Vegan Madeleines

⭐️ Why You Should Try It

• They have the perfect hump. The essence of Madeleines is their characteristic hump. Without it, it’s simply not a Madeleine. This recipe yields a beautiful hump thanks to a few secret tips that we reveal below. Say goodbye to flat Madeleines!
• Dense and tender. Just like the classic version, these madeleines have a dense and slightly firm yet tender bite. As opposed to many recipes, this one is not simply a cupcake batter baked in a Madeleine pan. We developed this recipe to get as close to the real deal as possible. Our non-vegan testers even preferred these to madeleines made using eggs!
• Infused with vanilla and lemon. In addition to their rich butter flavor, the madeleines are flavored with vanilla and lemon zest to recreate the classic flavor that our grandmothers used to make.

📘 What Are Madeleines

Madeleines are a classic French small cake that first appeared in 1755 in the North of France. The legend says that a servant called Madeleine Paulmier would have baked these little cakes for the ex-King of Poland. He liked them so much that he decided to name the buttery cakes after her. First called “Cake of Madeleine,” it later became just “Madeleines.”

The characteristic of madeleines is their shell shape and hump. They are traditionally flavored with vanilla and/or lemon zest, although many variants exist.

🧈 Ingredient Notes

Here is what you will need to make vegan madeleines:

• Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour.
• Sugar – I recommend using granulated white sugar. Other types of sugar, such as light brown sugar or coconut sugar, would alter the color and flavor of the batter.
• Plant-based milk – I went with almond milk but any unsweetened plant-based milk will work.
• Vegan butter – You can use store-bought vegan butter or homemade vegan butter.
• Vanilla extract – For optimal flavor, use high-quality vanilla extract. You can use store-bought vanilla extract or homemade vanilla extract. For gourmet madeleines, use the seeds from half of a vanilla bean.
• Lemon zest – For a subtle lemon aroma.
• Baking powder – To help the batter rise and to create the hump.
• Salt – It helps enhance the overall flavor of the madeleines.

🥣 How to Make It

Make the batter

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest to a mixing bowl and whisk until fully combined.

2. Melt the butter. Melt the vegan butter over low heat. Once melted, remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Note: the butter should not be hot when you incorporate it into the batter. Otherwise, it will activate the baking powder, and your madeleines won’t rise well during baking.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. Pour the almond milk, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract into the mixing bowl.
4. Mix until combined. Using a wooden spoon, mix until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain.
5. Let it rest. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Let the batter rest overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Bake

1. Grease a madeleine pan. Start by greasing a madeleine pan using a cube of vegan butter. Greasing with butter is much more effective than greasing with oil in my opinion. Madeleines never stick!
2. Fill the pan. Next, fill each cavity to 4/5 with the batter. The batter will be quite firm. This is completely normal.
3. Chill the pan. Once you have filled all of the cavities, transfer the pan to the freezer and freeze for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
4. Bake. Finally, transfer the madeleine pan to the oven and bake for 6 minutes at 400°F. Then, turn down the heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 6-8 minutes or until the madeleines are golden brown.

🍫 Variations

You can easily customize these madeleines to your liking! Here are a few ideas:

• Use orange zest. Instead of using lemon zest, you can use finely chopped orange zest.
• Incorporate dried fruits. Add raisins, chopped dried figs, freeze-dried strawberries, or chopped dried apricots for extra texture and flavor.
• Add chocolate chips. Stir in about 1/3 cup of mini dark chocolate chips into the batter.
• Swirl in salted caramel sauce. You can either swirl caramel sauce into the batter or add a dollop of sauce into each cavity to create a heart of caramel.
• Flavor the batter. Use different extracts such as caramel, orange, or almond extract.

☕️ What to Serve It With

You can enjoy these madeleines for breakfast or as an afternoon snack with a caramel latte, taro milk tea, or iced coffee!

💬 FAQ

These madeleines are incredibly buttery, packed with vanilla and lemon, and so addictive. They are so delicious that we dare you to stop at one!

🇫🇷 More French-Inspired Sweets

The Best Vegan Pound Cake

Vegan Spritz Cookies

Classic Apple Tarte Tatin

Vegan King Cake (Galette des Rois)

⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!