Vegan Burger Buns (2024)

These homemade, fluffy, and entirely Vegan Burger Buns will elevate your burger game to a new level.

Baking vegan burger buns is a rewarding and delicious endeavor. You will have complete control over the ingredients and experience the satisfaction of biting into a soft, perfectly baked bun!

Made with bread flour (a strong flour for bread baking) and 100% whole wheat flour for fiber, these delicious buns contain a bit more protein and fiber than those made with all-purpose flour. However, these buns are delicious with all-purpose flour as well!

This recipe was inspired by Peter Reinhart's recipes for white bread (with three variations) in The Bread Baker's Apprentice. Rather than use dairy powdered milk, egg, and butter, I used coconut milk powder, skipped the egg, and substituted vegan butter.

These vegan hamburger buns are perfect with veggie burgers for your next BBQ or cookout. These buns taste so much better than those found at grocery stores!

These fluffy homemade vegan burger buns pair well with Vegan Horseradish Aioli and vegan burgers like these Black Bean Lentil Burgers. Also, take a look at my Homemade Vegan Pretzel Bites!

Ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these soft and fluffy vegan hamburger buns made without any animal products or dairy products:

I recommend organic flour whenever you can buy it and afford it.

• Bread flour - this flour is perfect for making buns with a firm crumb for buns that don't fall apart in your hands. The extra protein helps create a loftier dough that won't collapse.

Bread flour is a strong flour and contains more protein than all-purpose flour and leads to stronger gluten formation. It is different from all-purpose, although they are often confused with each other. It's perfect for making bread and general home baking; I use it with all my bread baking. I always use quality organic, high-protein bread flour (not sponsored).

Bread flour gives these buns a good chew while retaining fluffiness. If you prefer a really soft and fluffy type of bun, try organic all-purpose flour in this recipe.

• Whole wheat flour - to add fiber and nutrients, and I love the taste.
• Coconut milk powder - this is optional. It does not make the buns taste like coconut. I added it to enrich the dough in place of traditional milk powder.
• Sea salt - this is essential for flavor!
• Maple syrup - to sweeten and help provide a happy home for the yeast to flourish.
• Extra virgin olive oil - this is necessary for texture.
• Active dry yeast - this is essential for the yeast dough. It needs to be fresh; check the expiry date.
• Pretzel salt to sprinkle on the burger buns before baking.
• Avocado oil spray or grapeseed oil spray for the bowl and the tops of the buns.

See the recipe card for the quantities.

Variations

• Pretzel salt - top with sesame seeds or poppy seeds instead.
• Hot dog buns - this is a great recipe for making hot dog buns. Roll the dough balls into lengths about 4 ½" long. Flatten slightly for gently rounded tops.

How to make Vegan Burger Buns

This easy recipe makes a dozen burger buns, just the right size for my black bean lentil burgers. These buns are a little smaller than the ones found at grocery stores. If you prefer, you can make larger buns; make eight buns instead of twelve.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to make these vegan burger buns:

Mix the ingredients and knead

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2. Make a well in the middle of the bowl. Add the liquid ingredients. Start with 1 ½ cups of water and increase if needed to make the dough come together.

3. Mix with a dough whisk until it combines into a shaggy mixture.

4. Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes; shape it into a ball, and place the ball of dough in a clean and lightly oiled large bowl.

Note: Take care not to over-knead the dough, especially if you are using bread flour; the higher protein content increases the amount of gluten which can contribute to a tougher bun if it's overworked.

You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough. I like to use my hands; I find it therapeutic and the time goes by quickly. Need a refresher on kneading dough? Refer to this video.

Hint: If the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour, two tablespoons at a time.

First rise

Next, it's time to let the dough rest for the first rise.

5. Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place the bowl in a warm area to rise until the dough has doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.

6. Punch the dough down and fold it over on a clean surface. Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces (approximately 93 g each) with a bench scraper. Shape the pieces of dough into balls.

Hint: Shape the dough pieces into tight rounds by cupping your hand on top and quickly moving the dough ball in a circular motion.

Second rise and bake

Next, you will let the dough rise for a second time.

• I like a high dome on the burger buns, so I don't flatten them. If you prefer a more gently rounded shape, slightly flatten them before the second rise.

• If you want a buttery crust, carefully brush a couple of tablespoons of melted vegan butter on top of the buns before putting them in the oven and after they come out.

7. Divide the dough balls between two lined baking sheets. Lightly spray the tops with oil. Cover the balls with a clean kitchen towel while they rise in a warm place. Preheat the oven and sprinkle pretzel salt on the buns before baking.

8. Bake until golden on top; remove the buns from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then transfer them to the cooling rack to cool completely before slicing to make vegan burgers/sandwiches.

About Vegan Egg Wash

I do not put a vegan egg wash on the buns before baking; it can deflate the tops of the buns and the buns turn golden in the oven anyway.

I have found that adding a mixture of maple syrup and dairy-free milk makes them slightly sweet and sticky, which is not something I want with burger buns.

Adding aquafaba on top of the buns makes no difference in terms of color and shine, as far as I can tell.

Pretzel salt does it for me as a topping before baking! Maybe you prefer sesame seeds or poppy seeds. They settle on top of the buns just fine without a vegan egg wash since there's a small amount of oil on top.

I don't need anything extra brushed on top for shine or to make the buns look more golden. However, if you do, please refer to my tips above regarding melted butter under Second Rise and Bake.

Storage

• For best results, do not store these buns at room temperature or in the refrigerator since they will dry out in the fridge, and they may mold at room temperature.
• Freeze leftover buns immediately in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. You don't need to wrap them first if you're going to have them again within a few days. Line them side by side and place them lying flat in the freezer. Easy peasy!
• To freeze for up to 3 months, wrap each bun individually in freezer-safe plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and place in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Otherwise, they might dry out in the freezer.
• When you're ready to enjoy them again, take out the buns you need an hour ahead of time, and place them in a small ziplock bag as they defrost. This keeps them dry and keeps them from drying out.

Recipe