Vegan Welsh cakes – this vegan version of the classic Welsh treat is just as good as the original and really quick and simple to make too! These eggless and dairy-free Welsh cakes are delicious, moist, lightly spiced, studded with dried fruit and make a wonderful snack.
Welsh cakes are one of my all-time favourite treats. Growing up we used to have frequent family holidays to Wales and would consume dozens of the addictive little griddle cakes while we were there.
I decided that it was high time I created a vegan version so that I could continue to enjoy my childhood holiday snack of choice.
What Are Welsh Cakes?:
Welsh cakes have been popular in Wales since the late 19th century. They are also occasionally called bakestones or griddle cakes as they are traditionally cooked on a cast iron griddle or bake stone.
They are kind of like a flat, currant or sultana studded scone but have a more crumbly, moist texture and are usually dusted with caster sugar.
They are made using a few simple ingredients – self-raising flour (or plain plus baking powder), caster sugar, butter, mixed spice, egg and sultanas or currants.
Fortunately they are really simple to veganise – the butter can simply be swapped for a vegan block butter or margarine and a splash of non-dairy milk is all you need to replace the egg.
You don’t need to own a traditional griddle to make them, they are great cooked in either a cast iron pan or a heavy bottomed frying pan.
They are delicious eaten hot or cold and are flavourful enough to eat plain but they are also delicious with a schmear of butter and/or jam.
They make a wonderful snack and are amazing with a cup of tea!
How To Make Vegan Welsh Cakes:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
Place self-raising flour and mixed spice (and baking powder if using plain flour) in a bowl and stir to combine.
Add cold cubed vegan block butter and rub it in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and no lumps of fat remain.
Add caster sugar and sultanas or currants and stir through.
Gradually stir in enough non-dairy milk to bring the mixture together into a ball of dough. Be careful not to add too much, it should be soft but not sticky.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about 5mm/¼in thick. Cut it into rounds using a 6.5cm/2 1/2in to 7.5cm/3in fluted cutter.
Bring the scraps together gently and roll out again to cut out more rounds.
Place a cast iron griddle or heavy bottomed frying pan over a low-medium heat and brush with a small amount of butter. Place some caster sugar in a bowl for dusting.
Cook a few Welsh cakes at a time until golden, about 3 minutes. Then carefully flip them over and cook for about 3 minutes more until golden on both sides and cooked through. They firm up as they cool.
Keep a close eye on them, they can go from golden to burnt very quickly!
It can be tricky to get the pan to the right temperature so it is a good idea to cook a test cake first to make sure it’s not too hot.
Once the Welsh cakes are cooked, roll them in the caster sugar while still hot and repeat with the rest of the cakes.
Top Tips:
For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
You ideally want to use a block butter or margarine, not the spreadable kind in a tub as it has too high a water content. I use Naturli Vegan Block but Stork block, Vitalite block or Tormor block will all work. In the US Earth Balance Buttery Sticks would be the right kind of product to use.
You can swap the butter for solid coconut oil but the flavour won’t be as good and you will need to use a bit less – 85 grams rather than 110.
Make sure that you don’t over-work the dough as that can make the Welsh cakes tough. Just mix it enough to form a smooth dough, don’t knead it.
Getting the temperature of the pan right is the key to making good Welsh cakes and it may take some experimentation. It needs to be hot enough to cook them through, but not so hot that they burn.
It is a good idea to cook a couple of ‘test’ ones first to establish the correct temperature before cooking the rest.
Can I Freeze Them?:
Yes, these vegan Welsh cakes freeze really well. Ideally they should be frozen on the day they are made to preserve freshness (allow them to cool completely first).
Place them in a freezerproof container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Once defrosted you can refresh them briefly in a toaster or frying pan over a low heat.
How To Store Vegan Welsh Cakes:
Once cooled, store your vegan Welsh cakes in an airtight container at room temperature. They should keep for 4-5 days.
More Vegan Snack Recipes:
No-bake superfood granola bars
Chocolate chip peanut butter energy bites
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Vegan Welsh Cakes
Vegan Welsh cakes – this vegan version of the classic Welsh treat is just as good as the original and really quick and simple to make too! These eggless and dairy-free Welsh cakes are delicious, moist, lightly spiced, studded with dried fruit and make a wonderful snack
Ingredients
- 225 g (1 ¾ cups + 2 Tbsp) self-raising flour (or plain flour plus 1 tsp baking powder)
- ½ tsp mixed spice (pumpkin spice)
- 110 g (4oz / ½ cup) vegan block butter (I use Naturli Vegan Block or Stork block) cold and cubed
- 85 g (⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp) caster (superfine) sugar plus extra for dusting
- 65 g (2 ⅓ oz) sultanas or currants
- 2-4 Tbsp non-dairy milk
Instructions
-
Place the flour and mixed spice (and baking powder if using plain flour) in a bowl and stir to combine.
-
Add the cold cubed butter and rub in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and no lumps of fat remain.
-
Add the sugar and sultanas or currants and stir through.
-
Gradually stir in enough milk to bring the mixture together into a ball of dough. Be careful not to add too much, it should be soft but not sticky.
-
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about 5mm/¼in thick. Cut it into rounds using a 6.5cm/2 1/2in to 7.5cm/3in fluted cutter.
-
Bring the scraps together gently and roll out again to cut out more rounds.
-
Place a cast iron griddle or heavy bottomed frying pan over a low-medium heat and brush with a small amount of butter. Place some caster sugar in a bowl for dusting.
-
Cook a few Welsh cakes at a time until golden, about 3 minutes. Then carefully flip them over and cook for about 3 minutes more until golden on both sides and cooked through. They firm up as they cool. Keep a close eye on them, they can go from golden to burnt very quickly!
-
It can be tricky to get the pan to the right temperature so it is a good idea to cook a test cake first to make sure it's not too hot.
-
Once the Welsh cakes are cooked, roll them in the caster sugar while still hot and repeat with the rest of the cakes.
Recipe Notes
- For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
- You ideally want to use a block butter or margarine, not the spreadable kind in a tub as it has too high a water content. I use Naturli Vegan Block but Stork block, Vitalite block or Tormor block will all work. In the US Earth Balance Buttery Sticks would be the right kind of product to use.
- You can swap the butter for solid coconut oil but the flavour won’t be as good and you will need to use a bit less – 85 grams rather than 110.
- Make sure that you don’t over-work the dough as that can make the Welsh cakes tough. Just mix it enough to form a smooth dough, don’t knead it.
- Getting the temperature of the pan right is the key to making good Welsh cakes and it may take some experimentation. It needs to be hot enough to cook them through, but not so hot that they burn. It is a good idea to cook a couple of ‘test’ ones first to establish the correct temperature before cooking the rest.
- Recipe adapted from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/welshcakes_67264
