January 31, 2022, 4:12 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Eggs, butter, milk–these ingredients are on the list for many baking recipes. However, there are now many vegan alternatives. And they make cupcakes, cakes, and more just as delicious.
Baking with plant-based alternatives–complicated, time-consuming, and not particularly tasty? This is a misconception some might have if they haven’t yet tried baking with vegan alternatives. But hobby baker and blogger Tamara Staab from Maras Wunderland shows that vegan baking is really simple and tastes great! In the video above, she presents her favorite alternative in the myHOMEBOOK kitchen–sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potato as a Vegan Alternative in Baking
Brownies are moist, soft, chocolaty–and this time even vegan. Mara has replaced eggs and butter in the regular recipe with a sweet potato. The vegan alternative is perfect for baking and gives the brownies a nice sweetness and a soft texture. The sweet potato is cooked as usual and then mixed with the other ingredients. The sweet potato flavor is hardly noticeable–the chocolate is much more dominant.
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Vegan Alternatives for Eggs
If you prefer to avoid eggs when baking, there are numerous vegan alternatives to choose from. Eggs usually serve as a binding agent, so they shouldn’t be omitted without a substitute. Instead of industrial egg replacement powder, there are natural options.
- Bananas: While bananas don’t directly bind the dough, they make it significantly fluffier. Half a ripe banana replaces one egg and is particularly good for sponge cakes. Important: the banana flavor remains even after baking.
- Vinegar and baking soda: One tablespoon each of baking soda and vinegar can replace an egg. Together, they are a good binding agent–and the vinegar taste disappears during baking.
- Aquafaba: Aquafaba is a true miracle ingredient. It’s the liquid in which chickpeas or beans are soaked and is one of the best vegan egg alternatives. The best part: Aquafaba can be whipped into meringue just like regular eggs. You just need some baking powder and lemon water–and the vegan meringue is ready.
- Applesauce: Applesauce can also be used as a vegan alternative to eggs. It’s particularly suitable for moist cakes or muffins. However, applesauce only makes the dough nice and fluffy, not binding. The apple flavor also remains.
- Potato or cornstarch: Potato or cornstarch is suitable not only for sweet but also for savory recipes. It binds well and is flavor-neutral.
- Flax or chia seeds: Both flax and chia seeds are good binding agents in dough. They are especially suitable for sticky doughs, such as for cookies.
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Some recipes suggest brushing the pastry with egg before baking to achieve a nice golden crust. This can be the case with cinnamon rolls. Here, too, there’s a vegan alternative that achieves the same result: a combination of soy milk and vegetable oil. Simply mix and brush the dough.
Vegan Alternatives for Butter
While there are numerous, sometimes rather unusual vegan alternatives for eggs, the range for butter is somewhat smaller. In vegan recipes, margarine is often used. But plant oils like sunflower or canola oil can also serve as butter substitutes. However, it’s important to note that not all margarine products are vegan–some contain gelatin.
If you don’t want to replace butter with oil, you can opt for a healthier alternative: zucchini. The vegetable is rich in water, provides moisture in the dough, and is also flavor-neutral.