Homemade Vegan Burger Buns
You won’t believe how easy it can be to make your own delicious dairy-free and egg-free gourmet hamburger buns. Your guests won’t believe you actually made your own buns either. But you better believe, you’ll all think these are some of the most delicious vegan buns you’ve sunk your teeth into.
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I’ve loved getting into making my own homemade vegan breads in the past few years. It’s so empowering to be able to make your own breads from scratch!
On this journey, I’ve made everything from fluffy dinner rolls to homemade vegan bagels.
And now, I’m adding fresh homemade vegan hamburger buns to this collection!
If you’re worried it will be too hard to make your own homemade buns, take my hand. I’ll walk you through every step of this process, and I bet by the end of it, you’ll feel more empowered and confident in your bread baking skills than you thought possible!
That’s how it happened for me. I just had to get in the kitchen, take one step at a time, and believe in myself! So, let’s get cooking, shall we?
Why are these the best vegan burger buns?
You’re going to love these homemade hamburger buns and here’s why:
- Fluffy texture. The soft and fluffy texture is like biting into a cloud! Once you try them, you’ll never go back to store-bought hamburger buns.
- Budget-friendly. Making your own burger buns cuts your costs and saves you from having to read labels at the grocery store to find a brand that’s vegan-friendly!
- Customize-able. Top these buns with your favorite toppings – sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning?! Have fun with it!
Ingredients in Vegan Hamburger Buns
You’ll need 8 simple ingredients to make these vegan buns.
- All-purpose unbleached flour
- Warm water – Warm enough to activate the yeast, not too hot to kill it.
- Active dry yeast
- Sugar – to make the yeast bloom
- Salt – finely ground, not course sea salt
- Vegan butter – Country Crock Plant Butter is our go-to! We are also fans of Earth Balance.
- Plain, unsweetened plant-based milk – Make sure you use as neutral flavored plant milk as possible. We love the unsweetened line from Elmhurst or the original unsweetened soy milk from Silk.
- Oil – This is for the proving bowl, so your dough doesn’t stick to the bowl while rising.
Substitution Options for Vegan Buns
If you need to substitute an ingredient in this vegan bread recipe, here are our best tips! Please remember though that substituting any ingredient can lead to a not always pleasant result. If you try any of these subs, let us know in the comments below, so we can make this a more complete resource for future readers!
For the active yeast: We haven’t tried it, but you can substitute instant yeast. This may require less proving time, so keep your eye on your dough.
For the all-purpose flour: We have not tried this recipe with gluten-free all-purpose flour but think it would probably work. Let us know if you try this! We would not recommend subbing whole wheat flour. If you do, you’d need to adjust the liquid amounts to achieve a decent texture.
For the sugar: You can use light brown sugar, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.
For the vegan butter: We have not tried this, but I think refined coconut oil would work as a vegan butter sub. Just make sure you use a coconut oil labeled “refined”, so you don’t get a weird coconut flavor.
For the oil: This is for the proving bowl. You can use any neutral-flavored oil: avocado oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, even olive oil!
How to Make Fluffy Vegan Burger Buns
If you’re worried about making your own homemade dairy-free buns, we’ve got you. This easy recipe takes a few steps, but once you start following these step-by-step instructions, you’ll be so excited how simple and enjoyable it can be!
Step 1: Activate the yeast.
In a small bowl, add yeast and sugar and pour the warm water over. Stir gently to mix and let sit for 7-10 minutes while the yeast activates and blooms.
Step 2: Make the hamburger bun dough.
In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Whisk to combine. Make a small well or divot in the center.
When the yeast has fully bloomed, pour the yeast mixture into the well you created in the dry ingredients. Make sure you get all the sugar from the bottom.
Add the non-dairy milk and 2 Tbsp of the melted vegan butter.
Mix the ingredients well with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until you have them fully incorporated and have achieved a shaggy dough. You can do this with a stand mixer and dough hook, but I prefer to do this by hand.
Step 3: Prove the dough.
Turn the dough onto a very lightly floured counter and knead until you have a soft, smooth dough. It should take about 4-5 minutes.
Drizzle the oil to the sides of your empty bowl and replace the dough ball in the bowl.
Cover and let the dough do its first rise for 75-90 minutes until the dough has doubled in size.
This could take as long as 2 hours on slightly colder days.
Step 4: Shape the fluffy buns.
Turn the risen dough onto a clean counter. Deflate the risen dough and cut to 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough to a ball, then press it gently to flatten it slightly.
Place the buns on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart and cover lightly with a tea towel. Let rise a second time for about an hour.
Step 5: Bake the homemade burger buns.
Near the end of the second rise, you can start to preheat your oven to 375°F.
Just before you put them in the oven you can brush the tops of the buns gently with some of your remaining melted vegan butter.
Bake at 375° for 15-17 minutes until fluffy and golden brown.
Step 6: Finishing touches.
Remove the buns from the oven, brush with the last of the melted butter and top with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if desired.
Cool the buns for at least 10-15 minutes on a baking rack before slicing.
How to Serve Homemade Burger Buns
Serve these vegan buns any way you’d serve hamburger buns! We love to make a batch for a cookout. They’re great with all types of burgers from store-bought Impossible or Beyond Burgers to homemade veggie burgers!
Here are some of our favorite vegan burgers to serve with these buns:
How to Store Leftover Buns
These homemade hamburger buns are best eaten immediately, but you can also store leftovers for later!
Store leftover buns in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll be at their best for 2 days on the counter or 5 days in the fridge. If you store them in the fridge, you’ll want to heat them up in the microwave before using.
Leftover buns can also be frozen. Wait for them to cool fully. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Vegan Buns FAQs
Here, we’ll answer some of the most common questions about plant-based burger buns including where to buy vegan burger buns if you don’t want to make them!
Are Burger King buns vegan?
Yes! Burger King buns are vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free. So, enjoy those Impossible Whoppers (minus the mayo/cheese)!
What burger buns are vegan?
Vegan burger buns are one of those hit-or-miss things. There are a lot of vegan-friendly burger buns; you just have to check the ingredients for things like milk, eggs, and honey! In my experience, most store-brand burger buns are vegan-friendly. Other popular brands include: Arnold’s (some varieties), Ball Park, Market Pantry (Target store brand), and 365 by Whole Foods.
What is the difference between vegan buns and regular buns?
The difference between vegan buns and regular buns is that vegan buns do not contain dairy, eggs, honey, or any animal products.
Are Dave’s Killer hamburger buns vegan?
Yes, Dave’s Killer hamburger buns are vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free.
Are Red Robin buns vegan?
Yes, according to the nutritional info available on Red Robin’s website, their brioche buns are vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free.
Are Shoprite burger buns vegan?
Yes, Bowl & Basket burger buns from Shoprite are vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free.
Are Walmart burger buns vegan?
Yes, Great Value burger buns from Walmart are indeed vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free.
More Vegan Bread Recipes
If you want more vegan bread recipes, check out these options:
I hope you’ll take the leap and try making your own burger buns with our vegan burger bun recipe!
When you do, we’d love to hear what you think and how you served them.
Please leave a star rating and review on the recipe below. This helps more people like you find our vegan recipes!
Happy cooking!
Homemade Vegan Burger Buns
Ingredients
Instructions
Activate the yeast.
- In a small bowl, add yeast and sugar and pour the warm water over. Stir gently to mix and let sit for 7-10 minutes while the yeast activates and blooms.
Make the hamburger bun dough.
- In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Whisk to combine. Make a small well or divot in the center.
- When the yeast has fully bloomed, pour the mixture into the well you created in the dry mix. Make sure you get all the sugar from the bottom.
- Add the non-dairy milk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.
- Mix the ingredients well until you have them fully incorporated and have achieved a shaggy dough.
Prove the bun dough.
- Turn the dough onto a very lightly floured counter and knead until you have a soft, smooth dough. It should take about 4-5 minutes.
- Drizzle the oil to the sides of your empty bowl and replace the dough ball in the bowl.
- Cover and let prove for 75-90 minutes until the dough has doubled in size. This could take as long as 2 hours on slightly colder days.
Form the burger buns.
- Turn the risen dough onto a clean counter. Deflate the risen dough and cut to 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough to a ball, then press it gently to flatten it slightly.
- Place the buns on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart and cover lightly with a tea towel. Let rise a second time for about an hour.
Bake the hamburger buns.
- Near the end of the second rise, you can start to preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Just before you put them in the oven you can brush them gently with some of your remaining melted vegan butter.
- Bake at 375° for 15-17 minutes until fluffy and golden brown.
Finishing touches.
- Remove the buns from the oven, brush with the last of the melted butter and top with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if desired.
- Cool the buns for at least 10-15 minutes on a baking rack before slicing.
