Most non-vegan ingredients in recipes can easily be replaced with vegan substitutions. Yes, even egg whites. Whether or not you choose to do that, however, is entirely up to you and what you feel works best for your body.
Most recipes on Spoonful of Kindness work with vegan and non-vegan ingredients, and are always tested with all alternatives listed, making sure you get the right result. This vegan cheat sheet includes some of the most common, tried and true, vegan alternatives for eggs and dairy.
Dairy Substitutes
Dairy products are usually very straightforward to replace, with an abundance of alternatives available for practically anything.
Milk
Use non-dairy milk, such as soy, rice and almond milk, as well as cashew, coconut, hazelnut, or other nut-based milk.
Yogurt
Use soy or nut-based yogurt, such as coconut, almond or cashew.
Butter
Nut butter: good for some baked goods where you want the added flavour of nut butter.
Vegan butter or vegetable shortening: these will most likely work with most recipes calling for butter.
Vegetable oil: using olive or sunflower oil works mostly with savoury dishes, such as when baking or pan frying (eggs)
Coconut oil: in most cases you can substitute butter with coconut oil 1:1.
Coconut oil and coconut butter are not the same thing, but you can, more often than not, use them interchangeably. Coconut oil is the oil that’s been extracted from the coconut meat, while coconut butter is made from coconut flesh that’s been ground into a spreadable paste. This is why coconut oil is more often used as a substitute for olive oil or butter in baking, whereas coconut butter is more of a spread.
Make sure to use refined coconut oil if you don’t want the taste of coconut, and unrefined if you like the stronger coconut taste (such as in desserts). Use the same amount of coconut oil as the butter in the recipe. Make sure to always melt it first.
Cheese
Vegan cheese: usually made from soy protein, solidified vegetable oil (such as coconut, palm or safflower), nutritional yeast, thickening agar flakes, nuts, tapioca flour, arrowroot, vegetable glycerin, or pea protein. The choice is yours.
Buttermilk
Vegan buttermilk, made with non-dairy milk. Learn how to make it yourself in this simple guide.
Egg Substitutes
Eggs can be the trickiest part of a recipe to replace, because they usually have more than just one function.
- Structure: Eggs hold the ingredients together. This is due to their ability to harden when they are heated.
- Act as a leavening agent: When beaten, eggs take in loads of air, which can help baked goods rise.
- Provide moisture and richness: Eggs are fatty. This is what makes them perfect for providing density and thickness.
There are plenty of substitutes you can use, but before you do, you need to know which functions your substitute will be taking on. Here are top 5 of the most popular and easy-to-find vegan egg replacements.
Flax Egg
Doesn’t trap air like a chicken egg, so it won’t act as a leavening agent. It provides moisture and structure. Use it only in recipes which also call for vinegar and baking soda, or baking powder, which ensures fluffiness. You can read more about how to make a flax egg in my quick guide.
Baking soda & Vinegar or Baking Powder
This is technically not a vegan egg replacement, as it is often used in recipes with regular chicken eggs as well. But both baking soda and powder both work as very strong leavening agents, I thought they deserved an honourable mention. They are perfect to add fluffiness and airiness to recipes. Whenever you’re using a vegan egg replacement and need the recipe to be fluffy as well, add a bit more of baking powder than you would when baking with chicken eggs.
Because the choice between baking soda and baking powder can be confusing, I strongly recommend giving this article by Sally a quick read.
Long (but interesting) story short, you always need to use baking soda with some sort of acid, such as vinegar, whereas baking powder is a mix that already contains baking soda and acid, and doesn’t have to be mixed.
Silken Tofu
Only adds moisture, and protein, which makes it perfect for dense recipes (think brownies, not cakes). Make sure to use it with soda and vinegar if you want to add fluffiness.
Mashed Banana or Applesauce
Add moisture and density, but won’t work as a leavening agent. To fully substitute an egg, use it with baking soda and vinegar.
Aquafaba
Magic vegan egg replacer that allows you to make even the most delicate meringue recipes. Learn how aquafaba works in this quick guide.
