What's the secret to great vegan yorkshire puddings?

The Guardian

03-03-2025

I can never get my vegan yorkshire puddings to work – help!Traditional yorkshire puddings have eggs and milk to thank for their golden, crisp and puffy looks, so it's no wonder people run into bother in their absence. 'Vegan yorkshires are a mighty task,' says Lianna Lee Davis, who is behind the much-lauded vegan Sunday roast at Our Black Heart in Camden, London. Your first task is to decide on their replacements, and for that you have a few options. 'I use aquafaba and whisk it with apple cider vinegar, rapeseed oil, dijon mustard, unsweetened soya milk and water,' she says. She then combines plain flour, chickpea flour, salt and turmeric ('for a bit of colour'), and whisks that into the wet mix to make a batter.
Marc Joseph, of E3 Vegan, meanwhile, prefers a combination of soya milk, baking powder and self-raising flour: 'I've tried all sorts of things,' he says, 'and baking powder gives the best results.' Once mixed with the flour and popped into a really hot oven, 'they rise quickly like a cake at the start, so, by the time they're cooked, you have really crisp edges'. That's also Gaz Oakley's preferred route. For 12 yorkshire puddings, the author of Plant to Plate, published in May, combines 260g self-raising flour, one and a half teaspoons of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt. 'Add 480ml soya milk, whisk until smooth, then pour into a jug.' Just like the OG, vegan yorkies also benefit from a rest, Joseph says: 'Make the batter at least 30 minutes before you want to use it.'
On to the baking vessel, for which Davis favours a metal muffin tin: 'This is the really important part,' she says, 'otherwise your yorkshire puddings are going to come out like pancakes!' Both Oakley and Davis pour oil into each hole of the tin (about two teaspoons in total of vegetable oil for Oakley and 3-4mm rapeseed oil per hole for Davis), then whack it in a hot oven (210C-220C) until smoking. 'As soon as you open the oven door, quickly take out the pan and pour in the batter,' Davis says. 'Grab a spoon and make a small indent in the top of each yorkshire, so it has that natural collapse.' Oakley bakes his batter for 16 minutes 'until golden brown and nicely risen', Davis gives it about 30 minutes and Joseph opts for 45-50 minutes.
Shaun Rankin, chef/patron of Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall in North Yorkshire, has another tip: 'Make a little well in the centre of the mix with an oiled spoon halfway through the cooking,' he says. 'This allows the edges to rise further.'
Oakley serves his yorkshires right away, but Davis recommends giving them a rest: 'Vegan ones have more of a gooey texture than those made with egg, so you need to let them cool for at least 30 minutes on a rack,' she says. The proof, of course, is in the pudding, and Joseph ensures that his are 'even better' by pouring onion gravy into the well just before serving. And as we all know, everything is better with gravy.
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