Evaluation of Plant-Based Milks in Vegan Muffins: Functional, Structural, Rheological and Nutritional...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Science
• Bakery Technology

Background:

• Growing consumer demand for dairy-free bakery products necessitates evaluating plant-based milk alternatives.
• Maintaining product quality is crucial when substituting cow's milk in baked goods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of eight plant-based milks (soy, hazelnut, walnut, quinoa, flaxseed, coconut, oat, almond) on muffin properties.
• To compare the functional, nutritional, and sensory characteristics of muffins made with plant-based milks against a cow's milk control.

Main Methods:

• Muffins were prepared using eight different plant-based milks and a cow's milk control.
• Evaluated rheological, physical (baking loss, volume, symmetry), color, phenolic content, antioxidant capacity (Cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity - CUPRAC), amino acid profiles, and sensory attributes.

Main Results:

• Quinoa and flaxseed milks resulted in stronger batter viscoelasticity; oat and coconut milks reduced consistency.
• No significant differences in baking performance (baking loss, volume, symmetry) were observed across milk types.
• Almond and coconut muffins showed distinct color variations. Quinoa and coconut muffins had higher phenolic content and CUPRAC activity.
• Walnut muffins exhibited increased glutamic acid and arginine. Sensory evaluation indicated high acceptability (scores ≥5) for most plant-based milk muffins.

Conclusions:

• Selected plant-based milks can effectively replace cow's milk in muffin production.
• Milk alternatives can enhance functional properties, antioxidant capacity, and amino acid profiles of bakery products.
• Dairy-free muffins offer comparable baking performance and high sensory acceptability, meeting market demands.