The best vegan dessert recipes from my kitchen to yours. Cherry Torte, Fudge, Baklava, Mousse Pie, Chocolate cake and more. Plus the perfect egg substitute.
Desserts have come a long way in the past few years. With new foods now readily available, like organic powdered sugar and non-ydrogenated/non-dairy butter, it's now easy and fun to whip up desserts you can be proud of.
If you're anything like me you grew up with a HUGE sweet tooth. I remember eating Ho-Ho's and Coca-Cola for lunch in high school, Twix candy bar for an afternoon snack, and ice cream for a late-night dessert. It's a wonder my teeth didn't fall out of my head from all that sugar!
But over the years (ahem...) my sweet tooth is no longer as prominent as it used to be. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy delectable desserts. Oy, no way! The only difference is that now I'm a little more picky -- they have to be near perfection in order for me to enjoy them to the maximum.
Which is why you'll only find those dessert recipes that pass my very picky inspection. They've been changed and tweaked over the years and have passed the ULTIMATE test: Thumbs-up from my non-vegetarian dinner guests. I hope you'll find one or two ideas that you can call your own.
Please note: There seems to be some sort of belief rolling around out there that desserts that are vegan are good for you, versus non-vegan desserts which are not good for you. Please be assured, desserts (whether vegan or not) are not, generally, health foods.
So please be sure to limit the number of desserts you have to no more than once or twice per week. Why? Because for every dessert you have, you're squeezing out room for the healthy foods your body needs, like whole grains, beans, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. Eat a balanced diet each and every day so you can enjoy the occasional sweet treat without any feelings of remorse.
Happy cooking!
p.s. If there's a recipe you'd like to see, please drop me a request through the VeganCoach.com contact page. Thanks!
Sassy's Favorite Vegan Dessert Recipes
Baklava
So this really should be called "Baklava...kind of", because while it is very similar, I'm quite sure those who make traditional Baklava would burn me at the stake for making the comparison.
That said, this was my first attempt at baklava, with the ingredients I had on hand, and it received a big thumbs up from a gaggle of girlfriends, most of whom do not like traditional baklava. They liked that this version was not as sticky and super sweet as baklava normally is.
So here is the recipe for you to play around with. I used date sugar, which made for a darker and richer topping.
READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU BEGIN.
FOR THE SAUCE:
FOR THE FILLING:
1. Make the sauce first. In a medium pot, heat water and sugar over medium-high heat, stirring often, until sugar is mostly melted. Remove from heat (very important or you will have a lava flow on your hands!), and add remaining ingredients. Return to a low heat, uncovered, for 20 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Set aside to let cool, then place in fridge for a while to ensure it is chilled thoroughly. (In the cooler months, you can place the pot outside.)
2. In a large frying pan, place walnuts, pine nuts, and coarsely chopped macadamia nuts. Heat until toasted, remove from the pan, finely chop, toss with cinnamon, and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt organic Earth Balance in a small saucepan. Pour into a bowl. Set aside.
4. Prepare your work space. Using a bit of the melted EB, butter the bottom and sides of a 9"x13" baking pan. Set EB within close reach with a basting brush. Place cinnamon nuts within easy reach.
5. From here on out, you will work VERY quickly because once you open your phyllo dough, it will begin to dry out...
You will use the entire package of phyllo. You will start with 8 sheets of phyllo, followed by layers of nuts and phyllo, ending with 8 sheets of phyllo for the top layer.
Here's how you do it...
Drape the left half of the phyllo long-ways over the baking pan. Count out 8 sheets from the bottom of the right half of the phyllo and place a piece of waxed paper over these sheets so you know when you have come to the top layers.
Lift the left half of the phyllo and lightly drape over the right half so you are looking at your empty baking pan. Carefully grab two sheets of phyllo from the left half, place these sheets over the bottom of the pan, and lightly baste with butter. Grab the next two sheets from the left half of the phyllo and lightly butter this as well. Repeat until you have 8 half-sheets buttered.
Add 3 Tablespoons nuts. As before, cover with two sheets of phyllo and lightly butter. Add 3 more Tbsp of nuts. Cover with two sheets of phyllo and lightly butter. At some point you will switch from the left half of the phyllo to the right half of the phyllo. Continue until you reach the waxed paper. All the nuts should be gone at this point.
Then, just as you did at the beginning, carefully peel two sheets, butter, two more sheets, butter, etc, until all the phyllo is incorporated into the baklava.
Cut the baklava into desired sized-pieces, making rectangles or cutting on an angle to make triangles.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until baklava is browned. Pour COLD sauce over HOT baklava. Allow to cool.
7. Leave baklava uncovered or it will get soggy.
Yield: Can make up to 30 individual slices of baklava (I made 16 big slices). Serve in individual cupcake liners, if desired.
RAW Fruit Cobbler
A delectable raw food vegan dessert that is good for you! Enjoy to your heart's content. Compliments of my good ol' pal from Chicago, vegan chef Vanessa Sherwood. (Thanks, Vanessa!)
FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING
FOR THE FILLING:
1. Make the crumble topping: Process all ingredients in a food processor except the dates. Add dates one at a time to form coarse crumbs.
2. Make the filling: In a strong blender, combine 1 cup cherries with dates, lemon juice and cinnamon. Then toss in a bowl with the remaining 2 cups cherries.
3. Put cherry mixture in a square glass baking dish. Top with crumble topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Alternatively, you can put the cherry mixture directly into serving dishes and top with crumble topping.
Serves 3 -- recipe can be doubled.
Cherry Torte
I adapted this recipe from Mom's famous Cherry Torte, my FAVORITE dessert growing up. Now it's been magically transformed into a vegan dessert that's ready for you to devour! OMG!
This recipe originally called for 1 package of Dream Whip Whipped Topping, made according to package directions. But it was recently brought to my attention that Dream Whip is no longer vegan (it contains casein and whey).
For a vegan version of Dream Whip, use Coco Whip which is made with coconut and is entirely delicious. I would recommend you buy TWO of these in order to make this ONE recipe, or else split the recipe in half and just use a smaller baking dish.
I also love the options for the dairy-free whipped topping shared by the amazing Alisa Fleming over at GoDairyFree.com, especially her recommendations for the homemade versions.
No matter which route you go, you want to look for a whipped topping that's on the thick side so it holds up to the weight of the fruit on top (which is why the stuff in the spray cans don't work for this recipe).
FOR THE CRUST:
FOR THE FILLING:
1. Crust: Combine ingredients in a bowl. Pat into 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 20 min.
2. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.
3. Prepare whipped topping according to package directions. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
4. Spread cream cheese/whipped cream combo over cooled crust. Cover with cherries. Refrigerate overnight, or at least several hours. Cut into squares and serve.
Serves: 16
Variations:
Chocolate Cake
This dessert is an oldie but goodie, which always turns out perfect. The coconut oil makes it very moist, and refrigerating makes it more solid, reminiscent of chocolate cheesecake. You'll find my favorite frosting recipe below.
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add liquids (except vinegar) and whisk until batter is smooth. Pour into an 8" square or 9" round baking pan. Add vinegar and stir quickly, until it is evenly distributed.
2. Bake 20 minutes and test with toothpick in center of cake. If it doesn't come out clean, then continue to bake, but check for doneness every 3 minutes.
3. Cool and frost.
Yield: One 8" or 9" cake.
Variations:
Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
From the absolutely fantastic cookbook Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. If you want to learn how to make the absolute best and most delectable cupcakes and frostings, check out this book!
Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and non-dairy creamer, beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.
Yield: 2 cups. (I've halved the original recipe. Freeze leftovers, or double the recipe for a double layer cake.)
Flax Eggs:
1. To make the flax eggs: Grind flax seeds in a strong blender or food processor. Slowly add water and blend until it produces a gooey mixture. This makes 6 flax "eggs". Refrigerate unused flax eggs in refrigerator for up to 6 days. (Be sure to clean out blender immediately!)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Sift together flour and baking soda, set aside. Beat together butter and both sugars. Beat in egg replacer (6 Tbsp flax goo = 2 eggs) and vanilla. Add flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely -- they'll firm up considerably.
Yield: 2 dozen
Variations:
Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie
This is a comforting and fun dessert.
FOR THE FILLING:
1. Coat 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Heat non-dairy creamer in a small pan until hot, but not boiling. Add chocolate chips slowly and stir until melted, keeping heat on low. Stir in coconut. Pour into prepared pie plate, smooth out, and refrigerate until shell is hardened.
2. While shell is in the refrigerator, prepare the filling. Place tofu in a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add sugar and coconut extract.
3. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or double boiler. Pour melted chocolate into food processor and process until combined. Stir coconut in by hand. Pour into prepared pie shell. Sprinkle with more coconut if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve (at least 8 hours is best for it to hold its shape.)
Serves 6-8
Chocolate Shake
This reminds me of a Wendy's frosty, which used to be one of my favorite treats. Now that I'm vegan, this healthy shake made with cashews is a winner.
NOTE: You will need a strong blender that can completely liquefy hard ingredients such as ice and nuts.
Add ingredients to a strong blender in the order listed. Process until completely smooth. If you have a blender with a tamper it will be really helpful to use it to push the ingredients down into the blades. Otherwise, stop and scrape sides every so often.
Serves: 2
Variations:
RAW Chocolate Silk Decadence
This is a delectable chocolate pudding made from RAW ingredients. It makes for a totally healthy dessert because it's filled with good fats. Totally delish too. Once again, many thanks to my friend Chef Vanessa, raw food chef extraordinaire from Chicago, IL!
1. Process all of the ingredients except the water in a food processor. Add water to thin to desired consistency.
2. Great served with sliced strawberries or raspberries.
Serves: 6
Variations:
Fudge
Very rich and delish!
1. Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and with a hand blender, blend until smooth. Blend in powdered sugar and vanilla.
2. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or double boiler. Pour into bowl and whip until completely blended.
3. Fold in chopped walnuts.
3. Pour into 8-inch square pan that has been lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until firm. Pull wax paper out of pan. Cut fudge into bite-size pieces. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
Variations:
Krispy Cream Pie
Scarfed down in minutes at a dinner party filled with my beautiful non-vegetarian friends.
1. Mix together the peanut butter, syrup and cereal. Pat into bottom of a 9" pie plate.
2. Mix softened ice cream together in a bowl, and spread into crust. Freeze. Drizzle with warmed chocolate syrup before serving.
Variations:
Strawberry Cobbler
This is a heavenly vegan dessert and perfect for strawberry season. Feel free to switch out the strawberries for your favorite fruit.
Filling:
Topping:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. For the filling: Mix 1/4 cup of the wheat flour with the berries, the 1 1/4 cup sugar, and the lemon juice directly into a baking dish (I use a 9x13). Let stand while making the topping.
3. For the topping: Combine 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and the 1/2 cup unbleached flour with the baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix in the butter, cutting it in with the dry ingredients. (It will be coarse and crumbly.) Add the milk with the lemon juice and stir until moist.
4. Pour dough on top of the filling mixture to create a top crust. You will probably need to just spoon it out into several globs. Don't worry, it all comes together in the baking process. Bake in your preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or so, until it's lightly browned and bubbly.
5. Let stand for a few minutes before serving. Tastes wonderful served warm with vanilla non-dairy ice cream.
Serves: 6
Happy Baking!
xo!
Authored by Patty and Jeff Knutson.
All Content Copyright © Vegan Coach 2007-2023
All rights reserved.
Next: Cooking From Scratch!