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Vegan desserts are probably the best way to introduce plant-based food to people who eat a typical unhealthy diet. There are so many amazing plant-based ingredients that can go into a vegan dessert: coconut oil, almond flour, dates, maple syrup, berries, dark chocolate, almonds and other nuts (to name a few!).
We’ve collected two vegan holiday desserts and two wintery beverages that will impress anyone. Enjoy these desserts with the added benefit of knowing that you are actually nourishing your body with healthy fats and antioxidants.
In addition to being egg and dairy free, the following desserts are also all gluten-free and made with natural sweeteners (instead of white sugar). No guilt!
Decadent Chocolate Torte with Coconut Cream
This is the perfect dessert to make when you want to impress someone, especially someone who is skeptical of vegan food. It’s simple and easy to make, but the ingredients are expensive, so it is best to save it for a special occasion. This torte is rich, fudgy, and indulgent, and packs in tons of antioxidants from the raw cacao (unheated cocoa powder) and healthy fat from the coconut oil.
Ingredients:
Crust:
½ cup raw cacao
1 ½ cups almond flour
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup melted coconut oil
pinch of sea salt
Ganache filling:
2 ¼ cups raw cacao
2 ¼ cups pure maple syrup
1 cup melted coconut oil
Coconut cream:
1 can of full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in the refrigerator
Maple syrup to taste
Directions:
To make the crust:
Mix all ingredients well in a standing mixer, or by hand with a wooden spoon.
Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch pie dish.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator or freezer to chill for at least 1 hour.
To make the filling:
Blend the filling ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Test to make sure the ganache is not grainy; if it is, continue to blend until smooth.
Pour into the chilled crust.
Place in the refrigerator to chill and set for at least 3 hours.
To make the coconut cream:
Open the chilled can of coconut milk, and scrape off the solid top layer. This is coconut cream. You will have coconut water left at the bottom; you can discard or save this for another purpose.
Put the coconut cream in a dish, and whisk in maple syrup to taste.
Slice the torte and serve with a dollop of coconut cream. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator (this will melt fairly quickly).
Adapted from Raw Food Real World by Sarma Melngailis and Matthew Kenney.
Cheesecake
Raw vegan cheesecake is one of the most magical desserts, because it’s almost impossible to figure out what it’s made from if you don’t know. Cashews are the secret ingredient, blended up with a little lemon juice to add the characteristic tangy flavor of cheesecake. This is a simple, easy recipe for no-bake vegan cheesecake:
Ingredients:
Raw Crust:
1 cup pitted dates
2 cups raw almonds
1/16 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp water
Cheesecake:
2 1/2 cups raw cashews or macadamia nuts (for nut free, try this Vegan Cheesecake)
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw agave or honey (pure maple syrup also works)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp melted virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water, plus more for soaking cashews
1/8 tsp salt
optional: Blend strawberries with a little sweetener of choice for a sauce
optional crust of choice (the crust recipe I used is above)
Directions:
To make Raw Crust:
Line a round 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper
Combine 1 cup pitted dates, 2 cups raw almonds, 1/16 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract in a food processor until fine crumbles form. If the mixture is too dry, add up to 1 tbsp water. (I recommend a food processor because I found that using a blender instead yielded a very sticky crust.)
To Make Cheesecake:
In a cereal bowl, cover the cashews with water and let soak 8 hours or overnight. (If using the raw crust recipe listed earlier in this post, you can make that while you wait.)
Drain nuts and pat completely dry.
Combine all ingredients (including the 1/4 cup water) in a high-quality food processor and process for 6-7 minutes or until completely smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides.
Pour into a prepared crust-Store the raw cheesecake in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, and thaw 15-20 minutes before serving.
Recipe from
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2014/06/26/raw-cheesecake-recipe/.
Vegan Holiday Beverages
Vegan Hot Cocoa
Enerhealth’s Cocoa Mojo is perfect for making vegan hot cocoa. This mix is sweetened with organic coconut palm sugar, and infused with medicinal mushrooms (which can’t be tasted in the cocoa). It can be made with almond or coconut milk, or any other non-dairy milk you like.
Ingredients:
1-2 tbs Enerhealth Cocoa Mojo Powder
1 cup non-dairy milk of choice
1 tbs Enerhealth Coconut Milk Powder (optional)
Directions:
Bring non-dairy milk of choice to a boil (this can be done with the stove or microwave)
Stir in 1-2 tbs Enerhealth Cocoa Mojo Powder
Add in 1 tbs Enerhealth Coconut Milk Powder for a delicious coconut chocolate taste
Vegan Eggnog
If you like eggnog, it’s essential to enjoy at least one cup during the holidays. Try this vegan version, using dates as a sweetener and topped with freshly grated nutmeg.
Ingredients:
2 cups Enerfood Coconut Milk Powder or other non-dairy milk of choice
½ cup full fat coconut milk
⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or for at least 30 minutes (optional)*
4-6 Medjool dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of sea salt
Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender and process until smooth and creamy.
Serve immediately, as is or add spiced rum, bourbon, brandy or whiskey, for a spirited version.
Add a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg on top
*Recipe from
http://tasty-yummies.com/vegan-eggnog/.
You’ll feel great about indulging in these delicious vegan drinks and desserts. Enjoy! Send your creations of these recipes to
[email protected] or tag us on social media @enerhealth_botanicals!
