Bake your heart out

Satiate your sweet tooth with vegan baking hacks.

By Jill Donaldson

Published: Fri 8 Jan 2021, 1:48 PM

So, you have a sweet tooth and going vegan, you may be wondering if cakes even taste the same without milk, butter and eggs. Well, you should know that any aspiring vegan pastry chef spends hours to find specific vegan ingredients to ensure pastries and desserts are just as delicious as they are with eggs, butter, cream and milk. You can satisfy your sugar cravings in a healthier way for you, and the environment.

Advice for first-timers

Transitioning into veganism is all about positivity; doing something positive for your body and for the environment. Too often when transitioning into veganism, we tend to focus on the negative, such as what we can't eat or on mistakes we make or setbacks we have in our journey.Â We all have our own unique journey, and every little step taken towards a vegan lifestyle helps tremendously.Â For some people, it's easier to start by eliminating foods like dairy first; for others, starting with merely eating fewer animal products and more plant-based foods is a wonderful way to boost healthy habits and help the environment.Â

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Mimic the original

Figure out the traditional ingredients for any recipe and use alternatives that will mirror the traditional end result. For example, to get similar texture for a vegan cheesecake, blend soaked cashews with a little lemon, which creates a creamy almost cheesy consistency.Â The sweetener is vital as it also effects the texture. For example, if you use a syrup like agave or maple, instead of sugar, you have to consider that it will add to the wet ingredients in the recipe, as opposed to the dry ingredients. Go natural with blended soaked dates or bananas. Experiment with different flours like rice, almond, tapioca and chickpea. The possibilities are endless.

Myth-busting

One myth about vegan baking is that your vegan pastries will never be as good as 'the real thing!' With a little bit of creativity, great ingredients (which are now becoming more and more readily available), and proper technique, you can bake a vegan version of nearly any pastry...and make it just as good if not better than the original version!Â

Vegan baking must-haves

Your favourite vegan milk of choice; almond, soy, cashew, rice, flax, oat, hemp...the options are wonderful, full of nutrients, and growing in variety!
A vegan "fat" to use in place of butter in recipes.Â Not all fats are interchangeable and some are better in certain recipes. Try coconut oil, vegetable shortening, nut butter, and avocado oil.
Aquafaba as an egg replacer. Aquafaba is the liquid in which legume seeds, such as chickpeas, have been cooked; make it yourself, or just use the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas in your pantry. This versatile gem of an ingredient can mimic the properties of egg whites, so it can be used in so many applications; meringues, marshmallows, macarons, and even mayonnaise!

Jill (@pastrybase) is the founder of the vegan baking brand LillyBean by PastryBase.