Remember warm cookies fresh from the oven after school or an apple crumb dessert served after dinner? Oats seep into our memories and always find their way into happy everyday events.
I admit that when I had the idea for this book I wasn’t thinking of having a dessert chapter at all. However, my testers talked me into it and, as usual, they were right. I think you will enjoy these oat-inspired goodies, too.
I have a few oatmeal cookies: an old-fashioned recipe that has you pick your own mix-ins, so you can re-create the cookies from your childhood; a coconut variation, with just a hint of almond; and finally a crunchy oat shortbread that’s flavored with bourbon.
I’ve dressed up the obligatory crumble in its holiday finery to create a gingerbread pear crumble and decked out a pie with an oatmeal cookie crust. I’m sharing Ann Oliverio’s delicious Humble Pie, a chai-spiced oatmeal tart that I know you’re going to love.
For a change of pace, I have mini fat-free raspberry cakes that are super moist from vegan yogurt. (Make sure to look in the chapter on Do It Yourself Homemade Staples, which begins here, to learn how to make your own oat milk yogurt at home.)
Little healthy turtle truffle bites come together quickly and make a great gift. The chocolate terrine is made by cooking a thick oat groat milk until it becomes pudding-like and then cooling it in the refrigerator until it magically firms up enough to slice.
This is a wonderful way to keep your holidays healthy, and it takes less time to make than a batch of cookies. If you aren’t a huge molasses fan, you can use half the amount or even replace it with another sweetener. Depending on what you have on hand, use either apples or a combination of pears and apples.
TOPPING INGREDIENTS
1 cup (96 g) rolled oats
1 cup (132 g) whole wheat pastry flour (*use a gluten-free baking mix)
¼ cup (60 ml) agave nectar
2 tablespoons (40 g) molasses
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cloves
FILLING INGREDIENTS
5 cups (805 g) chopped pears (peeled if not organic)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) agave nectar, optional
pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with oil. (**You can also line with parchment paper or use a nonstick pan to make it oil-free.)
Combine all of the topping ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
If your pears aren’t very sweet, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of agave nectar and a pinch of salt.
Spread out the pear mixture in the casserole dish.
Crumble the gingerbread topping over the pears, then bake for 30 minutes.
PER SERVING: Calories 202.3, protein 3.1 g, total fat 1.1 g, carbohydrates 47.2 g, sodium 1.9 mg, fiber 5.7 g
Serve this in the summer by using berries or stone fruit as your star ingredient or replacing the molasses with agave nectar or the sweetener of your choice to taste. Leave out the warming winter spices, and mix in some fresh chopped herbs like basil, thyme or mint with the fruit.
This pie has a homey oatmeal cookie crust and is filled with juicy spiced apples. Topped with a pecan crumb, this pie is dressed up in a tart pan, making it appropriate for both a fancy dinner party and a simple weeknight meal. Please note that you need to use a tart pan or springform pan for this to come out in one beautiful piece. If you don’t have one, the pie tastes just as great served as a crumble!
CRUST
2 cups (193 g) rolled oats
¼ cup (52 ml) coconut oil
¼ cup (58 ml) nondairy milk
2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flaxseed mixed with 4 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons (30 g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt
FILLING
3 cups (375 g) peeled and chopped apples
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
3 tablespoons (45 g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
TOPPING
¼ cup (28 g) pecans
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and spray an 8” (20-cm) tart or springform pan with oil. Set aside for later. (Please note that if you do not use a pan with a removable bottom, the bottom pie crust will crumble.)
Toast the oats in a dry nonstick sauté pan on medium heat. Keep stirring so they do not burn. The oats are done when fragrant. It will take about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add all the crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse until it starts to come together and form a ball. You may need to stop and scrape down the bowl a few times before pulsing again. Take about ⅔ of the mix out of the food processor, leaving ⅓ for the topping, and press into the tart pan with your hands to form the crust.
Mix all the filling ingredients together in a mixing bowl, then pour into the prepared crust.
You will now finish making the topping. ⅓ of the crust ingredients should still be in the food processor, so throw in the pecans and process until the pecans are tiny. Crumble this over the top of the pie and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust sets up and the top browns.
Cool completely before you try to remove the pie from the tart pan and serve.
PER SERVING: Calories 215.5, protein 3.3 g, total fat 11.7 g, carbohydrates 22.2 g, sodium 7.9 mg, fiber 2.9 g
I have to try every vegan chai-inspired recipe that I come across. This one has a date-walnut crust that holds the oatmeal chai filling with raspberries. This recipe is the work of one of my favorite vegan bloggers, Ann Oliverio of AnUnrefinedVegan.com. Her recipes are always fun and innovative, like this elevated twist to an old-fashioned oatmeal pie. Thanks, Ann!
CRUST
1½ cups (227 g) figs chopped with stems removed
1 cup (110 g) walnuts
4 dates, chopped
¼ cup (35 g) crystallized ginger
dash of cinnamon and ground cardamom
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
1 cup (123 g) fresh or thawed frozen raspberries (plus more for garnish)
¼ cup (80 g) fruit-juice sweetened raspberry preserves
FILLING
1 cup (80 g) uncooked steel-cut oats
4 cups (940 ml) strongly brewed chai tea (1 teabag per cup of water)
⅛ cup (24 g) chia seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
dash black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ a medium orange, zested
¼ cup (38 g) dates, chopped and soaked for a few hours, then drained
3 tablespoons (45 ml) pure maple syrup
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (75 ml) nondairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
COCONUT-VANILLA SAUCE
1 cup (225 ml) full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup (63 ml) water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon agave nectar or maple syrup
In a food processor, add the figs, walnuts and dates and process until chunky. Add the ginger, cinnamon and water and process until fairly smooth. Pat mixture into a 10” (25.4-cm) tart pan that has a removable bottom about 1½ inches (3.8-cm) deep (with removable bottom), bringing it up along the sides.
In a small bowl, lightly crush the fresh raspberries and then stir in the raspberry preserves.
Pour the mixture onto the crust and spread evenly. Cover and chill until needed.
Ann also runs the well-known Virtual Vegan Potluck twice a year. Be sure to bookmark VirtualVeganPotluck.com for recipes shared by hundreds of bloggers, or share one yourself!
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the steel-cut oats with 3 cups (700 ml) of the chai tea. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight, or for about 8 hours.
In the morning, add more tea to the oats if necessary. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer gently, adding more tea if the mixture becomes too dry. Stir in the chia seeds, spices and orange zest. Cook until the oats are very soft, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, process the dates, maple syrup, milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour in about half of the oat mixture and process until smooth. Pour the processed oats back in with the whole oats and stir well.
Pour the oat mixture into the prepared crust, smooth the top and add some more raspberries if you like. Put the pie into the refrigerator to set. This only takes a couple of hours.
Combine and heat all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Keep sauce warm until you are ready to serve with the pie.
To serve, slice the pie (a wet knife helps) and warm for a few seconds in the microwave.
Drizzle with the warm sauce and sprinkle with additional raspberries.
PER SERVING: Calories 422.7, protein 7.6 g, total fat 18.1 g, carbohydrates 58.5 g, sodium 28.9 mg, fiber 6.9 g
There’s nothing quite like a bite of shortbread. It’s a dense cookie that’s traditionally made with flour, butter and salt, but even a few of the old recipes include oats for a nice crumbly texture. Oats are a staple in Scotland, and the small amount of bourbon gives this recipe a faint butterscotch flavor. If you don’t imbibe, you could use plain vanilla extract in its place.
⅓ cup (70 ml) coconut oil, room temperature
⅓ cup (80 ml) vegan margarine (like Earth Balance)
⅓ cup (80 g) coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) bourbon
⅔ cup (60 g) oat flour (or rolled oats processed into flour)
⅔ cup (80 g) whole wheat pastry flour
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare a large cookie sheet with spray oil or by lining with parchment paper.
Cream the coconut oil, vegan margarine, coconut sugar and bourbon in a mixer or with two forks in a medium mixing bowl.
In a smaller bowl mix the flours and salt. Then add the flour mixure to the coconut oil mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
You have a few choices on how to shape the dough: You could bake it as one big circle or rectangle. Either way, score the cookies a little more than halfway through into the size you’d like. You can also decorate the cookie segments with holes by using a fork.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges turn brown.
PER COOKIE: Calories 156.8, protein 1.3 g, total fat 13.2 g, carbohydrates 10.6 g, sodium 61.5 mg, fiber 1.4 g
You can also make individual cookies by using wax paper to roll the cookie dough into a log shape. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour and cut into slices. You can make these as thick or as thin as you want them. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
If you need something that reminds you of your childhood and puts the cheer back into your day, then this recipe is for you. These cookies are easy to make, and the best part is that you can add your favorites into the mix.
OAT MIXTURE
1 cup (96 g) rolled oats
2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flaxseed
1 cup (237 ml) nondairy milk
DRY INGREDIENTS
1¼ cups (165 g) whole wheat pastry flour (*use a gluten-free baking mix)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
WET MIXTURE
⅓ cup (70 ml) coconut oil (**use applesauce or mashed banana to make oil-free)
⅓ cup (80 g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
¼ cup (81 ml) agave nectar or maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
MIX-IN CHOICES (PICK 2)
½ cup (85 g) vegan chocolate chips
½ cup (70 g) chopped nuts
½ cup (75 g) chopped dried figs
½ cup (75 g) chopped dried apricots
½ cup (70 g) raisins
½ cup (60 g) dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spread two cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with oil.
Combine the oat mixture ingredients in a small bowl, then set aside. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Cream the coconut oil and coconut sugar together in a mixer or with 2 forks in a large bowl. Once it comes together and is fluffy, mix in the agave nectar and vanilla. Then add the oat mixture and mix well.
Add half the dry mixture and mix until just incorporated, then add the other half with your mix-ins and thoroughly combine.
Use a 1-tablespoon (15-g) cookie scoop to make the cookies and press flat with the back of a spoon or your hand. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cookies are slightly brown on top and caramel brown underneath.
Repeat until all the cookies are baked, and store in an airtight container. If you don’t want that many cookies all at once, you can freeze some of the measured-out cookie dough in parchment paper and surprise your family with warm cookies fresh out of the oven another time with almost no effort!
PER LARGE COOKIE (WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND NUTS): Calories 56.4, protein 1.0 g, total fat 2.8 g, carbohydrates 7.4 g, sodium 28.0 mg, fiber 0.8 g
• If you’d like to lower the sugar content but keep all the sweetness, use ¼ teaspoon of stevia plus ¼ cup (80 ml) milk in place of the agave.
• Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of your favorite ground spice like cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom to spice things up.
• Try white chocolate with fresh cranberries for a holiday treat.
These perfectly portioned and moist fat-free cakes are an easy end to a relaxing dinner at home. You could drizzle some chocolate over the top, like Guilt-free Stevia Chocolate Syrup (here), but I personally love them just as they are. Freeze a few leftovers in single servings to have whenever you crave something sweet.
DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups (180 g) oat flour (or make your own from rolled oats here)
1 cup (132 g) whole wheat pastry flour (*use gluten-free baking mix)
1 cup (150 g) almond flour
1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
WET INGREDIENTS
1 cup (227 g) plain vegan yogurt
½ cup (100 g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
¼ cup (60 g) agave nectar
2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flaxseeds mixed with 4 tablespoons warm water
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla
1 (120 oz [340 g]) bag of frozen raspberries
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C), and either line the muffin tins with paper liners to keep the recipe oil-free or spray with oil to prepare.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix all the wet ingredients except the raspberries.
Add the dry to the wet, mix well and then fold in the raspberries. Portion into muffin tins and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center can be touched without leaving a depression.
PER MINI CAKE: Calories 159.7, protein 4.1 g, total fat 4.5 g, carbohydrates 29.5 g, sodium 40.0 mg, fiber 3.5 g
This two-bite dessert is rich with date caramel, pecans and chocolate chips all held together with oatmeal. You could leave out the chocolate chips or substitute with cocoa nibs to make this healthy enough for a morning energy bite. Resist the urge to roll these in powdered sugar, because these beauties will just soak it all in and the sugar will disappear.
1¼ cups (120 g) rolled oats
Thick Date Caramel Sauce (see recipe below)
1 cup (100 g) minced pecans
⅓ cup (57 g) vegan mini chocolate chips or chopped regular sized chips
¼ cup (20 g) finely shredded coconut or cocoa powder
Put the oats in a food processor and process until most of the oats are broken up (but not so much that it turns into oat flour). Pour into a mixing bowl.
Add the pecans, chocolate chips and the thick date caramel sauce to the oats and mix well.
Chill mixture in fridge for at least 1 hour to make it firmer and easier to roll. You can chill these overnight if that’s better for your schedule.
Make truffles uniform by measuring the dough out with a 1 tablespoon (15 g) cookie scoop.
Roll each truffle into a ball with your hand, then roll in either coconut or cocoa powder. Store in the refrigerator.
PER TRUFFLE: Calories 65.2, protein 1.2 g, total fat 4.9 g, carbohydrates 5.3 g, sodium 0.2 mg, fiber 1.1 g
15 dates
½ cup (116 ml) nondairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
To make the sauce, add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender* and blend until smooth. You will need to scrape down a few times during the blending process.
*If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak the dates overnight before making the caramel. This will make them softer and easier to blend.
No one will guess that the main ingredient in this dazzling dessert is oats! This pudding was a last-minute inspiration. I was experimenting with oats’ wonderful natural thickening ability and thought it would make the perfect texture for a rich chocolate dessert. Sometimes being a mad scientist in the kitchen pays off!
½ cup (80 g) oat groats, soaked at least
8 hours (or use steel-cut and soak 20 minutes)
4 cups (946 ml) water
¼ cup (21 g) cocoa powder
¼ cup (60 ml) agave nectar
¾ teaspoons stevia
½ teaspoon orange oil or 1 teaspoon orange extract
pinch salt
Blend the oats and water together, then strain in a bowl with a pour spout. Strain into a pot with a thick bottom like a Dutch oven. Whisk in the cocoa, agave nectar, stevia and salt. Heat over medium heat, whisking the whole time until the milk thickens.
Store in a covered container and refrigerate until solid.
PER SERVING: Calories 63, protein 2.3 g, total fat 1.0 g, carbohydrates 16.1 g, sodium 0.5 mg, fiber 2.4 g
Not a fan of orange? Use the extract of your choice like mint, lemon or even almond.
When I was working on this book, I saw a Facebook post from a friend, Kristina Sloggett, with a luscious photo of a creamy chocolate ice cream cone. It read, “You’ll never guess what this is made of!” Of course I said, “oats” and raced over to her blog, SpaBettie.com, to read her post. I thought I was probably wrong, but she actually did create this decadent yet healthy recipe with all the goodness of oats. In her words, it’s the “dreamiest, creamiest, mousse-iest” vegan ice cream she ever had, and I have to agree. Luckily, Kristina is letting me share her wonderful recipe with you! Note that this recipe requires an ice cream maker.
1 cup (80 g) gluten-free steel-cut oats
4 cups (945 ml) water, divided
3 Medjool dates, pitted
8 oz 72% dark chocolate
(*some dark chocolates use soy as an emulsifier—check ingredient list)
Soak oats in water overnight. Strain and rinse completely; the oats should be soft.
In a high-speed blender, combine oats, dates and 2 cups (475 ml) of water. Gradually reach the highest speed and blend until smooth. Push the mixture through a mesh strainer and return the remainder from the strainer back to the blender. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth. Add the strained liquid back in and blend. Set aside.
Finely chop the chocolate and add the pieces to a small saucepan. Heat chocolate on low heat, continuously stirring until completely melted. Remove the saucepan from heat, allowing it to cool slightly but not solidify.
Turn blender on low and slowly add the cooled chocolate. Once chocolate is added, blend on high. Allow the mixture to cool before adding it to the ice cream maker. Proceed using ice cream machine instructions, about 18 minutes.
The ice cream will be of soft-serve consistency and will take several hours to set in the freezer.
PER SERVING: Calories 178.3, protein 5.5 g, total fat 5.2 g, carbohydrates 28.2 g, sodium 6.7 mg, fiber 4.7 g
