Why I Bake Vegan But Don't Eat Vegan

By Dana Shultz for Diets In Review

When I first meet people who are readers of my blog, one of the first things they ask me is, “So, are you vegan?”

And if you didn’t know me any better, this seems like a perfectly logical question being that most of the recipes on my blog – My Little Celebration – are, in fact, vegan. But the truth is, I don’t eat vegan. Not 100 percent of the time, or even 50 percent of the time. It’s a personal preference. But I do, however, bake almost exclusively vegan as I see it as a healthier way to enjoy the sweet, baked treats that I love.

There are many reasons I enjoy baking vegan as opposed to non-vegan. First of all, vegans can’t have butter. They may be able to have other substitutes like shortening or vegan butter. But generally speaking, removing butter from recipes usually eliminates hundreds if not thousands of calories, as well as tons of saturated fat, which to me is just gross.

Second of all, vegans can’t have eggs, which is great news because it gives me another excuse to experiment with ingredient alternatives, such as flax eggs – which boast healthy fats, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. You can make a flax egg by simply combining 1 Tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 2.5 Tablespoons of water, letting it rest for 5 minutes, and then whisking to achieve that “eggy” texture.

And third, most of the vegan recipes I find and develop are generally healthier than non-vegan recipes. It seems vegans have a healthier approach to food than most, and would see adding “two sticks of butter” and “three cups of sugar” to any recipe as an absolute atrocity.

Blame it on my mother’s healthy ways now ingrained in me, but I just can’t bring myself to bake this way. And if I did, I wouldn’t eat it myself and wouldn’t feel right about feeding it to others. I would literally imagine our respective waistlines expanding and arteries clogging with each passing bite. The thought of it gives me the shudders.

Now that you clearly know why I bake vegan, let me show you how I bake vegan. Below are a few of my favorite recipes from my blog. They are ones that have not only been loved by me, but also by my readers, and tend to be healthier than your average dessert.

Cherry Berry Breakfast Bars

Vegan Banana Oat Pancakes

Vegan Morning Glory Muffins

Vegan Black Bean Brownie Bites

5-Minute Vegan Fudge

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Patricia H.

3:42AM PDT on May 12, 2013

interesting but I'm a vegan and I eat only vegan meals

May 12
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Vita P.

4:52AM PDT on Apr 14, 2013

Interesting. Thanks.

April 14
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James S.

7:15AM PDT on Mar 29, 2013

Heidi A - how do you explain all of the thriving vegans, including world champion athletes involving so many different kinds of feats: strength, endurance, flexibility, HEALTH...?

Are you saying that most people have to be omnivorous? If so, see the first point. If we know that we can thrive without eating animals or animal products and we have the means, then why not? Simply because of the word, "omnivore"?

March 29
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Inari T.

1:40AM PDT on Mar 27, 2013

Interesting idea - I just don't eat sweets, usually.

March 27
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Anne F.

8:25PM PDT on Mar 25, 2013

So glad to find these recipes. Makes it easy to try new ideas.

March 25
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Deborah S.

1:07AM PDT on Mar 13, 2013

Thank you

March 13
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rosemary w.

4:56PM PDT on Mar 12, 2013

thank you. i appreciate your explanation. there are health reasons why some cannot eat dairy or eggs and i think that trying to be vegan would be easier if more recipes not using eggs turned out better. this is an article about recipes not another battleground for vegan vs. carnavore.

March 12
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Kelly B.

5:50AM PDT on Mar 11, 2013

Really like this article, I do the same! I don't really like to give myself a name, since I make it so complicated: I'm a milk and egg avoiding pescetarian haha!
But I only bake vegan goods, and it tastes sooo much better.