I thought it would be useful for others to share some of the basic ingredients I use when cooking. This won’t be just a vegan substitution list, but a good portion of it will have to do with the things I substitute and how I use them. For me, figuring these things out was one of the most troublesome parts of learning vegan cooking.

Milk: Let’s start with something easy! I used to swear by Organic Valley soy milk, but I’ve since lost my taste for it for whatever reason. At one point I taste-tested several other milks (including almond, hemp, and rice), but none of them really had the kind of balance that I liked. Since then I’ve always used Silk. It bakes and cooks well for me. Of course, this is something that is preference based, so try a few out and see if you have a preference.

Buttermilk: I learned from my mom back in the day that a tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of milk would make a pretty decent buttermilk after 5 minutes. When I went vegan I really had a hankering for some scones and didn’t know what to do about the buttermilk. Luckily, a tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of soy milk seems to work just as well for me!

I believe I’ve only done this with Silk, so it may vary by brand, though I’m not sure. If you have any experience with this, lemme know!

Sugar: Sugar is definitely a sticky wicket for certain vegans. I’m one of those who doesn’t consume unrefined sugar in case it was processed with bone char. Anyway, I’ll discuss the two main types of sugar I use.

Fine bleached organic sugar: While it resembles your standard, fine white sugar, it is easy to find organic sugar that is usually labeled vegan. I usually use this sugar in things like chocolate chip cookies, as sweeteners, or in recipes where a thorough mixing is important.

Raw / turbinado sugar: If you’re not familiar, this is really coarse stuff. I really like baking with it, and in certain circumstances, it works out for the better. For example, when I bake scones using my family recipe I tend to use raw sugar because I don’t like the way they bake if the ingredients blend to well. The raw sugar just feels like it gives more “character” to certain things.

Eggs: Eggs are certainly a tricky substitution, and one I will avoid mentioning particulars on since I’m not very good at it. However, I will note the three main things I do, depending on the situation. For something like cookies, I tend to use bananas. With one medium to large banana (well-mashed) substituting for two eggs. In other baked goods, I use applesauce (though I’m not the best to talk about how here, since I’ve done it very rarely). Finally, in things like sauces for Chinese food, I use a product called EnerG egg replacer, which works amazingly well, and comes highly recommended by me.

Flour: For flour I tend to use some organic whole wheat flour that’s made by a local place. It’s good flour, and adds an interesting quality to the baked goods I use it in.
Chocolate: Chocolate is a bit of a sticky wicket depending on how strict you are. There are tons of organic and dark chocolates out there if you don’t mind co-processing (I do). Oftentimes I use Sunspire vegan chocolate chips, and if I need to, I’ll melt them down into something else (they melt pretty well). If you’ve never tried carob chips, I suggest you do. You’ll discover for yourself whether you like them out not.

I’m sure this is an incomplete list, but I’ll add to it over time. Be sure to let me know if you have any suggestions!