Vegan-izing Conventional Baking Recipes

We only own one vegan cookbook. At all. It's a baking cookbook specific to cookies and you probably know it and love it: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar 

I have held onto some of my older non-vegan cookbooks and I do a lot of recipe searches online. Sometimes there is something I really want to make but it calls for animal products. Thankfully in baking, these substitutions can be pretty easy and undetectable by even the most steadfast "omni." 

I am no expert, but from my experience, here are some successful baking substitutions:

Butter or Margarine: Forget that cholesterol and carcinogens! I suggest Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread. There are a few varieties available including soy-free. It is made with a variety of vegetable oils that are not partially-hydrogenated. This acts exactly like butter to use the same methods to soften or melt it. 

Cow Milk: I'm not too helpful here because my lousy palate does not detect taste differences between non-dairy plant-sourced 'milks.' I use them indiscriminately in baking. Substitute whatever you have in your fridge: soy, coconut, hemp, rice, almond. Make sure it is not flavored- unsweetened is a good idea also so you are in control. 

Eggs: Eggs provide a few things in baking- binding, fluff, and rise. For the later two, you may want to experiment with a little extra baking soda and baking powder. 

Bananas: This will make whatever you are baking taste banana-y! Mash up an egg-size worth of banana for each banana called for. I usually use this for scratch brownies.

Flax: For each egg, use the ratio 1 tablespoon ground flax seed 

~ 3 tablespoons water

Mix in a separate bowl and let sit to become thick. Great way to get some extra omega 3s!

I've heard of using apple sauce but have not tried this. There are also commercial egg replacers. 

Standard Sugar (make use bone char, bleach): Go for evaporated cane juice or granules made from something besides sugarcane like beets. If you use a 'wet' sweetener like agave or maple syrup, you need to lessen the other liquid ingredients to balance. 

Sweeteners During Pregnancy

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Isa Chandra Moskowitz' book

Weird fact I learned from another vegan blog- most icings you buy in tubs are vegan! This does not mean that they are healthy- full of high fructose corn syrup, trans-fat, preservatives, etc. but in a pinch they would be an easy fix!

Happy Baking!

Sweeteners During Pregnancy

Fortunately, I have not had a big sweet tooth during my pregnancy. I haven't even craved chocolate! Still, I make the occasional baked good and use a sweetener every morning in my smoothie. Here is some info on your options which every pregnancy person must consider. (There is also a chapter on this subject in Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven)

Honey
A full vegan will already be avoiding this. Pregnancy adds additional considerations because honey is a raw product and could contain bacteria harmful to a fetus. (Same thing with cheese and some other foods which need to be highly pasteurized for safety). 


Agave
This had been my go-to sweetener for my morning smoothie but ALAS, must be avoided during pregnancy. Agave is made from the same cactus from which we get tequila and could cause contractions* so it's a big no-no. However, once I am to term and it is safe for me to go into labor I might have some. At the moment, I could go for some vegan ice cream but every brand I've found uses agave as a sweetener. Drat!

*A lot of these claims I have read might not be supported by a lot of research. More often than not, these ingredients have just not been tested enough to say their effect on pregnancies one way or the other. For me, if there is any risk or chance of risk, I avoid it. 

Stevia 
Stevia is an intense sweetener that comes in a few forms. You can buy it as leaves or processed in a powder or liquid. Only a few drops provide a lot of sweetness! I tried this when I found out I am pregnant and nixed the agave, but can find no research on its effect on pregnancy, so I have discontinued use. I might come back to it when I am not pregnant. 












Evaporated Cane Juice

I buy this in bulk. It has a slightly brown color because it isn't whitened. 

Maple Syrup 

Unfortunately, this is an expensive sweetener. Be careful if buying this from the store that it is 100% maple syrup, NOT corn syrup!

Santa Cruz 

Here is what I use in smoothies now in place of a sweetener and cacao.  This stuff in amazing! It's like vegan organic Hershey's syrup and I find it in the big box grocery store. The sweetener is invert sugar and there are only four ingredients (sweet!) Using this makes my smoothie seem like a milkshake and makes me happy when I can't have other summer frozen treats!












Other Safe, Yummy Bets:

• Sweeteners labeled "low glycemic index" are a plus!
• Sugar from veggies: peas, brown rice, beets
• I have not tried this, but folks use fruit sugar by reducing into a syrup
• You can find vegan powdered/confectioner's sugar, brown sugar, and so on
• Blackstrap Molasses- added bonus of iron! 

No-Nos:

• High Fructose Corn Syrup- you know better!
• Bleached or chlorinated granulated white sugar (probably also processed with bone char)
• Anything that does not come from a plant. If it was made in a factory from manufactured chemicals, it is bad news. Truvia, splenda, sweet n low, aspartame, and so on. Highly processed and possibly carcinogenic. Give your baby the good stuff!

Another note on sugar:

Don't overdo it. Insulin spikes are no good for baby and pregnant women are susceptible to gestational diabetes which is extremely dangerous for mama and baby. Limit yourself and try to get your sweet fix from fruit, juice, juice popsickles!

Add your own sweeteners in the comments!