New Vegans

This will be the central page for the huge influx of info that will be posted soon for the new vegan. If you’re thinking about becoming vegan or you’ve just started and need some support, this is going to be the page for you.

As always guys, if you have a question or just need a little support….email me. There are no stupid questions and I will totally do my best to help out.

Vegan Baking Substitutions

Egg replacers

  • Flax eggs: 1 Tbs ground flax seeds added to 3 Tbs warm water. Stir and let it sit for a few mins. This can be used in baking when egg is a binder. Don’t use this for things like scrambled eggs!  ;)  I don’t use more than two flax eggs in a recipe because it will get a strong flavor after that.
  • Ener G Foods – Egg Replacer: a powdered egg replacer. It can be a little bit tricky to use, but once you’re comfortable with it it’s simple. I prefer flax eggs for the nutrition, but if you need 3 eggs in something it’s great to use Ener-g for that third egg.
  • bananas: They work great in baked goods, especially if you’re wanting a dense, moist product. You will get a slight banana flavor. Use roughly 1/2 a medium banana for one egg. Make sure you smash it up really well. I mash it with a fork and then stir it around in the bowl for a min.
  • tofu: You can use silken tofu, 1/4 cup for one egg. I don’t use this very often. Make sure you put it through the food processor or blender until it is completely smooth and creamy. This is another that is good for dense baked goods.
  • yogurt: You can use soy yogurt just like silken tofu. I have not tried using coconut yogurt yet, but I am sure it will have the same result. Again, this is for dense, moist baked goods.

Milk

  • You can use soy/rice/almond/hemp etc milks just like you would cow’s milk in baking and cooking.
  • If you need buttermilk, you can add lemon juice or cider vinegar to your milk and let it sit for a few mins. It will thicken up just like buttermilk! It only takes a teaspoon of vinegar/juice. When you do this, to make sure you don’t have more liquid than you need, put the vinegar/juice in the measuring cup and add the milk to get your 1/2 cup or whatever.

Butter

  • Earth Balance and Smart Balance are vegan margarines. Watch the Smart Balance! Only certain ones are vegan, but it clearly states it on the container that it *is* vegan. Use the exact measurement you would for butter. But, hey…while you’re getting healthy by going vegan why not cut back on the butter?  ;)