Milk Substitutes in Baking: Substitutions for Pancakes, Cakes, and Desserts

Content

1 Milk in the dough recipe
2 Basic milk substitutes
3 Milk substitutes
4 Fermented milk substitutes
5 Dairy-free substitutes

Planning to make a favorite recipe at home, but don't have the standard milk listed on the ingredients list? We'll tell you how to substitute milk in desserts, pancakes, cakes, and a variety of baked goods, and how the results may differ depending on which alternative you use.

Milk in the dough recipe

Milk dough, mixed with classic milk, is widely used in the preparation of bread and pastries, moist biscuit, classical thin pancakes, found in cupcake recipes, pancakes, pies, donuts.

Milk-based doughs have a particularly fluffy texture, making them softer and more tender. This texture is achieved because the fermentation process is slower, allowing the active ingredients to work more effectively within the normal temperature range.

Milk has a number of important properties:

liquid consistency;
neutral pH (6.3-6.7 units);
the ability to increase water absorption by dough;
moderate fat content (for baking, it is recommended to use milk with a fat content of 2.5-5.5%).

Milk in cooking and what can replace it?

Accordingly, when choosing a substitute for milk in baked goods or other dishes, it is necessary to consider these basic parameters, since any significant deviations from them can affect:

dough consistency (especially important if you plan to bake the product in a bread machine);
the process of activating the release of carbon dioxide for a lush, porous texture;
taste qualities of the finished product.

Basic milk substitutes

Replacing milk in dough can be dictated by various reasons:

If you simply don't have the necessary ingredient in the fridge and don't have time to run to the store, any of the substitutes below will do.
Milk allergy (lactose intolerance) - in this case, any dishes containing fresh milk or cream should be excluded from the menu of children or adults with allergies, but fermented milk or lactose-free products can be used instead.
When observing a fast or a vegan diet, it is permissible to replace milk in recipes only with dairy-free products.

For your convenience, we've compiled all the milk substitute options in baked goods and desserts, dividing them into three main groups:

Dairy	Fermented milk products	Dairy-free
1. Dry milk	1. Sour milk	1. Lactose-free milk (plant-based)
2. Condensed milk	2. Kefir	2. Lactose-free cream (vegetable)
3. Cream	3. Ryazhenka	3. Beer
4. Dry cream	4. Sour cream	4. Carbonated water
	5. Yogurt	5. Plain water

Milk substitutes

These products are made from natural cow's milk, so they are perfect for replacing it in any recipe, but they are not suitable if milk replacement is required due to milk intolerance (lactose allergy) or to eliminate animal products from the menu.

Dry milk

The product is made from whole cow's milk by condensation, subsequent homogenization and drying at a temperature of 150-180℃.

How to replace regular milk with powdered milk

To obtain regular milk from dry milk, you need to dissolve 20-30 grams of powder in 250 ml of water and stir thoroughly until completely dissolved.

It is recommended to add water to powdered milk, not the other way around. The resulting solution has the same properties as fresh milk.

Please note! If you're looking for a substitute for powdered milk, liquid milk isn't always a viable alternative. Concentrated powder is used in many candy and cookie recipes to reduce the amount of liquid, so if you do try to replace it, use heavy cream or thick condensed milk.

Condensed milk

It's made from whole milk by pasteurization at 85-87°C and then condensed with sugar in a vacuum at 66-60°C. High-quality condensed milk should list only two ingredients: whole milk and sugar.

To obtain regular milk, you need to dilute condensed milk with water in a 1:1 ratio (100 grams of condensed milk to 100 grams of water).

However, when using this substitute, you should adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe, as milk obtained from condensed milk is quite sweet.

Classic cream

The product is produced by separating fresh milk at a temperature of 40-45°C. Centrifugal separators separate the milk fat (actually, cream) from the milk plasma.

How to replace regular milk in dough with cream

You can get classic milk from cream by simply diluting it with water in the right proportions.

The universal formula will be as follows:

X*Sfat = Y*Mfat

Where:

X – volume of cream;
Sfat – fat content of cream;
Y – volume of milk;
Mfat – milk fat content.

But if you're not up for the math, simply dilute the cream with water in a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio. This is exactly what experienced home cooks recommend, having tested firsthand whether it's possible to substitute cream for milk in baked goods.

Dry cream

Powdered cream is produced in a similar way to powdered milk, but is a more concentrated product. To obtain milk with a fat content of approximately 2.6%, it is recommended to dilute the powder with water at a ratio of 1:10 (10 grams of powdered cream per 100 ml of water, or 100 grams of cream per 1 liter).

This substitute, like all the previous ones, completely replaces milk in any recipe without significantly changing the consistency and taste of the finished dish.

Fermented milk substitutes

When planning to replace milk in a recipe with kefir or sour cream, it's important to keep in mind that fermented milk products have a completely different pH and often a thicker consistency, which can affect the taste and texture of the finished baked goods.

Product	Acidity	Consistency	Reaction with soda
Milk	6.3-6.7 units	liquid	No
Sour milk	4.3-5.8 units	medium/liquid	Yes
Kefir	4.3-4.4 units	medium/liquid	Yes
Ryazhenka	4.8-5.0 units	thick	Yes
Sour cream	4.6-4.8 units	thick	Yes
Yogurt	4.6-4.7 units	thick	Yes

How to replace regular milk in dough with fermented milk products

It's important to understand that any fermented milk products are ideal for mixing dough with baking soda, as they act as natural acid suppressors for alkali, providing a vigorous reaction with the release of carbon dioxide, which causes the dough to rise and forms its porous texture.

Please note that if the dough does not undergo an acid-base quenching reaction, the finished dish may have a distinctly sour taste, especially if you use homemade yogurt or very sour kefir instead of milk.

Of all the fermented milk products, the best option for baking is neutral Greek yogurt, which is often added to yeast dough for sweet pastries.

Greek yogurt - can it replace milk in dough?

Full-fat sour cream or fermented baked milk (ryazhenka) are great for baking muffins. Recipes for muffins with both milk and sour cream can be found on our website.

Dairy-free substitutes

This group of products will be relevant for people who, for whatever reason, cannot or do not want to consume animal milk.

Lactose-free milk

Today, you can find many different types of plant-based milk on supermarket shelves:

soy;
rice;
oatmeal;
barley;
coconut;
almond;
pistachio, etc.

Can I replace regular milk in the dough with lactose-free milk?

All types of lactose-free milk can be a perfect substitute for traditional milk. They can be drunk straight, used in milk-based porridge, or added to dough. Cinnamon or other spices can help mask the characteristic flavor of some lactose-free milks, but many home cooks appreciate the unique flavor that alternative milks add to baked goods.

The only significant difference is the relatively high calorie content of lactose-free products. A 100-gram serving of plant-based milk substitute can contain between 55 and 155 kcal, while cow's milk contains approximately 43-45 kcal. Also, some types of plant-based milk (almond, pistachio) are strictly prohibited for those with allergies to the corresponding nuts.

Lactose-free cream

Similar to classic baking cream, you can use lactose-free versions of the product, diluting them with water in a 1:1 ratio.

Can regular milk in dough be replaced with vegetable cream?

Beer

You can use beer to bake delicious cookies or pizza crusts, or to knead dough for pies or chebureki, but this ingredient cannot replace milk in a biscuit or cake crust recipe.

Interesting fact! Baked goods containing beer are completely safe for children. During the baking process, all the alcohol evaporates under the influence of high temperatures, giving the dough its fluffiness and a pleasant malty aroma.

Water

A common question that home cooks ask is whether milk can be replaced with regular or sparkling water in baked goods. Yes, this substitution is entirely possible if you plan to bake:

thin pancakes;
pizza dough;
yeast dough;
unleavened dough.

To preserve the fat content of the product in the recipe, you can dissolve a small amount of butter in warm water; this will give you almost the same texture as with milk.

What is the difference between dough made with water and dough made with milk?

In general, dough made with water will be a little tougher, denser, and crumblier, and the flavor may not seem as rich as with milk dough, but if the baked goods are filled, this nuance will not be very noticeable.

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