Warm Ovens & Holiday Memories

I’ve been through all of the experimenting to find substitutions that work to provide baked goods that are just as tasty ( if not more so, because living with no guilt is glorious ) than their gluten and dairy counterparts. Having success there, I created oil-free, sugar-free, and vegan alternatives. That was not always the case, however. I vividly remember the days I cried and pouted because I couldn’t have gluten or dairy, and nothing tasted good, and my baking turned out inedible for some time. I was all about to give up hope, relegated to either suffering whenever I wanted something sweet or eating something that left something to be desired. I had never had to be concerned about any dietary restrictions or food allergies beyond seafood. I loved fresh bread, eating a warm Croissant with butter, or a warm, gooey cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing was something I enjoyed, and now I couldn’t have it without significant upset.

Eventually, after I had my pity party, I sat down to think about all the ingredients that are used in baking for any substitution, and then worked on a recipe, one ingredient change at a time. I figured out the end result with each substitution and compared it with the original I remembered. I went to school for this after all. I remember during one of my classes during pastry arts school, where we had to take a recipe and create what was called an “acceptable substitute”. This was my first introduction to changing a recipe to meet any kind of dietary restrictions. I didn’t have any of the dietary restrictions I have today then, and the end result of what was made left an impression on me at that time that I was thankful not to have such restrictions. I remember it not being anything I wanted to eat. Now I sat there thinking I have to figure this out; many years had passed, and other bakers facing the same circumstances had figured it out. I had more time to create something edible, and I could continue to work on the recipe over many revisions.

My goal was to make the recipe something that I wanted to eat, but also something where I wouldn’t feel there was something lacking or that I was settling, in comparison to the gluten counterpart.

Getting close to the original is still not the original because the ingredients are different, and with different ingredients, I can not expect the exact same result. That being said, for me, I decided that I would rather have a tasty baked good that I don’t have to be concerned about feeling bad later than nothing at all or always taking a chance to eat a full gluten and or dairy baked good, albeit tasty, but could leave me with negative consequences later.  So what are these substitutions, and what is the outcome in comparison to its original counterpart? I’ll detail below.

Gluten Free Flour 

 The biggest and most important ingredient is gluten-free flour, and since it’s the base, it’s important to know that not all gluten-free flours are created equal, and depending on the brand of flour you use, it can have drastically different results. This is something I found out in my experimentation. X Brand of gluten-free flour provided a doughy, undercooked-tasting doughnut, while Y Brand provided a cake-like doughnut that was light and airy. That’s because some flours are better for certain applications than others, but also the ratio of ingredients in X Brand is different than Y Brand.

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When deciding on a gluten-free flour to use, you’ll need to take into account any other important factors, such as food allergies or intolerances, ease of use ( meaning how easy it is to swap out all-purpose wheat flour for this flour ), and dietary choices or restrictions.

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If you’re just starting out, the best place to start is with what you know. If you’ve been a traditional all-purpose baker with butter as your main staple, then start with brands of gluten-free flour that claim you can swap their flour 1 for 1 - meaning you can simply swap out the all-purpose wheat flour for an equal amount of the gluten-free flour. Good Brands for this are going to be Bob Red Mill’s 1 to 1 Baking Flour and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure. Keep in mind that if you or someone you’re baking for has any food allergies, you’ll want to research any made in a facility statements, as there could be cross-contamination with these ingredients. Once you feel comfortable with this, then you can get more fancy with substituting different flours such as almond flour or quinoa flour.

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Apple Sauce

Apple Sauce is usually used to replace eggs, oil, or butter. Depending on the function you are using apple sauce for will determine the outcome. Using apple sauce in place of oil or butter, you will need to reduce the amount of other liquids in the recipe since apple sauce is a wet ingredient and will add its own moisture. Using apple sauce in place of an egg, usually everything else in the recipe can stay in similar proportions because it’s ¼ cup of applesauce to replace one egg.

Apple sauce in baking usually gives a chewier texture, and in the case of muffins, cakes, quickbreads, or brownies, there may be a denser texture as well.

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Oil & Vegan Butter 

This is the easiest substitution to make and it’s the one where the end result is identical to what end result of what butter makes. To swap out butter for oil or vegan butter, it’s going to be 1 to 1.  Swapping butter for vegan butter is a 1 to 1 swap, and then swapping melted butter for oil is also a 1 to 1 swap. The only difference is going to be when you’re swapping solid butter for oil, do you need to change the amount a bit. Swap 1 to ¾  ratio. 1 cup butter to ¾ cup oil in a recipe. The liquid in a recipe will need to be adjusted as well since solid butter has some water in it, whereas you’re swapping pure oil for the butter.

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Flax Meal 

Flax meal is an egg replacement and requires a whole recipe adjustment depending on the function of the egg in a recipe. As you can’t beat flax eggs like eggs, and flax eggs don’t provide any leavening or structure, there will need to be an adjustment of other ingredients or other ingredients added to account for this need. Flax eggs merely provide binding in a recipe and are a substitute for people who can’t have eggs. Flax eggs, during my experimenting with this ingredient, provided a gummier texture, and gluten-free baked goods already are gummier when first taken out of the oven, so the amount of liquid will really need an adjustment; otherwise, it will just taste like gummy bears, which is not what you want in, say, muffins.

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Coconut Cream 

 OOooh, coconut cream.. Coconut cream is a super secret ingredient. Coconut cream has superpowers I didn’t know existed. Coconut cream is a great replacement for butter. It can provide the same texture or flakiness in dough-based baked goods like biscuits. This is because it can be refrigerated to be cold and solid like butter, and then you can cut in the coconut cream like you would with butter. Just be sure to get the unsweetened; otherwise, there will be a coconut taste to whatever you use it in, which isn’t bad in sweet baked goods. You won’t taste the coconut flavor because it blends nicely in the background with sugar, extracts, and spices. However, if you’re trying to make something savory like Herb biscuits, then not so much. You can also use coconut cream as a substitute for buttermilk. You would just need to add some white vinegar to the mixture and wait about 5 minutes for it to turn sour, and then add it to baked goods like biscuits for that similar buttermilk flavor.

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Sugar Substitutes 

 substituting sweeteners is not nearly as easy, or 1 to 1 like with flour. Any sweetener that claims 1 to 1 isn’t really 1 to 1 for a few reasons. When it comes to sweeteners, everyone’s taste buds are different. Sugar substitutes’ sweetening power is also different, often more concentrated, so you need less than you would for sugar. It’s best then to experiment and adjust to your own taste buds. Also, different brands of sugar-free substitutes sweeten differently; however, you must start somewhere, so I’m here to help.

For Brands like Truvia, Swerve, and Whole Earth, I would start with half of whatever the regular sugar amount is. If the recipe calls for 1 cup of granulated sugar, start with ½ cup and then adjust to your tastes after that.

The experimentation can be fun if you like baking. You’ll end up with a product that you can be proud of in the end, a product you made, and you know exactly what’s in it, and it’s a product that is based on your needs and lifestyle.

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Lastly

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Leavening Agents 

 In my baking, I have substituted leavening agents primarily because I was out of one or the other, and I wanted to experiment with replacing one with the other to see what the result would be.

This does require a whole adjustment of other ingredients because baking is an exact science, and substituting any ingredient affects the final outcome. Each ingredient has a role that it’s best suited for.

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Baking Powder & Baking Soda

Baking Powder and Baking soda both provide leavening, but they can’t be used interchangeably, particularly in a 1 to 1 scenario. You will have an inedible product if you substitute 1 tbsp of baking soda for baking powder. Baking soda is used in small amounts because it has a harsh chemical taste, so it needs to be used with other ingredients that hide its harshness. It is pure sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda is also used where there is an acid present and acts quickly, whereas baking powder, particularly double-acting baking powder, has two rises. First, there is the initial rise on impact, and then a second rise in the oven when it reacts to the heat. If you’re feeling up to experimentation, you’ll need to decrease the baking soda in a recipe calling for baking powder. Next, if there’s no acid in the recipe, then one will need to be added. White Vinegar is a good starting point, and since baking soda has a harsh taste, it will need to be covered up in some way.

This was actually fun for me, and I learned a lot during the process. I never liked science or math in school, particularly fractions at all; they were my worst subjects, but go figure that I would use both of them in baking and have fun doing it.

​The other reason I experimented with leavening agents was to see if I could decrease the sodium in a recipe. It doesn’t take much to have a lot of sodium in a recipe between the salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  This was an easy substitution as there is a sodium-free baking powder, called Hain Featherweight Baking Powder, and it works just the same as regular baking powder. Now there really is no substitute for salt. Salt adds flavor, and it enhances the flavor of the other ingredients in a recipe, meaning it makes the other ingredients better as well. It also balances flavors. Salt plays an important role in human health; it’s necessary for our bodies to function. Iodized salt contains iodine, which is needed to prevent iodine deficiency and is needed for thyroid function.  

There are, however, salt-free substitutes available for those looking to reduce sodium. However, in baking, I don’t recommend them.

Experimenting to create “free from” baking substitutions like these can feel daunting at first, particularly with the narrative that they won’t taste like their original counterparts or even taste good at all, but with a passion for creativity, a love for baking, and a willingness to try new ingredients, you can make a satisfying baked good that meets any cravings. Resist the urge to give up; there will be some trial and error as with anything. Good Luck baking this holiday season.

 If this article brought you joy, laughter, made you want to get in the kitchen to start creating ( even at the expense of inedible baked goods )be sure to subscribe for more inspiration on healthy eating that’s nourishing to your soul. Heavenly smells of bakery goods are on the way.. 

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