Six Essential Tips for Mastering Vegan Baking
- Piece of Cake Staff
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Written by Sara Spangler
Even though I am not vegan myself, I have spent the last few years learning how to bake with plant-based ingredients, especially since I work part-time at a vegan bakery. It's quite incredible what you can make using all plant-based ingredients, and there is an entire world of tips and tricks for vegan baking. Don’t know where to start? Don’t believe vegan baking is really that good? Keep reading to learn about certain substitutes/tricks for making some delicious, amazing vegan treats (and my favorite vegan cookie recipe!).
Tip 1:
For sweeteners, use ripe bananas or unsweetened applesauce. Although sugar is vegan, these substitutes add a nice, rich flavor and a lovely amount of moisture that eggs are often responsible for in non-vegan baking.
Tip 2:
Plant-based milks are your best friend! My personal favorite to use in vegan baking is soy milk because it is quite thick and doesn’t have a strong nutty flavor, but honestly, any kind works: oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc. Pick your poison!
Tip 3:
The best egg-white replacement I’ve found is aquafaba, the liquid that canned chickpeas come in. Strain chickpeas over a bowl to collect the liquid and use a stand mixer to whip. Once stiff peaks form, you have a perfect egg-white replacement for things like meringue or extra fluffy cakes/cupcakes.
Tip 4:
Related to that, there are a plethora of egg alternatives that you can use! One of the most popular types is a flax egg. To make one flax egg, mix 1 tbsp ground flax seeds with 3 tbsp water. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it thickens, and you’re all set! Similarly, you can make a chia egg, using 1 tbsp chia seeds and 3 tbsp water. Let it thicken for 5-10 minutes. Another ingredient you can use is corn flour, as it is a starch that works as a binding and thickening agent. For one egg, mix 2 tbsp cornflour and 2 tbsp water. Similarly, tapioca flour and arrowroot flour are starches that have similar properties. For one egg, mix 2 tbsp tapioca/arrowroot flour with 2 tbsp water. Another option, as stated previously, is to use mashed fruit such as applesauce or banana. For one egg, use ¼ cup of applesauce or mashed banana. These fruits don’t help bind baked goods together as well as starches, so you can add 1 tbsp of cornflour, tapioca, or arrowroot flour to the mix. Finally, many grocery stores sell vegan egg replacers.
Tip 5:
Make sure you pay attention to the oven while you are baking, as baking times can be a little finicky in vegan baking. What I often do is if a recipe gives me an estimated oven time (like 10 to 12 minutes), I will start with the shortest amount of time and then add 2 minutes if it is not done yet. Using a toothpick to check if your baked goods are fully done is a great technique to ensure the best quality!
Tip 6:
Vegan baking often needs more leavening agents because they don’t contain eggs. But instead of just using more baking powder, use a combination of baking powder and baking soda, and you can add acidic ingredients such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to better activate the leavening agents. This will help your baked goods rise beautifully!
Finally, my favorite vegan cookie recipe! These are easy, quick, and delicious.
Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup vegan butter or coconut oil
3/4 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling
1/2 cup molasses
1 tablespoon water
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
Using a stand or hand mixer, beat margarine, sugar, molasses, and water until well combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture.
Scoop about 1 rounded tablespoon of dough at a time, and roll the domed part of each scoop in sugar.
Place them onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the pan.
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