Vegan Filipino Bread Recipe: Pandesal

Have you tried making your own bread at home? There’s nothing quite like it. The aroma alone is enough to make one feel warm and fuzzy inside. The experience is truly rewarding and today we have a delicious recipe for vegan pandesal bread!

Perhaps if there’s one misconception about baking bread it’s that you have to be a master baker to do it because the process could be painstaking and complicated. I for one assumed I wasn’t qualified to do it—until I tried baking pandesal.

What is Pandesal Bread?

Pandesal is the bread of choice among Filipinos. Growing up in the Philippines, my mom would buy a warm bag of pandesal from our neighborhood bakery at the first crack of dawn. Everyone in the family would devour every bite, either with a tasty filling or as is. Sometimes, we would dip the bread in hot chocolate or coffee. I missed those days.

Traditionally, pandesal is not vegan; it has milk, eggs, and white sugar (which can sometimes be processed with animal bone char). As it turns out, I could make vegan pandesal at home and it’s no more complicated than the traditional version. In fact, the process is quite simple. All I needed was to set some time aside to let the dough rise. Everything else is a breeze—and cruelty-free!

I hope you try these vegan Filipino bread rolls. Pandesal is usually enjoyed during breakfast but when you make it at home, the time to enjoy it is really up to you! Kain na, let’s eat!

Why You Should Make Vegan Pandesal

Pandesal can be enjoyed in a variety of ways and is really not too difficult to make! These rolls are ideal for breakfast time, cut into sliders, or enjoyed with some vegan butter and jam.

• Lunchbox Friendly – Pandesal is perfect for tucking into your or a loved one’s lunchbox. That homemade touch is also a great way to communicate how much you care about them!
• Prime for the Party – Having a get together and unsure of what to serve? Vegan pandesal is the perfect choice! Easy to prepare in bulk and versatile, your guests will be raving!
• No Boring Bread Here – Sometimes eating the same sliced bread every day can get quite boring. This pandesal will keep things fresh (literally!) with their cute shape and sweet taste.

How to Serve Up Your Vegan Pandesal

Pandesal is most commonly served hot and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, from dipping your bread in a sweet beverage to spreading a delicious filling on it. Here are a few ideas to prepare you for pandesal perfection:

• Do the Dip – One tasty way to enjoy pandesal is to dip it in a beverage such as coffee, hot chocolate, or milk. Imagine the fluffy bread soaking up a dairy-free cup of goodness! Yum!
• Spread the Bread – Spread and bread go together like, well, spread and bread! With pandesal, you can go in the direction of sweet or savory when it comes to spread. Go to tastebud heaven with some vegan nutella or get your basil on with some pesto!
• Sandwich It Up – Pandesal is perfect for creating cute sliders. Throw some slabs of tofu, slather the hummus, and toss your favorite greens and veggies on to make some adorably awesome mini sandwiches! Great for kids, especially.

How Do I Store Pandesal?

Pandesal is best eaten warm right out of the oven but if you end up with leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to two days. You can also keep your vegan pandesal in the freezer for up to a month—just keep in an airtight container for up to a month and pop in the oven once you’re ready!

More Mouthwatering Bread Recipes to Try:

• Seeded Spelt Bread
• Vegan Pita Bread
• Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• “Ale, Yeah” Rosemary Beer Bread
• Rosemary & Olive Focaccia Bread
• Vegan Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins

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Vegan Filipino Bread (Pandesal)

Author: RG Enriquez

5 from 7 votes

This vegan, cruelty-free version of pandesal are Filipino bread rolls traditionally enjoyed during breakfast. But when you make it at home, the time to enjoy it is really up to you! Kain na, let's eat!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup evaporated cane sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to activate the yeast
• ▢ 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• ▢ 1¼ cup lukewarm almond milk
• ▢ 3 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading (about 2 cups)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed in 3 tablespoons of water–let it sit for at least 3 minutes

Instructions

• Stir sugar, yeast, and almond milk in a bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes or until foamy. Make sure that your almond milk is lukewarm. I heated mine on the stove for two minutes over medium heat. You could also microwave it for 30 seconds.
• Using a different bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Once the yeast is foamy, add the flaxseed meal mixture and vegetable shortening. Mix well.
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix using a spatula until you have a sticky dough.
• Lightly dust some flour on a clean counter to prepare for kneading. Place the dough on the counter. Gradually add flour on the dough as you knead until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky (about 15 minutes).
• Lightly grease a bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the oiled bowl. Flip the dough to oil the other side and cover it with a plastic wrap. Set it aside in a warm place until it doubled in size, about an hour.
• After the dough has doubled its size, punch a couple of times to release air. Transfer to the counter and roll the dough into logs. Divide the logs into equal pieces. Form in desired shapes.
• Transfer the dough pieces to a tray, leaving about an inch between each other to make room for rising. Set aside for another hour or until doubled in size.
• Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F for 12-15 minutes.
• Serve warm with your favorite filling or enjoy as is.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 0.4IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Course — Bread

Cuisine — Filipino

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If you try this vegan pandesal recipe, let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more vegan recipe inspiration.

Recipe and photos for vegan pandesal by RG Enriquez. Article written by RG Enriquez and edited by Amanda Meth. Please note that this article may contain affiliate links which helps to keep the lights on at World of Vegan.