Learn how to make amazing vegan naan, a dairy-free version of the popular Indian bread, and top it with a scrumptious vegan garlic herb butter. With this super simple recipe that needs just five ingredients you will be flipping puffy, soft, restaurant-quality naan in no time at all!
There is no gastronomic experience as wondrous as tearing into a just-made naan, fingers stained with the butter that oozes from it, and stuffing it into your eager mouth.
This soft, fluffy flatbread, typically baked in an Indian clay oven called a tandoor, is smoky, aromatic and uniquely delicious, and it makes for divine eats when dunked into spicy Indian dals and curries.
Naan is my favorite flatbread and I've shared with you so many vegan naan recipes over the years, including a fantastic easy vegan grilled naan, which, just like it sounds, is great for throwing on the summer grill; a vegan whole wheat naan for the healthier among us; and a vegan gluten-free naan.
The vegan naan bread recipe I have today is also one that has lived on this blog for years now, and it has nearly 50 five-star reviews from readers who love it and make it over and over, as do I. I have made just a few small tweaks to the recipe to make this naan even softer, flakier and puffier, and added new photos here.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this vegan naan recipe
- Tastes amazing. You will fall in love with how pillowy, soft and delicious this vegan naan is. It doesn't have all those preservatives that store-bought bread does. Plus, you made it, and that's something to celebrate! The garlic butter adds even more yumminess.
- Simple recipe. Like with so many Indian recipes, making a naan can sound forbidding and difficult, but as I am here to show you, it really is not. Follow my pro tips here and you will be making amazing naan that you will be proud to serve and eat!
- No special equipment needed. All you need to make a great naan is your hands -- you don't even need a rolling pin. A naan is traditionally made in a traditional clay tandoor oven but we can achieve great results with just a screaming-hot griddle.
- Few ingredients. Like most breads, this vegan naan requires just a few ingredients that you likely already have on hand.
- Easy recipe. The recipe is straightforward and simple to follow.
Ingredients
For the vegan naan
- All purpose flour. Follow these recipes if you are looking for a whole-wheat naan made with all whole wheat flour, or a gluten-free naan.
- Active dry yeast. Instant yeast is a perfectly fine substitution.
- Sugar. You just need a teaspoon and it feeds the yeast.
- Vegan yogurt. I use my homemade vegan cashew yogurt, which is cultured and probiotic and is the perfect replacement for dairy yogurt in naan. You can use any unsweetened non-dairy yogurt of choice.
- Vegetable oil. Use any neutral oil, including avocado oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil and safflower oil. Olive oil is not preferred but acceptable. Do not use coconut oil.
- Salt
For the vegan garlic butter topping
- Garlic. I use about six large cloves. Use more for an even more garlicky naan.
- Cilantro. You can substitute the cilantro with mint, if you wish.
- Vegan butter
Pro tips for shaping naan
The first lesson here is, there's no wrong way to shape a naan. The typical restaurant naan is a rough teardrop shape and you can shape it that way, or you can go free-form. A naan can have some thick spots and some thin, which only adds more dimension to its chewy, flaky texture. Once your naan is baked up and covered with the herby butter garlic mixture it will look beautiful and incredibly appetizing, no matter how you shaped it.
- With a rolling pin: Use a rolling pin to shape the naan into an oval shape. Then pull one end slightly to form a teardrop shape.
- With your fingers: This is similar to the technique you'd use with a pizza dough. Pat the dough into a four-inch disc with your fingers, then lift it by the edges and let the weight of the dough and gravity elongate the dough. Move your fingers around the edges, which will shape the naan as you go. If there is a tear, patch it up by pressing the dough together. Stop once the naan is approximately five inches wide and seven inches long. This is my favorite way to form a naan because it creates the most fun shapes!
- With water. One more way to shape naan is to place the dough on a flat surface and push into it with finger tips that have been dipped in a glass of water. Apply pressure with the wet fingertips to shape the dough, moving your fingers outward quickly until you get the shape you desire.
How to make vegan naan
Place yeast in a large bowl with 1 cup water and sugar. Let stand five minutes until the yeast dissolves and bubbles.
Add the yogurt and oil to the bowl followed by the flour and salt.
Mix with a wooden spoon or your hand until a rough dough comes together. You may need to drizzle between ¼ to ½ cup more water. Use warm water. The dough should be a bit wet and should stick slightly to your hands. You can also mix the dough in a stand mixer.
Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead just slightly until it's fairly smooth but still tacky. Coat the bowl with oil and place the ball of dough in it, covering the top with a bit of oil as well. Cover tightly and set aside to rise, about an hour.
After an hour the dough should have doubled. Remove it to an unfloured surface and cut into eight slices, like you would a pizza.
Form each slice into a ball by tucking the sides under and then rolling the dough between your palms. Cover the balls of dough with a kitchen towel and let them stand 20 minutes.
While the dough is resting, make the vegan garlic herb butter by placing all ingredients in a small skillet. Turn heat to low.
Once the butter has melted, let it continue to cook for 15 more minutes so the raw garlic smell dissipates. Stir occasionally.
To form the naan, take one ball of dough. Shape it with a rolling pin into a rough teardrop shape.
You can skip the rolling pin and shape the naan simply by pressing it into a four-inch disc first with your fingers, then lifting it by the edges and letting the weight of the dough and gravity pull it down. Move your fingers along the edges until the naan is roughly six inches by eight inches. It is okay if it has some thick spots and some thin.
Heat a cast-iron griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Place the naan on the hot griddle. It should begin to puff up and form large bubbles immediately.
Flip the naan just once. Let it cook for another 45 seconds to a minute or until char spots appear on the bottom. Brush some of the garlic herb butter (or just some plain melted butter) on the naan and remove to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Wrap the naan until ready to serve.
Serving suggestions
Naan is best eaten by tearing off pieces of the soft, hot bread and dunking it into a spicy curry. Because a naan is a north Indian bread, it pairs beautifully with any spicy north Indian curry or dal. Here are some ideas for saucy, Indian dishes and curries to serve with naan:
More helpful tips
- Use fresh yeast. A naan, unlike most Indian flatbreads, is a leavened bread, with added yeast giving it that puffy, glorious texture. Let the dry yeast "bloom" for five minutes warm water with some sugar added to wake up the yeast and feed them. If your yeast doesn't become frothy after five or 10 minutes, the yeast is likely dead. (Pro tip: store yeast in an airtight container in the freezer for maximum shelf life.)
- Use warm water to knead the dough. This helps the yeast stay awake and active.
- Don't over-knead the naan dough. That's right. A naan dough requires a minimal amount of kneading. Once the dough comes together just turn it out on a floured surface and quickly knead it for a minute or two until it comes together in a smooth ball. That's it. The naan dough should be slightly tacky, leaving light traces of dough on your fingers.
- Let the dough rest before shaping. Once the dough has risen and has been shaped into individual balls, let them stand for 20 minutes at least so they have a chance to rest and relax. This will make it much, much easier to shape them.
- Don't sweat the shape. A naan is a rustic bread. A roti has to be perfectly round and even, and a paratha needs a special shaping technique. But a naan is a bread anyone can form, even a kid. See more on this in the section on "shaping the naan" below.
- Use a cast iron griddle. Because we cook the naan on the stovetop and not a tandoor oven, where temperatures can go upwards of 800 degrees Fahrenheit, we need something that will get screaming hot and give us a nice char. A cast iron griddle or skillet is perfect for the job. You can also use a cast iron grill pan. If you have neither use a non-stick skillet.
- Control the temperature. If you find that the naans are browning too fast, sprinkle a bit of water on the skillet to bring down the temperature.
- Use the garlic herb butter. The butter adds amazing flavor, but if you don't want to make it, use just plain melted butter to brush on the naan as it comes off the griddle.
- Wrap naans in kitchen towel to keep them soft and fresh. And serve the naan as soon as possible after making for the best flavor and texture.
Recipe FAQs
To make the naan without vegan yogurt, use ½ cup non-dairy milk mixed with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Any milk is fine, including almond milk, oat milk, soy milk and coconut milk.
No, place the naan directly in the dry but very hot skillet. You can brush on the vegan butter after the naan has baked/roasted.
You can use a non-stick skillet but heat it over medium-high heat. To bake the naan in an oven, preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit/260 degrees Celsius. Place a pizza stone or unglazed tiles in the oven before preheating. Place the shaped naan directly on the pizza stone or tiles and cook 3-4 minutes until puffy, then flip and cook the other side.
Storage instructions
- Room temperature: Store the vegan garlic naan at room temperature in cool or temperate climates, for up to a day. Keep the naan loosely wrapped in a kitchen towel.
- Refrigerate: Store the vegan naan bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
- Freeze: Place the naan in freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to four months.
- Reheat: Thaw, if frozen, then place on a hot griddle and warm through on either side, about a minute per side.
Vegan Naan Recipe
Equipment
- Cast iron griddle or skillet (or any flat, wide pan that can sustain high heat.)
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packed. Instant yeast is a perfectly fine substitute)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 to 1½ cups water (lukewarm)
- ½ cup vegan yogurt (preferably at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the garlic butter topping:
- 4 tablespoon vegan butter (olive oil works too)
- 6 cloves garlic (crushed or put through a garlic press)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped. You can sub with another herb like mint)
Instructions
- Place yeast in a large bowl with 1 cup water and sugar. Let stand five minutes until the yeast dissolves and bubbles.
- Add the yogurt and oil to the bowl followed by the flour and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hand until a rough dough comes together. You may need to drizzle between ¼ to ½ cup more water. Use warm water. The dough should be a bit wet and should stick slightly to your hands.
- Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead just slightly until it's fairly smooth but still tacky. Coat the bowl with oil and place the ball of dough in it, covering the top with a bit of oil as well. Cover tightly and set aside to rise, about an hour.
- After an hour the dough should have doubled. Remove it to an unfloured surface and cut into eight pieces, like you would a pizza.
- Form each piece into a ball by tucking the sides under and then rolling the dough between your palms. Cover the balls of dough with a kitchen towel and let them stand 20 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, make the vegan garlic herb butter by placing all ingredients in a small skillet. Turn heat to low. Once the butter has melted, let it continue to cook for 15 more minutes so the raw garlic smell dissipates. Stir occasionally. You can add some salt to the butter, if you wish.
- To form the naan, take one ball of dough. Shape it with a rolling pin into a rough teardrop shape. You can skip the rolling pin and shape the naan simply by pressing it into a four- or five-inch disc first with your fingers, then lifting it by the edges and letting the weight of the dough and gravity pull it down. Move your fingers along the edges until the naan is roughly six inches by eight inches. It is okay if it has some thick spots and some thin.
- Heat a cast-iron griddle over high heat. Place the naan on the hot griddle. It should begin to puff up and form large bubbles immediately.
- Flip the naan just once. Let it cook for another 45 seconds to a minute or until char spots appear on the bottom. Brush some of the garlic herb butter on the naan and remove to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Wrap the naan until ready to serve.
Recipe notes
- With a rolling pin: Use a rolling pin to shape the naan into an oval. Then pull one end slightly to form a teardrop shape.
- With your fingers: This is similar to the technique you'd use with a pizza dough. Pat the dough into a four-inch disc with your fingers, then lift it by the edges and let the weight of the dough and gravity elongate the dough. Move your fingers around the edges, which will shape the naan as you go. If there is a tear, patch it up by pressing the dough together. Stop once the naan is approximately five inches wide and seven inches long. This is my favorite way to form a naan because it creates the most fun shapes!
- With water. One more way to shape naan is to place the dough on a flat surface and push into it with finger tips that have been dipped in a glass of water. Apply pressure with the wet fingertips to shape the dough, moving your fingers outward quickly until you get the shape you desire.
- Use fresh yeast. A naan, unlike most Indian flatbreads, is a leavened bread, with added yeast giving it that puffy, glorious texture. Let the dry yeast "bloom" for five minutes warm water with some sugar added to wake up the yeast and feed them. If your yeast doesn't become frothy after five or 10 minutes, the yeast is likely dead. (Pro tip: store yeast in an airtight container in the freezer for maximum shelf life.)
- Use warm water to knead the dough. This helps the yeast stay awake and active.
- Don't over-knead the naan dough. That's right. A naan dough requires a minimal amount of kneading. Once the dough comes together just turn it out on a floured surface and quickly knead it for a minute or two until it comes together in a smooth ball. That's it. The naan dough should be slightly tacky, leaving light traces of dough on your fingers.
- Let the dough rest before shaping. Once the dough has risen and has been shaped into individual balls, let them stand for 20 minutes at least so they have a chance to rest and relax. This will make it much, much easier to shape them.
- Don't sweat the shape. A naan is a rustic bread. A roti has to be perfectly round and even, and a paratha needs a special shaping technique. But a naan is a bread anyone can form, even a kid. See more on this in the section on "shaping the naan" below.
- Use a cast iron griddle. Because we cook the naan on the stovetop and not a tandoor oven, where temperatures can go upwards of 800 degrees Fahrenheit, we need something that will get screaming hot and give us a nice char. A cast iron griddle or skillet is perfect for the job. You can also use a cast iron grill pan. If you have neither use a non-stick skillet.
- Control the temperature. If you find that the naans are browning too fast, sprinkle a bit of water on the skillet to bring down the temperature.
- Wrap naans in kitchen towel to keep them soft and fresh. And serve the naan as soon as possible after making for the best flavor and texture.
- Room temperature: Store the vegan naan at room temperature in cool or temperate climates, for up to a day. Keep the naan loosely wrapped in a kitchen towel.
- Refrigerate: Store the vegan naan in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
- Freeze: Place the naan in freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to four months.
- Reheat: Thaw, if frozen, then place on a hot griddle and warm through on either side, about a minute per side.
Lauren
Hey! I love this recipe but just wondering whether it has been updated recently? I swear I’ve used this recipe about 50 times but don’t remember ever using yoghurt! Have you got an older version without the yoghurt?
Vaishali
You can use an equal quantity of nondairy milk. Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar for softer naan.
Joy Drummond
Love this recipe so easy , i just mix in bowl since no stand mixer. Everyone loves this bread and wants more. I used soy milk and coconut milk both turned out great. Thanks for recipie.
Gina
Hello. Haven't tried making naan for some years, though we love it and know that homemade will be much better than 'supermarket' packaged naan. I usually make my tortilla-style chapatis, rather than tackle the challenge of naan. (Note: restaurant naan is so fab that it's hard to imagine making something that can compete). I did not follow your recipe in two important ways, regretfully: 1) I did add in all the water up front, instead of patiently waiting, resulting in a very wet batter (have added extra flour, but still quite sticky; 2) am being lazy and have it mixing in my bread machine. I should have googled about this--whether this can work or not. What's your take on making this in a bread machine--a bad idea? I need something that we can have with your very delicious chana masala recipe (have made a few times), which am also making (have just ordered chana masala powder, per your recommendation, but will this time again use garam masala and amchoor, which I have.) Thanks in advance for your thoughts on the naan situation. Love your recipes--thank you for sharing them with us.
Vaishali
Hi Gina, you can knead the dough in a bread machine, that's no problem. You do need to make sure you don't add too much water though. Naan dough needs to be a bit soft and tacky so you can shape it easily but not so sticky that you cannot handle it. You can try adding a little more flour and see if that helps. Also make sure the griddle is screaming hot when you roast the naan.
Anonymous
Naan update: This turned out fantastic, thanks to your recipe. I will follow your instructions more carefully next time, but the main thing is that your recipe for the dough is spot on. I've tried a few different naan recipes, over the years, and none produced such a nice result. Needing yogurt, as in many naan recipes, put me off making it, as I don't often have yogurt, but in your recipe, I used org. unsweetened soy milk with great success. Many thanks!
Vickie
I absolutely loved this recipe!!! It was so simple and the results were simply delicious.
Vaishali
So happy to hear, Vicki! Thanks for letting me know.
Abigail
Can I use Instant Yeast? If so, how much would I need?
Vaishali
Use 2 tsp of instant yeast!
Karyn Quackenbush
Unbelievable!!! So delicious !!!
I’ll have to freeze some. What’s the best way to heat up after freezing?? I adore all of your recipes!!!
Karyn
Vaishali
Hi Karyn, so happy you loved the naan! Reheat the naan (after thawing) on a hot griddle.
Marion
As always your recipes are perfect!! Thank you so much. With the pandemic, husband and I haven’t been able to visit our fav Indian restaurant but no worries bc I’m cooking at home!
Saffron
Hey Vaishali☺️
I was hoping you could let me know if I’d be able to use the discard from day 3 of my sourdough starter in this? And if so, what all of the quantities would be changed to to accommodate 1/2 a cup of sourdough starter?
Thank you for all of your wonderful content, looking forward to hearing back from you☺️
Vaishali
Hi Saffron, you an just add the starter before mixing the dough, no need for other adjustments. You prob will just need less water.
Diana
These are amazing! Easy to make, turned out great. Despite me not being able to fry them in a screaming hot cast iron. So I did them "low and slow" in a non-stick skillet. Worked great. Thank you so much for this recipes. I've been trying to get my nerve up to make naan, I'm glad I waiting to find you first.
Vaishali
Hi Diana, so happy you liked them!
Roslyn Levin
Hi, I wondered if you have a recipe for a sourdough naan? I avoid gluten but find that sourdough, even made with regular flour, does not bother my gut. I also love naan so marrying sourdough with naan would be wonderful!!!!
Thank you for all your recipes.
Many Blessings for 2021
Vaishali
Hi Roslyn, see instructions for a sourdough naan in notes for this recipe. You can leave out the yeast. https://holycowvegan.net/easy-vegan-grilled-naan/
Rachel
Made this recipe stuffing the naan with some of the garlic along with sautéed chives and yellow onion. It was sooo good! So glad to finally make my own naan and be a better vegan for my husband who’s allergic to milk proteins.
I replaced the all purpose flour with organic Bread flour so needed much less water. So soft! And used flat ceramic skillet.
Would love to try the peshwari version.
Vaishali
Hi Rachel, so happy it turned out well for you! I love the addition of chives--even more garlicky and oniony!
Alma I Reed-Herrera
Delicious! I used whole wheat and white flour.
K
Looks great! Can I make the dough the day before cooking it on the griddle?
Thanks x
Christa
Delicious! I made it with guacamole and rotisserie chicken and it was PERFECT.
Poonam
Delicious. I used part whole wheat and part all purpose. I also froze the other half of the dough. Thank you for this super easy recipe!
Marilyn
Hi,
Love your recipes. Would it be easy to turn this into a peshwari naan? Could I create a pocket and fill with ground almond and desiccated coconut?
Thanks.
Wotnomeat
to make it into peshwari naan, i roll the naan into a crcle, add a spoon of filling in the centre. then gather up like a parcel,press together to seal.flatten in your hand.turn over and carefully roll out
Loriann
Would this recipe work with whole wheat bread flour? Are there adjustments that would need to be made?
Vaishali
You would not get naans as soft and fluffy--they'd be more dense. But you can certainly make them with whole wheat if you want a healthier alternative.
raani
new to your site and very inspired by it.
I would like to make the Himalayan bhatura that the local women in Himachal Pradesh make.
Any way that I can inspire you to learn how to make them. Maybe using this recipe I could experiment. They are very very good and usually nicely soured.
Thank you
Raani
Elizabeth
I love naan so much! My sourdough bread is on its 2nd rise right now, and I am already excited for what I might make with the discard starter next weekend. I wonder if I can use some in this recipe?
Thanks for your site!
Vaishali
Hi Elizabeth, yes! You can follow the directions in my sourdough aloo kulcha recipe here, just skip the potato stuffing and shape it like a naan. https://holycowvegan.net/aloo-kulcha-recipe/
Capucine Nina Hinshaw
Did you mange to make you naan from your starter?
Elizabeth Jorgensen
Hi! So excited to try this, I've been missing naan since I had to stop eating dairy while breastfeeding. Question, though... can I use my sourdough starter to make this? I started last week from your recipe and I'm obsessed.
Thanks so much!
Vaishali
Hi Elizabeth, you definitely can. Follow my sourdough aloo kulcha recipe here but skip the potato stuffing and shape the dough like naan, then proceed with directions for cooking the naan. https://holycowvegan.net/aloo-kulcha-recipe/
Ashley
At first I was worried because the dough seemed incredibly sticky, but these turned out amazing! I highly recommend making them, as an earlier comment noted - this recipe is very forgiving. I am so excited to make these again, thank you for an awesome recipe!
Julie from Asbury Park NJ
This recipe rocks! I've been a vegetarian for 43 years (since I was 12) and in these virus times we've been cooking even more than usual - had made a sweet potato, paneer, and spinach curry the other night with rice and thought it would be fun to try to make naan. I have vegan aspirations (working on it) and had the almond milk on hand to make this.
Turned out amazing - we used olive oil for the garlic brush after the griddle - used mint from our neighbor's hedge - fantastic and I'll never buy naan from the store again. Super easy, forgiving recipe. I worried that the dough was too wet after using just 1/2 C of the water but it turned out perfectly. My wife was ecstatic and I look forward to making this for years to come.
Excited to try more of your recipes - Cheers - J
Anonymous
Family loved it! There were two left over after dinner and my daughter advised me not to put it away. That she would snack on it through out the evening.
Cedar
I have a random question, would I be able to bake these? I only have an old non-stick pan and no griddle. Would I be able to use that? Dealing with my pans at that high of a heat is a bit intimidating but I’ll give it a go whenever I get more flour. Also, for making the dough, could I just add some garlic to the dough? Like, when I’m first mixing everything together?
Vaishali
You could add the garlic to the dough but you won't get the same flavors and it may make the dough a little harder to roll out since there'll be bits of garlic sticking out. And yes, you can bake them--heat your oven as high as it will go, if possible place a baking sheet or a pizza stone inside (unglazed tiles work too) while the oven preheats. Once it has heated, carefully, taking care not to burn yourself, place the naan directly on the stone or baking sheet and bake about 2-3 minutes. When the dough bubbles up and underside is golden brown, flip over and cook the other side.
Judy Jones
These were amazing! Soft, fluffy and yummy. Cooking them on the griddle makes it so quick! Loved them, thank you for the recipe.
Wyatt
These are great! Thanks!
Niveditha
These look like they're straight from a restaurant! I'm gonna try it!
Sagarika Ghosh
Hi Vaishali, I don't think I have a griddle. Will a normal pan work to make the naan? Thank you!
Vaishali
Yes, anything wide enough for the naan to fit will work. A skillet is better because it has shorter sides and the naan won't steam, but if you have your stove turned to high heat you should be fine.
Sagarika Ghosh
Thank you! I just made these today and they turned out delicious. It was also my first time having naan since going vegan!
Maureen Cram
Great to find a recipe without yoghurt in :). Have you tried freezing them at all? There are only two of us and as much as I love Naan bread I don't think we will get through them all in one go!
Vaishali
Hi Maureen, you can absolutely freeze these. Place in an airtight bag or container and before eating, put the frozen bread on a baking sheet and into a hot oven -- 350 degrees. Spray lightly with water and bake for about 5 minutes or until soft and puffy again.
Nina Simon
Hey thanks for sharing the recipe!
I've never had naan ever since I turned vegan. Now I finally can!
Mary Kay
Hi there. I appreciate your recipes and use them often. I think you may have neglected to direct the 1 tsp of salt to be mixed in with the flour, at least I could not see where it was mentoned. My eyes are not the best, though.
Vaishali
You were absolutely right -- I missed it. Added now, in step 2, with the flour. Thanks!