Vegan baking powder biscuits

I gave up most dairy products a long time ago, and I've never looked back. Cow's milk isn't something meant for humans to consume, as evidenced by the fact that most of the world's people develop an intolerance to lactose as they get older. But like a lot of people, I have my food weaknesses, and two of my most particular weaknesses are breads and fried foods. And two of my favorite breads from back in the day are pancakes and biscuits.

Unfortunately, despite various attempts over the years to come up with a good replication of the baking powder biscuits I grew up with, I always came up short when it came to replacing the buttermilk and nailing a good texture. Finally, after gaining some new knowledge concerning buttermilk substitutions, and after some more trial and error and tweaking, I came up with the recipe that I'm presenting here. These biscuits aren't quite the same as the ones I grew up eating - they have a softer texture and some natural sweetness due to the use of sweet potato - but they are good enough to keep as my "go-tos."

The key ingredients to making a good vegan biscuit are non-dairy yogurt and sweet potato puree. I'm sure regular dairy yogurt could be used in these for a non-vegan version for anyone so inclined. You can save time on this by preparing the sweet potato puree the night before and refrigerating it in a bowl overnight, as the quoted 40 minute prep time includes the boil time and 15-20 minutes cooling time in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

---

• 2 cups (480 mL) all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• 4 tablespoons (60 mL) vegetable shortening
• 3/8 cup (90 mL) plain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, refrigerated (I recommend almond based, but make sure to use plain and unflavored)
• 1/8 cup (30 mL) + 1 tablespoon (15 mL) water
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) apple cider vinegar
• 1 medium orange sweet potato, enough to make 2/3 cup (160 mL) pulp when peeled, sliced, and boiled

Instructions:

---

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir well and set aside.
2. In a cup, combine the yogurt and water and whip with a fork until completely mixed and smooth. Stir in the vinegar. Place in the refrigerator to chill while completing the next step.
3. Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices, then cut the slices into wedges. Boil in a saucepan full of water for about 20-25 minutes until completely soft. Drain, and use a fork to mash and whip the potatoes until they are completely pulped. Let chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
4. Cut the shortening into the dry mixture with a fork until well mixed (there should be tiny clumps throughout). Measure out 2/3 cup of the potato pulp and stir it in completely, while stirring in enough of the liquid mixture to make a pretty sticky dough. If you used almond milk based yogurt, you will likely need less of the "buttermilk" mixture than if you used a soy or coconut based option.
5. Transfer the dough to a well floured surface and knead it briefly until it's well consolidated. Pat flat, add a dusting of flour, fold over, pat flat, and repeat this process a couple of times to make layers. Pat the dough to about 1/2 inch in thickness, and use a biscuit or cookie cutter to cut into 3 inch circles.
6. Transfer the biscuits to a nonstick cookie sheet and bake in a 450 degree F oven for about 10-12 minutes, until completely done - but not burned - on the bottom. Makes about 10 biscuits.

   Optional variation:
   Add 1-2 tablespoons of coconut sugar to the dry mixture in step 1.
   

   Hope you enjoy!

   

   Print Recipe

   Vegan Biscuits

   My recipe for a non-dairy spin on baking powder biscuits

   Prep Time40 mins

   Cook Time12 mins

   Course: Breakfast

   Cuisine: American

   Keyword: biscuits, comfort food, vegan

   Servings: 5

   Calories: 320kcal

   Author: Peter Orozco

   Ingredients

   • 2 cups all purpose flour
   • 1 tablespoon baking powder
   • 1 tsp salt
   • 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
   • 3/8 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, refrigerated (I recommend almond based. Make sure to use plain and unflavored.)
   • 1/8 cup + 1 tablespoon water
   • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
   • 1 medium sized orange sweet potato

   Instructions

   • Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir well and set aside.
   • In a cup, combine the yogurt and water and whip with a fork until completely mixed and smooth. Stir in the vinegar. Place in the refrigerator to chill while completing the next step.
   • Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices, then cut the slices into wedges. Boil in a saucepan full of water for about 20-25 minutes until completely soft. Drain, and use a fork to mash and whip the potatoes until they are completely pureed. Let chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
   • Cut the shortening into the dry mixture with a fork until well mixed (there should be tiny clumps throughout). Measure out 2/3 cup of the potato pulp and stir it in completely, while stirring in enough of the liquid mixture to make a pretty sticky dough. If you used almond milk based yogurt, you will likely need less of the "buttermilk" mixture than if you used a soy or coconut based option.
   • Transfer the dough to a well floured surface and knead it briefly until it's well consolidated. Pat flat, add a dusting of flour, fold over, pat flat, and repeat this process a couple of times to make layers. Pat the dough to about 1/2 inch in thickness, and use a biscuit or cookie cutter to cut into 3 inch circles.
   • Transfer the biscuits to a nonstick cookie sheet and bake in a 450 degree F oven for about 10-12 minutes, until completely done - but not burned - on the bottom. Makes about 10 biscuits.
   • Optional variation: Add 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar to the dry mixture in step 1.

   Notes

   

   ---

   All material on this page is © 2022 by Peter Orozco. All rights reserved.