I can’t even count the endless hours and dollars in ingredients I’ve spent trying to bake wholesome high-protein muffins, bars and pancakes,only to have it all go to waste. URGH!!!!! Here’s the reality: baking with vegan protein powder most often does not work well at all. It’s a texture thing. A vegan protein just does not have the same fluffly, light and raising texture that a good whey protein does.
It is dense, gritty-like, and most often results in a baked good that seems uncooked, even when doubling the baking time. This makes me sad, and very frustrated (as I stare at the mess in my muffin tins as I write this). As a holistic nutrition expert, I know the value of variety in our food sources. So rotating a good quality vegan protein powder with a whey isolate is ideal. Also, many people are diary-sensitive (whether lactose, casein or both) and cannot have whey protein powder.
The very few times (maybe once?!) I’ve ever had success with a vegan protein powder (and I’ve tried several types and brands) that success was lost when I had to play with the other ingredients to accomodate for an individuals unique needs; ie: substituting flax when there’s an egg allergy.
In the spirit of sharing, and to try to save you a fraction of the frustration I’ve encountered, here’s my advice:
* use your vegan protein powder in your smoothies or no-bake recipes (like my apple chia pudding recipe yum!)
* for your baked goods, use a clean whey isolate such as my favorite – Dynamis white chocolate brownie flavor, this is a winner even among the whey protein for baking
* if you do find a baking recipes that works really well with a vegan protein powder, please share! 🙂