8 Savory Baked Goods for the Perfect Plant-Based Brunch

A spoonful of sugar may make the medicine go down, but it surely doesn’t need to be included in all your baked goods. Many times, the best things in life are on the savory side, especially when it comes to your weekend brunch.

You may be wondering how you can create any baked good—savory or sweet—without the use of ingredients like eggs, butter, and dairy. You can approach this challenge a few different ways. Most supermarkets sell packaged, plant-based alternatives to things like butter, milk, and cream. As you’ll see in the recipes below, you can make your own buttermilk (essential for flaky biscuits and scones) by combining non-dairy milk and vinegar. You can also create egg-like substitutes using applesauce, flax seeds, silken tofu, or chia seeds.

We’ve rounded up some classic savory brunch baked goods that you can serve at your next luncheon, get together, or holiday. The recipes use only plant-based ingredients, but you can always make substitutions based on your own preferences. From cooking up classic Southern-style biscuits to making matcha mochi “mylk” bread, you’ll enjoy experimenting with these savory vegan baked goods.  

Crunchy Buckwheat Biscuits

This buckwheat biscuit recipe is more in the style of the crispy English biscuit, rather than the fluffy Southern variety. But this version comes with a lot of texture, thanks to toothsome buckwheat groats and whole-wheat pastry flour. It’s a pretty simple recipe to put together, and is a nice way to start off a breakfast, along with your favorite nut butter, jam, or preserves. For the Crunchy Buckwheat Biscuits recipe from Robin Asbell, click here.

Matcha Mochi Mylk Bread

Never had mochi? Well, you’re in for a surprise. This chewy dough made from glutinous rice flour is a textural party that pairs splendidly with the airy “milk” bread. The addition of matcha imparts a subtle bitterness that is sure to bring a refreshing bite to your next brunch. For the Match Mochi Mylk Bread recipe, click here.

Savory Polenta Waffles

An unusual spin on a breakfast staple, these savory polenta waffles use a mix of spelt flour, flax seeds, and polenta, rather than just traditional white flour, giving them a toasty, roast-y taste. A little bit of garlic powder, nutritional yeast, fresh herbs, and red onion punch up the flavor, but you can always add a topping of sautéed mushrooms, avocado slices, or tahini drizzle. For the Savory Polenta Waffle recipe, click here.

Southern-Style Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits

The tell-tale sign of a proper Southern-style biscuit is the flakiness. This recipe from Nora Cooks manages to create those buttery layers without the use of any dairy products at all! How? The secret is homemade buttermilk and ice-cold vegan butter. For the Southern-Style Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits recipe from Nora Cooks, click her.

Squash and Wild Rice Muffins

There’s no reason muffins have to only be flavored with bits of fruit, banana, or chocolate chips. These squash and wild rice muffins are just the right balance of sweet and savory, thanks to the inherent sugary nature of the squash. The cooked wild rice and toasted pepita seeds add fun texture to each bite. For the Squash and Wild Rice Muffin recipe, click here.

The “Best” Vegan Cornbread

A good cornbread can pull a meal together. This variety from The Pretty Bee isn’t overly sugary, using unsweetened apple sauce, cornmeal, spelt flour, and a pinch of salt. All you need to do is mix the dry ingredients; mix the wet ingredients; and combine the two before pouring into a greased pan. In thirty minutes, your cornbread is ready to serve. For The “Best” Vegan Cornbread recipe from The Pretty Bee, click here.

Vegan Cheddar Chive Scones

The ideal scone is soft and not too dense, but with just enough structure so it doesn’t fall apart while you eat it. This vegan Cheddar chive scone recipe from The Viet Vegan achieves all the above. Using a homemade buttermilk from soy milk and vinegar provides the right amount of acid to help with the leavening process. Fresh chives, non-dairy cheese, and a dash of sugar create a balanced mildly-onion flavor that’s great for brunch. For the Vegan Cheddar Chive Scone recipe from The Viet Vegan, click here.

Vegan Mushroom “Sausage” Rolls

The centerpiece of your breakfast or brunch spread, these vegan mushroom “sausage” rolls from Simply Cee Cee are satisfying, decadent, and easy on the eyes. The filling is an umami-rich blend of caramelized mushrooms, onion, cashew crumbs, and nutritional yeast. It’s all wrapped in a blanket of vegan puff pastry, topped with a sprinkling of herbs and seasonings. Oh, and did we mention the tangy honey mustard dipping sauce? For the Vegan Mushroom “Sausage” Rolls from Simply Cee Cee, click here.

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