If you have already tried the classic chocolate babka, then you gonna love this Spring blueberry and lemon version! Vegan blueberry babka is the perfect balance of a rich, soft and fluffy brioche dough swirled with a layer of homemade blueberry custard. It has all the richness of the babka that we love so much, combined with the refreshing flavors of blueberries and lemon. Top with a simple lemon glaze for extra sweetness. Enjoy warm for a delicious breakfast or weekend brunch.

Blueberry custard

Ingredients for the blueberry custard

This babka is filled with a sweet and creamy blueberry custard. It’s very quick and simple to make at home with a few ingredients and better than anything you can find at the supermarket.

• Blueberries – I recommend to use fresh blueberries if they are of season as they will give much texture to the filling and contain less water. However you can also use frozen blueberries, just make sure to thaw them before using. Also you’ll have to cook them a little bit longer to get rid of the excess water.
• Corn starch – We use corn starch a thickener to help the custard to hold together and be smooth and creamy.
• Almond milk – You just need a few tablespoons of it to dissolve the cornstarch. You can actually use any non-dairy milk. Coconut milk works well because of its higher fat content and bring richness and creaminess.
• Maple syrup – Only a few tablespoon to balance the sourness of the blueberries and bring a slight sweetness as the babka is not very sweet. You can also use agave, coconut or date syrup. Adjust the quantity of sweetener to your taste.
• Lemon juice – Again to balance the whole flavors of the custard and add a lemon taste. I recommend to use freshly pressed lemon juice.
• Vegan butter – This is optional but adding a spin of vegan butter in the custard at the end adds so much creaminess and softness to it, and makes it easier to spread on the dough. So I highly recommend, but check the ingredients list before. You can also use coconut oil if you don’t have butter, but if you do keep the custard at room temperature.

How to make blueberry custard

1. Rinse and dry the blueberries. If you use frozen blueberries, make sure to thaw them beforehand. Add them to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the blueberries are soft, release their juice and start to break down. Make sure you cook it long enough so it’s thick and there’s no excess moisture.
2. In a small bowl, combine the almond milk and cornstarch and stir to dissolve the cornstarch with no lumps. Then add the maple syrup and lemon juice.
3. Pour the mixture into the sauce pan, bring to little boil and heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly until it is thick and creamy.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately stir in a tablespoon of vegan butter.
5. Scoop the custard into a container. Cover with plastic wrap to touch to avoid the custard to dry on the surface and leave to chill at room temperature.
6. Give it a final stir before using to make it smooth. Make sure the custard is completely cool before spreading on the dough.

Brioche dough

Ingredients for the vegan brioche

The base of a Babka is a simple brioche dough traditionally made of flour, yeast, sugar, eggs, milk and butter. It’s a rich, very soft and slightly sweetened brioche. To make the brioche dough vegan, we made a few twists in the ingredients. I really wanted to keep the ingredients list as simple as possible, with only products you can easily find wherever you are on earth. The result is a delicious vegan blueberry babka easy to make at home.

• All-purpose flour – plain flour or white bread flour (in Europe T55 flour). Bread flour will give the babka a slightly more chewy texture but both work. I don’t have a gluten free option for now, but you might try with a gluten free flour mix, special for breads and brioches.
• Yeast – You can use either fresh or dry yeast to make the babka. Keep in mind that you’ll need 2,5 to 3 times more fresh yeast than dry yeast (7 g dry yeast = about 20 g fresh) I prefer to use fresh yeast. You can find it in most supermarket or ask your baker. Fresh yeast is a living thing so store it properly in fridge and always check the expiry date beforehand.
• Coconut sugar – I like coconut sugar as it has a lower glycemic index than most of the other sugars, meaning it won’t spike your blood glucose, as well as a pleasant caramel flavor. You can also use light brown cane sugar.
• Non-dairy milk – almond and soy are the best options for this recipe. Milks like coconut will give a strong flavor to the babka, and it contains more fat that can affect the consistency of the dough.
• Coconut oil – we use it instead of butter. Melt the coconut butter until liquid before adding to the dough. You won’t taste the coconut flavor that much in the babka, but if you really don’t like it you can use deodorized coconut oil.
• Cardamom – I love the delicate flavor of cardamome with the blueberries and lemon. Use cardamom powder or better ground your own cardamom seeds.

How to make the brioche dough

Now that you have all your ingredients on hand, it’s time to make this vegan blueberry babka! If you’ve never made babka before, don’t be afraid and simply follow the following steps. I know baking bread at home for the first time can be very intimidating, but you’ll see there is nothing complicated.

1. Crumble the fresh yeast (or drizzle the dry yeast) on the warm milk and stir to dissolve. The milk should be warm but not too hot, slightly under 100 degrees F (37°C) to activate the yeast but not kill it. Leave to activate for about 5 minutes until it starts to be foamy on top.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, cardamome and salt in a large mixing bowl. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to make the dough, but I recommend to work it with your hands for a small bread like this. That way, you can really feel the dough and see if it has the right consistency.
3. Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients and add the foamy yeast mixture and melted coconut. Mix with a spatula to roughly combine then transfer to a lightly floured surface and kneed the dough with your hand for about 8-10 minutes until it’s smooth, elastic and non-sticky. If your dough is sticky even after 8 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of flour. If your dough is too dry and firm, add a splash of milk on the working surface and knead to incorporate the milk into the dough. 
4. Form a loose ball with the dough and place in a large greased bowl. Cover with a clean slightly damp towel. The moisture in the tea towel will help to prevent the dough from drying out. Leave in a warm place for about 1 hour to 1 hour and a half, or until it’s double in size.

Tips do bake Vegan blueberry babka

1. first of all, I highly recommend to use the metric measurements in grams, with a digital scale to ensure accuracy. Maybe you are more familiar with cups, which are very convenient I have to say, but not for all kind of recipes. Recipes like breads are very precise and a little error in the quantity of one ingredient can really change the whole thing.
2. Depending on how much you were able to cook down, spread a thin layer of the blueberry custard filling onto the rolled dough (there can be leftovers). If you spread a thick layer, it will be tricky to roll the dough and it can affect how the babka bakes as well. 
3. Check the best-before date of your yeast before using. Yeast is a living thing and has a limited time of life. An old yeast might no longer be active, and can explain that the dough doesn’t rise. The milk should be warm but not too hot, slightly under 100 degrees F (37°C) not to kill the yeast.
4. Brush the babka with the syrup before and after baking. The brush gives the babka that final glossy sheen and helps to keep the babka moist for a few days.
5. Bake the babka at 340°F / 170°C instead of the classic 350°F / 180°C. I found that a higher temperature browns and dry the surface too quickly, resulting in a very colored top and underdone center of the dough. Also start with traditional oven mode for the first 15 minutes then switch to fan mode.

How to serve and store Vegan blueberry babka

Easy lemon glaze

This vegan blueberry babka is already delicious by itself. It’s sweet, fluffy and rich in flavors. However, you can prepare a very simple lemon glaze for an extra sweetness and a hint of tanginess. To make the lemon glaze, simply whisk together lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl until you get a runny but lightly gooey sauce. The lemon glaze must be thick enough to stay on the babka without immediately flowing. Make the test by dipping a spoon, the glaze must coat the back of the spoon.

Once the babka is cool, drizzle the lemon glaze over using a tea spoon. Add some lemon zest on top and your vegan blubbery babka is finally ready to enjoy!

Store and freeze

This vegan blueberry babka is best enjoyed on the day it is baked, while it is very moist and soft. The glaze on top helps to keep the babka moist for a few days, but the brioche tends to dry pretty quickly.

If possible, store the whole babka (not sliced) in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Make sure the babka is completely cool before you store it to avoid condensation to form. Don’t slice the babka before to keep it as moist as possible. Before serving, cut a slice of babka and warm it up gently to make it soft.

As with most homemade breads, this babka freezes very well! To freeze your baked vegan blueberry babka, wrap the whole babka in a few layers of plastic film, then in a layer of tin foil and put it in freezer. It’ll keep for up to a month this way. To enjoy, remove the babka from the freezer and take it out of the plastic wrap. Heat in oven for 6 to 8 minutes before serving.

For more vegan breads and brioches, check out my:

• Hazelnut Lemon Babka
• Cinnamon rolls
• Caramel Pumpkin cinnamon rolls
• Gluten free Pumpkin Bread (GF)
• Moist banana bread (GF)
• Chocolate Carob Loaf cake (GF)
• Apple cinnamon cake (GF)

I love to see your creations! Don’t forget to tag me @alicepages on your photos on Instagram and give your feedback in the comments below if you make this recipe at home! Your opinion is my best reward.

Vegan blueberry babka

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• Author: Alice Pagès
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Rest time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings 1x
• Category: Baking
• Method: Oven
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Easy vegan blueberry babka is a delicious rich and soft brioche dough swirled with homemade blueberry custard filling and topped with lemon glaze. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, fruity and zesty with the comfort of a fluffy babka.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Blueberry custard

• 300 g fresh blueberries
• 4 tbsp almond milk
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp vegan butter

Brioche dough

• 200 ml non-dairy milk lukewarm (almond or soy)
• 20 g fresh yeast or 7 g dry yeast
• 350 g all-purpose flour
• 60 g coconut sugar
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 65 g melted coconut oil

Brush

• 4 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Lemon glaze

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar

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Instructions

Blueberry custard

1. Rinse the blueberries and add them to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the blueberries are soft, release their juice and start to break down.
2. Combine the almond milk and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir to dissolve. Then add the maple syrup and lemon juice.
3. Pour the mixture into the sauce pan, bring to little boil and heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly until it is thick and creamy.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vegan butter.
5. Scoop the custard into a container. Cover with plastic wrap to touch and leave to chill at room temperature.

Brioche dough

1. Crumble the yeast on the warm milk and stir to dissolve. The milk should be warm but not too hot, slightly under 100 degrees F (37°C) not to kill the yeast. Leave to activate for about 5 minutes until foamy on top.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, cardamom and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients and add the foamy yeast mixture and melted coconut. Mix with a spatula to roughly combine then transfer to a lightly floured surface and kneed the dough with your hand for about 8-10 minutes until it’s smooth, elastic and non-sticky.
4. Form a loose ball with the dough and place in a large greased bowl. Cover with a clean towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it’s double in size.
5. Once the dough has doubled, transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a rectangle about 25 cm x 35 cm / 9 x 13 inch, so that the short side is just a little longer than the loaf pan.
6. Remove the plastic wrap and quickly whisk the blueberry custard to make it smooth and creamy. Spread the blueberry custard in an even layer over the dough, leaving 1/2 inch all around the outside.
7. Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife to cut the log in half lengthwise, exposing the filling upward.
8. Starting at one end, pinch the ends together, then twist the two halves together into a braid, filling facing upward. Pinch together again at the end.
9. Grease and line a 25 cm x 11 cm / 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with baking paper. Place the braid in the pan, gently squishing it to fit if need be. Cover with a towel and leave it to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F (170°C).
11. Combine the almond milk and maple syrup in a small bowl for the brush.
12. When the dough has risen, remove the towel and brush the babka with the syrup. Bake on the middle rack for 45-60 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If the top of the babka starts to brown too quickly, cover it with  foil.
13. Remove the babka from the oven and immediately brush with the syrup. Leave the babka to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
14. Meanwhile you can prepare a lemon glaze. Simply whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar. Drizzle the lemon glaze on top of the cooled babka and add lemon zest before serving.

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Notes

The babka is best enjoyed the same day as it will start to dry quickly. Keep the babka for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

The baking time can vary depending on your oven and the size of your pan. To make sure the babka is baked, insert a toothpick or a knife into the middle and pull it out. If it comes out clean, it’s ready.

Recette version française

Babka vegan aux myrtilles

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• Author: Alice Pagès
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Rest time: 1 heure 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 3 heures 10 minutes
• Yield: 10 parts 1x
• Category: Brioche
• Method: Four
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Cette babka vegan est le mariage parfait d’une brioche moelleuse garnie d’une crème aux myrtilles maison, délicatement sucrée et acidulée. Une gourmandise ultra réconfortante aux saveurs rafraichissantes et pétillantes. 

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Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

Crème de myrtilles

• 200 g de myrtilles fraiches
• 40 ml de lait d’amande
• 20 g de fécule de maïs
• 40 g de sirop d’érable
• 1 cuillère à s. de jus de citron
• 1 cuillère à s. de margarine

Brioche

• 200 ml de lait végétal tiède (amande ou soja)
• 20 g de levure boulangère fraiche ou 7 g de levure sèche
• 350 g de farine de blé type 55
• 60 g de sucre de coco (ou de sucre de canne)
• 1 cuillère à c. de cardamome moulue
• 1/2 cuillère à c. de sel fin
• 65 g d’huile de coco fondue

Dorure

• 4 cuillères à s. de lait d’amande
• 1 cuillère à s. de sirop d’érable

Glaçage au citron

• 1 cuillère à s. de jus de citron
• 80 g de sucre glace
• Zeste de citron

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Instructions

Crème de myrtilles

1. Rincer les myrtilles et les placer dans une casserole. Faire chauffer et cuire à feu moyen pendant environ 15 minutes, jusqu’à ce que les myrtilles soient bien tendres et commencent à se déliter.
2. Dissoudre la fécule de maïs avec le lait d’amande dans un petit bol. Verser la préparation dans la casserole, ainsi que le sirop d’érable et le jus de citron.
3. Porter à ébullition puis baisser le feu et cuire pendant 2 minutes en remuant sans arrêt jusqu’à ce que le préparation prenne une consistance épaisse et crémeuse.
4. Retirer la casserole du feu et ajouter la margarine. Mélanger pour obtenir une crème onctueuse.
5. Transférer la crème de myrtilles dans un récipient. Laisser tiédir quelques minutes puis couvrir au contact avec du film plastique et réserver au frais.

Brioche

1. Verser le lait tiède dans un bol et émietter la levure. Le lait doit être chaud mais pas brulant, légèrement en dessous de 37°C, pour activer la levure sans la tuer. Mélanger pour dissoudre la levure et laisser reposer pendant 5 minutes jusqu’à ce que des bulles se forment en surface.
2. Mélanger la farine, le sucre de coco, la cardamome et le sel dans un grand saladier.
3. Former un puit au centre et verser la préparation lait levure et l’huile de coco liquide.
4. Mélanger avec une spatule pour incorporer les ingrédients, puis transférer la pâte sur un plan de travail légèrement fariné et pétrir à la main pendant 8-10 minutes, jusqu’à ce qu’elle soit lisse, élastique et qu’elle ne colle plus.
5. Former une boule et la déposer dans un saladier huilé. Recouvrir avec un torchon légèrement humide, et laisser reposer dans un endroit chaud pendant environ 1h, ou jusqu’à ce que la pâte double de volume.
6. Quand pâte a doublé de volume, la déposer sur un plan de travail légèrement fariné. A l’aide d’un rouleau à patisserie, abaisser la pâte en un rectangle de dimension environ 25 cm x 35 cm. Le côté le plus court du rectangle doit faire environ la taille du moule.
7. Sortir la crème de myrtilles du réfrigérateur et la mélanger pour lui redonner de l’onctuosité. Etaler la crème de myrtilles uniformément sur la pâte en laissant 1 cm de libre sur les bords.
8. Rouler la pâte dans le sens de la largeur en la maintenant fermement avec les mains pour former un long boudin. A l’aide d’un couteau bien aiguisé, fendre le boudin en deux dans le sens de la longueur.
9. Mettre les deux moitiés ainsi obtenues côte à côte, faces coupées vers le haut. Pincer les deux extrémités, puis tresser les deux brins en les faisant passer successivement l’un par-dessus l’autre.
10. Huiler et chemiser de papier cuisson un moule à cake de dimension environ 25 cm x 11 cm. Déposer la babka dans le moule en la compressant délicatement si besoin. Couvrir avec un linge propre et laisser lever dans un endroit chaud pendant 40 minutes.
11. Préchauffer le four à 170°C.
12. Préparer la dorure en mélangeant le sirop d’érable et le lait dans un petit bol.
13. Quand la babka a gonflé, badigeonner délicatement avec la dorure et enfourner à mi-hauteur pendant 45 à 60 minutes, jusqu’à ce qu’elle soit dorée et cuite. Vérifier la cuisson à coeur en plantant la pointe d’un couteau au coeur, si il ressort propre alors c’est cuit. Si la babka commence à brunir rapidement en cours de cuisson, couvrir avec morceau de papier aluminium et prolonger la cuisson.
14. Retirer four et badigeonner immédiatement la babka chaude avec la dorure. Laisser la babka refroidir dans le moule pendant 20 minutes, puis démouler avec précautions et laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille.
15. Pendant ce temps, préparer le glaçage en mélangeant le jus de citron et le sucre glace dans un petit bol pour obtenir une sauce fluide, légèrement gluante.
16. Verser le glaçage en filet au dessus de la babka et saupoudrer de zestes de citron avant de déguster.

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Notes

Il est recommander de consommer la babka rapidement, le jour même ou le lendemain, car elle a tendance à sécher assez vite. La babka se conserve entière pendant 2 jours dans un récipient hermétique à température ambiante.

Le temps de cuisson peut varier en fonction de votre four et de la dimension du moule. Pour vérifier la cuisson, plantez puis retirez un cure dent ou la pointe d’un couteau au milieu de la babka. Si il ressort propre et sans bouts de pâte, alors la babka est cuite. Sinon, prolongez la cuisson de 5 – 10 minutes avant de vérifier de nouveau.