Making something vegan or plant-based can actually be a lot easier than you think! For my own recipes, I often base them off of a dish that has meat or dairy, and just modify it with some simple swaps. This can be a helpful guide if you have friends or family that you are trying to make something plant-based for, or for yourself if you find a recipe that’s not plant-based and want to make it that way!
Vegan Swaps for Cooking
- Tofu – Tofu can be a great swap for chicken or even fish! For example, if you’re trying to make a sesame chicken recipe, just swap out the chicken for tofu. Or, if you’re looking to make a vegan poké bowl, swap out the fish for tofu as well. I recommend pressing your tofu before utilizing it in a recipe. To find out how to press tofu, check out this post. Additionally, tofu is a great swap for an egg scramble or egg sandwich if you season it with some nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and a touch of turmeric.
- Beans – Beans are a great addition to any recipe, but they can also be the star of the dish too! If you’re making a seafood pasta, swap out the seafood for chickpeas. Or, if you’re making a chili, get rid of the meat and just go with assorted beans.
- Coconut Cream – Coconut cream is a great swap for cooking recipes that require cream. Just make sure to buy unsweetened coconut cream or you’ll end up with a way too sweet dish!
- Hearts of Palm – Hearts of Palm can be a great swap for lobster! Just season it with some paprika and old bay, fry it up with some olive oil, and voilá! Imitation lobster.
- Mushrooms – Mushrooms can have that same meaty texture and complex flavor like meat. All it needs are the proper seasonings! There are so many recipes out there for this – just type it into google!
- Cheese – There are so many options you can use for substituting cheese, which is why it’s going to get a few bullet points!
- Nutritional Yeast – Nutritional Yeast has that same cheesy flavor as cheddar cheese. Plus, many of the brands for nutritional yeast are fortified with B12, providing vegans and vegetarians with that hard to reach nutrient if you don’t eat meat. You can sprinkle it on pasta to act as parmesan or on popcorn for a cheesy flavor. It’s also great in cheese-like sauces.
- Cashews – Cashews are a staple for any plant-based cheesy sauce. They are used in vegan alfredo recipes, vegan mac and cheese recipes, and even plant-based pestos.
- Dairy Free Cheeses – There are so many options out there now for dairy free cheeses you can buy at the grocery store! I try to be mindful of my intake of processed foods, but once in a while these cheeses are a great substitute on nachos or pizza. There are even vegan artisanal cheeses out there now for cheese boards (you can also make your own at home too – so many recipes for this out there)!
- Chickpea Flour & Water – This combo can replace an egg wash in cases where you may need to coat something in breadcrumbs.
These are just some of the options for vegan cooking swaps you can make! If you have a specific swap question, feel free to comment below and I can offer my suggestions.
Plant-Based Swaps for Baking
Making swaps in baking can be slightly more challenging, because you don’t want to sacrifice non-dairy for texture. However, it’s definitely possible and doesn’t have to be a huge ordeal!
- Eggs – There are a few swaps you can make for eggs if you’re making a vegan baked good:
- Flax Seed Meal and Water – This is my favorite swap to use because it acts as a binder, but does not weigh down the baked good and affect the texture too much. Three tablespoons of flax seed meal and one tablespoon of water is equivalent to one egg in a recipe. You must stir the two and let sit for 15 minutes before using.
- Egg Replacers – There are certain egg replacer powders you can buy from the grocery store, like the one from Bob’s Red Mill. They are typically made from psyllium husk. These do work but I’ve found they create a denser texture to the baked good.
- Applesauce – Applesauce can be used as a substitute for eggs – equating to about 1/4 cup of applesauce to replace one egg.
- Aquafaba – Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) can be used in place of eggs too. I’ve never tried this myself but have heard that it works!
- Butter
- Olive Oil – Olive oil can be used as a substitute for butter in baking and often makes for a lighter/fluffier texture.
- Nut Butter – This is the swap I most commonly make for my baked goods because I like to add a dose of protein and healthy fats to the mix.
- Applesauce – Applesauce can be used as an egg substitute and a butter substitute.
- Plant-Based Butters – There are plenty of butters out there that are made from plant ingredients instead of the typical dairy.
- Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is a common butter swap.
- Milk/Cream
- Dairy Free Milks – There are plenty of dairy free milks out there that can be swapped out at a 1:1 ratio for regular milk. If you want a thicker milk, you may opt for a coconut or creamy oat milk. For a lighter milk, almond is a good option.
- Cream – Just like in cooking, coconut cream can be a good substitute, but there are also dairy free creams out there as well. There are even ones you can use for whipping cream.
- Chocolate Chips
- If a recipe calls for chocolate chips, I will typically reach for the Enjoy Life brand because it is dairy and gluten free. However, Hü is also a good dairy free brand if gluten is not a concern for you.
These are just some of the vegan swaps you can make when baking. However, there are plenty more out there! If you’re looking for a specific swap, feel free to drop a comment below or send us a question through our contact page!
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