Pumpkin Muffins

 

This is a variation of a recipe I found on The Post Punk Kitchen. 

Ingredients:

- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

- 1 1/4 cups vegan sugar

- 1 tbsp. baking powder

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree

- 1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk

- 1/4 cup canola oil

- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

- 2 tbsp. maple syrup

Directions:

1. Lightly spray a 12 muffin tin. 

2. Combine dry ingredients separately from wet ingredients. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well. 

3. Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes.

Peanut Butter Blondies

(Recipe from, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero)

Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup oil (I used coconut oil)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup nondairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/3 cup peanuts (I omitted this ingredient)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease metal 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
2. In a mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together peanut butter, oil, and sugar. Stir in the nondairy milk and vanilla. Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Once you get the flour somewhat mixed in, it's easier to just use your hands to knead the dough until soft. It will be very very thick and won't spread on its own. Transfer dough to the baking pan and press it into place. Sprinkle on the peanuts and lightly press them into the top.
3. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes; the blondie edges should be just barely darkened. The top will appear soft, and that's okay. Remove the blondies from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

Chocolate Bars!!

Sometimes a vegan's gotta get his or her chocolate on. There is no better way than with these chocolate bars by Go Max Go (purchased at Whole Foods). These puppies are dairy-free, do not use hydrogenated oils, contain no trans fats, and use natural ingredients. The chocolate is made from rice milk and these taste just like non-vegan chocolate bars! Also, the company that makes these treats is family-owned and operated. Now who doesn't love that?

Fried Banana

This is a great dessert idea. I took two small bananas, cut them lengthwise and then cut them in half. I placed the sliced bananas in a frying pan and fried until browned. I tried my hardest to cook these without any added fat, but my pursuit was unsuccessful. The bananas just wanted to stick to the pan! So, I used a little Earth Balance to help the browning process.

Banana Ice "Cream"

This is my go-to dessert on a weekly basis. It is so delectable, amazingly easy, and is made of only one ingredient...frozen banana!! I found the recipe at http://www.thekitchn.com/.

Ingredient:

- 2 large bananas

Directions:

1. Cut bananas into thin slices and freeze for several hours.

2. Place the frozen banana slices in a food processor. Process until creamy.

Some great topping ideas include: cacao nibs, a sprinkle of nutmeg, dried fruit, fresh fruit, or nut butter.

Vegan Cheesecake

I made these delicious vegan cheesecakes from a recipe I found on http://www.allrecipes.com/. I substituted almond milk for the recommended soy milk. I also used Keebler Ready Crust Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crusts. From reading the Keebler label, the crusts appear to be vegan. This dessert tastes more like custard than cheesecake, but delicious nonetheless. I added fresh blackberries on top for flavor and appearance.