What you need to know about vegan baking

Everywhere you look now, there are more and more vegan recipes popping up. With the rise in popularity of food bloggers, there also seems to be a rise in popularity of vegan baking. There are, as always with food choices, different reasons for this. Some people adopt a vegan lifestyle because they don’t want to cause harm to animals. But there is also a very convincing argument that leading a vegan lifestyle is much better for the environment. Raising animals for meat production takes a huge toll on the environment in terms of water, deforestation, and transport of the animals. Many people also think that a vegan diet is generally healthier.

With nutrition, balance is important too though, and cutting out whole food groups is never a good idea, although the majority of people do eat too much red meat, and definitely too much processed meat. So a little vegan baking can be a great way to switch up your diet, by enjoying a ‘Meat Free Monday’, for example. Here’s what you need to know about vegan baking. 

Instead of milk use…

If you want to give vegan baking a try, it’s now easier than ever before to replace ingredients with vegan versions. There are so many milks available that aren’t dairy, such as almond milk, or rice milk.

Instead of butter use…

A tip for replacing butter (which is used in so many baking recipes) is to find a cooking oil that you like. Coconut oil has become very popular recently, and it is a great addition to most recipes because it tastes great, and can also be heated to high temperatures without breaking down and becoming carcinogenic.

Instead of eggs use…

Eggs are probably the hardest ingredient to replace in baking, and they are used in so many recipes, but either chia seeds or flaxseeds can be used as a replacement. Combine with water to get some consistency and then add to the ingredients as you would an egg. Bananas and avocados can also work well when mashed up. It’s really a case of trying a few different combinations and seeing what you like the most.

Instead of milk chocolate use…

If you are baking it’s very likely you’ll want to involve some chocolate. Chocolate in its natural state is vegan, but when produced into chocolate as we know it, ingredients like milk or buttermilk can be added. Read the ingredients and go for the best quality vegan chocolate you can find. There are some good quality brands that offer vegan-friendly options, such as Green & Blacks. Packaging should be labelled dairy-free or vegan-friendly, but check the ingredients list on the back to make sure. There are also vegan ice creams available, so do your research and you don’t have to go without.

Finally…

Don’t forget to shop around. Nowadays there is so much availability in supermarkets, and in health food shops. You can buy vegan butter, and other ingredients, so you don’t always have to think outside the box about how to replace ingredients.

Have a look on the internet, in recipe sections, and on Instagram for more inspiration. Vegan baking can be a great way to add more veggies to your diet, and cater for people who have a dairy intolerance as well, so enjoy it!