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.
This has become my go to naan recipe. I’ve made it as the base of my recipe and added pepper flakes, garlic, basil and oregano. My brother tasted it and was hooked from the get go. Thanks for making this so easy!
Awesome! Thanks so much Ronnie!
Very easy to make and great taste!
Awesome, thanks Mary!
This is my go-to recipe. I have made it a dozen times. I’d like to start doubling the recipe, should I change the rise time? Also, any recommendations if I want to substitute with whole wheat flour?
Hi Jennifer, I think the times would stay the same. I haven’t made it with whole wheat flour but I think it would work just fine! 🙂
Best and easiest naan recipe ever! I added minced garlic and some Italian seasoning the second time around and used it for our pizza. Yum! Thanks!
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing Rhonda!
Loved the recipe!! Also made the garlic naan. This recipe is not only vegan but super simple and yields restaurant style naan. Thank you very much!
Thanks so much Nila!
I make this almost every time I make a curry or dhal etc. It’s so easy and delicious!
Awesome! Thanks so much Krista!
The title of the recipe is spot on! Simple, soft, fluffy! My whole family LOVED it and were impressed I made it myself. I will never use store bought naan again when it’s this easy to make a much more delicious naan! Thanks so much for another great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks so much Kelly!
The perfect naan to eat with my daal. Thank you for this recipe, Alison. It is delicious and incredibly easy to make.
Fantastic recipe, brilliantly explained. I’m thinking of making these this evening to go along with a curry. Do you know if once they have been made, if the naan bread is able to be frozen?
Thank you,
Sarah
Thanks Sarah! yes, I think it would be fine to freeze them once made. Thaw in the fridge and then reheat however you like.
I freeze the dough before I cook it, then just thaw it out and finish it off when I want to eat it. It doesn’t take long to thaw out if you pack it in small freezer bags in individual portions.
Everyone was very sceptical when I told them I was making naan bread. But I proved them all wrong????
Thanks for this recipe!
Awesome!
Hi Alison,
Is there a way to make the dough ahead of time? How should I store it? I made the dough and am letting it sit, but don’t want to cook them until this evening (in 3hrs).
Can’t wait to eat them!
If it’s just a few hours I would probably just leave it on the counter. I’m not sure about storing it for any longer than that.
You can make ahead and put it in a bowl with wrap over the top. Let it come back to room temp before carrying on with the recipe. You can also freeze the dough, thaw and let come back up to room temp before continuing with recipe
This recipe was really good and very simple to make. will be my go-to naan recipe
Thanks Aminata!
Can this be made with active (not instant) yeast? How would you do that? That’s what I have on hand.
Hi Raiana, I believe it can but I haven’t made it that way so I can’t advise on how it might change the process.
I made this so many times, and it’s never failed me! Would it be possible with whole wheat flour? Are there any adjustments I should make?
So happy to hear that! I think it would work with whole wheat flour though the texture would be a little different! Let us know how it goes if you try it that way. 🙂
Super easy and delicious. I forgot the maple syrup but I didn’t miss it. Will make again, for sure. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for the wonderful review!