Whole Wheat Vegan Burger Buns

Healthy vegan burger buns made with whole wheat flour, no oil, no butter, no eggs, and no yeast! They’re crusty on the outside, but soft and fluffy in the middle. Plus, they’re so easy to make, with no proofing required.

There’s not much better than freshly baked bread and these homemade burger buns are perfect for vegan burgers, sandwiches, or use as dinner rolls.

I particularly love these warm out of the oven with a little spread of strawberry jam or dairy-free/vegan butter. (Or try with blueberry jam!)

While there’s a ton of bun recipes out there, not many of them are completely wholesome.

Here’s why you’ll love these

• Crispy on the outside, but soft and fluffy in the middle.
• Yeast free, so no rising time required.
• Budget friendly and simple to make at home.
• Healthier than store bought buns, with no artificial flavours, no sugar, no preservatives, and 100% whole grain. (Not like marketed whole grain products which only contain a fraction of whole grain combined with white flour.)
• Flavourful, with a slight nuttyness and subtle garlicky flavour.
• Low fat and oil free, perfect for a WFPB (whole-food-plant-based) diet.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Whole wheat flour: In the interest of making wholesome bread I opted for refined free, whole grain flour to make these vegan burger buns. You can probably sub white flour 1:1 but I haven’t specifically tried that. I have not tested a gluten-free option.
• Tahini: This acts as our fat, giving the bread a lovely, crispy texture. If you don’t have tahini (or cannot have it) you may sub for almond butter, cashew butter, or another nut or seed butter with similar results.
• Applesauce: This acts as our egg and oil replacer at a faction of the calories and fat and works as a binder. Make sure to use unsweetened so your final result is not sweet. I haven’t tried using a flax or chia egg, and it might work, but can’t say for sure without testing the results.
• Milk: I use soy milk, but any other plant based/non-dairy milk will work fine.
• Salt + garlic powder: For flavour. The garlic flavour is VERY subtle, but lovely. You may omit the garlic, if preferred, but I recommend you don’t skip the salt, unless you’re on a low/no sodium diet for health reasons.
• Baking powder + soda: Our rising agents, do not skip since this bread recipe does not use yeast.

Instructions

Begin by sifting all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. (photos 1-2)

Then add the liquid ingredients to the same bowl. (photo 3)

Stir until combined and then tip out to a floured surface to knead your dough for 30 seconds or so. Do not over-knead! (photos 4-5)

Divide the dough into six equal size pieces. It doesn’t have to be perfect but do your best for even cooking and bun size. (photo 6)

Shape each of your six sections into round, but flattened disks and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet with plenty of space in between each bun. (photo 7)

OPTIONAL: Combine the vegan egg wash ingredients and brush each bun with the mixture. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds and poppy seeds. (photos 8-9)

Bake your WFPB hamburger buns in your preheated oven until golden and then remove from the oven to let cool for a few minutes. (photo 10)

Enjoy your vegan burger buns warm or cooled to room temperature.

Variations

For a softer bun, use white whole wheat flour also known as whole wheat pastry flour. Or try 50 percent whole wheat flour and 50 percent unbleached white all-purpose flour.

For sweeter buns, use sweetened plant-based milk and sweetened applesauce.

Storage

Like most freshly baked bread, these vegan hamburger buns taste best on the same day they’re made.

However, you may store leftovers in a zip-top bag at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Alternatively, you may store airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months and thaw as needed.

Expert Tip

• Weigh your flour for the most accurate results. Scooping flour out of a bag with measuring cups usually results in too much being used, and will produce dry and dense results.
• Do not over knead the dough. Over kneading can cause dense and chewy results.

More vegan recipes you’ll love

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito

Rosa

📖 Recipe

Whole Wheat Vegan Burger Buns

Healthy vegan burger buns made with whole wheat flour, no oil, no butter, no eggs, and no yeast!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Servings: 6 Buns

Calories: 197kcal

Author: Rosa

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• ▢ 270 grams whole wheat flour approx. 2 + ¼ cups (plus more for sprinkling)
• ▢ 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder optional

Wet Ingredients

• ▢ ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tahini
• ▢ ⅔ cup unsweetened soy milk or almond milk or plant milk of choice

Optional Vegan Egg Wash + Topping

• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk or plant milk of choice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon maple syrup
• ▢ ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
• ▢ ½ tablespoon poppy seeds

US Customary – Metric

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Then add the wet ingredients to the same bowl and stir until you have a ball of dough. It will be a little sticky.
• Sprinkle some flour on a clean cutting board or countertop. Then place your ball of dough on top and knead for 30-45 seconds, sprinkling more flour, as needed. Do not over knead.
• Now divide your dough into 6 equal pieces and shape each piece into a round, flattened disk and place them on your prepared tray.
• OPTIONAL: Combine the 2 tablespoons of plant milk with the maple syrup in a small bowl and brush each of your vegan burger buns. Then sprinkle the buns with the seeds.
• Bake in your preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, until golden brown. Then remove from the oven, let cool slightly and enjoy.

Notes

Weigh your flour for the most accurate results. Scooping flour out of a bag with measuring cups usually results in too much being used, and will produce dry and dense results.

Do not over knead the dough. Over kneading can cause dense and chewy results.

For a softer bun, use white whole wheat flour also known as whole wheat pastry flour. Or try 50 percent whole wheat flour and 50 percent unbleached white all-purpose flour.

These vegan hamburger buns taste best on the same day they’re made, but you may keep them at room temperature in a zip-top bag for 2-3 days. Or freeze airtight for up to 3 months and thaw as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 588mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 2mg

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*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.