Being vegan doesn’t mean that you have to give up cookies, cupcakes and most importantly ice cream, it just means that in order to enjoy those treats you have to prepare to bake.
Though you may not be Rachael Ray, you are able to pick up a recipe, some ingredients and prepare a simple treat for yourself, with some tips. Below are the best ways to make sure you are substituting the right ingredients, following the directions and making the best desserts possible, along with one of the best recipes out there.
Substitute Ingredients
Being vegan, it can be difficult to find ingredients tailored to your nutrition habits, but knowing what ingredients can be used to substitute for others can make life a bit easier in the long run. Bananas, avocado and pumpkin are great ingredients for substituting eggs and butter, especially in baked goods. In foods such as cake and muffins, using these ingredients will keep the final product soft and fluffy, versus crunchy, even without the use of butter or eggs. Of course, it is possible to find vegan butter, and “egg-powder” which is actually a vegan substitute for eggs, but it often makes desserts seem very fake.
For those that are dairy-free, it is often also difficult to enjoy desserts, leaving them to search for replacement ingredients that fall along the lines of a vegan lifestyle. The staple ingredient that can be used as a substitute for butter, in most desserts, to remain vegan, is coconut oil. Though pricy, it can be used for hundreds of different meals, and gives each dessert a bit of a twist with the addition of coconut flavoring.
Knowing items that can be used as substitutions in dessert will save you time when preparing for parties, especially when baking vegan desserts. Not to worry though, these tasty treats won’t taste any different than desserts that use butter and eggs, and they are even healthier for you.
Follow a Recipe
If you’re new to the vegan lifestyle, and you are on a baking path, take a brief detour to Pinterest to find some recipes that you are able to follow. Though it isn’t difficult to self-substitute ingredients, it can be comforting to have detailed instructions to follow. If you are looking for an easy vegan muffin, check out the recipe below for a fabulous treat to make.
Try Out New Things
Don’t be afraid to venture to new areas, new desserts and to look for different options when baking, especially with a vegan diet. Oftentimes there are desserts that are vegan by nature that can be overlooked, such as granola bites or cookies, and these can make for the best treats in a time crunch. Take a risk on desserts, and search for something you wouldn’t expect your eye to land on; it may become your new favorite.
Fluffy Vegan Coconut Oil Banana Muffins
· 3 medium bananas, mashed
· 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
· 1 tbsp. baking powder
· 1 tsp. cinnamon
· 1 tsp. nutmeg
· Pinch salt, optional
· 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
· ½ cup coconut oil, melted
· ½ cup almond/soy milk, warmed
· ¼ cup light brown sugar, pressed
· 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray the pans with cooking spray or use cupcake liners in place of the spray in the pans.
2. Mash bananas in a small bowl, set to the side.
3. In a large bowl, place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir all of the ingredients together, place to the side.
4. In a different bowl, combine the sugar, melted coconut oil, almond/soy milk, brown sugar and vanilla. Whisk the ingredients until smooth, fold bananas in slowly.
5. Pour wet mixture into the dry, stirring until fully mixed. Do not over mix the two, or the muffins will not be soft.
6. Fill the muffin pan with batter up to ¾ full for each muffin.
7. Bake about eight minutes for mini-muffins and approximately 15 minutes for regular muffins. Muffins will be a pale to golden color when finished.
8. Allow muffins to cool on a wire rack before serving at a holiday gathering, dinner or for your afternoon snack.
Recipe courtesy of Averiecooks.com.
Being vegan can seem like a challenge, especially when it comes to baking. Almost all recipes seem to contain butter, milk and eggs, three things that are not a part of the vegan lifestyle. But the best part is, all of those crucial ingredients also contain substitutes. Try making the recipe above and starting your journey on baking vegan. It may seem like a challenge, but it is one that you can easily conquer. Get pinning, get shopping and bake on!