When I moved to a plant based diet there was so much I had to learn about cooking. One of the key things I started to really miss lately was baking.
Convenience goes out the window once you cut out eggs, and dairy and whilst I found a lot of lovely energy balls and desserts they tend to be quite pricey. I wanted to simplify things at home and also find out how I could adjust some of my favourite recipes.
Catherine Buggy is the owner of Boutique Bake and she has a range of pre-weighted cake mixes. You just add the one or two wet ingredients and voila - perfect flapjacks, lemon drizzle or brownies.
Having spent literally years perfecting her recipes Catherine is something of a baking expert so I was delighted when she invited me over to share all her tips on how to adjust recipes.
Tips for Vegan Baking:
Egg Replacement:
- 1 tbsp. ground flaxseeds
- 3 tbsp. water
- Mix until well combined and jelly-like (Replaces 1 egg)
- One-half of a banana, mashed, also replaces one egg
Butter Replacement:
- Olive Oil Butter
- Soy Alpro Spread
- Coconut Oil
- Use in equal quantities as you would use butter.
Cow’s Milk Replacement:
- Soy Milk (better for rich desserts)
- Coconut Milk (better for rich desserts)
- Almond Milk
- Rice Milk
Buttermilk Replacement:
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice/ vinegar
- Combine in a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined and creamy
Chocolate substitutes:
- Ombar – raw & vegan chocolate
- iChoc Vegan Chocolate
- Cacao Powder
- Cocoa Powder (vegan-friendly)
Coconut Cream:
- 1 x Can Coconut Milk
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Powder
- 1 x teaspoon Stevia (sweetener of choice)
Coconut Cream Method:
- Chill your coconut milk in the fridge overnight
- The next day, chill a large mixing bowl 10 minutes before whipping.
- Remove the can from the fridge
- Scrape out the top, thickened cream and leave the liquid behind (reserve for use in smoothies/curry).
- Place hardened cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until creamy. Then add vanilla and sweetener and mix until creamy and smooth.
- Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
- Use immediately or refrigerate - it will harden and set in the fridge the longer it's chilled.
- Will keep for up to 1 - 2 weeks!
Written by Holly White - www.holly.ie