HASH, SCRAMBLES, AND MORE
Tofu Scramble with Bell Pepper, Shallot, and Basil 
Tofu Scramble with Tomato and Scallions
Sweet Potato Red Flannel Hash with Tempeh
Brussels Sprouts Hash with Poached Eggs
TOASTS
Black Beans on Toast with Tomato and Avocado
Sautéed Grape and Almond Butter Toast
CEREALS
Almond Granola with Dried Fruit
Quinoa Granola with Sunflower Seeds and Almonds
Carrot Spice Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Millet Porridge with Maple Syrup
Hot Quinoa Cereal with Blueberries and Almonds
Hot Quinoa Cereal with Raspberries and Sunflower Seeds
Hot Quinoa Cereal with Golden Raisins and Pistachios
Pepita, Almond, and Goji Berry Muesli
Sunflower Seed, Hazelnut, and Cherry Muesli
Chia Pudding with Fresh Fruit and Coconut
BAKED GOODS, PANCAKES, AND WAFFLES
Cherry, Orange, and Rosemary Muffins
Spiced Sweet Potato Scones with Chocolate and Pepitas
Maple-Glazed Spiced Sweet Potato Scones
100-Percent Whole-Wheat Pancakes
RECIPE EXTRAS
FAST (45 minutes or less total time)
Photos: Almond Granola with Dried Fruit; Blueberry Muffins; Black Beans on Toast with Tomato and Avocado
Serves 6 to 8
Why This Recipe Works Simpler and more substantial than omelets and less fussy than quiche, frittatas are a longtime test kitchen favorite, so naturally we were delighted to discover that we could make an extraordinary version with tofu instead of eggs. Silken tofu, with its creamy texture, seemed like the obvious starting point, but it actually proved too wet. Instead, we found that firm tofu became perfectly smooth and “eggy” when we processed it. For additional structure to balance the frittata’s softness, we added some chickpea flour. Unlike wheat flour or cornstarch, the chickpea flour added heft and structure without making the frittata pasty; plus, it heightened the savory flavor profile. Turmeric gave the frittata a pleasing eggy color, and garlic powder provided umami flavor depth. After sautéing mushrooms and aromatics until deeply cara-melized, we stirred the tofu puree into the vegetables and baked the frittata until it was set throughout and lightly golden. Given a 5-minute rest in the pan, the frittata slid right out and sliced into neat wedges. Do not use silken, soft, or extra-firm tofu in this recipe.
28 ounces firm tofu, drained and patted dry
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup chickpea flour
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
2 shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Process tofu, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, turmeric, garlic powder, and pepper in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add chickpea flour and process until well combined, about 15 seconds.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid and are beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in shallots and cook until mushrooms are well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Off heat, stir in tofu mixture and spread into even layer. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until center is set and surface is slightly puffed, dry, and lightly golden, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through baking.
4. Being careful of hot skillet handle, remove skillet from oven and let frittata sit for 5 minutes. Using spatula, loosen frittata from skillet and slide onto cutting board. Sprinkle with parsley, cut into wedges, and serve.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works Tofu rancheros with warm corn tortillas nestled alongside makes for a hearty, zesty way to start the day. This plant-based version of huevos rancheros replaces the eggs with supple squares of firm tofu. Similar to a poached egg, the tofu achieved a creamy, silky interior texture while still holding its shape during cooking. The backbone of any rancheros dish is really the sauce, so for maximum flavor with little effort, we roasted canned diced tomatoes with brown sugar, lime juice, onion, green chiles, garlic, and chili powder. Roasting on a sheet pan allowed moisture to quickly evaporate and a nice char to form on the vegetables. We seared the tofu while the sauce cooked for a beautiful golden color. Finishing the sauce and tofu together on the stovetop allowed the flavors to meld. We supercharged the toppings by adding a vibrant salad of avocado, cilantro, and scallions. If you would like to use eggs and cheese in your rancheros, see the variation. Use a heavyweight rimmed baking sheet for this recipe, as flimsy sheets will warp in the 500-degree oven.
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
4 teaspoons lime juice, divided, plus lime wedges for serving
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 onion, chopped
½ cup chopped canned green chiles
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon chili powder, divided
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
14 ounces firm tofu, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into twelve ½-inch-thick slabs
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and diced
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain tomatoes in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing to extract as much juice as possible. Reserve 1¼ cups tomato juice and discard remainder. Whisk 1 tablespoon lime juice and sugar into tomato juice.
2. Combine onion, chiles, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons chili powder, garlic, and drained tomatoes in second bowl. Transfer tomato mixture to prepared baking sheet and spread in even layer to edges of sheet. Roast until charred in spots, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring and redistributing into even layer halfway through baking.
3. Meanwhile, spread tofu on paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes. Gently press dry with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sprinkle both sides with remaining ½ teaspoon chili powder.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add tofu and cook until golden and crisp on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate.
5. Transfer roasted tomato mixture to now-empty skillet and stir in reserved tomato juice mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then nestle tofu into sauce. Bring to simmer over medium heat, cover, and cook until tofu is warmed through and sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
6. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining 1 teaspoon lime juice together in large bowl. Add cilantro, scallions, and avocado and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve rancheros with warm tortillas and lime wedges, topped with herb and avocado salad.
VARIATION
Omit tofu, salt, pepper. Reduce oil to 3 tablespoons and chili powder to 2 tablespoons. After stirring reserved tomato juice mixture into roasted tomatoes in skillet in step 5, sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese. Make 4 shallow indentations (about 2 inches wide) in surface of tomato mixture using back of spoon. Crack 2 eggs into each indentation and sprinkle eggs with ¼ teaspoon table salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until egg whites are just set and yolks are still runny, 5 to 10 minutes.
Serves 4 
Why This Recipe Works This satisfying, creamy scramble is quick enough to make on any day of the week and simple enough to manage before you’ve even had your morning coffee. It’s just as great alongside toast and jam as it is tucked into a portable breakfast burrito or soft taco. To achieve a rich, egg-like texture and a subtle but satisfying flavor, we tried silken, soft, medium, and firm tofu. The soft tofu proved the best choice for scrambling, yielding pieces that, when crumbled, were smooth and creamy. (Silken tofu produced a looser scramble, and firmer tofu varieties developed into hard curds.) We kept the vegetable additions simple with bell pepper and shallot, and basil stirred in at the end added a fresh touch. A small amount of turmeric contributed subtle depth of flavor and a nice touch of golden color. We also found that the tofu could be crumbled into smaller or larger pieces to resemble egg curds of different sizes. If you cannot find soft tofu, you can use silken tofu, but your scramble will be significantly wetter. Do not use firm tofu in this recipe.
14 ounces soft tofu, drained and patted dry
1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1 shallot, minced
¾ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1. Crumble tofu into ¼- to ½-inch pieces. Spread tofu on paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes, then gently press dry with paper towels. Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add bell pepper and shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in tofu, salt, turmeric, and pepper and cook until tofu is hot, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and serve.
VARIATION
Tofu Scramble with Tomato and Scallions
Omit red bell pepper. Add 1 seeded and finely chopped tomato and 1 minced garlic clove to pan with shallot in step 1; cook until tomato is no longer wet, 3 to 5 minutes. Substitute 2 tablespoons minced scallions for basil.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works Red flannel hash gets its name from the deep red beets scattered throughout, reminiscent of the check on a flannel plaid. Our vegan version features tempeh instead of eggs and sweet potato in addition to the classic combination of beets and russet potatoes for a dish that is true weekend comfort food. The seasoned and browned tempeh cubes provided a satisfyingly hearty bite and a savory flavor that made tasters go back for seconds and even thirds. To make the process speedy, we parcooked the vegetables in the microwave until tender and then moved them to the skillet to brown and crisp, rounding out the flavors with onion, garlic, and thyme and stirring in some plant-based creamer (or heavy cream) for richness and binding. As for the tempeh, we first tried cooking it along with the vegetables, but it kept the hash from cohering. Instead, we seared the tempeh separately, built the hash, and then scattered the cubes over the top along with a handful of scallions. The hash stayed together, and the salty richness of the tempeh perfectly balanced the sweet vegetables underneath for a hearty, colorful breakfast.
1 russet potato (8 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 small sweet potato (8 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces beets, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
¼ cup vegetable oil, divided
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
8 ounces tempeh, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
⅓ cup plant-based creamer or dairy heavy cream
2 scallions, sliced thin
1. Combine russet potato, sweet potato, beets, 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Micro-wave, covered, stirring occasionally, until russet potato is translucent around edges and sweet potato and beets are fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add tempeh, soy sauce, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cover with foil.
3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Stir in microwaved vegetables and any accumulated juices and creamer. Using back of spatula, firmly pack vegetables into skillet and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip hash, 1 portion at a time, and repack into pan. Repeat flipping process every few minutes until vegetables are nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Top with reserved tempeh, sprinkle with scallions, and serve.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works Earthy brussels sprouts and sweet carrots combine with potatoes in this fast and hearty hash. But hashing together different vegetables presented a challenge: The potatoes and carrots took longer than the brussels sprouts to soften. Starting the potatoes and carrots in the microwave with a little oil solved the problem, turning them tender in only 5 minutes. Meanwhile, we cooked the brussels sprouts in the skillet to get good browning. We first tried slicing or shredding the sprouts, but the small pieces tended to steam rather than brown. Cutting the sprouts into wedges provided nice flat surfaces that picked up flavorful browning. Next, we added the microwaved carrots and potatoes along with onion, garlic, thyme, and a little water to help the brussels sprouts finish cooking through. This hash is plenty substantial as is, but if you would like to top it with eggs, see the variation. Look for small brussels sprouts no bigger than a golf ball, as they’re likely to be sweeter and more tender than large sprouts. If you can find only large sprouts, halve them and cut each half into thirds.
1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon refined coconut oil or unsalted butter
2 scallions, sliced thin
1. Combine potatoes, carrots, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Microwave, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add brussels sprouts and cook until browned, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add microwaved vegetables and any accumulated juices, onion, water, thyme, garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until brussels sprouts are just tender, 5 to 7 minutes longer, stirring halfway through cooking.
3. Off heat, stir in coconut oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.
VARIATION
Brussels Sprouts Hash with Poached Eggs
In step 3, after seasoning with salt and pepper, make 4 shallow indentations (about 2 inches wide) in surface of hash using back of spoon. Crack 2 eggs into each indentation and sprinkle eggs with ¼ teaspoon table salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until egg whites are just set and yolks are still runny, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.
Serves 2 to 4
Why This Recipe Works Hash browns seem to be becoming more rare these days, but this simple recipe, where we turn hash browns into an “omelet” with a vegetable filling and a creamy topping, will bring these thin, crisply sautéed potato cakes back to the table. High-starch russet potatoes worked best; they held together well, browned beautifully, and had the most pronounced potato flavor. And there was no need to precook them—raw grated potatoes (squeezed of moisture) developed a tender interior and a deeply browned crust. We cooked the potato cake in a sizzling skillet until browned on the bottom, then flipped it, added kimchi and scallions on top, and let the potatoes finish cooking and browning before folding them over the filling. While we love the combination of hash browns and kimchi, you can use a variety of fillings, including sautéed mushrooms, peppers and onions, or greens. We like the unadorned variation alongside either of our tofu scrambles (this page). Use the large holes of a box grater or the shredding disk of a food processor to shred the potatoes. To prevent the potatoes from turning brown, shred them just before cooking. Read the label to be sure your kimchi is vegan.
2 tablespoons plant-based mayonnaise or egg-based mayonnaise
⅛ teaspoon grated lime zest
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and shredded
¼ teaspoon table salt
Pinch pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
⅔ cup kimchi, drained and chopped
1 scallion, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1. Whisk mayonnaise, sesame oil, and lime zest together in bowl; set aside until ready to serve.
2. Wrap potatoes in clean dish towel and squeeze thoroughly of excess moisture. Toss potatoes with salt and pepper in bowl.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Spread potatoes in even layer in skillet and press firmly to flatten. Reduce heat to medium and cook until dark golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Slide hash browns onto large plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to now-empty skillet. Invert hash browns onto second plate and slide, browned side up, back into skillet; press firmly to flatten. Sprinkle kimchi and scallion whites over half of hash brown, then cook over medium heat until bottom is dark golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Fold hash brown in half over filling and slide onto cutting board. Cut in half, then sprinkle with cilantro and scallion greens and serve immediately with sesame-lime mayonnaise.
VARIATION
Omit mayonnaise, sesame oil, lime zest, kimchi, scallion, and cilantro. Substitute refined coconut oil or unsalted butter for vegetable oil.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works We can never decide whether we like savory or sweet versions of loaded toast better, but then we remind ourselves that there’s no need to choose. Avocado toast—the original loaded toast—is healthy, delicious, satisfying, and here to stay. Though it’s one of the simplest things to make for brunch or lunch, it’s still definitely worth a discussion of how to make it even better. We took ours up a notch by whisking together a lemony vinaigrette and mixing it in as we mashed one of the avocados, giving our dish a distinct citrusy punch while preserving its bright color. Smeared on toasted rustic country bread, topped with sliced avocado for a multitextured avocado experience, and then sprinkled with a little coarse sea salt and red pepper flakes, our version of this zeitgeist definer is spectacularly tasty. See the variation if you would like to top it with fried eggs.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
⅛ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt, divided
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 ripe avocados
4 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty bread
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1. Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Whisk oil, lemon zest and juice, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pepper together in small bowl. Halve and pit 1 avocado. Care-fully make ½-inch crosshatch incisions in flesh with butter knife, cutting down to but not through skin. Insert spoon between skin and flesh, gently scoop out avocado cubes, and add to bowl with oil mixture. Mash avocado into vinaigrette with potato masher or fork. Halve remaining avocado, remove pit and peel, and slice thin; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, arrange bread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and broil until bread is deep golden and toasted on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
3. Spread mashed avocado mixture evenly on toasts and arrange avocado slices evenly over top. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper flakes, if using. Serve.
VARIATION
Crack 4 eggs into 2 small bowls (2 eggs per bowl) and sprinkle with pinch salt and pinch pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pour 1 bowl of eggs into 1 side of pan and second bowl into other side. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and let sit, covered, for 15 to 45 seconds for runny yolks (white around edge of yolk will be barely opaque), 45 to 60 seconds for soft but set yolks, or about 2 minutes for medium-set yolks. Top avocado toasts with fried eggs before serving.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works “Beans on toast” sounds vaguely British, but this bean-topped toast has a bold Southwestern flavor profile that will liven up your morning in all-American style. Once you take a bite, the hearty rusticity of mashed black beans on toasted crusty bread elevated with a bit of spice, fresh cherry tomatoes, some creamy avocado slices, and a good squeeze of lime will be hard to argue with. And you don’t even have to get any pans dirty. By simply mashing our beans in a bowl with a little hot water, olive oil, and lime zest and juice, we were able to get a flavorsome and well-textured base. For a splash of color, heat, and acidity, we loved the addition of spicy quick-pickled onions, which can be made up to a week ahead. (If you don’t have them on hand, a pinch of red pepper flakes will give you some heat.) A liberal garnish of cilantro leaves freshened all the flavors. With just 10 minutes of work, we had a fantastic upgrade to loaded toast. For an accurate measure of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to boil and then measure out the desired amount.
4 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Pinch plus ½ teaspoon table salt, divided
⅛ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
¼ cup boiling water
½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
4 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty bread
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin
¼ cup Quick Sweet-and-Spicy Pickled Red Onions (this page) (optional)
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1. Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine tomatoes, 1 teaspoon oil, pinch salt, and pinch pepper in bowl. Mash beans, boiling water, lime zest and juice, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, remaining pinch pepper, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil with potato masher to coarse puree in second bowl, leaving some whole beans intact.
2. Meanwhile, arrange bread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Broil until bread is deep golden and toasted on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
3. Spread mashed bean mixture evenly on toasts and divide avocado evenly over top. Sprinkle with tomatoes; pickled onions, if using; and cilantro. Serve.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works You’ll never look at PB&J the same way again after you try this sweet loaded toast, which takes America’s most popular sandwich to whole new heights. Rather than load up on sugary jam, we went for a different, playful presentation: sautéed grapes. Not only did we get away with using much less sugar, but we were also able to give the grapes a creative new flavor makeover. We loved using thyme with the grapes for its warm and slightly peppery notes, and lemon zest and juice were just the thing to wake up the whole mixture. Using a 12-inch skillet was essential, as the wide surface area allowed the mixture to reduce and thicken in a much shorter time (we didn’t want to wait too long to dive in). In order to make this fantastic topping really shine, we chose almond butter, as the flavor of the peanut butter we initially tried was a little too overwhelming. Finally, we topped the toast with sliced almonds for added crunch. We prefer our homemade Almond Butter (this page) here, but you can use store-bought.
1 tablespoon refined coconut oil or unsalted butter
1 pound seedless red grapes, halved (2⅔ cups)
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme, divided
⅛ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
4 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty bread
½ cup almond butter
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
1. Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Melt oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add grapes, sugar, 1 teaspoon thyme, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until grapes begin to soften and juices thicken, about 7 minutes; transfer to bowl, stir in lemon zest and juice, and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, arrange bread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Broil until bread is deep golden and toasted on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
3. Spread almond butter evenly over toasts and, using slotted spoon, top with grapes. Drizzle with grape juice to taste and sprinkle with almonds and remaining ½ teaspoon thyme. Serve.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works Toast covered with chocolate-hazelnut spread and bananas is a kid-friendly favorite, but here we’ve given it a sophisticated, grown-up reboot. First, the chocolate-hazelnut spread: Yes, you could use the famous jarred stuff, but we created a homemade version as easy to make as it was superior in flavor and texture (like the texture of organic nut butter). Not to mention it’s make-ahead friendly, vegan, and less sweet than store-bought. Next, the bananas: We wanted to caramelize them without turning them into a dessert and were able to achieve this with just a little brown sugar and water, plus a touch of cinnamon. We loved the way the cinnamon enhanced the browning of the bananas and added a fantastic warmth to the overall flavor of the toast. Finally, for added crunch: a sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts. We encourage a gentle dusting of confectioners’ sugar for a pop of visual contrast. Look for yellow bananas with very few spots; overly ripe bananas will fall apart during cooking. We prefer our homemade Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread here, but you can use store-bought.
1 tablespoon refined coconut oil or unsalted butter
3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick on bias
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty bread
½ cup Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread
¼ cup skinned, chopped, and toasted hazelnuts
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
1. Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Melt oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bananas, water, sugar, cinnamon, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until bananas have just softened at edges, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to bowl, stir in lemon juice, and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, arrange bread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Broil until bread is deep golden and toasted on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
3. Spread chocolate-hazelnut spread evenly over toasts and top with banana mixture. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and confectioners’ sugar, if using. Serve.
Serves 18 (Makes about 9 cups)
Why This Recipe Works Store-bought granola suffers from many shortcomings. It’s often gravelly and dry, overly sweet, and infuriatingly expensive. Our homemade granola boasts large clusters; a crisp, rich texture; and just a touch of toasty sweetness. We found that the secret to getting this perfect texture was to firmly pack the granola mixture into a rimmed baking sheet before baking. Once it was baked, we could break it into crunchy clumps of any size of our choosing. Chopping the almonds by hand was best for superior texture and crunch; we tried the food processor but it did a lousy job of chopping the nuts evenly. To complement the nuts, we also liked plenty of chewy, wholesome raisins. For sweetness and to bind the granola together, we added modest amounts of light brown sugar and maple syrup. A little salt and vanilla were the only other flavorings we needed. You can substitute an equal quantity of slivered or sliced almonds for the whole almonds and an equal amount of your favorite dried fruit for the raisins. Do not use quick oats in this recipe.
⅓ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup packed (2⅓ ounces) light brown sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup vegetable oil
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups raw almonds, chopped coarse
2 cups raisins, chopped
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Fold in oats and almonds until thoroughly coated.
2. Transfer oat mixture to prepared sheet and spread into thin, even layer. Using stiff metal spatula, compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
3. Remove granola from oven and let sheet cool on wire rack, about 1 hour. Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size and stir in raisins. Serve. (Granola can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.)
REMOVING SKINS FROM BLANCHED NUTS
1. Place blanched and cooled nuts in dish towel and rub to remove skins.
2. Remove nuts from towel, leaving skins behind.
Makes 1½ cups
Hazelnut oil is the best choice here, but walnut oil also works; even with vegetable oil, your spread will still be superior to store-bought. Blanching the raw hazelnuts is the easiest way to remove their skins.
2 cups hazelnuts
6 tablespoons baking soda
1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
⅓ cup (1 ounce) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1. Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Bring 4 cups water to boil. Add hazelnuts and baking soda and boil for 3 minutes. Transfer nuts to ice bath with slotted spoon, drain, and rub skins off with dish towel.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place hazelnuts in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and roast until fragrant and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting.
3. Process hazelnuts in food processor until oil is released and smooth, loose paste forms, about 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl often.
4. Add sugar, cocoa, oil, vanilla, and salt and process until fully incorporated and mixture begins to loosen slightly and becomes glossy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
5. Transfer spread to jar with tight-fitting lid. (Chocolate-hazelnut spread can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 1 month.)
Serves 18 (Makes about 9 cups)
Why This Recipe Works Once we mastered our classic oat-based granola, we wanted to branch out and experiment with an oat-free version. We loved the crunch that toasted quinoa brought to a granola mixture, and we balanced the whole grains with quinoa flakes, which mimicked the texture of rolled oats and added a more delicate crunch that tasters found appealing. Almonds and sunflower seeds were mild enough to pair well with the quinoa, while unsweetened flaked coconut contributed flavor without making our granola too sweet. To complement the earthy flavor of the quinoa, we used extra-virgin olive oil. Maple syrup and a hefty amount of vanilla rounded things out with rich, warm sweetness, and the syrup held everything together in granola’s signature clumps. Stirring in dried cherries gave the finished quinoa granola a pop of bright fruitiness. We like the convenience of prewashed quinoa; rinsing removes the quinoa’s bitter protective coating (called saponin). If you buy unwashed quinoa, rinse it and then spread it out on a clean dish towel to dry for 15 minutes.
½ cup maple syrup
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups whole almonds, chopped coarse
2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup prewashed white quinoa
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
2 cups dried cherries, chopped
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk maple syrup, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Fold in almonds, coconut, quinoa flakes, quinoa, and sunflower seeds until thoroughly coated.
2. Transfer quinoa mixture to prepared sheet and spread into thin, even layer. Using stiff metal spatula, compress quinoa mixture until very compact. Bake until deep golden, 45 to 55 minutes.
3. Remove granola from oven and let sheet cool on wire rack, about 1 hour. Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size and stir in dried cherries. Serve. (Granola can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.)
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works This hearty porridge presents an ideal opportunity to enjoy several kinds of whole grains in one bowl. Millet’s mellow corn-like flavor and fine, starchy texture balanced the quinoa’s nutty, earthy flavor, while a smaller amount of amaranth added bold anise flavor and an intriguing, almost caviar-like texture. Cooking the grains in plenty of liquid encouraged them to swell and some to burst and release their starches, creating a creamy porridge. However, the 30-minute simmering time took longer than we wanted to wait for this hot cereal. So we hydrated the grains in hot water the night before. In the morning, we cooked the soaked grains in plant-based (or dairy) milk along with warm spices for just 8 minutes. Stirring in blueberries and a bit of maple syrup at the end accentuated the millet’s sweetness, balanced the sometimes-bitter quinoa, and tamed the robust flavor of the amaranth. We like the convenience of prewashed quinoa; rinsing removes the quinoa’s bitter protective coating (called saponin). If you buy unwashed quinoa, rinse it and then spread it out on a clean dish towel to dry for 15 minutes.
4 cups water
½ cup millet, rinsed
½ cup prewashed white quinoa
¼ cup amaranth, rinsed
½ teaspoon table salt
1 cup plant-based milk or dairy milk, plus extra as needed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
7½ ounces (1½ cups) blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1. Bring water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Remove pan from heat; stir in millet, quinoa, amaranth, and salt. Cover saucepan and let sit overnight.
2. Stir milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg into grains and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium- low and cook, stirring occasionally, until grains are tender and mixture is thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in berries and syrup and adjust consistency with additional hot milk as needed; porridge will thicken as it sits. Serve.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works While mixing fruit into oatmeal is certainly welcome, carrots are a more unexpected—yet equally pleasing—addition. Here we adapted the warm flavors of carrot cake, with grated carrot, currants, toasted pecans, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon. We enhanced the carroty flavor by using a combination of carrot juice and plant-based (or dairy) milk as the cooking liquid. Most oatmeal fans agree that the steel-cut version of the grain offers superior flavor and texture, but many understandably balk at the 40-minute cooking time typically required for steel-cut oats. We were able to decrease the cooking time to only 10 minutes by stirring steel-cut oats into boiling water the night before. As with our Three-Grain Breakfast Bowl, this enabled the grains to hydrate and soften overnight. In the morning, we added our juice and milk and then simmered the mixture for just a few minutes, until thick and creamy. A brief resting period off the heat ensured the perfect consistency. The oatmeal will continue to thicken as it cools. If you prefer a looser consistency, thin the oatmeal with boiling water.
3 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oats
¾ teaspoon table salt
½ cup carrot juice
½ cup plant-based milk or dairy milk
½ cup finely grated carrot
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
⅓ cup dried currants
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1. Bring water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Remove pan from heat; stir in oats and salt. Cover saucepan and let sit overnight.
2. Stir carrot juice, milk, carrot, sugar, currants, and cinnamon into oats and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until oats are softened but still retain some chew and mixture thickens and resembles warm pudding, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir, top with pecans, and serve.
NOTES FROM THE TEST KITCHEN
The concentrated sweet-tart flavor of dried fruits is a delicious complement to sweet or savory dishes. Here’s a quick rundown of our favorites.
Apricots Apricots treated with sulfur dioxide keep longer and have a sunny orange color; untreated apricots are much darker. They taste the same, however.
Blueberries The dried variety are typically wild blueberries, which are small and fleshy, with a highly concentrated blueberry flavor.
Cherries Ninety percent of dried cherries are made from sour cherries. Often the dried sour cherries are sweetened, but sometimes not.
Cranberries Fresh cranberries are usually infused with sweetened cranberry juice in the process of being dried.
Currants Currants are made from black Corinth grapes (not currant berries). Often called Zante currants, these fruits are smaller than raisins.
Figs Dried figs are relatively low in sugar compared to other dried fruits. Our favorite varieties are Calimyrna and Smyrna.
Goji Berries Intensely tart-sweet dried goji berries were once exotic but are now more readily available. Fresh and frozen goji berries are far more difficult to find.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works The fine texture and mild corny flavor of tiny millet grains make them extremely versatile in both sweet and savory applications (see our Curried Millet Cakes with Peach-Ginger Chutney on this page for a savory example). Sweet versions of simple millet porridge have been traditional hearty staples in eastern Europe and western Russia for centuries. For our modern take, we started by cooking the seeds in plenty of water, covered, until they turned tender; we then added plant-based (or dairy) milk for richness and continued to cook the millet, uncovered, to encourage the swollen seeds to burst and release their starch, thickening the porridge. Simple flavorings of maple syrup and cinnamon, plus a little salt, were all our porridge needed to turn it into a comforting, satisfying morning meal.
3 cups water
1 cup millet, rinsed
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 cup plant-based milk or dairy milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1. Bring water, millet, cinnamon, and salt to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until millet has absorbed all water and is almost tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Uncover and increase heat to medium, add milk, and simmer, stirring frequently, until millet is fully tender and mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in maple syrup and serve.
Serves 6
Why This Recipe Works Toasting quinoa, as we do for Quinoa Granola with Sunflower Seeds and Almonds (this page), brings out its deeply nutty qualities. But leaving it untoasted, as we do here, keeps its preparation quicker and its flavor profile on the more neutral side of the fence so that it can work with a variety of stir-ins. We started by cooking the grain with water until it was almost done and then we added plant-based (or dairy) milk for richness and a flavor boost and continued to cook until the milk was mostly absorbed and the quinoa had the consistency of porridge. With the technique nailed down, we looked at flavorings. Blueberries, almonds, and maple syrup were a great trio, and we particularly liked almond milk in this combo. Sweet-tart raspberries were delicious with mildly nutty sunflower seeds in a more unexpected pairing, while golden raisins, pistachios, cardamom, and brown sugar instead of maple syrup gave us an appealing version with an Indian-inspired profile. We like the convenience of prewashed quinoa; rinsing removes the quinoa’s bitter protective coating (called saponin). If you buy unwashed quinoa, rinse it and then spread it out on a clean dish towel to dry for 15 minutes.
1 cup prewashed white quinoa
1 cup water
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 cup plant-based milk or dairy milk, plus extra as needed
5 ounces (1 cup) fresh blueberries
½ cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1. Bring quinoa, water, and salt to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer until quinoa is just tender, 15 to 17 minutes.
2. Uncover, stir in milk, and cook, stirring often, until milk is mostly absorbed and mixture has thickened and has consistency of porridge, about 10 minutes. Stir in blueberries, almonds, and maple syrup and adjust consistency with additional hot milk as needed; mixture will thicken as it sits. Serve.
VARIATIONS
Hot Quinoa Cereal with Raspberries and Sunflower Seeds
Substitute raspberries for blueberries and toasted sunflower seeds for almonds.
Hot Quinoa Cereal with Golden Raisins and Pistachios
Substitute ½ cup golden raisins for blueberries, shelled pistachios for almonds, and 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar for maple syrup. Add pinch ground cardamom along with raisins in step 2.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works Muesli was created more than 100 years ago as a combination of rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit soaked overnight in milk or water for impr-oved texture and digestibility. Modern mueslis can include multitudes of ingredients, but we didn’t want to get fussy. A mixture of 3 parts oats to 2 parts add-ins offered an ideal balance of tastes and textures. While traditionally everything is raw, we found that toasting the nuts and seeds brought greater complexity to this simple cereal. For the nuts, we chose almonds. Picking a seed proved trickier. Soaked flaxseeds and chia seeds were overpowering in flavor and texture, but we loved the richness of toasted pepitas. We then added raisins and antioxidant-packed goji berries, which benefited from the soaking, as it softened their chewy texture. We finished with a handful of fresh fruit for serving. To make a single serving, combine ½ cup muesli with ⅓ cup plant-based (or dairy) milk in bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Muesli can also be served like regular cold cereal (with no overnight soaking).
1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup goji berries
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted and chopped
¼ cup pepitas, toasted
1⅔ cups plant-based milk or dairy milk
5 ounces (1 cup) blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries
1. Combine oats, raisins, goji berries, almonds, and pepitas in bowl. (Muesli can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.)
2. Stir milk into muesli until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Sprinkle with berries and serve.
VARIATION
Sunflower Seed, Hazelnut, and Cherry Muesli
Substitute dried cherries for goji berries; toasted, skinned, and chopped hazelnuts for almonds; and sunflower seeds for pepitas.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works When chia seeds are combined with liquid and soaked overnight, they create a seemingly magic gel, which thickens to produce a no-cook tapioca-like pudding. Thanks to that apparent alchemy and chia’s neutral flavor, the pudding makes a spectacular canvas for fruity toppings. We initially tried to cut back on the overnight soak by scalding the milk to speed up the thickening process. And it worked, sort of: After just 15 minutes, the hot pudding had thickened as much as it had after a cold overnight soak. But that speed came with downsides: a decidedly grassier, “seedier” flavor and the loss of the fresh notes we enjoyed in the cold-soaked pudding. So we stuck with the hands-off overnight method. Before we put it to bed for the night, we gave the pudding a quick second whisk 15 minutes after its initial mixing to make sure all the chia hydrated and to prevent clumping. To flavor the base pudding, we kept things simple with vanilla extract and maple syrup—all the better to let our imagination run wild when it came to toppings.
2 cups plant-based milk or dairy milk, plus extra for serving
½ cup chia seeds
2 tablespoons maple syrup, plus extra for serving
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
10 ounces (2 cups) blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries, and/or sliced bananas
¼ cup unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted
1. Whisk milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt together in bowl. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes, then whisk again to break up any clumps. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 1 week.
2. Adjust consistency of pudding with additional milk as needed. Top individual portions of pudding with ½ cup fruit and 1 tablespoon coconut, and drizzle with maple syrup to taste before serving.
Spread coconut in even layer on large plate and microwave on high power until golden brown, stirring at 30-second intervals. Time will vary depending on amount of coconut.
Serves 12 (Makes 12 muffins)
Why This Recipe Works The classic blueberry muffin never goes out of style, and plant-based eating doesn’t mean you have to give up this comforting favorite morning treat. We tested versions with plant-based yogurt, plant-based milk, and vegetable oil, and while these swaps were fairly straightforward and interchangeable with dairy products, replacing the eggs was not as easy. As we learned, most egg substitutes do not result in a tender muffin with an open crumb. But aquafaba, the liquid in canned chickpeas that is so versatile in vegan baking, came to our rescue; when whipped with cream of tartar in a stand mixer, the aquafaba transformed into a stiff foam that trapped tiny air bubbles just like whipped eggs would do, and this translated into a fluffy muffin crumb structure identical to that of our favorite nonvegan blueberry muffin. A sprinkling of turbinado sugar over the tops sealed the deal, creating golden brown, crisp, and shimmering muffin tops that made these muffins look as appealing as those in a bakery case. You can substitute frozen (unthawed) blueberries for fresh in this recipe.
2⅔ cups (13⅓ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
5 ounces (1 cup) blueberries
1 cup plain plant-based yogurt or dairy yogurt
⅔ cup plant-based milk or dairy milk
7 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) aquafaba (this page)
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly grease 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. Add blueberries and gently toss to combine. Whisk yogurt, milk, and oil in second bowl until smooth; set aside.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip aquafaba and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff foam that clings to whisk forms, 3 to 9 minutes. Using rubber spatula, fold yogurt mixture into flour mixture until no dry flour remains; do not overmix (batter will be thick). Stir one-third of whipped aquafaba into batter to lighten, then add remaining aquafaba and gently fold batter with rubber spatula until no white streaks remain.
3. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over top. Bake until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin for 20 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 12 (Makes 12 muffins)
Why This Recipe Works For this delicate, cakey muffin, we used a simple mixture of plant-based yogurt and plant-based milk to replace the usual dairy ingredients (although you can use dairy, if you like). As with our Blueberry Muffins, most of the common egg substitutes we tried gave us heavy, dense muffins, but aquafaba, the liquid found in canned chickpeas, acted as the perfect stand-in for eggs when whipped to stiff peaks and folded into the batter. While we love fresh fruit in our muffins, we also love dried fruit and wanted to incor-porate that in this recipe. We first tried figs, but they absorbed too much moisture from the batter, resulting in dry muffins; plus, the crunch from the seeds was a little off-putting for some tasters. Dried cherries were the resounding winner. Lots of orange zest brightened up the muffins, while the subtle piney notes from the rosemary made them feel sophisticated.
2⅔ cups (13⅓ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
¾ teaspoon table salt
2 cups dried cherries
1 cup plain plant-based yogurt or dairy yogurt
⅔ cup plant-based milk or dairy milk
7 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) aquafaba (this page)
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly grease 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, rosemary, and salt together in large bowl. Add dried cherries and gently toss to combine. Whisk yogurt, milk, oil, and orange zest in second bowl until smooth; set aside.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip aquafaba and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff foam that clings to whisk forms, 3 to 9 minutes. Using rubber spatula, fold yogurt mixture into flour mixture until no dry flour remains; do not overmix (batter will be thick). Stir one-third of whipped aquafaba into batter to lighten, then add remaining aquafaba and gently fold batter with rubber spatula until no white streaks remain.
3. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over top. Bake until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin for 20 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 8 (Makes 8 scones)
Why This Recipe Works Light, fluffy, and barely sweet, traditional British-style cream scones are made by cutting cubes of chilled butter into the dry ingredients for the greatest flakiness. As the scones bake, the butter melts, creating little air pockets. To try to replicate this, we turned to coconut oil, our preferred fat for vegan baking. Since it is solid at room temperature, it behaved similar to butter in terms of distri-bution throughout the dough. Because coconut oil doesn’t have the water content that butter does, we found that we could skip the step of chilling the coconut oil to keep it solid while working with it. Instead, we simply pinched room-temperature coconut oil into pieces and pulsed them into the dry ingredients in the food processor for even distribution of the fat. You need room-temperature (solid) coconut oil for this recipe; it does not need to be melted. The dough will be quite soft and wet; dust the counter and your hands with flour. Make sure not to overwork the dough and to bake the scones on two stacked baking sheets so the bottoms don’t scorch. Do not use dairy products in this recipe; the dough will not come together.
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons refined coconut oil
½ cup dried currants
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons plant-based creamer, divided
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set rimmed baking sheet in second rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper.
2. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses. Pinch off ¼-inch pieces of oil into flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with some pea-size pieces of oil remaining, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in currants. Stir in creamer until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
3. Turn dough and any floury bits out onto lightly floured counter and knead until rough, slightly sticky ball forms, 5 to 10 seconds. Pat dough into 8-inch round and cut into 8 wedges. Evenly space wedges on prepared sheet and brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons creamer. Bake until tops are light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
VARIATION
Omit 2 tablespoons creamer for brushing. Substitute ½ cup chopped crystallized ginger for currants and add ginger to food processor with oil. Whisk 1¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice in bowl until smooth. Pour glaze over cooled scones and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 8 (Makes 8 scones)
Why This Recipe Works The unexpected flavors in these scones will make them a highly anticipated treat on any morning table. There are plenty of pumpkin-flavored baked goods out there, so we thought sweet potato would make a fun twist on that theme. Initially we tried grating it (a no-go: it looked weirdly like shredded cheese), so then we tried microwaving a whole sweet potato and scooping out the flesh, which made for a better texture. A trio of warm spices (ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg) enhanced the sweet potato flavor. We added a handful of pepitas for color and crunch and a generous dose of mini chocolate chips. A brush with plant-based creamer before baking gave our scones a subtle sheen worthy of the brunch table. You need room-temperature (solid) coconut oil for this recipe; it does not need to be melted. The dough will be quite soft and wet; dust the counter and your hands with flour. Make sure not to overwork the dough and to bake the scones on two stacked baking sheets so the bottoms don’t scorch. Do not use dairy products in this recipe; the dough will not come together. Not all chocolate chips are vegan; read the package carefully.
1 small sweet potato (8 ounces), unpeeled, pricked with fork several times
1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (2¾ ounces) whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons refined coconut oil
⅓ cup (2 ounces) mini bittersweet chocolate chips
¼ cup raw pepitas
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based creamer, divided
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set rimmed baking sheet in second rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Microwave sweet potato on plate until very soft, 6 to 9 minutes, flipping potato over halfway through microwaving. Immediately slice potato in half lengthwise to release steam and set aside to cool.
2. Pulse all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses. Pinch off ¼-inch pieces of oil into flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in chocolate chips and pepitas.
3. Scoop sweet potato flesh from skins into now-empty processor bowl (you should have ½ cup sweet potato); discard skins. Add ¾ cup creamer to sweet potato and process until smooth puree forms, about 10 seconds. Stir sweet potato- creamer mixture into dry ingredients until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
4. Turn dough and any floury bits out onto lightly floured counter and knead until rough, slightly sticky ball forms, 5 to 10 seconds. Pat dough into 8-inch round and cut into 8 wedges. Evenly space wedges on prepared sheet, and brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons creamer. Bake until light golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
VARIATION
Maple-Glazed Spiced Sweet Potato Scones
Omit 2 tablespoons creamer for brushing. Substitute dried cranberries for mini chocolate chips. Whisk ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon water in bowl until smooth. Pour glaze over cooled scones and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTES FROM THE TEST KITCHEN
NUTS AND SEEDS
Tiny but mighty, nuts and seeds are indispensable ingredients in any plant-based pantry. They are high in protein, with abundant healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, great texture, and rich flavor. Plus, their convenience and versatility make them a supersimple way to add all these nutrients to virtually any dish, from breakfast to main courses or sides to desserts. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of these powerhouses.
Storing Nuts and Seeds All nuts and seeds are high in oil and will become rancid fairly quickly if left at room temperature. In the test kitchen, we store all nuts and seeds in the freezer in freezer-safe zipper-lock bags. They will keep for months stored this way, and there’s no need to defrost before using or toasting them.
Toasting Nuts Toasting nuts deepens their flavors and gives them a satisfying crunchy texture. To toast a small amount (less than 1 cup), put the nuts in a dry small skillet over medium heat. Shake the skillet occasionally to prevent scorching and toast until they are lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 8 minutes. To toast more than 1 cup, spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in a 350-degree oven. To promote even toasting, shake the baking sheet every few minutes, and toast until the nuts are lightly browned and fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. To avoid burning them, remove them from the skillet or baking sheet immediately after toasting.
Toasting Seeds Toast seeds in a dry 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the seeds turn golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. To prevent burning, remove them from the skillet after toasting.
Skinning Toasted Nuts The skins from some nuts, such as hazelnuts and walnuts, can impart a bitter flavor and an undesirable texture in some dishes. To remove the skins from toasted nuts, simply rub the hot toasted nuts inside a clean dish towel.
Serves 8 (Makes 8 biscuits)
Why This Recipe Works Served for brunch alongside a scramble or our tofu frittata (this page), simply smeared with jam, or even paired with a warm bowl of soup for lunch or dinner, drop biscuits are delicious and supereasy. These tender little breads get their name from their signature method of simply stirring the liquid ingredients (typically melted fat and buttermilk) into the dry ingredients and then “dropping” the clumpy, wet batter onto the baking sheet and popping it into the oven. The method can turn out disappointingly gummy results because of the melted fat, and we faced the same challenge while developing our vegan-optional rendition. We overcame it by melting and slightly cooling the fat before adding it to cold liquid; the melted fat then solidified into tiny clumps. These little lumps of fat worked to our advantage when stirred throughout the batter, making for consistently tender biscuits. Adding lemon juice to the batter gave our biscuits a welcome buttermilk-like tang while allowing us to use either plant-based or dairy milk, and the juice boosted the leavening power of the baking powder and baking soda to create light and fluffy biscuits. Be sure to bake the biscuits on two stacked baking sheets so the bottoms don’t scorch.
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon table salt
1 cup plant-based milk or dairy milk, chilled
½ cup refined coconut oil or 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Set rimmed baking sheet in second baking sheet and line with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk milk, melted oil, and lemon juice together in second bowl (oil will clump). Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just incorporated.
3. Using greased ⅓-cup dry measuring cup, drop level scoops of batter 1½ inches apart on prepared sheet. Bake until tops are golden, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
4. Transfer biscuits to wire rack and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4 to 6
Why This Recipe Works These buttermilk-style pancakes are fluffy, tender, and full of toasty, buttery, rise-and-shine flavor. To develop a vegan-optional version, we needed to find successful substitutes for the buttermilk and eggs—without compromising on flavor or texture. Acidic buttermilk, when combined with alkaline baking soda, yields a fluffy crumb and a rich, complex flavor in pancakes. We were able to achieve this effect using a combination of plant-based (or dairy) milk and lemon juice, plus baking soda. When we simply omitted eggs from the recipe, the pancakes were pasty and mushy. We tested our way through substitutes, and we liked the way ground flaxseeds provided structure and just the right amount of chew. We simply added the flax to the dry ingredients; the milk hydrated it and unleashed its binding properties. We prefer ground golden flaxseeds for their mild flavor and more golden color, and the marginally fluffier texture they give our pancakes, but ground brown flaxseeds can be used. The pancakes can be cooked on an electric griddle. Set the griddle temperature to 350 degrees and cook as directed.
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground golden flaxseeds
¾ teaspoon table salt
2 cups plant-based milk or dairy milk, room temperature
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus 2 teaspoons refined coconut oil or unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground flaxseeds, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk milk, 3 tablespoons melted oil, and lemon juice together in second bowl. Make well in center of flour mixture, add milk mixture to well, and gently whisk until just incorporated with few lumps remaining (do not overmix).
2. Melt 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides of pan. Using ¼-cup measure, portion batter into pan in 3 places. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately or transfer to wire rack in oven and tent with aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining 1 teaspoon oil as needed.
Serves 4 to 6
Why This Recipe Works Think a whole-wheat pancake that’s delicious and superlatively light and fluffy—and that can also be made vegan—is impossible? Think again, because here it is. Many whole-wheat pancakes call for a mix of whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, but we found that we got an even better result using only whole-wheat flour. That’s because whole-wheat flour doesn’t contribute to gluten development to the degree that white flour does, so these pancakes were ultratender. To replace the eggs, we tried multiple substitutes, but they all weighed down our pancakes. In fact, we found that, unlike with our Classic Pancakes, which became pasty and mushy without any egg substitutes, we liked these whole-wheat pancakes best with no egg replacers at all. The whole-wheat flour is higher in protein than white flour, so it’s hefty enough to support a crumb that’s made fluffy by just the right combination of baking soda and lemon juice. The pancakes can be cooked on an electric griddle. Set the griddle temperature to 350 degrees and cook as directed.
2 cups (11 ounces) whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
2½ cups plant-based milk or dairy milk, room temperature
¼ cup refined coconut oil or 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus 2 teaspoons refined coconut oil or unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk milk, ¼ cup melted oil, lemon juice, and vanilla together in second bowl. Make well in center of flour mixture, add milk mixture to well, and whisk until smooth.
3. Melt 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides of pan. Using ¼-cup measure, portion batter into pan in 3 places. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately or transfer to wire rack in oven and tent with aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining 1 teaspoon oil as needed.
Serves 4 to 6
Why This Recipe Works These pancakes are carrot cake in acceptable brunch form: tangy, packed with shredded carrots and toasted walnuts, and redolent of cinnamon. We followed a similar template to our Classic Pancakes (this page), using all-purpose flour, plant-based (or dairy) milk, lemon juice, baking soda, and ground flaxseeds to replace eggs. As a crowning touch, we made a sweetened, vanilla-scented yogurt sauce for serving—an irresistible and vegan-optional take on cream cheese frosting that makes these pancakes worthy of a leisurely weekend morning. We prefer ground golden flaxseeds for their mild flavor and more golden color, and the marginally fluffier texture they give our pancakes, but ground brown flaxseeds can be used. The pancakes can be cooked on an electric griddle. Set the griddle temperature to 350 degrees and cook as directed.
1¼ cups plain plant-based yogurt or dairy yogurt
6 tablespoons (2⅔ ounces) sugar, divided
2½ teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground golden flaxseeds
¾ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups plant-based milk or dairy milk, room temperature
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus 2 teaspoons refined coconut oil or unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups shredded carrots
¾ cup toasted chopped walnuts
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Whisk yogurt, 3 tablespoons sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla together in small bowl; set aside.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground flaxseeds, salt, nutmeg, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar together in large bowl. Whisk milk, 3 tablespoons melted oil, lemon juice, and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla together in second bowl. Make well in center of flour mixture, add milk mixture to well, and gently whisk until just incorporated with few lumps remaining (do not overmix). Stir in carrots until just combined.
3. Melt 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides of pan. Using ¼-cup measure, portion batter into pan in 3 places. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons walnuts over each pancake.
4. Flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately with yogurt sauce or transfer to wire rack in oven and tent with aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining 1 teaspoon oil as needed.
Serves 4 (Makes four 7-inch waffles)
Why This Recipe Works Belgian is our favorite style of waffle—thick, with deep pockets, plus a crispy, browned crust and a rich, custardy interior that holds up to liberal pours of maple syrup. We were delighted when we were able to create a version that met this ideal without eggs. Our waffles owe their custardy interior in large part to a key ingredient: cornstarch. Without any cornstarch, the waffles had an airy, hollow interior, while too much cornstarch yielded dense, doughy insides. A moderate amount, however, produced a delicate yet pleasantly chewy, nearly soufflé-like texture. To achieve a crisp, golden, slightly lacy exterior, we opted for coconut oil; vegetable oil yielded a tougher, chewier crust. We also found that a small amount of baking soda helped our waffles brown like conventional versions. The final step in getting a golden, crisp crust was nailing the cooking time; we needed to cook the waffles for 5 to 6 minutes, significantly longer than for many other waffle recipes. While many waffle makers have an indicator light and an audible alert to tell you when your waffle is done, we always suggest following the visual cues to determine doneness. Do not use dairy products in this recipe; the batter will be too liquidy and will run out the sides of the waffle iron.
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
2 cups plant-based milk, room temperature
¼ cup refined coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Heat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven.
2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk milk, melted oil, lemon juice, and vanilla together in second bowl. Make well in center of flour mixture, add milk mixture to well, and gently whisk until just incorporated with few lumps remaining (do not overmix).
3. Spray preheated waffle iron with vegetable oil spray. Add scant 1 cup batter to waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions until crisp, firm, and golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve immediately or transfer to wire rack in oven. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serves 4
Why This Recipe Works Since French toast is basically bread dipped into a mixture of milk and eggs, we knew it would be challenging to create a vegan-optional version. We experimented with many batters, all using plant-based milk mixed with various combinations of flour, cornstarch, aquafaba, chia seeds, and/or flaxseeds in an attempt to replace the eggs. In the end, we found that simple cornstarch created the cleanest and crispest covering for our delicate slices of bread (and it works with dairy milk, too). A persistent problem with all of our batters was gooey insides in the finished French toast. Adapting the soaking method to just barely saturate the bread before baking the slices on a sheet pan in the oven did the trick and created a pleasant contrast between a crunchy outside and a tender, custardy inside. And even better, the entire batch cooked at the same time, so no one has to wait. We developed this recipe with presliced sandwich bread of standard thickness (½ to ¾ inch thick) and roughly 4 by 6 inches in size; do not use thin-sliced sandwich bread or rustic artisan loaves. Different breads will absorb varying amounts of batter; use the lower end of the time range for soaking softer, more delicate slices. Be sure to use vegetable oil spray; it contains lecithin, which ensures that the oil stays well distributed, preventing the toast from sticking to the pan. This recipe can easily be halved; just be sure to use a smaller rimmed baking sheet.
6 tablespoons (1½ ounces) cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon table salt
1½ cups plant-based milk or dairy milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Adjust 1 oven rack to lowest position and second rack 5 to 6 inches from broiler element. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Generously spray bottom and sides of 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.
2. Whisk cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in large bowl. Add milk, oil, and vanilla and whisk until combined; transfer to shallow dish. Working with 1 slice of bread at a time, soak bread in milk mixture until just saturated, 3 to 5 seconds per side. Using your hands and spatula for extra support, lift bread out of batter, allowing excess batter to drip back into dish, then place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining bread and batter, arranging soaked bread in single layer on sheet and whisking batter between each slice to recombine.
3. Bake on lower rack until bottoms of slices are golden brown, 12 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to upper rack, heat broiler, and broil until tops of slices are golden brown, watching carefully and rotating sheet as needed to prevent burning, 1 to 4 minutes.
4. Carefully flip each slice broiled side down. Serve.
Serves 8 to 10 (Makes 1 loaf)
Why This Recipe Works Banana bread is cherished for its moist, buttery texture and deep banana flavor. Most of the starches in bananas turn to sugar as they ripen, which is why most recipes call for overripe bananas. However, while working on this stellar vegan-optional version of the beloved treat, we found ourselves turning out loaf after loaf of dense, wet, and sticky breads. That’s how we discovered something surprising: Ripe but firm bananas—those that still look good enough to eat—are the best for vegan banana bread. Because just-ripe bananas are starchier, they contributed to a banana bread with a more open crumb and a structure so sturdy on its own that it didn’t require the addition of any egg substitute at all. And these just-ripe bananas work great with either plant-based or dairy yogurt in the batter. If you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier.
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (5¼ ounces) sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse (optional)
3 ripe large bananas (1¼ pounds), peeled
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
⅓ cup plain plant-based yogurt or dairy yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. Stir in walnuts, if using; set aside.
2. Pulse bananas in food processor until mostly smooth, with some ½-inch lumps remaining, about 10 pulses. Add oil, yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla and continue to pulse until well combined and only pea-size lumps of banana remain, about 4 pulses.
3. Gently fold banana mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until top is firm and deep golden, about 1 hour, rotating pan halfway through baking.
4. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely on wire rack, about 3 hours, before serving.
Serves 8 to 10 (Makes 1 loaf)
Why This Recipe Works Zucchini bread, vegan or not, doesn’t get enough love. Baked goods are a great way to use up a bounty of zucchini, and this quick bread, with walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg, is worthy of adoration. Because of its high moisture content, zucchini produces a moist crumb, but if not used correctly, it can leave baked goods extremely wet and gummy. By removing a majority of the juice from the zucchini, along with most other sources of moisture, and lowering the fat, we were able to use a whopping 1½ pounds of squash without sacrificing a moist and tender crumb. Because of the amount of moisture still given to us from the zucchini, we were even able to omit dairy altogether and use vegetable oil in lieu of eggs. If you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than advised. The zucchini mixture will at first look dry, but as it starts to shed moisture it will quickly gain a batter-like consistency. Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the zucchini.
1½ pounds zucchini, shredded
1¼ cups packed (8¾ ounces) brown sugar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (2¾ ounces) whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Wrap zucchini in clean dish towel and squeeze thoroughly of excess moisture, discarding liquid (you should have ½ to ⅔ cup liquid). Whisk brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Fold in zucchini until combined (mixture will look dry).
2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg together in large bowl. Gently fold zucchini mixture and walnuts, if using, into flour mixture until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top, and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
3. Bake until top is firm and toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1¼ hours, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let bread cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely on wire rack, about 3 hours, before serving.
Serves 8 to 10
Why This Recipe Works A perfect, indulgent coffee cake consists of two simple elements: a rich cake and a lightly spiced crumb topping. But most dairy-free and egg-free versions we encountered were either dry and cottony or dense and sticky. We set out to make the ultimate vegan-optional coffee cake—flavorful and tender yet with enough structure to support a nutty topping. For simplicity and less cleanup, we used our food processor from start to finish to make both the topping and the batter. Substituting vegan products for the dairy elements turned out to be easy (and the two are interchangeable in this recipe), and after testing through a roster of egg substitutes, we realized that the best replacement was none at all. Our eggless coffee cake was plenty tender, but it did need more lift, so we increased the amount of leavener and liquid. We also found that using both all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour gave our cake better structure. A final trick: Letting the cake batter rest in the pan for 15 minutes before sprinkling on the topping ensured that the cake rose properly under its weight. A bit of melted coconut oil and water were the perfect binder for a topping that formed into sturdy crumb nuggets on top of our cake.
Streusel
½ cup pecans, toasted
¼ cup packed (1¾ ounces) brown sugar
⅓ cup (1⅔ ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons water
Cake
1¼ cups (6¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup (4⅛ ounces) whole-wheat flour
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons refined coconut oil or unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and softened
1¼ cups plant-based milk or dairy milk
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
1. For the streusel Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch springform pan. Place pan on rimmed baking sheet. Process pecans and sugar in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Add flour, cinnamon, and salt and pulse to combine, about 5 pulses. Add melted oil and water and pulse until oil is fully incorporated and mixture begins to form clumps, 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer streusel to bowl. Using your fingers, break apart any large clumps (streusel should have fine, sandy texture); set aside.
2. For the cake Process all-purpose flour, sugar, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in clean, dry food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. Add oil and pulse until mixture resembles fine meal, five to eight 5-second pulses. Add milk, lemon juice, and vanilla; pulse until dry ingredients are moistened, 4 to 5 pulses. Scrape down sides of bowl. Continue to pulse until mixture is well combined, 4 or 5 pulses. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Let batter rest for 15 minutes.
3. Starting at edges of pan, sprinkle streusel in even layer over batter, breaking apart any large clumps that may have formed. Bake on baking sheet until center is firm and skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer cake to wire rack and let cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pan and let cake cool completely, about 3 hours. Slide offset spatula between cake and pan bottom and carefully slide cake onto platter. Cut into wedges with serrated knife and serve.