Finding substitutes for animal products is perhaps the trickiest part of vegan cooking, both for a new conscious eater, and for someone who's been doing this a while. But it can also be a lot of fun to upend some long-held traditions on cooking and baking by using cruelty-free products and getting results that are just as good and usually healthier than their animal-infested versions.Here is a list of vegan substitutes that always work for me. I've tried to group them by the animal product they replace. I will add to this list as I experiment with new substitutes, but meanwhile rest assured that I've tried and tested them for years now in my vegan kitchen. They work! If you don't find something here and have a question about what to substitute in a particular recipe, feel free to leave a comment below.
1 EGG
(To replace more than one, just multiply)
1 tablespoon of ground flax meal + 3 tablespoon of water
I use this most often for baked bread-cakes, like my Vegan Banana Bread and Vegan Zucchini Bread, and in Vegan Banana Cookies and Vegan Banana Muffins.
¼ cup tofu
(I usually blend my tofu so it is smooth before using it. If you add it as is to a recipe, you might never be able to break the lumps. Tofu works especially well in quiches and pancakes and pastas. It is also a great replacement in vegan scrambled eggs).
3 tablespoon aquafaba
I've subbed aquafaba in breads like this vegan olive oil brioche and vegan donuts and other vegan recipes that call for eggs, with great results. With patience, it also whips up into a great meringue.
½ banana
(I usually don't use banana unless I want the recipe to be banana-flavored, as in my Vegan Banana Cake.)
¼ cup applesauce
(Applesauce also makes a baked good really moist, so it allows you to cut down on fat in the recipe. It works great in my Vegan Carrot Cake.)
Commercial powder substitutes like EnerG
(I don't use these a lot, but they are handy at times, especially in lighter cookies, like these vegan amaretti cookies. Read package instructions for measures.)
**
1 CUP MILK
(With all the alternatives available, there is really no excuse to use dairy milk. Use oat milk or coconut milk as a swap for milk in many Indian vegan sweets).
Substitute with an equal quantity of any non-dairy milk of choice, including oat milk, soymilk, almond milk, hemp milk, cashew milk, hazelnut milk and coconut milk.
**
1 CUP YOGURT(Yogurt substitutes work great in vegan raita and other Indian foods like vegetable biryani, which call for yogurt Commercial soy yogurts are also available in the United States and other parts of the world.)
1 cup silken tofu blended with 2 tablespoon lemon juice + ¼ teaspoon salt (use more or less lemon juice if you don't want your yogurt to be too acidic.)
1 cup commercial soy yogurt. Soy yogurts are available everywhere now. Look in the regular refrigerator aisle alongside regular yogurt.
Quick 1 cup cashew yogurt: Make by soaking ½ cup raw cashews in ¾ cup of water for at least 30 minutes, then blending to a smooth paste with juice of 1 lemon and a pinch of salt.
**
1 CUP BUTTERMILK
(Buttermilk substitutes can be used in any recipe that calls for it, including cupcakes, pancakes, and vegan southern-style biscuits)
1 cup soymilk or almond milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar (I use any I have on hand, from plain vinegar to balsamic to apple cider. Mix and set aside for a couple of minutes to curdle.)
**
1 tablespoon BUTTER
(Butter substitutes, like milk and yogurt substitutes, replace all the cholesterol with healthy fats that are better for you. Of course, vegan fats also contain the same number of calories as animal fats, so don't overdo the use of fats of any kind.)
1 tablespoon vegan butter or margarine
1 tablespoon olive oil or any vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon coconut oil. Coconut does have a strong flavor, so think about whether that flavor would suit your recipe before you substitute)
**
1 tablespoon CHEESE
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
(This is most commonly used in pestos, pastas etc. as a cheese substitute and it adds a wonderfully cheesy flavor. It has all the yumminess of cheese minus the bad fats, and, cherry on the icing, it is packed with healthy B vitamins.)
1 teaspoon miso
(I am a die-hard fan of this Japanese seasoning and use it all the time instead of salt and in place of cheese in a vegan basil pesto and soups. I even add it to quiches, sauces, etc. Always add miso at the end of cooking, since heating miso can kill the wonderful enzymes it has that regulate your digestion).
**
1 tablespoon CREAM
1 tablespoon cashew cream (blend cashews with enough water to keep blender blades running)
1 tablespoon almond cream (blend blanched almonds with enough water to keep blades running)
OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTS
There are commercial brands of vegan cream cheese and vegan sour cream (like Tofutti) that taste and act like the originals. But there also are nifty ways you can create your own "cheesy" flavors without buying overprocessed, over-the-shelf foods.
1 tablespoon GELATIN: 1 tablespoon agar agar flakes or powder
**
1 tablespoon HONEY:
1 tablespoon maple syrup (Maple Syrup can be a great flavor-enhancer in some treats like oatmeal cookies and even nut breads.)
1 tablespoon agave nectar (I love the caramelly taste of agave nectar, and it can be delicious in almost any baked good. Agave nectar also has a low glycemic index and makes a healthy sugar substitute)
**
SUGAR: Gee, you might say (especially if you're a new vegan)-- are you kidding me?
The truth is, most sugar is refined with an animal ingredient called bone char, which is made from the bones of cows. So sorry to rain on your dessert, but no, sugar is not usually a vegan product.
The good news is, there are more delicious alternatives out there. When you shop for sugar, look for turbinado sugar, which is not refined. It is also tastier, in my opinion, and it's better for you than regular sugar.
Another great alternative is vegan cane sugar that is increasingly available here in the United States. Then there are so many unrefined sweeteners like jaggery or gur used in Indian kitchens, piloncillo in Latino cuisine, and maple syrup, of course. The last three have distinctive flavors, but they are wonderful flavors, so what's stopping you?
CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR OR POWDERED SUGAR: This is one I often get questions on because vegan powdered sugar is much harder to find in stores that regular vegan sugar is, and it is an essential ingredient in any avid baker's pantry. I usually powder my own sugar in a spice grinder-- adding a tablespoon of cornflour to a cupful of sugar really helps. If you have a powerful blender, that would work too. But the good news is, there are some brands of powdered sugar that are now out there, like this one, that you can order online.
1 tablespoon WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE: 1 tablespoon soy sauce with a smidgen of vinegar to add a slightly tangy note. Vegan versions of Worcestershire sauce are also on the market, but be sure to read labels carefully.
**
THAI CURRY PASTES: Thai curry pastes are great to have on hand for quick curries, but vegans need to watch out because most off-the-shelf products contain animal ingredients. The pastes are super-easy to make at home, and you can't beat the flavor. Get my vegan, homemade version of the red, yellow and green Thai curry pastes on my DIY spice mixes page. They store forever in the freezer.
Sajjad Akbar
Hi, do you recipes for WFPB diet also which cut all oil,salt, diary and Sugar ?? Would really appreciate your response .. stay blesses always
Vaishali
Hi Sajjad, yes, I do have several recipes on the blog that are no-oil or naturally sweetened. You can always leave out the salt. Just use the search bar to find them!
Kathy Beliveau
This is a great because my BFs daughter is vegan. I am always searching for things that I can make for her when she visits. Thank you!
Heather
I just found your site. Wish I had found it sooner it would have made my transition easier. I joined a leadership program that asked me to try a planted based diet. Now after my marathon I am hooked. I still have a few foods that I really enjoy so I indulgence on occasion but I eat planted based and have been experimenting with new recipes more recently. I have completely reversed my diabetes so I am a true believer. Being a former diabetic I do not eat many baked goods but have had a few of the vegan cookies and treats I have been able to find in my area.
I recently moved to Fort Myers and I have never really tried Indian food but your site gave me a few great ideas and their is an Indian Grill near where I work that I plan to try out when I eat out next. I like to pack my lunch so I can control how much I am eating. I am still adjusting to the whole volumetric diet concept. I just wanted to thank you and I will be passing your site along to a few of my friends.
Discover More
After I originally left a comment I appear to have clicked the
-Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment iss addded I recieve fur emails
with the same comment. Is there a means you are able tto remove me from that service?
Appreciate it!
Veena
Thanks a mill. for these substitutes, especially for yogurt/buttermilk. I give Indian cooking lessons and cook Indian (am Indo-Canadian born in a veggie family in India) and dairy substitutes for Indian food are so important to have.
Soya based yogurt is a bit more expensive and sometimes has vanilla etc even the natural flavour (here in Canada)
I am experimenting with homemade vegan yogurt and will get there eventually in terms of thickness/texture I think.
I have cooked some of your recipes. They are great. Thanks a lot of your hard work and effervescence!
Jessica
Hi Vaishali!
I love your site, and thank you for all the great tips making my vegan switch easy & fun.
I’d love to know if you have a substitute vegan option for ghee in cooking Indian food?
Thank you,
Jessica
Chetna
Hi Vaishali,
I'm a north Indian, living in Ahmedabad, India. My 6 year old daughter has been recently diagnosed with gluten sensitivity, she was already milk intolerant since last 4 months.
It's reassuring to read some of your recipes like arbi parantha, since your cooking style matches mine.
Would be reading your blogs frequently to gather tips from your cooking. Would like to know your almond milk recipe for now.
Chetna
Vaishali
Hi Chetna, welcome to the blog! My recipe for almond milk is really simple-- one cup of almonds to four cups of water (use filtered), blend, and strain. You might want to soak the almonds in the water for a few hours, if you don't have a high-powered blender. You can also add some dates to the blender, if you want the milk lightly sweetened.
I post tons of gluten-free recipes, and especially cookies, which your daughter might enjoy.
Alex Milan
Is raw sugar a vegan option?
Thank you so much for this list, Vaishali!
Thrisha Dharshini
Just a question, if sugar isn't vegan, then how about store bought products such as jam or bread?
Vaishali
Hi Thrisha, sugar can be a very tricky issue for vegans. While some manufacturers use bone char to refine sugar, others don't, and it's virtually impossible to track what sugar on the market is vegan and what is not, unless you are using unrefined sugars like turbinado. The same extends to jams and breads which list sugar as an ingredient. You might find artisanal breads and jams that are clearly labeled vegan. Or make your own.
Srishti Gupta
hello Vaishali, I am glad to find a Indian vegan. As you know Indian dishes includes a lot of dairy products. Diwali is here and I need your help. I love gujhiya which is also called as kalanjali. what alternative can i use for khoya? and for gulab jamun? Is vanaspati a good replacement for ghee, because I am gonna make besan ki laddu which require a lot of ghee but i just don't know if it will do great with vanaspati ghee. please let me know what can I use.
Vaishali
Hi Shristi, I just posted a recipe for karanji, which is the same as gujiya, but with a slightly different filling. You can do what I did and use a mix of cashew powder and coconut to substitute for the mava filling in the gujiya.
I have a recipe for vegan gulab jamun on the blog. Check it out. And for besan laddu, use oil instead of ghee. It won't make a huge difference. Don't use vanaspati unless you are sure it's trans-fat-free.
Mary
Is there a sub for khola