The Case for Vegan Baking

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I love cooking.  I grew up helping in the kitchen because cooking was always a family activity.  Over the years, I have come to see it as a form of therapy.  I do a lot of my thinking while I chop and stir.  I enjoy baking goodies for friends and family.  Baking certain recipes lets me feel a connection to family members I miss.

After having kids, the kitchen became my escape at the end of a long day.  As they have gotten older, it is no surprise that they want to be in there with me.  It became a struggle for me to find the balance of including them and still having the space for myself.  With practice,  I have come to love cooking with my kids. Having them be able to be somewhat independent while cooking or baking is a big factor in making it fun for everyone.  Vegan recipes allow for more independence and not surprisingly, baking is our favorite for a few reasons:

You can always lick the spoon

There are no eggs involved, so no risk of salmonella from that finger finding its way into a mouth.  When we are done, I can let the kids lick the spoon or the mixer paddle.  This is something that takes me straight back to the “helper stool” in my grandma’s kitchen.

Chances are, you have everything you need in the pantry

I try to keep a well stocked kitchen, but sometimes you run out of eggs, milk and butter. Not relying on these ingredients allows you to say yes to spontaneous baking more often.  Saying yes to baking a cake on rainy day may become a treasured memory and I want that for my kids.

The treats I make are more allergy friendly

As the world becomes more allergy aware, I want to be able to adapt and accommodate for my friends and family.  Vegan baking is easily adapted to be allergy friendly.  It is automatically dairy and egg free. Flours can be changed out for different needs.

Want to give it a try?

About a decade ago, I found myself desperate for chocolate cake and not wanting to go to the store.  I came across this recipe on the internet and despite it’s poor choice of name, I gave it a try.  Over the years I have experimented with it many times over and found it to be a very flexible recipe.  I have replaced half of the oil with nut butters and fruit purees(apple and banana.)  This cake is delicious as is, frosted, or with chocolate chips sprinkled on straight out of the oven and spread into the cake pan. Start here and you will soon love vegan baking, just as much as we have come to love it too. 

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Kristal, Senior Writer
Kristal is a native of California, lived in Utah, and now lovingly calls Colorado Springs home. She grew up in a household with four younger siblings and graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz. She and her husband are raising their elementary school aged children in the Briargate area. With kids in school full time, Kristal is an active member of the PTA, and spends time working in local schools. She is passionate about connecting moms in our community. In her spare time, she enjoys long walks in the aisles of Target, dancing it out in Zumba classes, drinking copious amounts coffee, cooking dinner as a form of therapy, and last but certainly not least, spending time outdoors with her family.