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| Picky Bitch Giselle eyes some vegan baking essentials that 'll ensure that your baked goods are bitchin'. |
While the absence of dairy and eggs in any diet have been shown to be beneficial, this can often lead new vegan bakers to much head scratching.
Without the use of traditional, animal-sourced ingredients,
novice vegans may find themselves faced with questionable substitutions and/or
baked goods that turn out as dry as the Mojave Desert. Either way, it doesn’t
make for a good time, as former vegan Melissa Cassidy found out.
“A lot of my stuff would turn out kind of crumbly,” Cassidy
said of the baked goods she made during her five-month vegan stint. “I think it
was because of the butter that was missing from my recipes.”
To avoid these crummy pitfalls, vegan baker Megan Clarke suggested using economical vegan-friendly substitutes that add moisture to your
baked goods.
“I’ve never seemed to have issues with the moisture in my baked
goods, I find that as long as the appropriate amount of liquids are added and
you don’t over bake, the moisture levels should be fine.”
For dairy substitutes, Clarke said that vegan milks all
work well in lieu of cow’s milk, leaving the particulars up to each individual
baker’s preferences. Cassidy, however, found that in her brief time as a vegan,
almond milk won top marks when baking because, “it gave the recipe an extra
something – it kinda spiced things up.”
As for eggs, Clarke advised that veganized recipes can
benefit from homemade egg substitutes ranging from pureed tofu to flaxseed –
though some substitutes are better suited to specific recipes because “eggs
have so many different functions in baking – they might be added to bind, or
leaven, or add moisture, or add richness or do all those things at the same
time.”
While vegan baking substitutes depend entirely on personal
preferences, practice will certainly make perfect, no matter how frustrating it
may at first seem.
“Just because you may have tried one egg
replacer that didn’t work out, doesn’t mean that a different one wouldn’t work,” Clarke said.
“Vegan baking is all about trial and error.”
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| Would you believe that vegan baking could look this tempting? Scroll down for some rad tips on how to kick pesky eggs out of your baking routine! |
For a comprehensive breakdown of how to replace eggs like a
pro, here are some helpful hints, as dictated by Clarke herself:
Flax seeds
How much: Blend 1 tablespoon of ground flax or chia seeds
with 3 tablespoons of water and set aside for a few minutes to let gel.
When it works: Flax seeds have a bit of a nutty flavor and are great at binding, they are best used in cookies, whole grain baking, pancakes, muffins and quick breads.
When it works: Flax seeds have a bit of a nutty flavor and are great at binding, they are best used in cookies, whole grain baking, pancakes, muffins and quick breads.
Silken tofu
How much: 1/4 cup blended silken tofu.
When it works: Pureed tofu works well in cakes, brownies, muffins and quick breads. A great thing about tofu is that it’s virtually flavourless.
When it works: Pureed tofu works well in cakes, brownies, muffins and quick breads. A great thing about tofu is that it’s virtually flavourless.
Pureed fruit
How much: 1/4 cup fruit puree.
When it works: Fruit puree is great if you want to add moisture to baked goods but since fruit has a distinct flavor you may want to be careful with what you add it to. It works best in muffins, quick breads, cakes and pancakes.
When it works: Fruit puree is great if you want to add moisture to baked goods but since fruit has a distinct flavor you may want to be careful with what you add it to. It works best in muffins, quick breads, cakes and pancakes.
Non-dairy yogurt
How much: 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt.
When it works: Works the same way as the silken tofu, so it works well in brownies, cakes, muffins and quick breads.
When it works: Works the same way as the silken tofu, so it works well in brownies, cakes, muffins and quick breads.
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