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If you're on a baking mission, don't let a few missing ingredients floor you.
Flour, eggs and butter might be the natural building blocks of many a bake, but without them, you can still succeed! Afterall gluten-free and vegan diets depend on vegan or gluten free baking alternatives recipes for cakes and dessert.
Baking is a science, and understanding the function of each ingredient, you can easily swop in some strong alternatives, like aquafaba for egg whites and milk and lemon juice in place of buttermilk.
So, instead of thinking what you don't have... why not start thinking how to use what you do have!
Below is a list of some of the key baking ingredients, and how you can work around them when the cupboard's bare.
Baking Substitutes
Baking without Eggs
Baking without eggs is absolutely do-able. Have you heard of the magic egg white qualities of aquafaba? the leftover chickpea water that you might have otherwise have thrown away can easily be whipped into a meringue and aerate cakes. And that's just for starters ....
Here are 7 egg substitutes that will change the way you bake.
Get baking with these eggless recipes:
Eggless custard, Eggless chocolate muffins or Eggless shortcrust pastry
Butter substitutes in baking
Fats are easy to substitute in baking. Olive oil, avocado and coconut oil are just a few ways in which you can add another dimension your cakes, cookies and muffins.
Discover 5 vegan substitutes for butter
Milk substitute in baking
You don't need to be a vegan or have a lactose intolerance to enjoy milk substitutes made from plants, seeds and nuts. Coconut milk and almond milk are two of the most popular vegan milk options and both are great for drinking, baking and cooking.
Check out 6 great dairy free milk substitutes
Sugar substitute for baking
Maple syrup, honey or golden syrup swop in easily for sugar as do tinned fruit or sweet vegetables. Alternatively, you could even having a go at making brown sugar if your recipe calls for it.
From agave nectar to fructose here are 10 natural sweeteners to choose from.
Vegetable oil substitute baking
If you're looking for a healthier alternative to vegetable oil, try olive, coconut or avocado oil. You can try a healthier apple sauce swop in!
Discover all the vegetable oil substitutes here.
Substitute for honey in baking
Date syrup and barley malt are just two natural sweet liquids that can fill in for the sweet elixir that's honey.
Discover more sweet alternatives.
Cream substitute
Cooking without dairy cream is possible. Cashew nut cream, coconut cream and many more mean you can still get to work whipping, filling and topping with lashings of cream.
Find out all the vegan cream options.
Substitute for buttermilk in baking
No buttermilk, no problem! Milk with a spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice works just as well, as does yoghurt or sour cream thinned with milk (or plain water, in a pinch).
Try whipping us these fluffy buttermilk pancakes for breakfast with your new found technique.
Substitute for baking powder
If you've run out of baking powder, have a go at making your own baking powder and discover just how easy it is.
Alternatively, trying baking without in these tried and tested treats ...
chocolate cookies without baking powder
chocolate cake without baking powder.
How to bake without flour
Replacing flour when you’re baking is a tricky thing to do but thanks to a massive number of interesting ideas in the kitchen there’s lots of ways to cook a cake while avoiding what many see as a key ingredient.
Here's how to get started without flour and with alternative flours ...
Easy flourless chocolate cake recipe
Vegan pancakes with chickpea flour
Subsitute for baking soda
Baking soda or bircarbonate of soda is one of the most widely used leaveners in baked goods.
If you don't have any baking soda, try using egg white club soda for when you need leavening action.
A food scientist reveals all here.
How to bake bread without yeast
Yeast is a sought after commodity these days. If you didn't' manage to bag any, don't let you baking dreams disappear!
Here are three yeast free bread recipes for tried and tested classics including Irish soda bread and Australian Damper bread. Or, alternatively, you could even have a go at making your own sourdough starter with just flour and water.
Cream of tartar substitute
Cream of tartar is an acid—specifically, tartaric acid most commonly used as a lavender. Lemon juice and vinegar are the best acidic substitutes for cream of tartar.
Find out everything you need to know about cream of tartar, including how to replace it here.
