This vegan naan is soft, fluffy and so flavorful. It’s also so easy to make and the perfect accompaniment to a delicious curry.
I am honestly thrilled about this vegan naan recipe because it is sooo easy.
We love a good vegan curry and when you have a good curry, well, a delicious naan is the perfect companion.
And when it’s this easy to make it yourself, there’s no reason not to.
That being said, it’s not super quick to make these, but it is super easy and really worth it.
Naan is an Indian style flatbread that is usually baked in Tandoor ovens in India. But a homemade version can be done in a hot frying pan or skillet on the stovetop too, and it’s really, really good.
And there’s nothing like the pride you get from making things yourself from scratch.
To make these vegan naan you simply mix up the dough, let it rise for 30 minutes, cut it into 8 pieces and then roll each piece out and fry it up with a tiny bit of oil in a hot pan. It only takes 2-3 minutes for the vegan naan bread to brown nicely on both sides, so the cooking part only takes around 20 minutes.
So all in all, you can have hot and delicious freshly made vegan naan within an hour (or a little over an hour) if you start right now! Serve it alongside a vegan potato curry (pictured at the bottom of the page) or a vegan korma.
And if you love super easy bread recipes then you’ll also love our vegan focaccia and vegan tortillas.
How To Make Vegan Naan
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add all purpose flour, instant yeast (rapid rise yeast) and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together.
- Mix maple syrup with warm water and pour it over the dry ingredients. Stir it in with a spoon. Flour your hands and a work surface and get in there with your hands, kneading the dough about 20 times so that it forms into a nice big ball. The dough will be quite soft.
- Place the ball of dough into an oiled dish and turn it over a couple of times so that the dough is lightly coated in the oil, then cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to rise on the countertop for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes bring out the ball of dough and place it onto a parchment lined board. Alternatively use a floured baking mat.
- Cut the dough into 8 roughly even sized pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a roughly oval shape and then fry it in a very hot pan with a teeny tiny bit of oil.
- Allow to cook until nicely browned on each side (if the pan is hot enough, it should only be 2-3 minutes before it’s perfectly done both sides).
Garlic Naan or Butter Naan
I went with the easiest version of this recipe that I could, I didn’t want to add any bells and whistles because it’s not really necessary.
However, you can definitely fancy up these naan breads by adding crushed garlic or cilantro or even turn them into butter naans.
Garlic naan. If you would like to make garlic naan, then once you’ve rolled out your naan bread, dip your finger in water and lightly dab the water onto the surface of the naan bread, add crushed garlic and press it in, it will stick because of the dampness of the dough from the water. Then fry it as usual.
Butter naan. If you want to make a butter naan, then melt some vegan butter and brush it onto the naan bread during cooking or just after it’s finished cooking. A sprinkle of sea salt on top of the vegan butter is also delicious to add.
Storing Tips
These vegan naan are best served fresh. However, if you have leftovers, store them at room temperature where they will stay good for up to 2 days.
They’re easy to reheat, you can microwave them or warm them in the oven until heated through.
Serve This Vegan Naan Alongside These Recipes
- Vegan Butter Chicken
- Vegan Tikka Masala
- Vegan Korma
- Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Vegan Potato Curry
- Vegan Chana Masala
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Naan
Ingredients
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour (375g)
- 2 teaspoons Instant Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Warm Water (270ml) must be warm and not hot
- 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
- Olive oil for oiling the dish and for frying
Instructions
- Add the flour, yeast and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add the maple syrup to the warm water and mix them together. Pour it over the dry ingredients and stir in with a spoon.
- Flour your hands and a work surface and get in there with your hands, kneading the dough about 20 times so that it forms into a nice big ball. The dough will be quite soft.
- Place the ball of dough into an oiled dish and turn it over a couple of times so that the dough is lightly coated in the oil, then cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to rise on the countertop for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes bring out the ball of dough and place it onto a parchment lined board. Alternatively use a floured baking mat. Cut the dough into 8 roughly even sized pieces.
- Heat up a non-stick frying pan with a tiny bit of olive oil – it really must be a very small amount, like a half a teaspoon (*see notes).
- Roll out the first naan into roughly an oval sort of shape and place into the hot frying pan. Allow to cook until nicely browned on each side (if the pan is hot enough, it should only be 2-3 minutes before it's perfectly done both sides).
- Repeat for the rest of the naan.
- Add more oil as needed if your pan starts to look too dry, but use only a small amount at a time.
- If you would like to make garlic naan, then once you've rolled out your naan, dip your finger in water and lightly dab the water onto the surface of the naan, add crushed garlic and press it in, it will stick because of the dampness of the dough from the water. Then fry it as usual.
- If you want to make a butter naan, then melt vegan butter and brush it onto the naan during cooking and just after it's finished cooking. A sprinkle of sea salt on top of the vegan butter is also delicious to add.
Video
Notes
- The reason for only using a tiny bit of olive oil when frying is so that your naan doesn’t end up oily, as it tends to soak up the oil. However if you like them like that then go ahead and use more.
- These vegan naan are best served fresh. However, if you have leftovers, store them at room temperature where they will stay good for up to 2 days.
- Prep time includes the time spent rising.
PERFECT!!!!
Thanks Flo!
First time making naan. Your recipe was so easy to follow and delicious.Thank you. 5 stars!!!!
Thanks so much Anthony!
I tried this recipe a couple days ago, and it is one of the best naan recipe I’ve ever used! I have been a baker for years, but I only recently began eating vegan. It was delicious and had no technical fails! I have used many vegan recipes that are lacking or just don’t live up to their non-vegan counterparts; but this recipe was not one of them!
So happy to hear that Haley! Thanks a million!
So easy to make I used honey instead of maple syrup, miso paste instead of salt and whole wheat flour. It turned out so tasty. My granddaughter and I just love it.
Awesome! So happy to hear that! Thanks Paul.
Another fantastic recipe. I used whole wheat bakers flour and omitted the syrup and it still turned out great! Thanks again for another simple, easy to follow, delicious recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks Yalini!
I reduced the recipe to one cup of flour and make too fluffy Naans. They were delicious. I put crushed garlic on mine. I thought they would stick to the pan but they didn’t at all. It was my first time of making them and they were better than the Indian restaurant! ????
Awesome! Thanks so much Ali!
Hi Alison another great recipe thank you, its so easy to make and tastes great. I tend to make a batch of plain and add garlic to the next batch even my grandchildren love it. Well done
I have made this recipe a zillion times and we LOVE it.
Would you have any idea if I could use this dough for the wrapper of a vegan hot dog to make “pigs” in the blanket? Seems like it would work, but hate to make the dough, wraps the dogs and have an epic fail/waste food.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
So happy you love the recipe! Thanks so much Anne! Honestly I have NO idea of its suitability or not for that purpose though, I have never made vegan pigs in the blanket so I have no help to offer there. All the best with it though! 🙂
Hi! I really want to try this, but I don’t have any maple syrup. Can I use something else or leave it out entirely?
Any syrup would do!
Very easy and tasty!
Thanks Fran!
Do you think i can replace the flour with almond, coconut or flax seed flour? I tend to avoid carb.
Hi Ana, I don’t think that will work in this recipe.
Amazing!! But question – Do you think this could be used for pizza dough if you didn’t break it apart? I LOVE how it tastes and if I don’t have to recreate the wheel 🙂
Yes I do think so! 🙂
At which point do you reckon you could keep some for later? Could I keep half the ready dough in the fridge for a couple of days?
Sure, that should be fine!
Simple and delicious. This is my go to recipe now after trying four other naan recipes.
Thanks so much April!
Hello! Would this recipe still work if it was halved?
It should do!
It does! I just halved it and it worked like a treat – lovely recipe, once again <3
Awesome! 🙂