But why stop there when there so many delicious sweeteners? In most of my baking, I use coconut sugar or maple. I love the taste and texture. There are lots of sweeteners out there, from date syrup to molasses to agave, to experiment with. They all taste and behave differently. Do a little research and play around.
Look for unrefined organic sugar.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Susan SpungenFor every cup of sugar, a general rule of thumb is to replace it with ¾ cup liquid sweeteners. Coconut sugar works great for 1:1 for light brown sugar, but because it’s a bit drying, I’ll add two tablespoons of liquid for every cup.
6. Don’t be scared to experiment.
Just go, try, and don’t be afraid if it doesn’t work out. That’s how you’ll learn and develop personal preferences. A cake recipe calls for milk, try almond one time and oat the next. If it calls for butter, try coconut oil on your first bake and switch to one of the plant-based butters on the second. For eggs, test coconut yogurt for your first brownie attempt and then pumpkin purée for the follow-up. You’ll quickly find what you like, texture- and flavor-wise.
You can always reference a similar vegan recipe on the web in order to see how that baker approaches substitutions, keeping in mind that there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules and different combinations can have similar outcomes.
Sometimes things might not work out as planned, but in 12 years of experimenting, most of my failures have come from general baking mistakes (if the recipe calls for lining a pan with parchment, do it!) rather than tweaks gone wrong. Even if it isn’t as you envisioned, a lot can be salvaged. Dry cake? Soak it or frost it! Stuck to the pan? Make it a pudding or spoon cake! Too moist? Griddle it! Crumbly? Use it as a sundae topper! With a little creativity, I’ve managed to salvage almost everything. As you learn, you’ll probably be able to tell early on—when you mix a batter or dough, for example—whether something is amiss, which will give you more time to salvage it. I also keep a rough archive of everything I’ve baked along with notes on the recipe, which helps me remember what might need to be tweaked the next time.
And besides, now is a perfect time to practice. Bake for you, bake for your small household! Test things out so when we’re all ready to make our big debut, you’ll have a killer Brooklyn Blackout Cake for your recently turned vegan dad’s fall birthday.
7. Keep your pantry stocked.
A vegan pantry looks a little different from an omnivore’s. Yes, we need the same flour, baking soda/powder, and salt, but I’m always stocked with some extra ingredients—sweeteners, egg and dairy replacers—that make the vegan-ization process less daunting. With this stuff on hand, you won’t have to run to the store every time you’re looking to replace that heavy cream.
- Vinegar (white or apple cider)
- Coconut sugar
- Maple syrup
- Organic cane sugar
- Starch (tapioca or corn)
- Apple and other fruit/vegetable purées (canned pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash)
- Neutral oils (refined coconut, avocado, canola)
- A can of chickpeas, for the aquafaba
- Alternative flours
- Nondairy yogurt (unsweetened, unflavored)—I like Kite Hill
- Full-fat coconut milk
- Nondairy milk (I like almond, but any unsweetened alt will work)
- Vegan butter (these are my favorites)
- Ground flaxseed/chia seeds
- Nut butter
Go forth and dive into the archive—any archive!—or finally make your famous carrot cake for the friend with the dairy allergy. Or maybe follow that seasonal craving to something-rhubarb in your future? Ah, the possibilities!
Kyle Beechey is a New York–based writer and baker with an enthusiasm for snacking cakes and crumble toppings.
The Link LonkApril 02, 2021
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Vegan Baking Tips for Substituting Ingredients and Veganizing Recipes - Bon Appetit
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