Irish Brown Soda Bread made Dairy-Free & Healthy

In my humble opinion, this is the BEST Irish brown soda bread, dairy-free or not. Why? It’s easy, tasty, and 100% whole grain. That’s right, not an ounce of the highly-processed white stuff. You can sub in half all-purpose flour if you prefer a little more fluff. But if you love the nuttiness and nutrition of pure whole wheat, then stick to this scrumptious recipe for dairy-free Irish brown soda bread.

Why You’ll Love this Dairy-Free Irish Brown Soda Bread

• Fast & Easy: There is no kneading, rising time, or fuss required. It takes just minutes to prepare!
• Healthy: As mentioned, this is a pure, whole grain recipe that’s even spiked with a touch of wheat bran and oats. It’s naturally balanced with fiber and protein, and even low sugar.
• Classic Texture: The loaf is lightly tender, but more on the dry and crumbly side with a delicious hearty crust – just as it should be.
• Versatile: Enjoy it as lunch or dinner bread, with soup or stew, serve it with a St. Patrick’s Day spread, or enjoy it for breakfast. I love it with nut butter or dairy-free butter and homemade chia jam. (pictured below in mini-loaf form)
• Naturally Allergy-Friendly: We also skipped the dairy and eggs, but didn’t compromise the texture.

Recipe FAQs

What is Irish Soda Bread?

It’s a type of bread from Ireland that’s leavened with baking soda and buttermilk instead of yeast. It’s basically one big biscuit, but it’s lower in fat to create a thick crust and denser crumb.

How does it work without the Buttermilk?

In Irish soda bread, buttermilk adds liquid and the acid in it helps to tenderize the bread and reacts with the baking soda to help it rise. It also affects the flavor slightly and helps in browning. To make it dairy-free, I use milk alternative with an acid added (in this case, apple cider vinegar). This creates a faux buttermilk that tenderizes, leavens, flavors, and browns, just as dairy buttermilk would.

Shouldn’t you let the Dairy-Free Buttermilk Curdle?

The instruction in many other dairy-free recipes to “let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes and curdle” is largely a blind carry-over from traditional dairy recipes. Dairy-free milk alternative doesn’t curdle and thicken the same way that dairy milk does, and that thickening isn’t needed in most baked goods. The acid you are adding will perform all of the same duties, whether it sits in the milk alternative or not!

My Faux Buttermilk is Clumping. What Do I Do?

Some milk beverages will look exactly the same after an acid is added while others may separate almost instantly. If it becomes too gloppy or clumpy, just whisk to smooth it out. It should mix fine into the dough. Problem solved and recipe saved!

Can I use Plain White Vinegar instead of Apple Cider Vinegar?

Definitely, I just prefer the very slight flavor note that apple cider vinegar adds. White vinegar is very neutral. But I don’t personally recommend using lemon juice in place of the vinegar as I find it does lend an odd taste to breads like this.

Special Diet Notes: Irish Brown Soda Bread

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.

Alisa Fleming

Dairy-Free Irish Brown Soda Bread

5 from 3 votes

This warm, hearty bread has that perfect combination of tender, crusty, and gently crumbly. It's perfect for dinner, festivities, or even breakfast.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine: Irish

Calories: 134

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

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• 1 ¾ cups white-whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons wheat bran
• 2 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt (can increase to 1/2 teaspoon for more flavor)
• 1 ½ tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 scant cup unsweetened dairy-free milk alternative
• 1 teaspoon rolled oats (for topping; optional)

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Place the flour, bran, 2 tablespoons oats, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the oil (solid or liquid) and whisk until well distributed and a coarse meal forms. Break up any sizable clumps.
3. Place the vinegar in a measuring cup and add enough milk beverage to make 1 cup. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and stir until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
4. Dump the dough out onto your prepared baking sheet and with damp hands, shape it into a round. Cut an "x" across the top of the loaf (about 1/2-inch deep) and sprinkle the loaf with the remaining 1 teaspoon oats.
5. Bake the loaf for 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3.1gFat: 3.7gSaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 148mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 4.2gSugar: 1.9gCalcium: 71mg

Notes

Fluffier Option: If you want to keep the brown bread appeal, but would like a fluffier loaf, you can use substitute all-purpose flour for half of the wheat flour. 

Wheat Flour Note: White whole wheat flour is whole grain wheat flour. It's made from different wheat berries for lighter color and taste. You can substitute regular whole wheat flour or part wheat / part white for the fluffier option.

Mini Loaf Option: To make mini loaves, grease two mini loaf pans and flour the bottoms of the pans (double the recipe if using a four-well mini-loaf pan). Divide the dough in two (or four if making a double batch). With damp hands, gently press each dough piece into a prepared loaf pan. Bake at 425ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Let cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack.

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