Vegan Puff Pastry

Puff pastry, a culinary marvel prized for its flaky layers and delicate taste, has long been a staple in the world of pastries and desserts. The traditional recipe typically involves butter and occasionally sour cream, making it unsuitable for those following a vegan lifestyle. But fret not, for we’re here to unveil the secrets of creating a vegan puff pastry that rivals its non-vegan counterpart in both taste and texture!

What Is Puff Pastry?

Puff pastry is a light, flaky, and buttery pastry that is a staple in both sweet and savory dishes. It is characterized by its numerous layers of thin, delicate dough that puff up when baked, resulting in a crisp, airy texture.

The process of creating puff pastry involves folding and rolling the dough multiple times to create these layers. The primary ingredients in traditional puff pastry are flour, water, salt, and butter.

The dough is prepared by mixing the flour and water to form a basic dough, and then butter is folded into the dough in a specific technique called “laminating.” This process creates alternating layers of dough and butter. When the pastry is baked, the water in the butter evaporates, creating steam that lifts the layers, causing the pastry to puff up.

Puff pastry is a versatile ingredient and is used to create a wide range of dishes. In sweet applications, it’s used for desserts like croissants, Danishes, palmiers, and fruit-filled pastries. In savory dishes, puff pastry is used for items such as pot pies, quiches, sausage rolls, wellingtons, and various appetizers.

Is Puff Pastry Vegan?

The traditional puff pastry recipe includes butter providing the characteristic flakiness by creating steam when exposed to high heat during baking. However, traditional butter is not an option for those embracing a vegan lifestyle.

With the abundance of plant-based alternatives, creating a vegan version that maintains the hallmark flaky texture and taste is entirely achievable! Simply swap out butter with plant-based alternatives like vegan butter, margarine, coconut oil, or vegetable shortening.

Vegan Puff Pastry Brands

For those looking for a convenient option, several brands now offer pre-made vegan puff pastry sheets. The following brands have vegan-friendly options that can be found in many grocery stores. Check the labels and ingredient lists to ensure they align with your dietary preferences.

Pepperidge Farm

Pepperidge Farm may be the most well-known puff pastry brand in the US. Their products are readily available in supermarkets in the frozen section. Look for their puff pastry sheets and shells, which both use vegetable oils, making them vegan.

Jus-Rol

Find Jus-Rol in the refrigerated section when you’re looking for a vegan puff pastry. Rather than butter, they use vegetable oils to create those flaky layers. You can find them at your local Kroger, Safeway, or Walmart.

Pampas

If you’re in Australia, look for Pampas in the frozen aisle. These frozen puff pastry sheets are made with a vegan margarine, making them entirely vegan!

Schär

If you need a gluten-free option, Schär makes a great puff pastry from rice, corn and soy. You can find them in many stores throughout the US and Canada.

Dufour Pastry Kitchens

Recently released in the past couple of years, Dufour Pastry Kitchens now has a dairy-free pie and pastry dough that uses a vegan alternative to butter. It’s available in both food service and retail.

How To Make Vegan Puff Pastry At Home

If you can’t seem to locate a dairy-free puff pastry option near you, or you just prefer to make your own, try making a homemade version! Crafting the perfect vegan puff pastry shares similar ethos with making croissants: technique reigns supreme.

The process of rolling and folding is vital to get those flaky layers. This technique, known as lamination, is the cornerstone of achieving the quintessential puff pastry texture.

If you’re new to this, fear not! Here are some invaluable tips to make the process go smoothly on your first try:

• Select the right vegan butter. Opt for a vegan butter that’s solid and comes in a block, not the spreadable variety found in tubs.
• Embrace patience. Making puff pastry isn’t inherently difficult, but it demands time. Take it slow, and plan for breaks. A lot of recipes require chilling the dough between sessions of rolling and folding. If you need to pause, you can always wrap it tightly and store it in the fridge for a couple of days.
• Keep it cold. Ensure all your ingredients, especially fats like vegan butter, are cold. Cold ingredients help create a better texture and prevent the fats from melting too quickly during the rolling and folding process.
• Maintain proper thickness. Aim for a consistent and even thickness while rolling the dough. This helps in achieving uniform layers and a well-balanced puff when baked.

Vegan Puff Pastry Recipes

Ready to make your own? Here are some great recipes to get started with:

• If you want to try your hand at making your own vegan butter alongside some delicious vegan puff pastry, Oh My Veggies has a great recipe!
• Need a gluten-free option? This gluten-free puff pastry from Jessica in the Kitchen is the answer! It’s flaky just like the grocery store kind and uses gluten-free flour.
• For a standard no-fuss puff pastry recipe, try this one by From the Comfort of My Bowl.
• Although this Vegan Baklava recipe is made with phyllo dough instead of puff pastry, it’s absolutely worth making.

Vegan Recipes With Puff Pastry

Now that you know where to get vegan puff pastry, what do you do with it? Puff pastry is the perfect pastry dough for a variety of applications! Check out these amazing recipes:

Football Puff Pastries

This easy game-day appetizer uses puff pastry filled with plant-based meat. Shaped into mini footballs, these savory treats are sure to score a touchdown from friends and family!

Apple Vegan Hand Pies

These little apple pie pockets are the perfect utensil-free dessert for any gathering. Puff pastry embraces perfectly spiced and sweetened apples into one cute little package!

Vegan Mushroom & Veggie Wellington

Easily make a show-stopping centerpiece with a vegan Wellington. Puff pastry adds the perfect flaky crust to your Wellington for a fancy holiday dinner yet is easy enough to enjoy for a regular weeknight meal.

Mini Vegan Fruit Tarts

Need a quick and simple vegan dessert? Grab some puff pastry and top it with your favorite fruit combo! These fruit tarts are a foolproof beginner-friendly recipe!

Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

Warm up with a cozy vegan pot pie that brings back all the nostalgia of traditional comfort food. Even non-vegans love this satisfying dish perfect for chilly evenings.

Mini Vegan Apple Strudels

Just as easy as the fruit tarts, these mini apple strudels are simple to prepare in less than 35 minutes. Use a muffin tin to shape the puff pastry into little cups and top with cinnamon apples for a delicious and crowd-pleasing treat!

Frequently Asked Questions

From uncovering the vegan store-bought puff pastry options to sharing mindful techniques and homemade recipes, we hope you found this puff pastry guide helpful! Puff pastry is a cooking hack that everyone should have in their tool belt! It’s easy to use and adds the perfect buttery, flaky goodness to level up any recipe!

Feature photo and folded puff pastry photo sourced from Canva.com