this is the perfect solution if you’re looking for something chocolately and satisfying while avoiding sugar! this mug brownie whips up in just a couple of minutes and is microwave-friendly. i came up with this for when my partner is craving something sweet.
makes one mug brownie / baking time (in microwave): 1-1.5 min / prep time: ~2 minutes
equipment needed: microwave-safe mug
ingredients:
3Tbsp unsweetened soy milk
1Tbsp unsweetened (single ingredient) almond butter – i use barney butter
splash vanilla extract
3Tbsp almond flour
1.5Tbsp swerve sweetener (i have not tested this with other sweeteners. if you aren’t avoiding sugar, use 1Tbsp sugar instead)
1Tbsp cocoa powder
pinch of salt
pinch of baking powder
method:
in a microwave-safe mug, mix together the wet ingredients: soy milk, almond butter, and vanilla extract. mix until well combined (note: if you keep your almond butter in the fridge, microwave it with the milk only for 30 seconds to help it mix it more easily before adding the other ingredients in this step).
add the rest of the ingredients (almond flour, swerve, cocoa, salt, baking powder) and mix thoroughly, especially making sure any almond flour clumps have been broken up.
place the mixture in the microwave and cook for 1 min – 1.5 mins. check it after one minute for doneness before adding time; it’ll be gooey but should appear shiny on top, not wet.
if you’re diabetic or keto and miss the texture of pizza dough that isn’t cracker-thin, this is the recipe for you! does it taste exactly like conventional pizza dough? absolutely not! it’s its own category of dough for sure, but the texture can’t be matched by anything else i’ve tried, either at the shops or from others’ recipes. at 2 net carbs and 25% of the daily recommended fiber per slice (8 slices per pizza), this is a very filling alternative to conventional pizza that won’t spike blood sugar or break ketosis like your everyday pizza (please note i am NOT a doctor though and everyone is different). i absolutely felt like a mad scientist making this! take it slow and drink water – there’s a lot of protein and fiber here even before any toppings make it on.
if this is all nonsense to you – check out my “normal” pizza dough recipe here!
makes one 7-9″ pizza / baking time: 20-25 min / prep time: ~10 minutes
equipment needed: baking sheet, stand mixer (highly recommended), parchment paper, sharp knife, bench scraper, or pizza cutter for cutting the finished pizza
ingredients:
7g yeast
1tsp sugar
200mL warm (not hot) water
1Tbsp olive oil
1/2tsp apple cider vinegar
1Tbsp chickpea flour
50g ground flax (i strongly recommend golden over brown for a less overpowering flavour)
85g vital wheat gluten
50g oat fiber (NOT!! oat flour)
1tsp salt
1tsp italian seasoning
2Tbsp nutritional
1tsp garlic powder
method:
start by blooming the yeast. combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a small bowl. don’t worry, the yeast will eat the sugar for you to create gasses! set aside for five minutes.
in a stand mixer, add the chickpea flour, ground flax, vital wheat gluten, oat fiber, salt, italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder. mix until combined.
add the frothy yeast mixture (get new yeast if it didn’t froth after five minutes!), followed by the olive oil and apple cider vinegar. the vinegar will combat the sometimes strong flavour of the vital wheat gluten somewhat.
knead on low speed with a dough hook for 7 minutes, or until a uniform and smooth ball forms. it’ll feel really dense – this is normal for the recipe!
remove the dough from the mixer and shape into a flattened ball. place on a parchment-paper-lined surface and leave to rest for at least one hour, covered.
preheat the oven to 400F/205C. after the hour is up, pick up the dough and stretch it into a pizza crust shape of your choice. this makes a 7-9″ pizza depending on your preferred thickness.
top with your favourite sauce and toppings. when i tested this recipe, i used tvp italian sausage and my homemade calabrian chili tomato sauce, with sliced green olives and daiya parmesan shreds.
bake for 20 minutes. carefully poke the outer crust to check for doneness (it should be pliant but not cushiony soft). i like to turn the broiler on high for 5 minutes after the bake time is up.
serve immediately as you would a regular pizza. i highly recommend topping it with fresh basil once it’s out of the oven!
these crackers have become a staple in our household for “adult lunchables”! crunchy, herbaceous, and a little cheesy from the nutritional yeast. great on their own or as a vehicle for toppings and/or dip.
to make your life a little easier, you may want to halve this recipe to streamline the rolling process. it’s possible, depending on the size of your baking sheet, that you may need to use two baking sheets for the full recipe. use a full sheet, if possible, when making the recipe as written.
makes about one full-size baking sheet worth of crackers (cut to your fav size!) / baking time: 24 minutes / prep time: ~10 minutes
ingredients:
255g almond flour (not almond meal! look for ground almonds without the skin)
65g ground (not whole!) flaxseed/flax meal (brown or golden work; i use golden for a milder flavour)
10g salt
2tsp herbs of choice (i use herbs de provence)
10g nutritional yeast (alternatively, measure with your heart)
1/2c water, room temp
method:
pre-heat the oven to 325F/160C
in a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the ingredients together except for the water until well combined. be sure to massage out any almond flour clumps
add the water and mix through with a spatula. it will look too dry at first, but keep mixing until it forms a dough.
line a baking sheet with parchment paper. prepare a second strip of parchment paper of the same size.
on a flat counter, dump the dough onto one of the sheets of parchment paper. place the second sheet of parchment paper on top, aligning the edges.
roll the dough out to your desired thickness. too thin and they might break apart a bit when cutting, but this recipe is forgiving and you can easily push the dough back together.
remove the top sheet of parchment paper. using a knife or pizza cutter (i recommend a knife for precision), cut the dough into small squares/rectangles. if you’re feeling fancy, use small cookie cutters to make round shapes. we like making them about 1″x1″.
carefully lift the parchment paper holding the crackers back onto your baking sheet. gently move the crackers apart from each other so they have a little bit of space in between them. they won’t rise or spread, but they’ll bake more evenly if slightly separated.
bake for 24-26 minutes. check them at about 22 minutes – you’re looking for a very slight browning to the edges. bake time might change based on the thickness and overall size of your crackers.
allow to cool on the baking sheet completely before eating. they can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week unrefrigerated.
it’s been a while since i’ve posted! after my partner received a diagnosis requiring some dietary shifts, my recipe development has become very different. my first recipe i’d like to share in this vein is a shortbread that is sugar-free, gluten-free, low-carb, and best of all, vegan! you might be thinking “wow, that’s a lot of ‘frees,'” and while you’d be correct, trust me when i say these shortbread cookies are actually quite good! and this is coming from someone spoiled by wheat and sugar.
makes about 20 2″ shortbread cookies / baking time: 20 minutes / prep time: ~5 minutes
ingredients:
252g almond flour (not almond meal! look for ground almonds without the skin)
90g swerve powdered sugar (note that i have NOT tried other “keto” sugars and cannot recommend them. allulose allegedly does not allow baked goods to crisp/hold their shape)
1/2tsp xanthan gum
1/2tsp salt (halve if using salted vegan butter)
85g vegan butter, unsalted, cold and cut into cubes
1/2tsp vanilla extract
method:
pre-heat the oven to 300F/150C
in a medium-sized bowl or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt. mix well with a spatula and pat out any lumps in the flour.
add the cubed butter and mix well or pulse until it reaches a wet-sand texture. add the vanilla and mix until fully combined.
line a baking sheet with parchment paper. fold the parchment paper in half like a book.
dump the mixture onto one of the halves of the paper. fold the other half on top to enclose the dough.
using a rolling pin, roll out the dough as evenly as you can within the confines of the parchment paper. if the dough touches the pin directly, it will stick! feel free to open the paper and adjust the dough with your hands as needed. the dough should be about half a centimeter thick.
using a knife, pizza cutter, or cookie cutter, portion out the dough into individual cookies. i like to make small squares and poke the centre with a fork.
place into the pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
turn off the oven but leave the baking sheet inside with the oven door propped open for 5 minutes.
remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container. if you can’t wait, they’ll be tasty right away, but they won’t hold together as well.
enjoy!
special tip: happen to have culinary lavender around, grind 1Tbsp of lavender flowers in a mortar and pestle with 1/2tsp granulated swerve. add this mixture into the dough between steps 3 and 4, and continue the recipe as written. this inclusion is delicious! i plan to experiment with lemon zest/extract and cocoa in the future.
this recipe features a delicious enriched dough wrapped around a classic (vegan) hot dog! great for entertaining, or whenever you feel like having a fun meal.
makes 8 servings / baking time: 20-25 min / prep time: ~20 min / inactive time: ~1 hr
ingredients:
300g bread flour
7g instant yeast
22g granulated sugar
1/2tsp salt
190g warm non-dairy milk (i prefer soy)*
50g softened vegan butter
8 vegan hot dogs (i used yves – RIP)
optional for topping:
1Tbsp non-dairy milk
about a half teaspoon sesame seeds
method:
in a stand mixer, add the flour and yeast. add the salt and sugar to the bowl (not on top of the yeast)
on a low speed, start the mixer and slowly pour in the warm milk. knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. (note: if kneading by hand, which is still doable but not something i recommend for enriched dough, this may take a bit longer, around 7-10 minutes)
if kneading by hand, let the dough rest, covered, for five minutes before proceeding with the next step.
once the dough is smooth, add the softened vegan butter. it should be room temperature, but not melted. knead until well-combined, about 5 minutes.**
shape the dough into a ball, and cover (in the same bowl is fine) to rest, until it has doubled in size. this will take an hour or so, give or take, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
once the dough has doubled, roll it out onto a clean, smooth surface into a rectangle, about 8″ by 12″. prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the rolled-out dough lengthwise into eight ~1″ strips.
holding one uncooked hotdog in your hand, wrap one strip of dough around it so it overlaps slightly.
repeat for the other seven hot dogs. preheat the oven to 350F
cover the wrapped hot dogs loosely to rest while the oven preheats.
once the oven has come to temperature, optionally, uncover and brush the wrapped hot dogs with unsweetened non-dairy milk and top with sesame seeds.
bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. serve warm.
optional: serve with your favourite dipping sauces! personally, these are great dunked in yellow mustard, but delicious on their own.
notes
*milk should be warm to the touch but not hot. hot liquid will kill the yeast **especially if kneading by hand, this will be very messy until the fat is incorporated. keep at it! with enough kneading, the dough will come together with the butter.
this canadian classic features a crispy flaky crust and a gooey rich centre! silken tofu replaces eggs (just trust me) to create a custardy, delicious bite!
makes ten tarts / baking time: 20-25 min / prep time: ~15 minutes / inactive time: ~1 hour
equipment needed: standard-size muffin tin (metal is best), small saucepan, food processor or large bowl, blender
tart shell ingredients:
250g AP flour
35g powdered sugar
1/2tsp salt
150g COLD vegan butter (blocks/sticks, not margarine) cut into small pieces
ice water
tart shell method:
in a large bowl or food processor, add the flour, sugar, salt, and butter. combine with your hands (be careful not to warm the butter too much) or pulse until it reaches a coarse wet sand texture.
slowly drizzle in ice water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture begins to form a dough. do this carefully as to not oversaturate the dough – it should come together, but not be wet.
roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. squish it a bit into a disc and place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
filling ingredients:
40g vegan butter
75g dark brown sugar
6Tbsp maple syrup
125g silken tofu, drained
2Tbsp cornstarch
1tsp vanilla
1tsp rum extract (optional)
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1/4tsp salt
optional: ~1/2c chopped pecans and/or pre-soaked (in hot water) raisins
filling method:
in a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup over medium heat.
mix to combine. remove from the heat once the butter is fully melted.
in a high-powered blender, add the tofu, cornstarch, extract(s), cinnamon, salt, and the mixture from the saucepan.
blend well until completely smooth. set aside at room temperature to cool.
once the crust pastry has chilled in the fridge for at least an hour, preheat the oven to 350F.
roll the dough out onto a floured surface to your desired thickness.
using a cookie cutter (in my case i used a mug), cut out circles for each tart. place each into a section of a muffin tin, pressing gently to create a “cup” shape. the dough should fully come up the sides of the muffin tin sections.
pour the filling into each dough cup, a little more than 3/4 of the way full.
if using add-ins (i did not), sprinkle a small amount into each tart, to your desired taste.
bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. the filling should puff up a bit – it’ll settle later!
reduce the heat to 325F, then bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden and the filling is mostly set.
allow to cool for at least half an hour before consuming. the filling will firm up the longer it is left to cool.
store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
1tsp sugar, agave, or vegan honey (i like bee-mindful. their hot honey is also amazing drizzled on top of pizza!)
warm water as needed (likely between 3/4c and 1c)
*not all olive oil is created equal – it can be expensive, but shoot for a variety that’s in glass at minimum. olive oil stored in plastic is of terrible quality and simply does not taste as good! the more opaque the container, the better. i recommend villa cappelli.
dough method:
in a large bowl, add the flour. on one side, add the instant yeast. add the salt, sugar, and olive oil on the other side.
slowly drizzle in warm water while stirring with a spoon or spatula. err on the side of less water than too much! the goal is to get a dough to come together. the exact quantity of water you need can depend on several factors (your flour, the humidity in your kitchen), so experiment!
once a dough has come together (if it’s a little sticky, wet your hand with water first), knead briefly for about three minutes.
to another large bowl so the dough has room to expand (or use the same bowl, but clear out and stuck-on bits first), add a few drops of olive oil.
place the dough in the oiled bowl, moving it up the sides a bit to help coat. drizzle a bit more olive oil on top, if desired.
cover the bowl with a clean towel, plastic wrap, or reusable dish wrap for 1-1.5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
sauceingredients:
1Tbsp olive oil
1/2-1tsp red pepper flakes, if desired (use less for less heat, or omit)
3/4c passata/smooth-pureed tomatoes
1Tbsp italian style seasoning (alternatively, make your own by combining 1tsp each of dried oregano, basil, and marjoram, with 1/2tsp each of rosemary and thyme. continue to use 1Tbsp of this mixture and any extra can be used for topping your pizza, or stored in an air-tight jar for another recipe)
1tsp salt
1tsp brown sugar (white works too)
2Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, but recommended)
1tsp veggie broth powder or half a veggie bouillon cube
1tsp onion powder
1 1/2tsp garlic powder
sauce method:
in a small saucepan pre-heated over medium heat, add the olive oil. allow the oil to come to temperature, about 1-2 minutes.
add the pepper flakes to the pan, if using. stir frequently for ~30 seconds.
as the saucepan is hot, i prefer to momentarily take it off the heat: pour the passata into the saucepan carefully to avoid splatter.
return to the heat and stir, adding in the italian style seasoning, salt, brown sugar, nutritional yeast, broth powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.
reduce to a low simmer and cover. allow to simmer for at least ten minutes. i like to let mine simmer almost the whole time i’m prepping the pizza so it can get thick and jammy.
once the sauce has reached your desired texture (it will thicken up a bit) and has simmered for at least ten minutes, remove from the heat and set aside, covered.
pizzaingredients:
prepared dough
prepared sauce
vegan cheese of choice (i use a combination of daiya mozzarella and parmesan)
1tsp olive oil, optional, for coating the baking sheet
2tsp vegan butter
1tsp italian seasoning
pinch of salt (<1/8tsp)
pizza method:
start by prepping the pepperoni. for a pizza of this size, you’ll need about half the package if you’re using yves. vegan pepperoni is (usually) not very fatty and lacks that nostalgic chewy snap, so i have a fix for that!
in a small microwave-safe bowl or container, melt the vegan butter. 30-45 seconds in most microwaves should be sufficient.
to the melted butter, add the italian seasoning and salt, stirring to combine.
add the pepperoni to the bowl, stirring them around to get them coated in the seasoned butter. just trust me! set aside.
preheat your oven to 475F**
prepare the baking sheet by adding 1tsp of olive oil to it, spreading it around to the vague shape of what you want your pizza to look like. sprinkle cornmeal on top, if desired, to add an extra crispness to your crust.
once the dough has risen, punch it down in the bowl. with clean hands, lift the dough, stretching it into the desired shape. my favourite way to do this is to drape the dough over the back of my hands, stretching gently to create an even circular shape.
place the dough on the prepared baking sheet. i like to poke little divots in the base of the dough to prevent any areas puffing up too much..
add the sauce to the dough, leaving a half-inch perimeter bare for the crust. if you have extra sauce left over, save it for dipping later!
add the cheese. i prefer to start with the mozzarella, add toppings, then finish the pizza with parmesan shreds.
arrange the prepared pepperoni around the pizza. if you’re adding any other toppings, now’s the time (however, if fresh basil is one of those, wait until it’s out of the oven)!
bake for 15 minutes, then flip around the baking sheet to ensure even cooking for another 5-10 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven and how well-done you enjoy your crust.
optionally, turn the broiler on high when the pizza is just shy of the doneness you desire. keep an eye on it with the oven light on to make sure it does not burn, but this can help brown the cheese.
remove from the oven and let stand on the baking sheet for at least five minutes before carefully transferring to another surface to slice. top with extra pepper flakes or italian seasoning and enjoy!
**you can certainly start at a higher heat for less cook time and a crispier crust. i personally avoid this however when using daiya, as it tends to skip the melting stage and goes straight to being crispy and unpleasant. if you’re using a different cheese that you’re familiar with, feel free to instead use a 500F oven, and simply bake your pizza for less time. i’d start to keep an eye on it after 10 minutes.
these rich and decadent vegan brownies have the classic crackle-top and a fudgy interior! i received some nice responses to this recipe on reddit, so i figured i’d dust off my old blog 🙂
makes 9 large brownies / baking time: 20-27 min / prep time: ~5 minutes / cooling time: 1 hr
equipment needed: 8 inch square baking tin (i recommend metal), parchment paper, small saucepan
ingredients:
175g flour
62g (about a half cup) cocoa powder
1/2t salt
optional tsp of instant espresso
225g sugar
120g/half a cup block butter (i use salted becel – unsalted is fine too but i enjoy the salt!) – don’t use margarine! it’ll be a greasy mess (ask me how i know lol)
1/2c unsweetened plant milk
150g finely chopped chocolate (dark or semisweet baking chocolate)
2tsp vanilla
method:
preheat the oven to 180C/350F
in a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and instant espresso powder (if using). whisk well to get rid of any clumps. you can also sift the flour and cocoa powder to save time
in a small saucepan, melt the butter. remove from the heat once it’s slightly bubbly, and add in the sugar, stirring to combine. add the plant milk, vanilla, and stir.
stir in the chopped chocolate until completely melted.
transfer the dry ingredients to the sauce pan and stir gently to combine.
pour directly into a prepared baking sheet. i use a metal 8″ square pan.
bake for 20-27 minutes (less time for a fudgier brownie), or until moist crumbs cling to a toothpick when inserted in the middle. keep an eye on the brownies if you use a different pan than i did – smaller pans will require more baking time and result in thicker brownies, while larger pans will require less time and result in thinner brownies.
let cool completely in the tin before slicing. enjoy!
sleepy vegan chow 