I remember thinking how difficult it was going to be when we first became plant-based to bake. I imagined that I would never be able to have my mom’s strawberry pie again or anything else that called for milk or butter. But then we simply used nut milk and coconut oil. It is such a simple swap and something we had never realized that could easily be done. The same can be said for other kitchen staples that can easily be switched for a plant-based version.
Here are some of our most frequently used easy vegan replacements:
- Eggs—Flax eggs (1 Tbsp ground flaxmeal combined with 3 Tbsp water per egg)
- Simply allow the mixture to sit for at least a minute and there you go.
- Honey—Pure Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar
- Use the same amount indicated
- Parmesan Cheese—Nutritional Yeast
- We sprinkle it on top of almost everything. Pasta, Salads, Pizza, and Popcorn.
- Butter—Oil or Vegan Butter
- Our favorite oils to cook with are olive, sesame, or coconut. We also like to keep a stick of Earth Balance Vegan butter in the refrigerator just in case.
- Gelatin—Agar powder or flakes
- It is derived from marine red algae. It also works great as a thickener for soups and jellies.
Today there are more and more plant-based products available at the grocery store. It truly has never been easier to adopt a vegan diet.
Also, do you have any easy vegan replacements that you can’t live without? Please leave a comment and share your favorite swaps. Thanks so much!
Finally, here is my mom’s famous strawberry pie recipe- minus the Jello, of course! I also used my grandma’s quick and easy pie crust with almond milk instead of regular milk. The key ingredient is the agar powder. It helps thicken the glaze and also acts as a binding agent keeping the fresh strawberries together in this delicious pie. We love to top the pie with coconut milk whipped cream but that can be optional. Enjoy!
- 1 Quart Fresh Strawberries (Quartered)
- 2 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder
- 1 Tbsp Agar Agar Powder
- ½ Cup Strawberry Purée (see below)
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- 1 Pie Crust Recipe
- Make the pie crust dividing it up into all pie tins, about 2 Tbsp per mini pie dish, forming as evenly as you can. Wash and quarter strawberries. Reserve 6 large strawberries and blend to puree in a blender or food processor.
- In a small bowl with ½ cup of water, dissolve the arrowroot powder and agar powder.
- In a sauce pan combine the sugar and strawberry puree and stir until sugar is dissolved. We have used both white sugar and coconut sugar and both have worked fine.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, pour in the dissolved powder liquid and stir constantly for about 30 seconds.
- Fold in the cut strawberries into the sauce pan and continue to stir for 1 minute, until all the strawberries are coated.
- Divide the mixture among the pie crust and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Serve with a dollop of coconut whipped cream and enjoy!
