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Milk Substitutes for Baking: Non-Dairy Milk

Cow’s milk is considered a staple in many people’s diets. It is consumed as a beverage, poured on cereal and added to smoothies, tea or coffee.

But some are allergic to lactose and some people are opting for Vegan diet, so what's the solution for this as most baking recipes call for milk in the recipe.


When you search internet alternatives you can find many alternatives for milk but which Vegan Alternative would work best to substitute in your recipe is always the question. Here I end the deal with solutions for Vegan Milk alternatives for Baking.


There are a few reasons you might be looking for an alternative, such as:

  • Milk allergy: Studies conducted in India said 60% of population is allergic to Milk. This can cause a range of symptoms, including rashes, vomiting, diarrhea and severe anaphylaxis. Around 80% of kids outgrow this allergy by age 16.

  • Lactose intolerance: An estimated 75% of the world’s population is intolerant to lactose, the sugar found in milk. This condition happens when people have a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose.

  • Dietary restrictions/Veganism: Some people choose to exclude animal products from their diets for ethical or health reasons. For example, vegans exclude all products that come from animals, including cow’s milk.

  • Potential health risks: Some people choose to avoid cow’s milk due to concerns over potential contaminants, including antibiotics, pesticides and hormones

Does an alternative works same?

No, none of the alternatives or non-dairy milk will have the same level of sweetness, protein, fiber, and fat as dairy milk.

Most baked goods call for eggs, and eggs bring enough of these important factors to the table that the milk you use may not be of much consequence. This means the structure and texture of your baking projects won't be affected too much by the loss of dairy milk. However, this also means that substitutions for cow's milk made in recipes without eggs are a little more risky.


The best alternative: Soy Milk

Soy milk has the most protein of all the alternate milks, so for baking products that need a lot of structure (cakes and breads), this is the best Non-dairy option.


The high-protein content also causes baked goods made with soy milk to brown nicely and look like they were baked with cow's milk. If you're making an unfrosted dessert, this more appealing appearance is worth keeping in mind.


Soy milk's flavor is mild and is usually hard to detect in breads, muffins, cakes and other baked goods. Some soy milks are flavored with vanilla flavoring or other, which could be beneficial, depending on what you're baking.


Next Up: Almond Milk

Almond milk adds a sweet nutty flavor to all the products. When using it in place of whole milk, confections may bake a little faster, as there is more water in almond milk than dairy milk. This water evaporates causing the baked good to rise and set more quickly.

Cow's milk has naturally occurring sugar, and "unsweetened" almond milk has 0g of sugar. To more closely mimic true dairy milk, look for packaging that claims "low sugar" or "lightly sweetened" as they work the best.


Oat Milk

I won't recommend using Oat milk to anyone for baking. If you want to use you can do it in the ratio of 1:1 as the texture matches. But there are multiple cases of slimy texture or separation.

If works well its a great product for muffins.


Worst substitute: Rice Milk

In cooking Rice Milk is the closest resemblance to dairy milk but the issue with rice milk is it has lot of water content due to which you will have to add artificial thickening agents to your product like Xanthan Gum. As a result the resultant product would not be very good for health.



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