Crispy Spring Rolls – Vegan
These crispy spring rolls are shatteringly crunchy on the outside and packed with a savory stir-fried vegetable filling inside — and they come together with far less effort than their golden, restaurant-worthy look suggests. You cook a quick garlic-and-veggie filling, roll it into spring roll pastry, and fry the parcels until both sides are deep golden. They are completely plant-based, perfect as a party snack or a starter, and best served hot with a peanut butter dipping sauce or a swipe of sriracha.
Why I keep coming back to Asian cooking
I might not talk about this all the time, but I absolutely adore Asian cuisine. I don’t even settle on one country or another — I equally love Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese food! I love how different all the dishes are from what we are used to here in Europe, and how a different culture can interpret what you can do with the same basic ingredients. I also love how many Chinese dishes are vegan by design, which is exactly why I keep featuring them on my blog. If you want to fall down the same rabbit hole I did, my Asian cuisine guide is a good place to start.
The ingredients that make these spring rolls work
The filling here is a classic quick stir-fry, and each ingredient earns its place. A few notes before you start:
- Spring roll pastry — these are the thin, papery sheets sold frozen at most Asian grocers. Thaw them fully and keep the stack under a damp towel while you work, because they dry out and crack fast.
- Carrots, cabbage and soy sprouts — julienne the carrots and cabbage so they cook evenly and roll neatly. Cutting everything the same size is the difference between a tidy roll and a lumpy one.
- Garlic and onion — these build the savory base. Slice them thin so they soften quickly in the short cook time.
- Soy sauce or tamari — this seasons the whole filling. Reach for tamari if you need the rolls to be gluten-free.
- Toasted crushed peanuts and spring onion — stirred in off the heat, they add crunch and freshness that survive the frying.
- Coconut oil for the filling, a neutral oil for frying — coconut oil gives the stir-fry a subtle flavor, while a high-smoke-point oil is what you want in the wok for frying.
How to roll and fry them so they turn out crisp
Two things make or break spring rolls: a filling that is not too wet, and a tight roll. Cook the vegetables for only about 5 minutes over medium-high heat so they stay a little crisp and do not weep liquid, then remove them from the pan and stir in the peanuts and spring onion. Let the mixture cool a little before you build the rolls — a hot, steamy filling makes the delicate pastry soggy and hard to handle.
Add about 2 tablespoons of filling per sheet, fold in the sides, and roll tightly, brushing the final edge with a little water so it seals like glue. Tight rolls with no trapped air fry up smooth and even; loose ones can unravel or trap oil. Heat your frying oil to 180C before the rolls go in — too cool and they drink up oil and turn greasy, too hot and they brown before the pastry crisps. Fry in small batches for about 2 minutes, until both sides are deep golden brown, so you do not crowd the pan and drop the oil temperature.
What to serve with crispy spring rolls
Serve these hot, straight from the pan, with a peanut butter dipping sauce or a hit of sriracha — the creamy, nutty sauce against the shatteringly crisp shell is what makes them addictive. They also make a lovely starter for a bigger plant-based spread. I like to set them alongside a warm bowl of vegan red lentil soup or a light spring detox salad so the meal feels balanced, and if you are building a whole Asian-inspired dinner, my Asian cuisine guide has plenty more to fill out the table.
Make-ahead and storage tips
Spring rolls are at their absolute best fresh, when the shell is still crackly, but you have a few options for getting ahead. You can assemble the rolls a few hours in advance and keep them covered in the fridge under a damp towel so the pastry does not dry out, then fry them just before serving. Once fried, leftovers keep for a day or two in the fridge, though they will soften — reheat them in a hot oven or air fryer rather than the microwave to bring back some of the crunch. For longer storage, freeze the assembled, unfried rolls in a single layer, then fry them straight from frozen, giving them an extra minute or so in the oil. If you love making your own snacks from scratch like this, you might also enjoy my healthy vegan falafel for another crispy, crowd-pleasing bite.
I hope you’ll have as much fun making these crispy spring rolls as I do, and that you’ll learn something new about Chinese cuisine along the way. If you try them, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment telling me how your rolls turned out — I’d love to know whether you went the peanut butter sauce route or reached for the sriracha!
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Crispy Spring Rolls – Vegan
Ingredients
- 10 sheets spring roll pastry
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 onion sliced
- 3 carrots julienned
- 6 leaves cabbage julienned
- ½ cup soy sprouts
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 Tbsp peanuts toasted, crushed
- 2 Tbsp spring onion chopped
- 1 cup oil for frying
- water
- peanut butter sauce
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a wok pan. Add the garlic, carrots, cabbage, sprouts and the soy sauce.
- Cook for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Remove the cooked veggies from the pan.
- Add the crushed peanuts, spring onion, stir to incorporate and let cool a little, to be easy to work with.
- Lay the pastry on a clean surface and add about 2 Tbsp of the filling mixture on each sheet.
- Roll the pastry sheets tightly, folding the sides. Brush the edges with a little water to be easy to hold.
- Heat the canola oil in the wok to 180C. Add the spring rolls and cook them in batches for about 2 minutes or until both sides are golden brown.
- Serve with extra toppings and peanut butter sauce or sriracha sauce. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The filling is a simple vegetable stir-fry of garlic, onion, carrots, cabbage and soy sprouts seasoned with soy sauce, plus toasted peanuts and spring onion, all wrapped in spring roll pastry and fried. There are no eggs, dairy or other animal products. Just double-check that your spring roll pastry brand is egg-free, since a few wrappers include egg.
Spring roll pastry is thin and papery, and it fries up light and shatteringly crisp, which is what this recipe uses. Egg roll wrappers are thicker, chewier and usually contain egg, so they are not vegan and give a bumpier crust. For these crispy rolls, stick with the thin spring roll sheets.
The two usual culprits are a wet filling and oil that is not hot enough. Cook the vegetables just 5 minutes so they do not release too much water, and let the filling cool before rolling. Heat the frying oil to 180C and fry in small batches, so the temperature does not drop and the pastry crisps quickly instead of soaking up oil.
This recipe is written for deep-frying, which gives the crispiest, most even result. If you prefer, you can brush the assembled rolls lightly with oil and bake or air-fry them until golden, though the texture will be a little less shatteringly crisp than the fried version. Keep an eye on them, as thin pastry browns fast.
Yes. You can assemble the rolls a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge under a damp towel so the pastry stays supple, then fry just before serving. You can also freeze the assembled, unfried rolls in a single layer and fry them straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or so in the oil.
A peanut butter dipping sauce is the classic pairing here — its creamy, nutty richness plays off the crunchy shell. Sriracha is a great alternative if you want heat, and a splash of soy sauce or tamari also works. Serve them hot with your sauce of choice for the best contrast.
Wow, I never thought I’ll be able to make spring rolls at home, but I did thanks to your recipe! I’m in awe, thank you so much for the step-by-step recipe! 🙂
You’re welcome! So happy you liked the recipe!
Love love LOVVVE spring rolls. They look amazing!!
Thank you! 😀