Learn how to make vegan naan from scratch! This Easy Vegan Naan Recipe is made with 8 simple ingredients and gives you soft and fluffy Indian flatbread that’s perfect for serving with your favorite Indian-inspired dishes, from curry to dal to chana masala.
Pair your fluffy vegan naan with my Tofu Palak Paneer, One Pan Tofu Curry, Chickpea Tikka Masala, and more Indian-inspired meals!
Have you ever tried to find vegan naan at the grocery store? It’s harder than you think. The last time I checked, I couldn’t find a brand made without eggs, milk, yogurt, or all three.
Luckily, this Vegan Naan recipe is surprisingly easy to make from scratch with just 8 everyday ingredients!
Just like what you’d find in an Indian restaurant, this vegan naan is chewy and soft, with an almost elastic texture. This makes it sturdy enough to scoop or dunk in your favorite Indian meals (so much more fun than using a fork or spoon!). I’ll whip up a batch whenever we’re having curry or tikka masala for dinner because the meal just isn’t complete without it.
What is naan?
Naan is a type of leavened Indian flatbread. Traditionally, the naan dough is broken into small pieces and cooked in a tandoor oven (a very hot clay oven) until they bubble and are lightly charred. It’s crisp on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside, and super pliable, making it great for tearing and scooping up your favorite Indian recipes.
How to make vegan naan
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large bowl. Set the mixture aside for a few minutes until it’s frothy on top.
If the yeast mixture does not bubble or froth, it means your yeast is dead. It’s best to start the recipe over with fresh yeast.
Stir the flour, salt, baking powder, coconut cream, and olive oil into the yeast mixture until the dough is shaggy.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it’s a smooth and soft ball. Add more flour if it’s too sticky or hard to work with.
Place the dough in a large bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise until it’s doubled in size. Afterward, flatten the risen dough and cut it into 8 pieces.
In a rush? You can skip the rise if you’d like. The naan will still be quite good!
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Meanwhile, use your hands or a rolling pin to roll a piece of dough into a circle or oval. Each piece should be about 1/4 inch thick.
Place the dough in the preheated pan and cook until large bubbles appear and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Place the cooked naan on a plate and cover it with a clean kitchen towel to keep it warm. Serve the pieces plain or brush them with melted vegan butter and top with fresh parsley or cilantro. Enjoy with your favorite Indian-inspired recipes!
Serving suggestions
Naan is traditionally served as a side dish with curry, korma, butter “chicken”, and endless other vegan Indian dishes. Use the torn pieces of naan to scoop up every bite! I especially love serving naan with my Red Lentil Dahl, Vegetable Korma, Chickpea Curry, Vegan Butter Chicken, and Chana Masala recipes.
But that’s not all it’s good for! Check out these other fun ways to use naan:
- It’s great for vegetable wraps since it’s so soft and pliable. Spread some hummus over the bread, fill it with falafel, curry tofu salad, and/or vegetables, wrap it up, and enjoy.
- Top the dough with pizza sauce, vegan pepperoni, shredded vegan cheese, and vegetables for an easy vegan personal pizza.
- Use it instead of pita bread with your favorite dips, like hummus, spinach artichoke dip, or baba ganoush.
- Enjoy the warm naan by itself! It’s too heavenly to resist.
Frequently asked questions
Traditionally, no, naan is not vegan because it’s made with yogurt, milk, and/or eggs and is sometimes brushed with melted butter or ghee. Thankfully, you can buy vegan naan at some well-stocked grocery stores or South Asian markets or make it yourself with simple dairy-free and egg-free substitutes.
No, because it’s usually made with all-purpose or whole wheat flour. I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour but it would probably work with a quality gluten-free all-purpose flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.
You can simply leave it out or replace it with unsweetened, non-dairy yogurt instead. I found that the naan is fluffier and richer with the coconut cream but is still soft and delicious without it.
You can press 1 or 2 minced garlic cloves into the naan dough as you’re shaping each piece. Alternatively, brush the freshly cooked pieces with melted vegan garlic butter as soon as they come out of the pan.
Sure! Prepare the dough and place it in a covered bowl as normal, but instead of setting it aside to rise, transfer it to the fridge. You can let it chill for up to 2 days.
Before forming and cooking the naan, let the chilled dough rest on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes so it can come down to room temperature. It will be easier to handle this way.
Personally, I think freshly cooked, warm naan is the best! The pieces do tend to dry out quickly, so try to eat the bread the day it’s made.
Otherwise, leftover naan will keep for up to 2 days at room temperature, in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Wrap the pieces in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent them from drying out.
Easy Vegan Naan
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream or plain non-dairy yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Optional: melted vegan butter for serving, minced garlic or fresh herbs
Instructions
- Add the yeast and sugar to a large bowl and pour the warm water on top (think bath temperature, not too hot or it will kill the yeast). Let sit for a few minutes until it is frothy on top.
- Now add the flour, salt, baking powder, coconut cream and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes difficult, then turn the ball of dough out on a lightly floured surface (I just use my countertop). Knead the ball of dough for about 2-3 minutes, until the ball of dough is smooth and soft. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
- Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise for about 30 minutes. If you are in a hurry, you can skip the rising part. It will still come out quite good!
- After it rises, flatten the dough and divide into 8 pieces.
- Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan (cast iron preferred) over medium heat. Take a piece of the dough and roll it on a lightly floured surface into a circle or oval shape (about 1/4 inch thick). If using garlic, gently press a little minced garlic onto one side so it sticks at this point.
- Place the dough on the heated pan and cook until large bubbles have formed and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes more until that side is golden brown as well.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces. Cover the naan with a towel or wrapped in foil to keep warm until ready to serve. Serve plain or brush with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with fresh herbs, such as cilantro or parsley.
Video
Notes
- For the coconut cream, open a can of full fat coconut milk or coconut cream, and scoop out 3 tablespoons of the white, thick creamy part. May also substitute plain non-dairy yogurt (soy, almond, or coconut). Or leave it out, I have done this in a pinch and it worked fine.
- I haven’t tested this with gluten free flour, but it would probably work ok. I would use a gluten free mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.
- If you only have regular active yeast, that is fine, you will just need to let the dough rise for longer (1-1 1/2 hours).
This naan is ? My family is loving it, it’s su soft and delicious and I did it without the coconut cream because u didn’t have it. I’ll try again with it and see how we like it, but I’m sure it’ll be just as tasty.
Thanks for sharing Brandi! I’m glad you guys are loving the naan!
Can you substitute white flour for coconut or almond flour, so it is grain free?
Unfortunately, I don’t think it would work with either of those. I’m sure whole wheat, white whole wheat or spelt flour would work quite well, but almond and coconut flour are quite different to work with. I hope this helps!
Great naan breads easy recipe, takes a bit of getting used to dealing with the sticky dough, but thats what make the naan bread so soft. I freeze left overs for another day and they still taste as good. Always use vegan yoghurt instead of coconut cream.
Thanks for recipe
Hi Bill. Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful comments and review. I’m happy you are loving the naan!
These tasted better than un vegan normal nanns that I’v made in the past Really good.
I’m glad you enjoyed the naan, Veronica! Thank you for sharing your comments!
Hi Nora!
If I freeze the dough, is there a certain thawing process I should use? Thank you so much!! Great recipe!
Caroline
I’ve never frozen the dough personally for naan, but I think it would be fine. It’s best to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight until it’s soft enough to work with. Thanks!
Hi Nora, this recipe looks amazing! Was wondering if the naan can be stored after you have made it?
Would like to store them overnight 🙂
Yes, I just wrap them and store at room temperature overnight. They are better the first day, but totally edible the next day. Probably not longer than that though, as they dry out. Thank you!
Hi nora,
Can i make the dough in advance and keep it in the fridge or let it rise untill use?
Thanks!looking forward to try them tonight
Yes, you could make the dough ahead of time, even freeze it if you wanted to. Enjoy!
I was intimidated by this at first, but I decided to try it and I’m so glad I did! My toddler and I make this every Thursday to go with your lentil Dahl recipe. He rolls out the dough, and when it’s cooked he paints on the vegan butter and sprinkles on the parsley. It’s very bonding for us, and it gives him a purpose while we are in the kitchen and a chance to contribute! At dinner time, he always tells his dad, “I made this naan bread for you!” Thank you so much for this lovely addition to our weekly routine. We are making memories in the kitchen!
Hi Lindsay. Your story makes my heart so happy! I’m so glad you and your toddler are making such a beautiful memory. Thank you for taking time to share your review, and I’m glad you love my naan recipe! Thank you for using my recipes!
Simply amazing!! I had never made naan myself before and my yeast was pretty old so I did not expect much, but they turned out sooo fluffy and light and perfect :’) Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!!
Thank you for sharing your review, Sinah! Glad the naan turned out wonderful for you!
It didnt turn out how I thought it would, didnt bubble up when cooking, maybe I made a mistake in the ingredients. BUT was still delicious , tasted like naan and everyone I served it to was impressed.
You might have added too much flour, if the dough is too dry it won’t really bubble. Glad you still enjoyed it though!
Love this recipe, I normally triple it to get more naan bread. Also, makes great naan pizza.
Thank you for sharing your review, and I’m glad you love the naan!
Love this recipe, I normally triple it to get more naan bread.
Amazing! So fluffy and light!
Thank you, Natalie, for sharing your review!
Absolutely wonderful!! Everyone loved it!!
Thank you for sharing Ellie! I’m glad the naan was a hit!
Hi Nora! I love your recipes! Especially this one, easy and delicious! Any tips to help reduce how sticky/wet the dough is? Mine never looks as dry as your pictures!
Hi Alexia! Thanks so much. If your dough is very wet (which can happen based on the humidity where you live, how you measured the flour, etc) simply add a little flour at a time until it’s not super sticky. But don’t add so much that you take away all the stickiness, you actually want a little stickiness for this dough. Then carefully handle the dough pieces, and flour your hands, as well as your counter. If the dough is too dry, your naan will be dry as well. Hope that helps!
Thank you for this recipe. I saw it just in time for tonight Greek bowl dinner. I didn’t have any pitas. You use what you have. Ha
The kids loved it. I realized I need/want a cast iron skillet.
Next up- funetti cake.
Hi Jennifer. Thank you for sharing your review! It sounds like you are having fun, which I love. I’m glad the naan was delicious for you all! Let me know how the cake turns out for you!
YUM!! I used spelt instead of white flour in this recipe and they turned out great! I will be making this again:)
So glad the naan turned out great for you Ellie! Thank you for sharing!
So easy and delicious even my hubby loved them
Thank you for sharing your review, Tracey! Glad you loved the naan.
I did these without the coconut cream, and they were fantastic! Really nice and springy and cooked perfectly whilst bubbling up.
Glad they turned out great for you! Thanks for sharing, Kate!
I will try it tomorrow it sounds good and easy to make
Let me know how it goes for you, Frances!
Hi! Can I use coconut milk instead of cream?
It would probably work fine, yes. I’ve also used cashew yogurt.
This turned out perfect! Delish and looked just like your picture.
Thank you!
I am 10 years old and I love to cook
Hi Julia. How fun! I’m glad you love cooking! It’s so great to find things you love to do! Thank you for sharing, and happy cooking!
This naan is so good we made it twice ????
Thanks Julia! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
IT WAS PERFECT!! ❤️
Thanks Tess!
LOVED THEM! It’s so cool you can make your own naan bread so easily with simple ingredients. The texture is exactly the same as store bought. Im just wondering if it still works the next day. I kept the rest of the dough in the fridge because i was scared they would get too dry if they we’re already cooked. Anyways! Thanks for the recipie !
The naan will still be good the next day, if it lasts that long! I’m glad you loved it, thanks!