Vegan Baking

Last Updated on November 18, 2024 by Ecologica Life

Hello bakers! (Or aspiring bakers).

Have you ever thought about making a cheeky treat for yourself and the family but then realised it wasn’t vegan friendly? I mean, probably not, there aren’t that many vegans in the world sadly. But maybe you are looking to make a change and make your baking more compassionate and sustainable. Well, your prayers have been answered and here’s the cheat sheet to all your dreams!

As a keen baker myself, I have trailed and tested many combinations and have had many successes, and many more failures. I’m here to share what I’ve learned so you can skip the pitfalls and go straight to success in your vegan baking journey. From dairy free cream cheese to egg replacer there are so many options to make our treats plant-based. Yes, it may be slightly pricier, but doesn’t our planet deserve it?

This article will focus on the best vegan baking alternatives to things like cream and cream cheeses, eggs, chocolate, and more.

Want to know more about a vegan diet? Click here to read more about the benefits of a vegan diet.

Butter:

Butter! That lovely creamy substance you spread on your toast to make it melt in perfectly and deliciously. Yes, a vegan version exists. They started out a bit dodgy tasting, but Flora have really pulled it out of the bag with their new range. Their blocks of butter are perfect for whisking into a sponge cake, combining into a pastry, or melting into a ganache. It works just like normal butter, and I have never had an issue!

Cream Cheese & Cream:

Unless you’re a cheesecake maker, you may not have come across this ingredient too often in your baking. I am delighted at how many different options of vegan cream cheese already exist, from big brands such as Philadelphia, to supermarket’s own.

For cream cheese to play its part in a cheesecake, I believe it must be as thick as possible, and the thickest one that I have come across is the Violife original cream cheese. This cream cheese will take the flavour of whatever ingredients you include, and my favourite by far is Biscoff, which is also deliciously plant based!

Now, to make a cheesecake, you also need a lot of cream, so one I would recommend is the Elmea plant-based cream, which whips beautifully into the Violife cream cheese. As with the cheese, this cream will cling onto any flavour you offer, as well as create a lovely thick consistency. The key is to whip it for the right amount of time, preferably with an electric whisk or stand mixer, and not to take your eye off it! I have definitely made the mistake where my attention was diverted, I lost track of the minutes, and my mixture curdled. I was distraught.

If you would like to make my famous vegan Biscoff cheesecake, stay tuned! The recipe will be published soon—check back here for the link!

Eggs:

How on earth can you replace an egg? It does such a good job of combining! What could be as good? I used to ask the same questions. I was so pleasantly surprised when I embarked on my vegan journey to find out about different types of egg replacement, which do a fantastic job. There are two main options, the powder form, and the liquid form.

The powder form tends to be a chickpea flour base which you combine with water and is amazingly easy to use. The liquid form comes in a bottle, and you simply use the right amount to replace the egg. One useful product is by a brand called Crackd. Both do a wonderful job and combine mixtures just like eggs.

Condensed Milk:

Did you know that Carnation now do a vegan condensed milk? It was a surprise to me too! I have used this product in millionaire’s brownies, and other caramel recipes, and it works perfectly. You could also use this to make treats such as fudge or banoffee pie! If you have a sweet tooth like me, you could also plop some in the bottom of your coffee, to make a Canarian coffee called a barraquito. Yum!

Chocolate:

Now, of course there are lots of vegan dark chocolates out there which are perfect for that richness we often go for with treats such as brownies or chocolate cake. However, what about if you are looking for a lighter flavour of milk chocolate? There are many to choose from! My personal favourites have been Wizards, which comes in a purple packet and can be bought in Holland & Barrett, and NOMO, which can be found in most supermarkets. They both melt perfectly and give that wonderful chocolatey flavour to whatever I’m making.

Summary

Most recipes can be altered to make them vegan, whether it’s swapping the cream, eggs, or chocolate. It’s important to remember that there will be failures along the way, but it’s worth the try! After all, sadly we do live in a world so used to using animal products. There are so many vegan recipes out there now, such as recipes by Bosh, the vegan section on BBC Good Food, and countless online resources.

I hope this article has inspired you to try a vegan recipe, even if some alterations have to be made! Happy baking! And remember any little change you make in your diet moving towards veganism has a positive impact on the animals and the environment. 🙂