Vegan recipes take the (plant-based) cake
To preface, I am not vegan. However, I am someone who cooks and bakes often for their family, and recently the need for me to start making vegan recipes has arisen. Since we have opted to reduce our dairy and egg consumption, we have found a need for eggless, dairy-less versions of our favorite foods. In the process of finding these recipes, I have found it significantly easier and more fruitful (pun not intended) to look for vegan recipes, as they encompass both of these requirements. As a result, I have tested out three popular vegan recipes that are plant-based alternatives of common household dishes (Spoiler alert, all of the following recipes have the non-vegan seal of approval from me).
My first (another spoiler alert, and favorite) recipe is this Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe. Not only does it use no eggs and substitutes in plant-based milk, but it is also super easy to make. Just throw the ingredients in a blender, pour it into a pie crust and bake for an hour. This pumpkin pie, dare I say, is better than any non-vegan pumpkin pie I have EVER had; the coconut milk completely transforms the pie into a rich, creamy dessert.
I have also recreated the same recipe using evaporated milk (a considerably non vegan ingredient). It tasted like an average pumpkin pie, but was not nearly as life changing as the coconut milk was. If you’re scared about having a coconut flavor in the pie, I can assure you that there is nothing of the sort. This recipe is unmatched and created easily the best pumpkin pie I have ever had. 10/10.
When I was scouring the internet for a vegan cake recipe, for whatever reason I was recommended this Vegan Macaroni and Cheese recipe. I’m not sure how Google’s algorithm worked here, or if I just wildly misspelled “cake,” but from the moment I saw it, I knew I had to try it. A vegan macaroni and cheese seems too good to be true, considering the second main ingredient, cheese, is a non-vegan ingredient, and there are few substitutes available that can replicate the experience. However, this recipe uses a base of butternut squash, and the cheesy flavor is produced by the nutritional yeast, which, by itself, has a unique, cheesy-nutty flavor.
While this recipe creates an amazing pasta, I would not say it is a true macaroni and cheese. Does it look like it? Absolutely. Does it taste like it? Not quite. However, it does taste like a cheesy sauce, which is saying something considering there isn’t any dairy in the recipe. I do not recommend it as a direct dupe for real macaroni and cheese, but if you are looking to switch up your pasta sauces, it is definitely worth trying. With its wholesome ingredients, it is very flavorful and very filling, and definitely a new fall favorite for me. 7.5/10.
After building up the anticipation for the vegan cake, we are finally here. My favorite recipes are this vegan chocolate cake recipe and this red velvet chocolate cake recipe. I have made both multiple times for birthdays and they always turn out phenomenal. Both recipes are incredibly moist and always come out perfectly. Since there is no egg in the recipes, the batter is edible, provided you heat-treat the flour correctly before adding it in. Personally, I have never once heat treated my flour and I regularly eat my batter in recipes, but I am going to recommend it anyway because I value the health and safety of others. Fair warning, the red velvet batter tastes a little strange prior to baking, possibly due to the food coloring, but after it is baked, it is fantastic.
The “secret” ingredient that allows the cake to rise without the assistance of egg is the apple cider vinegar. If you’ve ever tried apple cider vinegar on its own, the very thought of this will probably make you want to rinse your mouth out, but I urge you to reconsider. The apple cider vinegar creates the essential fluffy texture in the cake and the taste is completely undetectable in the recipe. This recipe is perfect in every way, and you wouldn’t even realize it was vegan. 10/10.
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