12 Essential Vegan Baking Ingredients

Ask any vegan what they truly miss about their previous non-vegan life, and chances are you’ll hear cheese, cake or dessert as the answer.

While I can’t help out on the cheese front, I certainly can help with the dessert front. Vegan baking can be trickier, as without eggs and dairy butter even the most basic of sponges can be temperamental.

However it can be a lot simpler too, and whipping up something delicious, egg-free, dairy-free and full of flavour relatively quickly is possible, like our fool-proof digital Vegan Hero Sponge recipe. Just make sure you are prepared with some staple vegan baking ingredients in your cupboard and fridge.

The 12 essential vegan baking ingredients you should always have handy

1. Plain Flour

Duh, no brainer. Plain flour is used for vegan cakes, vegan pancakes, vegan doughnuts, vegan cupcakes and all sorts of home baking. Store in a cool, dark and dry space, ideally airtight.

2. Baking soda

AKA sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda. It acts as a raising agent when combined with sufficient acid and moisture, which is why vegan cake recipes often pair it with ingredients such as vinegar or lemon juice. Follow the tested recipe rather than adding extra bicarbonate by eye.

3. Baking powder

Baking powder contains bicarbonate plus one or more dry acids and other ingredients that keep the mixture stable. Formulations vary by brand, so use the amount specified in the recipe rather than treating every baking powder as identical.

4. Cocoa powder

An all-rounder ingredient for chocolate sponges, frostings, biscuits and more. Check the label when you are baking for a particular dietary or allergen requirement, because formulations and cross-contact warnings can vary.

5. Vegetable oil

A neutral plant-based oil helps add and preserve moisture and tenderness in many vegan cakes, doughnuts and pancakes. Use the type and quantity specified by the recipe.

6. Apple cider vinegar

The acid in cider vinegar can react with bicarbonate of soda in recipes designed around that combination. White vinegar can work in some formulas too, but use a tested recipe because the amount of acid and raising agent needs to be balanced.

7. Corn flour

Aka corn starch. When added to plain flour it can help alter structure and softness in some vegan cake sponges. It is also useful in custards, sauces and other bakes. It is not a universal one-for-one replacement for wheat flour.

8. Dairy-free milk

There are many plant drinks, including almond, soya, coconut, oat, hazelnut, rice and cashew. They differ in protein, fat, sugar and acidity, so choose one that suits the recipe. If an allergy is involved, check the exact label every time: plant-based does not mean allergen-free, and soya and nuts are common allergens.

9. Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate can be suitable for vegan baking, but do not assume it is dairy-free or vegan from the cocoa percentage alone. Check the ingredients and any allergen or cross-contact statements on the exact product. A “may contain milk” warning is particularly important when baking for someone with a milk allergy; dietary preference and allergy safety are not the same thing. Dark chocolate can be chopped into chips for cookies or melted into a vegan ganache for vegan chocolate drip cakes.

10. Granulated sugar

Sugar adds sweetness, moisture, colour and structure to cakes. Some vegans also choose brands according to how the sugar is processed, so check the manufacturer's information if that matters to you.

11. Vanilla extract

A good quality one. Really. Vegan vanilla cakes rely heavily on the flavour of vanilla, so use an extract or paste you enjoy and check the ingredient list where dietary requirements matter.

12. Margarine/shortening

Not strictly a pantry item when the product needs refrigeration, but plant-based baking blocks and shortenings are useful in pastry, doughnuts and frostings. Check that the exact product is suitable for a vegan diet and for any allergens you need to avoid. Where a recipe needs structure, a firm baking block often behaves differently from a soft spreadable tub.

With the above list of vegan baking essentials you’ll be set to experiment with home baking. You can add extras such as icing sugar, fresh fruit, apple sauce and coconut cream depending on the recipe. For a fully tested sponge formula, see our digital Vegan Hero Sponge Recipe.

For more home-baking guides, browse our Recipes & Baking Guides. Our physical celebration-cake range remains vegetarian rather than vegan.

Happy baking.

Reshmi xoxo