I’ve pretty much covered all of the essential/basic vegan food substitutions on this blog, but what about those more difficult, less common ingredients like evaporated milk and egg whites? For a while there, I was under the impression that any recipe that called for that kind of stuff was just un-adaptable. Not so!

I came across a book the other day, The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions, and was thrilled to see that the authors have a vegan substitute for practically anything! Below is a handy little list of some of their greatest hits. I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book for more great tips and tricks!

Uncommon Vegan Food Substitutions

Buttermilk
1 tbs fresh lemon juice or mild vinegar (apple cider or white balsamic) combined with 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (they recommend soy). Let stand for a few minutes before use.

Cream
Full fat, unsweetened coconut milk (1:1) or cashew cream.

Evaporated Milk
2/3 cup dry soy or rice milk powder with 3/4 cup of water for 1 cup of evaporated milk (1:1)

Condensed Milk
3 cups soy milk and 1 cup sugar. Simmer over low heat until liquid reduces to 1 cup. Strain any lumps or solids before use.

Egg for Binding
2 tbs arrowroot or cornstarch whisked with 2 tbs water (1 egg)

or

1/4 cup silken tofu (1 egg)

Egg for Leavening
1 tbs mild vinegar (apple cider or white balsamic) combined with non-dairy milk (soy works best). Let stand a few minutes before use. Works best in recipes with baking soda (1 egg)

or

1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt (1 egg)

Egg for Moisture
1/4 cup of coconut milk. This will add a coconut flavor, so use accordingly. (1 egg)

Egg white
1 1/2 tsp egg replacer, whisked with 2 tbs warm water (1 egg white)

or

Dissolve 1 tbs agar powder in 1 tbs water. Whip and chill thoroughly, then whip again. (1 egg white. Do not use this method in recipes that call for more than 2 egg whites)

If you follow this blog, today’s post might look a bit familiar. I actually posted most of this info a while back, but it was coupled with news of the undercover investigation of E6 Cattle Company that was grabbing headlines at the time and kind of got lost in all that horror.

For most people, the hardest thing to fathom about the vegan diet is giving up dairy. This is easily the diet-related question I’m asked most often (for cheese in particular), so I thought it was worth reviewing the topic more directly.

Luckily, there are a vast array of dairy alternatives available today that make it easier than ever to give cheese and milk the old heave ho! Here, you’ll find a comprehensive listing of alternative dairy products with accompanying reviews. This gives you a great idea of what’s out there and which brands have become most popular with the dairy-free crowd.

Also, in case you’re interested, here’s a list of my personal faves. Give one of them a try. You might be pleasantly surprised!

My Favorite Dairy Alternatives

Cheese

This is a tie between Daiya and Follow Your Heart. I tend to buy Daiya more, but I will confess that is mostly attributable to laziness since Daiya comes in shreds and Follow Your Heart is only available as a block. Both are excellent.

Milk

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Vanilla Unsweetened Almond Milk. This is my preference, but really, any almond milk will do.

Butter

Earth Balance. Earth Balance comes in tubs and sticks and there is zero difference in taste, texture and melting point between it and typical butter or margarine. This is handily the easiest thing to replace in a vegan diet.

Sour Cream

Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream, Non-Hydrogenated

Cream Cheese

Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

Ice Cream

Tofutti Cuties

Yogurt

Silk Live! Soy Yogurt

Whipped Cream

Soyatoo! Soy Whip

I also have a recipe for Ricotta cheese that will knock your socks off. I use it in lasagna.

Tofu Ricotta
Recipe Courtesy of Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

Ingredients

14-16 oz extra-firm tofu, crumbled
3 cloves of garlic
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbs chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp salt

Directions

• Blend everything in a food processor
• Use immediately