Vegan Boston Brown Bread
This old-fashioned steamed loaf is deeply satisfying — dense, moist, and rich with the earthy sweetness of unsulfured molasses layered over whole wheat, rye, and fine cornmeal. The apple cider vinegar curdles the plant-based milk into a quick homemade buttermilk substitute, giving the crumb a subtle tang and helping the baking soda do its job without a single egg or dairy product in sight. It's a genuinely clever workaround that keeps the texture true to the New England original. The batter gets steamed right inside repurposed cans, which sounds unusual but produces a wonderfully tender, evenly cooked loaf that you simply can't replicate in a conventional oven. Optional raisins add little pops of sweetness that play beautifully against the molasses and rye. With eight servings from two small loaves, it's an easy one to share — slice it warm and let people discover just how good a plant-based quick bread can be.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup rye flour
- ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ cup raisins (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Grease the inside of two clean 15 oz cans with a thin layer of neutral oil. Set a wire rack or folded kitchen towel in the bottom of a large pot and place the cans on top. Fill the pot with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the cans, then remove the cans and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat.
- 2
Stir together the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and let stand for 2 minutes until slightly curdled.
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