For as much Indian food as we eat in our home (takeout and homemade), it was about time I knew how to make a good vegan naan. I’ve been working on this recipe for a while now, and it’s finally ready to be released into the world!
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to throw together. Let’s do this!
Origins of Naan
Naan is believed to date as far back as 1300 AD when it was mentioned in the notes of an Indo-Persian poet. Then, around 1526 it became popular among royals of the Mughal era in India. Because naan contained yeast (which was very expensive), it was reserved for royalty. (source)
How much times can change! Once yeast became more readily available, naan’s popularity spread throughout India and to other parts of the world.
Our version strays a bit from traditional, but is inspired by the concept and texture. You can find an authentic recipe here.
How to Make Vegan Naan
This recipe is simple, requiring just 7 basic ingredients you likely have on hand right now. And the method is easier than baking a loaf of bread. There’s hardly any kneading; just mix, rise, roll, and cook on the stovetop.
You’re so close to having fresh naan at your fingertips. Can you feel it?
This recipe is plant-based but not gluten-free. I tested many gluten-free versions but couldn’t get them to where I wanted. But, if you give this recipe a try with gluten-free flours, let me know how it goes in the comments!
I hope you all LOVE this naan. It’s:
Tender
Fluffy
Flavorful
Easy to make
& So delicious
This would make the perfect snack or side to dishes like my Spicy Red Lentil Curry, Lentil Dal, Sweet Potato Kale Curry, or Chana Masala. I could also see this working well as a wrap with crispy chickpeas or as flatbread for a quick pizza. And I wouldn’t judge you if you just slathered it in peanut butter and jelly and went to town (Minimalist Baker approved).
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag any photos #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you came up with. Cheers, friends!
Easy Vegan Naan
Ingredients
NAAN
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp active yeast (if using fast acting, cut rise time in half)
- 1 tsp organic cane sugar
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (sub up to 1/2 with spelt or see notes* for whole-grain blend)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
- 3 Tbsp plain dairy-free yogurt (coconut is best – I like COYO brand best or So Delicious)
- 2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
FOR SERVING optional
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter or coconut oil (melted)
- Sea salt
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Measure out warm water (3/4 cup as original recipe is written // ~110 degrees F or 43 C to properly activate yeast) and add yeast and sugar. Stir and set aside until frothy and foamy – about 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, add flour(s), salt, and baking powder to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Once the yeast mixture is foaming, add the vegan yogurt and oil* and stir to combine. Add to dry ingredients and use a fork to mix – the dough will be sticky.
- Turn onto a floured surface and add just enough flour to gently knead for 5 turns and form into a loose ball. Place back in mixing bowl and rub with a bit more oil and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place for at least 2 hours (up to 4 hours). (I like setting it in a sunny spot in the kitchen or in the laundry room.)
- Remove dough from bowl and turn onto a floured surface. Knead for 30 seconds (adding additional flour if sticky). Then divide into 6 even pieces with hands or a knife.
- Lightly knead each ball until it forms a loose ball (15 seconds) and set on a clean surface. Repeat until all dough is formed into balls. Then cover with plastic wrap again and let rest for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare any garnishes for topping (i.e. melted vegan butter or coconut oil, sea salt, minced garlic, or cilantro).
- Once the dough has rested, begin heating a cast-iron pan (not non-stick) over medium heat. Take a piece of dough and lay it on a floured surface. Then roll out into an oval or circle with a rolling pin. Carefully flip over and pat the dough with a bit of water so it doesn’t stick to the pan. At this time, press the garlic and cilantro onto one side so it sticks. Then place the wet-side down on the hot pan.
- Cook for 1 minute or until the edges of the dough look dry and it’s beginning to bubble. Then flip the dough with a spatula and cook until the underside is dark brown. If using a gas range, you can put the naan directly over the flame when cooking the second side, but be careful, as it goes fast and the naan can burn much more easily.
- Repeat until all naan is cooked. Then brush with melted vegan butter or coconut oil and sprinkle with cilantro, garlic, and sea salt (optional). Serve immediately.
- Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for about 2 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
Video
Notes
*If omitting oil, sub additional vegan yogurt. I haven’t tested it this way but think this would be the best way to keep it oil-free.
*Recipe loosely adapted from Food Network.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Kate says
This recipe is amazing. I love you MB! This was so easy for how great it turned out. I used all whole wheat pastry flour and it was still so pillowy and light. I never knew making naan could be so easy!! Will definitely do this again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kate. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Amanda says
I’ve made this several times and it is delicious! When I used 2 cups of flour as the recipe said, the dough ended up way to sticky for me to knead, I ended up adding about 1/2-3/4 cup of flour before I could knead the dough without it sticking too much.
Thanks for sharing your experience and modifications, Amanda!
Ron says
The amounts in the recipe aren’t good when making a double batch (12 Naan). The dough is way too sticky and I had to add another whole cup of flour to be able to turn it.
Sorry to hear that, Ron! Did you use 1 1/2 cups water in step 1?
erica says
what does one use if we lack a cast-iron pan?
Hi Erica, a cast iron pan produces the best result, but non-stick would be the next best option.
menka says
These are super easy to make and very addictive. Right now I’m trying to stop myself from finishing tomorrow’s naans.
We’re so glad you’re enjoying them, Menka. Thank you for sharing! xo
Ashley says
Thinking of making for a work event. Do you think I could do an overnight rise in frig and then cook the next morning?
Hi Ashley, we haven’t tried that but we think it might work. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
melissa says
I set out to learn a new bread recipe this weekend and chose this one. So glad I did! I was happy to see that you mentioned using instant yeast and cutting the rise time. I did just that and everything was perfect. Didn’t make any other adjustments. This recipe is a keeper!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Melissa! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Jessica Thomas says
I make this recipe almost weekly! Delicious and easy! I typically use fast acting yeast and it turns out great.
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Jessica. Thank you for sharing! xo
Fran says
Yuuuuumo best naan recipe Eva. I made it with organic Rye flour because that’s all I have and I absolutely love it. This recipe is going into my personal favourite recipe book thanks
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Fran. Thank you for sharing! xo
Dana says
I accidentally threw the garlic into the doigh instead of pressing it in. I also used a vanilla soy yogurt and it came out fine 😅 great recipe. A tip for people rolling this out, roll from the edges in or it gets too thin in the middle. You might have mentioned that and I didn’t see, but yeah
Amazing! Thank you for sharing your experience, Dana!
Sabrina says
This naan bread was so tasty and fluffy, I loved it. Very easy to make too. I added garlic and sea salt to mine.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Sabrina! xo
Dena says
This recipe was all you said it was “Tender, Fluffy, Flavorful, Easy to make
& So delicious.”
The recipe was easy to follow and worked up perfectly! I felt like a cooking machine when I set everything out and prepared to cook. The texture is lovely and the taste…..fantastic! They cooked up perfectly! I’ll post a photo on FB. I kept it simple and just added the butter at the end so I could taste the actual naan. I ate it all by it’s self but, will enjoy it with other foods too! Best naan I’ve made so far.
Thank you so much!!!!
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Dena, so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Marcella says
Made this to go with your sweet potato cauliflower curry. Both components of the meal were excellent! To the naan, I added garlic and green onions. Delicious!
Yay! Love that combo! Thank you for sharing, Marcella! xo
Adam says
I literally make this at least once a month or more! Tip that works if no vegan yogurt… I used 3 TBSP soy milk mixed with about 1 tsp lemon juice (to mimic buttermilk)… a keeper recipe for sure.
Thanks so much for the wonderful review and for sharing your modifications, Adam! So glad you enjoy this recipe!
SARAH KOLOMS says
I made this tonight to go with a cauliflower tiki masala. It’s an easy recipe and turned out delicious! I made it both plain and with sauteed onions pushed into the dough….both were yummy! Thanks so much for such a great recipe!!
Yum! Thanks so much for the wonderful review and for sharing your modifications, Sarah!
Robert Labensart says
Love your recipes!!!
Aw, thanks so much, Robert!
Joan says
Can you use whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose? I saw that you recommended spelt and oat but I don’t have any of that.
Hi Joan, While we haven’t tried it with whole wheat, others in the comments have with success! Take a scan through for tips :D If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words in the post and comments.
Alisa says
Delicious, light and fluffy. We used 1/2 tsp powdered sugar as we had no cane sugar and substituted a vegan sour cream for the yogurt.
Nice! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Alisa!
Lily says
I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to make this recipe versus somehting else I found online. I’m so glad I did! This was incredible! For anyone wondering this reicpe works wonderfully with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour! So chewy and stretchy! This was requested by the whole family to go into our meal rotation. Thank you so much!
Yay! We’re so glad it was as hit with the whole family! Thank you for sharing your experience, Lily! xo
Katie H says
I made this on the fly, and they came out beautifully! I didn’t have vegan yogurt, but I had Forager vegan sour cream and used that instead. I also didn’t have time to let it rise 2 hours, but they still turned out SO good. They puffed up really well and the flavor was nice. This will definitely be a go-to recipe!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Katie!
Talia Bessler says
Do you think I could use oat-based yoghurt for this recipe?
Talia Bessler says
I don’t like the taste of coconut.
That should work! Hope you love it!
Guy says
Awesome naan. I didn’t have coconut yogurt so I used coconut milk from a can. I left them for about two and a half hours and it was worth it. Thank you for these great simple recipes.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed. Thanks so much for the review!
Andie Todd says
Do you have any suggested adjustments when attempting to make this recipe at high altitudes? Thank you so much in advance for your help and time with my question – my whole family absolutely LOVES your recipes and I recommend you to everyone who is seeking out healthy, delicious food!
Aw, we LOVE to hear that, Andie! Thank you for sharing! We don’t have experience cooking/baking at altitude, so unfortunately don’t have any advice there!
Bikerchick says
Fantastic recipe, light, fluffy delicious naans 🫓 Next time I make them I will halve the salt, but otherwise 10/10! 🤤
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing! xo
ellie brady says
Are you supposed to put minced garlic into the dough? It’s listed under the dough ingredients but I don’t see it listed in the steps when making the dough. Thanks!
Hi Ellie, we like adding it in the dough and on top, but in the dough is optional. Hope that helps!
Kristen says
I made a double batch of these last night and they were delicious. I haven’t been able to eat naan since going vegan so I was so happy to find this recipe.
I made the dough the night before last and per another commenter’s recommendation I wrapped the individual balls in oiled plastic instead of letting them rest and popped them in the fridge. I must have poorly wrapped them bc they all expanded and exploded out of their wraps but they still rolled out (needed a ton of extra flour) and cooked fine. I did have a very hard time with them sticking to the pan though even with the water being patted on.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Kristen! If making them in advance, you could try freezing the dough (or cooked naan) instead. Hope that helps!
Becky J says
Delicious!! I did have issues with the naan sticking to the pan, even when I put water on the dough as instructed. I ended up using a little olive oil in the pan and cooked the naan 1 minute on each side…perfection!
Great! We’re so glad that worked! Thank you for sharing, Becky!
Wendy Welch says
Delicious!!! I love the naan bread dipped in a Lebanese zaatar/ olive oil mixture. So simple and delicious!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Wendy! And yum – love that dip too. Thank you for sharing! xo
R Pep says
LOVE this recipe. I was hoping to try it using 100% Whole Wheat Flour as a sub for the All Purpose Flour. If I don’t do the wheat blend you recommend in the notes, do you think this will still work ok? THANK YOU!
SO glad to hear it! Thank you for the lovely review! While we haven’t tried it with whole wheat, others in the comments have with success! Take a scan through for tips :D If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words in the post and comments.
Eva Brenner says
Yummy!!! I doubled the recipe because I knew my BF would eat so much of this. It was incredible and I’ve made it a few times already. I subbed half wholewheat flour and instead of yogurt added soymilk and lemon juice. Also omitted oil. Sooooo good, thank you!!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Eva! Thank you for sharing! xo
Charlie says
How much soy milk and lemon juice did you use to sub out the yogurt?
Nadi says
Hi, How much milk and lemon did you use to substitute the yogurt? Thanks