OIL/SHORTENING
Applesauce
Prune Puree
Bananas
Pumpkin or Squash Puree
Pureed fruits make excellent substitutions for fat in baked goods – keeping in mind that they can slightly affect the taste of the finished product. Applesauce doesn’t impart too much flavor so that’s my go-to substitute, but prune puree (baby food works best because it’s so smooth) is great for chocolatey baked goods and banana and pumpkin purees work well with pancakes, waffles and quick breads. I use the same amount of puree as the amount of fat called for in the recipe.
SUGAR
Agave Nectar
Maple Sugar
Maple Syrup
Stevia (powder and liquid)
Usually I use powdered stevia instead of even unrefined sugars. It took me a long time to kick my sugar habit and I want to stay “clean!” Stevia is derived from an herb and doesn’t wreak havoc on the glycemic index the way that other sweeteners do. And it packs a powerful sweet punch – it can be between 70-400 times sweeter than sugar – so you have to be mindful of how much you add to a recipe. I use between 1-2 teaspoons of powdered stevia for every one cup of sugar called for in the recipe. And since the bulk of sugar will be missing from the recipe, it must be replaced with applesauce or another fruit puree. I use 1/4-1/2 cup of applesauce when using 1-2 teaspoons of stevia in a recipe. Again, it takes some experimentation to get the texture the way you want it.
Agave nectar is great for using when making bread dough or preparing beverages since it dissolves quickly.
Maple sugar has a nostalgic place in my heart and when a recipe absolutely needs the grain and bulk of sugar, I reach for the jar of maple sugar. I get mine from the same place my family has been buying maple syrup forever: Richard’s Maple Syrup in Ohio. It’s the real deal. FYI, maple sugars can come in a variety of textures. The kind I buy is very fine so it’s good-to-go in recipes, but some are very coarse and need to be put through the food processor prior to use. Also, it can clump like brown sugar so store in an air-tight container and throw in a heel of bread to absorb moisture. Maple syrup can be substituted for sugar as well, but since it’s a liquid, the amount of other liquid called for needs to be reduced slightly.
These aren’t the only unrefined sugar substitute out there, but they are the only ones I have in my cupboard. You might investigate date sugar, brown rice syrup, turbinado or Demerara sugars as well.
DAIRY MILK/YOGURT
Almond
Coconut
Hemp
Rice
Soy
Nothing complicated here. If a recipe calls for dairy milk, substitute your favorite non-dairy variety – soy milk works especially well in baked goods calling for milk. They all have subtle and distinctive flavors, so do some taste-testing.
Same goes for yogurt, though be sure and read labels. I love coconut yogurt, but even the plain variety is sweetened.
EGGS
Egg Replacers
Flaxseed Meal
Silken Tofu
Happily it is quite easy to replace eggs in recipes for baked goods. I switch between using ground flaxseed meal and Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer (made from soy flour, wheat gluten, seaweed and corn syrup solids). I’ve used both to great success. The ratio of water to replacer is the same for both: 1 tablespoon replacer/flaxmeal + 3 tablespoons water. When using flaxseed meal, add 1/8 tsp. baking powder to the mix to lessen gumminess. Whisk together until frothy and let sit a moment to thicken, then add to the recipe with the other liquids.
Silken tofu can be used to replace the eggs in recipes as well – use 1/4 tofu for each egg called for in the recipe. Water-packed tofu can be used to make scrambled “eggs” and “egg” salad – with surprisingly delicious results.
Every new vegan should link to this page, well done! I love your personal opinions, much more important than a bare-bones take on substitutions.
I LOVE THIS! I am adding this page to my “vegan resources” widget! If anyone asks me “what do you use to replace ______?”, I’ll just refer them to this page, rather than explain all of it to them lol.
Nice!!
This is just perfect. I can never get enough of substitutions posts people don’t realize how many different ways you can substitute common ingredients.
I know – cool, huh? Someone recently told me that chia seeds thicken up really well, wonder if they can be used instead of eggs, too?
I haven’t tried it myself, but I did come across this on Pinterest, and I kept it in mind: http://www.fitsugar.com/Chia-Seeds-Recipes-20897824?slide=3
According to me, it should work, because even when I add chia seeds to my yoghurt, it thickens a little when left to stand for a bit
OK, I’m not Vegan, though I love vegan food. Since I’m lacking in information, why is oil and sugar substituted? Are they not vegan? Or is it a healthy option thing.
Is this a dumb question?
Not dumb at all! I’m impressed that you read that far
! I’m vegan plus I try to limit refined sugars and added oil. Yeah, I know – way to make life REALLY difficult!
Phew! I am less dumb than previously thought. Are the purees and sugar substitutes (except stevia) 1:1?
I’m gona try this stuff.
Yeah, essentially. If you use a liquid sweetener (i.e., maple sugar or agave nectar), you have to back off on other liquids in the recipe. As for oil/shortening, I often cut the called for amount by half, and then use half applesauce, prune puree, tofu or banana. That way, I don’t compromise the texture of the finished product, yet the fat is reduced by a nice amount. There are lots of substitution sites online with MUCH more detail and info than mine.
Thanks!
This is SO helpful, yet so simple! No need to memorize 10 pages of explanation in vegan cookbooks… I am ‘only’ a vegetarian, but trying to move towards a vegan, even more natural, wholesome, healthier diet. This is certainly helpful! Thanks!
Yay! I will wholeheartedly encourage you to make the leap to veganism. If this site helps in anyway, that makes me feel super! Good luck!
What would you use to substitute olive oil/ vinegar in a salad dressing? I like the idea of replacing oils in baking with apple puree I will try that as my ‘go to’ pizza recipe has something like 5 tablespoons of oil in it!! crazy!
I sub a fruit juice for the oil. Here’s one of my very first posts where you can find the basic recipe: http://anunrefinedvegan.com/2011/10/25/simple-side-salad-w-no-oil-viniagrette/ I mess around with this a bit, but you get the idea. You will not miss the oil!
Hope you don’t mind, I linked this to my blog. Super helpful!
Cool! Thanks! I don’t mind at all
!
What about a good cream cheese or sour cream substitute? Is there just not one? The toffuti stuff I can’t handle. I’m newly off dairy and trying no gluten, just clean and organic so the vegan lifestyle works very well for this! Just having a hard time with the cheeses.
Hi Brianna! There are good cream cheese and sour cream subs – - and they don’t have to be store-bought! I suggest you acquire a wonderful book called The Complete Guide to Vegan Substitutions. Can’t recall the authors’ names off the top of my head, but it’s a vegan kitchen staple. I just created my own “farmer cheez” yesterday (it will be on my blog in a few days) with nothing more than tofu, cashews and a few other simple ingredients. Cheese seems to be the stumbling block for a lot of new vegans. It does get easier! Oh – you can also make your own hard cheez, too. I have one on my blog: http://anunrefinedvegan.com/2012/05/25/smoky-pesto-cashew-cheez/ and I’ve got a roasted pepper cheddar coming up, soon, too
!
This is a really nice overview! I also try to use as many plant-based products as possible (we never use milk or cream at home, only soy/almond/…), I always use margarine or oil and I also try to substitute eggs.
But I haven’t found a nice substitute for my beloved cheese yet, so I’ll stick with that for a little bit longer. Maybe you can convince me with your recipe, I’ll certainly try it one of these days.
Cheese was the hardest for me and the last to “go.” Luckily for us vegans there are fantastic, healthy alternatives that we can make at home. I’ll bet a few of us could convince you to give up those hunks of aged dairy
. If you’re interested, I can direct you to some good recipes!
I would love that, thanks!
Sorry it took me so long to reply! Here are some vegan cheez recipes: http://keepinitkind.com/sunflower-cheddar/, http://anunrefinedvegan.com/2012/05/25/smoky-pesto-cashew-cheez/, http://anunrefinedvegan.com/2012/10/16/veganmofo-khatchapuri-day-1-tofu-farmer-cheez/, http://vedgedout.com/2012/10/23/updated-pepper-jack-cashew-cheez/ Should get you started
. Let me know if you make any of these 
.
Excellent advice! I have been pondering “Going vegan” for sometime, and a list like this is very helpful for those making the switch, that don’t know all the little tricks. Thanks!
Hi Jason! Glad to help – and I strongly encourage you to Go Vegan! You will not regret it. And there are so many wonderful vegan blogs and supportive folks happy to help you along the way.
Hey there Annie. Just wondering if you’ve ever used the flax – egg substitute as a binder like in a bread crumb coating situation for frying something? I saw a recipe for fried tofu and they used an egg in the coating. I’m thinking that the flax wouldn’t hold up? Any thoughts or experience?
Oh my – interesting! I haven’t tried that (well, maybe once for French toast, but the memory is too vague). I’m picturing a gloppy mess, but that would define an egg/bread crumb coating, too. Also worry about burning.
[...] For more great ‘vegan’ substitution ideas like these ‘flax eggs’ for your recipes please check out the ‘Substitutions’ page at anunrefinedvegan.com. [...]
Oh wow, really really useful.
I’m just switching to a vegetarian/vegan diet (starting with veggie and moving as fast as possible to vegan
but wasn’t sure about what I could substitute when cooking. This is perfect. Thanks!
Hey there! Yahoooo for you for moving to a plant-based diet! You will not regret it for a second. Let me know if I can help
.