Milk Milk provides mouth feel, flavor, moisture, richness, protein, and a creamier, softer crumb texture to baked goods. Most milk substitutes available today work well in baking if you account for how they differ from whole milk and modify accordingly. Milk substitutes differ in water and fat content, sweetness, and ability to color the baked goods. For example, rice milks, powdered milks, skim milk, and juices all contain more water than whole cow's milk. Rice milk and juices tend to be sweeter and, therefore, may affect the final taste of baked goods.
Soy milk tends to brown baked goods prematurely, while a potato-based milk tends to whiten products.
Milk is the least crucial ingredient in baking, so if you need to cut back somewhere on liquids, start here. As you become comfortable with your baking skills and more experienced, you may find that some milk substitutes are easier to work with than others. And you may learn to accommodate for shortcomings. For example, when using rice milk, I find that adding 2-3 tablespoons of extra oil helps offset the watery consistency in the dough. Eggs Most baking problems start when substituting eggs for fats.