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It's the last day of the challenge and time to celebrate! That means it's time to talk more about vegan desserts!!
As veganism has become more common, it's now possible to find vegan ice cream in an array of flavors at most full-size grocery stores. Many brands and flavors of sorbet are also accidentally vegan. If you're up for it, you can make your own vegan ice cream.
It's also sometimes possible to find either accidentally or purposefully vegan pies (and even cheesecakes) in the frozen section of the grocery store, but it's also literally "easy as pie" to make your own pie. Many pre-made pie crusts are accidentally vegan. You can usually find regular pie crusts in the frozen section and cookie crusts in the baking aisle.
For a quick fruit pie, combine sliced apples, pears, or any fruit you like in a large bowl. How much? Enough to fill a pie! Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup (depending on how sweet you like your pie) of brown and/or regular sugar; a tablespoon of lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon; and anywhere from a pinch to 1/4 teaspoon of other spices you like (such as nutmeg, cardamom, or even star anise for a licorice-y taste). Stir. Sprinkle on enough cornstarch to coat the fruit and stir again then dump it all into a pre-made frozen pie crust. For extra richness, add several pea-sized pellets of vegan butter spread out on top. Then cover with foil and bake for a half hour at 400F. Take off the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or so, until it looks done to you. Voila! Even if it's not perfect, it will be tasty! Over time, you'll learn to make it the way you like it and then, as long as you keep frozen crusts in the freezer and fruit in the fridge, you can have pie anytime!
Cakes and cookies can be less forgiving, but you'll be fine if you follow the advice of VINE cofounder Miriam Jones (who once burned no-bake cookies but now produces delicious baked goods for the sanctuary crew almost every week): Follow the recipe exactly. Baking is about using heat to induce chemical reactions, so it's best not to tinker unless you know what you're doing.
So, if you're an inexperienced baker, stick with an explicitly vegan recipe and follow it exactly. If you're an experienced baker, feel free to veganize non-vegan recipes by subbing plant milk for milk, vegan butter or margarine for butter, and any one of the following replacements for eggs:
- silken tofu (1/4 cup per egg)
- plant-based yogurt (2-3 tablespoon per egg)
- mashed banana (half a banana per egg)
- baking soda and vinegar (1/4 teaspoon baking soda per tablespoon of vinegar)
- flax "egg" (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water)
- chia "egg" (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds plus 3 tablespoons water)
- aquafaba
- applesauce (1/4 cup per egg)
- pumpkin puree (1/4 cup per egg)
- commercial egg substitutes
Most vegan bakers have their own favorites among these, and many prefer different egg substitutes for different purposes. For example, VINE cofounder pattrice jones likes vegan yogurt for muffins and quickbreads but baking soda and vinegar for cupcakes. Experiment and see what works best for you! PRO TIP: In recipes calling for baking powder, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder for every egg you have replaced with something else.
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