Vegan Baking Substitutes - Well-Worn Apron (2024)

Moving to the plant-based diet poses some challenges around baking. You can still bake your favorite baked goods using vegan baking substitutes. When I started vegan baking, I wasn’t so sure our family favorites would taste like “the real thing.” It my surprise, it does and in some recipes, it enhances it.

How do you bake vegan? You can swap out eggs, dairy milk, and dairy butter with vegan substitutes. Those substitutes could be oat milk, applesauce, flaxseeds, and Aquafina. Sometimes it is going to some trial and error to find out which works best with a recipe that wasn’t designed vegan.

Here are some vegan substitutions for baking with what baked good it works best with:

Egg replacements:

  • Flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water per egg) – Works well in cookies, muffins, breads
  • Applesauce or mashed banana (1/4 cup per egg) – Best for cakes, muffins, quick breads
  • Aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) – Use like egg whites for meringues or macarons
  • Commercial egg replacers like Bob’s Red Mill or Ener-G (follow package instructions)

Butter replacements:

  • Vegan butter sticks (Miyoko’s, Earth Balance, etc.)
  • Coconut oil – Use 3/4 cup oil for every 1 cup butter
  • Vegetable oil
  • Nut butters
  • Applesauce or mashed banana

Milk replacements:

  • Unsweetened soy milk – Best for baking as it has higher protein content
  • Oat milk, Almond milk, coconut milk – Okay substitutes, may change texture slightly

Here are some recipes where I’ve used vegan baking substitutes:

Vegan Baked Chocolate Donuts

Vegan Banana Bread

Vegan Baking Substitutes - Well-Worn Apron (2024)

FAQs

What is the best egg substitute for vegan baking? ›

Coconut oil. Coconut oil is widely used as an egg replacement in vegan baking and it's easy to see why. Once melted, this delicious oil will mix well into most batters, brownies and bakes. And it can be used to replace eggs when you're breading foods, such as tofu, before baking or frying.

Why did my vegan cake collapse? ›

In vegan cakes, the absence of the egg makes it so that it's all about taking advantage of gluten formation to build structure. This means that when you take the egg out of a cake recipe, you're going to be taking out the primary structure builder, which means that the cake is going to fall flat.

What is a vegan egg alternative for binding? ›

Combine a tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water, stir to combine, and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken. Ground flaxseed emulates eggs' binding qualities in breads, cakes, muffins, cookies, burgers, and vegan meatballs.

Why is my vegan cake so dense? ›

DENSE RESULT

This can be caused by not using the right egg replacer. Over mixing batter is another reason which causes over development of the gluten and a dense result. If your oven isn't heated to the correct temperature before you put your cake in, it can cause it to not bake properly.

Why is my vegan cake gummy? ›

This can happen for a few reasons, but the biggest reason is that your ingredients weren't room temperature. If your ingredients, even vegan ingredients, aren't all room temperature (i.e. some are cool, some are warm, some are hot), the cake will come out gummy.

What are the best vegan substitutes for butter in baking? ›

What are good vegan butter substitutes? In baking, you can use vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana and mashed avocado. In cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable stock, or avocado oil to replace butter.

What is a good milk substitute for vegan baking? ›

Among other milk alternatives like almond milk, soy milk and oat milk, soy milk is by far the best for baking. I learned this over the course of several years and many cookies, cakes, muffins and pies.

What is a vegan replacement for 1 egg white? ›

Aquafaba is the term for the leftover liquid from cooking beans or legumes. It's the same liquid that's found in canned chickpeas or beans. The liquid has a very similar consistency to that of raw egg whites, making it an excellent substitution for many recipes. You can use 3 tbsp (45 g) of aquafaba to replace 1 egg.

What do vegans eat instead of scrambled eggs? ›

Pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) are boiled and then blended with seasoning into a batter. Then just pour it into a hot pan and cook it up! This makes a vegan scramble that is fluffy, creamy, and super delicious. It's also low in calories and high in protein.

How much flax seed for 1 egg? ›

If you're making one flax egg, combine one tablespoon of flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. From here, you can add this ingredient to your recipe just as you would an egg! Consider it the Bob's Red Mill formula for egg-less magic.

Why has my vegan cake cracked? ›

Too much baking powder will cause a cake to rise too quickly and too much, making it crack or spill over the sides of the tin. Reducing the amount of raising agent or using a combination of plain and self-raising flours will help produce a more even surface.

Why can't vegans eat cake? ›

Vegans can eat cake if it is made adhering to the most important principle of being a vegan which involves eating a plant-based diet that avoids all animal foods used in normal cakes such as dairy products and eggs. The cake should also be made avoiding all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty towards animals.

Why is my cake pale yellow and not golden brown? ›

Likewise, if your cake isn't brown enough it is likely because it is under-cooked or the recipe used insufficient egg or sugar.

What is a vegan substitute for eggs in meatballs? ›

If you don't have JUST Egg, use 2 flax eggs instead (2 tablespoons of ground flax stirred together with 5 tablespoons of water). Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves give the meatballs a stronger, more savory flavor.

How much tofu equals one egg? ›

Tofu is simply curdled soy milk, so heating and adding liquid result in a similar consistency that's also creamy, moist and rich. In baking, four tablespoons or 1/4 cup of silken tofu can substitute a single egg.

Why does my vegan cake taste bitter? ›

One of the most common misfortunes among bakers is that they are using too much baking soda or baking powder. Know that too much baking soda or baking powder in cakes will not just lead to a metallic and bitter taste, but it can also make a big mess in the oven as it will rise beyond expectations.

Why is my vegan cake gluey? ›

You used the wrong egg substitute

This is especially true if you're trying to veganize a non-vegan recipe. Things like dairy-free yoghurt, bananas or chia 'eggs' can make your cake turn out dense and gummy if the other ingredients are not also adjusted.

Why use vinegar in vegan baking? ›

It's all in the chemistry: the acidity in the vinegar reacts with the baking soda creating bubbles and making your batter rise.

Should a vegan cake be refrigerated? ›

Keep it covered at room temperature where it will stay perfectly fresh for a 2-3 days or keep it covered in the fridge to stay good for up to a week. The cake is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. You can freeze it either frosted or unfrosted (but definitely don't add strawberries if you plan to freeze it).

Why is my vegan cake soggy? ›

Perhaps the recipes you're following are a little off? You could try different ones or try reducing the water and/or oil content a little. If you're adding things like fruit to the batter it can release juices during baking that can make cakes soggy.

What is a good egg substitute for pastry? ›

Vinegar and baking soda

Mixing 1 tsp (7 g) of baking soda with 1 tbsp (15 g) of vinegar can replace 1 egg in most recipes. When mixed together, vinegar and baking soda start a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide and water, which makes baked goods light and airy.

What are some vegan replacements for dairy products? ›

rice, oat, almond, hazelnut, coconut, quinoa and potato milks. foods that carry the "dairy-free" or "suitable for vegans" signs.

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