Transitioning to a vegan lifestyle can be one of the most exciting and liberating things you do. With so many vegan options on the market, its becoming easier to find food products without the use of animal ingredients. However, there are times when replicas of your favorite meals just won't do. Whether its the banana bread from your childhood or the Girl Scout cookies you only get to indulge in once a year, sometimes you just want the real thing. Luckily, more and more chefs are getting creative in the kitchen and coming up with vegan baking hacks that allow you to turn any food into an animal-free treat. To help you out with our next baking adventure, heres a quick guide to 15 of the most popular and useful vegan baking hacks that just about anyone can pull off!

Vegan Buttermilk

The thickness of buttermilk works wonders when baking foods like muffins, cakes, and pancakes. While your local store may not carry vegan buttermilk, its incredibly easy to make at home! What youll need: 1 Tbsp Lime Juice or Vinegar 1 cup Non-Dairy Milk How to make it: 1. Add 1 Tbsp lime juice or vinegar to 1 cup of non-dairy milk and stir until mixture is fully mixed. 2. Let sit for 5-7 minutes, to allow milk to thicken. 3. Enjoy your vegan buttermilk!

Chia Seed Egg Substitute

Chia seed eggs are growing in popularity. Not only are they incredibly easy to make, but theyre also packed with nutrients and mimic the texture of an egg perfectly! What youll need: 1Tbsp Chia Seeds 3 Tbsp Water How to Make It: 1. Use a food processor to grind the chia seeds into a powder/meal-like substance. 2. Mix the ground chia seeds and water together and let sit for 5-10 minutes, creating an egg yolk-like texture. 3. Add your chia seed egg to a baked good of your choice!

Vegan Whipped Cream

Searching for the perfect whipped cream to top your next pie with? Look no further! This dairy-free, 100% vegan whipped cream is a great topping to add to any dessert! What Youll Need: 1 (14 oz) can Coconut Cream cup Powdered Sugar How to Make It: 1. Refrigerate coconut cream in the fridge overnight. 2. Once chilled, remove from refrigerator and separate hardened coconut cream from liquid. 3. Place hardened cream and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. 4. Use immediately on a baked good or refrigerate for later!

Vegan Butter Substitute: Avocado

By swapping butter for mashed avocados, youll be able to cut the calories in half, while also adding in some great nutrients. Adding the right amount of avocado to a recipe will produce delicious baked goods while steering clear of all the unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol butter contains. To replace butter with avocado, substitute half the amount of butter the recipe calls for with mashed avocado and voila! Youll have a perfectly sweet and moist baked good!

Cheese Substitute: Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast made from sugarcane and beet molasses is a vegan-friendly substitute for cheese. Not only can it be used as a topping like parmesan cheese, but it can also be used in recipes. Nutritional yeast is commonly used in "cheese" sauces, pasta, lasagna, potatoes, and even popcorn to add a cheesy flavor that everyone will love! Many brands such as Bobs Red Mill Nutritional Yeast also contain vitamin-B12, making it a great way to add important vitamins and nutrients to any meal!

Banana Ice Cream

Craving vegan ice cream but dont feel like searching every store in your area for a brand you like? Banana ice cream has got you covered! All you need is frozen ripe bananas and food processor to make the ice cream of your dreams. Whether you like fruity and fresh flavors or savory and sweet, banana ice cream is so versatile that you can whip up an endless variety of different flavors in minutes! What Youll Need: 1-2 Large Ripe Bananas How to Make it: 1. Place chopped bananas in the freezer until fully frozen. 2. Once fully frozen, blend the banana pieces in a food processor or blender on high until it creates a creamy ice cream-like texture. 3. Eat right away or freeze and scoop out later!

Vegan Chickpea Flour Omelets

Omelets can be prepared in so many ways, making them a great meal anytime of the day. While making omelets without eggs may seem like a challenging task, dont let it discourage you! By subbing eggs with chickpea flour youll be able to cook a vegan omelet in minutes, with hardly any effort. It's so easy it may even become your new go-to breakfast dish! What Youll Need: cup Chickpea Flour cup Non-Dairy Milk *any additional preferred spices/seasonings How to Make It: 1. In a bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour and non-dairy milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes. 2. Pour batter into a skillet and cook like you would a traditional omelet, adding in any desired stuffings. 3. Enjoy!

Avocado Pudding

The rich and creamy texture of pudding is almost impossible to replicate. However, this vegan avocado pudding makes it seem like an easy feat. By simply mixing avocado and carob powder like Bobs Red Mill Toasted Carob Powder, a sweet, nutritious, and irresistible pudding can be created in minutes! What Youll Need: 2 large Avocados cup Cocoa Powder *optional: Sweeteners, cinnamon, vanilla extract, etc. How to Make It 1. Blend avocados, cocoa powder, and any additional ingredients in a blender until smooth. 2. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. 3. Serve and enjoy!

Egg Replacements

Though it may seem unlikely, when baking vegan desserts one of the easiest egg substitutes is applesauce! It takes on an egg-like texture and adds moisture to a recipe to prevent it from drying out. Its important to note beforehand that the apples will add flavor to a recipe, possibly contrasting with the existing flavors. Applesauce is especially great when used as an egg replacement in brownie mixes as the flavor of chocolate overpowers that of the apples. *Substitute cup of applesauce for each egg called for in baked good recipes. Another fantastic vegan egg replacement is our Gluten Free Egg Replacer.. Made with four simple ingredients, it's easy to use in baked goods and is gluten, bean and soy free.

Meat Substitutes

Luckily there are a couple meat substitutes on the market that taste great when added to traditional recipes. Our favorites are: Tofu - Although tofu may have a different texture than traditional meat, its packed with almost the same amount of protein! Tofus lack of flavor makes it a great choice to add to almost any dish, as it can be cooked and seasoned to your liking. Seitan - Seitan is also a great meat substitute thats high in protein! Though the flavor may be a bit stronger than tofu, the texture is more meat-like making it a great substitute for recipes that call for darker meats such as beef. It is important to note that seitan is made from wheat gluten, therefore it is not gluten free. Tempeh - Made from soybeans this meat substitute packs large amounts of fiber, protein, and nutrients. Tempeh has a firm texture making it great to use in dishes such as vegan burgers and tacos.

Flaxseed Eggs

Flaxseeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, making them a great way to add nutritional value to any treat! Much like chia seeds, flaxseeds can be ground into meal and turned into an egg substitute within minutes. They are also great to use when turning traditional bread, such as cornbread into a vegan treat. Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix, is a vegan blend and works amazingly when combined with flaxseed eggs. Find a step-by-step guide on how to make corn bread using flaxseed eggs here. What Youll Need: 1 Tbsp ground Flaxseed 3 Tbsp Water How to Make It: 1. Combine flaxseed meal and water in a small dish. 2. Let thicken for 5-10 minutes. 3. Add to recipe as an egg replacement. *Flaxseed eggs work best when used in baked goods such as bread, muffins, cookies, and pancakes.

Coconut Oil for Butter

Baking with coconut oil may be the easiest butter substitute yet! Much like butter, coconut oil is made up of saturated fat and melts easily when introduced to heat. When substituting, replace butter with coconut oil at a 1:1 ratio and bake goods according to cooking instructions. The coconut oil will melt just like butter, and youll end up with a dairy free treat ready to eat!

Vegan Chicken Broth

Chicken broth is a go-to comfort food. Whether youre having a bad day, feeling sick, or are trying to stay warm in the winter, warm chicken broth will make it better. Creating a vegan chicken broth that tastes just like the original is actually incredibly simple! Most store-bought poultry seasonings are vegan and can be used as an added boost of flavor in any broth. Simply add some poultry seasoning to your favorite vegetable broth and create a mouthwatering chicken broth that's completely vegan!

Honey Substitute

Honey is used to sweeten a wide variety of recipes and desserts. While honey is a popular sweetener, it is not the only one on the market. There are a variety of other sweeteners available that are 100% vegan and can be used as a direct substitute for honey. Here are a few of our favorites: Agave - Agave is an all natural sweetener similar in texture to honey. Not only does it sweeten foods, but it is also used in drinks as well. Unlike honey, agave nectar has a low glycemic level and does not affect blood sugar levels as much as traditional sugar. Plus, it's also almost two times sweeter than sugar, meaning you can use less of it and still get the desired effect. Maple Syrup - Like agave and honey, maple syrup consists of the same syrup-like texture, making it a great topping and recipe sweetener. Maple syrup is one of the most antioxidant-rich natural sweeteners and is loaded with nutrients such as potassium, calcium, and zinc. These nutrients have been shown to contribute to a strong immune system and heart health! Stevia - Derived from the stevia plant, this sweetener is one of that very few that is naturally calorie free. The lack of calories makes it a desired sweetener to those who are trying to lose weight, as well as watch their blood sugar. Stevia is also almost 200 times as sweet as sugar, meaning that even the smallest amount of it will greatly sweeten any meal. Many health companies today are starting to turn away from artificial sweeteners and use stevia instead, as it is considered a safer form a sweetener that won't raises blood sugar levels.

Burger Substitutes

Burgers have been around for years and are loved by just about everyone! There are so many different styles and flavor combinations that sometimes its hard to keep up. While traditional burgers are certainly not vegan, more and more burger patty substitutes are being introduced that are all natural and vegan-friendly. Nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes create a great base for a burger and can be altered specifically to your flavor desires. Our favorites burger patty substitutes are: Vegetable Protein Burgers - These vegetable protein burgers are a great source of plant-based protein and packed with flavor. Due to the textured patty, it creates a meat-like substance that will hold form no matter what toppings you add on! Bean and Barley Burgers - These Bean and Barley burger patties are a great way to add protein to your diet. The seasoning used throughout the recipe creates a savory taste that will work well with just about any sauce. Hemp Burgers - Rich in fiber, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids, these hemp burgers are a must at any barbecue. By combining hemp seed with nutritional yeast and bread crumbs, youll create a hearty and filling burger that is overflowing with health benefits! Have any other go-to vegan baking hacks? Share your favorites in the comments below!