Since Fall is now officially here, I’m in the mood for baking some fall treats! So when I remembered I had an acorn cookie cutter, I thought why not make some autumn themed cookies with it?! So I whipped up a batch of Vegan Maple Chai Shortbread Cookies!

These have a rich and buttery dough that is easy to make. It does require rolling out and cutting if you want the cute shapes, but that’s kind of fun like playing with play dough right? If you wanted to not cut them out and just bake them in a pan, just bake them in a removable bottom tart pan (9 inch) instead of cutting them. Press the dough into it and score in 16 pieces before and after baking with a sharp knife. Bake for about 30 minutes if you are doing it that way instead of cutting them out.

I used warming chai spices in these cookies, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg. As well as sweet maple and vanilla and they smelled heavenly while baking! Once they cooled I put a maple vanilla glaze on them for the acorn tops. If you weren’t doing acorns you could just drizzle it over.

These cookies are so delicious with a cup of coffee for a mid morning treat! Sweet with chai spices and maple, buttery melt in your mouth texture they scream fall! If you are in the mood for something delicious definitely make a batch of these Vegan Maple Chai Shortbread Cookies!

Vegan Chai Spiced Maple Shortbread Cookies

Makes 16 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup unbleached granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
• 1 tsp maple extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar or as needed
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
3. Mix in the vanilla and spices and baking powder until well incorporated.
4. Mix in the flour until the flour is incorporated.
5. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment, and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick.  Place on a sheet pan and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.  Cut into medium sized cookies (I used an acorn cutter), and use a spatula to transfer them to a parchment lined tray (being careful not to stretch them).  Re-roll any scraps and cut also. 
6. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until set.
7. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely.
8. Whisk the maple syrup into the powdered sugar until it is the consistency of white glue (You want it to be spreadable or drizzle-able but not too thin). Add more powdered sugar if it is too thin, or a touch more maple if it is too thick. Pipe over the cookies, and let set (it will set quicker if you set them in the refrigerator).
9. Enjoy!

Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

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Back in the day, before I was vegan there was a banana almond cake that my family loved that I made for special occasions. It had layers of soft banana cake, a layer of marzipan, a luscious vanilla almond frosting and crunchy toasted almonds on the outside. I have since come up with veganized versions of it and I decided to recently make this Vegan Banana Almond Cake!

I figured why not?! I have an over ripe banana on the counter! This cake is so heavenly! This may sound complicated but it’s really pretty easy. The cake batter comes together quickly, and it’s just mix and bake nothing fussy. I included the flavor of vanilla and almond in both the cake and the frosting. Because why not?!

This cake has a layer of marzipan in the filling, so just make sure your almond paste you are buying is vegan. It’s easy to roll out and adds so much delicious flavor to this cake! For the frosting, I made a vanilla almond buttercream and it was so delicious with the banana flavor! Lastly I coated the cake with toasted almonds, for added texture.

This cake turned out so heavenly! Soft and delicious banana cake, creamy luscious frosting sweet almond paste and crunchy almonds! It is so good with a cup of coffee! If you are a banana fan, definitely give this Vegan Banana Almond Cake a try!

Vegan Banana Almond Cake 

Makes one 2 layer 6 inch cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder (1/2 tsp plus 1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp golden ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water, allowed to sit 15 minutes)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil or other neutral oil
• 1/4 cup mashed banana 
• 1/2 cup plant based milk (I used Oatly but you can use what you prefer)
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract

 

Filling and Frosting:

• 6 oz vegan almond paste
• 1 1/2 cups vegan butter, I used Earth Balance (at room temperature)
• 2-3 Tbsp plant based milk (I used Oatly, but you can use what you prefer), add 3 then if needed add another if frosting comes out too stiff
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 

Coating:

• 1 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees, and line 2 6 inch round cake pans with parchment on the bottom and oil the sides.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt and whisk to blend.
3. Add the flax eggs, avocado oil, bananas, oat milk, vanilla, almond extract and beat with an electric mixer for about a minute (or 3 minutes if doing it by hand with a whisk).
4. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly between the two of them.
5. Place the cakes in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until the cakes are done in the center (you are able to insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs).
6. Remove from the oven and let cool 20 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans by cutting around the sides, placing a plate on top then inverting it and tapping on it.  Allow them then to cool completely once they are out of the pans.
7. To make the frosting, beat the butter with the milk, vanilla and almond extract until fluffy.
8. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, and beat until completely mixed and light and fluffy (if the frosting is too stiff add that other Tbsp of milk).
9. When ready to frost, Place one cake layer on a plate, spread about 1/4 inch thick layer of the frosting over it.  
10. Roll the almond paste into a disk with a rolling pin that fits the cake, just inside the edges. Place on top of the frosting and spread another layer of frosting 1/4 inch thick over it. 
11. Place the next cake layer on top.
12. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and down the sides of the cake evenly. 
13. Take the toasted almonds and coat the sides of the cake. 
14. Then place the rest of the frosting in a pastry bag and use it to decorate the top. 
15. Serve the cake and enjoy!

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I had a bag of toasted sliced almonds and the first thing that came to mind to make were some Vegan Almond sugar cookies! I love cookies because they are an easy dessert, and I love anything almond flavored! My Mom used almond extract a lot in things growing up so it’s a sweet scent that brings back memories. Especially combined with vanilla it’s so heavenly!

These cookies are so simple and easy to make, no chilling or shaping required! For the flour I used a whole wheat pastry flour but if you prefer all purpose or even gluten free all purpose baking flour (for a gluten free version) you could swap that in instead. These cookies use apple sauce as the egg substitute and it allows them to be soft and chewy which I love!

I used plenty of almonds in this both the toasted almonds and almond extract, and added vanilla extract to make these smell wonderful! Before baking I also sprinkled them with more almonds and some granulated sugar to make them extra delicious!

Vegan Almond Sugar Cookies

Makes 16

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup applesauce at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla bean powder or pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour (for a lighter colored cookie)
• 1 cup toasted sliced almonds plus more for topping
• granulated sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce and vanilla and almond extracts  until well blended.
3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour until smooth.
4. Stir in the toasted almonds until they are evenly distributed.
5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
6. Press the dough balls down slightly.
7. Sprinkle with about 2 tsp toasted almonds and a little granulated sugar.
8. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.

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I always enjoy making my own birthday cakes, because I love making and decorating cakes and also that way I get exactly what I want even if it’s something I can’t buy. This year I decided to make a Vegan Lavender Vanilla Almond Cake, and it turned out so delicious!

Lavender is one of my favorite scents and I love including lavender in recipes. We recently visited a lavender farm here in Minnesota called The Lavender Barnyard and picked our own! I like to do this every year because I actually make quite a few things with it.

For the cake layers, I flavored them with both vanilla extract and almond extract and dried lavender. I used whole wheat pastry flour but you can use regular all purpose flour if you prefer or even gluten free all purpose baking flour if there is one you like if you want to make this gluten free. It’s a pretty simple cake batter to make.

For the frosting I made a vanilla almond buttercream and tinted it lavender going with the theme. I sprinkled dried lavender and toasted almonds on top and couldn’t wait to try it! The cake turned out so heavenly! Soft and sweet rich with buttercream and scented with vanilla almond and a hint of lavender, it was just as I imagined it would be! If you lived with me lavender too definitely give this Vegan Lavender Vanilla Almond Cake a try!

Vegan Lavender Vanilla Almond Cake

Makes one 2 layer 6 inch cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder (1/2 tsp plus 1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp golden ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water, allowed to sit 15 minutes)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil or other neutral oil
• 1/2 cup plant based milk (I used Oatly but you can use what you prefer)
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups vegan butter, I used Earth Balance (at room temperature)
• 2-3 Tbsp plant based milk (I used Oatly, but you can use what you prefer), add 3 then if needed add another if frosting comes out too stiff
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• a few good drops purple food coloring

Garnish:

• Dried lavender flowers
• toasted sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees, and line 2 6 inch round cake pans with parchment on the bottom and oil the sides.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt and whisk to blend.
3. Add the flax eggs, avocado oil, oat milk, vanilla, almond extract and lavender and beat with an electric mixer for about a minute (or 3 minutes if doing it by hand with a whisk).
4. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly between the two of them.
5. Place the cakes in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until the cakes are done in the center (you are able to insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs).
6. Remove from the oven and let cool 20 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans by cutting around the sides, placing a plate on top then inverting it and tapping on it.  Allow them then to cool completely once they are out of the pans.
7. To make the frosting, beat the butter with the milk, vanilla and almond extract until fluffy.
8. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, and beat until completely mixed and light and fluffy (if the frosting is too stiff add that other Tbsp of milk). Add the food coloring and mix in until uniform in color.
9. When ready to frost, Place one cake layer on a plate, spread about 1/2 inch thick layer of the frosting over it.  Sprinkle with a little dried lavender.
10. Place the next cake layer on top.
11. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and down the sides of the cake evenly, then place the rest of the frosting in a pastry bag and use it to decorate the top.  This frosting recipe makes enough that you should be able to do some generous piping decorations on top, because I like a lot of frosting! Sprinkle with dried lavender and some toasted almonds.
12. Serve the cake and enjoy!

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My Mom always said oatmeal cookies were her favorite because they seemed healthier. They kind of are though, oats have more fiber than just flour and it’s always good to get extra fiber right? I made these big Vegan Classic Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies at my last job at a deli that is no longer open and they were super popular. I was recently thinking about how good they were and decided to make some.

I love how easy these type of cookies are to make, just mix, roll into balls and bake on a pan. These don’t need any chilling or anything and they always turn out good. I always have oats on hand, and I use old fashioned oats in these. I use brown sugar instead of white granulated because it makes the cookies softer and chewier. For the fat I use coconut oil because it’s what I always have on hand. Plus it gives them a slightly sweeter flavor with a hint of coconut.

The dough for these is pretty delicious, I do always have a sample while I make them. They smell amazing while baking also. My husband was excited to eat some the minute they came out of the oven, and so was I. These are best served cooled for about 15 minutes but still warm. He said these are some of the best cookies! I have to agree, they are pretty darn delicious. If you love oatmeal cookies, definitely give these Vegan Classic Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies a try!

Vegan Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies 

Makes about 16

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups coconut oil, warmed to liquid
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chunks

Directions:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, brown sugar, flax seed and water mixture, and vanilla until well combined.
2. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and sea salt until smooth.
3. Mix in the oats until well combined.
4. Mix in the dark chocolate chips.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line 2 sheet pans with parchment.
6. Form cookies into about 1 1/2 inch balls and place on the trays, press down slightly.
7. Place trays in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown but still a little soft in the middle (not over-baked).
8. Let cool for at least 15 minutes and enjoy!

Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 7 days, or frozen for 2 months in a freezer bag.

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I love rhubarb season! Ever since I was little and I can remember picking rhubarb with my grandma from her large plants she had behind her garage and helping her make strawberry rhubarb sauce.  It was simple but so good!  I love the tartness that rhubarb has when combined with other sweet fruit it is such an amazing combination!  I recently picked some rhubarb from my Dad’s yard and wanted to make a dessert with it.  I didn’t have a lot of time since it has been busy around here lately so I decided on a simple Vegan Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp!  I love a good crisp and you can’t really go wrong there!  They are easy to make but as satisfying as pie as far as I’m concerned.

Whenever I make crisp, I put plenty of oats in the topping.  My Mom always did this and it adds a nice crunch and texture.  I just love oats in general though, they do add good fiber as well which we could probably all use.  I combine the oats with flour, and coconut oil for the fat (since I always have it on hand) and some brown sugar and sea salt and what results is a delicious sweet crunchy topping!  I actually cooked my filling on the stove for these, because it is faster than in the oven and it worked out perfectly.  I do this sometimes with pies as well to speed the process.  I just pour the filling into the ramakins or whatever I am baking it in and top it and bake it for 15 minutes or so.  It is so much faster!

These smelled amazing and I could not wait to try them!  I topped them off with coconut whipped cream, and they were perfect!  Sweet and tart, the raspberries and rhubarb a delicious combo especially with the crunchy oat topping and rich whipped cream!  If you are a fan of rhubarb, definitely give these Vegan Raspberry Rhubarb Crisps a try!

Vegan Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp Serves 2

4 1 cup ramakins

Fruit:

• 1 1/2 cups organic rhubarb, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups organic raspberries
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch sea salt
• 2 Tbsp organic whole wheat pastry flour

Topping:

• 1/4  cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup organic rolled oats
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Combine the fruit, and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often until fruit is cooked through and bubbling, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, sea salt and flour.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
3. To make the topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together with your hands scrunching together to form small clumps until there are no floury spots left.
4. Pour the fruit into the ramakins. Top with the crumble topping, spreading it out evenly over the fruit in the ramakins. Set on a tray and place in the oven.  Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly brown and toasted on top. Remove from oven and let cool until warm, and top with some ice cream or coconut vanilla whipped cream and…enjoy!

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I was craving some dark chocolate short bread and my Mom had just gifted me with a jar of pistachio butter, so I thought why not combine the two and make Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookie Sandwiches?! After all chocolate and pistachios are amazing together, look at all the Dubai chocolate items in the last few years everyone is buying! These turned out so delicious I had to share!

I love shortbread cookies because they are so simple to make with few ingredients. And I usually just press them into a pan, score them and bake them, this time I cut them into hearts since I wanted sandwich cookies. For the flour I used whole wheat pastry flour, but if you preferred all purpose or a gluten free all purpose baking flour, those would work as well.

I added plenty of cacao to the butter as well as a hint of vanilla to make these extra delicious! They smelled amazing, like brownies while baking! Once they had cooled I filled them with pistachio butter, and I could not wait to try them!

They turned out so delicious, buttery melt in your mouth sweet dark chocolate shortbread the perfect pairing with the salty rich creamy pistachio butter! If you are a fan of chocolate and pistachios, definitely give these Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookie Sandwiches a try!

Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookie Sandwiches

Makes 16 pieces

Ingredients:

• 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup pistachio butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, and lavender until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
3. Mix in the cacao powder, vanilla and baking powder until well incorporated.
4. Mix in the flour until the dough is uniform in color.
5. Place the dough on a piece of parchment and roll it out to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into shapes with a medium sized cookie cutter. Carefully move to a parchment lined baking sheet, and re-roll any scraps and cut out more cookies. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
6. Remove from the oven,  and let cool completely in the pan.
7. Spread the pistachio butter (about 2 tsp over the bottom of half the cookies, and sandwich them together with the bottom of the remaining cookies (you want the bottoms on the inside because they are less pretty).
8. Enjoy!

Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

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I love golden milk, it’s so warming and comforting and delicious! Definitely one of my favorite before bed treats! And I also love shortbread, because of its delicious buttery texture. So I was thinking, why not combine the two?! So a few weekends back I made some Vegan Golden Milk Shortbread!

One of the things I love about shortbread is that it is quick and easy to make! Normally I just press a batch into a removable bottom tart pan and score it to make it even easier (if you do this, you’d need to bake it longer, probably 25 minutes instead of 15) but this time I decided to roll it and cut it into shapes. I thought some stars would be cute since golden milk is so yellow.

It’s a little more work but so worth it! I added the warming golden milk spices, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom plus some vanilla and it was so aromatic! It smelled amazing while baking! After it had cooled down I drizzled it with some vegan white chocolate to make it extra delicious.

It turned out so yummy! It was buttery, rich and melt in your mouth with warming sweet spices, the mellow white chocolate the perfect topping! It is perfect paired with tea or coffee for a mid morning snack! My husband loved it too and ate most of it in just a few days. If you love golden milk, definitely give this Vegan Golden Milk Shortbread a try!

Vegan Golden Milk Shortbread Cookies 

Makes 28 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup or 2 sticks Earth Balance or other vegan butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup unbleached granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• granulated sugar for topping
• 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips (I used Pascha brand)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sea salt, sugar, until the butter and sugar are well incorporated.
3. Mix in the vanilla and spices and baking powder until well incorporated.
4. Mix in the flour until the flour is incorporated.
5. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment, and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick.  Place on a sheet pan and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.  Cut into medium sized cookies, and use a spatula to transfer them to a parchment lined tray (being careful not to stretch them).  Re-roll any scraps and cut also.  Sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar.
6. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until set.
7. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely.
8. Melt the vegan white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, or in the top of a double boiler.  Drizzle over the cookies, and let set (it will set quicker if you set them in the refrigerator).
9. Enjoy!

Shortbread keeps for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container or 4 months frozen in an airtight container.

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Even though the stores are filled with Easter candy, I like to make my own goodies every year, because most of the stuff I see at the store is not vegan, and is made with processed ingredients.  I am not going to lie, I used to love that stuff as a kid.  Chocolate was my favorite.  Jelly beans and Peeps not so much.  I loved the chocolate bunnies of course, because who doesn’t like trying to eat like 10 oz of chocolate in one day as a kid.  Malted milk ball eggs were pretty awesome as well, again involving chocolate.  But I really loved the big filled chocolate candies like the Reese’s chocolate eggs, and the Russell Stover raspberry cream eggs.  So, as an adult, that is what I make the most.  I don’t have a big chocolate bunny mold anyhow. But eggs are pretty easy to shape without any special equipment.

I make peanut butter eggs, because I am a peanut butter obsessed girl, but I also usually make a berry variety of the filled eggs because that was my second favorite.  I decided on Vegan Blueberry Chocolate Eggs this year.  Now I know it is not blueberry season, but not to worry, I used freeze dried berries in these.  Trust me, they have a ton of blueberry flavor packed into a small amount, and they are perfect for making recipes where you don’t want to add a lot of excess moisture (like a frosting for example).  They are my secret trick for adding loads of blueberry flavor.  I added them to a mixture of cacao butter, cashew butter, and coconut butter, which has a white chocolate flavor.  It was so delicious even before I shaped it into the eggs and let it set up.

Now, I could have dipped them in a vegan white chocolate too, but I decided to go with dark chocolate to contrast the sweet mild white chocolate blueberry flavor of the inside. They turned out so good!  I don’t know why they don’t make blueberry cream eggs to sell in stores, they are amazing! It is really kind of fun making your own Easter candy at home like this.  If you are in the mood for some delicious Easter treats, and a little candy project give these Vegan Blueberry Chocolate Eggs a try!  Trust me, they are much better than anything you can buy at the store!

Vegan Blueberry Chocolate Eggs 
Makes 6-8 large eggs

Ingredients:

White Chocolate:

• 1/4 cup raw cacao butter (2 oz) or coconut oil if unavailable
• 1/4 cup raw cashew butter
• 1/4 cup raw coconut butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup freeze dried blueberries
• 1/4 cup filtered water

Dark Chocolate:

• 1/2 cup raw cacao butter (4 oz) or coconut butter if unavailable
• 3/4 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• pinch sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine all of the white chocolate ingredients but the berries and water over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth.
2. Pulverize the berries in a blender until fine, then whisk into the white chocolate along with the water. Place in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes until it is firm enough to scoop. Scoop into 8 balls, rolling them with your hands and shaping them into eggs.   Place on a parchment lined tray, and place back into the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, to make the dark chocolate, combine all ingredients in a double boiler, and whisk until combined and melted.
4. Once the filling has firmed up, dip each chocolate into the dark chocolate, being sure to let the excess drain off, and place back onto the tray (I like to set mine on a fork to allow it to drain better). Once they are all dipped, set them in the freezer until hardened.
   Store any leftover truffles in the refrigerator.

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These waffles are pretty easy to make and so good!  You just whisk everything together and cook them off in the waffle maker! I used whole wheat pastry flour for these, but if you wanted to use regular all purpose flour if you had that on hand or a gluten free all purpose flour such as Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour that would work as well for a gluten free option (I have used this brand before with success). 

I included some warming spices I like to use in my carrot cake for these, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg as well as some vanilla so that it had the scent of delicious cake.  And I used shredded carrots as well.  I sometimes include nuts and dried fruit in my carrot cake, but I saved that for the topping on these because I didn’t want to mix them in. 

They smelled amazing while cooking, just like the cake!  I could not wait to try them!  I topped them off with coconut whipped cream, some toasted walnuts and cranberries, as well as maple syrup.  They were so delicious!  Sweet and fluffy, with warming carrot cake spices, the fluffy whipped cream instead of frosting.  We loved them!  If you are looking for a spring brunch treat, definitely give these Vegan Carrot Cake Waffles a try soon! 

Vegan Carrot Cake Waffles

makes 8 medium sized belgian waffles

Batter:

• 2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 Tbsp ground flax seed, whisked together with 1/2 cup filtered water
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil or another neutral oil
• 2 cups light coconut milk
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots

  Toppings:

• dried cranberries
• toasted walnuts
• coconut whipped cream
• maple syrup

Instructions:

1. To make the waffles, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt in a large bowl.
2. Then whisk in the spices,  flax mixture, vanilla extract, oil, and coconut milk together until smooth. Whisk in the carrots.
3. Heat your oven to 150F degrees and oil, and pre-heat waffle iron. Once it is heated, pour about 1/3 cup batter onto the waffle iron or until the iron is just covered (but not so much that it will ooze out) and close it.  Cook according to waffle iron package directions.  Remove from the waffle maker and keep warm in the oven while you make the others.  If you have a waffle maker the size of mine (regular belgian waffles), you may have more than 8 waffles.
4. Serve the waffles with toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, coconut cream and maple syrup!

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