Using Vegan Ingredients in Traditional Baking Recipes
The term ‘vegan’ usually describes people who don’t eat any type of animal products, although strict vegans also will not wear or use any goods containing animals or their products.
There are several unique reasons a person might choose to ‘go vegan’, some of which are health benefits, weight loss, or personal beliefs. Of course, no matter the reason, a lot of focus is spent on altering eating habits.
One of the most difficult adjustments can be thumbing through time-honored family recipes or new cookbooks, and believing a good recipe can’t be used because it contains animal-based ingredients. the suggestions below are not exhaustive, and act only as suggestions on how to replace common items that don’t fit into your new lifestyle.
Egg Substitutes in Vegan Baking
A veteran baker will probably know a few egg substitutes right away, such as 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce to equal one egg, or mashing up half a ripened banana to replace an egg. however, depending on what you’re baking, and the flavor or texture you want to produce, you might consider other substitutions.
One tablespoon of wheat germ plus three tablespoons of water is the equivalent of one egg. the mixture will give a nutty flavor and slightly gritty texture to your food, and is nice for ‘chunky’ cookies, such as chocolate chip, for pancakes, and for heartier muffin types, such as banana.
Another good substitute for eggs is soy pudding. Some local supermarkets sell packaged, single-serving cups of soy pudding. a single-serving cup of chocolate pudding equals one egg, and is great in brownie and chocolate cake recipes, as it tends to encourage a fluffy, moist end product. It’s fine to use 1/4 cup of soy yogurt (plain, vanilla, or chocolate) if soy pudding isn’t available.
Milk Substitutes in Vegan Baking
To replace dairy milk in baking, it’s easiest to stick with the big three: soy milk, rice milk or almond milk.
Soy milk is generally the least expensive selection, and also is a bit thicker and richer than the other two types of milk, so it tends to give the most traditional result. Rice milk and soy milk will work fine, however, so it’s really a matter of flavor preference.
If you have a time-honored recipe that requires buttermilk, it’s best to use soy milk and artificially clabber it with a tablespoonful of white vinegar per cup of milk. You can use the same approach with rice milk or almond milk, but in terms of texture, soy tends to yield the most dairy-like result.
Butter Substitutes in Vegan Baking
There are several types of vegan margarine readily available, but they may advise against use in baking due to the lower fat content and higher water content. this doesn’t mean they can’t be used, but results may be poor, depending on the type of baked goods desired.
There are a couple of easy alternatives to vegan margarine, however. if you’re looking for a simple butter or margarine substitute, vegetable or canola oil can be used at a ratio of 1/3 cup of oil to every 1/2 cup of butter or margarine required.
If the choice to be vegan is for health reasons, then a less oily fill-in may be in order. Once again, unsweetened applesauce can fill the void. the ratio for applesauce to replace butter is slightly different than that to replace eggs.
As a margarine substitute, applesauce can be subbed at a ratio of 1:1, although it’s best to substitute applesauce in parts, not replacing more than 3/4 of the butter needed with applesauce. For instance, if a recipe called for 1 cup of margarine or butter, the applesauce used would be 3/4 of a cup, while the remaining 1/4 of cup would be vegan margarine.
Kramer, Sarah. La Dolce Vegan! : vegan livin’ made easy. Vancouver, B.C.: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2009.
Moskowitz, Isa C., and Romero, Terry H. Vegan Cupcakes take Over the World. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2006.
Patrick-Goudreau, Colleen. The Joy of Vegan Baking: the compassionate cooks’ traditional treats and sinful sweets. Beverly, MA: Fair Winds Press, 2007.
