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Vegan Baking Secrets: Egg and Dairy Substitutes That Actually Work

  • Writer: Emanuele Bortolotto
    Emanuele Bortolotto
  • Jul 19
  • 6 min read

Updated: Aug 31


It’s Saturday night here in Helsinki, the sky is still stubbornly bright, and it feels like the perfect time to talk about life’s most important subjects. World peace. The meaning of existence. And why your last attempt at vegan chocolate chip cookies spread into a single, greasy, city-sized pancake. 🍪

We have all been victims of a vegan baking catastrophe. The cake that could be used as a doorstop. The brownie with the structural integrity of wet sand. The muffin that is, for all intents and purposes, just a sad, oily sponge. After a few such disasters, it’s easy to throw in the towel and declare that delicious vegan baking is a myth, a lie whispered on the wind by influencers with better lighting.

But I am here to tell you that the problem isn't you. It's your ingredients. Or rather, your substitutions. The secret to incredible vegan baking isn't just about removing eggs and dairy; it's about understanding what they do, and then deploying the correct secret agent to do the job.

Forget sad, tofu-based concoctions. We're diving into the real egg substitutes and dairy substitutes that will transform you from a frustrated baker into a kitchen alchemist. 🧪


The "Why" Before the "How": Think Like a Food Scientist


Before we even touch a bag of flaxseed, we need a mind-set shift. Stop thinking "how do I replace one egg?" and start thinking "what was that egg supposed to be doing?" In traditional baking, eggs and dairy are multi-tasking divas, each performing several jobs at once.

An Egg's Job Description:

  • The Binder: It’s the glue. It holds everything together, preventing your cookie from crumbling into dust when you look at it.

  • The Leavener: It’s the lift. Whipped eggs trap air, which expands in the heat of the oven, making cakes light and fluffy.

  • The Moisturizer: It’s the hydration. Eggs are mostly water, and they contribute to a soft, moist crumb.

  • The Fattener: It's the richness. The yolk adds fat, which means flavor and a tender texture.

Dairy's Résumé (Butter & Milk):

  • The Fat: This is butter’s main role. It provides flavor, tenderness, and richness. The way it's incorporated (creamed with sugar, left cold in pastry) determines the final texture.

  • The Liquid: This is milk's job. It hydrates the flour, activates gluten, and dissolves sugar.

  • The Tenderizer: The acid in ingredients like buttermilk or yogurt reacts with baking soda to create lift, and it also breaks down tough gluten strands, resulting in a more tender crumb.

Once you know the function you need to replace, you can choose the perfect vegan stunt double for the job.


The Egg-cellent Imposters: Your Guide to Egg Substitutes


This is where most vegan baking goes wrong. You can't just use one type of egg substitute for everything. Choosing the right one is the difference between a symphony and a disaster. So, what is the best egg substitute for baking? It depends on the mission.


For Binding: The Flax Egg & The Chia Egg


This is your go-to for recipes where the egg is meant to be the glue: cookies, brownies, muffins, and veggie burgers. A flax or chia egg is a glorious goo that mimics the binding properties of a real egg almost perfectly.

How to make it:

  1. Take 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed (flax meal) or ground chia seeds.

  2. Mix it with 2.5 to 3 tablespoons of water.

  3. Stir well and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes thick and gelatinous.

That’s it. You’ve made an egg. Use this mixture to replace one regular egg. It works like a charm but be aware it can add a slightly nutty, wholesome flavor to your bakes.


For Fluffy Leavening: The Miraculous Aquafaba ✨


This is the one that will blow your mind. Aquafaba, which is just the fancy name for the liquid in a can of chickpeas, is pure magic. The unique blend of proteins and starches allows it to whip up just like egg whites. It's the secret to airy macarons, ethereal mousses, light-as-a-cloud cakes, and even vegan meringue.

How to use it:

  • 3 tablespoons of aquafaba = 1 egg white

  • 4 tablespoons of aquafaba = 1 whole egg

You can whip it with a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed until it forms stiff, glossy peaks, just like you would with egg whites. This is the ultimate leavening agent when you need serious, delicate lift.


For Moisture & Density: The Fruit Puree Brigade


When you’re making something that should be dense and very moist—like banana bread, pumpkin muffins, or a rich, fudgy cake—fruit purees are your friend.

The rule of thumb: Use 1/4 cup of puree to replace one egg.

  • Unsweetened Applesauce: The most neutral option. It adds moisture without a ton of flavor.

  • Mashed Banana: Fantastic, but everything will taste like banana. Embrace it.

  • Pumpkin Puree: Adds moisture, a bit of binding, and a lovely color. Perfect for spice cakes.


For Chemical Lift-Off: Baking Soda & Vinegar


Remember that volcano you made for the science fair? 🌋 You can use that same reaction to give your cakes and cupcakes a powerful lift. The vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base) to create carbon dioxide gas, which makes your batter rise beautifully.

How to use it:

  • In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Add this fizzy mixture to your batter as the replacement for one egg. It's best used in recipes where you need a fluffy, cakey texture.


Dairy's Doppelgängers: Mastering Milk and Butter


Replacing dairy is often simpler than replacing eggs, but choosing the right substitute will elevate your baking from "good for vegan" to just plain "good."


The Butter Battle


This is a hill I will die on: for the best vegan cookies, scones, and pastries, you must use a high quality vegan butter in stick or block form. Not a soft tub of margarine. Why? Because baking butter isn't just fat; it's an emulsion of about 80% fat and 20% water. Vegan butter sticks are formulated to mimic this ratio.

So, can you just use oil instead of butter in vegan baking? Sometimes, but it’s not a direct swap. Oil is 100% fat. Using it in place of butter will result in denser, often greasier bakes. It works fine in many cakes and muffins, but for a cookie that holds its shape or a flaky pie crust, stick with the sticks.


The Plant Milk Playground


The plant milk aisle is a wonderland. Here’s a quick guide:

  • Soy Milk: The protein powerhouse. Its high protein content makes it the best choice for making vegan "buttermilk," as it curdles most effectively.

  • Oat Milk: The creamy one. Its natural creaminess is wonderful in cakes and creamy frostings.

  • Almond Milk: The neutral one. It has a mild flavor that won't interfere with the other stars of your recipe.

  • Canned Coconut Milk (Full Fat): The decadent one. This isn't for drinking; it's for baking. Use it for ridiculously rich frostings, mousses, and ultra moist cakes where you want a coconut flavor.


The "Buttermilk" Hack


Need vegan buttermilk for a recipe? It’s laughably easy to make. This acidic kick is what makes pancakes super fluffy and cakes incredibly tender.

The formula:

  1. Measure 1 cup of unsweetened plant milk (soy works best).

  2. Add 1 tablespoon of an acid, like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.

  3. Stir and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. It will curdle and thicken slightly. Voilà. Vegan buttermilk.

This acidic kick is the secret to amazing vegan pancakes. Speaking of which, our [Fluffy Vegan Pancake Recipe] puts this trick to delicious, brunch-worthy use.


Common Catastrophes and How to Avoid Them


Let's troubleshoot some tragic baking fails.

  • "My cookies spread into one giant amoeba!" You likely used melted butter or oil when the recipe needed solid, creamed butter. Or, you used a liquid egg substitute like applesauce in a recipe that needed the structure of a flax egg.

  • "My cake is a dense brick!" You needed more leavening! This cake was crying out for the chemical lift of baking soda and vinegar or the airy magic of whipped aquafaba.

  • "It just tastes... weird." This often comes from a substitution with a strong flavor. Was your mashed banana super ripe? Did you use a strongly flavored olive oil instead of a neutral one? But sometimes, the "weird" taste isn't the bake, it's just a sign you're not getting enough of a key nutrient.


The Conclusion: You're a Kitchen Chemist Now 💪


Vegan baking is not about deprivation. It's about empowerment. By understanding the function behind the ingredients, you unlock a world of possibility. You're no longer just following a recipe; you're conducting a delicious experiment.

So stock your pantry with flax meal, grab a can of chickpeas, and invest in some good vegan butter. The power to create fluffy cakes and gooey, perfect cookies 🎂 has been inside you all along. You just needed the secrets.


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