This collection of quick, easy vegan blini toppings is simple to prepare and will delight your guests. Includes a straightforward recipe for vegan buckwheat blinis.
🍴 Why you will love this recipe
Blinis are ideal party food — small buckwheat pancakes that make perfect bite-sized canvases for a variety of attractive and tasty toppings.
Traditional and most shop-bought blinis contain milk and eggs, but it’s very easy to make a vegan version that’s just as delicious. These toppings are quick to assemble and make an impressive platter.
Below you’ll find a yeasted buckwheat blini recipe with clear step-by-step instructions. You can make a quick batter with plain flour and baking powder, but a yeasted buckwheat blini has a unique texture and flavour that’s worth the extra step.
Although using yeast might sound fiddly before guests arrive, these blinis are surprisingly straightforward: just a few minutes of mixing, 45 minutes resting in a warm spot, then spooning into the pan. Minimal effort, maximum impact.
📝 What you need to make vegan blinis
Strong white flour (also called bread flour) gives the right gluten structure for light, airy blinis. Avoid substituting with very low-gluten flours if you want the same rise.
Buckwheat flour is traditional and brings a nutty flavour. If you don’t have it, rye or wholemeal flour will work in a pinch, though the taste will differ slightly.
Yeast — use instant or fast-acting yeast, available in tubs or sachets at most supermarkets.
Vegan yoghurt (unsweetened) replaces eggs and adds a gentle tang; unsweetened soya yoghurt gives the best results for texture.
Plant milk — unsweetened soya milk works best because of its protein, but oat or other nut milks are fine.
👩🏽🍳 How to make your vegan blinis
For a full, printable recipe with ingredient quantities and the full method, see the recipe card below.
Sift the flours into a large bowl, then add the yeast and salt. Whisk the vegan yoghurt with the dairy-free milk in a small jug and warm briefly until slightly warm to the touch (about 1 minute in the microwave).
Combine wet and dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth batter. Cover and leave in a warm place for 45–60 minutes until the batter has risen and small bubbles appear on the surface.
Heat a little vegan butter in a frying pan and drop spoonfuls of batter in (about 1 tablespoon). Cook until bubbles form, flip and cook until golden and cooked through. Keep warm wrapped in a clean tea towel to retain softness.
🥂 5 Easy Vegan Blini Toppings
Here are five uncomplicated, flavourful vegan toppings. Mix and match a few choices to create an attractive platter — you don’t need to make all of them.
Scroll to the recipe card for full, step-by-step instructions for each topping.
Carrot ‘Smoked Salmon’ with vegan cream cheese
Thin carrot strips are marinated with lemon, nori and a touch of soy and maple (and optional liquid smoke) to create a pretty, slightly smoky canapé topping. Serve on a smear of vegan cream cheese.
Lentil ‘Caviar’ with lemony oat crème fraîche
A quick puy lentil salad dressed with olive oil, balsamic and a pinch of nori provides a savoury, textured topping. Add a dollop of lemony oat crème fraîche to finish.
Glazed shiitake and cucumber
Shiitake mushrooms pan-glazed in soy sauce become rich and meaty. Pair with fine cucumber matchsticks and vegan cream cheese for a fresh contrast.
Vegan pastrami and gherkin
Tear good-quality vegan pastrami into strips, layer over vegan cream cheese and add a cocktail gherkin for a classic salty-sour bite.
Beetroot, walnut and caper
Top a cooked beetroot slice with a chopped mixture of walnuts, capers and vegan cream cheese for a colourful, tangy canapé.
No-cook vegan blini toppings
If you prefer no-cook options, try these quick ideas:
- Hummus and sun-dried tomato — a good-quality hummus topped with thin strips of sun-dried tomato.
- Avocado and baby tomatoes — seasoned mashed avocado with a slice of avocado and half a baby tomato on each blini.
- Roasted peppers and vegan cream cheese — jarred roasted pepper strips over a dollop of vegan cream cheese.
Cheat option: If you’re pressed for time, plain Ritz-style biscuits (check ingredients for vegan versions) make an easy base for any topping to create instant canapés.
🔪 Top tips & FAQs
Serve soon after assembling: blinis are best eaten shortly after cooking; once topped, serve immediately to avoid sogginess. For long events, keep blinis plain and set up a toppings station so guests assemble their own.
Keep them warm: wrap cooked blinis in a clean tea towel to retain heat and softness until serving.
Yes. Because the batter uses yeast, you can slow fermentation by refrigerating the mixture for up to 8 hours; this longer, cooler prove improves flavour and texture. Alternatively, leave it in a warm place for a faster rise.
Yes. Freeze blinis in a single layer on a tray until solid, then transfer to an airtight bag or container for up to three months. Reheat from frozen in the oven for 7–8 minutes.
🍽 If you liked that…
You might also enjoy other simple vegan party recipes and small bites. Explore ideas like easy vegan sushi, mini sliders and sausage rolls to build a complete sharing menu.
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Easy Vegan Sushi
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Vegan Sliders – mini bean burgers
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Vegan Sausage Rolls with sage and red onion
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63 Vegan Canapés and Party Food Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Blini Toppings (and easy vegan blinis)
Kate Ford | The Veg Space
Ingredients
For the blinis:
- 110 g strong white flour (bread flour)
- 55 g buckwheat flour (or rye/wholemeal)
- 5 g fast-acting/instant yeast (about 1 tsp)
- 180 g dairy-free yoghurt (unsweetened, soya works best)
- 160 ml dairy-free milk (unsweetened)
- 1 tbsp vegan butter or block margarine (for frying)
Topping 1: Carrot ‘Smoked Salmon’ and Vegan Cream Cheese
- 1 carrot
- ½ lemon (juice)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp liquid smoke (optional)
- ½ small sheet nori (optional)
- 1 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
- Vegan cream cheese
Topping 2: Lentil ‘Caviar’ with lemony oat crème fraîche
- 70 g cooked puy lentils (or pouch mix)
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ small sheet nori (optional)
- Oat crème fraîche (or oat yoghurt)
- ½ lemon (juice)
Topping 3: Glazed shiitake and cucumber
- 1 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
- 4 shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- Cucumber, cut into fine matchsticks
- Vegan cream cheese
Topping 4: Vegan pastrami and gherkin
- Vegan cream cheese
- Vegan pastrami slices
- Cocktail gherkins
Topping 5: Beetroot, walnut and caper
- 1 cooked beetroot, sliced
- 15 g walnuts, chopped
- 2 tsp capers, chopped
- 2 tbsp vegan cream cheese
Instructions
To make the blinis:
- Sift the strong white and buckwheat flours into a large bowl. Add the yeast and a pinch of salt and mix together.
- In a jug, combine the vegan yoghurt and plant milk and warm briefly until just warm to the touch (about 1 minute).
- Stir the warm liquid into the dry ingredients until smooth. Cover and leave in a warm place for 45–60 minutes until risen and bubbly. For an overnight option, refrigerate for up to 8 hours for a slow prove.
- Heat a little vegan butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Drop blobs of batter (about 1 tbsp) into the pan. Cook until small bubbles form, flip and cook until golden. Keep finished blinis wrapped in a clean tea towel to stay soft.
Topping 1: Carrot ‘Smoked Salmon’
- Peel and trim the carrot, then use a vegetable peeler to slice into long, thin ribbons.
- Blend lemon juice, soy sauce, maple syrup and nori (if using) or whisk together. Toss the carrot ribbons in the marinade, season and leave to marinate at least 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated carrot and cook gently for 4–5 minutes until tender. Spread vegan cream cheese on each blini and top with the carrot strips.
Topping 2: Lentil ‘Caviar’
- Blend olive oil, balsamic and nori until smooth (or whisk if crushing nori by hand).
- Toss dressing with cooked puy lentils and season. Mix oat crème fraîche with lemon juice.
- Top each blini with a teaspoon of lentil mixture and a teaspoon of lemony oat crème fraîche.
Topping 3: Glazed shiitake and cucumber
- Heat oil in a small pan. Clean and halve shiitake mushrooms and fry 2–3 minutes.
- Add soy sauce and cook until the mushrooms are glazed. Remove from heat.
- Cut cucumber into fine matchsticks. Spread vegan cream cheese on blinis, top with mushroom halves and cucumber matchsticks.
Topping 4: Vegan pastrami and gherkin
- Spread each blini with vegan cream cheese.
- Tear vegan pastrami into strips, arrange on the blini and add a slice of cocktail gherkin.
Topping 5: Beetroot, walnut and caper
- Slice cooked beetroot and blot on kitchen paper to remove excess juice.
- Roughly chop walnuts and capers and mix with vegan cream cheese.
- Top each blini with a beetroot slice and a teaspoon of the walnut–caper mixture.
Notes
Serve soon after assembling for best texture. For parties that last, offer plain blinis with toppings on the side so guests can assemble themselves.
Keep blinis warm by wrapping them in a clean tea towel as they come out of the pan.
Nutrition
Calories: 83 kcal
Carbs: 10 g
Protein: 3 g
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