As much as I love baking, I have to admit it has its flaws. Ingredients are becoming more expensive, and some baking practices aren’t good for the environment.
If you’re new to baking, don’t be overwhelmed. In this post, I’ll teach you the secrets of eco-friendly baking on a budget.
1 – Use Cheaper Ingredients
I know most of you reading this won’t be too keen on switching to cheaper ingredients, since cheap usually translates to “lower quality.” That’s not what I mean, though.
For example, instead of adding chocolate chips to your cake or cookies, use raisins or berries. They’ll add as much flavor to your pastries without breaking your wallet.
In fact, if you want to start incorporating fruit into your baking, why not grow your fruit at home? You’ll save more money than if you buy them from supermarkets.
It’s not rocket science. A lot of people are doing it now that ingredients are becoming more expensive.
Here’s a quick question: Why stop at fruit? You can go further and make other ingredients at home for a lower cost.
Many baking recipes call for vanilla extract, which isn’t cheap. However, if you make it at home, following the recipe to the teeth, you’ll end up with a more cost-effective and delicious version.
2 – Limit Your Use of Electricity
Eco-friendly baking requires you to limit your electricity consumption. I know what you’re thinking: “How would I bake without using my equipment?”
Are you telling me you can’t use a spatula to mix your ingredients instead of a blender? I know you love using the stand mixer for your dough, but kneading it by hand is just as effective.
You might also want to start measuring your ingredients using cups rather than grams. If you use grams, you’ll be inclined to measure with an electronic scale.
You don’t want to do that, do you? Measuring with a cup, however, is as straightforward as it gets.
I know some ingredients, like butter, aren’t that easy to blend by hand. If you don’t want to make a mess, go back to the ingredient swap we talked about.
You can easily replace butter with mayonnaise or applesauce. These will be easier to incorporate into your mixture with a spatula.
3 – Buy Ingredients Consciously
I know you love shopping for new ingredients. Who doesn’t? Unfortunately, we’re trying to save money and help the environment here.
So, we don’t have the luxury to recklessly buy ingredients left and right. That means you need to start planning your baking sessions thoroughly before you head to the supermarket.
You want to determine the ingredients the recipe requires, the ones you have in your house, and the portions you require for each ingredient.
4 – Bake from Scratch
Be honest: How many times have you used boxed cakes or cookies to save time when baking? These are definitely time-efficient but not environment-friendly.
Yes, I know the box is usually recyclable. The problem is in the plastic bag the powder sits in.
It’s pretty much impossible to recycle, so you should avoid boxed cakes/cookies altogether if you want to go green. Then, what should you do?
Bake from scratch! Where’s the fun and challenge of using boxed cakes in the first place? The beauty of cooking and baking has always been in the process of making everything from scratch.
5 – Use Your Oven Effectively
Yes, there’s such a thing as ineffective oven usage. For example, how many times do you open your oven to check on your pastries while they’re baking?
The right answer should be once or twice at most. Unfortunately, I see a lot of beginners constantly opening and closing their ovens throughout the baking process.
That’s understandable since they don’t have enough experience to know how long to leave the pastry bake, but it’s still a harmful practice.
You see, when you open your oven door constantly, it loses around 20-50% of its heating power. In other words, it’ll take more time to bake your recipes, consuming more heat and gas in the process.
I recommend waiting until 80% of the baking time has passed and then opening the door. If it still needs some time, give 5-10 more minutes.
6 – Reuse Your Old Recipes
Just because you have a leftover cake that you don’t want to eat doesn’t mean you should throw it away. Not only is that a waste of money, but it also harms the environment.
You can simply repurpose that recipe and turn it into a new one. Cut that cake, form it into balls, dip it in white chocolate, and you’ve got delicious cake pops.
Final Thoughts
Now, you understand the secrets of eco-friendly baking on a budget. It’s all about planning and being conscious of your choices.
You may take some time to get used to that lifestyle, but once you do, you’ll be a budget-baking master.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.