Thread: Baking substitutes

I know exactly what you mean. When I first started low carb baking I spent a small fortune on a bunch of weird stuff making recipes that I found on the net. It was all very bad and more often than not I threw the whole thing out.

It got so bad that my kids would roll their eyes and run from the kitchen when they saw me baking anything because they were afraid I'd make them taste it. But eventually with much trial and error I found what I liked and what appealed to my family.

Here is a list of my low carb baking staples.

almond flour
vital wheat gluten
regular oatmeal (if you need some oat flour, just grind in a food processor or blender)
Erythritol
DaVinci SF vanilla syrup
liquid Splenda
pure vanilla extract
pecans

Of course I have cream, butter, cheese, cream cheese, cocoa, unsweetened chocolate and so on. Other than that we just eat regular food. Here's a recipe I use a lot.

Chicken Fried Steak Breading Mix

1 cup vital wheat gluten-16
1 cup oat flour-48
1 cup Parmesan cheese-3.5
2 T. dried parsley-.6
1 T. dried chive-0
1 teaspoon garlic powder-1.5
salt and pepper to taste-0

70 carbs for the whole thing.

This is enough to coat 10 hand size steaks and enough left over to make gravy with. It makes very good gravy.

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Chocolate Mayonnaise Pound Cake
(As per Fitday there are 68g of carbs for the whole cake)

3 cups almond flour
1 cup vital wheat gluten
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1-1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1/2 cup Erythritol
1-1/2 teaspoons liquid Splenda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup vanilla Davinci syrup
2/3 cup cream


Put ingredients into food processor in order listed and process for 30 seconds, scrape down sides and process for another 1-1/2 minutes.

Pour batter into a greased and floured bunt pan and bake.
(I sprayed my nonstick bunt pan with cooking spray and then rubbed it in with a paper towel to get an even coat. I then used oat flour to flour the pan with.)

Bake as 325? for 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

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SPICE CAKE/CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cup almond flour-12
3/4 cup vital wheat gluten-12
8 ounces cream cheese-8
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder-2
1 tsp. baking soda-0
1/2 tsp. Salt-0
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg-.5
2 tsp. Cinnamon-2
1 T. vanilla-1
2 eggs-2
1/4 cup oil-0
1 tsp. Vinegar-0
1 cup sugar substitute(I use ? cup Erythritol +1tsp. Trishz's liquid Splenda)-0
1/2 cup cream-4
1/4 cup water-0

Put everything into a food processor and process until smooth. Open processor and scrap down the sides with a spatula and process for another two minutes.

NOTE:
You want to develop the gluten, so if you don't have a food processor and are going to use a mixer I would beat it on high speed for at least 5 minutes.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 350? for 17 to 20 minutes.

Makes 16 cup cakes- 3g carbs each

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CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cup almond flour-12
3/4 cup vital wheat gluten-12
8 ounces cream cheese-8
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder-2
1 tsp. baking soda-0
1/2 tsp. Salt-0
3 ounces baking chocolate(melted)(I used Hershey's)-6
1 T. vanilla-1
2 eggs-2
1/4 cup oil-0
1 tsp. Vinegar-0
1 cup sugar substitute(I use ? cup Erythritol +1-? tsp. Trishz's liquid Splenda + 1 teaspoon SteviaPlus)-0
1/2 cup cream-4
1/4 cup water-0

Put everything into a food processor and process until smooth. Open processor and scrap down the sides with a spatula and process for another two minutes.

NOTE:
You want to develop the gluten, so if you don't have a food processor and are going to use a mixer I would beat it on high speed for at least 5 minutes.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 350? for 17 to 20 minutes.

Makes 16 cup cakes- 3g carbs each

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You can use this recipe to make blueberry muffins. When you get the batter into the muffins tins just drop 3 or 4 blueberries onto each muffin and poke them into the batter with your finger.

Or stir in some poppy seeds for poppy seed muffins.

Almond Muffins
(3.4 carbs per muffin)

2 cups almond flour-20
2/3 cup vital wheat gluten-9
3 teaspoons baking powder-3
dash salt-0
1/4 cup Erythritol-0
1 teaspoon Trish's liquid Splenda-0
1/4 cup butter-0
2 eggs-2
1 tablespoon vanilla-3
1/2 cup cream-4
1/2 cup Davinci SF vanilla syrup-0

Preheat oven to 350?

Place all ingredients into food processor and process for 1 minute. Stop processor and scrape down the sides. Process for another minute.

Divide batter evenly between 12 paper lined muffin tin cups.

Bake at 350? for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle of a muffin comes out clean.

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I hope this helps.

Betty

The vital wheat gluten adds body, it builds a structure that the gases released by the baking soda or powder can push against to make the cake or muffins rise and then once it has risen it makes it strong enough to hold it's shape.

The reason I use more in some recipes than in others is that I found that particular amount worked best in that particular recipe by experimenting with different amounts until I was satisfied with it.

I don't use soy or whey protein, I don't like the taste or the texture of either one, but that's just me. A lot of people seem to like it. I usually substitute vital wheat gluten.

If you have a health food store near you they would probably be able to show you what you need or most large grocery stores carry soy or whey protein bake mixes in their health food section.