Brioche bread is a rich and fluffy French classic. Today we are making a vegan brioche bread that is just as delicious!

Vegan Brioche Bread loaves brushed with simple syrup.

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Before we went vegan we used to get brioche or challah and make french toast often. The time has come to perfect some vegan brioche bread recipe and you are going to fall in love. We guarantee it.

Now, you don’t have to make french toast with it. In fact, it’s delicious no matter if you are eating it plain or you are making something out of it like a sandwich or french toast.

If you are wondering how you say brioche – it’s pronounced “bree-o-sh”.

So what is vegan brioche bread?

Brioche is a classic French bread that has a high ratio of eggs and butter that give it a fluffy, yet super rich flavor.

Because of how soft it is, it can be filled with sweet or savory fillings and served during breakfast, dinner and dessert time.

Some even consider it a pastry because of the sweetness.

It is served at both breakfast and dessert times as a pastry because of how soft it is.

What does vegan brioche bread taste like?

If you know what challah is, brioche is very similar whether it is vegan or not

It should be soft and fluffy, a touch of sweetness, have a richness to it and a very light and airy texture.

Soft, sweet, and delicious are great ways to describe it.

ingredients on a table to make vegan brioche.

Vegan Brioche Ingredients

Flour (bread or all-purpose)

Flour is our main ingredients and provides the structure of the brioche. Bread flour is preferred because it has a higher protein content, which helps develop more gluten and gives the brioche its chewy, elastic texture. All-purpose flour will still work but may result in a slightly softer, less structured loaf.

Vegan Cane Sugar

Sugar adds sweetness and also helps feed the yeast, which boosts rise and flavor. In brioche, sugar is also part of what makes the crumb tender and slightly sticky in that classic brioche way.

Substitute: You can also use brown sugar or coconut sugar for this recipe.

Instant Yeast

Yeast is the leavening agent. It causes the dough to rise by producing carbon dioxide during fermentation, giving the bread its light, airy interior.

Substitute: You can also use dry active yeast. The rise may take a little longer or not depending on your location and temperature.

Salt

Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor. It also helps control yeast activity and strengthens the gluten structure.

Turmeric

Turmeric is used in a very small amount to mimic the golden color that eggs would usually give to brioche. It’s optional and has little effect on flavor when used sparingly.

Yukon Potatoes

Mashed potatoes help keep the brioche incredibly moist and soft by adding starch and natural sugars. They also replace the richness eggs typically provide in traditional brioche.

Substitute: You can also use mashed sweet potatoes or pureed pumpkin or butternut squash in equal amounts.

Vegan Butter

Vegan butter adds the essential fat for richness, tenderness, and that luxurious melt-in-your-mouth texture. It mimics the large amount of dairy butter in classic brioche.

Substitute: A lightly flavored oil could also work in this recipe.

Vanilla

Vanilla adds a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor that enhances the overall aroma and taste of the bread.

Simple Syrup (Maple Syrup + Vegan Butter)

This is brushed on to give the brioche a shiny, soft, and slightly sweet finish.

How to Make Vegan Brioche

potatoes, vegan butter, vanilla, and water creamed together in a large glass bowl.

a large glass bowl filled with flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and turmeric.

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together 5 ½ cups flour, sugar, yeast, salt and turmeric (if adding). Set bowl aside. In a second bowl (preferably a stand mixer bowl if you have one), with the paddle attachment, cream the potato, butter, and vanilla together. Add in ¾ cup of water and combine.

Step 2: Add the flour mixture in 3 parts. Blend on low speed using the paddle attachment between the first 2 parts. Remove the paddle and scrape off any excess on the attachment back into the bowl. Switch to dough hook and add the rest of your flour on low speed until all the flour is combined. Knead in the stand mixer for 15-20 mins or until it doesn’t stick to the bowl. It will pull away from the dough. Still slightly sticky but not sticking to your hands.

*If dough is dry add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time. If too sticky add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

dough that has risen to double its size inside a large glass bowl filling up most of the bowl.

Step 3: Spray bowl, form into a ball and place ball inside. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 60-90 minutes in a warm, draft free place until doubled (may take longer). Punch it down. Let rise again for 40-60 minutes until doubled in size again (may take longer).

Step 4: While waiting, prep two bread loaf pans with parchment paper and grease with oil. Set aside.

six even sized balls of dough on a counter.

Step 5: Uncover, punch down again and take out.

For the 3 roll loaf – Cut your dough into 6 even pieces. Use a scale for accurate measurements. Gently flatten a piece, fold left and right sides into the middle, then roll ends into a log. Place 3 pieces in each of your bread pans next to each other.
For the 6 roll loaf – Cut your dough into 12 even pieces. Use a scale for accurate measurements. Grab a piece and fold the ends under shaping into a ball. Then roll the dough into a ball with the ends at the bottom. Make 2 even rows of 3 balls.

a dough ball that has been rolled out into a flattened piece of dough.

a flattened piece of dough on a table that has the left side half folded to meet the middle of the piece of dough.

Step 6: Cover for 35-40 to rise again. After this time, if you push the dough and it springs back it’s not ready. If it doesn’t spring back at all or very slowly it’s ready. 15 minutes before done, preheat oven to 375˚F.

a large bread loaf pan lined with parchment paper and inside are 6 risen balls of dough before going in the oven.

Step 7: Make the simple syrup by adding the maple syrup and melted vegan butter to a bowl and whisk. Once ready, brush the dough with the simple syrup mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes or under golden brown on top. Remove from oven and serve.

a cooked loaf of vegan brioche bread wtih a simple glaze on top.

Vegan Brioche Bread Loaf FAQs

Why are potatoes in this recipe?

We are using Yukon potatoes in this recipe for a few reasons. One it replaces the egg. The purees potatoes acts as a moistener, but also a binder. The taste of Yukon potatoes is also neutral, but buttery adding to the flavor of the dish. But we are also using it for the color. Eggs traditional give brioche a yellow hue and that’s what we will get for the yukon potatoes.

Can I use a different type of potato?

You can use other white potatoes but you won’t get the yellow color. For something like swapping sweet potatoes, it will give an even more yellow to orange hue.

Does how I shape the bread matter?

Absolutely not. We show three styles in the photo above. A 3 roll loaf, a 6 roll loaf and a 3-braid twist. Inside the recipe directions below we describe the 3 and 6 roll loaves. In order to do a 3 (shown in photo) or 6 braid twist – refer to the directions in our vegan challah bread.

This doesn’t reflect the taste or texture of the bread itself, but is just a nice conversation piece and a way for it to look fancier.

Do I have to use a stand mixer?

No, not at all. We prefer it, but it’s not a requirement. You can make this recipe with a bowl and a silicone spatula.

Why do the instructions say the rise time may take longer?

Traditional brioche is so good because of the increased amount of butter and eggs. We are replacing that with lots of vegan butter and potatoes to mimic eggs. This makes for a very enriched dough which in turn may take longer to rise as the ingredients are developed together.

Can you make this a Top 9 Allergen Free Brioche Bread?

We do not currently have a gluten free dough recipe to recommend, although we are working to create one.

For the remaining ingredients, yes you can.

The only other allergen ingredient may be the vegan butter Ensure that you are using a soy free, dairy free butter. We use Flora or Earth Balance Soy free that comes in a red tub.

Nothing else included in the recipe contains a Top 9 allergen.

Can I make this into vegan brioche buns?

Yes! Following the recipe as instructed but instead of braiding or shaping for a loaf you are going to equally cut into pieces and roll. See our vegan hamburger buns recipe for better instructions.

Vegan Brioche Bread being torn apart to show extremely fluffy texture.

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant to make vegan brioche bread?

Instant yeast rises faster and less of an issue. However, you can still use active dry. It typically will take longer to rise, so just follow the instructions for letting is rise until doubled in size.

Can I prep vegan brioche bread ahead of time?

This bread can be made and stored in an air tight container for 5-7 days.

Also — when making the dough, once you put cover the bowl to rise, instead of leaving in a warm place, you can place the bowl in the fridge up to 2 days before you plan to use it.

Just make the recipe as written, cover and place in fridge until ready to use.

Can I replace the yellow potatoes with something else?

Yes! Regular white potatoes, sweet potatoes or even fresh or canned pumpkin can be used. If using sweet potatoes or pumpkin it will alter the color a bit but not the taste.

This purpose of using this is both for color and to be the “egg” in the recipe. So you can use any of these in a similar manor.

Top of a golden brown loaf of Vegan Brioche Bread.

Can I make this vegan brioche bread oil free?

You can! We recommend that you follow our recipe for our vegan everything dough which is an oil free bread recipe. Then just follow the steps for the rising and braiding.

It won’t have the richness that you get from the vegan butter; however, it will still be great.

How do you eat vegan brioche bread?

Vegan brioche is delicious plain, as is, with nothing else added to it; however, you can toast it, making sandwiches or even use it to make french toast. The possibilities are endless.

How do I make vegan french toast with brioche bread?

We love turning this into vegan french toast. If you desire to make french toast out of it, then you can follow the instructions that we have for our vegan babka french toast. Just scroll down to the french toast sections once you have your brioche bread made.

We do not recommend letting brioche get stale first like we do with the babka. We prefer to be able to use right away once it has cooled.

A loaf of Vegan Brioche Bread being pulled apart showing fluffy middle.

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4.99 from 51 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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Michaela says:

June 10, 2025 at 2:30 am

Great recipe! Thumbs up. Tried it out for the first time and what should i say… i´m speechless. So fluffy and delicious. I can recommend this recipe 100%

1. Larisha Bernard says:
  
  June 12, 2025 at 12:07 am
  
  Thanks for the kind words!