Alternative Baking: Common Baking Substitutes

In the past 5- 10 years, there has been a dramatic rise in alternative baking as more and more people have begun to modify their diets.  Nowadays, it is fairly easy to look up recipes that are gluten free, sugar free, or vegan. In fact, you don’t even need a modified recipe!  There are plenty of alternative baking substitutes out there. With a little bit of experimenting, you can alter any recipe to fit your dietary needs.

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Alternative Baking

 

When I say “alternative baking” I’m referring to modifying a recipe to suit a particular dietary need.  In theory, this may make your dish more healthy, but let me be clear, I’m not making any claims here. You should still enjoy these desserts in moderation.  Recipes that are gluten free, sugar free, or vegan are not automatically healthy, just as traditional recipes are not automatically unhealthy.

Y’all probably know by now that I love taking baking classes at my local community college.  Previous classes include French Macarons and Cake Decorating for Beginners. Well, I learned so much information from my most recent course on alternative baking!  If you subscribe to the Bakes & Blunders newsletter, you even get to vote and help me choose what class to take next.

 

Gluten Free Baking

 

I’ve made a few gluten free recipes already, like these cupcakes and this marble cake.  For these recipes I love using the King Arthur measure for measure gluten free flour. So far, it has worked beautifully for me and is a really easy option to convert any recipe to gluten free.  

The concern with gluten free baking is the texture of your baked good.  Gluten develops when wheat flour meets moisture and is agitated. So, if you just add water to all- purpose flour and knead or stir it, you will create gluten.  Gluten gives baked goods elasticity and a unique texture. When you use gluten free flour, you need to add a texturizing ingredient that will mimic this elasticity.

 

(Read more about the different flours in my Ingredient Glossary, part of the Bakes & Blunders Resource Library).

 

 

Common Alternative Flours

 

• Almond
• Buckwheat
• Chickpea Flour (aka Garbanzo Bean Flour)
• Coconut Flour
• White Rice Flour

 

Common Texturizing Additives

 

• Arrowroot Powder
• Cornstarch
• Flaxseed Meal
• Tapioca Flour
• Xanthan Gum

 

Check out the Alternative Baking Substitutes in the Bakes & Blunders Resource Library for a more in depth list of gluten free alternatives.  And in case you were wondering, that King Arthur gluten free flour uses rice flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, and xanthan gum.

 

 

Sugar Free Baking

 

We’re all aware that sugar is not good for us, no matter how tasty it is.  Because of its high caloric content and high glycemic index, many people are choosing to reduce or cut cane sugar from their diets.  When it comes to baking, sugar is a very important ingredient and can be difficult to substitute. That being said, there are quite a few alternatives.

 

Sugar Free Alternatives

 

• Aspartame (Equal)
• Sucralose (Splenda)
• Stevia (Truvia)
• Saccharin (Sweet’n Low)
• Neotame (NutraSweet)
• Monk Fruit (Nectresse)

 

When substituting a sugar free alternative, you have to keep the recipe in mind.  If you are using the creaming method to make cookies, cakes, or cupcakes, you have to use a granulated alternative.  Liquid sugar will not work here because you need the granulated sugar to help fluff up the butter and trap air.

There is no powdered sugar alternative on the market that I’m aware of.  But, guess what? You can just grind up any granulated alternative sugar until it is a fine powder.  Add a tiny bit of cornstarch if you want. The final result may not be as fantastic as regular powdered sugar, but the only difference should be a rougher texture.

 

Alternative Sweeteners

 

• Honey
• Molasses
• Agave
• Fructose

 

Not everyone cares for the taste of zero calorie sweeteners.  They all have their own unique tastes and flavors. If you aren’t looking for a zero calorie sugar alternative, there are a few cane sugar alternatives that you can try.  Again, keep in mind what role the sugar plays in the recipe and experiment to find what works best for you.  Here’s a super yummy recipe for single serve molten chocolate pudding that is gluten free, vegan, and uses alternative sweeteners.

 

 

Vegan Baking

 

Surprisingly, vegan baking is not nearly as difficult as you might think.  Eggs and dairy are crazy important ingredients with any baked good, so you might think I’m crazy.  Check out my vegan chocolate cupcakes to see just how easy it is! There are plenty of milk alternatives out there like coconut, cashew, and oat milks.  You can also find vegan stick butter that will work in place of regular butter. It will be a bit softer, so just be aware of that.

Eggs are the hardest ingredient to replace, but I found out that there are a lot of alternatives that you might not think of.  When replacing eggs in a recipe, you want to use a similar amount of a soft, mushy ingredient when the egg is acting as a binder.  (One egg weighs about 1.75 oz.) If it is acting as a leavener, baking soda and vinegar work great.

 

Egg Alternatives

 

• Flax Egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 1 oz water)
• Sweet Potato
• Chia Seeds
• Baking Soda + Vinegar
• Silken Tofu

 

Find more egg alternatives in the Alternative Baking printable in the Bakes & Blunders Resource Library!

 

 

Local Vegan Bakery

 

In our class, the teaching materials mentioned that one of the BEST vegan bakeries in the country is right nearby in Washington D.C.  Sticky Fingers Bakery has been in business since 1999 and is one of the best bakeries in this entire region, vegan or not!

 

Keep in Mind…

 

Whenever you adapt a recipe with any alternative baking ingredients, there is a bit of experimentation involved.  All of these substitutes will work better in different recipes. With time, and some practice, you’ll discover the best options for each recipe.  And if you know a friend that could use another alternative baking resource, send them over to this little guide to gluten free, sugar free, and vegan substitutes.

If you’re looking for more alternative baking substitutes, make sure you’ve signed up to get access to my exclusive resources for my email subscribers.  I’m even going to give you some of the recipes we used in this class.  Sign up HERE so that you have access to all of the great FREE printables and downloads.