Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Recipe - The Foodie Dietitian (2024)

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By Kara Lydon - March 12, 2020- Updated March 2, 2022

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This Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread replaces half the grains with whole grains and half the butter with Greek yogurt. Perfect as a healthy swap for St. Patrick’s Day!

I feel like I get the best of both worlds being Irish and Italian. I get the red sauce and the pasta, and the Guinness and the corned beef and Irish soda bread! Pretty lucky, I know. Growing up, we used to get together every St. Patrick’s Day at my grandparents’ house and I have memories of playing Irish folk music and hanging out on the patio. Today, I try to continue the tradition of gathering loved ones on this holiday by making a big ol’ crockpot of corned beef and cabbage and inviting friends over for a Irish feast.

Now any good Irish girl knows that St. Patty’s Day is not complete without Irish soda bread and every year I make the same soda bread recipe.But this year, I thought I’d change things up a bit and create a healthier version of the classic recipe.

Now let me add a caveat here that St. Patrick’s Day is one day out of the year and one day of eating is not going to make or break your health. So if you want to make regular soda bread, by all means, go for it! Nothing wrong with having some of your grains be white and other whole. It’s called V-A-R-I-E-T-Y.

But if you are looking to increase the amount of whole grains in your diet, this recipe is half whole-grain! Can I get a heck yeahhh for fiber? It’s also got half the amount of butter originally called for and I replaced it with Greek yogurt (hello, protein!). Again, not because butter is bad (I lurrrve butter) but because the yogurt adds a protein punch! Added fiber and protein?! Now that’s some serious staying power. Plus, it tastes as good as the original. By using white whole-wheat flour, you really can’t detect a taste difference because it’s more mild in flavor than whole-wheat. If anything, I think it tastes just a bit heartier.

Whenever I make Irish soda bread, I always ask myself why I only make it once a year. It’s SO easy. This is one of those breads that doesn’t require you to rise-punch-rise and take 24 hours to make. With Irish soda bread, there’s no yeast required. In fact, the bread rises by a chemical reaction between the baking soda and the acidic buttermilk.

This bread is delicious with just a spread of Irish butter and maybe a little homemade jam for good measure. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, fam!

And if you want more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, check out these:

Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Gram’s Raisin Irish Bread

Vegan Cauliflower Colcannon

Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Guinness Irish Stew

Healthy Shamrock Shake

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Author: Kara Lydon
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf 1x

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Description

This Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread replaces half the grains with whole grains and half the butter with Greek yogurt. Perfect as a healthy swap for St. Patrick’s Day!

Ingredients

Scale

5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon tbsp caraway seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter with buttermilk in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, add flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, caraway seeds, and raisins.
Add the buttermilk/butter mixture to the dry ingredients and mix together. Fold the yogurt into the dough.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead for 30-60 seconds and form into a round loaf. Lightly cut a cross in the top of the loaf with a serrated knife. Melt remaining butter and brush melted butter all over the loaf.
Transfer loaf to a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes. Let cool on wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Holiday
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Irish

This recipe was retested, reshot and revamped to bring you the most delicious (and most beautiful) dish!The original post was published in March 2015.

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32 Comments

Ashley

This was AMAZING!! Made it today for St. Patrick’s Day. Subbed coconut oil for the butter and maple syrup instead of the white sugar. Delicious! Swapping some of the oil for Greek yogurt is genius!

March 17, 2022

Reply
- Kara Lydon
  
  Thanks, Ashley! Sounds delish.
  
  March 19, 2022
Kerry

Thanks for a great, easy recipe! I made it for my consulting job at a supportive housing center that has a minimal kitchen and typical, urban grocery stores in the neighborhood. I had to sub lemon Greek yogurt for plain, make my own buttermilk, and omit the caraway seeds, but it was otherwise delicious and made the whole place smell amazing! Residents who were unfamiliar with Irish soda bread liked the subtle sweetness. Residents who had their own favorite versions thought it was still really good and couldn’t believe there was so little butter!

March 17, 2022

Reply
- Kara Lydon
  
  Wow! Those substitutions sound delicious. I love introducing soda bread to new people, too. Glad everyone enjoyed it!
  
  March 19, 2022
  
  See Also
  59 Healthy Soup Recipes That Are Both Cozy And Nutritious What Is Savory: All About The Herb and 4 Tasty Recipes - Recipes.net Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread Recipe- Creations by Kara 15+ Best Butternut Squash Thanksgiving Recipe They're Simply Irresistible! | RecipesChoose
Emily

I made this, with some modifications, and it came out great! I used 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 quick cook oats. The texture was very dense (but still bready- not like a bagel), hearty, and moist- definitely not as light as a traditional soda bread, but still very yummy. I also left out the sugar- I made it to go with a savory dinner, and found that the raisins added enough sweetness for my taste.
All this being said, I really enjoyed this recipe, will definitely make again!

March 18, 2017

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
  
  March 28, 2017
Sue Marquis bishop

Would like to try this recipe. But how much is “g”? Don’t know these amounts.

March 17, 2017

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Hey Sue! So sorry but I don’t see “g” anywhere in the recipe. Can you let me know where you see that?
  
  March 29, 2017
Jenine

Where can I find the nutritional info fir this recipe?

March 16, 2017

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Hi, Jenine! I don’t do nutritionals on any of my recipes because I’m not a big believer in counting calories or grams of this or that.
  
  March 29, 2017
Lauren Grant | Zestful Kitchen

Yum! This looks so good, I would love a piece right now!

March 14, 2017

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  It’s as good as it looks! Promise 🙂
  
  March 28, 2017
Elizabeth Shaw

What a great recipe! Just pinned, my husband will LOVE this!!

March 16, 2016

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Thanks, Liz! Hope your husband enjoyed 🙂
  
  May 25, 2016
  
  See Also
  Dairy free butternut squash soup recipe
Matt

Look forward to trying this for St. Pat’s Day. Thanks for posting.

March 14, 2016

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Thanks, Matt! Hope you enjoy!
  
  March 16, 2016
Loraine Foster-Brame

I like making small amounts daily – using 100% whole meal flour and 0% fat Greek yogurt:-
225g whole meal flour
130g 0% fat Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Mmmmm – try serving with butter, jam and a little yogurt on top.

February 22, 2016

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  YUM! Sounds perfect, Loraine!
  
  February 24, 2016
Tande Moreau

I made this yesterday and it makes a beautiful loaf. It was moist and delicious. I used non fat Greek yogurt. Thanks for this healthier option to make Irish soda bread. It was great with our corned beef and cabbage!

March 22, 2015

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  So glad you enjoyed it, Tande! 🙂
  
  March 24, 2015
leah bouquard

Hey I tried this recipe today. I modified it a little by using all whole wheat flour, 1 tablespoon of honey instead of the sugar, whey instead of the buttermilk and an additional half cup of dried cranberries. I also made two loaves instead of one. It turned out pretty good. Thanks for posting!

March 14, 2015

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Awesome, Leah! Glad it turned out well! Happy St. Paddy’s 🙂
  
  March 16, 2015
Maggie Condon

This recipe looks amazing, can’t wait to try! But before I do, can I sub plain non-fat Greek yogurt instead of the low-fat variety?

March 11, 2015

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Thanks, Maggie. I personally recommend sticking with the low-fat Greek yogurt since you’re eliminating a good amount of fat by swapping out the butter. But, I think you’d be fine using non fat yogurt if that’s your yogurt of choice.
  
  March 13, 2015
Alanna

Irish Soda Bread is the absolute best bread in the world, in my opinion. I look forward to my mom’s Irish soda bread like no other – I’m obsessed! I love your recipe and this makes me crave it right now! Can’t wait 🙂

March 11, 2015

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Yes! It totally brings me back to childhood memories of St. Paddy’s Day. Enjoy 🙂
  
  March 13, 2015
Naomi Teeter

Oh goodness! I can almost taste this right through my laptop screen!

March 11, 2015

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Thanks, Naomi! Enjoy 🙂
  
  March 13, 2015
Jenny Shea Rawn

What a gorgeous loaf! And love how you used Greek Yogurt. I have a soda bread recipe I’m trying on Friday, but am pinning to try this one soon after. Making the corned beef & cabbage too – love having it once a year just like we used to do in the Shea household! Happy St Paddy’s Day to you guys!

March 10, 2015

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Thanks, Jenny! Will you share the soda bread recipe you’re trying? I love experimenting with new versions. So fun – enjoy your weekend and your Irish feast! My grandmother’s maiden name is actually Shea. Maybe we’re related 😉
  
  March 13, 2015
Alex Caspero

I love, love, love Irish Soda bread but have NEVER made it. Not once! As much as I love to cook, I’m not really a baker, I hate the idea of having to measure ingredients precisely 🙂 This whole wheat version looks great- maybe I’ll get into the kitchen this week and give it a shot for Saturday!

March 10, 2015

Reply
- Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian
  
  Woot Woot! It’s ridiculously easy to make. So refreshing when you don’t feel like making a yeast bread that takes foreverrr. Enjoy! Let me know how it turns out if you end up making it.
  
  March 13, 2015

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Recipe - The Foodie Dietitian (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Irish soda bread less dense? ›

If you feel like you have to knead the dough together, don't knead more than 5-6 times, max. Too much kneading will create a hard dense crumb on the bread. Rule of thumb with no yeast breads, the less kneading the softer the crumb.

Learn More Now ›

What's the difference between Irish soda bread and Irish brown bread? ›

If you really want to get technical, brown bread is a form of soda bread since it uses baking soda as the leavening agent. However, the two loaves differ pretty significantly from there. Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour.

Why does my Irish soda bread not rise? ›

Reasons for an improperly leavened loaf include: You used too little sodium bicarbonate. This translates into too little CO2. Your baking soda was too old.

Discover More Details ›

Why is my Irish soda bread so dry? ›

It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.

Find Out More ›

How can I make my bread fluffier instead of dense? ›

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

Get More Info ›

How to make homemade bread less dense or more light & fluffy? ›

Dense or heavy bread can be caused by not kneading the dough enough, not letting the dough rise enough, or using too much flour. To fix this issue: try kneading the dough for longer or allowing it to rise for a longer period. You can also try adding a little more liquid to the dough or using a higher protein flour.

Discover More Details ›

Why does Irish soda bread not need yeast? ›

The Irishmen learned to adapt to this climate by growing soft wheat that is lower in gluten. The type of flour from this wheat is not compatible with the yeast to make the dough rise; thus, they use baking soda instead to make the famed Irish Soda Bread.

See Details ›

Is Irish soda bread better warm or cold? ›

Although soda bread is ideal for serving at room temperature, it is better to serve it warm. The thick and cakey texture of the bread and warm temperature brings out its hearty flavors. If you can't have it fresh from the over at least have it toasted.

See Details ›

What is traditionally served with Irish soda bread? ›

The thick and hearty nature of Irish soda bread helps it pair very well with meaty stews (especially Irish stew). You can use it to soak up the juices as you eat or as a vehicle for the meat and vegetables. Traditionally, Irish soda bread is served with a slow-simmered beef and barley stew.

Should you refrigerate Irish soda bread? ›

Tightly wrap your leftover bread and place it in an airtight container. There's no need to refrigerate. As for how long soda bread lasts: Irish soda bread tends to dry out faster than other breads. The bread will be good for 3-4 days or up to three months if frozen.

Read On ›

What went wrong with my soda bread? ›

If you've ever tried Irish soda bread and not liked it, don't go running off yet! Chances are good that the bread you ate suffered from one of three common problems: improper amount of baking soda (a gross, salty-bitter taste), over cooking (a dry, chalky texture), or undercooking (a soggy, doughy center).

How do you know when Irish soda bread is done baking? ›

Use a sharp knife to score the top of the dough into an "X" shape about an inch deep. This is to help heat get into the dough as it bakes. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. To check if the bread is done, when you tap the bottom of the bread it should sound hollow.

Read The Full Story ›

How do you know when Irish soda bread is done? ›

The most traditional doneness test calls for thumping the hot bread in the center to hear if it's hollow-sounding. A more foolproof indication is temperature; the loaf will register 200°F to 205°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the center of the bread. Let the bread cool.