Going vegetarian or vegan is on the rise, but many of us have a hard time giving up our favorite foods. What if we told you that you can still enjoy a delicious dessert and not even know the difference? Here's our tasty vegan dessert recipes that are easy to make, and will satisfy your sweet tooth!
Vegan Brownies
Fudgey brownies that are 100% vegan? Count us in!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) and grease an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
- Next in a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of pureed avocado and 1/4 cup of olive oil until smooth. Add in 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 3/4 cup of water (or coffee and water).
- Stir this mixture until smooth. Then fold in 1 cup of vegan chocolate chips.
- Pour into the prepared pan and spread the batter evenly. Sprinkle with an additional 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips on top to finish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. If you over-bake these, the brownies will have more of a cake-like texture.
- Finally, remove from the oven and let the brownies sit out for at least 20 minutes before serving. Cut and serve, or cover and store for up to 3 days to enjoy!
Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
Imagine a strawberry shortcake in cupcake form...and vegan form. Tastes just as great!
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees (F) and greasing a muffin or cupcake tin pan with nonstick spray. Fill with muffin liners, and then lightly grease the liners.
- In a blender or food processor, pulse 1 cup of chopped strawberries a few times to get a thick puree. Then add to a bowl with 1/2 cup of melted butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, 1 cup of white sugar, and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
- Now in another bowl stir together 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and and 1 1/3 cups of white flour.
- Add wet to dry ingredients and mix until combined. Next fill the muffin cavities 2/3 the way full and then bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove and allow to completely cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by beating 1/2 cup of butter with 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, and 1 1/2 more cups of powdered sugar. Beat until smooth, slowly adding 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla almond milk as needed to get to the right consistency.
- Finally frost the cupcakes and garnish with a sliced strawberry if desired!
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Who knew you would still make gooey, chocolate chip cookies without any egg?
- Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees (F), and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Now in a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of coconut oil, 1 1/4 cups of brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Beat until well combined, then add in 1/4 cup of coconut milk and applesauce. Whisk until well combined, and set aside.
- Next in a separate bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Then add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
- Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir until the ingredients are combined, folding in 1 3/4 cups of the chocolate chips.
- Afterwards, scoop three tablespoon sized mounds of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookies for spreading. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers have set.
- Press 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top of the warm cookies, and sprinkle with some sea salt if you choose. Finally cool cookies on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack and enjoy!
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
You'll never suspect this cheesecake to be made from tofu, but you'll definitely love the peanut butter pretzel crust!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F), and begin making the crust. In a food processor, add in 4 cups of pretzels and pulse until they are finely ground and resemble a crumbly flour (about 1 minute).
- Next add in 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil, and 1 tablespoon of coconut palm syrup. Pulse again for 30 seconds until well combined. Then put the batter into a 9-inch pan and use your hands to spread the crust evenly towards the sides, pressing firmly as you go.
- Once your crust is ready, bake for 10 minutes. Allow crust to cool while you now make the filling. First melt 12 ounces of vegan dark chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth and completely melted.
- Then make the filling by adding 1 pound of silken tofu, the melted chocolate, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of fresh coffee to a clean food processor or high powdered blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Taste and add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup if you need to enhance the sweetness.
- Finally pour over this over the crust evenly and smoothly across. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight, and cut into 12 slices. Of course, enjoy with fresh berries and coconut whipped cream!
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-Gina
