20 GLUTEN FREE VEGAN BAKING TIPS

gluten free vegan baking tips

Ask anyone who does not eat gluten, dairy or eggs what they miss most and I guarantee baked goods will rank high on the list. Gluten is the glue that holds baked items together; it is what gives dough its stretch and elasticity. Eggs help cakes rise beautifully and dairy adds moisture.

The absence of gluten, dairy or eggs does not mean you must say goodbye to soft bouncy bread, moist delicious cakes or crispy cookies that don’t crumble into a  mess.

Here are my top 20 Gluten Free Vegan Baking Tips to help you master the art of gluten, dairy and egg free baking in no time.

1. Psyllium husk works as a great egg replacement in gluten free vegan bread baking. For every egg just mix 2 teaspoons psyllium husk flakes with 3 tablespoons warm water to form a gel. Psyllium husk provides elasticity, bounce and structure. You can also use flaxseed or chia seed meal to make a gooey egg that works as a binder, but you’ll get a slightly denser crumb.
2. I love the 50/50 combination of tapioca and buckwheat for a simple gluten free bread loaf. Tapioca provides bounce and earthy buckwheat provides structure and fibre. You can find the recipe for my Easy Gluten Free Vegan Bread Loaf here. It mixes like a cake batter, all you need is a bowl and spoon!
3. For most cakes I use a good quality commercially available gluten free flour. The quality from brand to brand varies greatly. My favourite is Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour (blue label) and Bob’s Red Mill Self Raising flour. This brand won’t leave you with a dry, crumbly mess.
4. For gluten free vegan chocolate cakes you can’t go past baking soda activated with the acid from natural cocoa plus lemon juice. This will create the fluffiest chocolate sponge with a deep chocolate flavour. For a caffeine free option swap cocoa for carob powder.
5. Whipped aquafaba is an excellent egg replacement when you don’t want any colour or flavour in your gluten free vegan baking. Perfect for light sponges or vanilla cupcakes. Whip 50ml of aquafaba for every egg you wish to replace.
6. To convert plain gluten free flour to self raising flour, add 2 tsp baking powder to every cup of plain flour.
7. If you substitute flours, do this by weight not cups because flours don’t weigh the same.
8. Gluten free recipes generally require extra leavening agents to mimic the gluten. Baking powder and/or baking soda will help make your dough rise and ‘pop’.
9. Use the pan size specified in the recipe if you want your cake to look like the photo. If your pan is too small your cake will overflow and if it’s too big you’ll end up with a pancake!
10. Coconut milk, coconut yoghurt and light olive oil are my favourite dairy free substitutes. Their higher fat content keeps cakes incredibly moist and soft in comparison to lower fat alternatives like rice milk.
11. Read through the recipe and check the shelf life of all ingredients before you get started. Baking powder, baking soda and nut meals have a shorter shelf life so ensure they are not rancid.
12. Use ingredients at room temperate to ensure everything emulsifies well and cooks evenly.
13. Always start by preheating your oven. If your baked items don’t start cooking at the correct temperature you may not get that beautiful rise when dough first hits a hot  oven.
14. Coconut yoghurt helps bind cookie dough and adds much desired chewiness to your gluten free vegan cookies.
15. If your cookie dough is too sticky to roll pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
16. Chilling your cookie dough for at least 30 minutes or overnight will result in a crispier, more golden cookie with greater flavour intensity.
17. Taste as you go. You can’t add another tablespoon of sugar or pinch of cinnamon to a baked cake! Taste the batter before pouring it into the tin. Make adjustments accordingly.
18. Immediately transfer hot bread from the oven to a wire cooling rack to stop the crust from going soggy. The air circulating around the loaf will create a crispy crust.
19. Cooling time is critical. Only ice your cakes when they are completely cool otherwise the residual heat will melt the icing leaving you with a dribbly mess. You must also rest and cool your bread before slicing otherwise it will be gummy inside.
20. Have fun and learn from your mistakes. You are on your way to being a master baker!