We are heading into the season of comfort foods and baking.
If you’re at a loss for how to cook vegan with all the butter, milk, and creams normally found in baked goods, you’ll likely find our list of vegan ingredients for baking helpful.
Here at KOR Shots, we love vegan ingredients. In fact, you’ll find all of our shots are vegan-friendly and can be incorporated (and add a high-quality nutrient boost!) into some of your favorite baked goods recipes!
Whether you’re looking to eat a more plant-based diet or bake special treats for a vegan loved one, we’ll help you uncover easy swaps and adjustments to bake vegan with ease. Plus, vegan options are usually heart-healthy — fewer fats and processed sugars — so you can enjoy your goodies guilt-free!
Once you know the right swaps to make, it’s a lot easier to enjoy vegan baking. Read on to get your list of essential ingredients to have on hand this holiday season.
What Can I Bake With Vegan Ingredients?
If you’re willing to be creative — and patient enough — you can recreate and bake nearly every dessert that normally contains animal products in a vegan version.
Over the last several years, vegan products — particularly baking ingredients — have come a long way. The consistency has gotten better and the taste much more refined and flavorful. Thankfully, this makes it easier to share vegan options with everyone to try!
And, if you love our organic shots, we’ve even gotten creative using our shots as a key ingredient in baking for a high-quality nutrient boost!
Some easy-to-bake vegan options to try: biscuits, breads, brownies, cookies, cupcakes, pancakes, and muffins.
Whether you’re looking to whip up a hearty breakfast — think vegan apple muffins — or a delicious dessert like our raw lemon tart recipe, having the essential vegan ingredients on hand makes it easier to create amazing food options for yourself or vegan friends.
A Few Tips for Vegan Baking
As you start delving deeper into seeking your ideal vegan ingredients for baking, you’ll find the two of the hardest staples to replace are dairy and eggs. Once you’ve got your favorites, you can bake and swap out with ease without having to consult Google or ask Alexa mid-baking.
Some tips to remember as you get into the baking season:
Tip #1: Keep it Simple
When you first start out, you’ll want to make baking swaps as simple as possible. No need to reinvent the wheel, especially if it’s your first time baking with vegan ingredients. Look for vegan butter like Miyoko’s and simple flour blends to keep baking from getting too complicated. Generally, you’ll find these are a 1:1 ratio — so if you need to swap 2 tablespoons of butter, you can easily just use 2 tablespoons of vegan butter. Same goes for flour and eggs. Super easy!
Tip #2: Find a Favorite Egg Replacement
One of the trickiest parts about vegan baking can be finding the perfect egg substitute. You can buy pre-packaged vegan eggs or make your own with chia seeds or flaxseed for healthier versions. Applesauce is simple to use for an egg replacement, too. Just use 3 tablespoons of applesauce for the equivalent of one egg! Not an applesauce fan? Go for a banana. A ½ of a banana is one “egg.”
Tip #3: Honey is Not Vegan
You may know this already, but honey is a no-no for vegans. Many recipes call for honey as a simple way to sweeten a baked good without a ton of sugar. However, if you’re learning to cook vegan or making a gift for a vegan friend, it’s important to note honey is an ingredient you’ll want to skip. Instead, try agave nectar or maple syrup as a replacement.
Tip# 4: Can’t Find Vegan Butter? Don’t Panic
Even if you can’t find a vegan butter and don’t want to use margarine, there’s no need to put your baking on pause. Several ingredients can be used in place of a pre-made vegan butter. Use coconut oil, olive oil, nut butter, avocado, and even mashed bananas to replace store-bought vegan butter. Again, a 1:1 replacement ratio here is the general rule of thumb!
Must-Have Vegan Ingredients For Baking
As you dive into vegan baking, you may find some ingredients you like better over others due to flavor preferences, texture, etc. Luckily, thanks to the ease in which you can find vegan versions of essential baking ingredients, you can easily swap out animal products like butter and eggs without issue.
Below, we’ll cover the ways you can use ingredients like:
- Applesauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cocoa powder
- Coconut oil
- Dairy-free milk
- Ginger
- Ground flaxseed
- KOR Shots
- Lemon juice
- Nuts
- Vanilla extract
- Vegan butter
This list of 12 ingredients is just what you need to start your vegan baking adventures.
Applesauce
This is a favorite baking ingredient among many bakers. The natural sweetness of apples adds the touch of sugar you need and is a great fat replacer. It also adds an extra fiber boost to your baked goods, too.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV)
This tart, healthy condiment is versatile and is used often for its flavor enhancement in vegan baking. You can use it alongside baking powder to add some extra fluffiness to cakes. Need to replace buttermilk in a recipe and make it vegan? Mix a cup of dairy-free milk and a tablespoon of ACV to create a buttermilk consistency for making cakes or biscuits.
Cocoa powder
Love chocolate? Just because most chocolate has dairy in it doesn’t mean you have to give up the rich tastiness of it! Cocoa powder is vegan and is a simple way to add that chocolatey flavor to cookies, muffins, and other baked goods!
Coconut oil
This healthy oil is often used to replace butter in baking recipes. Add an equal substitute of coconut oil for butter in any baked good recipe. Plus, if you love coconut oil, it has health perks, too. Coconut oil’s natural saturated fats elevate HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
Quick Tip: You can use coconut oil to grease your pans and muffin tins, too.
Dairy-free milk
For those who are lactose intolerant or vegan, it’s important to note that most baking requires some sort of milk. Luckily, there are plenty of options on the market today. Try swapping out regular milk for different types like oat, coconut, soy, almond, and hemp milk. These non-dairy milk options may be unsweetened or sweetened, so be sure to closely read the label and baking directions to see what type you need.
Quick Tip: Organic soy milk is much more like cow’s milk than other types of non-dairy milk, so if you’re looking for a certain consistency similar to what cow’s milk has, soy may be the better choice. When reading directions for recipes that call for coconut milk, be sure to differentiate between carton coconut milk and canned — there’s a big texture difference — as canned full-fat coconut milk is much thicker.
Ginger
Fresh and ground ginger are both excellent options to include in your vegan baking. The citrusy profile and anti-inflammatory benefits of ginger are perfect for holiday baking and beyond. Whether you’re making bread or cookies, it’s simple to include this powerful antioxidant ingredient into baking by zesting it or using it in powder form.
Check out newest post, “Your Ultimate Guide on How to Use Fresh Ginger”
Ground flaxseed
Full of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, ground flaxseed is an excellent ingredient to include in your baking. It’s nutty flavor also adds more depth to baked goods. Flax “eggs” tend to work well for replacing regular eggs in baked goods like muffins, pancakes, brownies, and cookies.
Quick Tip: Make a “flax egg” in no time at all. Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water for a single egg. Let sit for five minutes to thicken up before mixing your egg in with the rest of your baking ingredients! Bake a lot or want “eggs” on hand to whip up breakfast faster? Make flax eggs ahead of time! Put 1/3 cup whole flax seeds and 1 cup water together in a food processor and blend. It makes 6 "eggs" and can be stored in the fridge for about 7 days.
KOR Shots
Did you know you can bake and create delicious foods with your favorite KOR Shots? Enhance the flavors and nutrition content of your favorite baked goods like cookies and bread with KOR Shots during your next baking round. Raw vegan? No problem. You can include our shots in no-bake goodies, too.
Lemon juice
Completely confused about how to make “vegan buttermilk”? Fret not. It’s actually a lot simpler than you might think! DIY your own buttermilk to use in cakes and other baked goods with two simple ingredients: fresh lemon and soy milk. All you need is a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and about a cup of soy milk. Let it thicken for five minutes or so and mix it in!
Quick tip: No fresh lemon on hand? You can also use a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed in with your favorite non-dairy milk!
Nuts
Other than being a great source of protein, nuts add an extra flavor profile to your baked goods. Plus, they’re simple to mix right into batters or put right atop your favorite baked goods. Mix and match your favorite nuts. A few that work well in baking include walnuts and pecans.
Vanilla extract
Vanilla extract is one of those ingredients that you don’t realize you’re out of until you’re mid-baking. In sweet baked goods, it enhances the flavor of a variety of goodies like cookies, cakes, and even frostings. You can bake without it, but you’ll surely miss that vanilla-y flavor if you don’t use it. Be sure to purchase real vanilla extract as it has a much better flavor than imitation vanilla!
Quick tip: Need a substitute? Try maple syrup or even instant coffee or almond extract!
Vegan butter
Last, but not least, you need a good vegan butter like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s Creamery. Many baked goods recipes call for butter, which is often made from cow’s milk or goat’s milk. Thankfully, vegan butter has come a long way and has a similar flavor and texture to that of real butter.
Quick tip: Run out of vegan butter during cooking? Sub in coconut oil. You can also use coconut oil in place of butter for a topping on your pancakes and muffins!
Vegan Ingredients For Baking Are Delicious & Easy to Use
If you’re big into baking, you likely have a certain standard when it comes to the presentation (and taste) of your baked goods.
Since every brand is different and uses varying qualities of ingredients, you may have a bit of trial and error for finding the ideal swaps for your favorite baking recipes. With a little patience and willingness to try some different options, you’ll likely be able to find your ideal brand to achieve the perfect baked goods consistency you’re looking for.
Best of all, many vegan ingredients naturally tend to be gluten-free, making it easier to cater to both dietary needs.
Ready to begin experimenting? Start with simple recipes like cookies, frostings, and pies. Then work your way up from there! Bake and create delicious foods with your favorite KOR Shots. We’d love to know what you’ve baked with our shots! All our shots are vegan, making them the perfect addition to your vegan baking.
Send us your recipe using a KOR Shot to info@korshots.com with a nice photo and if we use it we will send you a free case of KOR Shots! Don’t forget to include all ingredients and the step-by-step directions!