We know how to sub vegan ingredients in for eggs when baking, but when it comes to using dairy-free milk—or mylk or the less-appealing “juice”—instead of regular milk, I wasn’t so sure what would happen.
To gear up for the holiday baking season, I did a test: How would almond, hemp, soy, and canned full-fat coconut milk fare in a pumpkin pie tart recipe? I swapped in the dairy-free milks in for regular milk a 1:1 ratio, and the results ranged from unacceptable to surprisingly good.
Read on to find out which was the winner:
Almond Milk: The almond milk pumpkin pie batter looked fairly normal. The color was nice and dark orange, and the consistency seemed average, if perhaps a little thin. Once baked, the tart top achieved a nice color, but the overall appearance wasn't too pretty since the tart sunk, creating a large crater. The flavor was passable, but the filling separated a little, so the filling was watery. And that won’t do, will it?
Hemp Milk: Like the almond, the hemp batter looked good (albeit a little lighter in color). Again, it browned well and got that lovely pumpkin pie skin once cooked. The overall appearance looked the best out of the four, with no sinking or splitting. Yet, unlike the other milks, the taste of the hemp was overwhelming and made for a gritty filling.
Soy Milk: Surprisingly enough, the soy mix seemed the thinnest of the four (I would have put my money on almond) and was definitely lighter in color than the hemp or almond mix. Again the finished product was nice—great color and browned top. There was a slight sinking in the middle along with small cracking. The consistency was creamy and smoother than the almond milk. Taste-wise, I couldn’t detect an “alternative” milk.
Coconut Milk: First of all, the coconut milk had to be mixed really well to create a smooth consistency. Once added to the pumpkin, it made for the thickest mix. It baked well and like the hemp, didn't sink. However, the fact that coconut milk fat is not homogenized meant that it separated during the baking, which led to an oily filling. While the filling had the right appearance and was the most light in color, it was also the lightest in consistency.
The Verdict
4th Place: Hemp. A little overpowering so would be better for a baked good with a lot of seeds or a nutty flavor.
3rd Place: Coconut Milk. I could see this working better in a quick bread, or muffin, but in something custard-based like this, it just won’t work.
2nd Place: Almond. This was overall not bad, but unfortunately it made for an ugly and watery pie. Past experience has proven that almond milk is great in pancakes, cookies, and cakes, but pumpkin pie is a solid “no.”
1st Place: Soy. I know. Such a typical verdict, but it made for the best pie for sure! It's creamy like milk and bakes similarly, too. You won't believe it’s not milk, I promise!
Overall, vegan milks can be subbed for conventional milks in a 1:1 ratio in almost all of your baking recipes. When it comes to things like cookies, cakes, biscuits, muffins, and pancakes, the type of milk used will not have a drastic effect on the end product. For richer desserts, such as a custard (like this pumpkin pie recipe), frosting, or a chocolate ganache, a creamy and more viscous milk (like soy) works best.
| 1 1/8 | cups sifted or whole spelt flour |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 1 1/2 | tablespoons sugar |
| 1/2 | cup coconut oil or vegan shorting |
| 1/2 | cup Ice Water |
| 1 | tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar |
| 1 1/8 | cups sifted or whole spelt flour |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 1 1/2 | tablespoons sugar |
| 1/2 | cup coconut oil or vegan shorting |
| 1/2 | cup Ice Water |
| 1 | tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar |
| 1 can/ 398 | milliliters pumpkin purée |
| 6 | tablespoons maple syrup |
| 1 | tablespoon molasses |
| 1 | teaspoon cinnamon |
| 1/2 | teaspoon sea salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon ginger |
| 1/4 | teaspoon nutmeg |
| 2 | eggs |
| 1 | cup milk of choosing (vegan or dairy) |
| 1 can/ 398 | milliliters pumpkin purée |
| 6 | tablespoons maple syrup |
| 1 | tablespoon molasses |
| 1 | teaspoon cinnamon |
| 1/2 | teaspoon sea salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon ginger |
| 1/4 | teaspoon nutmeg |
| 2 | eggs |
| 1 | cup milk of choosing (vegan or dairy) |
Which non-dairy milk do you like to bake with? Tell us in the comments!
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Written by: Sophie - Wholehearted Eats
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15 Comments
As a side note about soy: I used to cook and bake with it all the time, and I found that the "soy" flavor came through no matter what I did. I suspect people who eat a lot of soy get used to the flavor to the point that they can no longer taste it, and so I'm always suspicious when I see recipes recommending soy milk in something like this and promising up and down that the flavor won't come through. I wonder-did they have people with less-soy-adjusted palettes taste the food? Because it really is an extremely strong flavor. I find that coconut milk, especially the unsweetened from a carton, blends much more nicely into foods with subtle flavors (even savory ones).
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