Vegan Baking

Vegan Substitutions:

In our house, we have 3 omnivores, and me; although the dogs don't really count.  Most of the time we do a strictly vegetarian week, but once in a while, I will make Daddykins a meat based meal.  Often times, we keep his consumption of meat so low, that we can splurge on organic meats, but in the name of the bottom line, that is not always an option.

The majority of our baking is vegan.  It is simple to substitute typical ingredients with vegan ones, usually making anything healthier and really it tastes the same.  We do eat honey, a contention in the vegan community, and we do use it in our vegan baking.  As of yet, Daddykins has not had any issue (or much noticed) any of my substitutions.

Here are the ones I rely on most:

• flax seed for eggs (lower cholesterol, more fiber, and more omega-3s!)
• 1 tbs ground flax (you can purchase it at a store, or grind your own) 
• 3 tbs water 
• bring water to a boil and stir in flax, it will become a gooey mixture, much like the whites of eggs 
• add to recipe as directed for eggs
• 1 tbs flax = 1 egg (at least in my recipes, I don't really measure/stick to a script)
• soy milk for regular milk 
• really a no brainer, however if you are like me, and constantly out of soy milk, but have tofu on hand:
• blend a half cup of tofu with a cup of water, mix in a blender until the consistency of soy milk... tada!  
• you do not want to drink this, but it works well in baking! 
• Honey for sugar 
• most white sugar is not vegetarian/vegan friendly (there are bones used in processing, believe it or not!), so I use honey whenever possible, or opt for the more non-refined, nutritional sugar options