May 14, 2023

Sweet and Simple Vegan Dandelion Bread

Soft, light, moist and sweet, it’s vegan dandelion bread! This quick and sweet loaf is packed with dandelion petals, but you don’t notice the texture. They almost melt into the bread, and leave behind a honey flavor (Side note: I hate that the term “sweetbread” isn’t one I can use here). It’s wonderful for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a sweet-but-not-too-sweet dessert. Try warming it for a minute or two in the toaster oven, and melting a little vegan butter on top. Vegan honey-free honey bread bliss!

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Do Vegan’s Eat Honey?

No, by definition vegans don’t eat honey. Since vegan’s do not consume animals or animal products, honey is not part of the vegan diet. And while I myself don’t eat honey, not every vegan feels that way. It can actually be quite hotly contested in vegan circles, where some feel that honey is a more natural and healthier sweetener, and point out the need for honeybees and other pollinators in our plant crops. While I don’t think it’s worth loosing friends and vegan allies over honey consumption, I do think it’s important to inform and educate.

So here’s why I, as a vegan, don’t eat honey.

For the Bees: beekeeping isn’t exactly kind to bees. The queen bee will often have her wings clipped, to keep her immobile and to stop the hive from relocating. In order to reproduce, she will be artificially inseminated, and male bees will be crushed to death in the process. Bee colonies will also often be killed or malnourished, as the honey they collect for the winter is sold off.

For Healthy Hives: because we selectively breed bees, the honeybee population contains very little genetic diversity. Because of that, diseases can quickly take out an entire hive. Shipping diseased bees around the globe spreads those diseases with them.

For the Pollinators: Honeybees are but one of many different pollinators, including bats, native bees, flies, wasps, hummingbirds, butterflies, beetles, and more. In North America alone there are over 5,000 species of native bees. While native bees are much better pollinators than honeybees, but the large number of honeybees we import into an area can push native bees out.

And if you were wondering why I’m using space in this post to talk about honey, it’s because dandelions taste a lot like honey! Not only does this vegan loaf have a honey flavor, but one of the best vegan DIY honey alternatives is made with dandelions. You can check out this recipe for dandelion honey from a fellow vegan recipe creator.

Looking for Sweet Breakfast Breads? Try one of these!

Looking for Flower Recipes? Try one of these!

How to Make Vegan Dandelion Bread

Disclaimer- use caution when foraging wild edibles, and always be certain of your identification. While I assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided on this site, I can’t be responsible for the accuracy of your information. Consult multiple websites, books and local experts, and when it doubt, do without.

So let’s get making! Make sure you know how to properly identify a dandelion (they are very common, but just make sure you’ve got the right flower), and also make sure you know that the dandelions you are picking have not been sprayed with harmful herbicides. Ideally pick somewhere where you know the owner of the property and can ask them to make sure they haven’t been treated with anything. Once your dandelions are picked, Give them good rinse under cool water. Place on a clean kitchen towel and pat them dry. The most tedious part of this recipe is removing the petals from the flowers. Your goal is to get as much of the petals as is possible, while adding as little of the green bits to your bread as you can. Don’t worry about the green parts too much- they’re safe to eat, but they will add a bitter, arugula-like flavor to your bread that is not optimal. I found the best method for me was to grab the yellow petals with my fingers and pull them rather than trying to use a knife.

Once your petals are harvested, this bread comes together super quickly and easily. Mix the dry ingredients together (I did a mix of white and whole wheat flour), and then add the petals. Mix them in well before adding the wet ingredients to create your batter. Pour that batter into a loaf pan and bake. Let cool a little, remove from the tin, and let cool some more. And that’s it! It’s best in the first couple days, so enjoy fresh.

Sweet and Simple Vegan Dandelion Bread

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 1 loaf

Sweet and Simple Vegan Dandelion Bread

Ingredients

1 cup of dandelion petals, lightly packed (yellow parts only, all green bits removed)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup plant-based milk
¼ cup neutral-flavored oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

First wash and gently pat dry your dandelion flowers. Then pull the yellow petals from the green bracts. Once you have a lightly packed cup full of petals, you have enough. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a standard sized loaf pan and set aside.
Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the dandelion petals, breaking them up so as many of them as possible are coated in flour. Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl, and mix until all the dry flour is incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until the top is golden-brown, and a toothpick inserted into the dough comes out clean (about 45 minutes). Allow to cool for 10 minutes before running a butterknife around the edges of the pan to loosen it. Remove from the pan and allow to cool fully on a cooling rack before enjoying.

https://veryveganval.com/2023/05/14/sweet-and-simple-vegan-dandelion-bread/

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