We are almost at the end of Veganuary. If you made the commitment to be plant-based this month, then Congratulations! I know that jumping right in to being vegan can be a difficult task, so to keep you on track I compiled my favorite easy no-baking-required recipes. And since desserts are kinda my thing, the recipes are all for sweet treats. Oh, and there’s lots of chocolate involved.
It is fun to reimagine recipes I’ve made in the past. Often this is spurred on by scrounging around in my cupboard and discovering an ingredient that needs to be used up. In this case it was an aseptic box of tofu that was hovering near to its expiration date.
Bar cookies are often rustic looking and are best to grab for a quick dessert. But these bars are different. They are elegant, delicious, and decadent, making them a perfect party treat. They also have no refined sweeteners so they are a healthier option. But if you don’t tell your guests, I won’t.
With a scorcher of a weekend imminent, it’s time to turn off the oven (no baking??) and bring out the blender. Thoughts of blended beverages has my imagination conjuring up frosty glasses filled with cool drinks. But then, an old memory surfaces.
I’m still celebrating World Plant-Milk Day (or Week, as the case may be). If you’re new to the event, and wondering what I’m talking about, then catch my post from earlier this week. If you’re ready for some advice on making your own plant milk, then read on.
Argh! It’s still too darned hot to turn on the oven. But I won’t let that stop me from enjoying an indulgent treat. Rice crispy treats are a good one to turn to when the weather is a scorcher.
This time of year adds more parties to my calendar, and that means cookies! I love to bring cookies along because they are tasty and easy to snack on while chatting with other guests. And they can be made in quantity without much extra effort.
With several events scheduled this season that included gluten-free attendees, I scoured my files for vegan and gluten-free treats. I discovered a book in my collection with a cookie recipe that fit the bill. To allow for all foodie types to enjoy my offering, I decided to bake a batch gluten-free, as listed in the cookbook, but also one with regular flour. It was a fun and interesting experiment, and it tasted great, too. You can find the gluten-free substitution at the end of the recipe.
To amp up the holiday taste I added orange zest to the dough. I also borrowed a red cookie glaze from a Food Network recipe. The shortbread turned out colorful and festive, and they combined my favorite holiday flavors.
for cookies 1 cup all purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup finely chopped walnuts 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries for glaze 1/2 cup water 1/3 cup (17 grams) dried hibiscus 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease the sides and removable bottom of a 4” x 14” tart pan. If you prefer wedge-shaped cookies, then use a 9” round tart pan. Set aside.
Put the flour, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest in a medium bowl. Whisk until combined.
Add the coconut oil and maple syrup to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream until combined. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until it comes together.
Add the walnuts and cranberries and mix on low speed to just incorporate. The dough should be a bit stiff, but if the mixture is too crumbly you can beat in a small amount of water until it just holds together.
Press the dough into the prepared tart pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula or the bottom of a measuring cup.
Bake for 20 – 22 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Place the pan on a heat-safe surface and cut the shortbread into squares or wedges while still warm. Leave the cookies in the tart pan and move the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove them only once they have fully cooled.
While the cookies cool, start the glaze by bringing the water and hibiscus to a boil in a small pot. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and steep for 5 minutes. Strain, pressing to remove all liquid, then discard the hibiscus. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a bowl and add the warm hibiscus water a bit at a time, mixing as you go, until you reach your desired consistency. Let it sit until fully cooled. (Note: You may not use all of the hibiscus water.)
Dip half of each cooled cookie in the cooled glaze and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Place cookies in the fridge to allow the glaze to set. If you prefer a darker shade of glaze, you can dip the cookies again and place them back in the fridge to set. (Note: you may have leftover glaze depending on how much you apply to your cookies.)
Gluten Free option: use an equal amount of buckwheat flour in place of the all purpose flour. You may need to add extra maple syrup and/or water because buckwheat flour is thirstier with a bolder flavor than all purpose flour.
Note on the photograph: the darker cookies are gluten-free and the lighter dipped cookies are made with all purpose flour.
As I was rummaging through my cupboard I saw a few ounces of chocolate bar here, a handful of flavored chips there, and a smattering of nuts. Sitting in the middle was the sweetened condensed oat milk I yearned to experiment with. Add to all of this the fact that Halloween was fast approaching, and an idea formed.
I could take the bits of chips, chocolate, nuts and condensed milk, throw in a few pantry staples, and use them all to create a sweet treat perfect for the holiday. It would be part candy, with a nod to a bar cookie.
The result reminded me of soup. Yes, that sounds odd, but I mean that making a soup with an adaptable recipe can have the outcome of clearing out odds and ends in the fridge. This recipe does that for desserts. Feel free to use any nut or flavored chip or chocolate or sweet cracker.
My layered bar consists of a combination of less sweet ingredients because I didn’t want something that was over the top. If you’re looking for a sweeter indulgence then go right ahead!
6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted, plus more for buttering the pan 14 vegan graham crackers (1) 11.25-ounce can sweetened condensed oat milk 1.5 cups vegan chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate 3/4 cup peanut butter chips 3/4 cup peanuts or other nuts 8 ounces vegan marshmallows
Preheat your oven to 350F with a rack in the center. Line a 9 x 9” broiler-proof baking pan with foil, leaving a 2” overhang on both sides. Butter the bottom and sides of the foil and set aside.
Pulse 11 graham crackers into fine crumbs in a food processor. Put the crumbs in a bowl, add the melted butter, then combine them with your hands (the mixture should hold together when squeezed). Transfer this mixture to your prepared baking pan and press it into the bottom in an even layer.
Pour the sweetened condensed oat milk over the crumbs. Sprinkle the chocolate, peanut butter chips, and peanuts over the condensed milk. Break the remaining 3 crackers into chunks with your hands then sprinkle evenly over top.
Nature’s Charm oat milk products
Bake until the sides of the bars are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the broiler on. Scatter the marshmallows over the top of bars. Put the pan under the broiler until the marshmallows are dark golden and toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, place the pan in the fridge for an hour so the bars can firm up. Using the foil overhang as handles, pull the bars out of the baking pan and remove the foil. Cut into squares while still cold, but serve the bars at room temperature.
Tips: Use any combination of chocolate or chocolate chips. I used dark chocolate chips and also a chopped up salted 70% chocolate bar. Because my chocolate bar was salted, I opted for unsalted peanuts. My marshmallows were full-sized so I cut them into quarters. No need to with minis.
Until next time, Happy Halloween and happy baking!
Argh! It’s still too darned hot to turn on the oven. But I won’t let that stop me from enjoying an indulgent treat. Rice crispy treats are a good one to turn to when the weather is a scorcher.
A quick online search pulled up a crispy rice treat from Soom Foods. The recipe was already vegan and no-bake, so the changes I made were based on what I had in the cupboard. I didn’t have their vanilla bean tahini, but I had the chocolate flavored one, so I used that and added vanilla extract. If you only have regular tahini, then add cocoa powder and liquid sweetener along with the vanilla.
Also, I have learned that most rice treat recipes have more cereal than I can stir in so I change the amount. A tip for you is to add the required amount in slowly and stop when you start crushing the cereal with your stirring. My recipe is 1/2 cup less than listed in the original because that is when I began smashing the cereal.
Another tip I can offer is for how to clean your dirty pot when you are done preparing the dessert. The marshmallow mixture is gooey when warm, but it will harden as it cools and stick with fierce determination. Try adding water to the pot and set it to boil for a few minutes on the stove. Let it cool just enough so that you won’t burn yourself. Proceed with your cleaning; the goo should have released making the job is easier.
As I have several rice cereal treat bar recipes on the blog, I decided to make this one more glamorous and decadent. Instead of a sheet of bars, I removed my treat as one piece and decorated it with frosting. Now you have a crispy rice treat cake that is suitable for any occasion.
for the cereal treat 3 tablespoons vegan butter, plus a little extra to grease the pan 1½ tablespoons Soom Chocolate Tahini 1 10-ounce bag vegan marshmallows 1 tablespoon water 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch fine sea salt 4 ½ cups crispy brown rice cereal for the frosting 1/4 cup vegan powdered sugar 1/4 cup Soom Chocolate Tahini 1/4 cup coconut cream (the thick stuff, not the liquid)
Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper, then grease the paper with a bit of vegan butter. Set aside.
Melt the 3 tablespoons vegan butter in a large pot over low heat. Once melted, stir in the tahini. Add the marshmallows, stirring constantly until the mixture is well blended. Add the water and stir until everything has melted together.
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Add the rice cereal to the pot and stir to coat the cereal with the marshmallow mixture. Press the cereal mixture into the prepared pan, flattening out the top. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup Soom Chocolate Tahini, and coconut cream. Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up. When firm, scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
To assemble, flip the cake pan over onto a plate. Remove the pan then remove the parchment paper from the cereal treat. Pipe the frosting on as desired.
Bar cookies are often rustic looking and are best to grab for a quick dessert. But these bars are different. They are elegant, delicious, and decadent, making them a perfect party treat. They also have no refined sweeteners so they are a healthier option. But if you don’t tell your guests, I won’t.
The original recipe seemed like it had so many ingredients, but it comes together easily. Choosing the tahini option reduced sweetness; they are plenty sweet so you won’t miss it and the layers complement each other nicely. I used Soom’s chocolate tahini to emphasize the chocolate flavors. You can use all regular tahini instead, or try regular tahini with a bit of cocoa powder or chocolate syrup stirred in.
Another bonus to this delicacy is that it requires no baking, meaning you don’t have to heat up the house on a hot summer day. So, the next time you want to make a simple but impressive dessert (maybe for upcoming Father’s Day?), give these a try.
Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang on two opposite sides for removing the bars. Set aside.
Place the bottom layer ingredients (walnuts, dates, almond butter, and salt) into a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse until the mixture holds together. Press the mixture into the lined baking pan, spreading it evenly and pushing it down with your hand. Put the filled pan into the freezer while you make the next layer.
Wipe out the food processor with a paper towel; no need to clean it yet.
Take the tahinis, almond butter, and coconut oil of the middle layer and place them in a small saucepan. Heat on low until just blended. Place the mixture in the food processor with the salt and dates of the middle layer. Process until smooth. Remove the baking pan from the freezer and spread this middle layer over the base layer. Return the pan to the freezer for one hour.
Place the top layer ingredients (coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup) in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir to combine until just melted. Remove the baking pan from the freezer and spread this top layer over the middle layer once it has set. Sprinkle with optional cocoa nibs. Place the pan in the fridge for two hours until the top layer has set.
Take the pan from the fridge and remove the bars by grasping the overhanging parchment flaps. Place bars with parchment cradle onto a cutting board and cut into bars. Serve cool or cold.
It’s the time for baskets filled with themed treats, especially goodies that are homemade and vegan. These “eggs” are quick and easy, and also fun to make with the entire family. The only hard part is waiting for them to be cool so they don’t burn the roof of your mouth!
I’ve posted about rice cereal treats before (see Halloween Rice Krispie Monster), but I thought to add a chocolate spin on the usual recipe. Not wanting the result to be overly sweet, I used Blissfully Better’s Coconut Thins that are sweetened with coconut sugar. A few chopped up bits of the chocolate mixed in with the other ingredients made a tasty addition.
Rice Cereal and Chocolate Easter Eggs
2 TBS vegan margarine 2 TBS refined coconut oil 10 oz. bag vegan marshmallows 5 cups brown rice cereal 4-6 pieces Blissfully Better’s Coconut Thins, diced
Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the margarine and coconut oil on low heat. Add marshmallows and melt, stirring often to avoid burning. Be patient; low and slow is best with vegan marshmallows.
Once melted, remove from heat and quickly stir in the cereal. Wait a moment for the mixture to cool slightly, then carefully stir in the diced chocolate bits.
Blissfully Better vegan chocolates
Place the mixture in the lined pan and pat down gently. Let cool for 15 minutes. Tip the pan over onto a cutting board. Gently remove the parchment paper from the slab. Cut into individual treats with a large egg-shaped cookie cutter.
Until next time, happy Easter and happy non-baking!
Want to get Blissfully Better’s chocolates at a discount? Use the code BBSOCIAL2022 in their Shopify store for 20% off. (I make nothing sharing this code with you — I’m just spreading some holiday joy!)
Spring is the best time of year. Plants push up out of the ground and crisp scents are everywhere. So, what does this have to do with baking? Well, I’m giving a nod to spring with a treat slathered in minty-fresh, spring-green frosting.
A chocolate brownie is the perfect base for a mint topping, so I have adapted these Spring Brownies from my Quick Brownie Bites. The brownies have a buttercream frosting that is boosted with the addition of peppermint extract and green food coloring.
Even with a swath of frosting, the goodies needed more decadence so I added chocolate ganache. After taking the blog photo, I asked my favorite taster if it looked okay. He replied with an emphatic “yes” so I felt fantastic. That was until I realized he thought I was asking if he would like the plate of brownies. But, his blind faith in my baking skills is good, too.
Spring Brownies with Mint Frosting
Brownies 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup organic sugar 1/4 cup Dutch Processed cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup neutral flavored vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon non-dairy chocolate milk 1/2 cup vegan mini chocolate chips Peppermint Frosting 3/4 cups powdered sugar 1.5 tablespoons vegan butter 3-4 teaspoons non-dairy milk 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (or to taste) green food coloring Chocolate syrup or ganache, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of 8 individual cups of a brownie pan with parchment paper squares, then grease the cups and paper with vegan shortening. (You can use a mini muffin tin with liners if you don’t have a brownie pan).
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the applesauce, oil, vanilla, and chocolate milk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir in the chocolate chips.
Spoon the batter into the prepared brownie pan, filling the cups three-quarters full. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until set on top. Let the brownies cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.
While the the brownies are cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat the powdered sugar and vegan butter together until creamy. Add enough non-dairy milk to make the frosting spreadable. Stir in the peppermint extract and food coloring. Frost the cooled brownies and chill until set, for 15 minutes. Decorate with chocolate syrup or ganache.
Something odd is going on. Gluten-free recipes are catching my eye and not scaring me. Usually I grimace when someone asks me if I make no-gluten treats as part of my high altitude and vegan baking repertoire. Making too many changes can ruin a baked good, but I must be adapting because this is my second recipe of that style in just a few weeks.
What intrigued me about this shortbread-type recipe was that it called for coconut or palm oil. The cookbook I found it in was from 2009 and so many new vegan butter substitutes have become available since then. It seemed like a good opportunity to test out the recipe with a newer product.
Shortbread cookies have so few ingredients that each one needs to shine. Fortunately I had Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter in my fridge, so that became the base of my bar. With no leavening in the cookie, high altitude wasn’t much of an issue. But I did add ginger because maple syrup and ginger are a match made in heaven.
2.75 cups brown rice flour 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 teaspoon powdered ginger 1 cup unsalted Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter, at room temp 1 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 10 x 10” (or similar-sized) pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Add the rice flour, salt, and ginger to a bowl and whisk together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the vegan butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. (This may take several minutes.) Slowly add the flour mixture a half cup at a time, and mix until well combined.
Spread the batter into the lined pan, then smooth the top. Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until the edges are firm. Place the pan onto a heat-safe surface and immediately score the dough into 16 equal portions. (Hubby cut the bars or they wouldn’t look so even; see the picture below.)
scored ginger maple shortbread
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, the bars can be fully broken apart and removed from the pan. They can be drizzled with chocolate syrup to keep hubby happy 😉
It’s been one snowstorm after another where I live. With the cold, blustery days I just want to cozy up to a hot cup of tea and a sweet snack. The thing is I’m a little burnt out on cookies (see all of the cookie posts I did last month).
Making a cake seems like too much effort, and a bigger treat that I have in mind. What I need is a two-bite snack. Perhaps a cake bite?
My recipe search uncovered an easy, smaller cake that I could convert into mini cakes without much effort. I have a pan that makes individual brownies, which is a life-saver for high altitude bakers, and I realized it was ideal for my cakelets. So, I had the basics covered.
To adapt the recipe for high altitude, I decreased the baking powder and completely omitted the baking soda. The original recipe was for a cake and smaller versions often need quite a bit less leavening. I also added a smidge more liquid to account for dryness at altitude, and reduced baking time for the smaller pastries.
The final change was to add brown sugar. Seeing as I was no longer making a cake but veering into blondie territory, this ingredient was added for a slightly chewier texture. The result was a moist, delectable, and perfectly-sized nibble to chase away winter’s chill.
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used Take Two Original Barley Milk) 1 tablespoon applesauce 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup canola oil 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all purpose flour 1.25 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the cups of a brownie pan. Alternatively, use a cupcake pan with paper liners.
Place the non-dairy milk, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar in a medium bowl and whisk together. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Portion the batter into the sections of the prepared brownie pan (or into muffin liners). Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cake bite comes out clean. Note: It will take a few more minutes to bake cupcakes.
Move the baking pan to a wire rack and allow the bites to cool completely. Remove cake bites from the pan. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Makes 12 cake bites.
With December comes holidays, and with holidays comes cookies. Some of the best cookies are those that connect you to fond holiday memories. For me, one of those involves a cousin who would always bring layered cookie bars to family gatherings. To be honest, they weren’t my favorites at the time because I am not a fan of the coconut which always graces the tops of these bar cookies. But I do remember that I would scrape that off to reach the decadent richness that lay underneath. So, my first cookie this holiday season is my version of the magic bar made without coconut. I’ve adorned it with Hanukkah colors to make it sparkle for the festival of lights.
To begin making this treat, I needed to prepare my own vegan sweetened condensed milk. After browsing Eagle Brand’s website, I discovered I would need to produce 10 ounces, as that was equivalent to one of their 14-ounce cans. You can buy the coconut canned variety if you prefer. To further adapt the classic recipe into a non-coconut sensation, I decided to swap out the shredded coconut and use chopped apricots in the topping. The other vegan change was to use vegan butter instead of dairy butter. No high altitude adjustments were required, so I was on my way down a new memory lane — one with no coconut but all of the vegan goodness of the bars they call Magic.
Holiday Layered Magic Bars adapted partly from VeganBaking.net
for the vegan sweetened condensed milk: 2.75 cups non-dairy milk, such as soy or almond 1/2 cup organic sugar 1 Tablespoon vegan butter, salted or unsalted 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract for the bars: 14 graham cracker sheets 1 4-ounce stick unsalted vegan butter, melted, plus more for the baking pan 1 cup vegan chocolate chips 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup chopped apricots 1/4 cup organic sanding sugar 1-2 Tablespoons blue vegan sprinkles or sparkles
Place non-dairy milk, sugar, vegan butter, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over a medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until the volume is reduced to 10 ounces. Be sure to simmer gently; don’t let the mixture come to a roiling boil. This may take an hour or two. When the liquid is reduced, take the pot off the stove and whisk in the vanilla. Place the mixture into the fridge to cool and thicken further.
Meanwhile, position an oven rack on the lowest position and preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on two opposite sides for removing the baked bars. Butter the foil and set the pan aside.
Once the condensed milk has cooled, put the graham crackers in a food processor and process into fine crumbs. Place the crumbs in a bowl and add the melted stick of butter. Stir to combine. Pour the crumbs into the prepared pan and press into the bottom to form a crust. Pour the condensed milk over the crumb layer and gently spread it out with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the chocolate chips then the walnuts then the apricots over the top.
Bake until set and golden around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Decorate with sanding sugar and blue sparkles. Let pan sit on the rack to cool for another 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhang then place on a cutting board to cut into bars.
