Vegan Baking Diaries Ep. 1
A couple of months ago, my mom became vegan. Every day since she’s made her own plant-based meals to eat alongside the rest of her carnivorous family (aka, us). Whenever I looked at her food, I always wondered if it tasted as bad as it looked. I guess I proved myself wrong during this quarantine. So far I’ve baked two really good (and healthy!) desserts, and both of them happen to be vegan so my mom can enjoy them too. Hopefully these recipes can help brighten your day and stay tuned for more vegan baking the future :)
Vegan Banana Bread | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Yields: 8-10 slices
Prep: preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then grease a loaf pan (or any oven safe pan)
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups of flour
1/3 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
A pinch of mineral salt
1/3 cup of neutral flavored oil (or vegan butter/applesauce)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3-4 overripe bananas
1/4 cup of almond (or other plant-based) milk (only if needed)
Optional add-ins:
1/2-2/3 cup of chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
1/4-1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Instructions:
In one bowl, mash bananas completely. Add in vanilla, oil/butter/applesauce and mix again. Add all dry ingredients to the bowl and mix well, but don’t over mix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps are ok (if it’s too thick, add the milk).
Bake for about 50 min to 1 hr (If your oven is on convection, it will take likely 35 min). Once it’s done, remove and let cool for 10 min before serving.
Vegan Chocolate Cake | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Yields: 8-12 servings
Prep: preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch square pan
Ingredients:
11/2 cups of flour
1/4 cup of cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or maple syrup)
1 tablespoon of white or cider vinegar
6 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 cup water
Instructions:
Put flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt directly into the greased pan, then add the sugar. With your finger, poke 2 small wells and 1 large well evenly in the dry ingredients. Into one of the small wells, add the vanilla/maple syrup, into the other one, the vinegar. Into the large one, add the oil (it’s ok if it spills). Pour the water over all the ingredients and stir them together well. Then bake for 35-40 min. Cool the pan for 10 min before serving.
