This is a plant-based version of traditional thumbprint cookies! The cookies are buttery and tender, and they have a sweet pocket of jam in the center. They’re also totally dairy-free.

I made these vegan thumbprint cookies a couple weeks before Christmas. I had every intention of posting the recipe on Christmas eve, in tandem with making the cookies again myself and bringing them to my mom’s apartment.

We know how that went.

But one of the silver linings of Quarantine Christmas 2021 is that it encouraged me to embrace the spirit of a holiday, rather than its day on the calendar. My mom and I are now planning on a belated gift exchange and quiet celebration together. Holidays are, after all, a celebration of people and feeling.

So, while the twelve days of Christmas are still rolling merrily along, it’s time to share these thumbprint cookies. Who needs Christmas as an excuse to make something this tasty and festive, anyway?

What are thumbprint cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are so called because they have an indentation in the center that’s made by the gentle press of a thumb prior to baking. The base of the cookie is usually similar to sugar cookies, but with a different shape.

Thumbprint cookies can be rolled in finely ground nuts, or not. Their signature thumbprint can be filled with any flavor of jam. I’ve seen variations that are filled with chocolate or caramel. They can be finished with a zigzag of royal icing, or not.

I’ve always liked a minimalist thumbprint cookie, so that’s what I’m sharing today. It’s a vegan sugar cookie base with a jam center. Simple and perfect.

I love jam, and I always have a few different flavors at home. You’ll see that my cookies feature different types of jam, and therefore different colors.

But you can prepare the recipe with a single type of jam—any that you love—as well. My favorite for these cookies is raspberry.

How to make vegan thumbprint cookies

The process of making vegan thumbprint cookies doesn’t vary much from making a conventional version. The big difference is that you’ll need to use vegan butter, and the cookies don’t contain any egg.

Make your cookie dough

As far as process goes, the first step here is to prepare a sugar cookie base. I use a very simple, no frills mixture of creamed vegan butter and sugar, flour, salt, and two extracts: almond and vanilla.

I found that egg replacer wasn’t necessary at all, which made this one of the easiest vegan cookies I’ve tried. For guidance on proportions of ingredients and chilling time, I looked to Sally’s recipe, which is excellent and thorough.

You can use either a stand mixer or or a handheld mixer to prepare the cookie dough. My stand mixer is my BFF during the holiday baking season.

Chill the dough

This cookie dough, like many others, benefits from some chilling time.

Chilling the dough will ensure that your thumbprint cookies hold their shape and don’t spread too much while baking. I recommend a minimum of four hours of chilling time, or overnight if you prefer.

Shape the dough

The next step in making the thumbprint cookies is to shape them. And I find that this is actually the trickiest part of the recipe.

You’ll start by rolling your dough into balls. You should use about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie (or 15 grams, if you have a kitchen scale and are aiming for consistency).

Next, you’ll place the dough balls on a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper, aiming to space them one and a half inches apart.

At this point, it’s time to make your thumbprint!

The key here is to press gently, yet firmly. You want to create a distinct indentation in the balls of dough, without pressing so hard that you immediately crack their edges.

If the edges do crack a little, that’s OK. You can gently press the cracks back together once the cookies have all been shaped.

Chill again

Yes, another chilling time. I tried the cookies with and without this additional hour in the fridge. The cookies that I did chill held their shape in baking much better than the ones I didn’t.

Fill

Next, you can fill the thumbprint cookies with a jam of your choice. Choose your favorite flavor, or a combination of several. Some of my favorite options:

• Strawberry
• Boysenberry
• Apricot
• Blackberry
• Blueberry
• Marmalade
• Ginger
• Mango
• Strawberry rhubarb

Pictured below are boysenberry and ginger jam. You’ll only need about a teaspoon of jam per cookie.

Bake

The thumbprint cookies should bake for 13-15 minutes, or just enough time for them to become very lightly golden at the edges. You’re not aiming to brown them. 14 minutes was the perfect amount of time when I baked mine.

Ingredients

You’ll need only a short list of ingredients in order to make the thumbprint cookies. They are:

Vegan butter

You can use your favorite variety of vegan butter for the recipe. Any brand should work, but I do recommend a variety that comes in stick form for ease of measuring.

The butter will need to be at room temperature before you mix it.

Cane sugar

Cane sugar is the sweetener in the cookies. I sometimes use cane sugar interchangeably with another type of sugar, such as coconut sugar. For this recipe, however, I don’t recommend a substitute.

Vanilla and almond extracts

I keep both vanilla and almond extracts in my pantry at home. I use the vanilla in practically all of my dessert baking.

The almond extract is a favorite in cookie recipes, like this one. It also makes appearances in my vegan sugar cookies and biscotti.

If you don’t have almond extract on hand, it’s fine to use all vanilla extract in the cookies instead. If you have another extract or flavor that you love (such as hazelnut, coconut, or orange), you can use that in place of almond.

Unbleached, all-purpose flour

I use unbleached, all-purpose flour to make the thumbprint cookies. For this recipe, I don’t recommend substituting a whole grain or nut flour in its place.

However, if you need to make the recipe gluten-free, it’s fine to use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend in place of regular all-purpose flour.

Jam or jelly

Take your pick here! You can use whatever colors and flavors of jam or jelly appeal to you.

Storage

I recommend storing the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. After that, transfer the container to the fridge and store them for an additional two days.

If you’d like to store them for longer, the baked cookies can be frozen for up to eight weeks.

Make ahead options

The dough for these vegan thumbprint cookies can be mixed, wrapped, and then frozen for up to six weeks.

You can also shape the cookies, make the thumbprints in them, and then freeze them on a baking sheet for about thirty minutes. After this, you can transfer all of the shaped cookies into a Stasher bag or an airtight container and freeze them for up to six weeks.

The shaped cookies can be filled and baked directly from frozen; you may need to give them an extra couple minutes of baking time if you store them this way.

More favorite cookies

Holiday cookie season is technically over, and I know that a lot of people have probably moved on to less festive food for January.

But if my experience over Christmas this year taught me anything, it’s to really notice and savor the things we sometimes take for granted.

And I think another takeaway will be the desire to weave more celebration and joy into every day life.

There’s no reason to spend the holiday season baking delightful things and then spend all of January batch cooking beans and grains, neglecting any treats. I’m a firm believer that sweet foods evoke and remind us of the sweetness of life.

So, here’s to perpetual cookie season. And here are some others that I love:

• America’s Test Kitchen vegan chocolate chip cookies
• Cranberry almond biscotti
• Vegan molasses ginger cookies
• Black & white cookies
• Oatmeal raisin cookies
• Vanilla almond sugar cookies
• Chocolate pumpkin whoopie pies
• Vegan & gluten-free citrus shortbread
• Carrot raisin breakfast cookies

Print

Vegan Thumbprint Cookies

This is a plant-based version of traditional thumbprint cookies! The cookies are buttery and tender, and they have a sweet pocket of jam in the center. They're also totally dairy-free.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword cookies, jam

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Chilling time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 44 minutes

Servings 3 dozen

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegan butter, at room temperature (2 sticks, or 224 g)
• 2/3 cup cane sugar (130 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (substitute additional vanilla extract)
• 2 1/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (280 g)
• 3/4 cup jam or jelly of choice (215 g)

Instructions

• Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl. Use the stand mixer or a handheld mixer to beat for about 2 minutes on low speed, until the butter is fluffy. Add the sugar and the two extracts. Continue beating for 1-2 minutes on medium low speed, until the butter and sugar mixture appears creamed. Add the flour to the mixer and beat on low speed until the flour is fully incorporated and you have a soft, fluffy dough. Gather this dough into the center of the bowl and cover the bowl with saran wrap or a cloth cover. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, or overnight. 
• Preheat your oven to 350F. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for about twenty minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a tablespoon measure to scoop the dough out of the bowl by tablespoons (about 15 g of dough per tablespoon). It'll require some scraping at first, as the dough will be stiff. Roll these tablespoons of dough into balls. 
• Place the balls on the baking sheet with at least 1 1/2" of space between them. When you place each ball on the sheet, press your thumb into it to make a little indentation. The dough balls will crack a little as you press, but if they crack a lot, re-roll them and try again. You can gently smooth over little cracks with your finger to try to keep the cookie as intact as can be. Transfer the cookie sheet to the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to overnight (if you refrigerate them overnight, wrap the cookie sheet gently with saran wrap).
• Use a teaspoon to place a scant teaspoon of jam into each cookie indentation. Transfer the cookie sheet (or sheets, if you need two) to the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookies are just barely browning on the sides. (14 minutes worked perfectly for my batches). Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to gingerly transfer them to wire cooling racks to cool entirely. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe inspired by Sally’s raspberry almond thumbprint cookies.

I’m now officially out of my quarantine period and feeling very much better, aside from the lingering smell and taste diminishment and a little bit of fatigue. And I’m feeling hopeful about 2022, in spite of everything.

May it be a year that’s full of sweetness, in all of the forms that sweetness can take. Cookies included.

xo

The post Vegan Thumbprint Cookies appeared first on The Full Helping.

This creamy vegan mushroom pasta is the best, easy winter meal! Cashew cream makes this luxurious, dairy-free mushroom sauce possible. Pair with your favorite pasta for a comforting dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes.

At the start of last week, which now feels like an entire lifetime ago, I made this creamy vegan mushroom pasta. It was one of the fastest, tastiest meals I’ve made at home in a while.

Mushrooms are one of the ingredients most often used to create “meaty” textures in vegan dishes. Even so, I sometimes forget about them in my own cooking. While I fold leafy greens, tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower into pasta often, I seem to overlook mushrooms. Until now.

I can’t think of a better winter comfort food dish than this one. Mushrooms give the pasta an unmistakable heartiness and lots of umami. The creamy mushroom sauce is rich but not heavy, and of course there’s the pasta, which is my personal comfort food favorite.

I was sort of begrudging about cooking through most of this past fall. Typically when the new year starts I get reinvigorated about cooking again, though under the circumstances we’ll see what early January looks like around here.

What I do know is that this mushroom pasta is a keeper. If I’m not able to cook a lot of new food this month, I’ll surely be revisiting this recipe—maybe more than once.

How to make creamy mushroom sauce

To make the creamy mushroom sauce that gives this pasta dish life, you’ll begin by sautéing mushrooms.

You can really use any type of mushroom here. I like plain old white/button mushrooms, honestly—and they’re packed with good nutrition.

You can also use shiitake, cremini, portobello, oyster, or enoki mushrooms. If there is another type of mushroom that you love to cook with, don’t hesitate to add it.

You’ll have the option of sautéing your mushrooms in either butter or olive oil. Either is fine, though I personally think that butter deepens and improves the flavor of the mushroom pasta. If you use vegan butter, you can use any brand/variety that you like.

Sauté the mushrooms and garlic for about 7-8 minutes: this is enough time for the mushrooms to reduce in size and release their juices. Then, you’ll add a splash of white wine to the dish (optional, if that’s not for you) and allow it to cook off for a few minutes.

Finally, you’ll stir vegetable broth into the sauce, along with this recipe’s source of creaminess: cashew cream.

DIY vegan cream

I tend to sound like a broken record when I sing the praises of cashew cream, but I just can’t help it. Cashew cream creates the luxurious, creamy texture in so many of my favorite recipes.

Here’s just a short list of pastas, soups, and desserts that are creamier and more comforting because this dairy-free cooking hack exists:

• Dark chocolate scones
• Creamy mushroom spinach orzo
• Creamy beet kale fusilli
• Pasta alla Vecchia Bettola
• Classic vegan pumpkin pie
• Magical vegan sticky toffee pudding
• Cozy vegan cauliflower gratin
• Creamy vegan skillet lasagna
• Creamy cauliflower turmeric kale soup
• One pot Italian quinoa and lentils

I use my all-purpose cashew cream in all of these recipes. If you have a tree nut allergy, you can try blending 1/2 cup vegan tofu-based cream cheese (i.e. Tofutti) with 2/3 cups water to replace it.

If you have a cashew allergy, but you’re not allergic to other tree nuts, then pine nuts work really well as a substitute for cashews.

Assembling vegan mushroom pasta

Once the creamy mushroom sauce is hot and in your pan and ready to go, it’s time to bring the mushroom pasta together.

I recommend bringing water to boil for cooking the pasta before you do anything else for the recipe. The sauce doesn’t take long to prepare, while boiling pasta water does!

By the time the sauce is ready, your pasta should be cooked al dente or on its way there. Next, you’ll fold the cooked pasta into the mushroom mixture, add some of my cashew parmesan cheese (or a store-bought vegan parmesan that you love), and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Simmer the pasta for a few minutes over low heat. I usually add 1/4-1/2 cup pasta water to help keep the sauce loose, yet not runny.

Finally, you can serve your pasta with any desired garnishes. My go-to is lazy—just extra cashew parm—but fresh herbs are nice, too.

What type of pasta do you use?

The choice of pasta in this dish is yours. For the most part, I use regular, dry semolina pasta in all of my vegan pasta dishes.

Occasionally—especially when a pasta supper is a bit lacking in plant protein—I use a legume-based pasta instead. My favorite legume pasta is the red lentil rotini from Tolerant Foods. I don’t prefer these pastas from a texture or taste perspective, but I do like the protein content a lot!

I also like to use some whole grain pastas in my cooking. My favorite are the whole grain reginetti from Sfoglini, and I think their nutty flavor would work really well in this recipe.

As far as pasta shape goes, I love to make the mushroom pasta with fettuccine, as pictured. But a medium pasta shape will also work well: fusilli, rigatoni, casarecce, and cavatappi are all good options.

If you need to use a gluten-free pasta, then you should of course pick your favorite option and proceed with it in the recipe.

Make-ahead options

The creamy vegan mushroom sauce can be prepared up to 3 days before making the mushroom pasta. It can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks. This makes an already fast meal even faster and more convenient.

Storing creamy vegan mushroom pasta

The one downside of this otherwise delightful pasta is that the leftovers can get a little gluey as they are stored.

When you warm the pasta up, I recommend reheating it in a shallow pan or pot. Add a splash of broth or non-dairy milk to help loosen it up as it heats—this makes a big difference for texture. In a rush, it’s fine for you to heat the leftover pasta in the microwave. Be sure to cover the pasta when you do this, so that it doesn’t dry out.

Store the mushroom pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. The leftovers can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks.

Print

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta

This creamy vegan mushroom pasta is the best, easy winter meal! Cashew cream makes this luxurious, dairy-free mushroom sauce possible. Pair with your favorite pasta for a comforting dinner that's ready in 30 minutes.

Course main, Main Course

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword mushroom

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pasta of choice (any variety of medium or long pasta is fine)
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
• 1 pound cleaned mushrooms, sliced or chopped into bite-sized pieces (I recommend white, cremini, shiitake, portobello, or oyster mushrooms)
• 2 large or 3 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional, see note)
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2/3 cup cashew cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (substitute 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup cashew parmesan cheese  (or another vegan parmesan cheese of choice; reserve some extra for serving)

Instructions

• Bring a large, salted pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta till al dente, according to package instructions or for a minute less.
• As the water heats and pasta cooks, heat the butter or oil in a large, deep, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have released all of their juices and reduced considerably in size, about 7-8 minutes. 
• Add the white wine to the skillet. Continue cooking the mushrooms and garlic, stirring often, until the wine has almost completely cooked down. 
• Add the broth to the skillet and continue to cook the mushrooms, stirring often, for 2 more minutes. Stir the cashew cream and salt into the mushrooms. Reduce the heat to low. 
• As soon as the pasta is ready, drain it, reserving a cup of cooking water. Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the creamy mushroom sauce. Stir everything together and continue to cook over low heat. Add the thyme, freshly ground black pepper to taste, and the cashew parmesan cheese (or vegan parmesan of choice). The pasta should be creamy and have some looseness; if it starts to thicken, stir in a half cup (or so) of pasta cooking water to loosen it up. Serve the pasta right away, with extra cashew parmesan or fresh herbs if desired. 

Notes

*To omit the white wine, simply skip step 3 of the instructions.

I used to have a really hard time pulling off simple pasta dishes. As strange as it may sound, I had a mush easier time with baked pasta and pasta casseroles than with pasta that was made-to-order, so to speak. There’s a knack to getting pasta right, and I definitely didn’t have it.

Not sure if I qualify as having that knack now, but I’m becoming much more intuitive. This mushroom pasta and my beans and greens pasta are now two of my favorite, low-key meals. Practice makes progress

From a gray, late winter afternoon in NYC—and day 6 of my quarantine—I’m wishing you a cozy evening.

xo

The post Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta appeared first on The Full Helping.

These vegan apple cinnamon waffles are the most wonderful winter breakfast! Fluffy waffles are filled with tender, diced apples and cinnamon spice. The waffles can be made ahead and frozen for future cozy, comforting morning meals.

I am very much a breakfast person.

I’m always hungry for breakfast. Ravenous for it, sometimes. While I know that a lot of people struggle to find the appetite for breakfast in the morning, I’m the opposite. If anything, I’m hungrier early in the day than I am later.

In spite of all this, breakfast is the meal that I’m most likely to put on autopilot when I’m busy. Much as I love unique, savory breakfasts and tasty baked goods, I’m happy to eat simple oatmeal or tofu scramble on repeat. So it’s easy for breakfast variety to fall away if I don’t give it some attention.

I’ve been in one of those oatmeal/toast ruts lately. I was delighted to get out of it this week in the most delicious way: with these tender, fluffy vegan apple waffles. Sweet, tart Snapdragon apples make all of the difference in this recipe!

How to make vegan apple cinnamon waffles

Making the apple cinnamon waffles is a lot like making any vegan waffle—with a little twist. You’ll add finely chopped, peeled apple to the waffle batter.

When you bite into the cooked waffles, you’ll find tiny pockets of diced apple within them. The apple adds texture, sweetness, and flavor.

Vegan waffles don’t rely on egg for binding or rise. They’re leavened only with baking powder. To replace the customary egg in the recipe, I use flax egg, which is water mixed with ground flax.

Otherwise, the apple cinnamon waffles follow standard waffle procedures! Here are the steps.

Heat up your waffle iron

Waffles work best when your waffle iron is nice and hot. I always do this first when I make waffles, unless I’m resting the batter in the fridge overnight. If that’s the case, I warm up the waffle iron for 10-15 minutes before proceeding with making the waffles.

Mix your flax egg and vegan buttermilk

Flax egg will help to replace egg in the apple cinnamon waffles, while non-dairy milk mixed with lemon juice stands in as a vegan “buttermilk.”

For most recipes, I use one tablespoon flax and three tablespoons of water to create a flax egg. For this one, I use slightly more flax (1 1/2 tablespoons) and four tablespoons of water.

As for the buttermilk, you can substitute vinegar (apple cider or white) for lemon juice if that’s what you have.

Mix dry ingredients

For the apple cinnamon waffles, those include all purpose and whole wheat flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Use a nice, roomy mixing bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients

These are the vegan buttermilk, melted vegan butter, and applesauce. Once mixed, you’ll add sugar to these wet ingredients.

Fold wet ingredients into dry

As you do this, you’re aiming for a batter that’s evenly mixed and without any big lumps or streaks of dry flour. However, some very small lumps are fine.

Add the apples

Time to fold in your diced apples! Add them to the batter and use a spatula to fold them in gently. Actually peeling and dicing the apples for the recipe is probably the most time-consuming step.

Make your apple cinnamon waffles

Once the batter has been mixed, it’s time to make your waffles. The amount of batter that you add to your iron will vary depending on the type of iron that you have. I recommend about a cup of batter if you’re using a 4-slice, square or round waffle maker.

I have two waffle makers: a round, 4-slice Belgian waffle iron, and a Dash mini waffle iron. It’s basically ridiculous that I have two, but they do make different shapes, and they can serve different purposes. The mini iron isn’t a big investment if you’re wondering whether you’ll use a waffle iron at all.

If you find that you do, a larger Belgian waffle iron makes a nice, fluffy, thick waffle. And it will allow you to cook all of your batter more quickly than using the mini iron will. The mini iron can only cook about 1/4 cup of batter at a time. I use my mini-maker for single serve or small batches of waffles, and I use the Belgian waffle iron when I’m batch prepping waffles (with the intention of freezing some).

No matter what, you should follow the instructions of your waffle maker to cook the apple cinnamon waffles. When the indicator light shows that they’re done heating, you can remove them, add your favorite toppings, and get down to eating.

Apple cinnamon waffle ingredients

Nothing fancy is needed to make the recipe, and there’s some room for substitution. A few notes on the main ingredients:

Flours

I use a combination of unbleached, all-purpose and whole wheat flour to make the waffles. You can certainly use all all-purpose, but I don’t recommend using all whole wheat—at least not if you want to preserve the fluffy texture.

Non-dairy milk

To make the vegan “buttermilk,” you can use unsweetened soy, oat, or almond milk. Cashew milk and coconut milk are also fine. I don’t recommend hemp milk (too strong a flavor) or flax milk (too thin in consistency).

Vegan butter

Any brand of butter you like is fine for the recipe. In place of butter, you can substitute two tablespoons of vegetable oil (such as refined avocado, grapeseed, canola, or melted coconut).

Cane sugar

Relatively little sugar is needed for the recipe (just 2-3 tablespoons, depending on how much sweetness you prefer), but the small amount does make a difference. If you like, you can use coconut sugar or brown sugar in place of cane sugar.

Flax meal

In place of the flax used for the flax “egg,” you can use ground chia seeds instead. (A chia “egg”!)

Applesauce

Applesauce helps to keep the batter moist and also highlights the apple cinnamon flavor of the waffles. In place of applesauce, you can use the same amount of pumpkin purée.

Apples

As you’ll see, SnapDragon apples are my favorite apple for everything—snacking, baking, and more. I love their balance of sweetness and tartness. However, you can use another apple of choice in the recipe.

An ode to my favorite apple

I love SnapDragon apples so much that I specifically go to my local farmers market, come rain or come shine and in spite of my schedule, to seek them out. I’ll do this for as many weeks of the year as SnapDragons are in season.

SnapDragons are irresistable. They’ve got a perfectly crunchy, juicy texture. They stay firm for long periods of time, which means that I can stock up on a bunch of them at once. And the flavor is so unique: sweet, tart, and with a slight hint of vanilla. For me, these are everything I want in an apple.

SnapDragons are grown and distributed in New York State, so they’re local to me. However, it’s possible to find them at retailers throughout the country, too. You can learn more about these wonderful, deep crimson, super crisp apples here.

Can the waffles be gluten-free?

Yes, the apple cinnamon waffles can be made gluten-free. I recommend using a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend to prepare them.

Preparation and storage

The waffle batter can be mixed the night before making your waffles and refrigerated, covered, overnight. In the morning, simply heat your waffle iron and get cooking. If the batter is stiff and very thick when you take it out of the fridge, you can loosen it with a splash of additional non-dairy milk.

The waffles can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days and heated in a toaster, air fryer, or 350F oven. Heat until they’re warm through and getting crispy again (about 15 minutes in the oven and 10 in most air fryers—keep an eye on them and use your judgment in a regular toaster).

Vegan apple cinnamon waffles can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks after you prepare them. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat as above.

Apple cinnamon waffle accompaniments

You should feel free to use any toppings that call to you with the apple cinnamon waffles! But here’s a short list of things that I like:

• Toasted pumpkin seeds
• Maple syrup
• Apple butter
• Vegan butter
• Chopped walnuts
• Salted date caramel sauce
• Raisins
• Almond butter
• Cashew butter
• Tofu whipped cream

Print

Vegan SnapDragon Apple Cinnamon Waffles

These vegan apple cinnamon waffles are the most wonderful winter breakfast! Fluffy waffles are filled with tender, diced apples and cinnamon spice. The waffles can be made ahead and frozen for future cozy, comforting morning meals.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword apples, breakfast

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Equipment

• waffle iron

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground flax meal
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy, oat, or almond milk
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (180 g)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (60 g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2-3 tablespoons cane sugar (24-26 g)
• 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
• 1/2 cup applesauce (112 g)
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and finely diced SnapDragon apple (175g; about 2 medium apples)
• Maple syrup, vegan butter, nut butter, and/or chopped nuts/seeds, for serving (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat your waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. If necessary, spray the maker with vegetable oil before making your first waffle and between waffles as needed.
• In a small bowl, combine the ground flax meal with 4 tablespoons room temperature water. Whisk together and set aside. In another, medium bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and lemon juice or vinegar. Stir them and set them aside. 
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. 
• To the non-dairy milk and vinegar mixture, add the melted vegan butter, applesauce, and the prepared flax + water mixture. Stir these ingredients well. Pour them into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are well mixed. A few small lumps in the batter is OK, but keep mixing (or use a whisk to mix) if you see larger lumps or dry streaks of flour. You’ll have a relatively thick waffle batter. Fold in the chopped apples. 
• If using a 4-slice, square or round waffle maker, add a cup of batter to the waffle maker. Cook the waffle according to manufacturer’s instructions. If using a round, mini waffle maker, drop the batter in 1/4-cup amounts into the maker and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. Continue this process until you’ve run out of batter. 
• To keep the waffles warm during preparation, place them on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet in a preheated 350F oven as you work. 
• When all of the waffles are ready, serve them with your toppings of choice. Enjoy!

I’m so looking forward to making these waffles again, so that I can freeze a bunch and allow them to give me morning nourishment—and joy—right until Christmas.

I hope you’ll try and enjoy them, too. Happy breakfasting.

xo

This post is sponsored by Crunchtime Apple Growers. All opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!

The post Vegan Apple Cinnamon Waffles appeared first on The Full Helping.

This broccoli tabbouleh features finely chopped, lightly cooked broccoli in place of the traditional tomatoes. Much like a classic tabbouleh, it’s a fresh, flavorful grain salad that makes for a versatile side dish or the base of a nutritious meal.

The weather has been cooling down steadily and consistently in New York. With the exception of a strangely balmy, 60 degree day on Monday, it’s clear that early winter has arrived.

Of course I’m enjoying all of my favorite cozy, hearty comfort food soups, stews, casseroles, and pasta dishes as a result. But I also find, as the weather gets cold each year, that I crave a lot of bright, green, herbaceous food as well.

By January, I’m usually chopping fresh parsley into everything and making a lot of winter salads. Perhaps it’s my way of welcoming freshness into the gray landscape of the winter months. It’s a time of year that I love, but it can be wearisome. Bursts of color and crunch on my plate remind me that there’s sunshine out there to counteract the cold.

This broccoli tabbouleh is a non-traditional spin on traditional tabbouleh, which is one of my favorite things to eat during the summer months. In place of juicy, chopped tomatoes, it features finely chopped broccoli.

The result is a wintery tabbouleh salad. It’s different from the traditional recipe, yet still very much related to it. The broccoli tabbouleh is bursting with the bright taste of parsley and lemon. Yet the earthy, nutty flavor of bulgur also shines through.

Plus, the salad is a convenient way to eat more broccoli, if you or a loved one needs any encouragement. I don’t need encouragement to love broccoli any more than I do, but I always need new serving suggestions.

What is tabbouleh?

Tabbouleh is a Levantine salad made with chopped parsley, cooked bulgur wheat, tomatoes, onion, and mint. There are variations: sometimes cucumber or lettuce is added, and the ratio of parsley to bulgur can vary. I’ve seen recipes that call for red onion instead of white, or which include scallions.

Tabbouleh is usually served as part of a mezze. This broccoli tabbouleh can be served this way—as an appetizer or snack—or it could be a side dish with your favorite plant protein. You can also add to the tabbouleh in order to transform it into a lunch or dinner. I’ve included some ideas for that below!

What is bulgur wheat?

Bulgur wheat is the grain in traditional tabbouleh. Bulgur is parboiled, dried, and cracked wheat kernels.

There are a few major varieties of bulgur. Fine bulgur, which is also sold as bulgur #1, is often the type of bulgur used in tabbouleh salads. It cooks quickly, and I’ve seen recipes that simply call for soaking it, rather than boiling.

It can be a little tricky to find fine bulgur. Most of the bulgur I’ve seen in stores or online is medium bulgur (#2). This is the variety that I use in the broccoli tabbouleh. It takes about 10-15 minutes to cook (usually 12, for me). It’s available in a lot of natural and mainstream grocers, as well as online.

There are red and white varieties of bulgur, and I like to use both of them.

Bulgur wheat is rich in dietary fiber. It’s also a source of iron, and it’s relatively high in protein for a whole grain.

How to make broccoli tabbouleh

Cook your bulgur wheat

The first step in making the broccoli tabbouleh is to cook your bulgur. This is pretty straightforward, though I recommend double checking the packaging of your bulgur to be sure that it includes no special instructions.

For most medium bulgur I’ve used, I add 2 parts water and 1 part bulgur to a pot. I bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for ~12 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed by the grain. I remove the bulgur from heat, fluff it with a fork, recover, and allow it to sit while I prepare the rest of the broccoli tabbouleh recipe.

You can prepare your bulgur wheat up to three days in advance of throwing the salad together.

Prepare your broccoli

Next, you’ll prepare the broccoli for the tabbouleh.

When I first tested the recipe, I thought about using raw, finely chopped broccoli. As soon as I tried that, I was reminded that raw broccoli salads aren’t my favorite. I miss the slight sweetness and tenderness of steamed broccoli (which is my default vegetable side dish).

So, I decided to try lightly cooking the broccoli instead. Rather than florets and pieces, I finely chopped my broccoli before adding it to a nonstick pan. I steam cooked the tiny pieces of broccoli for a couple minutes, uncovered, and then allowed them to cook for another minute or so—just until there was no water left in the pan.

It worked so well! In the end, I had chopped broccoli that was bright green and sweet, yet still crunchy. The broccoli retains a hint of its natural bitterness, too. It’s the perfect in-between of steamed and raw for the tabbouleh salad.

If chopping up a head of broccoli feels like more work than you’re up for, the good news is that broccoli rice (frozen and shelf-stable) is now a thing that exists. In place of the 12 ounces of broccoli called for in the recipe, you can use 10-12 ounces of frozen broccoli rice instead.

Chop your herbs

After you chop and cook the broccoli, you’ll wipe down your food processor and use it to chop your herbs.

Tabbouleh generally calls for mint and parsley. You can use that combination here, or if you’re having a hard time finding fresh mint in the winter, you can use all parsley. The salad is refreshing in either case.

If you choose to use frozen broccoli rice, rather than preparing your broccoli from scratch, and you don’t want to dirty the food processor, you can finely chop herbs by hand. I’d personally always rather use a processor for vegetable and herb preparation—a little more cleanup, but a lot less work.

Mix the tabbouleh

At this point, you need only mix your cooked grain, vegetables, and herbs together with seasoning for the broccoli tabbouleh.

The seasonings are simple here: garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt. You could certainly give the tabbouleh added flavor with the addition of cumin, coriander, or another spice. Additionally, you can increase the garlic to taste (I’m usually pretty conservative with it).

And that’s it. Your fresh, zippy little grain salad is ready to eat. If you like, you can top it with pomegranate arils for a festive touch. Not necessary, but bright and cheery for December!

How to serve broccoli tabbouleh

There are so many ways to enjoy a versatile salad like this one. Of course it’s a great side dish, especially for a Mediterranean inspired meal. I’d happily serve it with my baked balsamic tofu or lemon pepper baked tempeh cubes. Maybe with some pita wedges on the side.

If you want to go crazy for crucifers within a meal, you could serve the tabbouleh with my whole roasted lemon tahini cauliflower.

The broccoli tabbouleh is also a nice, fresh accompaniment to soup. I like it with my tomato soup, simple green soup, carrot ginger turmeric soup, and roasted garlic chickpea soup.

Finally, you could easily transform the tabbouleh into the base for a vegan lunch bowl (or dinner bowl). Add a scoop of cooked legumes (chickpeas would be great), some pita wedges, some roasted vegetables, some herbed tofu feta, and anything else you’re in the mood for.

Top the bowl with a generous drizzle of turmeric tahini or green tahini dressing, and yum!

Preparation & storage

The broccoli tabbouleh leftovers keep nicely in the fridge for up to three days. This is a nice little grain salad to make ahead of time for packed lunches, a gathering of some sort, or just to get ahead on dinner.

More simple grain salads & sides

Grains are pretty much the foundation of my diet year round. But the winter months give me a special opportunity to appreciate how grounding and nourishing they are. Here are a few of my other favorite vegan grain salads and simple sides—some of which feature bulgur, too.

• Lemony bulgur chickpea salad
• Farro salad with beets and carrots
• Quinoa citrus salad with tofu
• Millet and roasted carrot pilaf
• Pesto farro baby kale salad
• Black bean quinoa salad with cumin dressing
• Sweet potato bulgur citrus salad
• Millet pesto salad
• Eggplant quinoa
• Quinoa bean salad with tahini and pumpkin seeds
• Baked bulgur and chickpeas
• Simple, savory mushroom farro
• Tomato quinoa & chickpeas

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Broccoli Tabbouleh

This broccoli tabbouleh features finely chopped, lightly cooked broccoli in place of the traditional tomatoes. Much like a classic tabbouleh, it's a fresh, flavorful grain salad that makes for a versatile side dish or the base of a nutritious meal.

Course main, Main Course, side, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword broccoli, bulgur wheat, parsley, salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup bulgur wheat (90 g)
• 1 large crown broccoli, thick stem removed (about 12 oz/340 g)
• 1 1/2 cups parsley, packed (curly or flat leaf)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, packed (substitute additional parsley)
• 1 small (or 1/2 large) red or white onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced (more to taste)
• Pomegranate arils (optional, for serving) 

Instructions

• Place the bulgur wheat and 1 cup water in a small pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the bulgur for 12 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Remove the pot from heat, fluff the bulgur with a fork, re-cover, and set the bulgur aside. 
• Cut the broccoli into florets and pieces. Place them into a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse until the broccoli is in small (about pea-sized) pieces. Alternatively, you can finely chop the broccoli by hand.
• Heat a skillet or deep frying pan over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of water to the hot skillet. Add the finely chopped broccoli and cover the skillet or pan. Allow the broccoli to steam cook for about a minute, then remove the cover and continue cooking, stirring the whole time, for another 1-2 minutes. The broccoli should turn bright green and no longer taste raw, but it should retain a lot of its crunch. Remove the skillet with the broccoli from heat. 
• Wipe down the food processor and then add the parsley and mint. Pulse the herbs until they're finely chopped.
• Place the cooked bulgur, broccoli, herbs, and finely chopped onion into a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon, salt, and garlic. Mix everything well. Taste and add additional salt as desired. If you like, top the tabbouleh with pomegranate arils. Serve.

As we move into this second weekend of December, I’m grateful for simple food, nourishing ingredients, and the cheery sight of bright green and scarlet red in my salad bowl. Hope you’ll enjoy this humble broccoli tabbouleh, too—happy Friday, all.

xo

The post Broccoli Tabbouleh appeared first on The Full Helping.

An old-fashioned oatmeal raisin cookie can’t be beat! These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies have perfect, chewy texture. They’re made with wholesome rolled oats, and they’re perfect with a glass of non-dairy milk.

The holiday season is often a time for elaborate cooking and baking. It’s my busiest time of year in the kitchen for sure, and I tend to save my most ambitious desserts for November and December.

In spite of this, or maybe because of it, I like to take breaks from the holiday madness in order to prepare some simple food. These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are the epitome of a low stress dessert. They come together in a single bowl, bake quickly, and they feature simple ingredients.

What’s more, they have the sweet, yet wholesome vibe that make oatmeal raisin cookies so lovable and special. They’re not the richest or most decadent cookie, but they don’t have to be. They’re sweet, soft, buttery, and studded with juicy raisins, and that’s more than enough.

An ode to oatmeal raisin cookies

I don’t think that any cookie is quite as divisive as oatmeal raisin cookies are.

Every time I mention oatmeal raisin cookies in mixed company, it seems that half of the people present love them. The other half hates them. There are no in-betweens.

I guess it’s easy to compare oatmeal raisin cookies to what they aren’t. They’re not bursting with melted chocolate. They’re not covered in frosting or glaze. They have neither the sweetness nor the intense buttery flavor of sugar cookies.

What oatmeal raisin cookies do have is that wonderfully chewy interior. The effect is heightened by the plump, juiciness of raisins and the nice texture that rolled oats lend to the cookie batter.

Oatmeal raisin cookies are subtle. Most recipes call for just a hint of cinnamon—not enough to make the cookies smell like pumpkin bread, but enough to give them the familiar aroma and taste of fall baking.

Oatmeal raisin cookies are buttery, but not in the overwhelming way that shortbread is buttery. And while this batch of vegan oatmeal raisin cookies is definitely sweet, they don’t register as being sugary.

The cookies are just the thing to enjoy in contrast to the many ornate cakes, pies, puddings, and pastries that you might enjoy this holiday season. They’ll make you smile, and they may evoke some nostalgia. But they’ll do that in a quiet and humble way.

My favorite rolled oats

A lot of oatmeal raisin cookie recipes call for quick oats. I like quick oats for breakfast, but when it comes to cookies, I think that rolled oats can’t be beat.

Rolled oats are key for giving the vegan oatmeal raisin cookies their perfectly chewy, textured interior. And I could only have chosen my favorite rolled oats from One Degree Organics for the job!

I love these oats, and I love all of the other cereals, granolas, and flours that One Degree produces. The oats have sweet, mild flavor, they’re always super fresh, and they’re great for both oatmeal and baking. (Or for baked oatmeal.)

The One Degree Organic oats are both organic and glyphosate-free. For those who are allergic to gluten, the oats are certified GF.

Best of all, One Degree prides itself on transparent sourcing. Each product bag features a QR code that you can use to trace the product’s ingredients and the farmers who grew them.

Other oatmeal raisin cookie ingredients

While oats are of course the starring ingredient of this recipe, there are a few others you’ll need to make the cookies.

Vegan butter

You’ll need eight tablespoons, or one stick, of vegan butter for the recipe. The butter should be at room temperature, as you’ll be creaming it together with sugar in a stand or handheld mixer.

You can use any butter variety that you like, but I find that vegan butter in stick form is easiest for baking.

Flax meal

The recipe calls for one vegan “flax egg.” It’s made with ground flax meal + water. You can grind the flax seeds at home, if you have a spice mill, or you can purchase pre-ground flax.

Sugars

The cookies call for both cane and brown sugar. The sugars each contribute different degrees of moisture to the recipe, which is why I use a mix. However, you can use all cane sugar or all brown sugar in a pinch.

Unbleached, all-purpose flour

I use unbleached, all-purpose flour in the oatmeal raisin cookies. The lightness and tenderness of this flour works well with the wholesome texture of the oats. If you like, you can use whole wheat pastry flour in its place.

And if you need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can try using an all-purpose, gluten-free flour blend.

Cornstarch

There’s not much cornstarch needed here, but a small amount can contribute to chewy texture and help to replace egg in vegan cookie recipes. You can substitute arrowroot instead. If you don’t have cornstarch at home, you can omit it.

Raisins

I tested the cookies with a whole cup of raisins and only a half cup. The batch with a cup seemed to be overwhelmed by the raisins, while half a cup wasn’t enough. Two-thirds of a cup was my sweet spot.

If you’re a big raisin lover, you can use three quarters of a cup instead.

How to make vegan oatmeal raisin cookies

The process of making these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies is fairly simple. And you’ll find that it isn’t very different from making regular oatmeal raisin cookies, if you’re already a pro. Replacing egg is the only real vegan modification in the recipe, and a flax egg does that very efficiently.

Prepare your flax “egg”

Preparing a flax egg is really as simple as mixing a tablespoon of ground flax meal and three tablespoons of warm water. Be sure to give the flax egg a little time to “gel” up into a thick mixture; you can let it sit and thicken while you proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Cream your butter and sugar

You can use either a stand mixer or a handheld mixer to cream butter and sugar for this recipe.

Creaming butter and sugar isn’t just about mixing the two together. It’s a process of aerating the butter as you disperse the sugar evenly through it. Be sure to keep mixing the ingredients until the creamed butter appears light and airy.

Add your dry ingredients

I add dry ingredients, mix to combine, and then mix in the raisins. Note that this cookie dough will be relatively wet and sticky. This is how it’s supposed to look at this point. Chilling time, the next step, will make it more solid.

Chill

If a cookie recipe calls for chilling time, then it’s probably a necessary and important step. Chilling cookie dough fully hydrates the flour, and it also allows fats to cool. This means that cookies won’t spread too much as they bake.

One hour of chilling time is enough for the vegan oatmeal raisin cookies, but overnight is fine if you have the time.

In this recipe, I also use baking powder instead of soda. While this is unusual for cookies, it works. When I tested the cookies with baking soda they spread too much. Baking powder gives them rise without making them overly thin and flat.

Scoop

You’ll drop the cookies in two-tablespoon heaps onto lined baking sheets before baking at 350F. A cookie scoop makes this easy, and is worthy having at home if you love to bake cookies!

Bake

It took me years to learn how to bake cookies without burning them. Whenever I removed them from the oven at the indicated time, it would seem to me that they were too pale and undercooked.

I didn’t realize that cookies always keep baking for a bit after you pull them from the oven. In addition, only two or three minutes of oven time can be the difference between burnt and properly baked cookies. A good rule of thumb is to remove them from the oven a little before you think you need to.

The oatmeal raisin cookies will need 12-14 minutes of baking time, and no more. They’re ready at the moment they’re just starting to brown at their edges.

Storage

Store the vegan oatmeal raisin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. A Stasher Bag is also a good storage container for them.

Can I freeze oatmeal raisin cookies?

Yes, it’s fine to freeze the cookies. They can be frozen for up to six weeks and enjoyed whenever you have a craving.

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Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

An old-fashioned oatmeal raisin cookie can't be beat! These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies have perfect, chewy texture. They're made with wholesome rolled oats, and they're perfect with a glass of non-dairy milk.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword cookies, oatmeal, oats

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Chilling time 1 hour

Servings 18 cookies

Author Gena Hamshaw

Equipment

• Electric mixer

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground flax meal (7 g)
• 8 tablespoons vegan butter, room temperature (112 g / 1 stick)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark) (96 g)
• 1/4 cup cane sugar (48 g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour (90 g)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups One Degree Organics rolled oats (120 g)
• 2/3 cup raisins (55 g)

Instructions

• Combine the flax meal with three tablespoons of warm water. Mix it and set it aside for five minutes, to gel (this is a “flax egg”).
• In the meantime, place the butter and sugars in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat them on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, till fluffy. Add the flax egg and the vanilla extract. Continue to beat for one more minute.
• Add the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and oats to the stand mixer. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the ingredients are mixed evenly. Add the raisins and mix again to incorporate. The cookie dough will be somewhat wet. Transfer the dough to the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. 
• Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop the cookie dough by two-tablespoon heaps onto the baking sheet. Space the cookies two inches apart.
• Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until they’re just browning at the edges. Allow them to cool on their sheets for five minutes, then use a large spatula to transfer them gently to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy or store. 

It never hurts to have a bite of something very nostalgic and comforting. During these busy winter months, it also doesn’t hurt to bake something easy and low-stress. Something that you don’t necessarily have to share with anyone else. Just a wholesome, chewy treat for you.

My hope is that these vegan oatmeal raisin cookies will fill that need. Enjoy!

xo

This post is sponsored by One Degree Organics. All opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!

The post Chewy Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies appeared first on The Full Helping.

This cozy vegan cauliflower gratin is pure comfort food with a wholesome twist. Cauliflower is baked with a creamy, cashew-based sauce and crispy breadcrumbs. It’s a perfect dish for sharing and an easy make-ahead option for the holidays.

“Gratin” is one of those words that immediately brings coziness to mind. I think of food bubbling out of bakers that have just been pulled from the oven. I think of melted cheese and crisping bread crumbs. I’m transported to winter months and the comfort food that braces me for them.

This vegan cauliflower gratin is all of the things that a gratin, by this definition, should be. It’s warming, creamy, and crispy on top. It’s cozy and comforting. Yet it’s also wholesome. The gratin is made with an entire head of cauliflower and a cashew-based sauce. I like to use fresh, homemade bread crumbs as well.

Comfort and nutrition in one place—just the kind of recipe that I love.

The cauliflower gratin is a great option for holiday meals because it can be made ahead of time, frozen, and reheated. It’s good for sharing.

However, you don’t have to share any of it. This is also a versatile, cold weather side dish that can accompany your favorite vegan proteins or winter salads. Since it’s easy to make ahead, I have a feeling that it’s going to become a regular part of my winter meal prep.

What is a gratin?

No matter how many years I spend cooking, I’m always amused by what I don’t know. There are plenty of culinary terms that I use regularly, but close examination reveals that I have only a hazy understanding of their meaning.

Gratin is one of these words. I have a sense of what it is, but as I was writing this post I figured it was time to get a proper definition.

According to both Merriam Webster and The Oxford Companion to Food, “gratin” refers to a browned top, or crust. Gratin forms when a dish has been cooked au gratin.

I’ve read that au gratin is derived from gratter, the French word for “scratch” or “scrape”—a reference to the grated topping on a gratin. I’ve also read that “gratin” is derived from gratiner, which means “to broil.”

Either fits. Gratins are usually baked in shallow dishes. And they’re covered with some sort of topping—usually bread crumbs—that can crisp up when broiled.

All of this means that this cauliflower gratin may not technically be a gratin, since I don’t finish it in the broiler. But the bread crumbs on top certainly could be browned under a broiler, and they do become nicely brown and crispy in the oven. By the spirit of the definition, if not the letter, this feels like a proper gratin to me.

Thank goodness for cauliflower

Thank goodness for cauliflower, right?

At this point, the versatility of this crucifer is the stuff of funny memes. Cauliflower can be turned into steak, dip, or mash. It can be baked, roasted whole, served with whole grains or in salads.

Most recently, I used it as the base for a vegan alfredo sauce and creamy pasta. That dish has become one of my favorite easy dinners.

It’s no surprise, then, that cauliflower is an excellent base for a creamy gratin.

Gratin is most commonly made with potatoes. I like that version, but I think that there’s a lot to be said for using cauliflower for the same kind of preparation.

Cauliflower gratin is lighter in texture than potato gratins, but it still feels substantial. It has a great texture: not too stodgy, not too soft. The creamy cashew sauce in the recipe helps to bind the cauliflower florets together.

Of course, the gratin is also rich in all of the nutrients that cauliflower provides. This includes lots of fiber, lots of vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium.

How to make cauliflower gratin

The steps for preparing this cauliflower gratin are pretty straightforward.

Soak your cashews

You’ll begin by soaking cashews for the creamy sauce in the recipe. The soaking step helps to soften the cashews and makes them easier to blend. I soak cashews whenever I make my all-purpose cashew cream, tofu whipped cream, cashew cheese, or cashew queso.

I soak cashews for about two hours in room temperature water before blending. If you’re short on time, you can soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes instead.

Prep and cook your cauliflower

When the cashews are ready to go, you’ll bring a pot of salted water to a boil and preheat your oven. It’s time to cook your cauliflower florets and pieces.

This will involve coring and breaking down your head of cauliflower. It’s one of my least favorite kitchen tasks, honestly, but this how-to can help to make the process efficient. You can also purchase pre-cut cauliflower florets.

Next, you’ll cook your cauliflower in boiling water for 6-10 minutes. The cauliflower should be entirely cooked before it goes into the gratin. You’re aiming to have florets that are fully fork tender, but not mushy (though if they are a little mushy, that’s OK).

Drain the cauliflower florets well after boiling.

Blend the creamy sauce

While the cauliflower cooks, you can blend up your creamy sauce. It’s fine to use either a food processor or a blender for this, but if you don’t have a powerful blender (such as a Vitamix or a Breville Super Q), then a food processor will be more efficient.

Assemble and bake

Now it’s time to assemble the gratin!

This is easy. You’ll pour a small amount of the creamy sauce into the bottom of an oiled or buttered baking dish (I use a 7 x 11-inch rectangular baker). Arrange all of the cooked cauliflower on top.

Pour the rest of the sauce over the cauliflower and use your hands to make sure that all of the pieces are coated or submerged in sauce.

Sprinkle the top of the gratin very generously with bread crumbs. Transfer the gratin to the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are a deep golden color.

Cool and enjoy

Give the cauliflower gratin about fifteen minutes of cooling time before you slice and serve it. At that point, it’s time to enjoy it!

Cauliflower gratin ingredients

Here are the main ingredients that you’ll need in order to make the cauliflower gratin.

Cauliflower

…of course!

You’ll need one extra large (~3 lb) or two small (~1.25 lb) heads of cauliflower. After preparation, this should come to about two and a quarter pounds (~1020 g) of florets and pieces.

You have the option to purchase pre-cut florets if they’re available at your grocer. You can also use two one-pound bags of frozen cauliflower. If you do, you can skip the boiling step for the recipe. Instead, cook the cauliflower according to package instructions. Be sure to drain it of any excess cooking liquid. Then, proceed with assembling the gratin as described above.

Cashews

For this gratin and all of my other creamy, cashew-based dishes, I use raw cashews. They have a neutral, buttery and almost sweet flavor that lends itself to sauces and creams.

All-purpose flour

Flour will help to thicken the creamy sauce and bind this casserole together. There’s only a quarter cup of flour here, but that amount is hard-working and important for the recipe’s success.

If you need to make the gratin gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend in place of regular all-purpose. I really like King Arthur’s Measure for Measure.

Nutritional yeast

Nutritional yeast adds a slight cheesy flavor to the gratin. It replaces the cheese that might normally broil on top of a gratin or be folded into the interior. However, the cheesy flavor here isn’t overwhelming; it’s there, but it’s subtle.

As an added bonus, nutritional yeast always adds a little extra plant protein to vegan recipes.

Bread crumbs

You can use fresh or dried bread crumbs to make the cauliflower gratin. I prefer fresh bread crumbs for this recipe, and I’ve included some quick instructions for making them in the notes section of the recipe, below.

However, homemade bread crumbs are an added step. If you don’t have time, don’t worry. Dried bread crumbs (regular or panko) will work nicely, too.

Seasonings

I keep the seasonings of the gratin pretty simple: a touch of nutmeg, some garlic powder, and lemon juice. You can absolutely add more garlic (or roasted garlic), more salt, or a particular herb that you like in order to customize the recipe.

Can I make the gratin nut-free?

Great question! I actually feel a little badly that I’ve shared three recent recipes—tofu whipped cream, classic vegan pumpkin pie, and this cauliflower gratin—that rely heavily on cashews. Cashews are definitely a staple ingredient for me, but I know that this doesn’t make life easy for those with cashew or tree nut allergies!

If you’re allergic to cashews, but not all tree nuts, you can certainly replace the cashews with pine nuts. Pine nuts will work beautifully in the cream sauce.

If you’re allergic to all tree nuts, then you can use one of the following to replace them:

• 1 cup Tofutti (soy-based) vegan cream cheese
• 12 ounces extra-firm silken tofu
• 1 cup oat milk and two extra tablespoons all-purpose flour

I think that the first two options work best, but all are doable depending on your needs.

Preparation and storage

Cover any gratin leftovers and store them in the fridge. The gratin will keep, covered and refridgerated, for up to four days. This means that you can prepare and bake it two or even three days before you plan to serve it.

You can also assemble the gratin without the bread crumbs, cover it, and then put it in the oven the following day.

Can the cauliflower gratin be frozen?

Yes, it can! Leftovers of the gratin can be frozen for up to four weeks. This means that it’s a contender for very organized, make-ahead holiday cooking.

And if you, like me, live alone, this also means that you can prepare the gratin on any chilly winter night and freeze a bunch of leftovers for future coziness.

More cozy winter baked dishes

Oh, how I love a good casserole or baked dish. I could live off of these in the colder months, eating some of what I make right away, freezing individual portions for later. Nothing makes me feel more comforted than a good slice of lasagna, baked pasta, or gratin.

Especially now that I know what gratin actually means.

Here are some of my other favorite, plant-based winter baked dishes:

• Wholesome lentil, mushroom and kale lasagna
• Sweet potato lentil shepherds pie
• Easy vegan pizza pasta bake
• Cheesy quinoa broccoli bake
• Pizza cauliflower bake
• Spinach lasagna rolls
• Chick’n enchilada casserole
• Eggplant baked rigatoni
• Stuffed cabbage rolls
• Mushroom vegetable shepherds pie

And here’s that very cozy, vegan cauliflower gratin.

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Vegan Cauliflower Gratin

This cozy vegan cauliflower gratin is pure comfort food with a wholesome twist. Cauliflower is baked with a creamy, cashew-based sauce and crispy breadcrumbs. It's a perfect dish for sharing and an easy make-ahead option for the holidays.

Course main, Main Course, side

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword cashews, cauliflower

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Soaking time for cashews 2 hours

Servings 8 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Equipment

• food processor or blender

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews (140 g)
• 1 extra large head (~3 lb) or 2 small (~1.25 lb) heads cauliflower (2 1/4 lb/1020 g florets after preparation)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour (30 g)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (plus extra for boiling the cauliflower)
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (substitute 1 clove garlic)
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (20 g)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 heaping cup (105 g) fresh breadcrumbs* or 3/4 cup (84 g) dried bread crumbs (I prefer fresh for this recipe; see note)

Instructions

• Bring two cups of water to a boil. Pour the boiling water over the cashews and allow them to soak for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. If you soak them for longer than two hours, transfer the cashews to the fridge. When the cashews have soaked long enough, drain and rinse them. 
• Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly oil or grease a 7 x 11 x 2 in (10 cup) baking dish with vegan butter. (28 x 18 x 5 cm, or 2.4 L.)
• Core the cauliflower and break it down into small florets and bite-sized pieces. You should have about 2 1/2 lb (1020 g) cauliflower after preparation. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the cauliflower florets and pieces for 6-10 minutes, or until all of the pieces are fork tender, but not mushy. (The water temperature may drop when you add the cauliflower, in which case, be patient: the water will start to boil again if you cover it and allow it to reach a boil again.) Drain the cauliflower. 
• While the cauliflower boils, blend the soaked and drained cashews, water, flour salt, nutmeg, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and pepper in a powerful blender or a food processor until the mixture is completely smooth. 
• Pour 3/4 cup of the blended creamy cashew mixture into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Add all of the cauliflower to the dish. Pour all of the remaining liquid over the cauliflower, coating the pieces well. It will look like a lot of liquid, but it will thicken as it bakes. Top the gratin with the breadcrumbs.
• Bake the gratin for 30-40 minutes, or until the crumbs on top of the gratin are a deep golden brown. Allow the gratin to cool for 15 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving. Enjoy!

Notes

*To prepare fresh breadcrumbs: tear 3 slices (105 g) of stale white bread (sourdough, peasant or country bread, or white sandwich bread) into rough pieces and transfer them to a food processor. Pulse until they’re broken up into crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until very lightly golden and dry. Proceed with your recipe. 

Just looking at a slice of this cozy, creamy dish makes me smile. It makes me less concerned that temperatures are supposed to drop rapidly tomorrow, because the upside of cold weather is lots of comfort food.

I hope you’ll find comfort in the gratin sometime this season, too. Enjoy!

xo

The post Cozy Vegan Cauliflower Gratin appeared first on The Full Helping.

There’s nothing I love better than a slice of classic vegan pumpkin pie during the holiday season. This version uses cashews for an ultra-creamy consistency and features a traditional, flaky vegan pie crust.

I have very positive feelings about pie. I like apple, cherry, pecan, blueberry, peach, chocolate mousse, key lime, and most of the classic pie flavors. But if I had to choose only one pie to eat, it would without a doubt be pumpkin pie.

I love all things pumpkin, and I don’t confine my pumpkin eating to the early fall months alone. It’s no surprise that I love pumpkin pie, too: the spices, the aroma, and the luxurious, creamy texture.

I have tried many, many versions of vegan pumpkin pie over the years. Some have involved tofu, others coconut cream. But the base ingredient that has always worked best is cashews.

Cashews may be the most hard-working ingredient in my kitchen. They’re the starting point for my all-purpose cashew cream, whipped cream, queso sauce, cheesecake, and a lot of other recipes that call for dairy-like richness without dairy. And it’s cashew cream that brings this vegan pumpkin pie to life.

This year, I’ve finally decided to consolidate my many pumpkin pie experiments into a single, definitive recipe. Here it is, my perfect vegan pumpkin pie.

As far as pumpkin pies go, this is a classic recipe: no special twists or frills. It has a flaky vegan pie crust, a creamy, rich center, and that beautiful orange hue. Plus, the flavor and aroma of pumpkin pie spice. If you love pumpkin pie already, then there’s nothing not to love here. If you haven’t yet found a plant-based recipe for keeps, perhaps this is the one.

How to make vegan pumpkin pie

The immediate challenge of this recipe is that traditional pumpkin pie is made with both eggs and evaporated milk (or heavy cream). Neither of these filling ingredients is vegan, of course.

To make vegan pumpkin pie, one has to replace both creaminess, usually provided by cream or evaporated milk, and binding, which is what the eggs do.

I’ve found that cashews are best for creating a creamy, rich texture in vegan pumpkin pie. Silken tofu is an option, but it’s not quite as rich as cashews are. Coconut cream works, but it’s not my favorite flavor, and I prefer the unsaturated fats in cashews to the saturated fats in coconut.

As for binding—the ingredient that helps the pumpkin pie to have a set texture—I use a thickening agent. This can be arrowroot powder, cornstarch, or tapioca starch. I give all options in the recipe.

Perfect vegan pie crust

Of course pumpkin pie isn’t just about the pumpkin filling. It’s also all about the crust!

I’ve made vegan pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust and with a flaky, all-butter pie crust. Both have their charms. At the end of the day, though, the flaky crust version wins my heart. It adds buttery goodness to the recipe and a little saltiness to offset the sweetness of the pumpkin filling.

I make my vegan pie crust pretty traditionally. The only thing I do differently is of course to use vegan butter. You can take your pick of vegan butter, but varieties that come in a stick form tend to be easier for baking.

For the edges of the crust, you can be as decorative or as simple as you like. I find that crimping with a fork looks festive enough and requires the least work of any pie edge technique. But there are many options to choose from.

A simple, gently fluted edge, which is what you see in these images, looks nice, too.

Do I need to make pumpkin purée from scratch?

You most definitely don’t. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever roasted a pumpkin in order to make pumpkin pie filling from scratch. I purchase canned pumpkin purée, which works really well.

I’ve read a few times that homemade pumpkin purée has better flavor than canned, which is definitely possible. And from what I can tell, it’s not too hard to make it from scratch. But I’ve always had such nice results with canned pumpkin purée that I’ll probably stick to using it.

Plus, making pie is already a bit of a project! It’s worth saving time on reliable shortcuts.

Vegan pumpkin pie ingredients

Here’s a rundown of the primary ingredients you’ll need to make the vegan pumpkin pie.

All-purpose flour

I use unbleached, all-purpose flour for my buttery pie crust.

You can probably get away with substituting a small portion of that flour with whole wheat flour, but I haven’t had too much luck with 100% whole grain crusts myself. They usually end up a bit dry. Plus, I think the butter flavor shines through more when I use all-purpose flour.

If you need to make the crust gluten-free, that’s no problem! A good gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend ought to work well. I really like the King Arthur Measure for Measure blend.

Vegan butter

There are many vegan butter options nowadays, and most of them should work in the crust. However, it’s much easier to cube butter for pie crust if you use butter that comes in a stick form. I usually use either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s butter for mine.

Pumpkin purée

As I mentioned, you can feel free to make life a little easier and purchase this in canned form. Just be sure to purchase pumpkin purée, rather than pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-sweetened.

If you do prefer to make your purée from scratch, you’ll need about 1 3/4 cups total.

All-purpose cashew cream

In past vegan pumpkin pie experiments, I blended raw, soaked cashews directly into my pie filling. It worked well.

However, this time I got to thinking about using my all-purpose cashew cream instead of raw nuts. I figured this had two advantages: first, smoother texture for the pie filling. Second, it would allow me to provide a tree nut free option with coconut milk as a direct substitute.

It worked so well! In fact, now that I’ve made the pie this way, I doubt I’ll try anything else. You’ll need one cup of the cashew cream, and you can find all of the instructions you need for making it here.

Arrowroot or tapioca starch

You can use either arrowroot powder (also sold as arrowroot flour) or cornstarch to thicken your pumpkin pie filling as it bakes.

I think that arrowroot creates a slightly creamier finished pie filling, but the difference between the thickeners isn’t huge. And the ratio between them is the same: one tablespoon arrowroot for every tablespoon of cornstarch.

If you don’t have either thickener at home, but you do have tapioca flour, then you can use four tablespoons of tapioca flour instead. It’s less strong than the other two thickeners, so you’ll need more of it.

Sugars

I use a mixture of both brown and cane sugar in the vegan pumpkin pie filling. A 50/50 mix is just the right balance of moisture, and it also gives the finished pie a really pretty, bright and vibrant orange color.

Pumpkin pie spice

I’ll admit it: with all the pumpkin-themed baking that I do in the fall, I rely heavily on pumpkin pie spice.

I don’t doubt that it would be very easy for me to make a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend at home, or to give a little more thought to a good mixture of individual spices. But I do like shortcuts, and pumpkin pie spice is an easy shortcut.

So, that’s what I use in the pie. If you wish to make your own pumpkin pie spice, then you’re doing what I don’t bring myself to do! And it doesn’t look to be that difficult, either.

And if you’d like to substitute the pumpkin pie spice for this particular recipe, but you don’t feel like making a whole batch of spice blend, then I recommend 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (listed in the recipe, too).

Vanilla extract

The vanilla in the pumpkin pie filling is subtle, but it does enhance the flavor of the pie. If you don’t have vanilla extract, you can use an equal amount of vanilla bean paste or powder.

Steps & tips

If you take this recipe step-by-step and take your time, then it’s an easygoing pie. However, there are a few points in the process when things can get a little tricky, so worth going through it all.

Make your pie crust

This part is pretty straightforward. If you’ve made pie crust from scratch before, then you’ll know what to do. If you haven’t, then I hope the instructions are clear, but this post is a good all-around primer.

I used my food processor as a shortcut to make pie crust for a really long time. Nowadays I prefer working with a simple pastry cutter and my hands. I think I get a better feel for the dough and its consistency that way.

Chill your pie crust

Two hours is definitely enough time for this pie crust. However, chilling pie crust presents a nice opportunity to take a break when you’re preparing the vegan pumpkin pie.

If you like, you can make the pie crust dough up to two days in advance of baking the pie. Store it wrapped in plastic wrap or wrapped tightly in wax paper in your fridge.

The unbaked pie crust dough can also be wrapped and frozen for up to a month.

Roll and fit the crust

When it comes to rolling and fitting pie crust, visuals are superior to words! Here’s a good tutorial that will help you with the rolling process.

Blind bake

I was resistant to blind baking my pie crust for a long time, and I almost always skipped the step. However, once I started, I found that it made a huge difference in my pies.

Blind baking is just baking your pie crust—which is weighted down, usually with dry beans—for 10-15 minutes before the crust is filled and the entire pie is baked.

The result of blind baking is that the bottom of the crust can bake and firm up a bit before a wet filling is added to it. Ultimately, blind baking helps to prevent the dreaded “soggy bottom” that can so easily happen in homemade pie-making.

A few things to know about blind baking:

• There are special blind baking weights that you can use to weigh your crust down. I usually use dry beans or dry wheat berries from my pantry.
• Prick the bottom of your crust with a fork before you blind bake. This allows some steam to escape as the butter melts, and it will result in a more flaky crust.
• 10-12 minutes of blind baking is all you’ll need for the vegan pumpkin pie recipe. After that, the crust will need to cool for 10 minutes before you add the pumpkin pie filling.

Prepare the filling

I do this as my crust blind bakes. It’s the easiest part of the recipe! Use a food processor or a blender to blend the ingredients until they’re smooth.

Fill + bake

Once your crust is blind baked and cooled and your filling is blended, you’re ready to fill and bake the pie.

You’ll need to give the pie about 45 minutes in the oven. One thing to look out for is that sometimes crust edges can brown before the pie has had enough time in the oven. You can protect the pie edges with a DIY foil shield or with one of these.

An important FYI: at the end of baking, the center of the filling should have some wobble, but the outer edges of the filling will be set. This is how it should be. The filling will continue to set and firm as you chill your pie.

Chill the pie

Altogether, this recipe involves seven (!) hours of chilling time: two for the crust, five for the pie.

I know this is a lot. But of course that chilling time is inactive time, and you can plan around it.

The five hours of chilling time for the pie itself will allow the pumpkin pie filling to set up properly, so that it’s firm, yet still creamy. You can let it chill in the fridge or in a cool part of your home for at least five hours.

Alternatively, you can prepare the pie a day ahead of time and allow it to cool in the fridge overnight.

Storage and reheating

The vegan pumpkin pie should be stored in the fridge for any period longer than two hours. However, I think it tastes best when it’s either room temperature or gently warmed. You can plan to take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before slicing and serving.

If you’d like to enjoy the pie warm, then you can reheat it at 350F for 15 minutes.

The entire pie can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.

Can I freeze vegan pumpkin pie?

Most definitely! Freezing the pie is the easiest way to make it ahead of whatever occasion you plan to serve it for. You can freeze the pie for up to four weeks.

More vegan pumpkin treats to savor

Pumpkin pie may be the most beloved pumpkin dessert, but there are so many other pumpkin baked goods to enjoy in the fall and winter months. Here’s a short list of my favorites, for holidays or any occasion:

• Pumpkin chocolate marble loaf
• Classic vegan pumpkin bread
• Pumpkin chocolate chip blondies
• Pumpkin cashew pudding
• Vegan, gluten-free pumpkin skillet cornbread

And here, without further ado, is the classic vegan pumpkin pie.

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Classic Vegan Pumpkin Pie

There's nothing I love better than a slice of classic vegan pumpkin pie during the holiday season. This version uses cashews for an ultra-creamy consistency and features a traditional, flaky vegan pie crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword pumpkin

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Chilling time 7 hours

Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (180 g)
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar (12 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons cold vegan butter, cut into cubes (112 grams / 1 stick)
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 6-8 tablespoons ice water

For the pie

• 15 ounces canned pumpkin purée (430 g / 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup cashew cream (substitute full fat, canned coconut milk, shaken well)
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca starch (18 g; substitute cornstarch)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (96 g)
• 1/2 cup cane sugar (96 g)
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For serving

• tofu whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

• To make the crust, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour, until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. Alternately, you can put the flours, salt, and sugar into a food processor, add the butter, and pulse until the ingredients are combined and the butter is the size of peas.
• Mix the ice water and vinegar. Add the water into the flour mixture in a thin stream, using a spatula to mix as you go. As soon as the dough holds together without being wet, and it easily sticks together when you squeeze a small amount in your hand, it's ready. If your dough is too crumbly and isn't holding together, add additional ice water by the tablespoon until it does. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and shape it into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. At this point, you can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze it for later use, if you like.
• When the dough has finished chilling, preheat your oven to 375F. Flour a work surface and rolling pin.
• On the floured work surface, roll the dough into a circle about 1/4 inch thick and about 12 inches in diameter. Gently transfer this circle of dough to a pie dish. Trim and crimp the edges, then use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust. Cover the crust with a sheet of parchment paper and fill it with dry beans (any are fine) or pie weights for blind baking. Blind bake the crust for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are just barely golden. Remove the par-baked crust from the oven, discard the beans, and remove the parchment sheet. 
• While the crust blind bakes, blend all of the filling ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Blend for a full 2-3 minutes, or until the filling is silky smooth. 
• Remove the crust from the oven. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Then, pour the filling into the crust. Return it to the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is browning at the edges and the filling is jiggly, but set at the outer edges. I recommend using a commercial or homemade foil pie crust shield to protect the edges from browning too much during baking, but it's not absolutely necessary (browned pie crust still tastes good!).
• Remove the pie from the oven. Allow it to rest in a cool place for at least 5 full hours before slicing. Alternately, you can chill it in the fridge overnight (or up to 3 nights) before serving. Cut into slices, top with tofu whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!

I haven’t made the pie since last fall, and I can’t wait to make it again this coming week. Pie is always a bit of a project—it isn’t straightforward or a one-bowl affair, the way a lot of my favorite vegan cakes are.

But I always find that the effort is worthwhile, and I’m never sorry to have leftover pumpkin pie in my fridge and freezer. I hope you’ll enjoy the recipe, too.

xo

The post Classic Vegan Pumpkin Pie appeared first on The Full Helping.

Mildly sweet and nutty butternut squash is one of many reasons that I look forward to fall produce every year. Here are 15 wholesome vegan butternut squash recipes that celebrate this versatile and nutritious ingredient!

There’s nothing that makes me more excited for fall cooking than the site of winter squashes piling up at farmers markets. There are many wonderful varieties to choose from, but butternut squash will always be a favorite.

Butternut squash is so versatile. As I was rounding up the recipes below, I came across plenty of soup, which is how I first got comfortable cooking butternut squash.

Over time, however, I’ve started to use this type of squash in a broader array of recipes. Pizza? Check. Risotto? Check. Even nachos—yes, check!

I love surveying the many ways that butternut squash can brighten recipes with its golden color and contribute to their wholesomeness with its good nutrition.

Butternut squash health benefits

Butternut squash, like carrots, sweet potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables with orange color, butternut squash is an excellent source of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted in the body to Vitamin A, at which point it acts as an antioxidant.

Vitamin A plays an important role in cell growth. It’s associated with eye, heart, lung, and skin health and function.

In addition, butternut squash is a very good source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C, along with the Vitamin A that beta-carotene is a precursor to, supports immunity

Butternut squash is also rich in electrolytes, including magnesium and potassium. These minerals play a role in hydration status and muscle function.

Lastly, butternut squash has dietary fiber, which helps to keep our digestive tracts and cardiovascular systems strong.

How to break down butternut squash

Health benefits, sweet flavor, tender flesh—butternut squash has so much to offer. But it comes with a considerable downside, which is that it’s a bit of a pain to break down and cube.

Most of my butternut squash recipes call for peeled and cubed squash. (You don’t actually have to peel the squash, but I find it a lot more appealing from a texture and appearance perspective to do it.)

It’s possible to purchase pre-peeled, cubed squash in a lot of grocery stores these days. When that’s not an option, it’s time for some squash butchery. This post is a good primer on how to break down butternut squash for recipes.

How to roast butternut squash

Many of my recipes, including some of my salads, call for using roasted squash.

My roasting process in most of these recipes is the same: preheat your oven to 400F. Coat the squash in oil (I use olive or avocado oil for roasting vegetables) and place it on a lined baking sheet.

Bake your squash cubes for 25-35 minutes, stirring them on the sheet once halfway through baking. When the roasted squash is ready, the cubes will be lightly browning along the edges and fork tender.

15 Wholesome vegan butternut squash recipes

Once you have a squash cut and seeded and ready to go, you can use it in any one of these seasonal, satisfying, wholesome vegan butternut squash recipes.

Vegan Butternut Red Onion Pizza

This is the plant-based autumn pizza of your dreams! Made with savory roasted butternut squash, sweet, caramelized red onions, cashew cheese, and zippy arugula. A perfect party appetizer or flavorful vegan meal.

Get the recipe

Butternut Brussels Sprout Salad

This butternut Brussels sprout salad is so colorful and festive! Made with crispy shaved Brussels sprouts and tender roasted squash, it's a celebration of autumn. The salad is topped with a creamy, cashew-based dressing and bright pomegranate arils.

Get the recipe

Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

This hearty autumn roasted butternut squash risotto is both vegan and gluten free. Roasting the squash gives it depth of flavor. A cozy, comforting dish!

Get the recipe

Vegan Butternut Black Bean Nachos

These hearty vegan butternut black bean nachos feature spice roasted cubes of winter squash and a creamy vegan butternut queso sauce. They've got classic nacho goodness with extra nutrition.

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Quinoa Protein Bowl

Quinoa, kale, butternut squash, and edamame are brought together with a creamy sauce in this protein-packed vegan recipe. The meal has about 20 grams of protein and tons of nutrition. Easy to make ahead and perfect for busy nights!

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Smoky Butternut Squash, Tofu & Apple Breakfast Hash

Strengthen your vegan savory breakfast game with this high protein breakfast hash! Tofu provides plant protein, with butternut squash, shaved Brussels sprouts, and apples provide nutrition. The hash is loaded with sweet, savory, and smoky flavor.

Get the recipe

Red Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup with Kale and Toasted Chickpeas

A flavorful, hearty, and wholesome butternut soup, which is packed with greens and topped with crispy chickpeas.

Get the recipe

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

This butternut squash and chickpea curry comes together easily, and it packs a lot of sweet and savory flavor. With some cooked rice, it's a perfect meal for busy evenings.

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Slow Cooker Black Bean, Butternut Squash & Quinoa Chili

This make-ahead slow cooker black bean butternut chili is perfect nutritious vegan comfort food. Made with protein rich beans and quinoa as well as filling butternut squash. It's a perfect recipe for your weekly meal prep, and it freezes well!

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Autumn Lima Bean and Butternut Squash Succotash

A delightful, plant-based succotash for fall. The recipe features sweet corn, lima beans, and butternut, and the ingredients can be modified to fit what you have at home.

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Roasted Brussels Sprout, Butternut Squash & Grape Salad with Quinoa

This roasted butternut squash salad is bursting with flavor, texture, and vibrant autumn produce. It has quinoa, Brussels sprouts, and the surprising addition of roasted grapes, which give the recipe sweet and savory notes. It's a perfect holiday salad!

Get the recipe

Curried Butternut, Red Lentil, and Apple Soup

This curried butternut lentil apple soup is a perfect balance of sweet and savory. Hearty, healthy, and easy to make! It's a perfect soup for fall.

Get the recipe

Roasted Butternut Squash, Zucchini & Arugula Pesto Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is the best of both early fall and late summer. It features sweet roasted winter and summer squash, along with a peppery arugula pesto.

Get the recipe

Butternut Squash, Kale & Lentil Soup with Herbs

This butternut kale lentil soup with herbs is so warming and nourishing! It's a perfect vegan soup for fall and winter—or any time you're craving something wholesome and grounding.

Get the recipe

Butternut Squash Rice

This gingery roasted butternut squash rice with onions and peas has both savory and sweet notes. It's a perfect side dish for the fall months, and it's really easy to make.

Get the recipe

Vegan butternut rice recipe

This gingery, savory, salty sweet vegan butternut rice is an old recipe. Like, 2011 old!

I loved the rice when I first made it. And when I made it again last week, for the first time in a while, I was still a huge fan. In spite of the fact that my cooking has changed a lot in the last ten years, this recipe has stood the test of time.

To make the rice, you’ll roast butternut squash and apple together, along with onion. It’s one of those sweet and savory pairings that I love so much.

The roasted vegetables and apple are folded together with cooked rice and bright green peas. (I always have a bag of frozen peas in my freezer, so it’s easy for me to use them even when they’re not in season).

I originally used pink rice, which I had just tried for the first time, in the recipe. Now when I make the dish I tend to use short or medium grain brown rice. However, you could use pink rice, wild rice, black rice, or white rice and the dish would still work.

A little dressing of oil, tamari, rice vinegar, and apple cider vinegar bring the butternut squash rice to life. As does some fresh ginger, which I use to roast the vegetables. These seasonings elevate an otherwise simple grain dish, making it more than the sum of its parts.

I hope you’ll think so, too. The rice can be enjoyed as a side dish, or you can have a larger portion and add something else—maybe some greens, maybe a plant protein you love—to make it a meal.

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15 Wholesome Vegan Butternut Squash Recipes: Butternut Squash Rice

This gingery butternut squash rice with onions and peas has both savory and sweet notes. It's a perfect side dish for the fall months, and it's really easy to make. Plus, 15 wholesome vegan butternut squash recipes that I know you'll love!

Course main, side, Side Dish

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword apples, brown rice, butternut squash, onion, peas

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

• 16-20 ounces cubed butternut squash (1 medium sized squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed)
• 1 white or yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large apple (any variety), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil (divided)
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup short grain brown rice (medium or long grain rice will also work)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen and defrosted green peas
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Place the squash, onion, and apple on the prepared sheet and drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the avocado oil. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast the mixture for 20. Sprinkle the vegetables and fruit with the ginger, stir them on the sheet, and then continue to roast for another 10-20 minutes, or until the squash and apples are gently browning.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the brown rice. Boil the brown rice for 35-40 minutes, or until all of the grains are tender. Add the peas to the pot and let them boil with the rice for 1-2 minutes, till bright green and tender. Drain the brown rice and peas, then return them to the pot. Cover the pot and let the mixture steam for 5 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, fold together the cooked rice, peas, and roasted vegetables. Whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil, tamari, and vinegars. Pour this dressing over the rice, mix again, and serve warm.

I hope you’ll have a chance to try some of these satisfying, cozy vegan butternut squash recipes while the energy of harvest season is still all around us! Enjoy them, friends.

xo

The post 15 Wholesome Vegan Butternut Squash Recipes appeared first on The Full Helping.

This vegan tofu whipped cream is made with silken tofu, cashews, and maple syrup. It’s a dairy-free, whole foods spin on whipped cream that’s rich in healthful fats and protein. Plus, it’s versatile and easy to make!

We’re coming up on the season of festive desserts. From pie to cake to brownies and beyond, it’s the jolliest time of year to bake.

With all of that baking comes the need for simple decorations. And while I’m a pretty decent baker, the truth is that I’m a terrible decorator. My piping skills lack much to be desired, my frosted cakes are a mess, and I can’t seem to get buttons or smiles onto gingerbread people.

Thank goodness for decorations that are simple and taste good. Sometimes a dusting of powdered sugar is enough to make me happy. A scoop of vanilla ice cream can easily do the trick.

But the easy decoration that I rely on most is probably dairy free whipped cream. And it has taken me a while to find a homemade version that I really like.

This silken tofu whipped cream changes everything.

The magic of silken tofu

There are several types of tofu, and each type has its own properties. As a result, different tofu varieties have different optimal recipe uses.

I use firm and extra firm tofu for my much loved tofu scramble recipes and tofu egg salad. Extra firm is my choice for baked and marinated tofu, like the balsamic tofu cubes I’ve been putting on everything lately. It’s also what I use for my herbed tofu feta.

Silken tofu, on the other hand, has a smooth texture and soft consistency that makes it ideal for blending and puréeing. I use it in salad dressings, as a nutrient-dense base for soups, in my favorite creamed spinach dip, and in the silken tofu chocolate pudding that pairs so nicely with today’s whipped cream.

Blended silken tofu will thicken slightly in the fridge as it cools. For this tofu whipped cream, I combine two creamy, plant-based ingredients that I love—silken tofu and cashews—for a light, smooth, spoonable texture.

Silken tofu health benefits

Silken tofu will give you the opportunity to create creamy textures in vegan cooking while also adding plant protein to your recipes.

Unlike conventional dairy and coconut, which is often used to make vegan whipped cream, silken tofu is low in saturated fat. Instead, it’s rich in polyunsaturated fat, which may help to lower cholesterol levels.

One of the many things I love about this tofu whipped cream is that it’s such a good source of the “good fats” that are associated with heart health. The fat in cashews is primarily monounsaturated fat. This means that the finished cream is much lower in saturated fat than coconut-based whipped creams.

How to make whipped cream from silken tofu

Silken tofu gives the whipped cream its lightness and mild flavor. Cashews then help to thicken the mixture. If you’ve made my all-purpose cashew cream, then you may already have guessed that the cashews serve an additional purpose. They enhance the rich creaminess of the tofu whipped cream.

To make the tofu whipped cream, you’ll need only to blend these two base ingredients in a powerful blender or food processor.

Chilling is an essential step in this recipe, and it can’t be shortened or skipped.

Right after blending, the tofu whipped cream will be rich and luxurious but on the loose side. After a minimum of 4 hours of chilling in the fridge, it will be denser and perfect for spooning and scooping onto all of your favorite treats. I’ve found that the whipped cream continues to thicken the longer the leftovers are stored.

Texture notes

Is the texture of this whip exactly like traditional whipped cream?

Not quite. The tofu whipped cream isn’t super airy or fluffy. However, it does have some lightness, and you’ll likely see some tiny air bubbles incorporated into the whip after blending. It’s scoopable, not runny, and it’s perfect for dolloping onto slices of pie or pots of pudding (as you’ll see).

Tofu whipped cream ingredients

Part of what I love about this DIY whipped cream is the short ingredient list. You won’t need much aside from the tofu and cashews. Here’s the rundown:

Silken tofu

The star of this wholesome whip. My silken tofu of choice is made by Nasoya, which is my-go brand for all things tofu!

Nasoya tofu is the country’s #1 brand of tofu. It creates not only organic, non-GMO tofu varieties that are ready for seasoning and cooking, but also convenient tofu products. The brand’s Tossables and Plantspired Superfood Skillets can help home cooks to easily incorporate more plant protein into their diets.

I love Nasoya’s silken tofu because it’s fresh, the flavor is mild and neutral (which makes the tofu extra versatile for both savory and sweet recipes), and it comes in a generous, 16-ounce package.

Cashews

Be sure to use raw cashews for the whipped cream, rather than roasted and/or salted. I recommend soaking the cashews in hot or boiling water for ease of blending, especially if you don’t have a powerful blender. However, if you soak them in room temperature or cold water for at least two hours, that’s also fine.

Maple syrup

Maple syrup is one of my favorite sweeteners. Here, it imparts a subtle maple flavor without making the cream taste either too sweet or too maple-y. If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, agave syrup will be just fine.

Vanilla

Vanilla extract gives the tofu whipped cream a lovely flavor. I use a whole two teaspoons of extract here, which is significant, but keep in mind that the recipe yields a big batch of whipped cream.

In place of vanilla extract, you can use a teaspoon of vanilla powder or two teaspoons of vanilla paste.

Salt

Salt is an essential ingredient in sweet recipes. It actually enhances their flavor and helps to add a flavor counterpoint to sweetness. I use a pinch of Kosher salt in the tofu whipped cream, but sea salt or iodized salt will also be fine.

How to serve tofu whipped cream

Very simply, you can use the tofu whipped cream in most recipes where whipped cream is called for. The only exception I’d offer is that the texture is less stabilized and looser than some other whipped cream. It isn’t ideal for piping, and it may not work well as a filling between cake layers (that’s where buttercream does the trick).

However, tofu whipped cream is an ideal and wholesome addition to lots of desserts and snacks! Here’s a short list of serving ideas:

• Top a simple slice of torta di mele (apple cake)
• Use as a topping for fresh fruit
• Make your Sunday waffles or pancakes extra special
• Spoon it over a warm, vegan sticky toffee pudding
• Use it to top these seasonal, festive pumpkin cashew pudding cups
• Pair it with gingerbread cake for the holiday season
• Make a brownie sunday with fudgy tahini skillet brownies, tofu whipped cream, and salted date caramel sauce
• Use it in place of the sweet avocado cream in this wholesome vegan breakfast parfait
• Take overnight oats to the next level
• Smother a slice of chocolate mousse pie, cherry pie, or Nantucket cranberry pie

Or, you can use the cream to top another one of my favorite, tofu-based vegan desserts.

A perfect dessert pairing

Silken tofu chocolate pudding is the dessert I’m most likely to make when I’m tired, stressed, rushing, or just not in the mood to turn on my oven.

I’ve always got a package of Nasoya Silken Tofu in my fridge, and the pudding requires very few other ingredients. It’s quick, ridiculously easy to make, and most importantly, it’s delicious. Fudgy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, and a silky smooth, mousse-like texture that I love.

I eat the pudding on its own often enough, but I’m especially happy when I can top it with a dollop of whipped cream. In the past, this has often been store-bought vegan whipped cream.

Now, I know that I have a more nutritious and wholesome alternative. Tofu whipped cream is also inexpensive to make, and unlike store-bought whipped cream (which I can find in my local store sometimes, but not always), it’s easy to source.

If you want to create these adorable little pudding cups, you’ll need 6-8 small containers. I have a set of 4-ounce mason jars that I use for anything and everything: dressings, dips, little portions of trail mix or granola, and single-serve desserts.

The jars are perfect for my silken tofu chocolate pudding. And, with a little festive decoration, they can also make for a sweet edible gift or party favor for holiday guests.

To make them, divide the chocolate pudding into 8 of the cups.

Top each with a few tablespoons of the tofu whipped cream. Add some shaved vegan chocolate, if you like.

If you want to be really festive, you can add a fancy ribbon.

The pudding and whipped cream cups are cute, simple to make, wholesome, and plant-based. Such a sweet thing to share as the season of giving arrives.

Storing silken tofu whipped cream

Once made, the whipped cream can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. If you’d like to extend its life, you can freeze it for up to six weeks.

If you make the pudding cups, you can freeze them—pudding, whipped cream, chocolate, and all. The silken tofu chocolate pudding, like the whipped cream, is freezer-friendly for up to six weeks.

This means that you can make the pudding and whipped cream this weekend, assemble your desserts, and then serve them to people you love later this month or in December.

Here’s more detail on how to make the whipped cream.

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Silken Tofu Whipped Cream

This vegan tofu whipped cream is made with silken tofu, cashews, and maple syrup. It's a whole foods spin on dairy free whipped cream that's rich in healthful fats and protein. Plus, it's versatile and easy to make!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword chocolate, tofu, vanilla

Prep Time 5 minutes

Chilling time 4 hours

Servings 8 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (210 g)
• 16 oz Nasoya Organic Silken Tofu
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (79 mL)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch salt

Optional, for serving

• 1 batch Silken Tofu Chocolate Pudding
• shaved chocolate

Instructions

• Place the cashews in a heat-safe bowl. Pour boiling water over them. Allow the cashews to soak for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. (If you soak the cashews longer than 2 hours, transfer them to the fridge.) Drain and rinse the cashews.
• Place all of the whipped cream ingredients into a powerful blender or food processor. Blend or process till silky smooth. (If you use a food processor, you'll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times while processing.)
• Pour the whipped cream into a storage container with a lid. Transfer the cream to the fridge for at least four hours to set.
• Use the tofu whipped cream as an accompaniment or topping for any dessert. If you like, you can scoop it over silken tofu chocolate pudding and then top it with shaved chocolate. Enjoy!

I can’t seem to make it through a single Thanksgiving without becoming much too ambitious with my menu and cooking. I always tell myself that I’ll prepare something that’s reasonable for two people. Then I start thinking about all the holiday foods I want to eat, and I get carried away.

Dessert is of course the area where I overreach the most. It’s good to know that, if nothing else, I’ve got a perfect homemade whipped cream recipe for this year’s celebration. Whether I use it to top one dessert or a totally unnecessary five, it’ll be one part of my meal preparation that’s stress-free.

Hope you’ll enjoy the homemade whip, whether for the holidays or for an everyday treat, too.

xo

This post is sponsored by Nasoya. All opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!

The post Tofu Whipped Cream appeared first on The Full Helping.

These miso butter Brussels sprouts are the best roasted Brussels sprouts I’ve eaten! They’re salty, sweet, and savory, thanks to vegan miso butter and maple syrup. The Brussels sprouts are a perfect side dish for the holiday season or winter gatherings.

Here’s what I love about cooking: just when you think you know it all about an ingredient or recipe, you discover something new.

I’ve tried Brussels sprouts every which way. I’ve steamed them, sautéed them, shaved them and eaten them in salads and slaws. I’ve turned them into hash, latkes, and even a nutritious, crispy salad topper.

Most often, I roast my Brussels sprouts. Even within this preparation category, I’ve tried countless different marinades and seasonings. I’ve played around with temperatures and roasting times, par-cooking prior to roasting versus not.

What I’ve learned is that I like a simple Brussels sprout preparation. Salt, pepper, oil, heat: it’s usually enough for me.

Recently, however, I became tempted by the idea of a new approach to Brussels sprout roasting, just in time for Thanksgiving. Everything I thought of, at first, was reminiscent of something I’ve already tried: herb blends, a mustardy glaze, something with vegan bacon.

Then I thought of miso, which I love for its saltiness and subtle savoriness. The idea of making vegan miso butter has been knocking around my brain for a while now. That’s how these miso butter Brussels sprouts came to be, and they are unbelievably delicious.

A friend of mine, who tasted the recipe, labeled them “possibly the best Brussels sprouts I have ever tried.” I’m always hesitant to throw around the word best, but I have a hard time disagreeing with her. At the least, the sprouts are a little victory, and I’m so happy to share them in time for the holiday season.

What is miso butter?

Miso butter is a type of compound butter that’s made with butter and miso paste. To prepare it, one usually whips together room temperature butter and miso paste.

For the miso butter Brussels sprouts, I melt the butter and then whisk it with the miso paste. This makes it easier to glaze the raw sprouts with the butter prior to roasting.

I also add maple syrup to the glaze, which is another place where it diverges from traditional miso butter. The syrup adds some of the salty sweetness that I love so much for roasted autumn and winter vegetables. It balances the saltiness of the miso paste perfectly.

What type of miso should I use?

The three types of miso that you’ll most commonly find in stores are red, yellow, and white miso.

Red miso is generally the saltiest. It has a strong flavor, a little funky. It is the type of miso that I use the least often, though it can work in really hearty stews or braised dishes.

Yellow miso is less salty than red miso and fairly adaptable. I use it sometimes, though white (shiro) miso is the variety that I use most often.

White miso is sometimes labeled as “sweet” or “mellow” miso. It ferments for a shorter time than red or yellow miso, and while it is salty, it’s not as assertive as the other two types. It does have a very subtle sweetness, which is part of what I love about it.

I use white miso in soups, carrot miso butter, my miso tahini sauce (and this sandwich), soba salad, and more. I love that it contributes saltiness as well as umami to food.

That’s certainly what it does for the miso butter Brussels sprouts!

How to make miso butter Brussels sprouts

This is a simple recipe, which makes it a good antidote to extensive and laborious holiday cooking.

You’ll begin by heating up your oven and lining a baking sheet with parchment. Trim and half your Brussels sprouts (if you have giant sprouts, then quarter them).

Melt your butter and whisk together the miso glaze. Place the sprouts on your prepared baking sheet and pour the glaze over them.

The glaze is thick, so you’ll need to use your hands to distribute it evenly and coat the sprouts well.

After this, all you need to do is roast the miso butter Brussels sprouts. Be sure to stir them on the baking sheet once halfway through roasting. This will ensure that they brown and crisp up evenly.

Meal prep & storage

The miso butter Brussels sprouts can be prepared up to three days in advance of eating.

While you can reheat them in the microwave, they’ll benefit from being reheated in the oven. This way, you can both reheat them and re-crisp them at the same time. I recommend reheating the sprouts for 10 minutes at 350F, or until they’re nice and hot.

While I freeze nearly everything, especially before big holidays, this is one side dish that I don’t recommend freezing. I’ve found that the the sprouts tend to get a big mushy after defrosting.

However, if you have a ton of miso butter Brussels sprouts leftover and they’re at risk of going to waste, you technically can freeze them for up to six weeks. The texture won’t be quite the same when you defrost and reheat them, but the flavor and nutrition will still be great.

What to serve with miso butter Brussels sprouts

The miso butter Brussels sprouts will pair nicely with so many holiday dishes. Here are just a few of the ones that I’d like to try them alongside:

• Harvest bowls with tempeh and spelt berries
• Creamy brown rice with shiitakes & peas
• Baked balsamic tofu
• Lentil sweet potato loaf
• Mashed potato holiday bowls
• Balsamic mustard tempeh
• Citrusy sweet potato bulgur salad
• Gingery rice with roasted butternut squash & peas
• Red lentil chickpea loaf with mushroom gravy
• Quinoa kale stuffed sweet potatoes

No matter how you choose to prepare the sprouts, here’s how you’ll make them.

Print

Miso Butter Brussels Sprouts

These miso butter Brussels sprouts are the best roasted Brussels sprouts I've eaten! They're salty, sweet, and savory, thanks to vegan miso butter and maple syrup. The Brussels sprouts are a perfect side dish for the holiday season or winter gatherings.

Course side, Side Dish

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Brussels sprouts, miso

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted (30 g)
• 2 tablespoons white miso (30 g)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (15 mL)
• 1 lb trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425F and line one or two baking sheets with parchment. (The Brussels sprouts shouldn’t be crowded on the baking sheet, so if you have a smaller oven, use two sheets.)
• Place the Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet(s). Whisk the melted butter, miso, and maple syrup together. The mixture will be thick and a bit sticky. Pour it over the sprouts, then use your hands to coat all of the Brussels sprouts with the miso butter. 
• Transfer the sprouts to the oven and roast them for 22-28 minutes, stirring once halfway through roasting. The sprouts should be tender and browning and have a glazed appearance. Enjoy!

It’s funny: I love vegan roasts, loaves, stuffed squash, and other holiday mains. But the thing I always hear about Thanksgiving, especially in relation to veganism, is that it’s the side dishes that really make the meal.

I can’t argue with this. From cauliflower to kale, stuffing to sweet potatoes, traditional Thanksgiving sides are a real treat. And now I have a new favorite Brussels sprout dish to add to my rotation.

Hope you’ll come to love the recipe, too.

xo

The post Miso Butter Brussels Sprouts appeared first on The Full Helping.

Baked balsamic tofu cubes are one of my favorite versatile, everyday plant proteins to keep in my fridge. I use them in salads, bowls, pasta dishes, in wraps, and even as a nutritious snack food. Learn how to prepare this easy and flavorful vegan staple!

“This tofu is really good. How did you prepare it?”

This is what a friend of mine asked me two Fridays ago, as we dug into simple grain bowls together at her place. The protein in those bowls was this baked balsamic tofu.

The tofu went perfectly with the farro and roasted beets and pickled onions and greens that we were eating that night. But I’ve learned that the balsamic tofu cubes work well with a lot of other accompaniments, too.

I’m all about simple, versatile food lately. My emphasis is on plant proteins that can work in a variety of ways, because protein tends to be the nutrient that I give most conscious thought to when I plan meals.

Some recent highlights have been chickpeas heated up with salsa (instant flavor and seasoning!), lentils simmered with date-sweetened barbecue sauce, revisiting some of my favorite tofu scramble recipes, tempeh meatballs, and smashed lentils with tahini and veggies—a great wrap filling.

This balsamic tofu is the latest addition to my protein staple family. It’s not a new recipe, per se—I’ve used balsamic marinade for tofu in the past. But I’ve finally come up with just the right formula, and I know that I’ll be making these cubes all the time now. My friend was right: they may be simple, but they’re really good.

Preparing balsamic tofu cubes

The process of making the balsamic tofu is pretty easy, so long as you don’t mind some inactive wait times. Those are for a) pressing the tofu and b) marinating the tofu.

Press your tofu

Pressing tofu has two purposes. The first is to remove excess moisture from the tofu, which will help the tofu to absorb marinades and seasoning easily. The second is to give it an even firmer, sturdier texture.

I used to press tofu for long periods of time. I’d pop it into my Tofu Xpress (not necessary, but a handy appliance for those who cook with tofu often) for a few hours before cooking it.

Now I’m more relaxed about pressing tofu. I find that thirty minutes or so is enough to take care of moisture. I still have my Tofu Xpress, but you certainly don’t need one to press tofu.

Mix marinade

The marinade for the balsamic tofu was inspired by the marinade that I use for these summery, balsamic grilled vegetable burgers. It’s a simple mix of:

• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Tamari or soy sauce (I use this instead of salt for extra umami)
• Dijon mustard
• Maple syrup
• Garlic (powdered or fresh)

The marinade can be prepared and refrigerated a full day before you marinate the tofu. You’ll have some leftover after the tofu cubes bake, and if you like, you can drizzle it onto a salad.

Marinate the tofu

I almost always marinate tofu cubes in a storage container of some kind. Sometimes I use a rectangular, glasslock container for this, and sometimes I use one of my large Weck jars. A Stasher bag is also useful for marinating the balsamic tofu, or other ingredients.

I recommend marinating the tofu for at least two hours. If you have more time, the tofu will absorb more flavor as it marinates. If you feel like it, you can prepare the tofu in the evening, leave the tofu in the fridge overnight, and then bake it in the morning.

Bake

The balsamic tofu cubes bake for 30-35 minutes, and I recommend flipping them once halfway through baking, so that the sides can darken evenly.

Sometimes I brush the cubes a little with the marinade right after I flip them. I do this if the cubes look at all dry as they bake. I often find that it isn’t necessary.

When the tofu is ready, it will be darkened and have a nice, glazed appearance. The edges will be crisping up. At this point, you can enjoy the cubes right away, or you can store them to eat later.

The best vinegar for balsamic tofu

You can use any balsamic vinegar for the baked tofu, though different vinegars will have slightly different results. A syrupy balsamic or Balsamic vinegar of Modena will give you darker, more glazed cubes. A thinner balsamic vinegar will give you cubes that are a little less sticky/glazed, but they’ll still have plenty of balsamic flavor.

I often use a less expensive balsamic vinegar for marinades, and I save syrupy balsamic for salads and breads. However, when I do add the syrupy stuff to a marinade, I love how glazed and dark whatever I’m roasting or baking becomes. It’s up to you!

Meal prep & storage

The baked balsamic tofu can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze the cubes for up to four weeks.

If you freeze the tofu, know that the texture will be a little chewier after defrosting. Not in a bad way (in fact, some people intentionally freeze tofu before cooking it), but different!

Reheating

The leftover balsamic tofu can be eaten hot or cold. If you’d like to warm it, you can sauté it over low heat in a nonstick pan, microwave it, or re-bake it on a lined baking sheet for ten minutes at 325F.

What to serve with balsamic tofu

There are plenty of ways that you can serve the balsamic tofu once it’s ready.

Of course, the tofu is a great addition to salads—and it’ll help to turn a simple salad into a meal-sized salad by adding protein.

You can also try any one of the following ideas:

• Use the cubes in this summery balsamic tofu, quinoa, and strawberry salad
• Jazz up your pesto pasta
• Add protein to this simple, savory mushroom farro
• Make this lentil beet salad even more nutrient-dense
• Add the cubes to any simple lunch bowl
• Use them in place of tofu feta here
• Stuff the cubes into a pita or wrap with some greens or vegetables for an easy lunch
• Swap tempeh for tofu in these pasta bowls with roasted veggies
• Top my lentil tomato pasta stew with some cubes
• Balsamic roasted veggie pasta with the addition of baked balsamic tofu will be a perfect match
• Snack on the cubes! Tofu is a high-protein, savory, satisfying vegan snack

More multitasking vegan proteins

If you’re also on the make-ahead, easy vegan protein train, here are a few more options for you to play around with.

• Lemon pepper tempeh cubes
• Slow cooker black beans
• Herbed tofu feta cheese
• The best brothy white beans
• 4-ingredient tofu cream cheese
• Slow cooker tomato white beans
• Chickpea scramble
• Tempeh meatballs
• Smashed garlic tahini white beans
• Tofu egg salad
• Braised beans and kale
• Smashed chickpea kimchi salad
• Balsamic mustard baked tempeh
• BBQ lentils

Print

Baked Balsamic Tofu

Baked balsamic tofu cubes are one of my favorite versatile, everyday plant proteins to keep in my fridge. I use them in salads, bowls, pasta dishes, in wraps, and even as a nutritious snack food. Learn how to prepare this easy and flavorful vegan staple!

Course side, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword balsamic, tofu

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Marinating time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

• 15 ounces extra-firm tofu
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or two small cloves garlic, minced (adjust to taste)

Instructions

• Press the tofu for about 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
• Whisk the vinegar, oil, tamari, mustard, syrup, and garlic powder (or fresh garlic) together. 
• Cut the tofu into cubes. I use a method similar to this, and I end up with 32 cubes total. Place the tofu cubes into a glass lock or another storage container that has a lid. Pour the marinade over them. Cover the container, shake it to coat all of the tofu cubes, and allow the tofu to marinate for at least two hours or up to overnight. Refrigerate the tofu if you marinate it for longer than two hours.
• Preheat your oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. 
• Transfer the tofu cubes to the baking sheet. Reserve the marinade in case you need extra for basting the tofu as it bakes; I usually don’t, but I like to keep it handy. 
• Bake the tofu cubes for 15 minutes. Flip them around on the baking sheet. The cubes should look darkened and have a glazed appearance at this point, but if they look at all dry or pale, you can brush them with the extra, reserved marinade. 
• Return the cubes to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the cubes are darkened and becoming crisp. Serve or store.

With the busy winter holiday season approaching more quickly than seems imaginable, it’s good to have simple, reliable, versatile food in the fridge.

These tofu cubes are an especially good one. They’ll be easy nourishment for me—and maybe for you, too—as we head into the winter months. Hope you enjoy them.

xo

The post Baked Balsamic Tofu appeared first on The Full Helping.

These BBQ lentils couldn’t be easier or quicker to make. I prepare them with my naturally sweetened, date BBQ sauce, and I use them as a staple in my vegan meal prep. They’re a super versatile plant protein!

Do these BBQ lentils really require a blog post of their own?

Maybe not. Maybe a recipe with two ingredients—lentils and BBQ sauce—is self-explanatory. But honestly, I’ve made these lentils at least three times in the mere three weeks since I made homemade date BBQ sauce. And I’ve found them to be so versatile and handy to have in the fridge that it feels wrong not to share.

There are probably a lot of ways to make BBQ lentils. One might be to sauté them with onion and garlic before adding sauce ingredients. That’s how I prepare them in these lentil Sloppy Joes, which is an old, favorite recipe.

However, there are times when a person doesn’t want to chop up garlic or onion. There are times when sautéing anything sounds like a pain. I am smack dab in the middle of such a time period. Right now, I want everything to be as easy as humanly possible.

That’s basically how the BBQ lentils came to be. I had cooked lentils in my fridge—they’re a meal prep staple for me and a starring ingredient in my diet—and I wanted to give them some good seasoning. But I didn’t really want to do any cooking.

Fortunately, I had a jar of my date BBQ sauce in the fridge along with the lentils. I wondered how it would be to simply simmer the lentils with the sauce, rather than going to any other lengths for flavor.

As it turns out, lentils + BBQ sauce are a pretty great, versatile, unfussy plant protein. Would it be possible to dress them up, adding vegetables or alliums for more depth of flavor? Yes. 100% yes. But there are times when minimal effort in exchange for good flavor is good enough.

This recipe is suited for those times.

How to make BBQ lentils

In the case of this particular recipe, it’s about as simple as combining lentils and BBQ sauce.

There are a few other details—namely, you’ll need to cook your lentils and make the BBQ sauce. Even these steps can be shortened, though. If you don’t want to cook lentils from scratch, canned lentils are always an option.

And if you don’t want to make homemade BBQ sauce—either my date BBQ sauce or another version, you can use a store-bought, vegan BBQ sauce that you know and love.

I bring the lentils to a gentle simmer in a sauce pot with the BBQ sauce, and then I allow them to simmer, uncovered, for five minutes. This reduces the sauce a bit and warms the ingredients through. Taste the lentils once they’re cooked, and add any of the following, if you like:

• A splash of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or tamari
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Hot sauce
• Maple syrup
• Mustard
• Extra BBQ sauce
• Nutritional yeast (for savoriness)
• Vegan sour cream or all-purpose cashew cream

At this point, your BBQ lentils are ready to be used however you like. More on that below!

How I cook lentils

Most traditional lentil cooking instructions say to use a certain ratio of dry lentils to water, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the water has been absorbed.

I’ve made lentils this way may times, and it works fine. Sometimes I need to add a little extra water, sometimes I need to drain excess water at the end of cooking.

My favorite lentil cooking method to date is to add dry lentils to a pot of boiling water and let them boil for about 20-30 minutes. Taste a few lentils to check for doneness. Drain them well, and then serve or store them.

This is the same method that I use to cook brown rice. I first read about it here, and while I was skeptical, the “boil like pasta” method has been a game changer. Now I cook barley and farro the same way, and I’ll never go back.

I wasn’t sure that this type of boiling would work for lentils, but sure enough, it does. And it helps to prevent lentils that are either undercooked or mushy. So long as you don’t mind tasting a few lentils as they cook (I have a small strainer, which I use to grab a few), you’ll be able to pull the lentils from heat when they’re just the right texture.

My favorite date BBQ sauce

There are some staples that I’m terrible about consistently making from scratch. Bread is one of them: I’m either on or off, baking bread all the time or going months without bothering. I almost never make my own nut butter, I’m inconsistent about hummus, and while I think it’s fun to make almond milk, I purchase non-dairy milk more often than not.

The one area where I excel at DIY-ing is with dressings and sauces. (Cashew cheese, too, though the explosion of spreadable vegan cheeses in stores is making lapse a bit.) I think homemade dressings taste so much better than store-bought, even the good store-bought ones.

As for sauces, I tend to buy enchilada sauce and marinara. But there are so many other creamy sauces that I rely on in my cooking, and I genuinely enjoy making them. This includes yum sauce, cashew cilantro sauce, cashew queso, and sunflower romesco.

It includes sweet sauces, too. And my base for those is usually medjool dates, because I love them so. Dates are a wonderful natural sweetener, and they offer up some nutrients (magnesium, potassium, fiber) along with the flavor of caramel.

I use them in my homemade, salted caramel sauce. And they’re the base of my date BBQ sauce, of course.

This isn’t an ultra-traditional BBQ sauce. It’s less tangy than some batches, less spicy than others. It has a richness from the puréed dates that I think is kind of special. But in spite of being a little unusual, it’s very wholesome.

Best of all, the date BBQ sauce is really easy to make. I use powdered alliums, so again, there’s no need to sauté anything. Making the sauce is as easy as using a blender.

If you don’t wish to use the date BBQ sauce for the BBQ lentils, you can absolutely substitute your favorite, store-bought vegan BBQ sauce. There are many to choose from; I like this one a lot.

Meal prep & storage

One made, the BBQ lentils will keep nicely in the fridge for up to four or five days. They’re a great candidate for weekly meal prep or batch cooking.

You can also freeze any leftovers lentils you have for up to six weeks.

BBQ lentils, three ways

There are so many ways to serve the BBQ lentils, but three preparations have been on repeat in my apartment.

On a burger bun

This is the Sloppy Joe idea, of course. Just made ultra-simple. Add tomato slices, lettuce, onion, or whatever fixings you like.

In a bowl

I love bowl meals generally, and these days, I’ve been playing around with a lot of simple varieties. Chickpea burrito bowls have been a recent favorite. The BBQ lentils, served with cooked rice and some sautéed or steamed greens, are now another favorite.

You can get creative with your BBQ lentil bowls, adding a sauce, something crunchy, vegan bacon bits, or anything else that suits you. The greens could be heavily seasoned, and they could also be another vegetable entirely.

On a baked sweet potato

I’ll put just about anything on or over a sweet potato. I especially love stuffing and topping sweet potatoes with greens and legumes—these Moroccan-inspired sweet potatoes and these quinoa kale stuffed sweet potatoes are two of my favorite examples.

The BBQ lentils work beautifully on a sweet potato, too. I like to top them with chopped green onion tops, cashew cream, or a mix of both. This combo can be a super quick, very basic, but very satisfying and nourishing vegan lunch.

More serving ideas

If none of those ideas are calling to you, here are a few more ways that you could serve the BBQ lentils:

• Over polenta (soft, baked or grilled)
• On some of your favorite toast (I’d love to try them with maple oatmeal bread)
• Mixed with sautéed or braised greens
• With macaroni or mini shells
• Over or with cauliflower rice
• Scooped over a plate of air fried potato wedges
• In soft or hard tacos

…and I’m sure there are a lot more ideas that I’m not thinking of now.

No matter how you plan to serve the BBQ lentils, here’s how to make them.

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Easy BBQ Lentils

These BBQ lentils couldn't be easier or quicker to make. I prepare them with my naturally sweetened, date BBQ sauce, and I use them as a staple in my vegan meal prep. They're a super versatile plant protein.

Course main, side

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword lentils

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry, brown or green lentils (200 g)
• 1 cup date BBQ sauce (or a store-bought or homemade sauce of choice; keep some extra sauce handy in case you need it)

Instructions

• Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the lentils. Boil the lentils (like pasta!) for 20-25 minutes, or until they're tender but not mushy. Drain the lentils well, through a sieve. Return them to the pot. 
• Add the BBQ sauce to the pot. Bring the lentils and sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the lentils for 5 minutes. Taste the lentils and add extra sauce or a little tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos for added seasoning, if desired. Store or serve.

A lot of what I’m sharing lately is on the very simple side, which is just indicative of where I am and how much I have the energy to cook.

I tend to apologize unnecessarily for this, to myself and to you, when in fact there are a lot of upsides of ultra-simple cooking.

It may be an odd connection, but the other day, as I was thinking about this, I remembered the very early days of the coronavirus pandemic and quarantine.

At that moment, my usual daily routine was suddenly pared down to practically no activity. As a result, I started to appreciate really small stuff all the more. Every day activities like short walks or making coffee had new meaning. Since that was what I could do, I found new fulfillment and appreciation within it.

I’m feeling similarly about my simple food lately. For as long as it’s what I have the energy for, I’m learning appreciating it wholeheartedly. I’m finding enjoyment in my every day staples and low-key meals.

BBQ lentils are a nice example, and I’ve enjoyed them a lot. I hope they’ll come to your rescue when you need something easy, too.

xo

The post Easy BBQ Lentils appeared first on The Full Helping.

If I could eat only one type of dessert for the rest of my life, it would be cake. Here are 20 irresistable vegan cake recipes for celebrations big and small. Plus, my favorite vegan carrot cake with cream cheese frosting!

There are all kinds of dessert people in the world. Me, I’m a cake person.

It’s not that I don’t love pie, ice cream, cheesecake, cobbler, cookies, or crisp. I’ll happily eat any of those things.

But cake has a special place in my heart. This is especially true of rustic, simple cakes—the sort of cakes that can be a snack-time treat, a dessert, or maybe even breakfast.

I love cakes because I associate them with celebrations and special occasions. I love homey and simple cakes because they represent celebration as an every day practice, rather than something we do only when there’s a birthday or wedding or another “big” day.

Eating cake for dessert on a random weeknight feels like a reminder that there’s always something to celebrate in life. There’s always room for whimsy and fun. Baking is dear to me precisely because it’s impractical. We eat to live, but we don’t need to bake desserts.

When I bake, I’m issuing myself a reminder to enjoy the ride. And there is no dessert that captures this more profoundly for me than cake.

As a result, I couldn’t be more happy to round up these twenty irresistable vegan cake recipes. I hope that they’ll help you to celebrate the big stuff, the little stuff, and everything in between.

How to make a vegan cake

There are a number of tricks to creating great vegan cake recipes. The immediate challenge, of course, is to replace some of the non-vegan ingredients that cake recipes tend to rely on: eggs, milk, butter, or a combination of all three.

I won’t even pretend that vegan cake baking comes easily to me. It’s easier now than it used to be, because I get a lot of practice. But I still routinely find myself with batches of cake that are too dense, too dry, sunken in at the center, or otherwise problematic.

My simplest vegan cakes follow a straightforward formula:

• Mix (or sift) dry ingredients together
• Mix (or whisk) wet ingredients together
• Combine wet and dry to make a batter
• Bake
• Decorate

Of course, there are many variables that affect this process. Some cake batters should be wetter and have more liquid. Others should be more thick. There are vegan cake recipes that have short and simple ingredient lists, while others need many components to work.

Most importantly, the ingredients that I use to replace and substitute eggs and dairy in vegan cake recipes can vary from cake to cake.

Many traditional cake recipes call for creaming butter and sugar, then adding eggs. After this, dry ingredients, including flour and raising agents, are folded in. I’ve prepared vegan cakes this way, but I’ve had better luck with looser batters in which oil or melted butter is the main fat source.

There’s probably no right or wrong here: it’s just worth pointing this out, since most of these twenty vegan cake recipes follow the latter method.

My favorite ingredient swaps for vegan cake recipes

I think it’s important to disregard any strict ideas about what must or must not be substituted in vegan cake baking.

For example, eggs. Yes, there are some vegan cake recipes in which it’s really important to replace eggs with a plant-based substitute. But I’ve found that many cakes (and quick breads and muffins) work perfectly well without either a flax egg or aquafaba.

Similarly, you don’t necessarily have to replace butter in a traditional cake recipe with vegan butter. It’s often the case that vegetable oil (I tend to use avocado oil) will work as well.

I sometimes make my vegan cakes slightly lower in fat than their traditional counterparts by using a combination of oil (or vegan butter) and a fruit or vegetable purée. This might be applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin, or puréed beet.

Here’s a little more on my favorite vegan ingredient substitutions for vegan cake recipes:

Eggs

My favorite egg replacers for cake baking are:

• Aquafaba
• Flax egg
• Puréed silken tofu
• Ener-G egg replacer
• Vegan yogurt

The amount of these ingredients can vary. Trust the cake recipe you’re using!

Milk

Most plant-based milks will work well as substitutes for conventional milk in vegan cake recipes. Here are the ones that I use most often:

• Oat milk
• Soy milk
• Almond milk
• Cashew milk

Be sure to purchase non-dairy milks that are unsweetened, or else the additional sweetening will affect the flavor of your finished recipe.

Butter

I often replace butter with avocado oil in my vegan cake recipes. I tend to use coconut oil somewhat sparingly, but it can also be a good substitute for butter, as it has a buttery flavor already.

When butter works best, I use whatever vegan butter I have at home. I like stick butter—it’s easier to measure than vegan butter that comes in a tub. Earth Balance is often my go-to, as it’s an economical option. I tend to save pricier and more artisanal vegan butters for toast and bread, when I can really savor their flavor.

My favorite cake sweeteners

Dry

I sweeten most of my vegan cake recipes with cane sugar. However, I use brown sugar for moisture in a number of my recipes. Coconut sugar works well as a substitute for cane sugar if you prefer to use a less refined form of sugar; it also has a nice, slightly caramel-like flavor.

Liquid

Liquid sweeteners can work well for sweetening vegan cakes. My favorites include maple syrup, agave syrup, and (if it’s appropriate for the recipe) molasses.

If you add a fruit purée like applesauce or banana to a vegan cake recipe, that will also help to enhance the sweetness naturally.

Reducing sugar in vegan cake recipes

Readers sometimes ask me if the sugar in my cake recipes can be reduced. The answer is that it sometimes can be, but omitting or lessening the sugar may impact results.

Sugar doesn’t only sweeten the flavor of baked goods. It also adds moisture to the crumb. As a result, reducing sugar can lead to finished cakes (or cookies, or muffins) that are drier or more dense than is intended.

I’m not a low-sugar baker, and the recipes that I’m sharing today reflect my own preferences when it comes to making dessert. If you’d like to try modifying them to be less sweet because it fits your own needs or preferences, that’s totally cool! Just be aware that the finished baked good may be a little different from what I describe or what you see pictured here.

Can your vegan cake recipes be gluten-free?

Yes! Pretty much all of the vegan cake recipes that I’m sharing today can be made gluten-free. You may end up with a slightly different texture or rise than what you see in the photos. But if you have Celiac disease or avoid gluten, you’ll still be able to execute the cake with good taste and texture.

For most vegan baking, and especially for cakes, I recommend using a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend rather than a single gluten-free flour. This one from King Arthur is my favorite.

Baking tools for cake

Whenever possible, I try to make vegan cake recipes that don’t demand a ton of fancy tools or specialized bakeware. Many of my favorite cakes call for a simple, 8 x 8-inch square baking pan and nothing more.

However, there are other recipes, especially layer cakes, that benefit from specific tools or baking vessels. Cake decorating can also be enhanced by items like a pastry bag and piping tips. Here are a few of the tools that I rely on for my beloved, plant-based cakes.

Square cake pans

I have both an 8-inch square and a 9-inch square baking pan. I favor nonstick coatings because it makes it easy to remove cakes from the pan even if I don’t use parchment or grease/oil the pan before baking.

8-inch square is a more common size in baking. If you bake a recipe that calls for a 9-inch square pan in an 8-inch square pan, you may need to increase the baking time because your finished cake will be more thick.

Round cake pans

I don’t know where I’d be without my round cake pans! They are the magical baking vessels that make vegan layer cakes (and some of my every day, simple cakes) come to life.

I have two 8-inch round and two 9-inch round cake pans for layer cakes. It’s a lot! But I love cake. You can choose to use either 8 or 9-inch pans for baking. Just keep in mind, again, that swapping one for another may affect baking time.

Some round cake pans have removable bottoms. This is helpful for removing cakes from the pan; however, if you use a nonstick pan or a layer of parchment (more on that below), it’s not entirely necessary.

As you’ll see, the volume of cake pan you use can have a great impact on how quickly your cake bakes. I have a variety of pan sizes at home, taking up more space than is sensible in my small apartment. If you’d like to use a single pan for most of your baking, here are some handy tutorials:

• How to use one cake pan for any baking recipe
• Cake pan sizes & conversions
• 6 rules for swapping baking pans

Bundt pans

My 12-cup Nordic Ware bundt pan gives me so much joy.

I love bundt pans. I don’t have a collection of many different shapes, but I often find myself eyeing new ones in the hopes of expanding my collection. There are so many festive and fun shapes to explore.

Bundt cakes are cool because any cake that’s baked in one already looks fancy. You won’t need much decoration beyond the cake’s unusual shape. If you’re a baker and you’ve been contemplating getting a bundt cake, I can almost guarantee that you’ll use it more often than you think you will.

I use mine for my applesauce spice cake and my chocolate bundt cake all the time. I also like it for citrus cakes and pumpkin cake.

Springform pans

I use my springform cake pan less than my regular round cake pans at home. Even so, I’m glad to have it. It’s really good for making my classic vegan cheesecake, and it also comes in handy for upside down cakes.

Parchment sheets

Pre-shaped sheets of parchment make it sooo easy to remove cakes from their bakeware. Of course you can always purchase a roll of parchment and do the cutting yourself, but I’ve found that the pre-cut sheets are really major time savers. Here are the ones I have:

• 8-inch round
• 9-inch round
• 8-inch square
• 9-inch square

Spatulas

Regular silicone spatulas are very helpful for getting every last drop of cake batter out of a mixing bowl and into your bakeware.

Spatulas are also key for decorating frosted cakes, including the vegan carrot cake that I’m sharing today! I have a large and a small offset spatula. The large one helps out with the tops of cakes, and the small one is good for edges and corners. A straight spatula is great for the sides of cakes.

Round cutter

This is a little next-level, but if you get into the process of making vegan layer cakes, you might find that it’s helpful to trim the sides of your cake. It makes it easier to apply a crumb coat of frosting—and this, in turn, makes it easier to frost the cake.

If you do want to trim the sides of your cake, a round cutter is a really good tool. I use this 8-inch round cutter to trim 9-inch round cakes.

Frosting tools

Yay, frosting!

I don’t use a frosting for all of my vegan cake recipes. For many of them, no topping or a simple dusting of powdered sugar is just fine. But I think it’s really fun to frost a cake, and it certainly makes the finished dessert feel more festive.

For those of you who enjoy frosted cakes or cupcakes, a pastry bag and tip set makes decorating much more fun.

A lot of people have rotating cake stands or turntables, like this one.

These turntables make it easier and faster to frost the sides of the cake. I may break down and get one of these at some point, but right now I don’t have one. I just rotate my cake stand by hand, and it works well enough. Speaking of…

Cake stands

A round dinner plate does a perfectly good job of housing cakes. If you really love making and sharing cakes, however, there may come a time when you want a dedicated serving piece for them.

There are tons of cake stands online. I have this one, and it gets plenty of use (and love) in my apartment. You can also find fun, vintage cake stands in yard sales or antique shops.

My favorite cake decorations

The very simple cakes that I tend to like best don’t really demand a lot of extensive decoration. This is a good thing, since my frosting piping skills are very, very basic.

Many cakes, including my beloved vegan apple cake, look lovely with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.

Others, like the wonderful vegan gingerbread cake that I make for Christmas, don’t need decoration at all. They can be served with a little ice cream if you like, or they can be left naked.

Upside down cakes with fruit, like my sweet cherry upside down cake, decorate themselves.

If you want to use a topping but don’t have the energy for frosting, then a glaze is always a good idea. This chocolate bundt cake has the most delicious, rich, glossy glaze.

If you do make frosting for a cake, there are different ways to apply it. Some are low maintenance, while others are a little more involved. For my banana cake with cashew frosting, I only frost the top of the cake. Some chopped walnuts create the rest of the decoration.

For other cakes, like my vanilla cake with buttercream frosting, I decorate more extensively.

I’m no piping expert, so I tend to Google a lot of online tutorials and guides. This New York Times article is pretty comprehensive, but there’s a lot more out there. I’m always reading and learning and trying new techniques.

Cutting and serving cake

I find it easiest to cut cake slices with a serrated knife (like a bread knife) or a very sharp chef’s knife. Be sure to clean the knife between cuts, as the knife will get more and more coated with frosting.

Then, I use my pie server to gently remove each slice from the center of the cake. A small spatula or an offset spatula is also good for this job.

Vegan cake storage & freezing

One you have a beautiful vegan cake on your hands, you’ll want to store and preserve it in a way that allows you to stretch its goodness for as long as possible.

If your cake is frosted, then the ideal option is to have a cake cover for it. Covered this way, a frosted cake is usually fine at room temperature for up to five days. If you have a warm living space or it’s the height of summer, then you can transfer the cake to the fridge. Just keep it covered.

If you have a naked or unfrosted cake, then I recommend storing it in the fridge for up to five days. A whole cake should be wrapped gently in foil or Saran Wrap in order to protect it. Without some protective wrap, the cake might pick up fridge smells or dry out very quickly. Cut pieces of cake can be stored in the fridge for up to five days in airtight containers.

Meanwhile, the freezer is an amazing place to store your leftover cake! In fact, I prefer freezing cake to keeping it in the fridge, as the cake texture remains more moist and tender when it’s frozen.

If I know for a fact that I have any cake on my hands that I won’t eat for the next three days, I freeze it right away. Individual slices go into Stasher Bags. Whole cakes get wrapped up before they go in the freezer. An entire frozen cake is perfect for holidays and last minute get-togethers with friends.

20 Irresistable Vegan Cake Recipes

I hope that some of the above will help you to feel more confident and empowered in baking vegan cake recipes at home. Cake can be a daunting project for the novice baker, but I don’t think that it has to be. It can be fun and light, just as cake itself is fun and light!

Whether you’re an experienced baker or a brand new one, I hope that you’ll find at least one vegan cake recipe among the following twenty that speaks to your heart.

Vegan Gingerbread Cake

The best vegan gingerbread cake! This cake is light, yet rich in flavor and infused with spices. It's the perfect simple snack cake for the holiday season.

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Foolproof Vegan Applesauce Spice Cake

This vegan applesauce spice cake will make your home smell amazing and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! Made with pantry ingredients, the cake is practically foolproof.

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Vegan Chocolate Beet Cake

This vegan chocolate beet cake is amazing! Puréed beets help to keep the cake sweet and give it a wonderfully moist texture. This is a perfect snack cake, and you can pair it with some vanilla ice cream for a simple dessert.

Get the recipe

Cinnamon Spiced Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This vegan cinnamon spiced sheet cake with cream cheese frosting is a perfect holiday treat! It's festive, fragrant, and easy to make. Plus, it serves a whole crowd.

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Vegan Vanilla Cake

This is the best vegan vanilla cake! A simple sponge cake is layered with luxurious vegan buttercream frosting. It's elegant, classic, and unbeatable for birthday celebrations.

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Easy Vegan Strawberry (Cake) Shortcake

This is my favorite vegan strawberry shortcake recipe. It features tender vanilla cake, lightly sweetened fresh strawberries, and your favorite vegan whipped cream—store-bought or homemade. It's easy to assemble and a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

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Vegan Coconut Pistachio Lemon Cake

This vegan pistachio lemon cake is both grain free and gluten free. It's made with coconut flour, almond flour, and finely ground pistachios. It also has a tart, sweet, and festive lemon glaze.

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Vegan Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This vegan pumpkin carrot cake is a mashup of traditional carrot cake and spiced pumpkin bread. It's the ultimate autumn treat!

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Vegan Peanut Butter & Jelly Swirl Snack Cake

This vegan peanut butter & jelly swirl snack cake looks beautiful and tastes like the most indulgent PB&J you've ever had! It's easy to make, and kids love it.

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Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

This vegan chocolate bundt cake is the solution to any and all of your chocolate cravings! A chocolate ganache glaze makes decorating easy and beautiful. It's perfect for Valentine's Day or any special occasion.

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Vegan Golden Milk Cake with Coconut Frosting

This delicious vegan golden milk cake has a beautiful, deep orange color, a gently spiced interior, and a sweet coconut milk glaze.

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Cakey Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies

These cakey vegan pumpkin chocolate chip blondies are a wonderful hybrid of blondie and cake. They're dense and moist in the center, light at the edges, and studded with chocolate. Most of all, they're delicious!

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Wholesome Sweet Cherry Upside Down Cake

This wholesome sweet cherry upside down cake is a festive treat for any time of year. Try it with fresh cherries in the summertime and frozen cherries in winter. No matter what, the cherries will give the cake the most beautiful, deep red top.

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Old-Fashioned Vegan Banana Bread with Creamy Cashew Frosting

Banana bread meets snack cake in this rustic plant-based treat! Vegan banana bread with cashew frosting is sweet, simple, and nostalgic.

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Vegan, Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cake

This vegan, gluten free gingerbread cake is a gingerbread that everyone can enjoy! A perfect way to celebrate the holiday season and to share it with friends. #vegan #glutenfree

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Vegan Nantucket Cranberry Pie

This is a vegan version of Nantucket cranberry pie, the pie that's really a cake. It's a classic recipe from Laurie Colwin's More Home Cooking, and it is, as Colwin writes, "simple and wonderful."

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Vegan Dark Chocolate Pear Cake

This vegan chocolate pear cake is the BEST vegan Christmas cake. Elegant yet simple, it's studded with dark chocolate pieces and chopped pear. Always a hit with friends and family—vegan and omnivore alike!

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Peach Blackberry Skillet Cake

This vegan peach blackberry skillet cake is so easy to make! You can prepare it with fresh or frozen fruit. It's a wonderful way to celebrate summer and a perfect, last-minute dessert for entertaining.

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Vegan Apple Cake

This vegan apple cake is inspired by Italian torta di mele. It's so simple and elegant! Pair with espresso for an easy autumn dessert.

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My Favorite Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot cake is my favorite cake, and this vegan carrot cake is the best I've ever had. It's moist but not heavy, perfectly sweet, and decorated with an authentic vegan cream cheese frosting. It's a delight at any time of year, but especially in the spring!

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My favorite vegan carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

That cake above? It’s my favorite cake. Given how enthusiastic I am about vegan cake in general, that statement is a big deal.

Carrot cake was my favorite as a kid, and it has remained my favorite to this day. I’ve found and tried many recipes, but the one that I’m linking to and sharing today is my forever carrot cake.

This cake is somewhat dense, as all carrot cakes are. Yet to quote Coral Lee, the baker who inspired it, this carrot cake isn’t salad-y. I grate the carrots with a microplane grater so that they practically melt into the cake. I use walnuts and raisins, but the amounts are small for both.

The result is a carrot cake that’s a perfect balance of homey and elegant. It has a lightness that’s rare in carrot cake recipes, but it doesn’t skimp on any of the classic fillings.

This isn’t a quick and easy snack cake. It’s a layer cake that takes some time. But if part of the joy of cake is its impracticality and playfulness, then this is a really perfect recipe to show those qualities off.

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20 Irresistable Vegan Cake Recipes: My Favorite Vegan Carrot Cake

This vegan carrot cake is the best I've ever had. It's moist but not heavy, perfectly sweet, and decorated with an authentic vegan cream cheese frosting. Plus, 20 fun and irresistable vegan cake recipes for cake lovers!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword cake, carrots

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Resting and decorating time 3 hours

Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

For the carrot cake

• 1 tablespoon ground flax meal
• 2 2/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour (320 grams)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup avocado oil (or another neutral vegetable oil)
• 1 cup lightly packed light or dark brown sugar (substitute coconut sugar) (213 g)
• 1/2 cup cane sugar (100 g)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup applesauce (250 grams)
• 4 medium/large carrots, peeled and finely shredded with a microplane grater or on the fine side of a box grater (211 grams after preparation)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional; 65 g)
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional; 80 g)

For the vegan cream cheese frosting

• 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, at room temperature (4 ounces/113 grams)
• 2 sticks vegan butter, at room temperature (8 ounces/226 grams)
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar (454 grams)
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar (if you don't have this at home, you can omit)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly grease two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with removable bottoms. Line the bottoms of the cake pans with a round piece of parchment, then dust the pans lightly with flour.
• Combine the ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water and set it aside.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• In another roomy mixing bowl, combine the oil, brown and cane sugars, vanilla, applesauce, and the flax/water mixture. Whisk these wet ingredients well, then add them to your dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold the batter together. When the batter is almost mixed (a few streaks of flour are OK at this point), add the grated carrot and nuts/raisins if using to the batter. Continue folding it until it's just entirely combined and the carrots are distributed evenly. Try not to over-mix the batter.
• Divide the batter into your two prepared cake pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes, rotating the pans once halfway through baking. When a toothpick inserted into the cakes emerges clean and the tops are firm, they're ready. They'll be a deep golden brown. Remove the cakes from their pans and set them on a cooling rack to cool for at least 2 hours, so that they're completely cool before frosting.
• To prepare the frosting, place the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes, or until the butter and cream cheese are very fluffy. Stop the mixer, then add the sugar. Cover the mixer with a tea towel. Mix the frosting on low speed for 2 minutes. Then, remove the tea towel and beat on medium speed for another 4-5 minutes, or until the frosting is very, very fluffy again. Beat in the white vinegar, then stop the mixer.
• Frost your cake! You can trim the tops and sides of the cakes to make them even for frosting if you wish. (If you do this, save the scraps for crumbling onto fruit, vegan yogurt, or ice cream, or just for snacking.) Place one layer of cake onto a cake stand and cover the top with frosting. Place the other layer on top, then proceed to frost the tops and sides with straight and offset spatulas (or a butter knife), maintaining a thin layer of frosting to start with (according to Coral Lee's carrot cake recipe, this is called a "crumb coat"). If you have time, refrigerate the cake after the crumb coat application for 20-30 minutes. Then, use the rest of the frosting to cover the entire cake, making some nice swirls as you go. Make any additional decorations you like, then slice and enjoy your cake.

Notes

This recipe may give you slightly more frosting than you need—better not to have too little! Extra frosting can be frozen for future cakes.

Even when things are difficult, there’s usually some sweetness to be found. There’s an opportunity for play. That, for me, is what cake making is all about: leaning into playfulness and pleasure.

Thank you so much for allowing me to share my favorite vegan cake recipes with you. I hope that a heart-lifting slice will be yours soon!

xo

The post 20 Irresistable Vegan Cake Recipes appeared first on The Full Helping.

These vegan chickpea burrito bowls are easy to meal prep and so delicious! They feature chickpeas that have been seasoned with salsa for fast flavor. Top them with my creamy cashew queso sauce for a vibrant and filling meal.

With the arrival of fall, I’ve been getting into a routine of meal prep at home. I’m batch cooking soups, baking plenty of muffins and baked oatmeal for breakfasts and snacks, and remembering to make at least a couple homemade dressings each weekend.

With a good dressing, a cooked grain, some veggies, and a vegan protein in hand, I have everything I need to create a balanced vegan bowl.

These chickpea burrito bowls are a great example. They’ve got a great sauce, which is the cashew queso I’ve been making for years. They also feature a whole grain, plenty of veggies, and chickpeas for protein. In other words, the grain + green + bean trifecta that so many plant-based eaters love.

There are a bunch of components in the chickpea burrito bowls, but each one is easy to prepare. That’s especially true of the chickpeas, which are seasoned with my new favorite cooking hack (more on that below!).

I’ve been eating the bowls for both lunch and dinner, grateful for the color and texture and satisfaction they provide. Even though the bowls are simple—quite a bit simpler than nearly all of the bowls in Power Plates—I think they’re worth sharing today.

Macronutrient balance (and why it matters)

I think that I probably sound like a broken record when I talk about macronutrient balance. Yet the topic is dear to my heart, and I can hardly think about assembling a vegan bowl without it springing to mind.

Macronutrient balance is one of the principles that I share with new clients who are hoping to feel more satisfied and energized by what they eat. It’s also the organizing principle in Power Plates.

Macronutrients are the nutrients that we need to consume in large amounts in order to thrive. This distinguishes them from micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals, which our bodies require in only microscopic amounts. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, protein, fats, and water.

A lot of people who write about nutrition believe that there’s an optimal ratio of macronutrients to strive for in a given day. I think that the ratio can be fluid and personalized. Some people feel better eating less fat and more carbohydrate, others more protein and fewer carbs. What works best for a person depends on lifestyle, preference, time of life, culture, and biology.

However, it’s been my observation that people tend to thrive when they have a source of protein, carbohydrate, and healthful fat each time they sit down to eat. One macronutrient might be better represented than others, but all are accounted for.

In these chickpea burrito bowls, protein comes from chickpeas and cashew queso, which has quite a bit of nutritional yeast in it. Complex carbs are present in the rice, sweet potatoes, and the legumes. Healthful fat shows up in the cashew-based sauce and in the avocado oil that’s used for roasting the potatoes.

Seasoned chickpeas (and my favorite new cooking hack)

Chickpeas are not only the star protein in this recipe, but also a big source of flavor. While I’m not opposed to throwing unseasoned chickpeas into my bowls, I appreciate that these are saucy and bold. This is all thanks to the salsa that they’re heated with.

At some point last year, my friend Ashley told me that she sometimes makes the Tofu Migas recipe from Power Plates using jarred salsa in place of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices. She told me that the recipe tastes nearly the same this way, all without the need to chop and mince vegetables.

It sounded like an ingenious cooking hack to me, and I decided to explore it. I’ve now gotten into the habit of using salsa as a meal starter. It works so well when it’s stirred into rice or quinoa, and it’s a fantastic addition to tofu scramble. Chopping onions and garlic is one of my least favorite cooking tasks, and this trick saves me the trouble.

Salsa simmering may be my new favorite way to prepare chickpeas! It’s a similar idea to my chickpea scramble, but it’s faster and easier. I’d love to try the chickpeas in tacos or in actual burritos, rather than bowls. I think they’d also be a good addition to pasta or pasta salad.

Assembling chickpea burrito bowls

The chickpea burrito bowls can come together very fast if you do some meal prep ahead of time. They’re more time consuming if you make each component from scratch right before you serve them. But even then, none of the cooking for this recipe is difficult.

My weekend meal prep routine almost always includes a couple of dressings and a batch or two of cooked whole grains. I use these in salads and bowls as the week goes by. Accordingly, these burrito bowls call for my cashew queso (or another dressing) and cooked rice (or quinoa).

If these components are ready to go, the rest of the recipe can come together seamlessly. First, scrub and chop your sweet potatoes. Prepare them for roasting, then pop them into the oven.

While the potatoes roast, you can warm up your seasoned, salsa chickpeas. You can also use this time to chop up the vegetables you’ll need for assembling the bowls.

By the time the sweet potatoes are ready, you can put the bowls together, drizzle the dressing all over them, and eat.

If you’re back in the office or busy with a fresh semester of school, the bowls make a nice, make-ahead lunch. Pile the ingredients into an airtight container and pop them in the fridge overnight. Store a small container of the dressing separately and pack it up with the rest of your meal in the morning.

Burrito bowl storage

All of the components here—the chickpeas, roasted sweet potatoes, dressing, and rice—can be stored for up to five days in the fridge. This means that they can easily be prepared in advance of bowl assembly.

The chopped greens and shredded cabbage will keep well for at least 3 days, and up to 5. Grape tomatoes can be halved right before you serve or pack up the bowls.

You can use your freezer to help with the recipe, too. The cashew queso, roasted potatoes, chickpeas, and rice can all be frozen for up to six weeks.

Variations & substitutions

The chickpea burrito bowl, like most bowls, is easy to adapt. Here are some fun and easy substitutions to try:

Instead of cashew queso sauce:

• Cashew cream
• Green tahini dressing
• Yum sauce
• Cashew cilantro sauce
• Turmeric tahini dressing

Instead of rice:

• Quinoa
• Millet
• Barley
• Bulgur
• Cauliflower rice

Instead of roasted sweet potatoes:

• Steamed or roasted new potatoes
• Roasted carrots or parsnips
• Grilled or roasted zucchini
• Steamed or roasted broccoli or cauliflower florets
• Roasted plaintains

Instead of chickpeas:

• Lemon pepper tempeh cubes
• Slow cooker black beans
• Chili lime tempeh
• Slow cooker tomato white beans
• Toasted chickpeas

In addition, you can add some extra texture in the form of toasted nuts or seeds or crumbled corn chips. You can also throw in leftover roasted veggies or other odds and ends that need to be used up. Make the recipe your own!

Print

Chickpea Burrito Bowls

These vegan chickpea burrito bowls are easy to meal prep and so delicious! They feature chickpeas that have been seasoned with salsa for almost instant flavor. Top them with my creamy cashew queso sauce for a vibrant and filling meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword brown rice, cabbage, cashews, chickpeas, romaine, sweet potatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 bowls

Author Gena Hamshaw

Ingredients

For the roasted sweet potatoes

• 3 medium or 2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (about 1 1/4 lb)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the seasoned chickpeas

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 14.5-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
• 2/3 cup salsa of choice

For the bowls

• 4 cups packed, chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 cups packed, shredded purple cabbage
• 2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
• 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 cup cashew queso or all-purpose cashew cream 

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425F. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the potatoes with the oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Use your hands to stir the potatoes, coating them with the oil. Transfer the potatoes to the oven. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and browning and crisping at the edges. Stir the potatoes on the sheet after 15 minutes of baking, and check them for doneness starting at 25 minutes. 
• While the potatoes roast, heat a skillet or frying pan over medium low heat. (Nonstick is best for this, but well-seasoned cast-iron will work, too!) Add the chickpeas and the salsa to the skillet. Cook the chickpeas, stirring every couple of minutes, until the salsa has reduced and the chickpeas are warm and coated with the salsa, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chickpeas from heat.
• Layer the romaine and purple cabbage in four bowls or storage containers. Add about a half cup of the cooked grain (brown rice or quinoa) to each bowl. Divide the cooked chickpeas and sweet potatoes between the bowls. Top each bowl with a quarter cup of the tomatoes. Then, drizzle each bowl with about a quarter cup of the cashew queso or cashew cream. If you're prepping the bowls ahead of time, wait to add the sauce until you're ready to eat. Enjoy!

My cooking was the least organized it has ever been through most of quarantine. While much of the world seemed to embrace home cooking with gusto, I was heating up frozen food and failing to do the preparation and planning that I often try to help my clients with.

Had I not been trying to write a cookbook, I would have been at peace with this. It was a wild time, and we all got through it however we could.

Still, it feels nice to be getting back to my normal kitchen routines. I feel calmer about cooking than I have in a while. I wouldn’t say I’m organized, but I have more of a rhythm going than I did a year ago. I’ve been using my weekends wisely and enjoying the ability to eat leftovers during the week. Little by little, right?

Maybe these bowls will help to make your own food routine a little easier. I hope that they do.

xo

The post Chickpea Burrito Bowls appeared first on The Full Helping.