There are endless unique dessert recipes out there for those who are feeling adventurous, but sometimes you’re craving a tasty classic. If you’re seeking satisfaction, choose a traditional recipe featuring delicious plant-based chocolate. Quality vegan chocolate will keep your dessert wholesome and organic, while classic ingredients ensure you make something everyone will enjoy.
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Create a tasty treat by swapping animal ingredients for plant-based alternatives. These healthy substitutions and new techniques will help you later with more advanced plant-based treats and vegan recipes. In the meantime, indulge in the best desserts for any occasion. It’s easier to bake vegan and plant-based when you begin with your favorites!
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies are a classic dessert. Warm cookie dough and rich, melty baking chocolate offer that perfect combination of ooey-gooey comfort and indulgence. They’re delicious right out of the oven, but they also make a delightful snack when traveling.
Many traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes feature delicious ingredients like semisweet chocolate and pure vanilla extract. The trick to making delicious vegan chocolate chip cookies is to select the proper binding agent in place of the eggs. Vegan butter and refined coconut oil are excellent choices, but you can also choose unsweetened applesauce. Feel free to experiment with egg substitutions to find which ingredient works best for your cookies.
When you’re ready to make a batch, try this recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies featuring vegan chocolate chips or plant-based dark chocolate bars. Non-dairy milk like oat or almond milk makes the perfect substitute for cow’s milk, while pure vanilla extract and light brown sugar give these cookies their classic flavor.
- Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Make a pan of chocolate brownies and everyone will come running! Crisp chocolate edges and an indulgent, fudgy center make it hard to choose which brownie square to eat first. Before you fight over the corners or center, it’s time to select a tasty fudge brownie recipe.
As with chocolate chip cookies, the biggest challenge in making brownies a vegan dessert is substituting eggs and dairy. There are many options for binding agents like chia seeds and aquafaba. This recipe for vegan brownies keeps things simple by using baking essentials and pantry staples to create a delicious, traditional treat.
Oat flour and ground flax will help to round out the plant-based ingredients. Bakers’ friends like unsweetened cocoa powder and brown sugar showcase traditional flavors. Adding chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate to your recipe is optional, but they will make your brownies even more decadent.
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- Cupcakes
From kids’ birthdays to corporate events, cupcakes make it easier for a group to enjoy a tasty treat. We love making cupcakes because you can create different flavors and recipes for a celebration or party. Plus, they’re quick and straightforward!
Vanilla and chocolate cupcakes are the ultimate classics. We recommend this recipe for vegan chocolate cupcakes with traditional ingredients and dairy-free milk. This recipe calls for soy milk, but feel free to substitute it for almond or oat milk. The fudgy frosting is made with vegan butter and maple syrup combined with cocoa powder and powdered sugar. For best results, use pure maple syrup instead of the sugary imitation “maple syrup” sweetener.
Baking vegan vanilla cupcakes is just as easy as their chocolate cousins. You only need 10 ingredients from the pantry, including vegan butter and plant-based milk. Then, add kitchen staples like cornstarch and baking powder. Top them with the same chocolate frosting as your vegan chocolate cupcakes or choose another flavor. Try vegan buttercream or create something beautiful with strawberry frosting with freeze-dried strawberries and non-dairy milk.
- Chocolate Cake
If dense and fudgy chocolate cake comes to mind when you think of dessert, you’re not alone! A decadent cake is perfect for every occasion. It’s fun to make an impressive, decorated layered dessert for a celebration or whip up a chocolate Bundt with vegan icing for Sunday dinner. You need many of the same ingredients as a traditional non-vegan chocolate cake, along with a few inspired swaps and additions.
You need organic all-purpose flour and cocoa powder to make the best vegan chocolate cake batter. Baking soda and baking powder are for leavening, while sweet potato puree and almond milk will give this vegan cake its rich chocolate flavor. Apple cider vinegar helps to make the plant milk into non-dairy buttermilk, and you can even add espresso powder for more chocolate flavor.
Finish things off with a plant-based chocolate ganache or a chocolate buttercream frosting. Combining powdered sugar and cocoa powder will kick things off, but you’ll also add vegan butter and almond milk to make your light and fluffy topping. A dash of cinnamon helps to enrich the fudgy chocolate flavor. Don’t forget pure vanilla extract to create contrast with the rich flavor notes of the cake’s sweet potatoes and espresso powder.
- Hot Cocoa
If you’re interested in a classic and drinkable dessert, there’s plenty to love in hot cocoa! Chocolate lovers of all ages enjoy this traditional cozy treat, but you’ll make it even more impressive when you make it with quality drinking chocolate. Organic and plant-based crumbles with bittersweet dark chocolate are perfect for creating warm mochas and hot cocoa. First, melt the chocolate until it’s smooth and uniform. Then, add plant-based milk such as oat or almond milk to make it extra delicious and creamy.
There are so many ways to vary hot cocoa to make it enjoyable. When experimenting with flavors like coconut or soy, create a twist on the traditional. Each subtle variation can create a delicious new beverage. We like to add spices like cardamom and ginger. Turmeric and black pepper will help to bring out the unique flavor notes in the drinking chocolate crumbles, while a whipped coconut topping can make your vegan hot cocoa even more decadent.
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Create a Classic Plant-Based Dessert
Plant-based ingredients and dairy substitutes make creating a traditional dessert with a vegan twist easier than ever. Experiment with vegan versions of your favorite classics like chocolate chip cookies and fudge brownies. You’ll be happy with the recipes, and your desserts taste just as delicious. You may even find a new favorite ingredient like cacao drinking chocolate crumbles or dark chocolate.