Desserts

Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
Dough
3 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
1 packet instant yeast* (or use rapid-rise yeast // 1 packet yields ~ 2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
1 Tbsp organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour*
Filling
3 Tbsp melted vegan butter
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 - 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon (to taste)
Topping
2 Tbsp melted vegan butter

Instructions:
DOUGH: In a large sauce pan (or in a bowl in the microwave at 30-second increments), heat the almond milk and vegan butter until warm and melted, never reaching boiling. Remove from heat and let cool to 110 degrees F (43 C) or the temperature of bath water. It should be warm but not too hot or it will kill the yeast.
Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle on yeast. Let activate for 10 minutes. Then add 1 Tbsp sugar and the salt and stir.
Next add in flour 1/2 cup (68 g) at a time, stirring as you go (you may not add it all). The dough will be sticky. When it is too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so until it forms a loose ball (be careful not to overmix). Rinse your mixing bowl out, coat it with avocado or olive oil, and add your dough ball back in. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size (see photo).
FILLING: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a thin rectangle. Brush with melted vegan butter and top with sugar and desired amount of cinnamon.
Starting at one end, tightly roll up the dough and situate seam side down. Then with a serrated knife or a string of floss, cut the dough into 1.5 - 2 inch sections and position in a well-buttered 8x8-inch square or comparable sized round pan (you should have about 10 rolls as original recipe is written).
TOPPING: Brush with vegan butter (melted) and cover with plastic wrap. Set on top of the oven to let rise again while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
Once the oven is hot, bake rolls for 25-30 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then serve immediately.
Optional: Frost with dairy-free cream cheese frosting or a simple mixture of 1 cup (112 g) organic powdered sugar and 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) almond milk.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup of flour (I use all purpose but you can also use whole wheat, pastry flour, or a gluten free 1–1 substitute)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/2 cup of almond milk
3 tablespoons of nut butter- I used peanut butter this time but have also made these with almond butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 medium banana, mashed
1/2 cup of non dairy chocolate chips- I used mini chocolate chips

Instructions:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Grease a 6 cup muffin tin.
3) Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the milk, nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and mashed banana. Stir until well combined.
4) Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
5) Evenly spoon the mixture into the 6 muffin cups. Top with a few more chocolate chips if desired.
6) Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Let it cool slightly and enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Balls Covered with Coconut Crisps

Ingredients:
3/4 cup almonds, sliced or slivered
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons ground flax seed (I recommend using whole flax seeds and grinding them yourself using a coffee grinder)*
1/4 teaspoon ground sea salt
1 1/3 cups organic old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
1 pound (16-ounces) medjool dates, pits removed (if dates are not soft, soak them in water for 20 minutes first)
1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut crisps

Instructions:
1) Add the almond slices to a food processor and process 20- 30 seconds, until finely chopped.
2) Add the cocoa, flax seed, sea salt and oats. Process another 20 seconds or so, until blended.
3) Add dates and coconut oil. Process for 2-3 minutes or until mixture is well blended. Note: depending on how sharp your blade is, you may need to stop, stir, and blend again every 30 seconds or so, so everything gets mixed equally.
4) The mixture should now be sticky enough to form into balls. You can test this by squeezing between your fingers. It should stay together, but not stick to your hands, or fall apart. If it’s not staying together very well, add a little more coconut oil and process again. If it’s too sticky, you can add a bit of oatmeal or even unsweetened coconut and re-blend.

5) Once ready, form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Note: I’ve found that you can’t really “roll” these between your hands to form the balls; you need to shape them, pressing with your hands until they are in ball form. As you form them together, place each ball onto a plate, or a baking sheet covered in parchment paper (or you can use a silicone baking mat). Any flat surface will do.
6) Then, on a separate plate, cutting board or other flat surface, add the finely shredded coconut. Note: finely shredded works best as it sticks well. Press each ball, one at a time, into the coconut with a little pressure until it sticks to all sides. Transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge up to a week. This recipe makes 22 balls.