Basic Vegan Baking Swaps

We all have those familiar homemade recipes for the most delicious cookies, cakes, and muffins we grew up enjoying, right? Well, there's no reason to give them up when making the switch to a vegan lifestyle. A few simple swaps is usually all it takes to make these traditionally non-vegan recipes completely vegan friendly. I've found that these basic vegan baking swaps work many times.

EGGS

For baking cakes, muffins, quick breads and such: Flax eggs or chia eggs can be used. Simply whisk together 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds or ground chia seeds and 3 tablespoon water. See this guide for more detailed instructions. Set aside to thicken for about 5 minutes. Aquafaba, the liquid from canned chickpeas, can also be used in place of eggs. 3 tbsp. equals one egg.

MILK

Almond, cashew, rice, coconut, soy or oat milk can all be used in place of dairy milk. To make buttermilk for bake goods, combine 1 cup of almond or soy milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes. Use a 1:1 ratio for recipes.

HONEY

Maple syrup works well in place of honey to give a nice flavor. Try Grade B for a bolder flavor. Brown rice syrup works very well if you need something stickier to hold something together such as rice crispy treats or granola bars.

BUTTER

Olive oil or coconut oil can replace butter in many recipes. Use equal amounts of coconut oil and applesauce in place of butter for baked goods. Fruit purees such as banana, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, etc. also work well for oil free baked goods. Additionally, there are many dairy free butter options available in many grocery stores.