Almond milk substitute in baking

When subbing almond milk for milk, I always get a drier and tougher outcome, does anyone else have the same results (even though recipe says its ok to substitue)? I know it's probably because of the lack of fat, so should I add more butter/oil?

happycao
  • Posted by: happycao
  • November 17, 2011
  • 23918 views
  • 3 Comments

3 Comments

Blissful B.
Blissful B. November 18, 2011
To amp up the nutty taste, you might substitute finely ground nuts for some of the flour instead. Works beautifully.
 
Blissful B.
Blissful B. November 17, 2011
It's not simply the fat. Dairy has a chemical reaction in baking, enhancing the leaveners like baking soda, which results in a lighter texture. Since you're willing to add more butter, I see you're not vegan, so I'm guessing you want to substitute almond milk because that's what you stock in your house? Do you keep any dairy at all in your fridge, like yogurt or kefir? I find they are better substitutes for milk, actually improving the texture of cakes & cookies. If not, I recommend lightening up the batter in other ways. (1) For every cup of flour, add 1 Tbsp corn starch. (2) Sift your flour. (3) At the beginning, beat the butter & sugar together at high speed for 5-10 minutes, until it starts to look like frosting. This adds air to the batter, lightening it up.
 
happycao
happycao November 18, 2011
That makes sense, I did it one time cause I like the nutty taste and wanted to try it out in bread making, but was complete fail, and then I tried it in cupcakes, and still was tougher. So this will help! Thanks!
 
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