Welsh cakes originated in Wales way back in the 19th century and they’re still hugely popular today! This recipe is pretty traditional, except for one crucial difference…these are vegan Welsh cakes, swapping butter and milk for plant-based alternatives!

The texture, flavour and look of these Welsh cakes is spot on – you’d never know they were vegan. They’re crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the side, with bursts of sweet sultanas.

Think of them almost like flat scones, except they’re much quicker to make as they are cooked in a hot, dry pan in a matter of minutes.

To make them, you’ll need just six ingredients: chia seeds, self-raising flour, vegan margarine, caster sugar, plant milk and sultanas.

The chia seeds, as you may have guessed, are used in this recipe in place of egg. In traditional Welsh cakes, the egg helps bind the mixture, and you’d be surprised how well chia seeds soaked in water can do the same job!

Better still, you won’t need any special kit to make these vegan Welsh cakes. In fact, you probably have everything you need in your kitchen right now: weighing scales, a mixing bowl, a fork, a rolling pin, a cookie cutter, a frying pan and a spatula. Simple!

Once they’re cooked, these Welsh cakes smell incredible. Served them with a hot cup of tea or coffee and enjoy. I think you’re going to love them.

Here’s how to make them!

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

Put the chia seeds in a small bowl.

Add 2 tbsp of warm water, mix and set aside.

Put the flour and margarine in a bowl.

Rub together until the texture is like breadcrumbs.

Add the sugar and chia egg together.

Mix in with a fork.

If you find it’s a bit dry then add a drop or two of plant milk.

Add in the sultanas.

Stir in, then bring together into a dough.

Turn out on to a floury surface.

Roll out to about 7mm (1/4 inch) thick.

Cut out circles using a cookie cutter – the dough should be soft but easy to work with.

Warm a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Cook for about 3 minutes on one side. They need to be golden brown.

Flip and cook for 1-3 minutes on the other side. Keep a close eye on them, they can go from golden to burnt very quickly!

Repeat until you’ve cooked them all.

Serve and enjoy with a cup of tea.

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect vegan Welsh cakes

Are vegan Welsh cakes easy to make?

This recipe is super easy to make. You’ll make the dough in a single bowl, roll it out, cut it out and have it in the frying pan within minutes, then on your plate in a few minutes more.

Will I need any special equipment for this recipe?

No special equipment is required for this recipe! I’ve recommended a 5cm (2-inch) cookie cutter, but you can use any size you like.

Where can I buy chia seeds?

You should be able to pick up chia seeds in any supermarket. They can usually be found in the baking section with other nuts and seeds.

If you can’t find them at the supermarket, you will also find them at most health food stores, or online.

Where can I buy vegan margarine?

Vegan margarine is available in most supermarkets. It will be in the chilled section, either alongside the dairy butters and margarines, or in the free-from section.

If your supermarket has a baking section amongst the chilled butters, look at the ingredients on the baking blocks as my favourite baking margarine isn’t labelled as vegan on the front, but the ingredients reveal that it is totally free from animal products.

How can I tell if my vegan margarine has gone off?

Like dairy butter, vegan margarine is made primarily from fat, so if it goes bad, it will smell and/or taste rancid.

Always abide by the Use By date on food products, and discard any food that shows visible signs of mould or decay, or has an unusual smell or taste.

You should also check the label on your food products for specific storage advice and also, of course, follow any advice given by your health professional.

Are Welsh cakes suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

These Welsh cakes are totally vegan! Traditional Welsh cakes are made with butter, egg and a splash of dairy milk, but in this recipe, we use vegan margarine, chia seeds and plant milk to make this sweet treat totally free from eggs and dairy.

Are vegan Welsh cakes gluten-free?

This recipe isn’t gluten-free as it uses wheat flour.

You could try substituting the flour for a gluten-free alternative. I haven’t tried this myself, but I would recommend aiming for one that contains xanthan gum as this can help pastry and bread bakes hold together better.

Don’t forget to check the label on all your other ingredients to make sure they are safely gluten-free, and let me know how you get on.

Are vegan Welsh cakes keto-friendly?

As Welsh cakes are made primarily with flour, they are not suitable for a keto diet.

Are vegan Welsh cakes healthy?

This recipe is made mainly from fat and flour, so it is a sweet treat rather than a meal, and should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Is this recipe safe to eat vegan Welsh cakes while pregnant?

There is nothing in this vegan Welsh cakes recipe that should present a risk to pregnant women if the ingredients are in good condition and have been stored correctly, and the recipe is cooked hygienically and safely.

However, this is not medical advice and you should always check with your health professional. The NHS also has an excellent resource on foods to avoid in pregnancy.

What goes well with vegan Welsh cakes?

In my opinion, these vegan Welsh cakes shine all by themselves and need no addition.

You can sprinkle them with a little sugar if you like, as is traditional, and I love them with a cup of (plant) milky tea!

They go well with creamy fruits, such as banana, too.

If you like, you could toast and butter them for an extra indulgent treat.

Can I make vegan Welsh cakes without sultanas?

You can leave the sultanas out if you like, although they really do add a lovely fruity burst to every bite.

If you prefer, you can try another fried fruit. Pretty much any will work, just chop larger dried fruit into small pieces before adding to the dough.

I haven’t got chia seeds. What else can I use?

If you haven’t got chia seeds, here are some other egg alternatives (each = 1 egg so multiply as needed for any given recipe).

• 1 tablespoon of crushed flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
• 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (the water you get in a tin of chickpeas).
• 3 tablespoons of applesauce (bear in mind this will add sweetness).

Note: I have not tested all of these replacements yet, so let me know how you get on.

Can I add extra fruit to this recipe?

You can certainly add different dried fruit, but I wouldn’t recommend adding more than the indicated 55 g (2 oz) as any more could prevent your vegan Welsh cake dough from holding together.

How should I store vegan Welsh cakes?

To keep your vegan Welsh cakes fresh for longer, place them in a sealed container or bag and place somewhere dark, cool and dry, such as a kitchen cupboard or bread bin.

How long do vegan Welsh cakes keep?

If properly stored in a sealed container somewhere cool, your vegan Welsh cakes should keep for about a week.

Can I leave vegan Welsh cakes out on the counter?

If you leave your vegan welsh cakes out on the counter, they’ll go stiff pretty quickly. Put them in a sealed container to keep them at their best.

Can I make vegan Welsh cakes ahead?

You can certainly make the dough for these vegan Welsh cakes the night before.

As soon as you’ve made it, wrap the dough well and place it in the refrigerator.

Remove the dough from the fridge about 20-30 minutes before you intend to use it to allow the temperature to come up enough for you to be able to roll it out.

Can I keep vegan Welsh cakes in the refrigerator?

There’s no need to put your Welsh cakes in the refrigerator. In fact, putting them in the fridge may make them stale faster!

Can I freeze vegan Welsh cakes

Yes! Vegan Welsh cakes freeze really well.

Pop them in a freezer-safe container or bag with a little baking paper between each one, seal and pop in the freezer.

Aim to leave as little air/space in your container as possible to minimise the possibility of freezer burn.

What is the best way to reheat vegan Welsh cakes?

If you would like to enjoy your vegan Welsh cakes warm, simply pop them in the toaster. Keep an eye on them as they won’t take long to warm up and you don’t want them to burn!

Also, take care when removing them from the toaster as the fruit, in particular, will be very hot.

Can I make vegan Welsh cakes in a different quantity?

You can easily change the quantity of Welsh cakes this recipe gives.

Scroll down to the recipe card below and hover over the portion number. You should see a slider which you can use to increase or decrease the number of portions. As you change the number, all of the ingredient quantities will change accordingly.

Can I make vegan Welsh cakes in a different shape?

Welsh cakes are traditionally round, but can use any cookie cutter shape you like to make this recipe.

Some things to be conscious of when choosing your cutter:

• the sultanas create slight weak points in the dough, so if you have very fine detail at the edges of your cutter, you may struggle to cut it out.
• like any cake, cookie or bread, small edges or corners may cook faster than the rest of the Welsh cake, so for an even golden brown, avoid fussy shapes.

Can I make vegan Welsh cakes in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?

The vegan margarine and flour really need rubbing together rather than mixing, so this recipe is best done by hand.

Can I make vegan Welsh cakes with a food processor?

You could use a food processor with a blade attachment to combine the vegan margarine and flour to a crumb, if you like.

It’s not really necessary as it’s easily and quickly done by hand, but if you were making a huge batch, it might speed things up.

Don’t use your food processor on your dough once you’ve added the sultanas as it would, of course, slice up the fruit.

Can I bake vegan Welsh cakes?

You can bake these Welsh cakes if you like, but in my opinion they’re not as good as when you make them in a pan. You really want that heat the reach the outside and brown them while the inside says soft and fluffy.

However, if you’d like to bake them, preheat your oven 200C (180C fan) and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake them until just golden which should only take a few minutes. Don’t wait for them to get as dark brown as ones cooked in a pan.

How can I make sure my vegan Welsh cakes are perfectly cooked?

Use a medium-low heat and cook your vegan welsh cakes until golden brown on the underside, then flip and cook until both sides are golden brown.

Patience is the key – it will take about 5 minutes to cook each batch, but if you take your eye off them, they can easily burn.

You finished Welsh cakes should be crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.

Why did my vegan Welsh cakes turn out dry/hard/burned/overcooked?

If the dough seems dry and crumbly when you try to bring it together, you’ll need to add a drop or two of plant milk to help bring it together.

If your dough looked fine when you made it, then the issue might have occurred during cooking.

It is really easy to burn Welsh cakes if you let the pan get too hot or if you forget to keep an eye on them. I prefer to use a heavy-bottomed frying pan as I find it’s easier to maintain and even heat across the pan.

Finally, Welsh cakes do dry out a bit once completely cooled, but that’s fine and they should still be delicious. Be sure to store them in a sealed container somewhere cool, dark and dry to keep them fresh.

Why did vegan Welsh cakes turn out wet/soft/undercooked?

If your dough seemed wet when you rolled it out, it could be that you added too much plant milk to the dough. You only need a maximum of a few drops and often, the dough will come together without any extra milk.

Alternatively, the problem could have happened during cooking.

If you have your pan too hot, you might find that your Welsh cakes cook on the outside before they have time to cook on the inside. Practice with the first one or two to achieve the right pan temperature, and then go from there.

Why didn’t vegan Welsh cakes rise?

Welsh cakes are flat by design, but they should puff up a little thanks to the baking powder present in the self-raising flour.

If your Welsh cakes stayed completely flat and dense, it might be that your self-raising flour is out of date, as this can mean it loses it’s raising properties.

How can I add/change the flavours in this dish?

It’s not unusual to add a pinch of mixed spice to this recipe to add warm, aromatic tones.

You could also change from sultanas to any dried fruit. How about dried cranberries? Or even chopped dried apricots or dates?

What is the origin of Welsh cakes?

Unsurprisingly, Welsh cakes originated in Wales, where they are also known as picau ar y maen, pice bach, cacennau cri or teisennau gradell. You might also see them referred to as griddle cakes or bakestones.

They’re said to have been popular since at least the late 19th century, and once you’ve tasted them, you’ll know why!

Pin these vegan welsh cakes for later

More vegan sweet treats to try

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