Home » Vegan Recipes » Vegan Finger Food » Vegan Blini Toppings (with a vegan blini recipe)
Published: · Modified: by Kate Ford · This post may contain affiliate links.
JUMP TO RECIPE JUMP TO VIDEO
This selection of quick and easy vegan blini toppings are simple to make and will impress your guests! Includes a recipe for easy vegan blinis.
🍴Why you will love this recipe
Blinis are perfect party food - little buckwheat pancakes topped with an array of pretty and delicious toppings.
Whilst traditional blinis (and shop-bought blinis) contain milk and eggs, it is very easy indeed to make a vegan version, and to top them with all sorts of delicious things.
Below you will find a recipe and step-by-step instructions for making traditional buckwheat blinis with yeast. Whilst it is possible to replicate a blini-type pancake using plain flour and baking powder, once you've tried a yeasted buckwheat blini you will agree there is no comparison.
Whilst faffing around with yeast might sound like something to avoid when you have guests coming over, in fact these pretty little blinis couldn't be easier to make - just a minute or two of hands-on time mixing the batter, then 45 minutes in a warm place, then dollop the mixture into the pan. So easy, and so impressive!
Jump to:
- 🍴Why you will love this recipe
- 📝 What you need to make vegan blinis
- 👩🏽🍳 How to make your vegan blinis
- 🥂 5 Easy Vegan Blini Toppings
- 🍽 If you liked that...
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments and Reviews
📝 What you need to make vegan blinis
Strong White Flour is important to get the right gluten content to give a good rise for the lightest, fluffiest blinis - don't substitute this for anything else. It is sometimes called bread flour.
Buckwheat Flour is traditional for blinis and has a deliciously nutty flavour. It is more expensive than most flours, but you can substitute in rye flour or wholewheat flour instead.
Yeast Use a 'fast acting' or 'instant' yeast here - you can buy it in a tub or sachets in most supermarkets.
Vegan Yoghurt adds a slightly sour flavour and replaces the eggs in this recipe - use an unsweetened soya yoghurt for best results.
Plant Milk Use an unsweetened plant milk - soya gives best results (as it has the highest protein content) but any oat or nut milk will be fine.
👩🏽🍳 How to make your vegan blinis
Fora full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page 👇🏼.
Sieve the flours into a large bowl and add the yeast and salt. In a small bowl mix the vegan yoghurt and dairy-free milk, and warm in the microwave for 1 minute.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until smooth, then cover and leave in a warm place for around 45 minutes until the batter has risen and small bubbles have formed on the surface.
Heat a little of the vegan butter in a large frying pan and drop in small dollops of batter in. Cook for a minute then flip over. When they are golden brown and cooked through, remove and wrap in a clean tea towel to keep them soft.
🥂 5 Easy Vegan Blini Toppings
These five vegan blini toppings are simple to make and totally delicious. You don't need to make all five, just choose those you like the look of to make a mixed platter.
For the full instructions on how to make these blini toppings, scroll to the bottom of the page 👇🏼.
Carrot 'Smoked Salmon' and Vegan Cream Cheese
Whilst this isn't claiming to be a perfect vegan replica of smoked salmon, it is an easy way to get a really tasty canapé that looks fantastic! Lemon and nori (seaweed) give a subtle fishy flavour.
Lentil 'Caviar' with lemony oat crème fraiche
Similarly, this vegan 'caviar' is actually a quick puy lentil salad in a tasty balsamic dressing, a touch of nori, and served with a lemony oat crème fraiche.
Glazed Shiitake and Cucumber
These meaty shiitake mushrooms are cooked in a splash of soy sauce. Perfectly paired with cucumber spears and a vegan cream cheese.
Vegan Pastrami and Gherkin
A good-quality vegan pastrami that is widely available in supermarkets makes a perfect pair with mini co*cktail gherkins and vegan cream cheese.
Beetroot, Walnut and Caper
Totally delicious, a slice of cooked beetroot is topped with a mixture of walnuts, capers and vegan cream cheese.
No-Cook Vegan Blini Toppings
Or if you prefer some very simple blini ideas that need no cooking at all, how about:
- Hummus and sun-dried tomato A dollop of good-quality shop-bought hummus with thin slices of sun-dried tomato curled on top.
- Avocado and baby tomatoes Mash an avocado and season well with salt and black pepper. Top each blini with a slice of avocado and half a baby tomato.
- Roasted Peppers and vegan cream cheese Use slices of roasted pepper from a jar, and arrange on top of a dollop of vegan cream cheese.
Cheat's Blinis
If you're in a real rush and don't have time to make blinis, you could simply use Ritz Biscuits (which are vegan - the plain, not the cheese version), and top with any of these toppings, to make very quick and easy vegan party nibbles!
🔪 Top Tips & FAQs
Try to serve them fairly soon after cooking, and once the toppings are on, serve immediately. To prevent sogginess, if your party is likely to be a long, grazing-type affair, how about leaving the blinis plain with toppings around them, on a 'make your own blini' station?
You can wrap your blinis in a clean tea towel when they come out of the pan, to keep them soft and warm until serving.
Can I make the blini batter ahead of time?
Yes - as it is a yeasted batter, you can speed up or slow down the fermentation time by changing the temperature. So, if you want to make the batter 8 hours in advance, just keep it in the fridge until cooking time, where it will do a long, slow prove which actually enhances the flavour and texture of your blinis.
Can I freeze my vegan blinis?
Yes - whilst they will always be at their best straight out of the pan, you can freeze blinis successfully. Lay them in a single layer on a baking tray covered in baking parchment/greaseproof paper. As soon as they are frozen through, transfer them to an airtight container or bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, just pop them in the oven straight from frozen, and cook for 7-8 minutes.
🍽 If you liked that...
.... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:
- Easy Vegan Sushi
- Vegan Sliders - mini bean burgers
- Vegan Sausage Rolls with sage and red onion
- 63 Vegan Canapés and Party Food Recipes you need to know about...
Loved this recipe? ⭐️ Leave a star rating below! 📸 Snap a photo of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram, tagging me @thevegspace or #thevegspace 📩 And get all my latest recipes in a weekly e-mail by subscribing to my newsletter.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Blini Toppings (and easy vegan blinis)
Kate Ford | The Veg Space
This selection of quick and easy vegan blini toppings are simple to make and will impress your guests! Includes a recipe for easy vegan blinis.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Canapé
Cuisine British
Servings 20 blinis
Calories 83 kcal
Ingredients
For the blinis:
- 110 g strong white flour sometimes called bread flour
- 55 g buckwheat flour or rye or wholemeal flour
- 5 g fast acting / instant yeast 1 tsp
- 180 g dairy-free yoghurt (unsweetened) soya works best
- 160 ml dairy-free milk (unsweetened) soya works best
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter / block margarine
Topping 1: Carrot 'Smoked Salmon' and Vegan Cream Cheese
- 1 carrot
- ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke optional
- ½ small sheet nori (seaweed) optional
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed or sunflower oil
- vegan cream cheese I like nut-based cream cheeses like Nush
Topping 2: Lentil 'Caviar' with lemony oat crème fraiche
- 3 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ small sheet nori (seaweed)
- 70 g cooked puy lentils or puy/lentil quinoa mix - from a pouch
- oat crème fraiche I like Oatly Creamy Oat Fraiche
- ½ lemon
Topping 3: Glazed Shiitake and Cucumber
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed or sunflower oil
- 4 shiitake mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- cucumber
- vegan cream cheese I like nut-based cream cheeses like Nush
Topping 4: Vegan Pastrami and Gherkin
- vegan cream cheese I like nut-based cream cheeses like Nush
- vegan pastrami slices I like Squeaky Bean Pastrami, available in most supermarkets
- co*cktail gherkins
Topping 5: Beetroot, Walnut and Caper
- 1 cooked beetroot
- 15 g walnuts
- 2 teaspoon capers
- 2 tablespoon vegan cream cheese I like nut-based cream cheeses like Nush
Instructions
To make the blinis:
Sift the strong white flour and buckwheat flour into a large bowl. Add the yeast and salt and mix.
In a small bowl or jug, mix the vegan yoghurt and vegan milk. Warm in the microwave for 1 minute.
Mix the warm yoghurt and milk into the dry ingredients until smooth, then cover and leave in a fairly warm place for 45-60 minutes, until well risen with small bubbles on the surface. (Or to make ahead of time, place in the fridge for 8 hours).
Heat a small amount of vegan butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and drop in blobs of batter (about 1 tablespoon each). Cook for a minute until small bubbles appear on the surface, then flip over and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through. Continue until all the batter has been used up.
Topping 1: Carrot 'Smoked Salmon' and Vegan Cream Cheese
Peel and trim the carrot, then use the peeler to cut it into long, thin strips.
In a mini-chopper or small blender, blitz the lemon juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, (and liquid smoke and nori if using) - or crush the nori and whisk by hand. Tip into an airtight tub or container then toss through the carrot strips until fully coated. Season well with salt and black pepper. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes or longer.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the carrot strips and all the marinade. Cook gently for 4-5 minutes until the carrot is fairly soft.
Spread the blinis with vegan cream cheese, then arrange the carrot smoked salmon on top.
Topping 2: Lentil 'Caviar' with lemony oat crème fraiche
In a mini-chopper or blender, blitz the oil, balsamic and nori (if using) until smooth, (or crush the nori and whisk by hand).
Stir the dressing through the cooked puy lentils, and season well with salt and black pepper.
Mix the oat crème fraiche and lemon juice together.
Top each blini with a teaspoon of lentil 'caviar' and a teaspoon of lemony crème fraiche.
Topping 3: Glazed Shiitake and Cucumber
Heat the oil in a small frying pan.
Clean and halve the shiitake mushrooms and fry gently for 2-3 minutes.
Add the soy sauce and let it bubble until the mushrooms are fully coated in a sticky glaze. Remove from the heat and set aside.
See Also10 Best Falafel Sauce RecipesCut a length of cucumber, quarter and remove the fleshy seeds in the centre, then slice into very fine matchsticks.
Spread each blini with vegan cream cheese, then top with two shiitake mushroom halves and two cucumber matchsticks.
Topping 4: Vegan Pastrami and Gherkin
Spread each blini with vegan cream cheese.
Tear the vegan pastrami into long strips, and arrange on the blini, alongside a co*cktail gherkin.
Topping 5: Beetroot, Walnut and Caper
Slice the cooked beetroot into round slices, and lay on a sheet of kitchen paper to drain any excess juice.
Roughly chop the walnuts and capers.
In a small bowl mix the walnuts, capers and vegan cream cheese.
Top each blini with a beetroot slice and a teaspoon of the walnut and caper mixture.
Video
Notes
Try to serve them fairly soon after cooking, and once the toppings are on, serve immediately. To prevent sogginess, if your party is likely to be a long, grazing-type affair, how about leaving the blinis plain with toppings around them, on a 'make your own blini' station?
You can wrap your blinis in a clean tea towel when they come out of the pan, to keep them soft and warm until serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bliniCalories: 83kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 101mgPotassium: 103mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 536IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! Mention @thevegspace or #thevegspace
Free 4-Week Vegan Meal Plan
Have you got your hands on a copy of my meal plan yet? If notCLICK here to download a copy of my FREE 4 Week Vegan Meal Plan today!
For more quick and easy vegan recipes take a look at my latest book Vegan in 15.
"Brilliant! Chock full of easy recipes and great tips and advice" Hello! Magazine
Please note that all recipes and images on The Veg Space are copyright protected. If you would like to share the recipe, please use the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or copy and paste the recipe, (even if credited to The Veg Space). Many thanks for your understanding
« Christmas Pizza
Easy Plaited Bread »
About Kate Ford
Hi! I'm Kate, vegan home cook and blogger behind The Veg Space and author of Vegan in 15. I'm passionate about creating easy vegan recipes that even a first-time cook can follow.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Bunny says
The blini batter recipe worked perfectly even using gluten-free flour! I overproofed mine unfortunately but that's no one's fault but my own. Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
Kate Ford says
Ah that's good to know it works well with GF flour, thanks!
Reply
Heather Smith Thomassen says
I'm OK with gluten, but NOT with wheat. Is there no substitute for Strong white bread flour, please?
Reply
Tania says
These are perfect for all the festive occasions and summer parties!
Reply
Keri Bevan says
These are gorgeous. We made them for a party, and even non vegans loved them. Thank you for the recipe!
Reply
Suja md says
We really like this recipe. Never knew it was this easy to make. Will be trying without further delay!
Reply
Nathan says
These vegan blinis are so cute! I'll definitely have to try that carrot "smoked salmon" variety, but they all look delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
Colleen says
We made the sh*take & cucumber version for our party last weekend and they were a hit! Thanks for the recipe.
Reply
Emily says
What a beautiful and simple appetizer to share with guests! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Reply
kirschplunder says
These look incredible... so elegant and probably very delicious!
Reply
Sophie says
They look great! I'm in a beetroot phase at the moment, having it every day!! Especially like the presentation platter too by the way!!
Reply
TheVegSpace says
Yes the slate is v. cool indeed - already had lots of use!
Reply
Clare Rudd says
Lovely, bet they tasted delicious and they look fab.
Reply
TheVegSpace says
Thanks Clare!
Reply
