Best Vegan BABKA with Nuts: Beginner-Friendly Recipe!

Loving a yummy, twisty, yeasty masterpiece for your next (Easter) bake? Then this vegan babka recipe is about to become your new BFF! Forget about dry, flat, crumbly attempts – this one's all about pillowy-fluffy dough, gooey filling, and oh-so-pretty show-stopping swirls.

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Easter Treats

Easter’s hopping around the corner, and you know what that means: TREAT TIME!

But what kind of treat? What’s a must-have for your Easter brunch?

For me, it’s all about that yeasted, braided goodness—aka babka (or Hefezopf, or cozonac… more on this in a second!).

In Germany, they keep it simple with a plain one. But in my Romanian family it had to be nut-filled or cinnamon-swirled. No Easter Sunday was complete without a slice of that sweet, yeasty magic, especially after a loooong night at church!

Imagine: Orthodox midnight Easter service, the whole town (literally everyone, religious or not) gathered outside the church. Little me? Sleepy, slightly buzzing, and so ready for that sweet reward afterward.

Babka? Nut Braid? Yeast Dough?

Welcome to the wonderful world of braided bread names! The terms are as diverse as the fillings, and we love them all.

"Babka" is said to have Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine, but it quickly spread across Eastern Europe and beyond. In Germany, it's a Hefezopf (sweet yeasted braid) or Nusszopf (nut braid). In Romania, we call it cozonac. It can be plain, or stuffed with nuts (cozonac cu nucă), cinnamon, or even Turkish delight (cozonac cu rahat).

This makes me curious: What do you call your sweet yeasted braids?

Today's babka recipe is a classic in Germany, Romania, and even Italy (think Easter Panettone). But here’s the twist: it features a closed braid—unlike the open, cut-lengthwise style that’s popular in the U.S. No slicing, no filling spills, no stress. Just pure, swirly deliciousness.

My Yeast Dough Nemesis

I love a good yeast dough. But for years, yeast didn’t love me back (and this one is hard to admit for a baking enthusiast like me).

I followed all the rules—lukewarm milk (don’t kill the yeast!), cozy rising spot—I even tried bribing it with singing and dancing. Nada. Yeast and I? Not meant to be.

The Miracle (Vegan Babka)

Then, enter my hero: Elena.

At an office party, people were raving about her vegan babka. So, not knowing her at all, I begged for the recipe via email.

She, being the kind person she is, sent it right over—with a cheerful “fail-proof!” encouragement. (Little did she know, huh?)

Skeptical but hopeful, I gave it a try.  Aaaand … IT. WAS. A. HIT! 

Elena, you baking fairy, you broke my yeast dough curse!

So, here you go: Elena’s amazing vegan babka recipe with nuts in all its glory.

Get ready to bake, devour, and celebrate Easter (or any day, really) with a smile and a happy tummy. And remember: every bite is a sweet victory—you made this!

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By Elena Frommhold

What could be better than having guests in the afternoon and enjoying a cup of tea or coffee together? Also having a delicious vegan cake to enjoy together!

Since I have always appreciated a good nut braid, I wanted to try a vegan recipe.

I finally found a great recipe and changed a few things. The result is overwhelming! The cake is fluffy and juicy. It tastes phenomenal still slightly warm from the oven (I indulged in it before pouring the frosting over it).

The original recipe is from the German blog Kaffee & Cupcakes (discontinued). Compared to the original recipe, I mainly swapped fresh yeast for dry yeast, added chopped nuts to the filling (not only ground nuts), and I also added cinnamon to the filling and the frosting.

I am excited to share my recipe with you and hope it will lead to some nice afternoons!

🍽 Recipe

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Best Vegan Babka Recipe With Nuts

Looking for a fail-safe vegan nut braid recipe that always delivers a fluffy, delectable cake? Look no further! Traditionally served during Easter in many cultures like Germany and Romania, this delightful babka is perfect for any occasion, treating both you and your guests to a deliciously satisfying treat.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Resting time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: easter, vegan, yeast dough

Servings: 12 slices

Equipment

• 1 35 cm/14 inch rectangular loaf pan

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

Yeast dough

• ▢ 200 g soy milk unsweetened (I used the brand Alpro)
• ▢ 1 cube of fresh yeast 42 g/ 1.5 oz
• ▢ 400 g flour all-purpose flour (regular white wheat or spelt flour)
• ▢ 60 g white sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 50 g neutral oil e.g., rapeseed oil

Nut filling

• ▢ 200 g ground hazelnuts
• ▢ 100 g finely chopped nuts e.g. almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, ... or a mix
• ▢ 75 g white sugar
• ▢ 1 pack of vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 125 g soy milk unsweetened
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Frosting

• ▢ 50 g powdered sugar
• ▢ a little water or soy milk
• ▢ sprinkle of cinnamon

Instructions

• For the dough, warm up the soy milk slightly (lukewarm!). Crumble the yeast into the milk and dissolve it with a whisk.
• Mix the flour with the sugar and the salt in a mixing bowl and form a hole in the middle.
• Pour the yeast milk and oil into this hole and stir carefully. Knead properly, with a dough hook or by hand. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. If it is too dry, add very little soy milk.
• Cover the dough with a clean, slightly damp dish towel and let it rest for 1 hour in a warm place (approx. 35 ° C / 95 °F). (I heat my oven a little, then put the dough in the oven and switch the oven off).
• For the filling, mix the nuts in a bowl with the sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, and soy milk.
• Grease a 35 cm / 14-inch rectangular loaf pan (e.g., with rapeseed oil) and flour.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured working surface and roll it out into a rectangle (1-2cm / 0.4-0.8 inches high). Spread the filling on the dough and leave about 2 cm/0.8 inches space at the top. Roll up the dough from the long side.
• Cut the roll lengthways and wrap the two strands around each other several times.
• If the roll is too long for the baking pan, cut it in half and then wrap the two already braided parts of the dough around each other again.
• Place the nut braid in the prepared baking pan, cover with a towel and let it rest until the oven is preheated.
• Preheat the oven to 180 ° C/350 °F top/bottom heat.
• Once the oven is fully heated, put the nut braid in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes until the surface is golden brown. Check the braid at the end of the baking time to make sure it doesn’t get too dark!
• Let the nut braid cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the frosting, mix the powdered sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Then add some water or soymilk in teaspoons (just a little at a time) until you get a thick, viscous frosting. You don’t want the frosting to be too runny. Pour the frosting over the finished nut braid with a spoon and let it dry.

  Enjoy.

Back to me, Ramona. Big thanks to Elena for sharing her amazing Babka recipe and basically becoming my yeast dough fairy godmother.

Now, tell me! What's your relationship status with your yeast dough? (Let me know in the comments!)

Wishing you planty of sweet doughy delights,
Ramona

Psst ... you'll enjoy the Romanian Pear & Walnut Cake and Martisor: Spring's Lucky Charm Trinket.

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