes for a vegan take on a cheesy onion biscuit, citrus zest for sweeter biscuits, or mashed or grated sweet potato for sweet potato biscuits.
4. 4. Store biscuits at room temperature. Like many baked goods, biscuits are best eaten fresh and will dry out in the fridge. Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container for a day or two.

Enjoy vegan biscuits just as you would a traditional biscuit. Here are a few ideas:

1. 1. As a breakfast sandwich: Slice a biscuit in two, and fill with vegan cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and lightly dressed greens. Serve the biscuit with hot sauce on the side.
2. 2. With baked fruit: Top fresh-cut fruit with dollops of biscuit dough, and bake the cobbler in the oven for an easy vegan summer dessert.
3. 3. With jam: Serve the buttery biscuits warm alongside fresh seasonal jam and finish with flaky salt.
4. 4. With mushrooms: Instead of sausage gravy, serve vegan biscuits with earthy, savory vegan gravy or as a side dish with a rich, creamy mushroom stew.