Traditional bakers have been able to create a vast variety of foods over the last several hundred years of baking evolution. It’s surprising when you realize that everything from puddings to cakes to cookies vary little in the range of ingredients used. Versatile ingredients such as flour, sugar, fat and eggs make this sort of variation possible. These are the building blocks of pastry. Vegan baking is easy when all you have to worry about is manipulating flour, sugar and fat. So what are we do to do in regards to replacing the almighty egg? There is a legend that the Romans believed in chicken eggs so much, they mixed them into their concrete. To first understand what we need to replicate this building block we need to understand what an egg does in the world of baking.

This Vegan Apple Pecan Granola recipe brings on the apple flavor with the help of both apple chunks and apple sauce. Cashew butter forms its base and packs extra protein so you'll have sustained energy throughout your morning. I go low on the sugar for this same reason and to give the other ingredients a chance to contribute flavor. Nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon work to highlight the apple. Chopped pecans toast during baking and add a welcome nutty crunch. Once you've chosen your preferred apples and baked this granola to perfection you can add it to ice cream, splash it on non-dairy milk or top it with a dollop of non-dairy yogurt.

Banana Vegan Butter doesn't utilize curdling so it's great for people looking to avoid soy. It can also be made raw. It has a smooth, subtle buttery banana flavor that's great for using as a butter substitute or for amping up desserts that already showcase banana. Try Banana Vegan Butter on pancakes or make banana croissants. Non-dairy butter is designed to mimic real butter in vegan baking applications. Like real butter, Vegan Butter is more solid than tub margarine and not as spreadable. This is so it can perform optimally in vegan baking applications. If your goal is to have a conveniently softer, spreadable Vegan Butter, swap out 1 Tablespoon of the coconut oil with 1 additional Tablespoon canola, light olive oil or rice bran oil.

Making this Easy Vegan Granola recipe is only slightly harder and much more fun than scooping it out of the bulk bins at the local health food store. It features almond butter for its base, rolled oats, cinnamon and nutmeg and just the right amount of walnuts and pecans to round out the crunch. A touch of raisins add a welcoming sweetness. 

I prefer to not overload with sugar in the morning so my granola recipes tend to err on the side of reduced sweetness which is a contrast from most store-bought granola. If you like your granola sweet then you may consider adding a few Tablespoons additional sugar. The reduced sweetness allows other flavor nuances to come through. The almond butter toasts during baking which brings on a rich flavor. A small amount of unrefined coconut oil increases flavor complexity further. Use this granola recipe as a base for future granola recipes. Enjoy it with non-dairy milk, top it with non-dairy yogurt or crumble it over ice cream.

This Vegan Garlic Tarragon Bread Spread recipe features extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, fresh tarragon and just a touch of white wine vinegar to evoke a complex buttery flavor with a sharp cheese inspired finish.

Holiday dinners at my Godparent's house was always a special occasion. The food was inspirational but the the one dish that my brother and I looked forward to all year was the simple but perfect implementation of garlic bread. This consisted of a store-bought flute of San Francisco sourdough, sliced but leaving the bottom crust intact so the slices could be torn off as the loaf worked its way around the table. This loaf was buttered between the slices, wrapped in tin foil and warmed in the oven. Buttering the slices while leaving the loaf intact had the advantage of ensuring both sides of each slice was buttered. Wrapping the loaf in tin foil had the benefit of allowing the entire loaf to be saturated with buttery aromas and flavors during its time in the oven and the tin foil could be folded back over the loaf in between servings to keep the bread warm while it was on the table. Brilliant!

Traditional flour is ground endosperm powder which is the result of the flour mill removing most of the hard pieces and hence, nutrition from the wheat berry. I'm a huge fan of whole sprouted grains because they're more flavorful and contain significantly more nutrients than bread made with traditional flour. This Flourless Sprouted Whole Wheat Bread recipe utilizes sprouted wheat berries that are then ground into a purée. This requires a substantially hardy food processor. If you're not sure if your food processor is powerful enough, look on the bottom. It should say at least 6.5 Amps or "6.5 A". 

This bread was difficult to design due to the nature of the wheat berry. This hardy seed contains the germ which is the heart and soul of the seed. The germ is the embryo of the plant in its dormant state. It's accompanied by the starchy endosperm which acts as fuel for the germ when it sprouts or germinates. This package is encased in a firm fibrous shell called the bran. This protects the seed kind of like an egg shell protects an egg. 

Have you ever gone apple picking and brought back pounds of fresh apples with high aspirations only to watch helplessly as your prized stock slowly breaks down as you're just too busy to commit to making all the Apple Pies, Apple Turnovers, Apple Cider Doughnuts and Apple Strudel? This happened to me recently and as I was opening the compost bin of shame my friend Dan mentioned, "you know, my Mom uses the soft apples for apple sauce and it comes out awesome!" This sounded really interesting to me but I still didn't have time. So why not combine these soft apples with this lack of time and make a quick and easy applesauce?

A recipe from my book Triumph of the Lentil, this is my staple bread recipe. Even with a newborn and a toddler to look after I manage to bake this twice a week, so that we never have to buy bread. Because of the slow rising time it requires very minimal kneading (only enough to mix in the flour), doesn’t require any oil or sugar to taste good and stays fresh for longer. The slow rise develops the gluten in the same way that kneading would, but results in a superior taste.

Each rise can take between eight and twenty hours and put in the fridge at any stage, to be baked within two weeks. I like to make each rise around twelve hours. It can also be sped up a little, to make the total time as little as 16 hours by doubling the amount of yeast and combining the first and second rise together.

I am often shocked when I read egg replacing tips written by other vegans, because chickpea flour never seems to be there. While my go-to egg replacer used to be ground flaxseeds, since discovering chickpea flour I have never looked back.

Chickpea flour is readily available in health food shops, along with Indian, Italian and French grocers. It is also known as besan, chana flour, gram flour, cici flour and garbanzo bean flour. You can even make your own out of whole, dry chickpeas if you have a grain mill or very powerful food processor.

After falling in love with rye breads I became fascinated with developing a bread containing 100 percent rye. I knew that taking all of the wheat flour out of a bread recipe would wreak havoc on the end result and a high-rising crusty bread would not be obtainable. This is because wheat flour is unique in that it contains two proteins in the wheat endosperm called glutenin and gliadin. When these proteins hydrate and undergo friction, they unravel like balls of yarn, bind together into sticky strands and form a structure building network. This elastic web of protein holds in air bubbles during leavening and acts as a structure builder after the bread cools, resulting in a high-rising, fluffy, springy loaf.

A tough of sugar takes the edge off the bitterness of the rye in this Easy Vegan Rye Bread recipe. Molasses has been added to increase the overall richness of the rye flavor and caraway seeds adds an interesting layer subtle spicy cool to the loaf. Feel free to experiment with these additions and change them if you prefer. The loaf will still turn out roughly the same.

Initially I was intrigued by the flavor of rye breads but intimidated by baking them. How was I supposed to bake flavorful, crusty loafs with most of the leavening-enhancing gluten out of the picture? A little research found that although rye flour contains about the same amount of protein than regular flour, most of this protein isn't from glutenin and gliadin, the two protein compounds that unravel and combine to create gluten when water is added and the mixture is kneaded. What rye flour does contain though are natural gums called pentosans which absorb about 16 times their weight in water. This is the puzzle piece of how these breads are crafted.

Curdled soy milk produces a buttermilk tang that's perfect in this Vegan Buttermilk Waffle recipe. The cornmeal allows them to attain a nice balance between crispy exterior and moist interior. Avoid making this recipe with anything other than soy milk; other non-dairy milks lack the protein content to curdle effectively which is paramount to rich buttermilk flavor. Try these waffles with a slathering of almond butter, vegan butter, fresh fruit or maple syrup.

This Vegan Nine Grain Whole Wheat Bread recipe is unique in that it sports nine grains and contains 100% whole wheat flour for the rest of the ingredients which adds a superb flavor and texture not found in many other breads. Baking a bread with both of these features involves a little more effort but I think you'll agree that it's time well spent. This bread differs from a regular bread recipe in two ways: First, the grains are soaked so they soften and integrate into the loaf. Second, since we're using 100% whole wheat flour for the rest of the flour we need to soak it overnight so the bran softens. This softened bran will enable a more efficient rise because the bran won't cut gluten strands. It will also allow for a more supple crumb. These soaked flour and grains are technically referred to as, what else? A soaker. I suspect the bread baker who coined this term was having a creativity block the day he named this method.

These Vegan Power Puffs are so puff-tastic! I highly recommend them. I have never used millet before and I will certainly be using it more often. It’s fluffy, light and has more protein than puffed rice. These little power puffs are a perfect snack with a hot cuppa joe. You can easily cut this recipe in half if you aren’t trying to feed an army. These are so good that my husband brought them to his Tai Chi class this morning and vanished with a request for more next week…I highly suggest you give these a whirl.

This Vegan No Knead Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread is now my go-to vegan bread recipe because it's simple to make and is a great example of how wet doughs can create wonderfully light and spongy breads. The higher water content allows the gliadin and glutenin in the flour to align into tight gluten bonds over time so you can forget about all that kneading drama. The result is a fluffy, chewy loaf that's perfect for sandwiches. Feel free to use this bread as a starting point and substitute a ½ cup of the flour for things like wheat germ, wheat bran or oat bran. It's important to note that due to the wetness of this dough it's only suitable for baking in a loaf pan.

This Vegan Buttermilk Pancake recipe takes advantage of soy milk's ability to curdle when exposed to acids. You can choose lemon juice or even cream of tartar as your acid of choice but I prefer the additional flavor complexity that apple cider vinegar contributes. Buttermilk flavor is also enhanced by adding Vegan Butter or margarine to the batter which also adds moisture and fluffiness. Hemp and almond milk will curdle to a certain degree but not as much as soy milk. Coconut milk and rice milk are not recommended for this recipe because they lack sufficient protein and will not curdle at all. Top these vegan pancakes with maple syrup, berries and/or a dollop of almond butter.

One of my favorite breakfasts is this Vegan Gingerbread Waffle recipe accompanied by a cup of strong coffee and veggie sausage on the side. Just when you''re thinking that you may be eating dessert you'll notice a savoriness that will assert that this is indeed breakfast. Slather these vegan waffles with a touch of almond butter, a splash of maple syrup and a sprinkling of Balsamic Candied Pecans to make this a truly memorable experience.

This Wild Yeasted Wheat Bread recipe, also known as sourdough bread uses a wild yeast sponge to leaven the dough, creating a multitude of complex flavor compounds in the process. Be sure to read and cultivate your wild yeast starter and sponge before starting this vegan bread. Sandwich breads baked in loaf pans are usually baked at lower temperatures around 350F (177C) to 375F (191C) and 'enriched' with things like sweeteners, oil and extra salt. Artisan breads formed and baked without loaf pans are baked at higher temperatures around 400F (204C) to 475F (246C) where the heat allows extra flavors to be developed. Taking this into account, your bread recipe and baking process will be slightly different depending on which method you choose. This recipe gives you options for both styles.

I veganized this Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread from a recipe found here. All I can say is WOW! Moist, full of texture, earthy and oh so delicious.

Crepes unlock huge brunch and dessert option potential depending on wether you make savory or dessert crepes. This Vegan Buckwheat Crepe recipe is pretty foolproof as long as you use the right pan described below. If making savory crepes fill them with things like tofu scramble, seitan and beans or wild rice and mushrooms. If making sweet crepes fill them with bananas, chocolate and coconut; peanut butter, maple syrup and walnuts or caramel, pecans and apples topped with a drizzle of Cashew Cream. Buckwheat lends an earthy, nutty richness to these vegan crepes, which are based on Easy Crepes but factor in buckwheat flour's ability to absorb slightly less liquid than all-purpose flour due to it's smaller amount of gluten.

There's nothing quite like home made bread. This hearty Easy Vegan Wheat Bread recipe is easy to whip up if you have a few hours and it's really simple. In bread baking, longer rise cycles at lower temperatures usually result in more flavor compounds that are generated due to the yeast extracting and break down more starches in the flour and converting them into sugars which will then get caramelized during baking. Some doughs call for an overnight rise in the refrigerator so optimum flavor can be developed. In this vegan loaf you have the option of doing an overnight slow rise in the refrigerator or a regular rise. The two first rise cycle is for the main fermentation of the dough where the yeast eats the most sugars and rises the bread with CO2. The last rise is called proofing in where the dough rises after it's been molded into it's desired shape or placed in it's specific mold.

Apple butter varies from apple sauce in that apple sauce is just puréed apples with some spice and sweetener optionally added. Apple butter has a bit of a cult following because it more accurately captures the essence of the apple. It consists of a spiced apple sauce that's cooked down for several hours so the sugars caramelize, preserving the mixture in the process. Cooking the mixture also produces more complex flavor compounds, activates naturally occurring pectin so it gels and reduces it so it's more concentrated. The result is rich, creamy apple heaven. Fall apple perfection captured in a jar. You can make a large batch from this recipe and can it for future use or spread it immediately on toast, pancakes or use for anything where you would use fruit preserves.

Don't know what to do with all those pumpkin seeds from pumpkin carving? Take those little pepitas and dress them up in little spiced sugar costumes with this Candied Spiced Pumpkin Seeds recipe. They'll love it and you will too because this vegan recipe features barley malt syrup, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to help push the savory pumpkin seed flavors forward.

This Cherry Candied Almond recipe is an excuse for me to combine two of my most favorite flavor combinations: cherries and almonds. I used brown sugar and olive oil for a more complex sweetness profile and just the right amount of almond extract to bind the cherry and almond flavor in holy matrimony. Try these as a relatively guilt-free vegan snack, add them to salads or sprinkle them on your ice cream.

There's no such thing as a drop-in replacement for cream but this Vegan Cashew Cream recipe comes pretty close when you need it for a substitute for baking. It can be used as a vegan base in custards, ice creams, sauces, cakes or anywhere else you'd like to add richness. Cashew cream is also soy-free and can be made raw if you obtain raw ingredients.

These Balsamic Candied Pecans are great for salads, ice cream or just random munching. It's one of those examples of how balsamic vinegar can mysteriously elevate certain foods to food crack status. This vegan recipe also features a touch of molasses and salt that work behind-the-scenes to enable proper texture and complex flavors. Don't like molasses? Too bad! Or should I say, "please add it. Pretty please?" It's essential for allowing the proper texture and flavors come through. You shouldn't be able to taste it in the finished product. Oh and here's a little secret: Put these babies in your next pecan pie for a secret candy coated weapon that's sure to wow your pie eating brethren.

Some of us may remember chia seeds from those ch-ch-chia pet commercials in the 80's. Well they're back! It turns out that ch-ch-chia can b-b-bind. They work similarly to flax seeds in that when ground, the mixture forms a mucilage, also known as goop, and pulls together when heated. Perfect as an egg replacer in things like vegan cakes, cookies or anywhere else you'd want to substitute an egg. Like flax seeds they also contain protein, fiber and are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Just be sure to use white chia seeds. The darker varieties will be visible in your finished product. White chia seeds can be found online if they're not available at your local health food store.

This Vegan Bourbon Baked Apple recipe is a great way to get that ridiculously good apple flavor without resorting to the time intensive sport of pie making. It's kind of like an apple pie but without all the crust drama. The core of the apple is removed and replaced with a delectable mixture of pecans or walnuts, raisins, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. The whole deal is then doused with bourbon and baked to perfection. I won't tell if you drink some of the bourbon to make sure it's okay.

Bananas work great as a vegan egg replacer due to their abundance of specific starches and sugars. Keep in mind that whatever you put bananas in will undoubtedly turn into banana-whatever-the-name-of-your-recipe-is. This can be great for things like vegan cakes, pancakes and quick breads but awkward in things where you're not going for the whole banana thing. Bananas aren't as powerful binders as Egg Replacer Powder or Flax Seed Egg Replacer but due to the large amount of sugars and pectin they contain, they're more powerful than using Yogurt as an egg replacer.

One wonderful summer in lovely Northern California, I had the pleasure of camping with one of my favorite people ever (who I'll just call Alf). That night he introduced me to something I'll never forget...Banana Delight! Serve with some quality sipping whiskey and good friends.

Most people won't be able to guess that these Vegan Chocolate Covered Date Bonbons are just chocolate covered dates if you don't tell them. One thing that they will know is that they're amazing. You can tell them that you spent 13 hours making the filling in this vegan bonbon recipe and just leave it at that.

This Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola recipe brings possibly one of the best flavor combinations known to man to the granola world. This allows this vegan granola to be extremely versatile, being equally good for breakfast, sprinkled on top of ice cream or enjoyed all by itself for a mid day snack.

This Vegan Protein Power Granola recipe is great for a hearty first meal of the day because it's low in sugar, high in protein and high in flavor. It gets the bulk of its protein from hemp protein powder. It then utilizes natural sweeteners like maple syrup, chopped dates and raisins for a complex sweetness profile that won't send blood sugar levels through the roof, if you don't drown it in maple syrup anyway. Walnuts and pecans round out the crunch department in this vegan granola while providing a tasty contrast with the hemp powder.

This Vegan Tropical Paradise Granola recipe features shredded coconut, coconut oil, dried pineapple and dried mango. Cashew butter makes a creamy base that ties it all together. Savoring this vegan granola is kind of like going on vacation. Except without palm trees. And it's cheaper. And it tastes better.

This Hearty Vegan Waffle recipe makes light and fluffy vegan waffles sporting a nice crispy exterior and a soft, moist interior due to the use of toasted cornmeal. They're delightful topped with a touch of almond butter, fruit and/or real maple syrup.

This Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pancake recipe features lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest combined with poppy seeds to create a bright lemony flavor that's a great way to start the day. These vegan pancakes are delightful topped with a touch of almond butter, fruit and/or real maple syrup.

Growing up, my Dad would make pancakes every Sunday. On the rare occasions he made waffles, I knew he was pulling out all the stops for Sunday breakfast. Inspired by the waffles I grew up with, I created this Vegan Multigrain Waffle recipe that features rolled oats, whole wheat flour and your choice of toasted corn meal, oat bran or wheat germ. Top it with real maple syrup or fresh organic berries to be transported back to my dining room circa 1985.

This Vegan Pumpkin Buckwheat Pancake recipe features pumpkin enhanced with barley malt syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Buckwheat flour then lends an earthy, nutty richness. They're delightful topped with a touch of almond butter, fruit and/or real maple syrup to brighten up any morning.

This Vegan Protein Pancake recipe is perfect for breakfast if you really want to make sure you get an adequate dose of protein during the first meal of the day. They utilize your choice of just the right amount of hemp protein powder or soy flour and feature chopped walnuts to further increase the protein ante and add to the flavor department. Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger give these vegan pancakes a satisfying flavor that goes great with a splash of maple syrup (or fresh berries if you're hyperventilating at the idea of consuming too much sugar).

This Vegan Ginger Carrot Raisin Pancake recipe isn't your conventional vegan pancake recipe because it features carrots for a subtle butteriness, raisins for a little extra bonus sweetness and ginger for a hint of spicy finish. it's a great combination of flavors that is further enhanced with a drizzle of maple syrup or Agave Maple Syrup.

This Vegan Blueberry Buckwheat Pancake recipe features blueberries and buckwheat flour which lends them a tart sweetness along with an earthy, nutty richness. You also have the choice of adding either oat bran, wheat bran or wheat germ. These vegan pancakes are delightful topped with a touch of almond butter, additional fruit and/or real maple syrup.

This easy to make Vegan Banana Walnut Pancake recipe features both banana purée and banana slices for maximum banana flavor. Walnuts add an earthy complexity. Top these vegan pancakes with a touch of almond butter, fruit and/or real maple syrup.

This Vegan Carrot Bran Muffin recipe features carrots which lend sweet, buttery notes. These flavors are further enhanced by just the right amount of molasses and your choice of wheat germ, wheat bran or oat bran. Raisins are added for additional sweetness and flavor depth and a touch of vanilla extract ties the flavors together into a dense and hearty muffin.

This Vegan Buttermilk Biscuit recipe makes great vegan dinner rolls that pair well with American feast-style dinners on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. They feature just the right amount of tahini and lemon juice to accurately impart buttermilk flavors.These biscuits are also great served as a snack with a smear of margarine or almond butter. Serve them warm.

This Hearty Vegan Breakfast Muffin recipe was created because I wanted a healthy, hearty vegan muffin that provided good energy for the first meal of the day without giving me a mega-dose of sugar like most other muffins often do. These fruit sweetened muffins contain no refined sugar, more protein, complex carbs and fiber than most other muffins because they feature ingredients like dates, raisins, walnuts, rolled oats, hemp protein powder or soy flour, maple syrup and molasses. These ingredients lend a delightfully complex taste and contribute to a dense hearty texture. They're easy to make and provide about one week of breakfasts. Try them topped with almond butter.