Category Archives: refined sugar free

Orange Olive Oil Muffins

Orange Olive Oil Muffins

orange olive oil muffins

Dates are an interesting ingredient that I’ve only come to appreciate later in life. I used to think that they were too sweet, but they taste wonderful when understood and used properly in a recipe.

The first thing I learned was that the varieties can be used interchangeably, with the two most common being Medjool and Deglet Noor. I had purchased Medjool in the past, but opted to try Deglet Noor as there are subtle differences between them. The Deglet Noor seemed lighter tasting with a honey quality, and less densely sweet, so I enjoyed the flavor. Another difference was their stickiness, so I made sure to blend them thoroughly before adding to a batter to avoid clumping.

An interesting thing I also discovered was that they weigh quite a bit less when they are older and drier. I would see in a recipe that one should soak dates if they are drier, so I measured out the weight of the dates and put them to soak in water. Surprisingly, they weighed about 10% more once fully soaked. So if you need to soak your dates for this recipe, then you should weigh them after and remove any if needed. And, feel free to use your favorite variety.

Until next time, happy baking!

Orange Olive Oil Muffins
Print Recipe

Orange Olive Oil Muffins

Dates are an interesting ingredient that I’ve only come to appreciate later in life. I used to think that they were too sweet, but they taste wonderful when understood and used properly in a recipe.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Baking, Dates, High Altitude, Muffin, Recipe
Servings: 18 muffins
Author: The Decadent Vegan Baker

Equipment

  • 2 12-cup muffin tins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons soymilk
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups + 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 ¼ cups 200 grams pitted dates (soaked in water if too dry, then drained)
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ⅔ cup maple syrup
  • ⅔ cup dairy-free yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons date-soaking water or extra soymilk
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F with a rack set in the middle of the oven. Use paper liners to line 18 cups of two 12-cup muffin pans.
  • Put the 1 cup + 2 tablespoons soymilk in a glass measuring cup and add the vinegar. Whisk to combine, then set aside at room temperature for at least 5 minutes to curdle.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
  • In a high-speed blender, add the drained dates, oil, maple syrup, yogurt, soaking water, and curdled milk. Blend until the dates are pulverized. (This will take several minutes). Add the orange zest and blend for 5 seconds to mix it in. Pour the liquid into a large bowl.
  • Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring with a spatula until just combined. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and stir again. Distribute the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups, filling the cups two-thirds full.
  • Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the muffin tins halfway through baking. (You may need to do this one muffin tin at a time for even baking.) The muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Set the tins on wire racks for 5 minutes to allow the muffins to cool, then remove the muffins and place them on wire racks to cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.

Notes

Adapted from Moist Date Cake by addictedtodates

Lavender Earl Grey Tea Bread

lavender earl grey tea bread
lavender earl grey tea bread

It’s January so the celebration for National Hot Tea Month is in full swing. Although, if you ask me, we should have a hot tea season that would span several months. I love drinking hot tea, especially when it keeps me warm.

What goes well with a cup of hot tea? Tea bread, of course. And the perfect tea bread contains an infusion of tea to permeate the baked good.

To come up with a complementary treat for my cuppa, I found a recipe for a tea cake with Earl Grey tea in it. The classic Earl Grey is black tea flavored with orange-scented bergamot. A new twist has the addition of lavender buds which rounds out the tea nicely, so I knew I wanted to include the floral profile.

I first altered the recipe by including the lavender flowers. Next, I changed it from gluten free to using all purpose flour because that’s what I had on hand. Feel free to use a gluten free flour blend instead.

Then I reduced the recipe so it would make four small loaves that would bake better at high altitude. For altitude I also switched it up to include a combination of baking soda and baking powder. There was no need for vegan changes because the recipe was already vegan.

The resulting mini breads were moist and extremely flavorful, reminiscent of honey cakes. With a hint of lavender when warmed and depth from the maple syrup, they are fantastic alongside a robust tea as well as an herbal blend. I froze a few loaves so I can savor them this month, and also enjoy them on a future tea drinking day.

Lavender Earl Grey Tea Bread adapted from Earl Grey Tea Cake

1.5 cups boiling water
3.5 teaspoons Earl Grey loose leaf tea
1/2 teaspoon culinary lavender flowers
1/3 cup dried currants
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Grease the sections of a mini bread tin (mine makes four breads measuring 5 x 2.5” each) and set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the water, Earl Grey tea, and lavender in a heat-proof container. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain and discard the leaves. Add 1/2 cup of tea back to the container, saving the other 1 cup of tea for later. Place dried currants in the 1/2 cup of tea, cover, and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil and maple syrup to a medium bowl and whisk together. Add the vanilla and 1 cup of tea to the oil-syrup mixture. Whisk until combined, then stir in the tea with the currants.

Add the liquid mixture to the ingredients in the dry bowl and stir until combined and no longer lumpy. Distribute the batter evenly into the sections of the tin. Bake for 34-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a bread comes away clean or with a few small crumbs.

Let the breads fully cool in the tin placed on a wire rack. Run a knife along the outside edges of each bread to loosen, then tip the loaves out.

Until next time, happy baking!

5 No-Bake Vegan Recipes to Keep You Going Strong in Veganuary

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.

  1. Easy Chocolate Pudding Parfait

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.

2. Chocolate Tahini Bars

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.

3. Vegan Espresso Date Shake

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.

4. Chai Spiced Milk and DIY Plant-Milk Tips

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.

5. Chocolate Crispy Rice Treat Cake

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.

Until next time, happy non-baking!

Vegan Chick’n Pot Pie, gluten free option

vegan chick'n pot pie
vegan chick’n pot pie

We’ve made it halfway through January, the time when our new year resolve falters. To those who have accepted the Veganuary challenge, you could be looking for more inspiration right about now. Eating vegan may have sounded fun, but now your hungry for more. And by hungry, I mean you want something to eat now that is easy to make and offers some warm comfort in this cold month.

So, I am straying from my usual dessert fare into the realm of main dishes. Pot pies are often considered the ultimate comfort food, and making them vegan is quite simple. With a ready-made crust, the hardest part of this dish is waiting for it to bake in the oven. (I suppose chopping up lots of vegetables is also difficult for some people; maybe you can get a friend to help.)

You can choose a gluten free crust, if desired. If you get the frozen ones by Wholly Gluten Free, as I did, they come in pairs. This leaves you with a second crust which is perfect for making my Apple Blueberry Streusel Pie for dessert.

Vegan Chick’n Pot Pie inspired by Vegan Pot Pie

1 store bought frozen pie shell, gluten free if desired
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes (yellow or red), diced
1.5 cups diced vegetables (see Note), lightly sautéed
1/4 teaspoon mushroom powder
2 teaspoons dried sage, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 – 8 ounces vegan chick’n strips (not a breaded variety), cut into chunks
1/2 cup bread crumbs, gluten free if desired
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Check defrosting/baking instructions for your pie crust.

Add cashews and 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to a high-speed blender. Blend into a thick cream. (If you do not have a high-powered blender, then soak the cashews in the broth for 30 minutes prior to blending). Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the potatoes, vegetables, and 1/4 cup of broth. Cook the veggies, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes just begin to soften.

Add the mushroom powder, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and chick’n to the skillet, stirring to combine. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the chick’n begins to soften.

Add the cashew cream and remaining 1.25 cups of broth to the skillet and stir. Let the mixture come to a boil, then simmer on low for five more minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has reduced into a somewhat thick gravy.

Unwrap the pie crust and place it on a baking tray. Use a ladle to scoop the filling mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the filling.

Place the baking tray in the oven and bake the pie for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Remove the tray from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Sprinkle the pie with parsley, then let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Note: Choose 3 or 4 vegetables from broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, green peas, kale, yellow squash, and zucchini. All should be finely chopped (except the peas).

Until next time, happy baking!

New Year’s Eve Raspberry Brownie Truffles

raspberry brownie truffles
raspberry brownie truffles

To celebrate the year’s end, a bit of chocolate is nice with champagne. Truffles and bubbly make a great pairing, along with a touch of raspberry. It makes me look forward to popping the cork on a bottle of sparkling wine.

To keep the truffles from causing too much of a sugar rush while sipping champagne, I borrowed the idea of using dates as the sweetener and adding nuts for a protein hit. That may sound too healthy but, trust me, these truffles are also decadent. They are the perfect way to welcome the New Year.

New Year’s Eve Raspberry Brownie Truffles inspired by Raspberry Chocolate Truffles

1 cup raw cashew pieces
pinch fine sea salt
1/2 cup date paste
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 teaspoons non-dairy milk
4 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces
raspberry-flavored vegan jello mix (I used Simply Delish raspberry gel dessert)

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the cashews in a food processor and pulse until they have a fine crumb, similar to almond meal.

Add the processed cashews to a large bowl along with the salt, date paste, raspberry jam, and cocoa powder. Stir until a thick dough forms, adding non-dairy milk as needed. Place the dough in the fridge while you melt the chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. When the chocolate has almost fully melted, turn the burner off and stir the chocolate until smooth. If your kitchen is cold, leave the double boiler on the stove to keep the chocolate warm.

Remove the bowl of chocolate dough from the fridge. Scoop out small balls of dough and place them on the parchment lined pan. Place a truffle ball on a fork and dip it into the melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off then place the coated truffle back on the lined pan. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle a bit of jello mix overtop the truffle. Repeat until you have no more chocolate balls.

Until next time, happy non-baking and a Happy New Year!

Cranberry Orange Shortbread with Hibiscus Glaze + gluten-free option

cranberry orange shortbread - gluten free option
cranberry orange shortbread with hibiscus glaze

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.

Vegan Cranberry Orange Shortbread with Hibiscus Glaze inspired by Gluten-Free and Vegan Holidays and The Food Network

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.

Until next time, happy baking!

Vegan Breakfast Oat Muffins

vegan breakfast oat muffins
vegan breakfast oat muffins

As the year nears its end, I can spend countless hours in the kitchen. So why am I so hungry all the time? Well, a lot of the baked treats made during the holidays are for gifts or parties. So, in other words, the fruits of my labor are for others to enjoy.

To help allay any future hangries, I stock the fridge with easy to heat-and-eat foods. It helps to avoid eating all of the imperfect cookies while I’m baking. Not that that’s a horrible task, but sometimes I deem the majority of them not perfect enough and there are none left for gifting.

Having a protein-filled snack nearby is the perfect solution. It not only curbs a blood sugar spike caused by testing many sweets, but ensures a meal won’t take a lot of time when time is a precious commodity. I can bake a few dozen cookies, concoct a coffee cake, and prepare a batch of peppermint bark, and still have a chance to throw together an easy meal. Add some slices of spiced apple alongside these Breakfast Oat Muffins and you have a well-rounded lunch.

Vegan Breakfast Oat Muffins veganized from Natural Grocer’s Savory Oat Muffins recipe

1.5 cups almond flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons spices of your choice (I used a mix of granulated garlic, granulated onion, smoked paprika, and thyme to equal the 2 teaspoons)
1.5 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Just Egg (a vegan liquid egg replacer)
3⁄4 cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
1/2 cup dairy-free cheese style shreds (I used Violife cheddar)
1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (see note)
1 roasted red pepper (if from a jar then blot it dry on a towel), finely diced (see note)
4 Beyond Breakfast Sausage links, cooked and crumbled (see note)

Preheat oven to 375F. Thoroughly grease a 12-cup muffin pan, or use a silicon muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, baking powder, salt, and spices, breaking up any clumps. Stir in the oats.

In a medium bowl, add the Just Egg, non-dairy milk and melted vegan butter. Whisk well to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well until completely combined. Let sit for 5 minutes so the dry ingredients can absorb some of the moisture. Add the dairy-free cheese, thawed spinach, diced red pepper, and cooked Beyond Sausage. Stir to distribute the ingredients throughout the mixture.

Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups. Push the batter in each cup down with the back of a spoon, then transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are firm and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm in the oven or toaster oven at 300F for 10 minutes.

breakfast with oat muffins
breakfast with oat muffins

Note: You can customize the add-ins. I used spinach, red pepper, and sausage, You can add drained and chopped olives, diced jalapeños, a different leafy green or diced vegetable that has been squeezed dry. You want the add-ins to total 1 ½ cups.

Until next time, happy baking!

Applesauce Spice Cake with Spiced Apples

applesauce spice cake
applesauce spice cake with spiced apples

Pumpkin Spice season has arrived! Admittedly, I do not like pumpkin spice in my beverages, however unpopular my idea may be. Cinnamon yes, but not the blend. However, the mix of spices is delicious in baked goods.

Apple season has also arrived, and apples and pumpkin spice pair together perfectly. Spiced apples are lovely to cook up, but I wanted something more substantial to make. The idea struck to use applesauce cake as a backdrop for spicy warm apples.

In my search for an applesauce cake, I looked at many recipes for cakes, quick breads, and cupcakes. What I came up with is a vegan mashup of all of them. I hope you enjoy my Applesauce Spice Cake with Spiced Apples for dessert, breakfast, or whenever you want a snack. It is best warm because the smells and tastes come alive.

Applesauce Spice Cake with Spiced Apples

for the cake
shortening, to grease the baking pan
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup maple or coconut sugar
1.25 teaspoons baking powder
.75 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1.5 cups unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cups apple juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons canola oil
for the spiced apples
4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoon canola oil
1/3 cup maple sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 8-inch round baking pans with shortening, then line them with parchment paper and grease the paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, 1/2 cup maple sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice. In a medium bowl, whisk together the applesauce, apple juice, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, then whisk to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Set the pans on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the spiced apples.

Sauté the apples in a nonstick skillet set on medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add the 1 tablespoon oil, 3 tablespoons maple sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to coat the apples. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the apples are tender, about 5 more minutes.

When the cakes have cooled, tip them out onto serving plates and top with warm spiced apples.

Until next time, happy baking!

Easy Chocolate Pudding Parfait

chocolate pudding parfait
chocolate pudding parfait

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.

Tofu for dessert often ends up in the blender to become vegan mousse or pudding. You can make a pie or tart shell to hold this blended mixture, but I was feeling lazy. However, by layering it with cookies or cake and other sweet bits you create an easy and elegant parfait.

Over the years of making tofu pudding I have discovered a few tips to ensure smooth success. I added these steps to my recipe so you have the perfect parfait for a warm summer evening.

Chocolate Pudding Parfait based on Chocolate Mousse Pie with Cookie Crust and Raspberry Coulis

chocolate pudding
1 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened nondairy milk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or substitute coffee extract for a deeper chocolate taste)
12 oz silken tofu, drained (soft or firm, the choice will affect the texture), at room temperature
parfait add-ins
6-12 chocolate cookies, depending on size
3-18 vegan marshmallows, depending on size

For the chocolate pudding: To melt the chocolate chips in the double boiler method, place them in a glass or metal bowl. (Note: The bowl should be large enough so that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water in the pot you set it over.) Set this bowl over a pot filled with 1/2 cup of simmering water. Heat the pot over low-medium heat on the stove, stirring the chips occasionally until they are melted.

Once the chips are melted, take the bowl off of the pot and allow the chocolate to cool slightly. (Note: Do not allow it to cool enough so that it re-solidifies. You want it somewhat cool so it’s closer in temperature to the other ingredients).

Place the nondairy milk, extract, and tofu into a blender. Process until smooth. Scrape down the sides and add the melted and cooled chocolate. Process the mixture until completely smooth.

To assemble the parfaits: Crumble the cookies and cut up the marshmallows if they are large. Add some cookie crumbles to the bottom of a dessert glass. Next, add a few spoonfuls of pudding then a few bits of marshmallow. Continue layering the ingredients until the glass is almost full. End with crumbles and marshmallow bits. Add fresh fruit, chocolate shavings, and nondairy whipped cream if you’re feeling fancy.

Until next time, happy non-baking!

Chai Spiced Milk and DIY Plant-Milk Tips

Chai Spiced Milk and DIY Plant-Milk Tips
chai spiced milk and DIY plant-milk tips

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.

Tips for the best homemade plant-milk:

  • The ratio for making nut or seed milk is 1 part nuts/seeds to 3 parts water. Use less water if you desire a thicker, richer beverage.
  • Soaking the nuts or seeds beforehand makes them easier to digest and softens them for blending.
  • Storing pre-soaked nuts or seeds in the freezer allows you to make milk at a moment’s notice.
  • You can strain your blended nut/seed milk with a nut milk bag. (I’ve heard that paint strainer bags also work but I haven’t tried them). Alternatively, use cashews as your base because they blend in fully and don’t need to be strained out.
  • Homemade plant-milk stored in the fridge between 35 and 41ºF should last up to 5 days (according to VeganMilker).

You can make plant-milk as neutral-tasting as possible so it can be used in sweet or savory dishes. But it’s also fun to add flavorings to the blender for an instant, delicious beverage. Being a huge fan of chai lattes, I like adding chai spices to my milk and either heating it on the stove or adding ice for cool refreshment.

Chai Spiced Milk

3.5 cups water (filtered is best), divided
1 cup raw cashews
4-5 pitted dates
1/8 teaspoon clove powder
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch sea salt

Boil 3 cups of water. Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with 1 cup boiled water. Add the dates to a small bowl and cover with 1 cup boiled water. Add the spice powders to a small bowl and cover with 1 cup boiled water. Let the three bowls sit for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour.

Strain the cashews and add them to the jug of a high-speed blender. Add the dates and their soaking water to the blender. Add the spiced water to the blender. Add the vanilla, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup water to the blender. Blend on high until smooth and frothy.

Serve over ice, or gently heat in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat until warm. Serves 2.

Until next time, happy non-baking!