Easter is one time of the year that will always be associated with indulging in sweet treats and feasting on chocolate eggs and hot cross buns across the long weekend. But for those who follow a vegan lifestyle or can’t have dairy due to an allergy or intolerance, finding fun-filled Easter baking ideas can be a challenge.
However, with a little creativity, it's easy to enjoy all the Easter goodies without breaking your vegan diet or worrying about the aftermath of consuming any milk or dairy products. In this article, we will explore some tasty vegan Easter baking ideas that your family might not even know the difference with!
Easy Vegan Baking Substitutions
Making recipes vegan can be daunting at first, if you've not done it before, but we promise it's super easy to get used to. Here's four easy substitutes to use in your vegan baking!
Starting off with butter, you can substitute on a one for one ratio for vegan butter compared to dairy based ones. We’d recommend using a sunflower-based vegan butter for baking for the best results as it doesn't have a noticeable taste like other options such as olive butter.
For egg substitutes, using aquafaba (which is drained chickpea water) is a great way to recreate eggs. Buy a tin of chickpeas, drain it to get the aquafaba for your egg substitute, and then you can use the chickpeas for another meal so nothing goes to waste. Add the aquafaba in as it is if you're just wanting it as a regular egg, or whip it up for mouses.
Another great egg alternative is flax seeds. To substitute for one egg, you’ll need three tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of flax seeds. Mix these together and leave it to rest for at least 5 minutes before you use it in your recipe.
For any recipes needing milk, simply switch out the dairy milk in the recipe for your favourite plant-based milk - we recommend using soya for baking as it has the best consistency and no overwhelming taste!
Vegan Easter Baking Ideas
Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are an Easter tradition that dates back centuries. And let’s face it. They’re yummy! The spiced buns are typically made with eggs and butter, but they can easily be adapted to be vegan-friendly.
Replace the butter with a vegan butter or olive oil spread and use plant-based milk instead of dairy milk. For the eggs, you can use a vegan egg substitute or leave them out altogether-it won’t affect the end result too much!
To make the traditional cross on top of the buns, mix flour and water to form a paste and pipe it onto the buns before baking. Serve warm with a dollop of vegan butter.
Carrot Cake
Carrot cake is another Easter classic that can be easily made vegan. This moist and flavorful cake is traditionally made with cream cheese frosting, but you can make a vegan version using vegan cream cheese and dairy-free butter.
Pop some bunny figurines, icing carrots, or decorative chicks on top to make it the perfect Easter carrot cake.
DIY Vegan Chocolate Eggs
Easter wouldn't be the same without chocolate eggs, and vegans need not miss out on this delicious tradition! The selection of vegan Easter eggs has greatly improved in recent years, but they can come with quite a hefty price tag compared to regular Easter eggs.
If you or your little one can’t have dairy or choose to avoid it, the costs can mount up if you’re forking out on these each year. Instead, why not invest in some Easter egg moulds and make your own from now on? This could work out way cheaper in the long run, and is fun to do each year with your little ones.
To make vegan chocolate eggs, you can use any flavour of dairy-free chocolate. Simply melt the chocolate, pour it into the moulds, and allow it to set. You can add fillings like peanut butter or caramel to make your eggs even more indulgent, or try some decorative piping once the egg is set!
