What Do You Mean I Can’t Use Eggs! Vegan Baking Tips
One of the hardest things about becoming a vegan is finding or making baked goods. Most traditional baked goods contain eggs, butter, or milk-and these items can have a chemical effect that you just can’t ignore.
Here are some tips I’ve learned for substituting vegan ingredients, and ending with a great product.
There are a few things you can use in place of eggs, and the choice depends on what it is you’re baking. When making cookies, or whole grain items like oat muffins, I like using ground flaxseed. Grind 1 tablespoon flax seeds in a coffee grinder, then transfer to a bowl. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of water. The mixture will become gelatinous, similar in texture to and egg white. If using pre-ground flax, use 2 1/2 Tablespoons to 3 Tablespoons of water. Store ground flax in the freezer-it’s very perishable.
Silken tofu is another option, once it has been processed in the blender. For dense things, like brownies and heavy cakes, 1/4 Cup of blended silken tofu is equal to one egg. For lighter cakes, use a little less, like Cup blended tofu for 3 eggs.
Another great (and natural) way to replace eggs is with mashed banana. For one egg, substitute 1/2 of an average sized banana, mashed until smooth (I use a blender). This works well in all sorts of cakes, breads, and cookies. Just be sure the bananas are ripe-they should be starting to brown, at least. This is a great way to use up over ripe bananas.
When you have to find a substitute for butter, one choice is unsalted margarine. If you can’t find it unsalted, then be sure to adjust the amount of salt in the recipe. For each half stick of butter I replace with salted margarine, I drop 1/4 teaspoon of salt. This is the only choice for flaky pastry items.
Another option is canola oil, although this works in dense, cakey things it won’t work for flaky pastries. I use a little less-if a recipe calls for a Cup of butter (which is a half stick), I use 1/3 Cup canola.
Milk is fairly easy to substitute. Use an equal amount of soy milk, rice milk, or your favorite nut milk. You can add a teaspoon of lemon juice to it, and in a few minutes you’ll have a decent substitute for buttermilk.
As you can see, all it takes is a little practice and a little creativity to convert your favorite baked good recipes to delicious, healthy vegan versions. The important thing is to play with the ideas, have fun, and get baking. Enjoy!
