New to vegan baking and don’t know where or how to start? We’ve got you covered! This guide will show you all the tips and tricks of vegan baking and get you mastering the oven in no time.
The most important (and most obvious) thing to know about vegan baking is, of course, it utilizes no dairy or animal products. Therefore, substitutions for these commonly used ingredients are essential to getting the perfectly proved and perfectly baked treat! Let’s go over all the substitutes for each ingredient.
Egg substitutes:
- Flax egg: a flax egg is a combination of ground flaxseed and water that turns to a gel as it settles. To make, mix one tablespoon of ground flax seeds and three tablespoons of water together and let the mixture sit for five minutes. This will make one egg sized portion substitute. Flaxseed’s flavor is slightly nutty so it is great for cookies, muffins, and quick breads.
- Chia egg: a chia egg is very similar to flax egg and uses the same amount of ingredients to make, but you grind up the chia seeds before making the mixture. Chia seeds have a mild nutty flavor that are good with sweet or savory treats. Make sure to get white chia seeds unless you want the natural dark color of regular chia seeds to show in your baked goods. Also, like the flax egg, chia eggs are perfect for quick breads, cookies, and hearty cakes.
- Aquafaba: aquafaba is the starchy liquid you have leftover after cooking chickpeas. With just three tablespoons of aquafaba, you can replace a whole egg in your recipe. You can also whip it up like egg whites to make meringues, frostings or whipped toppings. Aquafaba liquid is mostly clear and won’t give much flavor, so it’s great in cakes.
- Applesauce/Mashed Banana: these work overtime as they can be used for an egg replacer or sweetener in your recipe. You just have to make sure you want their flavors in whatever you bake. These ingredients add a fantastic moisture to your baking. One of the biggest worries is that your baking will be dry without milk, butter or eggs, so these two ingredients are a fantastic way to keep your baking moist. Especially good in muffins, cakes and quick breads.
Milk Substitutes:
- Nut milks: Soy milk is the most popular in vegan baking as it mimics milk the best due to its thickness. Soy also stays stable when exposed to high temperatures as well. You can also use almond, cashew and oat milk just know they are not as thick and don’t have the same properties as soy. There are sweetened versions of these as well. Experiment to find your desired flavors.
- Coconut milk: canned coconut milk has a good amount of fat in it, so it is great for recipes calling for high fat milk or cream. It is great for making whipped toppings as well.
Butter substitutes:
- Coconut oil: this oil can be used as a one-to-one substitute for butter in cake and cookie recipes that require creaming, you just use it in its solid state and it works fantastic. Coconut oil has a flavorful nutty taste even after it is baked, so it is great when paired with chocolate and fruits.
- Plant oils: vegetable, olive or canola oils are used regularly in vegan baking as well. When you sub out butter for oil, use ¾ cup of oil for every cup of butter called for in the recipe. Olive oil has a more distinct flavor than vegetable or canola so keep that in mind when baking.
- Nut butters: be it peanut, almond or tahini, nut butters can keep your baking creamy and flavorful. Nuts are a very helpful ingredient in everyday vegan baking, as you can see. They have subtle flavors that won’t overpower your baking as well. There are even nut flours out there to help with thickening!
Sweeteners:
- Golden syrup: this is a great substitute for honey. It has a mild, sweet flavor. You can also use golden syrup in lieu of cane sugar if you choose, you just ¾ cup of the syrup for every cup of sugar the recipe calls for. Since refined granulated sugar can be non-vegan, make sure to use raw or make sure the company doesn’t use bone char in their process. You can also just use these great alternatives as well.
- Dates: date sugar is a good alternative to granulated sugar. Date syrup can be used as a substitute for honey or even maple syrup.
Additional tips for vegan baking beginners:
- For almost every recipe, you should be adding the wet ingredients to dry ingredients, rather than dry to wet. This will help the mixture combine together better for a more desirable texture.
- Cakes are best when made from room temperature ingredients. Make sure to get everything out before you start baking.
- Yeast is vegan, so feel free to incorporate it into your baking.
- Vanilla is a great addition if you want to neutralize any remaining nutty flavors.
- Sift dry ingredients to add extra lift.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Even star bakers burn a cake or forget an ingredient. Keep baking and enjoy the results!
Vegan Baking Made Easy (and Delicious)
Outrageous Baking has been crafting delicious gluten-free vegan breads as well as gluten-free / dairy-free sweet breads in Boulder, Colorado since 2006. All of our products are all free of gluten, dairy, nuts, and soy. They are free of all preservatives and additives because we believe that the best ingredients are the wholesome, natural ones.
Our motto is ‘made with love,’ and it’s been the special ingredient ever since we make our first loaf of bread. Check out our website to order dry ingredients to assist you in your baking, buy our ready-baked sweet and savory breads or even search our store locator to find our goods in local markets near you!
