Category Archives: Dessert

Banana Bread

healthy vegan banana bread sliced

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 3/4 cups (245 g) flour (spelt, whole wheat, unbleached all-purpose, or gluten free blend)
  • 1/3 cup (75 g) organic pure cane sugar (or finely chopped dates)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of mineral salt
  • 1/3 cup (75 ml) neutral flavored oil (or coconut oil in liquid state, vegan butter at room temp or applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 small or 3 large overripe bananas (about 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups (338-410g)), mashed
  • 1/4 cup (56 ml) almond milk, use only if needed

optional tasty add-ins:

  • 1/2 – 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 –  1/2 cup chocolate chips (mini or regular)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your loaf pan.

One bowl: In a medium sized mixing bowl, mash 3 – 4 bananas (about 1 1/2 cups to 1 3/4 cups works well), add oil/applesauce and vanilla extract, mix again. Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and mix well, but don’t overmix, just enough until the flour is combined. Batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps is ok. If mixture seems too thick, add more milk, especially if using heavier flours such as whole wheat or whole spelt, you’re more inclined to need it).

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 50 min – 1 hour. Ovens vary, mine usually takes 50 minutes. You can also do the toothpick test in the center of the loaf, if it comes out clean it should be ready. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 min before slicing.

Pumpkin Cookies

Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with a maple glaze on a parchment lined baking tray.

For the Pumpkin Cookies:

  • 1/2 cup (112g) Vegan Butter
  • 1/2 cup (100g) White Sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/3 cup (75g) Pumpkin Purée (Canned or Fresh)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (190g) All Purpose Flour*
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Salt

For the Maple Glaze:

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add the vegan butter, white sugar and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and cream them together and then add in the vanilla and pumpkin purée.
  2. Then add in the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and mix in by hand (don’t use the electric mixer for this part).
  3. It will make a thick cookie dough that is a bit wet, a little too wet to roll with your hands.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  5. Scoop the cookie dough in roughly 2 Tbsp sized scoops out onto a parchment lined baking tray, aiming for around 20 cookies. Flatten with a fork.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes. When you remove them from the oven they will be very soft. Let them cool on the tray before moving them.
  7. Prepare your maple glaze by mixing up the powdered sugar, maple syrup, soy milk and vanilla in a bowl.
  8. When the cookies have cooled use a teaspoon to drizzle the maple glaze over the cookies.

I’ve never actually made the maple glaze though. I don’t think they need it…

Rebecca’s Carrot-Apple Muffins

Software

2 cups whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs or substitute

1/2 cup buttermilk*

1/3 cup oil, perferably canola

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups finely shredded carrot

1 medium apple, peeled and shredded

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Prep

*as a substitute for buttermilk you can use 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon vinegar & left to stand for 5 minutes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 12 muffin tins with papers or cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.
  3. In a separate bowl, stir together eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, then the carrots, apple, raisins, and nuts. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until blended.
  4. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins