Vegan desserts: easy but impressive puddings

VEGAN PUDDING

by Georgina Terry |
Updated on

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Closer Online have pulled together some of the best vegan recipes that will wow even the biggest plant-based sceptics. The proof is in the pudding...

Blueberry Waffles

waffles
©koko

Ingredients:

150g all Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

3 tbsp Sugar

300ml Koko Dairy Free Super Milk

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Toppings

Banana & Blueberries

Method:

Preheat waffle machine on to preheat.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Then add the Super and vanilla.

When your waffle maker is heated, pour out the batter and close the machine.

Allow to cook for around 5 minutes until golden (this will depend on your machine)

Top with slice banana and blueberries, or your favourite fruits

Chocolate Chip Cookies

cookies
©GETTY

Recipe by Daily Rebecca

Ingredients:

½ cup coconut oil

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup almond milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour (please note alternate flours WILL change the outcome of the recipe!)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup vegan chocolate chips (Trader Joe's chocolate chips are accidentally vegan!)

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Cream (aka thoroughly mix) together the coconut oil & brown sugar, then add the almond milk & vanilla. The mixture may be really "liquidy" this is OK.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Combine the wet & dry ingredients (it WILL BE crumbly - this is OK), then fold in the chocolate morsels & any other mix-ins of your choosing.

Roll into Tbsp sized balls & place them on an ungreased cookie sheet (or on a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet), then flatten them out a bit with your palm. The dough may be a little crumbly, but just smoosh it together and it will work fine!

Bake for 7-10 minutes. (I did 8 which was perfect

Easy Baked Cheesecake

Cheesecake
©The Minimalist Baker

Recipe by The Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:

FILLING

1 cup raw cashews*

1 cup coconut cream*

8 ounces vegan cream cheese* (Trader Joe's brand, or Toffuti)

1 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup maple syrup (plus more to taste)

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil (for extra creaminess)

2 tsp lemon zest

1-2 Tbsp lemon juice (plus more to taste)

1/8 tsp sea salt

CRUST

3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats*

3/4 cup raw almonds*

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp coconut sugar (plus more to taste)

4 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)

Method:

Add raw cashews to a mixing bowl and cover with boiling hot water. Let rest for 1 hour (uncovered). Then drain thoroughly.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a standard loaf pan (or 8x8 inch baking dish // adjust number/size of pan if altering batch size) with parchment paper. Set aside.

Add oats, almonds, sea salt, and coconut sugar to a high speed blender and mix on high until a fine meal is achieved.

Remove lid and add melted coconut oil, starting with 4 Tbsp (60 g // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and adding more if it's too dry. Pulse/mix on low until a loose dough is formed, scraping down sides as needed. You should be able to squeeze the mixture between two fingers and form a dough instead of it crumbling. If too dry, add a bit more melted coconut oil.

Transfer mixture to parchment-lined loaf pan and spread evenly to distribute. Then place parchment paper on top and use a flat-bottomed object, like a drinking glass, to press down firmly until it’s evenly distributed and well packed. Let it come up the sides a little, otherwise it can be too thick on the bottom.

Bake for 15 minutes, then increase heat to 375 F (190 C) and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until the edges are golden brown and there is some browning on the surface. Remove from oven to cool slightly, then reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F (162 C).

Once cashews are soaked and drained, add to a high speed blender with coconut cream, vegan cream cheese, arrowroot starch, vanilla, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sea salt. Blend on high until very creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed.

Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lemon juice for acidity, lemon zest for tartness, salt for flavor balance, and maple syrup for sweetness.

Pour filling over the pre-baked crust and spread into an even layer. Tap on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the edges look very slightly dry and the center appears only slightly “jiggly” but not liquidy. When you shake it, it will have some give to it, but it shouldn't all look liquid - only the center should jiggle.

Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to refrigerator to let cool completely (uncovered). Once cooled, cover (waiting until cool will prevent condensation) and continue refrigerating for a total of 5-6 hours, preferably overnight.

To serve, lift out of pan with parchment paper and cut into bars or triangles. (I carefully cut off the very end pieces because they weren't as creamy as the center pieces.)

Enjoy as is or with coconut whipped cream and fresh berries. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, up to 3-4 days, though best within the first 2 days

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Dark Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate ganache
©KOKO

Ingredients:

2 mashed avocados (roughly 250g of avocado meat)

100ml Koko Dairy Free Original Milk

100ml Maple Syrup

3 tbsp. chocolate cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

80g chocolate chips

300g Koko Dairy Free Plain Yogurt

Method:

In a food blender puree the avocado meat & Koko Dairy Free Original Milk.

Add maple syrup, cocoa powder & salt to the food blender & mix again.

Melt the chocolate chips, once melted put into a mixing bowl & beat in the Koko Dairy Free Plain Yogurt. Stir in avocado mixture.

Once completely stirred together transfer to serving pots & leave to chill in the fridge for 3 hours

Gluten-Free Apple Tart

gluten free tart
©Cookie and Kate

Recipe by Cookie and Kate

Ingredients:

Almond-oat crust

1 cup (135 grams) firmly packed Bob’s Red Mill almond flour

1 cup (90 grams) oat flour* (certified gluten-free if necessary)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup melted butter or coconut oil

3 tablespoons maple syrup

Apple filling

2 large Honeycrisp or 3 medium Granny Smith apples (about 1 ¼ pounds)

3 tablespoons maple syrup, divided

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting if you’d like

Method:

To prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9″ tart pan (even if your pan is non-stick). In a medium mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, oat flour and salt, and stir to combine. Drizzle in the butter and maple syrup, and stir until the mixture is moistened throughout.

Dump the mixture onto the prepared tart pan. Press the mixture evenly across the base, then use the heel of your palm to press it up the sides as well. Use your fingers to try to make the dough along the sides even in height and depth (see photo). Prick the base of the crust all over with a fork to prevent it from bubbling up. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until it’s lightly firm to the touch and just starting to turn golden at the edges. Set aside.

Meanwhile, to prepare the filling: Peel the apples and cut them into slices ⅛ to ¼″ thick. Transfer the slices to a medium mixing bowl and add just 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup, and the lemon juice and cinnamon. Toss until the mixture is evenly distributed.

Arrange the apple slices across the base however you’d like, overlapping them as much as possible (I tried to arrange mine like a rose and had a few apple slices left over). Reserve the maple syrup/lemon mixture at the bottom of the bowl for brushing the apples later.

Bake the tart for 25 minutes, then pull it out of the oven and gently brush the remaining maple syrup/lemon mixture over the apples (it’s fine if you push some of the slices down in the process). Return the tart to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the apples are very tender and the crust is deeply golden around the edges. While the tart is still hot, gently brush the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup over the apples.

Let the tart cool for at least 15 minutes. If you’d like, sift or sprinkle a little extra cinnamon over the top. If you used a tart pan with a removable bottom, remove the sides. Use a sharp chef’s nice to slice the tart into even wedges and serve

Vanilla Cheesecake

Cheesecake
©KOKO

Ingredients:

250g digestive biscuits

100g Koko Dairy Free Spread

450g Koko Dairy Free Soft Cream Cheese

1 vanilla pod

100g icing sugar

100g Koko Dairy Free Plain Yogurt

Fresh strawberries for decoration

Method:

Grease and line a 23cm loose-bottomed tin with baking paper.

Base

Crush 250g digestive biscuits into crumbs or blitz in a food processor.

Transfer into a bowl and pour over 100g melted Koko Dairy Free Spread.

Mix thoroughly until the crumbs are completely coated. Tip them into the prepared tin and press firmly down into the base, creating an even layer.

Chill in the fridge for 1 hr to set firmly.

Filling

Remove the vanilla seeds from their pod. (Slice the pod in half lengthways, leaving the tip intact. Holding onto the tip, scrape out the seeds using the back of a knife.)

In a bowl put the Koko Dairy Free Soft Cream Cheese, icing sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Mix in the Koko Dairy Free Plain Yogurt until completely combined.

Spoon the filling onto the biscuit base, working from the edges inwards and making sure that there are no air bubbles. Smooth the top of the cheesecake down with a spatula.

Leave to set in the fridge overnight.

Bring the cheesecake to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving and decorate with fresh strawberries

Gooey Chocolate Flapjack Bites

Vegan Flapjacks
©Deliciously Ella

Recipe by Deliciously Ella

Ingredients:

For the base:

180g granola, 1 1/2 cups

50g desiccated coconut, 1/2 cup

170g honey or rice syrup, 1/2 cup

250g peanut butter, 1 cup

Pinch of salt

For the chocolate topping:

250g madjool dates, 1 1/2 cups

60g raw cacao powder, 1/2 cup

100g coconut oil, 1/2 cup

Squeeze of date syrup

2 tablespoons of coconut mil

Method:

Start by making your base; mix the granola, coconut, peanut butter and salt in a large mixing bowl. Place your honey in a pan and bring to the boil, when boiling pour over the granola mix and stir well. Push the mixture down into a lined baking tray and set aside in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours.

Next make your chocolate topping; simply place all of the ingredients in a blender and blitz well until smooth. Spoon over the flapjack bottom and spread out well. Put the flapjacks back into the fridge to cool for another 1-2 hours. Serves 16.

Banana Bread Doughnuts

Doughnuts
©Harriet Emily

Recipe by Harriet Emily

Ingredients

For the doughnuts

1/3 cup (55g) buckwheat flour

1/3 cup (60g) brown rice flour

1/3 cup (45g) tapioca flour

2 tbsp almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp flax seeds + 2 tbsp water

1/3 cup (80ml) unsweetened almond milk

1 large ripe banana, peeled (155g)

5 soft, pitted medjool dates 110g

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp Tiana’s cooking coconut butter

1 tsp cider vinegar

For the caramel:

3/4 cup (180ml) maple syrup

2 1/2 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup (80g) pecans, broken up

Method

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 180 C / 356 F

Vegan Banana Bread

Banana Bread
©BBC GOOD FOOD

Recipe by BBC Good Food

Ingredients:

3 large black bananas

75g vegetable oil or sunflower oil (weight), plus extra for greasing

100g brown sugar

225g plain flour (or use self-raising flour and reduce the baking powder to 2 heaped tsp)

3 heaped tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

or mixed spice

50g dried fruit or nuts (optional

Method:

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mash 3 large black peeled bananas with a fork, then mix well with 75g vegetable or sunflower oil and 100g brown sugar.

Add 225g plain flour, 3 heaped tsp baking powder and 3 tsp cinnamon or mixed spice, and combine well. Add 50g dried fruit or nuts, if using.

Bake in a greased, lined 2lb loaf tin for 20 minutes. Check and cover with foil if the cake is browning.

Bake for another 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool a little before slicing. It's delicious freshly baked, but develops a lovely gooey quality the day after

No Bake Peanut Butter Truffles

Peanut butter truffles
©Build Your Bite

Recipe by Build Your Bite

Ingredients:

For the truffle filling:

3/4 cup all natural creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup pure grade A maple syrup

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar

1/4 cup coconut flour (see instructions before adding)

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

For the chocolate shell:

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon sea sal

Method:

Use a mixer to beat together peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut palm sugar, and salt for the filling.

Add in coconut flour slowly, until the mixture is not wet but not very dry. It should be easy to roll the balls without the mixture sticking to your hands. This will depend on your peanut butter texture how much flour to add. I used 1/4 cup of coconut flour as my peanut butter was drippy.

Roll filling into small balls and place on a cookie sheet

Freeze for 5 minutes to chill slightly

Melt coconut oil and chocolate in the microwave (be careful not to burn)

Once melted, stir in the salt

Drop peanut butter balls into the chocolate, and use a spoon to drip the chocolate over the balls.

Use a fork to get the balls back out and onto the cookie sheet. (look up a tutorial for necessary, but it's really quite easy!)

Freeze truffles until chocolate is set.

Store in the freezer for best result

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