Tag: dessert

Coconut Pineapple Rice Pudding

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Coconut Pineapple Rice Pudding

If your baby doesn’t like oatmeal for breakfast (which always seems to be the go-to for little ones), try rice instead! This sweet treat also makes a great sugar-free dessert. Look for organic canned pineapple like Native Forest.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
  • 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  1. Spoon the rice into the bottom of a casserole dish with lid; set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, combine the pineapple and coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  3. Pour the pineapple mixture over the rice and place the lid on the casserole dish. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour.

Old-Fashioned Apple Slump

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Apple Slump (2)

It’s apple picking season and we recently returned home with a bounty of ginger golds from a local orchard! It was the perfect opportunity to test out a recipe near and dear to my heart.

The recipe comes from Louisa May Alcott, known to many as the author of Little Women. Alcott lived in my hometown, and her story and life have always been an inspiration. So when we recently attended a local apple festival and brought home the recipe, Travis and I couldn’t wait to find out what an 1800’s apple dessert tasted like! We updated it slightly for a modern kitchen and vegan lifestyle.

Ingredients:

  • 6 tart apples
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  •  1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 Ener-G eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 6 tablespoons melted Earth Balance butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  1. To prepare the apple base, peel, core, and slice the apples. Place in a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, stirring until the apples are coated.
  2. Spoon into a 9×13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the topping: In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, Ener-G eggs, milk, and butter, stirring gently until combined.
  4. Pour the flour mixture over the apples, spreading slightly, and sprinkle evenly with the walnuts. Bake an additional 25 minutes.

Apple Slump (1)

Gummy Ocean Vacation

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Gummy Ocean (6).JPG

This snack idea from Highlights magazine is pure summertime fun! We adapted it slightly for our vegan family, and Travis loved the results.

Prepare 1 package of orange-flavored vegan jel dessert (such as Simply Delish) according to package directions. Pour a layer into clear glasses and chill for at least 1 hour, until firm. This will be your beach “sand”.

Gummy Ocean (1)

Prepare 1 package of clear vegan jel dessert according to package directions. Add drops of blue food coloring a few at a time until desired color is reached.

Gummy Ocean (2)

Cool slightly, then pour a layer over the orange dessert. Let chill and set for at least 1 hour.

Gummy Ocean (3)

Now for the real fun! Top your “ocean” with a little swimmer. We used peach gummy rings from Smart Sweets as life preservers and vegan gummy bears from Whole Foods.

Gummy Ocean (4)

Travis absolutely adored watching his bear go for a swim.

Gummy Ocean (7)

These were arguably more fun to play with than to eat… but good for eating, too!

Gummy Ocean (5)

Apple Nachos

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Apple Nachos (2)

This sweet twist on classic tortilla nachos is sure to delight, and a great way to use up the last of your fall apple bounty!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large apple
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons rice cereal
  • 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
  • 1 tablespoon Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
  1. Slice the apple and arrange on a platter
  2. Heat the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, and drizzle over the apples.
  3. Sprinkle with the cereal, the coconut, and the mini chips.

Apple Nachos (1)

Apple-Butter Bars

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Apple Butter Bar (2)

It finally feels like fall, after a strange spike back into 80 degree weather, and today simply called for this apple dessert. The flavors and smells practically scream out autumn.

Ingredients:

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 (6-oz) Gala apples
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple butter, divided
  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • 1 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  1. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. Core and finely dice the apples, then combine in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons apple butter. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, remaining teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and mix with your fingers until the mixture starts to clump. Stir in the oats.
  4. Press 1 and 1/2 cups of the flour mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread with the remaining 1 cup apple butter, then top with the Gala apple mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining flour mixture.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely in the pan for 2 hours before cutting into 20 squares.

Apple Butter Bar (3)

Cantaloupe “Ice Cream”

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Cantaloupe (2).JPG

Here’s an adorable way to delight your kids for dessert this summer, with a treat that’s both healthy and delectable.

Use an ice cream scoop to make balls from a whole cantaloupe (honeydew would work well, too). Scoop the melon into ice cream cones – we love the vegan cones from Let’s Do Organic.

Cantaloupe (1)

Voila! Dessert.

Kids don’t like melon? Equally as easy is to give them a bowl of vanilla non-dairy yogurt with stem-on cherries for dipping – just make sure to pop out the pits with a cherry pitter (through a non-stem part of the fruit) first.

Vanilla Cherries

Kiwi Frozen Yogurt Bark

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Kiwi (2)

Memorial Day is behind us and the weather is hot and that can only mean one thing… We need frozen desserts! This non-dairy frozen dessert is healthier than ice cream, and fun to make besides.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
  • 5 kiwi fruit
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cocoa, and agave. Set aside.
  2. Peel and slice the kiwi fruit.
  3. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and spread a layer of the yogurt mixture evenly. Top with half of the kiwi slices, then repeat the layers.
  4. Freeze completely before breaking into chunks.

Kiwi (1)

Whoopie Pies

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Whoopie Pie (3)

This is the most decadent dessert I’ve cooked up in a while, but sometimes you just need a super-chocolatey treat. This recipe is made possible thanks to vegan marshmallow crème!

Ingredients:

For the cakes:

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 Ener-G egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup vegan buttermilk*

For the filling:

  • 6 tablespoons Earth Balance butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 7 ounces Ricemellow Crème
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup mini non-dairy chocolate chips
  1. To prepare the cakes, combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda in a large bowl; set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the Ener-G egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and beating well after each addition.
  3. Drop the dough by heaping tablespooons on greased baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.Whoopie Pie (1)
  4. To make the filling, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, ricemellow, vanilla, and cocoa; beat until smooth.Whoopie Pie (2)
  5. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons filling on top of half of the cookies; top with the remaining cookies.
  6. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl, and roll the sides of the whoopie pies in the chips. Delish!

* To prepare the buttermilk, pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a measuring cup. Fill with plain unsweetened non-dairy milk to equal 1 cup and let stand for 5 minutes.

Whoopie Pie (4)

 

Coconut-y Pears

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Coconuty Pears.JPG

Try these addictive pear bites either for a snack or dessert! Any nut butter will work, but we particularly like the combination of pears and almond butter.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe pear
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • Shredded coconut
  1. Slice the pear into wedges, and divide the wedges evenly among two plates.
  2. Drizzle each plate with 1 tablespoon of the almond butter and 1 teaspoon maple syrup.
  3. Sprinkle with shredded coconut to taste.

Yogurt Cones

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Yogurt Cones

Why is it that so many things just seem to taste better frozen? This dessert recipe is a snap to put together, and my son’s favorite treat during story time. The ice cream cones from Edward & Sons are vegan, and available in most health food stores. For an extra rich treat, I use almond milk yogurt from Kite Hill, but any non-dairy yogurt would work fine.

Ingredients:

  • 3 sugar cones
  • 2 (5-ounce) containers non-dairy vanilla yogurt
  • 3 raspberries or cherries
  1. Divide the yogurt evenly among the cones. Place on a freezer-safe plate and freeze until firm.
  2. Remove from the freezer about 5 minutes before serving, and top with the fruit.