With the worldwide increase in vegan cooking, baking has followed suit. From cakes to cookies and everything in between, chefs and vegan enthusiasts have created delicious desserts for all diets.
Not only are these recipes vegan, but many can also cater to common dietary restrictions. Along with promoting creativity in the kitchen, plant-based recipes are ideal for baking with children, filled with more nutrients, and stay longer than traditional desserts.
1. Vegan Bakes Appeal to Different Diets
Vegan baking is not just for people who strictly eat a vegan diet! Traditional baking recipes almost always call for wheat and dairy products to be used in the process.
Vegan bakes will never call for dairy (since it is an animal product), which is perfect for those with lactose intolerance who typically avoid dessert. No more skipping out on your favorite snack; vegan recipes have your back!
This accessibility can also apply in part to people with gluten allergies. While not all vegan recipes substitute wheat, many use rice and chickpea flour substitutes to create gluten-free products.
Using allergy-friendly ingredients, as many vegan bakes do, is an excellent way for anyone with a sweet tooth to get their fix.
2. Baking is Safer Without Raw Eggs
Baking with children is always a great family activity, but it can quickly become a safety concern. Hot surfaces notwithstanding, children love to lick spoons, whisks, bowls, and anything sweet.
Licking raw batter or consuming raw dough is less of a concern with vegan baking, where no eggs are involved. While ingesting raw flour should still be avoided, without eggs, you can be more relaxed throughout the baking and clean-up process.
Egg-free baking is sure to cause less stress.
3. Vegan Bakes are Nutrient-Rich
Vegan baking may not be considered ‘healthy,’ but it is more nutritious than your standard non-vegan dessert.
Vegan recipes rarely call for many processed ingredients or saturated fats. Instead, the nuts and seeds used as dairy substitutes are a great source of unsaturated fats, which help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Many vegan baking recipes also include fruits such as dates, strawberries, apples with skin, bananas, and more. These fruits and frequently used nuts and seeds are an incredible source of fiber that non-vegan desserts don’t often utilize.
These ingredients help your body control blood sugar levels, make you feel full for longer, and elevate your mood. Vegan baking is thus beneficial for your body and your mind.
4. Plant-Based Ingredients Promote Creativity in the Kitchen
Since vegan recipes don’t use typical baking ingredients like eggs, milk, and butter, plant-based bakers have had to think outside the box to create delicious treats.
Creating a recipe that is tasty but also caters to a vegan diet can often be a challenge, but that challenge has led to a wave of creativity and innovation in the kitchen. Many bakeries and at-home bakers across the country have created exceptional products spurred by vegan diets.
A massive wave of raw, no-bake recipes has swept social media recently, in addition to traditional vegan cake and cookie recipes. As the old saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention.” In our case, veganism is the mother of outstanding treats.
5. Vegan Treats Keep Longer Than Traditional Desserts
We have all been victims of not finishing our desserts before they spoil, thus having to throw delicious sweets away. However, vegan baking gives you some extra time to clean off that plate!
Without animal products, vegan recipes can extend the life of your tasty creation so that you can continue to enjoy it throughout the week! You can keep vegan treats in your fridge for over a week and in your freezer for months.
Gone is the need to worry about making the exact amount for your special occasion: with vegan sweets, if there’s extra, it’s made to last!
This is Only the Beginning of the Vegan Baking Craze
As vegan diets continue to grow in popularity, so will vegan baking. Not only will this help promote safer, more nutritious, and more inclusive desserts, but it will also promote a more sustainable baking process. Getting rid of the need for animal products in baking will help our bodies, our minds, and our environment.
Are you looking for a place to start? Our vegan recipe book is packed with 100 vegan recipes for you to try. Order it on our website here. Tag us in your bakes on Instagram at @eatstickyfingers; we can’t wait to see what you cook up at home!
