Although Challah bread is typically made with eggs, my vegan Challah recipe uses aquafaba to recreate the texture and taste of traditional challah bread. I used 6 vegan ingredients from my kitchen and warm water to create this traditional water challah recipe.
Challah is one of the most delicious types of bread I’ve ever tried. I got to try a vegan Challah while on my trip to Israel, thanks to my friend Nadia (@theveganitalianchef on Instagram). I honestly couldn’t wait to get back to my kitchen in Canada and make traditional Israeli challah for myself and also to share the recipe with you!
This traditional bread is served at Jewish ceremonial occasions, such as Shabbat and other holidays like Rosh Hashanah. It is shared and enjoyed by many people worldwide. Many years ago, kosher bakeries catered to people who wanted egg-free challah by making “water challah”, which is essentially what I’m going to show you how to make.
Related Recipe: Israeli-Style Tahini Toast
Vegan Challah Bread Recipe
EGG-FREE | DAIRY-FREE | VEGAN
Few things in life are better than the smell of freshly baked bread spreading through your house. If I could turn the smell of this Challah recipe into a candle, trust me I would.
The prep time is long because you must leave the dough alone to rise and proof. Active yeast does most of the work for you, just be patient with these beautiful loaves and the reward will be worth it. Obviously you don’t have to stand there and watch it rise for hours. I also have a 3-Ingredient Vegan No-Knead Bread recipe that’s super easy to make!
This Challah recipe is great if you have other things to do around the house while the smell of bread fills your home!
The full recipe is down below!
Vegan Challah Ingredients
- warm water
- active dry yeast
- white sugar
- vegan butter, softened or vegetable oil
- aquafaba
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- sesame seeds, optional
Vegan Challah Instructions
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In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 1 3/4 warm water, 1 1/2 tbsp yeast, and 1 tbsp sugar. Let sit for 10 mins or until yeast bubbles and froths.
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Whisk, or use the whisk attachment for your mixer, and mix in 1/2 cup of softened vegan butter or oil, and 10 tbsp aquafaba, 3 tbsp at a time.
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Whisk in 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tbsp salt.
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Using your dough hook (or hands if you do not have a stand mixer) gradually add in flour 1 cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until dough holds together.
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Knead dough until smooth. If you are using a stand mixer, do this with your dough hook. If you are doing this by hand, do this on a floured work surface.
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Grease a large bowl with vegan butter or olive oil. Add dough, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp dishcloth. Place in a warm place (I like to put it in my oven with the light on), and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it’s almost doubled in size.
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After it’s doubled in size, punch down the dough, and cover again. Let rise for another half an hour.
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This makes 2 loaves, so cut dough in half. Braid your Challah (check out my fave tutorial linked in recipe card). Grease a large baking mat, or parchment.
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Brush both loaves with 3 tbsp aquafaba or more as needed to cover completely, and allow to rise for another hour.
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Preheat oven to 375F.
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Brush loaves with additional aquafaba and then sprinkle with sesame seeds, or if you’re feeling adventurous, sprinkle everything bagel seasoning.
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Bake on middle rack for 30-35 mins, or until golden brown. Turn tray halfway through for even baking.
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Cool loaves on a wire cooling rack.
Tips for making Challah Vegan
Tips for making Challah Vegan- You can make challah buns instead of loaves of bread if you want!
- I chose to top my challah with sesame seeds on one loaf and everything bagel seasoning on the other, but you can make with or without any seasoning!
- Don’t skip the rising process! I know everyone wants things fast, but rising time is SO important to form this delicious bread
- I highly recommend using a stand mixer since it will produce the best results.
- Challah dough can be sticky, so many people are inclined to add more flour, but don’t add extra flour! Stick to only using 7.5 to 8.5 cups of flour. You want the dough to be slightly sticky.
- Don’t bake on a plain baking sheet, always use a greased baking mat or parchment, or else the bottom cooks too fast and may burn.
- Some challah bread recipes use honey for the sweetness, but instead, I used white sugar to recreate the sweetness of challah bread. If you don’t want to use or have white sugar, feel free to try cane sugar or coconut sugar (but I haven’t personally tried it myself).
I love eating this bread warm, on its own with my homemade vegan butter spread on it, or even cutting slices and using it for vegan french toast if I really feel like spoiling myself. We all deserve some challah french toast in our lives.
Is water challah vegan?
Most water challahs are vegan but I’ve noticed some challah use honey, instead of sugar! My challah recipe is 100% vegan! Other online recipes also use butter, instead of oil so be careful.
Looking for more Vegan recipes?
Recipe for Water Challah (Vegan)
- 1¾ cups warm water
- 1½ tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp white sugar + ½ cup
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened or vegetable oil
- 10 tbsp aquafaba + up to 10 tbsp for wash
- 1 tbsp salt
- 7½ to 8½ cups all-purpose flour
- Sesame seeds for sprinkling, optional
- In a large bowl or bowl of your stand mixer, combine; 1¾ cups lukewarm water, yeast, and 1 tbsp sugar. Allow it to sit for 10 mins or until yeast bubbles and froths.
- Whisk, or use the whisk attachment for your mixer, and mix in vegan butter or oil, and 10 tbsp aquafaba, 3 tbsp at a time.
- Whisk in ½ cup of sugar and 1 tbsp salt.
- Using your dough hook (or hands if you do not have a stand mixer) gradually add in flour 1 cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until dough holds together.
- Knead dough until smooth. If you are using a stand mixer, do this with your dough hook. If you are doing this by hand, do this on a floured work surface.
- Grease a large bowl with vegan butter or olive oil. Add dough, and cover with a wrap or damp dishcloth. Place in a warm place (I like to put it in my oven with the light on), and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it’s almost doubled in size.
- After it’s doubled in size, punch down the dough, and cover again. Let rise for another half an hour.
- This will make 2 loaves, so cut your dough in half. Next braid your Challah.
- To make a 6-braid challah:
- Take half the dough and form it into 6 balls.
- With your hands, roll each ball into a strand.
- Place the 6 strands in a row, and pinch the tops of the strands together.
- Then, follow my favourite video tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=Tm76H25lLwQ
- Then place a large baking mat on top of baking sheet and grease the mat.
- Place braided loaves on the greased baking mat with at least 2 inches in between.
- To make a 3-braid Loaf:
- Take half the dough and form it into 3 balls.
- With your hands, roll each ball into a strand.
- Place the 3 strands in a row, and pinch the tops of the strands together.
- Braid as you would a hair in your hair. Tuck ends under the loaf.
- Place braided loaves on a greased baking sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
- Brush both loaves with 3 tbsp aquafaba or more as needed to cover completely, and allow to rise for another hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F.
- When ready to bake, brush loaves with additional aquafaba and then leave as is, or sprinkle with sesame seeds, if you’re feeling crazy, everything bagel seasoning.
- Bake on middle rack for 30-35 mins, or until golden brown, turn halfway through for even baking.
- Cool loaves on a wire cooling rack.
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star rating & comment below. It truly helps me & I really appreciate any support! Feel free to share your food creation on social and tag me @edgyveg on your photo so I don’t miss it!
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Ashira says:
This isn’t “water challah”. It is a vegan challah, yes, but not all vegan challahs are water challahs. Water challah by their definition aren’t using either egg in the dough, nor egg substitutes. This is why egg challah and water challah have their respective names. While it is acceptable to some to use egg wash or to substitute egg wash on top to create sheen, the whole reason water challah exists is to be bread in the purest Jewish legal sense and not “cake” or mezonot. By adding aquafaba into the dough, the extra ingredient or ingredients invalidate the status of bread. It is surely mezonot, not water challah. This is properly a vegan challah, not a water challah.