This vegan puff pastry from scratch is a flaky, buttery pastry perfect for sweet and savory creations. In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn everything you need to create the ideal pastry that can be used in various baking settings.
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Puff pastry is a classic in the realm of baking, known for its delicate layers and flaky, buttery texture. Our vegan puff pastry recipe offers a delicious alternative to traditional puff pastry. This simple step-by-step process makes achieving that perfect puff pastry feasible for anyone, regardless of their level of baking expertise. This puff pastry has crispy layers and comes out golden brown.
If you love to use puff pastry in your weekly recipes, then this will indeed become a staple in your repertoire. It’s so versatile and can be used for various purposes, both savory and sweet. So, skip the store-bought version and make this homemade recipe for your favorite pastries, danishes, pies, tarts, appetizers, or layered desserts.
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Uses high-quality, wholesome ingredients.
- Vegan and allergy-friendly (no eggs or dairy)
- Superior flavor to store-bought.
- Experiment with different flavors such as herbs, such as herbs, spices, or fillings, to create unique and inventive pastries and dishes.
- Simple step-by-step instructions. Even a novice baker can make this recipe.
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
All-Purpose Flour: Wheat-based all-purpose flour is used as the base for puff pastry.
Vegan Butter: Look for a high-quality vegan butter. These products are formulated to have a similar fat content to dairy butter and are essential for creating flaky layers. I prefer to use Earth’s Balance baking sticks.
Salt: A pinch of salt is often added to enhance the flavor of the pastry.
Ice Cold Water: Cold water is used to help bind the dough together and should be very cold to prevent the vegan butter from melting.
📖 Substitutions
Gluten-Free Flour: If you need to make a gluten-free puff pastry substitute the all-purpose flour for 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
Seasoning and Spices: Feel free to experiment with the flavor of your puff pastry by adding fresh or dried herbs and spices.
🛠 Tools and Equipment
Mixing bowls to combine the ingredients.
Measuring cups and spoons to get precise amounts for each ingredient.
Use a cutting board and knife to cube the butter.
Rolling pin to roll out the dough.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Puff Pastry
- Prepare the Vegan Butter: Ensure your vegan butter is cold from the refrigerator. This is crucial for creating layers in your puff pastry. Cut the vegan butter into small cubes and return them to the fridge while you prepare the dough.
- Mix the Dough: Combine the all-purpose flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Add Butter: Add the cold vegan butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or fingertips to work the butter into the flour until you have a crumbly texture with pea-sized bits of butter.
- Incorporate Ice Water: Add ice-cold water to the flour-butter mixture about ¼ cup at a time. Mix gently with a fork until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overwork the dough; you want it shaggy. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and lightly knead it a few times until it forms a cohesive ball.
- Create the Layers: Roll out the dough into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Fold the bottom third of the dough up, and then fold the top third down as if folding a letter. This creates the first set of layers. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and folding process. This is the second fold.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap the folded dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up again.
- Repeat the Folding: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and repeat the rolling and folding process (two more folds) described in step 4. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
- Final Folding: Perform two more rolling and folding sets for six folds. This creates numerous layers in your puff pastry.
- Shape and Use: After the final fold, your vegan puff pastry is ready to use. Roll it out to the thickness you want for your recipes. Bake according to your recipe’s instructions. Puff pastry can be used for sweet and savory dishes like turnovers, tarts, and strudles.
📝 Expert Tips
- Cold ingredients are crucial for successful puff pastry. Keep your vegan butter, water, and even utensils as cold as possible to prevent the fat from melting prematurely.
- Select a high-quality vegan butter or margarine with a fat content similar to dairy butter. This will ensure the right texture and flavor in your pastry.
- Mix the dough gently and avoid overworking it. Overmixing can develop gluten, leading to a tough pastry.
- Handle the dough as little as possible to prevent the fat from melting into the flour prematurely.
- Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator between folds. This helps relax the gluten and allows the pastry to puff properly.
- Roll the dough evenly to ensure uniform layers. Use a ruler or pastry guide to maintain consistency in thickness.
- Use minimal flour when rolling out the dough to prevent excess dryness.
- Ensure even lamination (the folding of butter and dough layers) by folding precisely and without gaps.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes between each fold. This keeps the fat cold and allows for proper layering.
- When folding the dough, be gentle but firm. Avoid pressing down too hard, which can compress the layers.
- Rotate the pastry during baking to ensure even rising and browning.
- Don’t rush the process. Take your time with each step, as patience is key to achieving the perfect puff pastry.
❓ FAQS
Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is accidentally vegan as it does not include butter. Instead, it uses vegetable oils, including palm, soybean, and hydrogenated cottonseed oil. It also includes other processed ingredients. While it is a simple store-bought option, I highly recommend making your own vegan puff pastry so that you can control the quality of the ingredients you include.
Achieving the perfect puff pastry requires attention to detail and proper technique. Puff pastry dough needs to stay cold until it goes into the oven. If the dough becomes too warm before baking, the butter can melt too quickly, and you won’t get the desired layers. Be gentle when working with puff pastry to prevent compressing the layers. Rolling out the dough too thick can hinder proper puffing. When folding the dough, make sure to follow the instructions carefully. Folding it in thirds and chilling it between folds helps create layers.
🍽 How to Serve
There are so many ways to use vegan puff pastry in your recipes. I primarily use it during the holidays when I make petite appetizers and desserts for large gatherings. Here are a few ideas for using puff pastry in your favorite recipes.
- Turnovers: Create sweet or savory turnovers by filling squares of puff pastry with your choice of ingredients.
- Pinwheels: Roll out the puff pastry and spread a flavorful filling such as vegan pesto, tomato sauce, or vegan cream cheese. Slice the log into rounds and bake to create savory pinwheels perfect for appetizers or snacks.
- Tarts: Puff pastry is a base for sweet and savory tarts. Top the pastry with ingredients like sliced fruits, berries, caramelized onions, roasted vegetables, vegan cheese, or tomato slices. Bake until the pastry is golden, and the toppings are tender.
- Strudel: Make a savory or sweet strudel by filling a sheet of puff pastry with ingredients like apples and cinnamon for a dessert strudel or spinach and vegan feta for a savory version.
🫙 How to Store and Keep
Refrigerate: Store wrapped puff pastry in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze: If you have leftover puff pastry or want to make a large batch later, it will freeze well. Store in an airtight freezer bag or container, separating the sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking. It will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.
😋 More Vegan Baking Recipes!
⚖️ Serving Size
This recipe makes one sheet of puff pastry. Each sheet makes 12 servings.
🎥 Video
Recipe
Vegan Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan butter cold and cut into cubes
- 1 cup ice cold water
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegan Butter: Ensure your vegan butter is cold from the refrigerator. This is crucial for creating layers in your puff pastry. Cut the vegan butter into small cubes and return them to the fridge while you prepare the dough.
- Mix the Dough: Combine the all-purpose flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the cold-cold vegan butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or fingertips to work the butter into the flour until you have a crumbly texture with pea-sized bits of butter.
- Incorporate Ice Water: Add ice-cold water to the flour-butter mixture about ¼ cup at a time. Mix gently with a fork until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overwork the dough; you want it shaggy. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and lightly knead it a few times until it forms a cohesive ball.
- Create the Layers: Roll out the dough into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Fold the bottom third of the dough up, and then fold the top third down as if folding a letter. This creates the first set of layers. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and folding process. This is the second fold.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap the folded dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up again.
- Repeat the Folding: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and repeat the rolling and folding process (two more folds) described in step 4. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
- Final Folding: Perform two more rolling and folding sets for six folds. This creates numerous layers in your puff pastry.
- Shape and Use: After the final fold, your vegan puff pastry is ready to use. Roll it out to the thickness you want for your recipes. Bake according to your recipe's instructions. Puff pastry can be used for sweet and savory dishes like turnovers, tarts, and strudles.
Video
Notes
- Cold ingredients are crucial for successful puff pastry. Keep your vegan butter, water, and even utensils as cold as possible to prevent the fat from melting prematurely.
- Select a high-quality vegan butter or margarine with a fat content similar to dairy butter. This will ensure the right texture and flavor in your pastry.
- Mix the dough gently and avoid overworking it. Overmixing can develop gluten, leading to a tough pastry.
- Handle the dough as little as possible to prevent the fat from melting into the flour prematurely.
- Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator between folds. This helps relax the gluten and allows the pastry to puff properly.
- Roll the dough evenly to ensure uniform layers. Use a ruler or pastry guide to maintain consistency in thickness.
- Use minimal flour when rolling out the dough to prevent excess dryness.
- Ensure even lamination (the folding of butter and dough layers) by folding precisely and without gaps.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes between each fold. This keeps the fat cold and allows for proper layering.
- When folding the dough, be gentle but firm. Avoid pressing down too hard, which can compress the layers.
- Rotate the pastry during baking to ensure even rising and browning.
- Don’t rush the process. Take your time with each step, as patience is key to achieving the perfect puff pastry.
- Puff pastry will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and 2-3 months in the freezer.
TAYLER ROSS
This pastry was so flaky and delicious! The perfect pastry to make croissants with- they turned out perfectly!
Toni
This turned out really perfect! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I’m always a bit nervous making dough from scratch, so this recipe is perfect. Lots of easy to follow steps and delicious puff pastry at the end.
Anjali
This pastry dough turned out perfectly!! It was flaky and light, and no one could tell it was vegan. We used it to make apple turnovers and they were delicious!