That's completely vegan?

I am not personally vegan, but a lot of my family is. Getting together for the holidays or birthdays, I've tried a lot of yummy vegan recipes sweet or not, alike, but this is all about vegan desserts, so, here we go :)

For this last thanksgiving that passed, I dabbled in making a couple of vegan desserts personally. It was fairly easy and it was a lot of fun to do.

- The first vegan dessert I made was a vegan banana cream pie. I ended up using a store-bought vegan crust, but if you'd like to make your own crust, that recipe is included as well.

PREP TIME - 15 minutes

TOTAL TIME - 15 minutes

Servings - 8 slices

Cuisine - Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly - 1 Week

Does it keep? Store in freezer.

CRUST INGREDIENTS

1. 1 heaping cup of walnuts

2. 1 heaping cup pitted dates (if dry and stiff, soak for 10 minutes in warm water and drain well)

FILLING INGREDIENTS

1. 1 1/4 cups cashews (soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight, then drained)

2. 3 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)

3. 1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup

4. 1 medium just-ripe banana (1 banana yields ~ 1/2 cup mashed)*

5. 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk (I scrape the cream off the top for luxurious texture)

6. 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

7.1/4 tsp sea salt

8. 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place dates in the food processor and process until small bits remain and/or it forms into a ball. Remove and set aside.

2. Process walnuts until a meal consistency is achieved. Add back in dates and a pinch of salt and mix to combine. When squeezed between two fingers, the crust should stick together and feel moldable. If too dry, add another date or two. If too wet, add a little almond or walnut meal.

3. Press into a springform pan, or an 8x8 baking dish or round cake pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment (as original recipe is written // adjust number or size of pan if altering batch size). Press until flat, going up the sides about 1/2 inch. Place in freezer to set.

4. Add all filling ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy - about 1-2 minutes. If it's having trouble blending, add a little more agave or water to encourage it along. It should be silky smooth when completely combined.

5. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I think adding a heaping spoonful of peanut butter at this point would be a brilliant idea. Then pour into crust and smooth with a spoon. Tap to release any air bubbles. Then cover and freeze until set - about 4-6 hours.

6. To serve, let thaw for 5 minutes. Top slices with coconut whipped cream, crushed peanuts, and caramel sauce (optional). Should keep in the freezer, covered, for at least 1 week.

Notes

1. If your dates are already sticky and very moist, you don't need to soak them.

2. Sub strawberries, mangoes, or another fruit for bananas if desired.

3. Nutrition information is a rough estimate and does not include toppings.

4. Prep time does not include set time.

Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)

Serving: 1 slice

Calories: 391

Carbohydrates: 35 g

Protein: 8 g

Fat: 27 g

Saturated Fat: 9 g

Trans Fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Fiber: 4 g

Sugar: 22 g

- The second vegan dessert I made was mini vegan key lime pies. These also turned out really tasty and they were a fun different treat to enjoy after dinner.

PREP TIME - 20 minutes

COOK TIME - 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME - 30 minutes

Servings - 12 pies

Cuisine - Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly - 1 month

Does it keep? 2 Weeks

CRUST INGREDIENTS

1. 1 1/4 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve graham crackers as original recipe is written / GF for gluten-free eaters)*

2. 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) vegan butter (melted // such as Earth Balance)

FILLING INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 4-6 hours or overnight, then drained)

2. 3/4 cup light or full-fat coconut milk (well shaken)

3. 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

4. 3-4 large limes* juiced (3-4 limes yield ~1/2 cup juice)

5. 1 Tbsp lime zest

6. 1/3 – 1/2 cup agave nectar (depending on preferred sweetness)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a standard muffin tin with 12 paper liners (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).

2. Add graham crackers to a food processor and process until you achieve a fine meal. Then add melted butter and pulse to combine.

3. Distribute evenly among muffin tins and press down with a glass or spoon to flatten. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.

4. Add all filling ingredients to a blender and blend on high (or liquefy) until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lime zest/juice for more tart, or more agave for added sweetness.

5. Pour filling into muffin tins and tap on the counter to release air bubbles. Top with a bit more lime zest and loosely cover.

6. Freeze for 2-4 hours or until firm. Remove from the freezer for 10-15 minutes to thaw before serving. Will keep covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, though best when fresh.

Notes

1. You can sub 6-7 key limes in place of 3-4 large limes.

2. Loosely adapted from Martha Stewart

3. To keep this recipe gluten-free/grain-free, simply sub gluten-free cookies in place of the graham crackers OR use a walnut-date crust.

4. Prep/cook time doesn’t include freezing.

5. Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 pie

Calories: 216

Carbohydrates: 21 g

Protein: 2.8 g

Fat: 14 g

Saturated Fat: 6 g

Trans Fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 106 mg

Fiber: 0.8 g

Sugar: 11 g

- For this third recipe I'm going to leave, I have not personally made yet, but my step-mom loves making them and they are so good. Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies!

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 15 min Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Makes 20 - 24 1x

Category: Dessert, Cookie

Method: bake

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cup natural peanut butter (270g), creamy or crunchy (or almond butter)

2. 1 cup coconut sugar or pure cane sugar* (192g)

3. 6 tablespoons almond milk, room temp

4. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5. 1 cup flour (120g), light spelt, unbleached all-purpose, or 1-1 gluten-free blend

6. 1 teaspoon baking soda**

7. generous pinch of mineral salt (only use if nut butter is unsalted)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or leave ungreased.

2. Make the dough: In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and sugar and mix until creamy. Stir in the almond milk and vanilla. Next, add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mix to combine. The dough will be tough to stir, using your hands to mix it together will be easier.

3. Roll and flatten: Using a 1.5 tablespoon scooper, scoop out the dough and roll into balls, about 1 ¼ inch. Place the balls of dough about 2 ½ inches apart on a baking sheet. Using the back of a fork, flatten in a crisscross pattern. Optionally, sprinkle with sugar or coarse salt.

4. Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 10 – 13 minutes (13 minutes will yield a crispier cookie that’s tender inside). Let cool a few minutes, transfer cookies to wire rack, and repeat with remaining dough.

~Makes 20 – 24 cookies.~

5. Store: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 5 days. They do well loosely covered on the counter for 2 – 3 days as well. To keep longer, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

6. To freeze: Let cookies cool completely, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.

NOTES

1. Reduce the sugar to ¾ cup for a less sweet cookie. It’s just as delicious!

2. If you don’t have baking soda on hand, baking powder works great too. I tested many batches and they were just fine.

3. When flattening, dip the fork in sugar between pressing the cookie to keep them from sticking.

4. If allergic to nuts, use sun butter instead.

5. The recipe can easily be cut in half or doubled.

6. Gram conversions may vary depending on the exact ingredient used, ie all-purpose vs spelt have different measurements. Although this recipe is pretty forgiving, use this Ingredient Weight Chart from King Arthur to ensure you have the correct measurement for your exact ingredient (or do a quick google search if your ingredient isn’t listed).

Nutritional values are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cookie

Serves 22

Amount Per Serving

Calories 125

Total Fat 6.2g

Saturated Fat 1.2g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 59.5mg

Total Carbohydrate 15.3g

Dietary Fiber 1.2g

Sugars 10g

Protein 3.3g

Vitamin A 0% - Vitamin C 0% - Calcium 1% - Iron 2% - Vitamin D 0% - Magnesium 7% - Potassium 2% - Zinc 4% - Phosphorus 5% - Thiamin (B1) 4% - Riboflavin (B2) 3% - Niacin (B3) 11% - Vitamin B6 4% - Folic Acid (B9) 3% - Vitamin E 8% - Vitamin K 0%

- The fourth recipe I'll leave are yummy, no-bake, vegan gingerbread energy bites. These are yummy enough to be considered a desert, but also nutritious enough to be considered a mid-day healthy snack.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 14 balls

Diet: Vegan

DESCRIPTION

No baking required to make these Gingerbread Energy Bites! These gluten-free, Paleo + vegan energy bites are made with dates, pecans, and gingerbread spices – they’re the perfect healthy snack to fuel your day.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cup pitted dates, about 12

2. 1 cup toasted pecans

3. 1 tablespoon molasses

4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon

5. 1 teaspoon ground ginger

6. ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

7. ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

8. ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

9. 2 oz. dark chocolate, to drizzle, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Roughly chop the pitted dates and add them to a high-powered blender or food processor (I used my Vitamix). Blend until they’re broken down into small bits or a paste.

2. Add the toasted pecans, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves and pulse until combined. The pecans should be in small bits – be careful not to over-process or the oils will start to separate. If this happens, just dab off the excess oil with a paper towel.

3. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.

4. Finely chop the dark chocolate and melt it in the microwave. Place the melted chocolate into a zip bag or piping bag, snip the corner, and drizzle over the energy balls. Let chocolate harden in the refrigerator.

5. Keep stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 bite

Serves 14

Amount Per Serving

Calories 130

Total Fat 7.2g

Cholesterol 0.2mg

Sodium 23.4mg

Total Carbohydrate 17.5g

Sugars 14.3g

Protein 1.3g

Vitamin A 0% - Vitamin C 0%

- Lastly, for this fifth recipe, I have Vegan Chocolate Brownies. Fudgy, gooey, perfect squares of chocolate that cut easily and are easy to make.

Servings: 16 BROWNIES

Prep time: 20 MINUTES

Cook time: 35 MINUTES

Total time: 55 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

1. 4 tablespoons ground flax

2. 1/2 cup water

3. 1/2 cup vegan butter (earth balance brand), melted, *see instructions

4. 1 cup granulated sugar

5. 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

6. 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

7. 1 cup all-purpose flour

8. 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

9. 1/2 teaspoon salt

10. 1 teaspoon baking powder

11. 1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips OR roughly chopped chocolate pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the flax eggs by stirring the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 7 x 11 pan with parchment paper.

2. Melt the vegan butter (earth balance brand preferred), and measure 1/2 cup. I do this by microwaving the vegan butter in a glass measuring cup, in 30-second intervals, until melted.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the melted vegan butter and sugars together. Add the flax eggs and vanilla, whisk until evenly combined.

4. Over the same large bowl, sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Add the salt and baking powder and stir with a large wooden spoon until just combined, do not over mix.

5. Fold in half of the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spoon or your hands. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top of the batter.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The brownies may still be bubbling and not look done, but they will firm up a lot as they cool.

7. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then pull the brownies out, using the parchment paper and let cool for another 15-30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

1. To sift, either use a sifter or a fine-mesh strainer will also work.

2. Coconut oil does not work very well in place of vegan butter; it makes them very oily so I don't recommend it. You could sub applesauce for the vegan butter if you are oil-free.

3. If you don't want the brownies as sweet, it is perfectly okay to reduce the sugar, even to 1 cup. They will still turn out well, just not as sweet.

4. When you initially take the brownies out of the oven, they will appear underdone and soft, but give them time to cool. They are even better the next day; fudgy and rich. These are NOT cake-like brownies.

5. You may also use dutch processed cocoa powder for slightly different results. They will be a little less fudgy, and darker in color.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving,

Calories: 251 kcal,

Carbohydrates: 43g,

Protein: 3g,

Fat: 10g,

Saturated Fat: 4g,

Sodium: 125mg,

Potassium: 148mg,

Fiber: 3g,

Sugar: 31g,

Vitamin A: 270iu,

Calcium: 49mg,

Iron: 2mg

Hope that you all enjoyed these five dessert recipes! Happy baking everyone!