You can still treat yourself to dessert even if you want to make easy meals. You won’t find any fancy iced cakes in here, but you will find Maple Walnut Blondies, a brownie recipe with avocado, spice cake and more. There’s even a recipe for Orange Chocolate Mousse Parfait that takes very little effort because it’s your blender or food processor doing all the work.
My friend Jenni Field, of PastryChefOnline.com, contributed an amazing wine granita that’s perfect for a summer dinner on the deck, plus an apple crisp that uses your food processor to cut down on prep time.
Two of my favorite frozen drinks are in this chapter. My Sweet Potato Spice Frozen Latte is made with a coffee concentrate that I also show you how to make. These were life-changing for me, keeping me out of the coffeehouse line on the way to work. The Salted Caramel No-Ice-Cream Milk Shake works as a dessert or snack, and you can add some coffee to it, too.
• gluten-free option* • soy-free • no oil added
Brownies with walnuts are Cheryl’s most-requested treat. These are rich without any added oil. The secret is mashed avocado in place of the traditional oil. These are rich and fudgy and are quick to make. The hardest part is waiting until they are ready to eat.
2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flaxseed mixed with 4 tablespoons (56 ml) warm water
2 medium avocados
1 cup (145 g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups (150 g) whole-wheat pastry flour (*use gluten-free baking mix)
½ cup (43 g) baking cocoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (117 g) walnuts (or nut of your choice)
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare an 8” × 8” (20 × 20 cm) square baking pan by covering with parchment paper. It’s okay if it bunches up in the corners. If it comes up a bit over the top of the pan, it’ll help you remove the brownies.
Add the flaxseed mixture, avocado, sugar, vanilla and salt to your food processor and process until silky smooth.
Combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Stir in the avocado mixture until you have a thick batter. Add the walnuts, mix, then scrape into the prepared pan.
Spread the batter as evenly as you can in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You want to slightly underbake these to keep the fudgelike texture, so pull them out before a fork comes out of the middle completely dry.
Per brownie: Calories 212.6, protein 5.0 g, total fat 11.7 g, carbohydrates 31.9 g, sodium 26.1 mg, fiber 4.7 g
TIP: Allergic to nuts? Swap them for chocolate chips for extra-chocolaty brownies.
• gluten-free option* • soy-free • oil-free option**
Everyone needs a quick and easy bar cookie recipe up their sleeve, and this is mine. They are great any time of year, but the combination of maple flavor with walnuts seems perfect for fall. Make these for your next celebration, or bring them to a potluck. While not overly sweet, they are impossibly fudgelike, and no one will ever guess they’re vegan.
2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flaxseed mixed with 4 tablespoons (56 ml) warm water
¼ cup (54 g) coconut oil, melted (**use pumpkin purée)
¾ cup (108 g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (132 g) whole-wheat pastry flour (*use gluten-free baking mix)
½ cup (50 g) walnuts (or nut of your choice)
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare an 8” × 8” (20 × 20 cm) square baking pan by covering with parchment paper. It’s okay if it bunches up in the corners. If it comes up a bit over the top of the pan, it’ll help you remove the blondies.
Add the flaxseed mixture, oil, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and salt to your stand mixer and mix well. (Note: you can certainly do this in a bowl, by hand, if you don’t have a mixer.)
Add the flour about ⅓ cup (42 g) at a time and mix until just incorporated. When you’ve added the full cup of flour, the batter will be extra thick.
Add the walnuts, mix, then scrape into the prepared pan.
Spread the batter as evenly as you can in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes. You want to slightly underbake these to keep the fudgelike texture, so pull them out before a fork comes out of the middle completely dry.
Per blondie with oil: Calories 171.4, protein 2.1 g, total fat 8.9 g, carbohydrates 25.6 g, sodium 4.9 mg, fiber 2.2 g
TIP: Switch out the nuts for chocolate chips if you can’t live without chocolate in your blondies.
• gluten-free option* • soy-free • oil-free option**
When I need something sweet in a hurry, I like to make these bar cookies. Cheryl loves all things chocolate, so I throw in chocolate chips for her and coconut and pecan for me. I’m not sure how much time making bars saves from making individual cookies, but I certainly feel like there’s less effort involved!
2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flaxseed mixed with 4 tablespoons (56 ml) warm water
½ cup (110 g) melted coconut oil (**use equal amount of applesauce or pumpkin purée)
½ cup (110 g) brown or coconut sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) nondairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups (150 g) whole-wheat pastry flour (*use gluten-free baking blend)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup (50 g) pecans
¼ cup (46.5 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup (90 g) chocolate chips (I love using the mini ones)
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare an 8” × 8” (20 × 20 cm) square baking pan by covering with parchment paper. It’s okay if it bunches up in the corners.
Add the flaxseed mixture, oil, sugar, milk, vanilla and salt to your stand mixer and mix well. (You can certainly do this in a bowl, by hand, if you don’t have a mixer.)
Mix the baking soda and flour. Add about ⅓ cup (42 g) of the flour mixture at a time and mix until just incorporated. When you’ve added all of the flour, the batter will be thick.
Add the pecans, coconut and chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.
Spread the batter as evenly as you can in the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a fork comes out of the middle completely dry.
Per bar with oil: Calories 275.5, protein 2.7 g, total fat 19.1 g, carbohydrates 26.5 g, sodium 71.6 mg, fiber 9.9 g
TIP: I use pecans because I live in the South, where they’re cheap. It also doesn’t hurt that Cheryl gets two large bags of them free every year where she works. Feel free to substitute any nut you have in the pantry.
• gluten-free • soy-free • no oil added
My friend Jenni is the talented blogger behind PastryChefOnline.com and this easy Riesling granita. It’s a wonderful, icy-cold, winey-sweet dish (in Jenni’s words). You do need to make it the night before you serve it, but hands-on time is minimal. It’s all worth it when you get to eat frozen wine for dessert!
2¼ cups (532 ml) water
Slightly less than 1 cup (6 oz [170 g]) sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 (750 ml) bottle sweet Riesling
Approximately ¼ to ⅓ cup (60 to 78 ml) lemon juice, to taste
Heat the water and dissolve the sugar and salt in it. It doesn’t have to boil—you just want the salt and sugar crystals to dissolve. Combine with the wine and lemon juice. Taste. It should be sweet and winey and have a nice tang from the lemon juice.
Pour into a shallow 9” × 9” (23 × 23 cm) pan, wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight. One of the many wonderful things about this granita is that, because of the alcohol in it, it doesn’t freeze superfirm. When you’re ready to serve, just remove from the freezer and scrape with a fork. You will end up with very pale golden shards of ice wine.
You can make this with wine, too.
Per serving: Calories 329.3, protein 0.1 g, total fat 0.0 g, carbohydrates 51.3 g, sodium 0.2 mg, fiber 0.1 g
TIP: Not all wines are vegan! Barnivore.com is a website that has a list of what’s vegan and what’s not. I recommend that you download their mobile app so you can check while you’re in the store in front of the wine display.
• gluten-free
This is my go-to dessert for last-minute dinners I find myself hosting. It takes minutes to pull together, and it tastes like it took hours. It is very rich and is wonderful between layers of cookie crumbs. Use whatever liqueur you like or happen to have. You can also make this without alcohol and use 1 teaspoon of your favorite flavor extract instead.
1 (12.3 oz [349 g]) package silken tofu
½ cup (113 g) sweetened chocolate chips
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Grand Marnier or other liqueur of your choice
1 cup (80 g) crushed vegan chocolate or vanilla cookies
Purée the tofu in a food processor until silky smooth, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides.
Melt chocolate chips on the stove top in a double boiler, or in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Add melted chocolate and liqueur to the food processor and process until thoroughly mixed, scraping down the sides as needed.
Layer in small cups or martini glasses. Start with a layer of mousse, then add a layer of cookie, until you have filled the glass. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to let it thicken up.
Per serving: Calories 212.1, protein 6.3 g, total fat 9.2 g, carbohydrates 27.8 g, sodium 130.9 mg, fiber 1.9 g
• gluten-free option* • soy-free • oil-free option**
My Aunt Bill used to make an applesauce cake around the holidays, and it was my favorite. No icing, no fuss–just a mouthful of flavor. This cake has the same balance of spices: cinnamon and cloves with hints of ginger and allspice. It’s a step away from gingerbread–you could even add more ginger if you’d like.
WET INGREDIENTS
1 cup (255 g) applesauce
⅓ cup (79 ml) oil (**substitute ⅔ cup [165 g] applesauce or pumpkin purée)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups (240 g) whole-wheat pastry flour (*use a gluten-free baking mix)
1 cup (192 g) coconut sugar
1½ teaspoons (7 g) cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and oil a tall 9” (23 cm) cake pan.
Mix the wet ingredients together in a measuring cup. Mix the dry ones together in a medium-sized bowl.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry until just combined.
Scrape out the batter into the cake pan and bake until a fork comes out clean in the middle, about 45 minutes.
Per serving: Calories 242.6, protein 3.2 g, total fat 8.0 g, carbohydrates 42.8 g, sodium 0.8 mg, fiber 3.5 g
TIP: This cake rises because of the chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar. There isn’t an egg substitute because this recipe is based on a cake that was popular in the Depression, when eggs were scarce.
• gluten-free option* • soy-free
I try to get together as often as possible with my friend Jenni of PastryChefOnline.com. I usually manage to convince her to make and bring a few vegan goodies that I can share with my own readers. The shredded apples cook down to an almost jamlike consistency, and the liqueurs add a rich flavor that makes this crisp holiday worthy.
FOR THE APPLE MIXTURE
6 sweet-tart apples, such as Golden Delicious or Braeburn (peeling optional)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Grand Marnier or other orange brandy
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur
1 tablespoon (9 g) sugar (brown or coconut sugar)
1 tablespoon (8 g) tapioca starch (or cornstarch or flour), optional, but will help to thicken the mixture
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of allspice
Healthy pinch of salt
FOR THE STREUSEL
¾ cup (109 g) dark brown sugar
½ cup (63 g) unbleached all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat pastry flour or *gluten-free baking mix)
½ cup (78 g) rolled oats (*make sure they are marked “gluten-free”)
¼ cup (29 g) toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped (optional but lovely)
Healthy pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of allspice
½ cup (105 g) coconut oil
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Oil a 9” × 13” (23 × 33 cm) baking pan and set aside.
FOR THE APPLE MIXTURE
Wash the apples well and peel them. If you don’t want to peel them, dip them in boiling water for about 10 seconds to break down the wax they’re coated in. Remove from the water and scrub under running water.
Quarter each apple, cut out the core and shred, either by hand or with your food processor’s coarse shredding disc. Place the shredded apples in the prepared baking pan, then mix in the Grand Marnier, Frangelico and sugar. Add the starch (if using) and the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
FOR THE STREUSEL
Combine all the streusel ingredients in a bowl. Cut in the coconut oil with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture is well-blended and no longer floury.
Spread the streusel evenly over the apples and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the streusel is golden brown and the apples are bubbling all over.
Let cool for at least a few minutes before serving.
Per serving: Calories 177.8, protein 1.5 g, total fat 6.4 g, carbohydrates 29.9 g, sodium 1.3 mg, fiber 2.8 g
TIP: Jenni says, “You can add a dollop of vegan ice cream (coconut milk-based would work well) or whipped coconut cream to make it extra decadent. Enjoy!”
• gluten-free • soy-free • no added oil
Pumpkin spice has a cult following. It’s now in everything fall-themed, from drinks to body lotions. Why not break out of the pumpkin spice latte mold and give this delicious sweet potato drink a chance to be your new favorite?
1¼ cups (312 ml) nondairy milk
¼ cup (64 g) sweet potato purée
¼ cup (63 ml) coffee concentrate
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cardamom
⅛ teaspoon allspice
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
Sweetener of choice, to taste
⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 teaspoon pectin or 1½ teaspoons (7 g) ground chia seeds
2 cups (43 g) ice
Add the milk, sweet potato, coffee and spices to your blender. Blend until they’re combined well and there are no lumps of potato.
Add the xanthan gum (or pectin or chia seeds) and blend. This ingredient will keep the others from separating. Now taste and add sweetener, adjusting as needed. Remember, this is a concentrated flavor, so it needs to be a little sweeter now to be just right with ice.
Add the ice. Depending on how powerful your blender is, you may have to add it ½ cup (120 g) at a time.
Add more nondairy milk if it’s too thick or more ice if it’s too thin.
Per serving: Calories 58.4, protein 1.4 g, total fat 2.2 g, carbohydrates 9.3 g, sodium 139.1 mg, fiber 1.3 g
TIPS: Don’t want coffee in your Sweet Potato Spice Frozen Latte? Leave it out and add a touch more nondairy milk, or substitute tea for a creamy drink that you can’t get at a coffeehouse!
Lots of thickening options! If you don’t have xanthan gum, pectin or chia seeds, add about half of a large frozen banana.
One of my lovely testers, Mary Banker, came up with the ground chia. Chia is less expensive than xanthan gum and adds a nutritional boost.
Coffee concentrate is dirt cheap, and you get to make it with the roast you like best. The hands-on time to make it is about 5 minutes—maybe 10 if you grind your own beans—and it keeps in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
2 tablespoons (11 g) ground coffee per 1 cup (237 ml) your French press holds
Water to fill French press
Add the ground coffee to your French press.
Add water until the mixture is about a finger’s width below the pour spout. Carefully place the filter or plunger so that it is just on top of the grounds, keeping them under the water. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
In the morning, gently press down the plunger to push the coffee grounds to the bottom. Pour into your favorite pitcher (with a lid) or mason jar(s) and store in the refrigerator.
TIP: Use more ground coffee per cup of water to make a stronger concentrate.
• gluten-free • soy-free • no oil added
In the summer, I get cravings for a frosty drink to cool myself down. This one is great because it doesn’t require ice cream, but it’s thick and rich anyway. Trust me; the dates make it taste just like caramel. Use this recipe as a template for other flavored no-ice-cream shakes.
1 cup (243 ml) vanilla nondairy milk
4 dates, soaked for 15 minutes and drained
½ teaspoon vanilla
Sweetener, optional to taste
⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 teaspoon pectin or 1½ teaspoons (7 g) ground chia seeds
2 cups (43 g) ice
Add the nondairy milk and dates to your blender. If you have a high-speed blender, you can skip soaking the dates, but it will be smoother if you do. Blend until smooth.
Add the vanilla, sweetener and xanthan gum and blend again. Make sure the xanthan gum gets mixed in and doesn’t just stick to the side of the pitcher.
Add the ice. Depending on how powerful your blender is, you may have to add it ½ cup (120 g) at a time.
Per serving: Calories 100.7, protein 0.9 g, total fat 1.8 g, carbohydrates 21.6 g, sodium 90.4 mg, fiber 1.8 g
TIPS: Lots of thickening options! If you don’t have xanthan gum, pectin or chia seeds, add about half of a large frozen banana.
Make yours a frozen caramel coffee by using ¼ cup (59 ml) coffee concentrate and 1½ cups (355 ml) nondairy milk. You can even throw in a tablespoon (8 g) of cocoa powder to make it a caramel mocha! Change it to a holiday shake by adding a tablespoon or two (9-18 g) of cocoa and a few drops of peppermint extract. Try different extracts and add fruit, too. I’ve been making strawberry shakes with this recipe!
