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The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets

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ISBN 9781592332809 moved to this edition.
Whether you want to bake dairy- and egg-free for health, ethical, or environmental reasons, The Joy of Vegan Baking lets you have your cake and eat it, too! Featuring 150 familiar favorites -- from cakes, cookies, and crepes to pies, puddings, and pastries -- this book will show you just how easy, convenient, and delectable baking without eggs and dairy can be. A seasoned cooking instructor and self-described "joyful vegan," author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau puts to rest the myth that vegan baking is an inferior alternative to non-vegan baking, putting it in its rightful place as a legitimate contender in the baking arena. More than just a collection of recipes, this informative cookbook is a valuable resource for any baker -- novice or seasoned.

Learn just how easy it is to enjoy your favorite homespun goodies without compromising your health or values:


Chocolate Chip Scones
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Cranberry Nut Bread
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Lemon Cheesecake
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Dessert Crepes
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Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Chunks
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Cinnamon Coffee Cake
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
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Raspberry Sorbet
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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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Soft Pretzels
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Blueberry Cobbler
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Chocolate Almond Brittle
Free of saturated fat, cholesterol, and lactose, but full of flavor, flair, and familiarity, each and every recipe will have you declaring I can't believe it's vegan!Complete with luscious color photos, this book will be an essential reference for every vegan.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

100 people are currently reading
6,126 people want to read

About the author

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

9Ìýbooks400Ìýfollowers
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s compassionate living philosophy is propelling plant-based eating into the mainstream and forever changing how we regard animals.

A recognized expert and thought leader on the culinary, social, ethical, and practical aspects of living compassionately and healthfully, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is a speaker, cultural commentator, podcaster, and award-winning author of seven books, including the bestselling

*The Joy of Vegan Baking
*The Vegan Table
*Color Me Vegan
*Vegan’s Daily Companion
*On Being Vegan
*The 30-Day Vegan Challenge
*The Joyful Vegan

She is an acclaimed speaker and beloved host of the inspiring podcast, “Food for Thought,� which was voted Favorite Podcast by VegNews magazine readers several years in a row. She launched a spin-off podcast called Animalogy in 2017. Along with fellow advocates, she recently formed a political action committee called East Bay Animal PAC to work with government officials on animal issues in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Colleen shares her message of compassion and wellness on national and regional TV and radio programs, including on monthly segment on Good Day Sacramento and as a monthly contributor on National Public Radio (KQED). She has appeared on the Food Network, CBS, PBS, and FOX; interviews with her have been featured on NPR, Huffington Post, U.S. News and World Report; and her recipes have been featured on Epicurious.com and Oprah.com.

Colleen lives in Oakland, CA with her husband David and two cats, Charlie and Michiko.

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5 stars
2,110 (51%)
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3 stars
673 (16%)
2 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
Profile Image for Colleen.
AuthorÌý9 books400 followers
December 1, 2007
Well, I wrote the book, so I should be allowed to put it on my bookshelf! :)
Profile Image for Laurie  (barksbooks).
1,891 reviews764 followers
November 17, 2016
I have wanted this book since I first heard about it on Patrick-Goudreau's and it has finally arrived! I rarely read cookbooks from cover to cover and just jump on in which is what I'm doing here.

I made the Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins first. How could I not? They were easy to make and tasted amazing and were almost good for me. The teenage boy ate most of them so they passed the test :) The lonely muffin left over the following day was still moist and delicious. This recipe makes at least 18 muffins and was plenty done in 20 mins. The recipe stated 12 and a cooking time of 20 to 30 mins.



I'll continue to update with my hits and misses, flops and duds (I almost always find a few that I manage to screw up) as I work my way through the book. My only complaint thus far is that the author relies far too much on an egg replacement product instead of using an alternative such as flax seed or some such. I'm skipping those for now, perhaps forever, because I don't have that on hand and prefer using real food not processed egg replacements. This has me slightly annoyed. Annoyed enough to use another cookbook or the Internet for recipes most days.
Profile Image for Lisa Vegan.
2,869 reviews1,304 followers
July 29, 2007
I generally read my cookbooks from cover to cover, but I picked up this one for an initial cursory look only and couldn’t put it down and ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting.

Not hyperbole: This is an amazing and remarkable baking book, for experienced bakers and novices alike. This cookbook has everything needed to successfully create delicious baked goods. It’s also a beautiful book, containing many mouthwatering photos of the completed recipes.

Great vegan book too. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is a true hostess and nurturer. She gives her vegan story concisely and not with a hitting others over the head style, but effectively. Various vegan/animal facts tips are interspersed throughout the book. Good short explanation of why we REALLY don’t need cow’s milk. (And the fact is, the flavor of vegan baked goods is undetectable from those baked goods that use animal products.)

And the cookbooks I love the most have delicious recipes, of course, but I usually like the ones with humor also; this isn’t a funny book, but it is incredibly informational. Most recipes have extra information: a Compassionate Cooks� Tip and/or a Did You Know and/or a short section on Food Lore (history of a food in a particular recipe), all of which I found so interesting. I’ve never seen a baking/cookbook with better instructions for having a positive experience making the recipes. The Appendixes are truly amazing and especially helpful for someone like me who doesn’t always know what baking terms mean.

Great Defending Desserts section taking up 2 pages of the book, about how desserts are for treats, not for every meal eating, and so when making them one doesn't need to use healthier ingredients. (I usually do prefer whole wheat pastry flour to white flour though.)

from the book’s table of contents:

The Whys and Wherefores of Choosing Vegan
The How-to’s and What-nots of Vegan Baking

the recipes:

Muffins, Biscuits, and Scones
Savory Quick Breads
Cakes and Cupcakes
Pies and Tarts
Brownies and Bars
Crumbles, Cobblers, Crisps, and Whole Fruit Desserts
Strudel, Crepes, Blintzes, and Pastries
Yeast Breads and Rolls
Mousses and Puddings
Confections and Candy
Sorbets, Shakes, and Smoothies
Crusts for Pies and Tarts
Hot and Cold Beverages
Frostings, Sauces, Syrups, and Spreads

from the appendixes:
Baking Staples Ingredients
Essential Kitchen Tools
Resources and Recommendations
Glossary of Terms (these are cooking terms)
Cake Pan Substitutes
Common Ingredients Yields and Equivalents
Baking Soda and Baking Powder What’s the Difference?
Suggested Reading
Suggested Viewing

Her index of recipes has 3 parts: a general index that includes all of the recipes, and then a Seasonal recipe index (winter, spring, summer, fall), and a Celebrations and Occasions index (Holiday - including food gifts, Breakfast & Brunch, Tea Party, Children’s Birthday Party.)
Profile Image for Mark Hawthorne.
AuthorÌý11 books53 followers
November 26, 2007
Whether you want to bake a quick batch of oatmeal cookies on a rainy day or you’d like to impress your dinner guests with a mouthwatering apple strudel that will leave them breathless and begging for the recipe, you’re going to love “The Joy of Vegan Baking.� Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is well known as a Renaissance woman � chef, entrepreneur, teacher, writer, activist, podcaster, public speaker and more. She’s so busy I’m frankly amazed she had the time to devote so much care to this beautiful cookbook.

What makes “Joy� a joy is that Colleen uses her vast experience and talent as a vegan cooking instructor to genuinely demystify baking (the “Compassionate Cooks� in the subtitle refers to her business). She knows how to teach, and the proof really is in the pudding (page 184). “The Joy of Vegan Baking� is extremely user-friendly, even for someone like me, who wouldn’t know a spreader from a spatula; this book now has me whipping up desserts like Martha Stewart on steroids.

Although you may be interested in this cookbook because you are vegan or want to give it to a vegan, it is perfectly appropriate for non-vegans. Indeed, the treats and sweets here are not only as delicious as anything you’ll find in any bakery, but they are generally healthier, since they obviously use no animal ingredients (good for you, the planet and the animals).

Some of the goodies Colleen guides us through:

Muffins, biscuits and scones
Cakes and cupcakes
Pies and tarts
Sorbets, shakes and smoothies
Cookies, brownies and bars
Crisps, cobblers, crumbles and whole-fruit desserts
Strudel, crepes, blintzes and pastries
Yeast breads and rolls
Confections and candy
Frostings, sauces, syrups and spreads
Mousses and puddings

As you can see, baking isn’t the only ground covered here. Basically, if it’s sweet, crispy, frozen, fruity, frosted, gooey, glazed, rich, flavorful, chocolatey, savory or otherwise delicious -- from comforting cupcakes to succulent smoothies -- you’ll find it in this comprehensive cookbook. I also love how Colleen fills the book with bits of food lore, baking tips, decorating ideas and suggestions for healthful eating (yes, even desserts can be guilt-free).

But wait, there’s more! As she does so well her in cooking classes, Colleen explains the suffering animals endure to provide a fleeting pleasure for human palates. Really now, when food tastes THIS incredible, is easy to prepare AND is cruelty-free, what more could you want?

Don’t let the holidays go by without this book in your kitchen. In fact, get a few -- you’ll want to give them to your friends!
Profile Image for Lee.
295 reviews97 followers
June 16, 2011
This is an excellent, traditional, baking book with something for everyone. I have made 12 recipes so far, some of them multiple times and all have turned out very well. You would never guess, (and most people never do) that these recipes contain no dairy or eggs.

My favourites from top to bottom:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Apple Cake
Cinnamon Rolls
Peanut Butter Cookies
Butterscotch Pudding
Lemon Bars
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Strawberry cupcakes
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Profile Image for Anna.
AuthorÌý2 books11 followers
August 13, 2020
Whether you want to make an egg and dairy free bakes for ethical, environmental or health reasons, this book is definitely one, that will make that so much easier for you.

You have to admit, that baking vegan way isn't the easiest - what about dairy, how will I replace eggs in that cake, I can't imagine birthday cake without buttercream on top, and so on... the list goes forever! There are plenty cookbooks out there, that try to deal with that matter - vegan baking. Unfortunately, lots of them aren't really that good. I know, I'm an unfortunate owner of few of those... There's nothing more frustrating than spending your hard earned money on a book that looks great, fabulous even, with a lot of inviting, colorful photos, but it simply doesn't deliver. How many cakes did I have to throw away, as they were beyond saving, not to mention eating...

I've been following Colleen on Instagram and reading her blog for a bit now, and one beautiful day decided to actually make something using her recipes. It was German apple cake. No fuss recipe, ingredients available to everyone, result -> light, soft and delicious cake! Hmmm, will I try another one so, this time pancakes. Et voilà! OK, I see a pattern here, so why not try something trickier - a cheesecake. Again an amazing result, which disappeared on the very same day of making! That was enough to convince me, to simply buy the book :) Colleen's cookbook sits proudly on my shelf, with more sticky notes and scribbles inside that I'd like to admit (yes, I do have a sweet tooth...). If you want a cookbook, or rather a "bake-book" I should specify here, one that will make your cakes turn out airy, pancakes fluffy, pies juicy with a crumbly short pastry - that's definitely one to invest in! This book will help you understand, but also conquer the world of vegan baking, from pies, cakes, cupcakes to puddings and buttercream.
Profile Image for Christina.
149 reviews
November 15, 2021
This was a really helpful resource for me after I started making the transition to vegan baking after my daughter was diagnosed with food allergies to dairy and eggs (and peanuts and cashews). I love food blogs, but I needed to understand all the basics before I felt confident finding online recipes. I needed to understand the different milk and egg alternatives, and this offered a really straightforward explanation. I made a few recipes and they came out great.
30 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2023
"The Joy of Vegan Baking" is an exquisite masterpiece that proves that vegan desserts can be just as delightful, if not more so, than their traditional counterparts. Authored by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, this cookbook is a celebration of compassionate cooking that will leave you in awe of the endless possibilities of vegan baking.

From the first page, the book exudes warmth and enthusiasm for baking, and Patrick-Goudreau's passion for veganism is palpable in every recipe. The cookbook features a treasure trove of traditional treats and sinful sweets, catering to every sweet tooth and dessert lover.

What sets "The Joy of Vegan Baking" apart is its commitment to using plant-based ingredients that bring out the richness and flavors in each dessert. With every recipe, Patrick-Goudreau proves that compassionate cooking doesn't mean sacrificing taste or texture � her treats are indulgent and utterly satisfying.

The cookbook's layout is user-friendly, with clear instructions and helpful tips, making it suitable for bakers of all levels. Whether you're a novice or an experienced baker, each recipe is thoughtfully presented to ensure successful and delectable results.

Beyond the sumptuous desserts, the book also emphasizes the importance of compassionate living and its positive impact on our health, the environment, and animals. Patrick-Goudreau's warm and encouraging writing style inspires readers to embrace a more compassionate lifestyle.

From luscious cakes and delicate cookies to flaky pastries and creamy pies, "The Joy of Vegan Baking" leaves no craving unfulfilled. It's a true testament to the versatility of vegan ingredients and the joy of creating desserts that nourish the body and soul.

Whether you're vegan or not, this cookbook will open your eyes to the delights of plant-based baking. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's creativity and love for baking shine through in every recipe, making this cookbook a delightful addition to any kitchen.
Profile Image for M.
59 reviews4 followers
March 18, 2011
This book is like a gateway drug for new vegans who want to expand their baking repertoire beyond cupcakes and zucchini bread! While a bit too reliant on heavily processed ingredients (read: Earth Balance), it's a great way to regain confidence making scratch crusts and the like. The chapter on substituting traditional ingredients with vegan subs is nice, and the appendix about how to sub different sized pans is invaluable.
Profile Image for Connie.
242 reviews68 followers
Read
November 22, 2008
I'm so excited to get my hands on this book. I checked it out from my local library, but I can tell I'm going to need to buy it. It's got so many of my favorites; things I thought I'd never be able to have again after acquiring a dairy intolerance. I am especially excited to try out the cinnamon rolls and the Russian Tea Cakes. There are all kinds of cheesecakes and quick breads that look quite yummy, too.
Profile Image for Kerry.
13 reviews
January 6, 2008
WOW!!!! Probably my favorite vegan cookbook. Everything I have made from this book has been absolutely amazing. My boyfriend and I have a special fondness for the Apple Cobbler :). It also has lots of tips for vegan cooking which are very useful. I recommend book this for everyone, vegan or non-vegan!
23 reviews
November 30, 2007
Finally, a book that tells you just how delicious vegan baking can be. It's got all your traditional favorites! I have made multiple recipes for non-vegans and they love everything and have bought the book. Open your mind and your mouth and your tummy will thank you!
Profile Image for Tamra Lagrone.
19 reviews
July 17, 2019
This is one of my very favorite cookbooks and perhaps the most consistently used. Every recipe I've tried is simple and delicious and a big hit at home and the office. I've taken a number of vegan treats to share with non-vegans and they've all been a huge hit and a pleasant surprise to those who thought vegans were only allowed to eat grass and hay. ;-)

The recipes are easy to follow and most of the ingredients can be found at your neighborhood grocery store. The book is also filled with nutritional information and gorgeous photographs that inspire you to get out the cookie sheet, muffin tins, or springform and get baking!
Profile Image for Molly Elwood.
AuthorÌý1 book21 followers
October 10, 2018
The MUST-HAVE cookbook for vegans or those looking to dive into plant-based baking. The recipes are easy to follow, with sumptuous photographs that make me want to try everything. Right now, the book practically falls open to the chocolate chip cookie recipe, which I've made upwards of 10 times since buying this book.

Again--this is a must. Discover all recipes that will become staples and the recipes you pass down to your grandkids.
Profile Image for Penny.
276 reviews3 followers
March 10, 2019
This is a really solid vegan baking book with a lot of different kinds of things in it - savory as well as sweet. I've found that a fair amount of it converts quite easily to gluten-free, though you do have to know how to substitute flours and otherwise be a bit flexible.

Four stars rather than five because, whether with gluten or not, anything with leavening needs another 5-10 minutes to bake and not being very careful about that ends up with things mushy in the middle.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
375 reviews18 followers
March 6, 2018
There's a lot of recipes in here that I've also seen in other books (not same measurements). There are a couple of recipes in here that I am going to try out. There weren't that many that stood out to me besides the MELONPAN!!! I'm excited to try that one, especially because I've been trying to find a asian bakery bread recipe.

3.5/5stars
5 reviews1 follower
June 8, 2021
I do all of my holiday baking directly out of this book now-- there are converted recipes for everything I had ever enjoyed growing up as a kid in a typical American household. I was exceptionally thrilled to find an amazing melonpan recipe after my own mixed results trying to convert it myself. Haven't baked anything inedible since!
46 reviews1 follower
April 16, 2018
I ended up purchasing this cookbook since it had many of the familiar recipes I have traditionally made but substituted vegan, plant-based ingredients rather than the dairy and eggs I am so familiar with using. I have been very happy with the results.
Profile Image for Jillian.
16 reviews
February 6, 2019
Great recipes and i like in the beginning chapters the author gives what substitutes to include in vegan baking and why
Profile Image for Angie Kennedy.
169 reviews2 followers
August 2, 2019
Several tasty looking things and a fair number that do not require purchasing egg replacement powder, which I would like to avoid.
Profile Image for M.K.  Carroll.
64 reviews17 followers
November 14, 2008
Good basic explanations of ingredient choices and options, including recipes for making rice milk, almond milk, and cashew milk. Several egg replacers are explained, along with recommendations for which baked goods they work best in. Several recipes use Ener-G Egg Replacer. A standard range of baked goods (breads, cookies, pies, scones, etc.) as well as puddings, sorbets, smoothies, and candies. These recipes are not for health food - they are for making decadent treats for people who choose not to eat animal products.

Cinnamon rolls: The dough is fabulous - light, tender, with a thin golden crust. I plan to tweak the proportions of the filling (much too much non-dairy butter, not quite enough spice) and cut back on the amount of icing, as it's too sweet for my taste. *update: I have cut the amount of non-dairy butter and sugar in the filling drastically and doubled the amount of spice. Next I'm thinking about cutting the amount of fat in the dough - it's not for nutritional reasons, but because I think the dough will be lighter in texture.

Vanilla cupcakes: good, but denser than the standards in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. A personal texture preference. I think there's an error in the recipe - it calls for melted non-dairy butter but you are supposed to cream it with the sugar, which only works if the butter is *not* melted. I used softened butter instead.

Strawberry cupcakes: I used mango instead of strawberry. The dough was really thick and needed to be scooped, not poured (as the recipe says to). The texture is light and the top crust was wonderfully crunchy, but they did not taste like mango (one of the tasters thought they were pumpkin, another said they tasted like corn).
Profile Image for Jessica.
181 reviews10 followers
November 8, 2009
Yum - beautiful photos and fail-safe recipes. This cookbook is a hit!

A few recipe reviews --

Apple Pie: The recipe for the filling was spot on, and I loved the suggestion to sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top crust. That said, the initial baking temperature (425 degrees) was too hot and nearly burned the crust, and not cooking the apples first resulted in a pie with a lot of air inside the top crust because the apples shrunk during baking.

Apple Cobbler: It's hard to make a bad apple cobbler, but this has to be the best recipe I've tried. The top crust was light and slightly crumbly and the filling was delish. Yum!

Bran Muffins with Raisins: Not sure I can accurately review this since I made so many substitutions (less bran, white for wheat flour, and dried cranberries for half of the raisins). Nonetheless, the end result had a nice texture and was tasty without being too sweet.

Soft Pretzels: Easy-peasy! Only a few ingredients and few minutes of actual preparation (some time to let the dough rise). I decided to spray the pretzel shapes with the baking soda solution rather than dip them. Really yummy straight out of the oven. Hate to admit it but Jeff, kiddo and I ate ten!
Profile Image for Christy Baker.
410 reviews14 followers
October 24, 2016
This is hands down the best cookbook I've used on vegan baking. Many vegan recipes I've tried over the years for baked goods either leave the item leaden or so dry, crumbly and flavorless that if I were actually vegan (instead of vegetarian), I'd really just want to skip all sweets all together. This cookbook makes treats, whether a special dessert or mid-morning brunch item, that I'd make whether I was trying to accommodate a vegan or not. Originally, I used this as a go-to for a couple of friends who could not digest eggs due to an allergy. The results were quite good on both the rich chocolate cake as well as the muffins that I took to work.

Perhaps the best feature of The Joy of Vegan Baking is the invaluable section in the front that describes which kinds of substitutions are best for different types of vegan baking; this allows you to get a sense for how to adapt recipes from other sources and not just use the recipes contained within this book. As far as I'm concerned, any cookbook that actually helps one become a better overall cook/baker and not just a recipe follower, and they are good recipes, is worth keeping. Finally, I'd say the appendices, glossary, resource section and multiple indices make this a user friendly book.
Profile Image for Katie Minion.
242 reviews2 followers
April 3, 2017
Every vegan should own this book. Colleen has taken the time to figure out vegan recipes for any and every classic food you bake, from rolls, to biscuits, to cookies, to bars, to crepes, to quick breads. I've made 3-4 recipes from this book and they have all knocked it out of the park. Her drop biscuits are incredible, and her recipe for classic waffles is something I've been looking for for the past 12 months. Not only are the recipes fantastic, but her instructions are very detailed and often include substitution suggestions or alternate method suggestions. On many of her classic recipes, she includes a blurb behind the history of the dish, which is a fun little bonus. I bought this book on Kindle, but I may end up splurging for the paperback book at some point so I can have it sitting on my shelf.
Profile Image for Ms. Jared.
243 reviews6 followers
July 23, 2008
This is one of my very favorite cookbooks and perhaps the most consistently used. Every recipe I've tried is simple and delicious and a big hit at home and the office. I've taken a number of vegan treats to share with non-vegans and they've all been a huge hit and a pleasant surprise to those who thought vegans were only allowed to eat grass and hay. ;-)

The recipes are easy to follow and most of the ingredients can be found at your neighborhood grocery store. The book is also filled with nutritional information and gorgeous photographs that inspire you to get out the cookie sheet, muffin tins, or springform and get baking!
Profile Image for Leigh.
125 reviews1 follower
January 3, 2013
Joy of Vegan Baking has graced my pantry shelf for going on five years now, and it is the most-used, best-loved cookbook in my kitchen. The book falls open to chocolate chip cookies, and the gingersnap and pancake pages are stained from repeated viewings. Even my non-vegan friends clamor for my cookies, and Joy is my secret. I don't know what possessed me to give a four-star review. The error has been corrected.

My improvisational cooking style tends toward reinventing the wheel. Joy of Vegan Baking has saved me, time and again, from endless internet searches and my own needless fiddling. If you love to bake, vegan or not, Joy of Vegan Baking is winner.
Profile Image for Britt.
1,050 reviews2 followers
November 18, 2016
Read the ebook, although I'm not a big cookbook person. I prefer Pinterest and my own creativity when cooking. I'm a big vegan baker so there isn't much new here. Lots of information about dairy replacements--some I use and some I don't because they aren't easily accessible or too expensive. There is a wide variety of recipes, but I only jotted a handful down. I don't like recipes with too many ingredients, especially if it involves multiple parts or ridiculous vegan items. I think this would be better for a new vegan baker, but I already have my staple vegan brownies, cookies, cake, frosting, etc. staples.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews

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