Vegan English Muffins
Published: October 10, 2021
Modified: March 10, 2025
These English muffins are soft inside, with plenty of nooks and crannies, plus a delicious flavor that pairs perfectly with vegan butter and jam. They're totally dairy-free and vegan, and have none of the preservatives you'll find in store-bought muffins. Toast them and serve them with your favorite spread, or use them to create an amazing vegan breakfast sandwich!
With this recipe for homemade English muffins, you'll never need to buy store-bought again! While there are a few brands that are vegan (365, Trader Joe's, Dave's Killer Bread, and Rudi's), this recipe is great if you can't find those brands or if you want to avoid preservatives.
English muffins are, as the name suggests, English, although on that side of the pond, they're just called "muffins." In the late 19th century, British immigrant Samuel Bath Thomas introduced them to Americans, eventually creating our famous American version: Thomas' English Muffins.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Although these muffins require just seven ingredients, you might have questions about them, like whether you can use another type of flour or what makes sugar vegan. If you have any ingredient-related question, check this section for the answer first. If you can't find it, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll respond as soon as I can!
all-purpose flour: Using another flour, like bread flour, will also work in this recipe, but different flours will result in different textures. If you're using whole wheat flour, you may need to add 2 to 3 tablespoons of non-dairy milk to get the right consistency. I haven't tested it with gluten-free flour, so I can't recommend that as a replacement.
instant dry yeast: This is responsible for the dough rising, giving the muffins their signature nooks and crannies. Please check that you're using instant dry yeast (not to be confused with quick-acting or instant yeast), which doesn't need to be heated to be activated. If the instructions mention adding the yeast to warm water, it's not instant dry yeast.
salt: Adds flavor to the muffins; feel free to reduce the amount of salt if you're watching your sodium intake.
vegan granulated sugar: In the US and other countries that use cane sugar, sugar is sometimes processed using animal bone char. You can avoid this by using sugar marked "vegan" or, in the US, you can use organic sugar, which cannot legally be processed using bone char.
almond milk: Almost any plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk will work here, like oat, soy, or cashew. I would avoid canned coconut milk, however, because its texture may be too thick.
vegan butter sticks: I recommend using high-fat vegan butter sticks for this recipe, such as Earth Balance or Miyoko's. If vegan butter is unavailable or unreasonably priced in your area, try my homemade vegan butter recipe.
cornmeal or semolina flour: Use fine cornmeal if you can get it. (I could only get medium-grind cornmeal in my area; it still works, but the texture's not ideal.)
How to Serve English Muffins
English muffins are the perfect easy breakfast, and they're super adaptable! Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy them:
with vegan butter and jam
with peanut butter and bananas
with jam and vegan feta
with vegan cream cheese
with avocado and tomato
make breakfast sandwiches with seasoned tofu, a slice of vegan cheese, tomato, and avocado
Storage Instructions
These vegan English muffins keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or up to a week in the refrigerator, although they may begin to dry out a bit after 5 days. For longer storage, put them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature, then toast as usual.
Tips for the Best Vegan English Muffins
Weigh your flour: It's important to use the right amount of flour in this recipe to get good results. The most accurate way to measure is using a kitchen scale (you can switch the measurements to metric at the top of the recipe card). If you can't weigh your flour, then make sure you're spooning the flour into the measuring cup, then leveling it off. Avoid scooping the flour directly into the cup, which will add too much flour to the recipe, resulting in a dough that's too dry.
Proof overnight: The key to a flavorful English muffin is letting the dough proof very slowly (overnight) in the refrigerator. This is also nice because half the work is already done when you wake up in the morning to make breakfast! Make sure that the muffins have risen completely before cooking them, as this contributes to the flavor and creates lots of nooks and crannies.
Quick method: Although proofing overnight results in the best flavor, you can take a shortcut if you don't have that much time. Just leave the dough at room temperature for the first rise instead of refrigerating overnight. It should only need about 1 to 2 hours to rise at room temperature.
Split the muffins with a fork: The best way to cut English muffins in half is by using the prongs of a fork to cut into the sides, then pulling the muffins apart. This will really accentuate the nooks and crannies. Avoid slicing the muffins with a knife, which will smooth out the nooks and crannies.
More Incredible Vegan Breakfast Recipes
Vegan English Muffins
Yield14 muffins
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time12 hours
Ingredients
- 4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp. instant dry yeast (1 packet)*
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tbsp. vegan granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- cornmeal or semolina flour, for coating
Instructions
Add your flour, instant dry yeast, salt, and sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix until just combined (in a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment on the lowest speed). Add vegan butter and almond milk to dry ingredients and continue to mix until you have a sticky, shaggy dough (I use speed setting #2 on the stand mixer).
![Vegan English muffin dough in the bowl of a stand mixer after the first mix.]()
Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
After an hour, bring the dough out and either knead it by hand on the counter, or place it back in the stand mixer bowl and knead using the dough hook attachment on medium-low speed (I use the 3rd speed). Knead until the dough is smooth, about 4-6 minutes in a stand mixer.
![Vegan English muffin dough in the bowl of a stand mixer after kneading.]()
Shape your dough into a ball, then return it to the oiled bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.*
The next day, line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Then, place your dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Use a biscuit cutter (or the top of a glass) that’s about a 3 1/2-inch (9-cm) diameter circle to cut your muffins. You can re-roll remaining scraps of dough, however they may not come together as well as the first roll-out.*
![Vegan English muffin dough, rolled out, with a biscuit cutter on top cutting individual muffins.]()
Prepare a small bowl or rimmed plate with some cornmeal or semolina flour. Dip the top and bottom of each muffin in cornmeal to coat (avoid the sides), then place the muffins on the parchment-lined baking trays. Leave space between the muffins, as they may expand. Cover the muffins with a kitchen towel, then let the dough rise until the muffins are puffy, about 1 to 2 hours.
![Vegan English muffin dough being coated in cornmeal and placed on a baking tray (left), then covered to rise (center), and after rising (right).]()
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Then heat a cast-iron or stainless steel pan over medium-low heat.
Use a spatula to place a few of your muffins in your pre-heated pan, leaving space between them. Transfer them as carefully as possible to help maintain the shape, but don’t worry if they don’t look perfect when they hit the pan. They’ll still puff up and regain their shape while they’re cooking. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottoms of the muffins are just golden brown (if it’s taking more or less time, you’ll need to adjust your heat). Turn the muffins and press down a bit with the spatula to ensure the bottoms are flat, and cook on the other side for 5 minutes more. Return the cooked muffins to the baking tray and repeat with the remaining dough.
![A vegan English muffin being cooked in a cast-iron pan with a wooden spatula to the side.]()
When you have a full tray of pan-cooked muffins, place the tray in your preheated oven for about 5 minutes to ensure they’re cooked all the way through.
Transfer the fully baked muffins to a wire rack to cool. After the muffins have cooled, split each muffin with the prongs of a fork, all the way around, then use your hands to pull the muffin apart. Toast and serve with vegan butter and jelly (or any toppings you like)! Enjoy!
Notes & Hints
For best results, use a digital scale to weigh your flour. If you don't have a scale, be sure you're adding the flour to the measuring cup with a spoon, then leveling it, not scooping the cup into the flour.
Double check that your yeast is instant dry yeast, which does not require mixing with warm water.
Refrigerate (proof) overnight for the best flavor; alternately, you can let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.
Instead of using a biscuit cutter to cut circles, you can just divide your dough and roll each piece into a ball, then flatten it. You won't have to re-roll any dough, but your muffins won't be perfect circles.
Nutrition Data
Serving Size: 1/14 of recipe; Calories: 174; Fat: 3 g.; Saturated Fat: 2 g.; Cholesterol: 0 mg.; Sodium: 442 mg.; Carbohydrates: 31 g.; Fiber: 0 g.; Sugar: 0 g.; Protein: 4 g.; Vitamin A: 11 mcg. RAE; Vitamin B12: 0 mcg.; Vitamin C: 2 mg.; Vitamin D: 1 mcg.; Calcium: 6 mg.; Iron: 1 mg.; Potassium: 7 mg.; Zinc: 0 mg.Note: This data should be used only as an estimate. Please see the nutrition section of my terms and conditions for more information on how this data is calculated.
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