Vegan Substitutes

Milk: If you’re new to the vegetarian/vegan diet, you may be tempted to replace all of your dairy products and continue drinking milks as were. Remember that these milks are processed and best not consumed in too large or daily quantities.

You can experiments to find the right non-dairy milks for the recipe you are making.

I always choose unsweetened but the natural sweetness and thickness will vary on the ingredients.

I find Soy, Cashew and Oat milks creamier than rice milk, for example – And milks made of grains like quinoa, rice and oats a bit less sweet than those made with nuts.

Buttermilk:Equal amounts of soy (or other thick non-dairy) milk mixed with lemon juice. Allow the mixture to thicken 5 minutes before using.

Eggs

Most health food stores sell powdered egg replacements, such as Ener G or Bob’s Red Mill etc… that you mix with water but they can be a bit expensive so I’m including a few Eggs you can make yourself.

The homemade substitute you chose will depend on whether or not you need Binding, thickening, leavening or all three. Different egg substitutes will work best for different recipes. Be prepared to do a little experimenting.

Leavening: For cakes, cookies, muffins, quick breads, etc

Soy milk with lemon: 1 egg = 1/4 cup soy milk + 1 Tbsp lemon

In cakes and quick breads, you might want to add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch to the dry ingredients for each egg being replaced. This will bind the ingredients and give a nice soft texture.

Thickening and Binding:

Finely ground flax or Chia seeds whipped with water: 1 egg = 1 Tbsp ground seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water

Flax seeds bind with the other ingredients. Some people find that this works best with a little Ener G Egg replacer mixed in since flax seeds alone have no leavening effect.

Cornstarch and pureed soft tofu: 1 egg = 3 Tbsp pureed tofu + 2 tsp cornstarch (Good for quiches and custard pies.)

In cakes and quick breads, you may want to add a couple Tbsp of cornstarch to the dry ingredients for each egg being replaced. This will bind the ingredients and give a nice soft texture.

Fat Free Binding Egg substitutes: applesauce, pureed banana, squash or pumpkin.

1 egg = 1/4 cup puree

Butter: Use a vegan butter substitute. My favourite is Earth Balance organic spread but there are plenty to choose from. If you are buying regular margarine check the labels well. Some of them contain fish oils!

1 cup butter = 1 cup vegan butter = 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Cream: Coconut cream (the thick portion skimmed off the top of whole fat coconut milk)

Sour Cream: (From our friend Frank O’ Brains over at Show me your Veggies!!)

1 10.5-ounce package of lite silken tofu (firm), crumbled
4 to 5 teaspoons lemon juice (fresh is best)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sweetener (any you want)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor (with metal blade) or blender. Process several minutes, until very creamy and smooth. Make sure you process it for a few minutes to ensure the creamy texture. Refrigerate.

Ricotta Cheese: Substitute an equal quantity of mashed soft or silken tofu blended with a dash of lemon juice.

Cream Cheese: Blend a dash of lemon juice with heavy coconut cream.

Mayonnaise:
1 cup Soft tofu
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
2 1/2 TBS oil
1/2 Salt
Pepper