Welcome to the vegan baking guide! Here you will find my preferred ingredients, vegan substitutes and must-haves as a vegan baker, along with all the best equipment.
SECTION ONE – VEGAN BUTTERS
Depending on the recipe you are following, butters can vary from spreadable to block butter. Temperature is also a big aspect of baking with butter.
1 – SPREADABLE BUTTERS
I often use these for sauces, frosting, fillings, and when a recipe calls for melted/browned butter.
My favourite spreadable vegan butters are: Naturli and Flora plant based.
2 – BLOCK BUTTERS
I use this when recipes call for cold cubed butter such as shortbread, pie crust and pastry.
My favourite vegan block butters are: Naturli and Flora plant based blocks.
SECTION TWO – VEGAN EGGS
There are many vegan egg replacements and I typically use multiple at a time, specifically for cakes. Eggs are something vegans have not yet made a replacement for, but there are things that act in a similar way!
1 – Aquafaba. This is the residue left from canned legumes. It is strongest from chickpeas, but will also work well from lentils. 3 tbsp of aquafaba is equal to 1 egg. I use this in cookies to give a stable, chewy cookie like my “Vegan triple chocolate sourdough walnut cookies”.
2 – Flax eggs. To make one flax egg, combine 1 tbsp flax meal with 2 tbsp water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until jelly like. I find these best used in cakes to provide stability and structure. I recommend using other egg replacers along with this in cakes to provide fluffiness like my “Chocolate raspberry cream cake“.
3 – Chia eggs. You can make these with chia meal or whole seeds. I use the whole seeds to create an egg for my “Vegan easy chewy chocolate chunk cookies”. They can also be used to create a stable cake.
4 – Vegan yogurt. This will not provide stability to your cake, but it will provide a fluffy, moist cake OR bread. This is often used in companion with other egg replacers, like flax egg. Yogurt is used in most of my cakes, like my “Vegan chocolate chunk muffins“.
5 – Vegan ‘buttermilk’. This is a combination of vegan milk and an acid, like apple-cider vinegar, lemon juice, or white wine vinegar. Let it sit for around 10 minutes, and it will curdle. It is great for a variety of cakes, such as my “Lemon & blueberry cream cake“.
6 – Bananas. When they are ripe with a brown/black skin, they provide a very fluffy sponge. This is not one I use a lot as it has a strong flavour. Instead I only use it in banana flavoured bakes, like my “Vegan banana, maple, chocolate ganache cake“.
7 – Vegan “egg” wash. This is a replacement for the classic egg wash used to brush most pastries. It is a combination of vegan milk and maple syrup, and works just the same.
SECTION THREE – VEGAN MILKS
Select the best vegan milk for a different baked good. Below are the top 4 vegan milks for baking. There are others, but they may not work as well.
1 – Almond milk. This works well in most bakes however it does have a specific flavour (which I find tasty), so keep that in mind. My favourite is Alpro’s nutty almond milk.
2 – Soya milk. This is the overall best vegan milk substitute for baking. Even so, I don’t use it often as I prefer the flavour of oat milk. Soya milk works best for vegan buttermilk and sponges. My favourite is Alpro’s soya milk.
3 – Oat milk. This has very little flavour and is creamy which results in tasty baked goods. My favourite is Alpro’s whole oat milk.
4 – Coconut milk. This does work well in many baked goods but some have a stronger flavour. Don’t use it from a can unless a recipe specifies. My favourite is Koko barista milk.
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