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    You are here: Home | Recipes | Quick Bread

    Traditional Irish Brown Bread (Egg and Dairy Free)

    Dec 7, 2022 by Faith VanderMolen

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Made with wholemeal flour and dairy free milk and yogurt, this traditional Irish Brown Bread is a hearty and healthy side dish for any meal!

    The doughy insides of dairy free traditional Irish brown bread

    Merry Christmas Eve! Or should I say Happy Christmas Eve!? Here in Ireland, people say Happy Christmas because in the past--and currently, as well-- "merry" has been associated with being intoxicated. So we'll stick with Happy Christmas this year! And in keeping with Irish tradition, I'm sharing a recipe for the quickest, most delicious brown bread. I've been obsessed with brown bread ever since my first trip to Ireland back in 2014 with my sister Ruth. We had been dreaming of a sister's trip to Ireland since we were young and having it actually happen was such a treat. We took the bus everywhere, stayed in B&Bs and enjoyed coffee and delicious food from little cafes and markets. It was a trip I'll never forget!

    The fresh brown bread we enjoyed during our trip was also something I'll never forget. It's so hearty and subtly tangy and seems to pair perfectly with whatever you're eating. It's incredibly simple to make, as it doesn't require the use of yeast or rising time and often just requires one bowl to prepare. Traditional Irish brown bread is made with buttermilk (which I didn't realized at first), which is why it tastes so rich and moist.

    a loaf of brown bread cooling on a wire rack

    How to make buttermilk

    To make this dairy free brown bread recipe I simply veganized a traditional brown bread recipe I found. I often make my own buttermilk as it is really easy to do and keeps me from having to purchase a separate carton of buttermilk for one recipe. To make homemade buttermilk, you simply mix milk (0r soy milk in this instance) with an acid. I often mix one cup of soy milk with 1 tablespoon of an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice. In this recipe, however, the buttermilk is made by using a mix of soy milk and unsweetened soy yogurt. The tanginess of the yogurt helps turn the milk into buttermilk in addition to providing a rich, creamy taste and texture. We love this bread toasted and slathered with butter and dipped into one of my mom's amazing soups. Harper also loves this bread and it was fun to see her gobble it up!

    I know this isn't the most traditional Christmas recipe to be posting the day before Christmas, but if you're in need of a bread to compliment your holiday feast, whip up this recipe! It's quick, delicious and will be gobbled up in no time!

    doughy brown bread
    sliced dairy free brown bread
    vegan butter slathered onto dairy free Irish brown bread
    baby girl eating Irish brown bread
    Harper thoroughly enjoyed the brown bread as well!!

    Please let me know if you give this simple, delicious brown bread a try! Leave a comment, rate the recipe and be sure to share it with others!

    📖 Recipe

    Traditional Irish Brown Bread Recipe (Egg and Dairy Free)

    Faith VanderMolen
    Made with wholemeal flour and dairy free milk and yogurt, this traditional Irish Brown Bread is a hearty and healthy side dish for any meal!
    4.91 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Quick Bread
    Cuisine Irish
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 112 kcal

    Equipment

    • Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
    • Loaf Pan

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 ½ cups wholemeal flour ~350 grams*
    • ¼ cup quick oats
    • Pinch of salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda sifted
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • ½ cup unsweetened soy yogurt
    • 1 ¼ cup soy milk

    Instructions 

    • Preheat your oven to 400 °F and grease a loaf pan. Set the pan aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the wholemeal flour, quick oats and salt. Then sift in the baking soda and whisk again.
    • Add in the remaining wet ingredients and stir until combined.
    • Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and even it out with a spatula.
    • Bake the bread for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are starting to brown.
    • Allow the bread to cool in the pan for a while before removing it and placing it on a wire rack to cool completely. The bread slices best when completely cool.

    Notes

    *Wholemeal flour is the term used in the UK for wholewheat flour. However, I find that the wholemeal flour here in Ireland is a little coarser than whole wheat flour sold in the US. I've only tried this recipe with wholemeal flour from the UK!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sliceCalories: 112kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 105mgPotassium: 124mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 97IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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