This Gluten-Free Vegan Irish Soda Bread is crusty on the outside, soft on the inside and packed with sweet raisins. It's filling and nutritious, slices well and is perfect for St. Patrick's Day! It's no-knead, yeast-free, oil-free, refined sugar free and nut-free too.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Irish
Keyword gluten-free irish soda bread, vegan irish soda bread
6teaspoonsbaking powder(ensure gluten-free if necessary)
½teaspoonbicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Pinchsalt
150g(1cup)raisins or sultanas(optional)
120ml(½cup)water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
Measure out the milk and, leaving it in the measuring container, add the vinegar and stir - leave to sit for around 10 minutes, while you do the rest of the steps.
Place the chickpea flour, rice flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and raisins in a large bowl and mix well.
Add the milk and vinegar mixture and the water, and mix again.
Transfer the mixture to a baking dish lined with greased baking paper (I used a 20cm/8inch circular tin).
Take a small knife and draw a cross over the top of the batter, if desired.
Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes, until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool slightly before slicing.
Leave to cool on a wire rack before putting away to store.
Keeps well in the fridge for up to a few days - if not eaten on the day it's made, it's best toasted before eating.
Video
Notes
You can use any type of baking tin you like, but to get a beautifully risen, puffed-up bread with a traditional cross on the top, I would recommend using a circular baking tin.
The cross on the top might look fancy, but it's super easy to make - all you need to do is use a knife to score the top in a cross pattern before you put it in the oven.
Make sure to leave the bread to cool down completely on a cooling rackbefore packing it away to store because otherwise the steam from the warm bread will get trapped and you’ll end up with soggy bread, which nobody wants!
This batter is much more liquid than a traditional soda bread, as gluten-free flours absorb a lot more moisture!
Substitutions you can make
You can use any type of plant-based milk.
The rice flour and tapioca flour can be replaced with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
The vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice.
The raisins can be omitted.
The raisins can be replaced with dried cranberries or chopped dates.
You can add some chopped walnuts.
You can add some mixed seeds and/or sprinkle them on top.