Baking Tips from Vegan Bakers
By Lucia Rivera, VRG Intern
Karina Carrillo-Juarez, who also goes by Karina Rose, is one vegan who likes to show the world that vegan baking can be unlimited and delicious! As someone who was vegan throughout her high school culinary program and continues to bake vegan foods today, Karina has gained many useful tactics and tips.
“Just because ingredients such as eggs, butter, and dairy milk have been used for many years – doesn’t mean that foods can’t be good without it. Even though there are certain ingredients vegan bakers have to avoid, there is no limit to the foods they can create,” Karina said.
Eggs are one ingredient that are used in a wide variety of ways for different baking recipes. This means that eggs have multiple kinds of replacements in vegan cooking. While vegan egg replacement powders exist, another alternative includes aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid).
Clare Broud, a vegan baker who has worked with a local market to sell vegan goods, recommends a variety of vegan egg replacements depending on the recipe.
“Egg replacement powder (I use Bob’s Red Mill) is very convenient to have on hand, and I find it works in almost every recipe. Mashed banana and applesauce are egg replacements that are often already in anyone’s pantry, but just keep in mind that they will add a banana or applesauce flavor to your baked good. Another good egg replacement is either chia seeds, flax seeds, or baking soda mixed with water. I use these egg replacements most often because I can use each one of these ingredients for other purposes in other recipes. If you are veganizing a recipe, be cautious of trying to replace more than three eggs because that can mess with the chemistry of the recipe,” Broud said.
Additionally, Broud stated that she has used aquafaba as an “egg wash” and in French toast, and that aquafaba is useful for vegan marshmallows and desserts that “have an airy, fluffy quality, like macaroons, cake, or mousse.” Overall, Broud recognized several ingredients that are good to have on hand when baking.
“It’s important to have the substitutes you need on hand: your choice of non-dairy milk, vegan butter (I use Earth Balance) or coconut oil, and a couple of egg substitutes. I also always have non-dairy vegan chocolate chips on hand, because chocolate makes everything better. Agave or maple syrup is also a great alternative to honey that’s great to have on hand. Cashews and Dates are also important for raw vegan desserts especially.”
Another ingredient that is substituted in vegan bakes is sweetened condensed milk, which is traditionally used in recipes like tres leches cake, or ‘three milk’ cake.
“I have used canned coconut milk or non-dairy creamer as a substitute before, but there are many recipes on the internet that use soymilk powder to create a substitute for those who don’t like the coconut taste,” Broud said.
Not only does Broud use fruit when baking, but she also utilizes vegetables like sweet potatoes. Her favorite vegan recipe to make is “purple sweet potato granola bars with oats, vegan chocolate chips, purple sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and some other mix ins!”
“From carrot cake, sweet potato pancakes, chocolate zucchini bread, and pumpkin sugar cookies, vegetables are super easy to sneak into your baked goods for more nutrition and great taste! It may seem strange or unappetizing, but when done right, your desserts will be even more delicious than before. I also love the color vegetables give to baked goods,” Broud said.
While Broud is excited to recreate a vegan King Cake from scratch in the future, as it is an annual tradition for Mardi Gras, a Cajun holiday, Karina Rose often works with Latin American recipes. When working on Latinx or Mexican recipes she becomes excited because “it’s something I already know and feel comfortable with,” Karina said.
A suggestion Karina has for all bakers is to try using Mexican vanilla in place of typical vanilla to achieve what she finds to be a sweeter flavor. Along with Mexican vanilla, Karina counts flour as a staple ingredient in her baking. Flour is crucial in several of the recipes Karina recommends for beginner bakers as well.
“I will say, ALWAYS be stocked on flour. That ingredient runs out so fast, and you never want to run out of flour in the middle of baking,” Karina said. “For beginners, I recommend starting with cakes, galettes, and bread! Bread is one of the easiest things to make; it just takes a lot of time. But also, never be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone. In baking, the only way you’ll get better is by figuring it out and practicing. So, take on a challenge every now and then,” she suggested.
Additionally, Broud recommends trying out different flavor combinations when baking sweet breads. These include chocolate zucchini and pumpkin pecan. However, for vegan bakers who are seeking out a bigger challenge, one can try baking croissants from scratch. Croissants take several days to accomplish since they are made of laminated dough, which requires dough and vegan butter to be folded neatly many times without the vegan butter melting.
Pie crust can also be a good choice for those who want to challenge their baking skills. Although there are store bought vegan options for pie crusts and pastry puff dough, these can be homemade. Whether basic or challenging, however, Broud noted several technical and non-technical skills that bakers should focus on to accomplish successful bakes.
“While you need the basic baking skills like measuring and careful and proper mixing, with vegan baking, nontechnical skills like patience, perseverance, and improvisation are equally as important. It is important to be patient when waiting for your egg or buttermilk replacement to set or when you wait for dough that’s rising or chilling. Trying a new vegan recipe does not always turn out the way you want it to, but it is important to keep persevering and trying new and different recipes. Improvisation is also important,” Broud stated.
Despite the fact that some recipes are difficult to perfect, Rose encouraged bakers to “let go of the pressure” that can accompany intimidating baking and for bakers to enjoy themselves.
“Cooking seems so intimidating because you feel the need to be precise, but you won’t always be perfect. Food is so much more than just fuel. There is a story behind every dish you make, why it was created, who made it, where it came from, the emotions it holds and even the people you enjoy it with,” Karina Rose said.
For more on vegan baking, including recipes, see:
https://www.vrg.org/journal/CookingAndRecipes.htm#ac-baked-goods
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2014issue4/2014_issue4_egg_replacers.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2016issue4/2016_issue4_vegan_cake.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue2/2017_issue2_aquafabulous.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2002issue1/2002_issue1_grain.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2014issue4/2014_issue4_muffin_mania.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2005issue2/2005_issue2_biscotti.php
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/19/vegan-raven-cake/
https://www.vrg.org/recipes/vegancakes.htm
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/10/13/chocolate-coconut-cake-gluten-free/
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2018/08/08/ashleys-vegan-gluten-free-wedding-cake/
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2004issue4/2004_issue4_cookies.php
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/05/19/rosemary-lemon-shortbread/
https://www.vrg.org/recipes/breadmachine.htm
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2005issue4/2005_issue4_breads.php
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2009/10/22/yummy-chocolate-chip-banana-bread/
