Easy Vegan Stollen Bars: No-Yeast German Christmas Bake (Dairy-Free & Eggless)

Embrace the festive spirit with these incredibly simple and utterly delicious Vegan Stollen Bars! If you adore the rich, spiced, and fruit-laden goodness of traditional German stollen but dread the lengthy, yeast-based baking process, then this recipe is your new holiday hero. These delightful bites capture all the classic Christmas flavors in a quick, fuss-free format, making them an ideal treat for busy bakers and festive gatherings alike.

My quest for the perfect stollen often led me down the traditional path, involving heavily enriched yeasted doughs and multiple, patient rises. While the results of a homemade traditional stollen are undeniably rewarding, the time commitment can be substantial. That’s precisely why these vegan stollen bars have quickly become a firm favorite – they deliver all the warmth, spice, and marzipan magic without the waiting game.

The secret to their speed and ease lies in foregoing yeast entirely, opting instead for baking powder as the leavening agent. This means you can mix up the dough, transfer it to a baking tin, and have it in the oven almost immediately. No more hours spent proofing dough; just straightforward, satisfying baking!

What emerges from the oven are moist, dense bars, bursting with an abundance of Christmassy flavor. The texture is wonderfully unique – somewhere between a tender bread and a rich cake. Each bite offers a buttery softness with a slight chew, generously studded with succulent dried fruits, crunchy nuts, and, most importantly, luscious pockets of gooey marzipan. This combination creates a truly indulgent experience that perfectly encapsulates the joy of the holiday season.

This particular recipe takes inspiration from a fantastic orange and pistachio stollen bars recipe by Dan Lepard. Adapting it to be completely vegan was a surprisingly smooth process. The original calls for egg, cream cheese, and butter, but with smart vegan substitutions, I’m confident that even the most discerning palate wouldn’t guess these bars are entirely plant-based. The result is a dairy-free and eggless delight that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its traditional counterparts.

These bars are a delightful take on “quark stollen,” a German variation of stollen that typically uses quark – a type of fresh dairy product akin to cottage cheese or cream cheese – in place of some of the butter and milk. Quark stollen is often made with baking powder, making it a quicker, less labor-intensive alternative to classic yeast-risen stollen. While traditional quark stollen is usually shaped into the familiar stollen ‘log,’ I find the bar format offers several advantages. Not only are they incredibly easy to slice and serve, but they can also be cut into small squares, making them perfect canapés or party food. Plus, the bar shape ensures a more even distribution of marzipan throughout, rather than a concentrated strip in the center – a true win for marzipan lovers!

Essential Ingredients for Your Vegan Stollen Bars:

Crafting these delectable vegan stollen bars requires a few key ingredients, each playing an important role in achieving their signature rich flavor and moist texture. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need:

• Thick Vegan Yogurt: This is a crucial substitute for the quark or cream cheese found in traditional recipes. Quark, a staple in German baking, provides a unique moisture and tang. A thick, Greek-style vegan yogurt works beautifully to replicate this. I highly recommend using a brand like The Coconut Collaborative vanilla yogurt for its consistency and subtle flavor, which complements the stollen spices. Avoid runny yogurts, as they can alter the dough’s texture significantly. While vegan quark or vegan cream cheese might theoretically work, I haven’t personally tested these, so I advise sticking to a thick vegan yogurt for guaranteed results.
• Vegan Block Butter: For the best dough consistency and richness, a solid block vegan butter or margarine is essential, rather than the spreadable kind found in tubs. Block butter typically has a higher fat content and less water, which is ideal for baking. I use Naturli Vegan Block, known for its excellent performance in baking. After baking, the stollen bars are generously brushed with melted vegan butter. This step is not just for flavor; it helps seal in moisture, keeping the bars wonderfully soft. For this post-bake brushing, either block or tub vegan butter will work fine.
• Caster Sugar and Icing Sugar: Caster (superfine) sugar is used within the dough for its fine texture, which dissolves easily and contributes to a smooth crumb. Before serving, the bars are dusted with a generous layer of icing (powdered) sugar, which adds a traditional finish and extra sweetness. If you don’t have caster sugar, granulated sugar can be used in the dough as a direct substitute.
• White Bread Flour: While plain (all-purpose) flour can work in a pinch, white bread flour is preferred here. Its higher protein content contributes to a slightly chewier, more authentic stollen-like texture, bridging the gap between cake and bread. If possible, opt for bread flour for superior results.
• Ground Almonds: The addition of ground almonds is key to the luscious, dense, and moist texture of these stollen bars. They add a lovely richness and depth of flavor that complements the marzipan and almond extract. I haven’t experimented with omitting them, and given the prominent almond notes from both the ground almonds and marzipan, this recipe is likely not suitable for those with almond allergies.
• Baking Powder: As mentioned, this recipe is yeast-free. Baking powder is the star leavening agent, providing the necessary lift and tender crumb without any proofing time.
• Warming Spices: A blend of mixed spice and freshly ground cardamom infuses these bars with quintessential Christmas aromas. Mixed spice often includes cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, among others. Feel free to adjust the spices to your preference; pumpkin spice can be an excellent substitute if mixed spice is unavailable in your region.
• Orange Extract and Almond Extract: These extracts elevate the flavor profile considerably. I’m a big fan of almond, so I’ve added a touch of almond extract to enhance the marzipan’s essence. The original Dan Lepard recipe features orange extract, which I’ve retained for its bright, zesty notes. You could substitute the orange extract with the finely grated zest of one orange for a more natural citrus burst, or use vanilla extract for a classic, comforting aroma.
• Marzipan: For me, marzipan is the absolute best part of stollen, so I’ve included a generous amount! You can, of course, adjust the quantity if you prefer less. Chop the marzipan into 1-2 cm dice to ensure an even distribution throughout each bar. A pro tip: chop the marzipan and then freeze it briefly before folding it into the dough. This prevents it from becoming too sticky and squished during mixing, allowing for distinct, delicious pockets of marzipan in the final product. Both store-bought and homemade marzipan work wonderfully.
• Pistachios: I love the vibrant color and subtle, nutty flavor that pistachios bring to these vegan stollen bars. However, feel free to use your favorite nuts. Almonds are a very traditional choice for stollen and would be a great alternative. (On occasion, when I’ve run out of pistachios, I’ve used a mix of pistachios and almonds with excellent results.)
• Dried Cranberries and Sultanas: A mix of dried cranberries and sultanas (golden raisins) offers a lovely balance of tartness and sweetness. However, this is a flexible component; feel free to customize with your preferred dried fruits. Raisins, currants, chopped dried cherries, mixed candied peel, or even finely diced dried apricots would all be fantastic additions.
• Glycerine (Optional): A small amount of glycerine (just a teaspoon) is a completely optional but highly recommended addition. It acts as a humectant, helping to retain moisture and keep your stollen bars wonderfully soft and fresh for a longer period.

How to Master These Vegan Stollen Bars:

(For a complete list of ingredients and detailed step-by-step instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.)

Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Prepare a 20 cm / 8 inch square cake tin by greasing it thoroughly and lining it with baking parchment. This ensures your stollen bars will release cleanly from the tin after baking.

Next, prepare your marzipan. Chop it into small 1-2 cm dice. Spreading these pieces out on a tray and placing them in the freezer for a short while is a crucial tip. This step makes the marzipan firm, preventing it from squishing and dissolving into the dough when mixed, ensuring you get lovely distinct pockets of almondy goodness in every bite. While the marzipan chills, you can start on the dough.

In a spacious mixing bowl, combine the caster sugar, the melted vegan block butter, the thick non-dairy yogurt, orange extract, almond extract, the optional glycerine, mixed spice, ground cardamom, and a pinch of salt. Whisk these wet ingredients together thoroughly until they are well combined and smooth. This forms the flavorful base of your stollen dough.

Now, incorporate the dry elements into the wet mixture. Whisk in the ground almonds and baking powder. After these are fully integrated, stir through your dried cranberries, sultanas, and the roughly chopped pistachios. Ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Add the white bread flour to the bowl. Stir diligently until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry patches remain. The dough at this stage will be quite soft – almost an extremely thick batter consistency, rather than a firm, kneadable dough. Finally, gently fold in the frozen marzipan pieces, being careful not to overmix.

Carefully transfer the rich dough into your prepared square cake tin. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread it out firmly and evenly, ensuring it reaches all the way into the corners of the tin. If you find the dough too sticky to handle, wetting your hands slightly can make it much easier to press and spread the dough smoothly.

Bake the stollen for approximately 40 minutes. It should turn a beautiful golden brown on top and feel firm to the touch. Determining doneness can be a little tricky due to the high marzipan content – a skewer inserted might come out sticky if it hits a piece of melted marzipan. However, if you can find a spot free of marzipan, the skewer should emerge clean. If in doubt, look for a firm top and golden color, as the bars will firm up further as they cool.

Once baked, remove the stollen from the oven and let it cool in the tin for about 20 minutes. This resting period is important for structure. After 20 minutes, brush the warm stollen very generously with the first portion of melted vegan butter. It might seem like a lot of butter, but trust the process – this liberal brushing is key to keeping the stollen incredibly moist and tender. Ensure you use all of it!

Allow the stollen to cool completely in the tin. Patience here is a virtue, as it allows the flavors to meld and the texture to set perfectly. Once entirely cool, wrap the slab tightly in tin foil. Store it at a cool room temperature to maintain its freshness and flavor.

When you’re ready to serve your festive vegan stollen bars, unwrap the slab. Give it another light brush with a bit more melted vegan butter – this adds shine and helps the icing sugar adhere. Then, dust it generously with a thick layer of icing (powdered) sugar, creating that classic snowy stollen appearance. Finally, using a sharp knife, slice it into individual bars or small squares, perfect for sharing and enjoying.

Top Tips for Perfect Vegan Stollen Bars:

• Precision in Measurement: For the most consistent and best results in baking, I always strongly recommend using gram measurements with a digital kitchen scale rather than cup conversions. Cup measurements can vary significantly depending on how ingredients are packed, leading to inaccurate ratios and potentially impacting the final texture and outcome of your stollen.
• Ingredient Integrity: This recipe has been developed and tested with the specific ingredients mentioned. While some substitutions are noted as possible, any other alterations are done at your own risk. Baking is a science, and changes can sometimes lead to unexpected results.
• Checking for Doneness: As noted in the instructions, determining when these vegan stollen bars are perfectly baked can be a little challenging due to the high volume of marzipan. If you insert a skewer and it hits a piece of marzipan, it will likely come out sticky, even if the rest of the bar is cooked. Aim to insert the skewer into a spot where you can visually confirm there is no marzipan; if it comes out clean from that spot, your stollen is ready. Otherwise, rely on the visual cues: a beautiful golden-brown top and a firm, slightly springy feel to the touch. Don’t worry if they feel a little soft immediately out of the oven; they will continue to firm up as they cool.
• Serving Versatility: While I love slicing these into elegant bars, they are incredibly versatile. For parties or a more delicate finger food option, consider cutting them into smaller squares. This recipe yields approximately 18 bars or up to 36 squares, making them perfect for sharing.
• Enhancing Flavors: For an even deeper flavor profile, consider soaking your dried fruits in a splash of rum, brandy, or orange juice for at least an hour (or even overnight) before adding them to the dough. This adds an extra layer of moisture and aromatic complexity.

How to Store Your Vegan Stollen Bars:

These vegan stollen bars are certainly delicious straight after they’ve cooled, but their flavors truly deepen and meld beautifully a day or two after baking. This makes them an excellent make-ahead option for festive occasions.

Once the stollen slab has received its generous coating of melted butter and has cooled completely to room temperature, wrap it very tightly in tin foil. Store the wrapped stollen at a cool room temperature. This airtight seal helps maintain its moistness and prevents it from drying out.

After you’ve dusted the stollen with icing sugar and sliced it into individual bars or squares, continue to store them wrapped tightly in tin foil at cool room temperature. They should keep beautifully for about a week, and often even longer, becoming more flavorful with each passing day. The glycerine, if used, will also contribute to their extended freshness.

While I haven’t personally tried freezing these particular stollen bars, I see no reason why they wouldn’t freeze well. If you choose to freeze them, wrap the whole slab (before dusting with icing sugar and slicing) tightly in multiple layers of cling film and then tin foil to prevent freezer burn. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before slicing, brushing with additional melted butter, and dusting with icing sugar.

More Festive Vegan Bread Recipes to Explore:

If you’re enjoying the world of vegan festive baking, be sure to check out these other delightful recipes:

• Traditional vegan stollen
• Vegan chocolate babka
• Gingerbread cinnamon rolls
• Mincemeat, marzipan and apple bread wreath
• Vegan stollen wreath
• Maple pecan bread wreath
• Mincemeat and marzipan cinnamon buns

If you tried this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! Please rate it, leave a comment below, or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and use the hashtag #domesticgothess to share your creations!

*All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you wish to share this recipe, please do so by using the provided share buttons. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.*