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A Filipino classic-made vegan! These soft, fluffy, and sweet bread rolls are great for a snack or meal, any time of day. They can be enjoyed on their own or with sweet and savory fillings.

Vegan filipino pandesal bread rolls stacked by Sweet Simple Vegan

Many of you have requested that I share more vegan Filipino recipes from my childhood, and today I am making that happen! Pandesal is a classic Filipino bread roll that I knew I needed to veganize.

I remember when we used to pick up fresh pandesal at Filipino bakeries on the weekend and enjoy them as a family, so I’m excited that I can now do that again when my family visits us here in Washington, but all vegan, of course.

Vegan filipino pandesal bread rolls in a glass pan by Sweet Simple Vegan

Pandesal (or pan de sal) is a famous yeast-raised bread in the Philippines and is something that always reminds me of my childhood. Pandesal is to the Phillippines as croissants are to France or focaccia is to Italy. It is THE bread of the Philippines. Although its name in Spanish technically translates to salt bread, pandesal is not a salty bread, but it is more on the sweet side!

Ingredients for vegan pandesal on a wooden photography board by Sweet Simple Vegan

I thought that these would be hard to veganize, but it was easy to make without eggs and milk.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Lukewarm water: The temperature should be between 105 and 110°F for proofing.
  • Active dry yeast: We used active dry yeast which needs to proof separately before mixing with the rest of the ingredients. If you want to use instant yeast, use 25 percent less active dry.
  • Granulated sugar: Used to activate the yeast and sweeten up the bread. If you would like sweeter pandesal, increase the sugar to 1 cup. Coconut sugar can be used in place of granulated sugar, but keep in mind that it will create a darker dough/result.
  • Vegan Butter: We really enjoy using Country Crock Plant Butter.
  • Unsweetened plant-based milk: You can really use any type that you’d prefer, we typically opt for soy or almond.
  • Salt: Not only does salt add flavor, but it also works to tighten the gluten strands that are formed, which makes them stronger.
  • All-purpose flour: We have not tested this recipe using bread flour or whole wheat flour. 
  • Plain breadcrumbs: Not all breadcrumbs are vegan, so double-check the ingredients! 
Vegan filipino pandesal bread rolls with jam and butter by Sweet Simple Vegan

There are many ways to serve pandesal, which makes it so great! It pairs well with sweet and savory fillings so that you can enjoy it any time of day.

Here are some ideas for you to try out:

  • Dipped into coffee or hot chocolate (this was my favorite as a kid)
  • Filled with vegan butter and fresh jam (coconut jam is great in pandesal!)
  • Stuffed with vegan cheese slices or a vegan cheese spread
  • Used to make a vegan ham and cheese sandwich
  • Loaded with peanut butter or any nut butter of your choice!
Vegan filipino pandesal bread rolls in a brown bread basket by Sweet Simple Vegan

If you enjoyed this pandesal recipe, you might also like:

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Vegan filipino pandesal bread rolls stacked by Sweet Simple Vegan Blog

Vegan Pandesal (Filipino Bread Rolls)

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5 from 32 reviews

  • Author: Sweet Simple Vegan
  • Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
  • Yield: 20 rolls
Print Recipe

Description

A Filipino classic-made vegan! These soft, fluffy, and sweet bread rolls are great for a snack or meal, any time of day. They can be enjoyed on their own or with sweet and savory fillings.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup* + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
  • 6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups warm unsweetened plant-based milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5 to 6 cups of all-purpose flour
  • Oil, for the pan
  • 1/2 cup plain and fine breadcrumbs

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, mix the lukewarm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar until dissolved. Add in the active dry yeast and gently mix it to combine. Set this mixture aside for 5-10 minutes to activate. You will know it is ready when it is fluffy!
  2. Stir together the melted butter, warm milk, remaining sugar, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture.
  3. Slowly add the flour until a smooth dough forms.
  4. On a lightly floured work surface or with a standing mixer, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
  5. Grab another large bowl and lightly coat it with oil. Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl, toss it around, and cover it with a clean and damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm area for 1 hour or until doubled in size. We raise ours in the oven with the oven light on (no heat!).
  6. In the meantime, get your baking dish ready. You can use either a lined baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat or grease a few small glass or metal baking dishes (enough for 20 pieces).
  7. Punch it down once the dough has risen and portion the dough into 20 even pieces. If you want this to be extra precise, you can use a kitchen scale. Next, shape each dough into balls (see video for how we did ours).
  8. Add the breadcrumbs to a wide bowl or plate and gently coat each pandesal roll in the breadcrumbs. If the rolls are too dry to cover, you can spray them with cooking oil or water to moisten them up. Transfer the rolls into the prepared dish, reasonably close together (about 1/2″ apart), to help them fluff up as they bake.
  9. Cover the pan(s) with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and place them in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. We raise ours in the oven with the oven light on (no heat!).
  10. Preheat the oven to 375°F. If you are raising the dough in the oven, remove them before preheating! Bake the rolls for 23 to 26 minutes, or until golden. Cool for 10 minutes before serving, and enjoy. 

Notes

  • If you would like sweeter pandesal, increase the sugar to 1 cup.
  • Coconut sugar can be used in place of granulated sugar, but keep in mind that it will create a darker dough/result.
  • If you want to make the dough ahead of time, you totally can! Here are two options:1. When you reach step 6, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a resealable wrap instead of allowing the dough to rise, and then place it into the fridge overnight. Next, remove the dough from the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature, and continue rising (about 1-1.5 hours). Once it has come to room temperature, continue with the recipe.2. The second option is to place the dough into the fridge after step 9. Place the rolls onto your pan of choice, cover it, and place it into the refrigerator overnight. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature, continue rising (about 1-1.5 hours or so), and continue with the recipe.
  • We made this recipe by hand, but it can also be made in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. 
  • We have not tested this recipe using bread flour or whole wheat flour. 
  • Not all bread crumbs are vegan, so double-check the ingredients! 
  • Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast, Side
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Vegan, Filpino

Meet The Bloggers

hey there! we’re jasmine & chris.

Hi, we’re Jasmine and Chris! We share fresh and fun recipes to show you that vegan cooking is easy, approachable and delicious. When we’re not blogging, you will probably find us enjoying live music, tending to our backyard garden or playing with our dogs Berry and Louie

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82 Comments

  2. This recipe is amazing! Just made these and they’re so soft and fluffy I am resisting making this batch on my own! Any tips to keep it soft and fluffy? The batch yielded a lot (which is awesome!) but there’s only two of us at home to finish it and we can only eat so much so fast.

    Reply

  3. OMG! These are so fluffy, I’m going to die! ????
    Thanks so much for making my first time making pandesal as success! My 8 year old baby even asked me if we could have them for dinner tonight! ????



    Reply

    1. I don’t think almond flour will work for this recipe. You can cut it with 50% whole wheat flour, but I don’t know if that is what you’re looking for.

      Reply

  11. Hi Jasmin,

    Thank you for this recipe, I tried to cook it several times and I really love it. I just have a bit of problem right now because its hard to find all purpose flour. I am wondering if I can use self raising flour to make pandesal.

    Reply

    1. Self-rising flour can work for certain types of bread, but it wouldn’t work as a replacement for yeast and all-purpose flour in this one (at least we don’t think). Hopefully, flour is more accessible in your area now.

      Reply

  12. Hi, my son’s anaphylactic to dairy and tree nuts so we can’t use almond milk. He only drinks oat milk. Do you think it would make a huge difference if that was used instead?

    Reply

  13. Nailed it on my 3rd try. I realized that it helps to bake it in a baking dish as opposed to a cookie sheet because the “walls” of the dish keep the dough up when it rises and bakes. Having vegan pandesal helps me and my husband transition to plant-based eating. The omnivores in our house actually ask for this pandesal.

    Reply

  14. Hey Jasmine,
    Prep this last night and baked today.
    I made a mini vegan pandesal out of this recipe.
    My brother said it was so good. It was really soft and fluffy with a hint of sweetness while you eat it. It does brings back memories from where I used to live, a local bakery, Malaya Bakery.
    Hope you developed some more plant-based Filipino breads, .like Pande Coco, Pandilimon, Monay and many mire. Glad I found this website and watch your YouTube about on how to make a vegan pandesal. Thank you



    Reply

    1. Thank you so much! Happy to hear you and your brother enjoyed the pandesal. We will definitely be putting out more Filipino-inspired recipes 🙂

      Reply

  15. First time ever to make bread and I can say that this recipe is foolproof! Pandesal stayed soft even after a few days, and my toddler loved it so much that he almost finished an entire batch by himself! Do you think adding ube powder will achieve the same result or would I need to tweak measurements of the other ingredients as well? Thank you!



    Reply

    1. Hi Xenia! We have not tested this with gluten free all purpose flour so I cannot guarantee the results for this recipe unfortunately.

      Reply

  18. I’ve made this and turned out so good! I have tried several recipes before but yours is the best! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  19. Hi Jasmine.
    Just wanted to say I love all your recipes!!! One quick question, could I make the dough the night before, refrigerate and then bake the next morning?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi Daniela! That is a great question. If you make the dough, ahead of time, you have two options.

      The first is to place the large ball of dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a resealable wrap, and then place it into the fridge overnight to do a “slow rise”. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature and continue rising (about 1-1.5 hours or so), and then continue with the recipe.

      The second option is after you form the pandesal into balls and roll them in the breadcrumbs, place them on the baking pan you will be using 1/2″ apart, cover it, and place it into the fridge overnight. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature and continue rising (about 1-1.5 hours or so), and then continue with the recipe.

      I hope this makes sense and helps!

      Reply