Tag Archives: dessert

dessert, recipes

sugar-free vegan mug brownie

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:

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. allow to cool down and enjoy!
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blog, dessert, recipes, snack

gluten-free, sugar-free vegan shortbread

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:

  1. pre-heat the oven to 300F/150C
  2. 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.
  3. add the cubed butter and mix well or pulse until it reaches a wet-sand texture. add the vanilla and mix until fully combined.
  4. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. fold the parchment paper in half like a book.
  5. dump the mixture onto one of the halves of the paper. fold the other half on top to enclose the dough.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. place into the pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  9. turn off the oven but leave the baking sheet inside with the oven door propped open for 5 minutes.
  10. 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.
  11. enjoy!

special tip: if you 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!

subsequent edit: for a chocolate shortbread, add 40g of cocoa powder to the dough at step 2, and 2tsp of non-dairy milk. for a matcha shortbread, add 1/2 Tbsp matcha powder (no extra liquid required!) at step 2. follow the rest of the recipe as written.

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dessert, recipes, snack

vegan butter tarts

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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:

  1. in a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup over medium heat.
  2. mix to combine. remove from the heat once the butter is fully melted.
  3. in a high-powered blender, add the tofu, cornstarch, extract(s), cinnamon, salt, and the mixture from the saucepan.
  4. blend well until completely smooth. set aside at room temperature to cool.
  5. once the crust pastry has chilled in the fridge for at least an hour, preheat the oven to 350F.
  6. roll the dough out onto a floured surface to your desired thickness.
  7. 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.
  8. pour the filling into each dough cup, a little more than 3/4 of the way full.
  9. if using add-ins (i did not), sprinkle a small amount into each tart, to your desired taste.
  10. bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. the filling should puff up a bit – it’ll settle later!
  11. reduce the heat to 325F, then bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden and the filling is mostly set.
  12. allow to cool for at least half an hour before consuming. the filling will firm up the longer it is left to cool.
  13. store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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dessert, recipes, snack

vegan brownies

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:

  1. preheat the oven to 180C/350F
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. stir in the chopped chocolate until completely melted.
  5. transfer the dry ingredients to the sauce pan and stir gently to combine.
  6. pour directly into a prepared baking sheet. i use a metal 8″ square pan.
  7. 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.
  8. let cool completely in the tin before slicing. enjoy!

mix-in ideas:

  • chopped toasted pecans
  • chopped toasted walnuts
  • chocolate chips (for an extra rich brownie!)
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