Soft & Pillowy Vegan Challah Bread Recipe (2024)

The easiest homemade Vegan Challah bread recipe! Soft, pillowy and plush, this vegan challah tastes just like traditional Challah bread, yet is completely egg free (and of course dairy free!).

If you adore the traditional Jewish recipe of challah bread, but need an entirely vegan version, then you’re going to love this vegan challah bread.

Inspired by the classic, this vegan challah bread is closer in relation to the egg challah, but uses water, like water challah, to achieve its super rich moisture and fluffy texture.

Jared and his family just adore this vegan challah bread. We love to make and enjoy it for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, or to enjoy a veganized challah French toast for a delicious vegan breakfast (and even a vegan French toast casserole for the holiday season!). It’s so good that I actually included the recipe in my cookbook.

Similar to vegan brioche bread, this vegan challah bread is soft, pillowy and sweet. Glazed with a vegan egg wash and sprinkled with sesame seeds, this vegan challah bread will soon become a staple vegan bread recipe in your household!

Challah bread vs. Brioche bread

You might be wondering how challah bread differs from brioche if you’ve never made challah before. While the traditional versions are bothenriched doughs(since they contain either or both a fat and eggs), challah bread and brioche bread are made with slightly different ratios and ingredients.

Brioche bread is typically made with both milk and butter, along with eggs, while challah bread is made with water, oil, and eggs (as it needs to be dairy free).

While challah bread is always dairy free, it is not always vegan, as it contains eggs in one way or another.

Egg Challah vs. Water Challah

There are actually a few different version of challah bread in general. The one that we’re making today is most similar to egg challah. We’re replacing the eggs with a vegan egg replacement (dairy free yogurt), and adding some water for extra moisture.

Egg challah is made with eggs and oil, along with other bread ingredients, like yeast, water, salt, and flour, and tastes very closely to brioche bread. Water challah is made with just water and oil, along with the other bread ingredients.

However, it’s important to note that if you’re purchasing a store bought water challah, it mightstill not be veganbecause of the egg wash on top. This is why water challah is not usually noted as vegan.

I do have a vegan water challah bread in my cookbook, which just uses water and a neutral oil. Either version is equally delicious!

Vegan challah recipe ingredients:

Before we begin with making the vegan Challah bread, let’s go over the ingredients first. For this recipe, you’ll need:

• Warm water(between 110F and 115F- any hotter, and the yeast will die. Any cooler, and the yeast won’t activate)
• Organic granulated sugar:I used Florida Crystals to ensure that it’s entirely vegan.
• All-purpose flour:You can also use bread flour here.
• Neutral oil:You can use avocado oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil. Alternatively, you can also use triple refined coconut oil (to ensure that there’s no coconut taste!).
• Quick rise yeast:The method I outline below is specifically for quick rise yeast, or instant yeast depending on the brand. This is to help make our vegan challah breadloaves. The water challah in my cookbook uses active dry yeast, so you can use that there.
• Dairy free yogurt:This is the vegan egg replacement. I prefer it over using other options, like pumpkin or applesauce, or even sweet potato, because it adds fat to the dough, much like eggs traditionally do. However, those options will work as a 1:1 substitute if you only have those.
• Vegan egg wash:a combination of maple syrup and dairy free milk to give our vegan challah bread a golden brown crust. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you’d like too!
• Salt:Just for flavoring!

Pretty standard bread ingredients, right? I know it sounds crazy that just these ingredients can yield a completely egg free water Challah bread, but trust me, this works!

Overview: How to make vegan challah bread:

While making a 6 braided challah bread seems complicated, it’s actually quite simple! We’ll first start by making the dough, and letting it rise. Then we’ll move onto shaping the vegan challah bread.

Start by making the dough:

Much like any bread recipe, you can use a stand mixer or simply a wooden spoon and a bowl. Because we’re using quick rise yeast, we’ll whisk the yeast right into our flour mixture. Then we’ll add in the warm water, dairy free yogurt, and neutral oil. Knead the dough in the bowl on high speed or on a floured work surface for 10 minutes, until you successfully pass thewindow pane test.

Then place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover to rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

See Also

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How to braid challah bread with 6 strands:

I personally love a challenge, and a 6 braided challah bread certainly does seem confusing at first.

However, following these images, along with thisvideo tutorial, you’ll be a pro in no time.

Lightly flour a clean work surface. Then you’ll first divide the dough into 6 even pieces. You can use a kitchen scale to achieve more accuracy. Roll out each dough piece to be 18″ long.

Then pinch the tops of each strand together on one side, so you have strands splayed out.

Next, take the right outermost strand, and cross it over the top. Then take the left outermost strand, and cross it over the right at the top. Now you’ll have two of the strands at the top, and four middle strands. Spread the four middle strands out a bit with two on either side so you know the middle.

Next, take therightoutermost strand and cross it over to themiddleof the four strands. Then take the second to the outermostleftstrand, and cross that over to theright, to be the outermost strand on therightnow.

Now, repeat for the other side. Take theleftoutermost strand and cross it over to themiddleof the four strands. Then take the second to the outermostrightstrand, and cross that over to theleft,to be the outermost strand on theleftnow.

Repeat this pattern for the entirety of braiding your vegan challah bread. I also recommend watching thevideo tutorialhere to help as well.

Proof again and bake:

Once your vegan challah bread is braided, you’ll cover it on a piece of parchment paper lined on a baking sheet to rest for another hour, or until doubled in size again.

Once proofed, brush the challah bread with the vegan egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place the challah bread into the preheated oven to bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

How to serve challah bread:

Challah bread is wonderful enjoyed on its own, but here are a few ways that we like to enjoy it:

• Spread with homemade berry jam
• Toasted with vegan cream cheese or with avocado
• Sandwiches (or even an elevated vegan grilled cheese using this homemade nut-free vegan mozzarella cheese!)
• Vegan French toast (this vegan pumpkin French toast is lovely too!)
• Vegan French toast casserole
• Vegan bread pudding

Recipe FAQ’s

Can I make this vegan challah gluten free?

I have not yet developed a gluten free vegan version of this challah bread, but do stay tuned! I’m also working on the gluten free version for our vegan brioche bread. To me, it’s so important that the gluten free versions live up to their gluten-counterparts, so I want to make sure it’s perfect!

For now, check out a few more gluten free bread recipes we have on the blog here.

Do I need a stand mixer?

While I prefer to make this recipe with a stand mixer and dough hook attachment, it’s not necessary. In fact, the first water challah I made was by hand!

Can I omit the sesame seeds?

Of course! If you don’t have sesame seeds for a topping, not a problem at all. You could also use poppy seeds if you’d like!

Can I freeze vegan challah?

Absolutely. If you’ve made this challah bread recipe and there’s a ton leftover, simply wrap the slices in plastic wrap tightly, and store in an airtight bag. Then freeze the bread for up to 3 months. You can then thaw the bread in the fridge over night, or simply toast it using a toaster oven.

​Are there other options for shaping vegan challah bread other than a 6-stranded braid?

Yes, of course! If you wanted to make a simple braided challah bread with only 3 strands, and wrap it into a round challah, that’s absolutely do-able. You can also make a4-stranded challah bread!

You are just going to absolutely love love this vegan Challah bead recipe! If you give it a go, let me know down below in the comments section.

As always, I love to see your beautiful creations onInstagramandPinterest, so be sure to tag me there!

Happy bread making!

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