Prove That Vegan Dinners And Desserts Are The Best With These 6 Recipes

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Whether it’s for fun or for health, the vegan diet has increased in popularity in the last few years. People are ditching the meat, eggs, and dairy and replacing them with plant-based goodies all the time now! But the trick to vegan cooking & baking remains the same — to try to fool your friends into thinking it’s not even vegan! Here are some of the best desserts and dinners that will shock your friends into saying, “I can’t believe it’s vegan!”

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Greek Spinach Pie

Thanks to FoodByMaria for this recipe!

greek spinach pie

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp of olive oil

  • 1 medium white onion (finely chopped)

  • 2 + ½ cups of leek (finely chopped)

  • 1 + ½ cups of green onion (finely chopped)

  • Seasoning to taste

  • 1 cup of fresh dill 

  • 1 cup of fresh parsley

  • ½ cup of fresh mint 

  • ¼ cup of nutritional yeast

  • 2 Tbsp of vegetable stock paste

  • 4 cups of fresh spinach 

  • 2 sheets of vegan puffed pastry or 1 packet of vegan phyllo

Directions

1. Heat your olive oil on medium heat in a large pot for about 30 seconds. Add the onions and leeks and sauté them until they’re caramelized and golden brown. This should take about 10 minutes. 

2. Add in the green onions, dill, parsley, mint, nutritional yeast, seasoning, and vegetable stock paste. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add in the spinach. Cook it until there’s no moisture left. 

3. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set aside a baking sheet. 

4. Brush the phyllo with ¼ cup of olive oil. You can also keep the phyllo moist by covering it with a damp cloth. 

5. Gently place one sheet of phyllo onto a cutting board. Coat it completely with olive oil and repeat that step with another sheet. It should add up to 5 layers in total. Transfer your phyllo to an 8×8 pan and pat it down until it’s flat. Transfer the cooled vegetable mixture to the pan and flatten it with a spoon. Repeat the step of the top 5 layers of phyllo and fold the layers inward.

6. Put the pastry in the freezer for 1 hour before baking. 

7. Once the pan has cooled, place it onto a baking sheet and brush with olive oil once more. Bake it for 40 minutes and enjoy!


Thai Pizza

Thanks to Create Mindfully for this recipe!

thai pizza

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce: 

  • ½ cup of peanut butter

  • ½ cup of light coconut milk

  • 1 Tbsp of rice vinegar 

  • 1 Tbsp of coconut sugar

  • 1 Tbsp of low sodium gluten free tamari 

  • 1 clove of garlic (minced)

  • 2 tsp of ginger (minced)

  • 1 tsp of sriracha sauce

Ginger Garlic Tofu:

  • 2 tsp of ginger (minced)

  • 1 clove of garlic (minced)

  • 1 Tbsp of low sodium gluten free tamari

  • T Tbsp of toasted sesame oil

  • 14 oz of firm tofu

Pizza:

  • Gluten free mix

  • 2 Tbsp of peanut sauce

  • 4 Tbsp of crumbled ginger garlic tofu

  • 3 Tbsp of finely chopped carrots

  • 3 Tbsp of chopped red pepper

  • 2 Tbsp of chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. 

2. To make the peanut sauce, mix all the peanut sauce ingredients in a high speed blender until the garlic and ginger are well blended. 

3. To make the ginger garlic tofu, combine the minced ginger, garlic, tamari, and sesame oil. Press the tofu with a tofu press or wrap it in a towel with a heavy object on top for at least 15 minutes to get the water out. 

4. Slice the tofu and put it in the marinade. Marinate it overnight for the strongest flavor, but if you’re in a hurry you can marinate it for less than an hour. 

5. Cook the tofu in the sesame oil until it becomes golden brown, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown. 

6. Mix and cook the pizza dough according to the directions. 

7. Layer the peanut sauce, tofu, carrots, and red pepper onto the pizza. Cook it at 450° for 10 minutes. Drizzle more peanut sauce and sprinkle cilantro on the top.

8. Slice and serve!


Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies

Thanks to Fitful Focus for this recipe!

best vegan desserts

Ingredients

  • 1 can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

  • ½ cup of natural almond butter

  • ⅓ cup of pure maple syrup

  • 2 tsp of vanilla

  • ½ tsp of salt

  • ¼ tsp of baking powder

  • ¼ tsp of baking soda

  • ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Put all the ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor and process until a toothpick comes out cleanly. 

3. Fold in a ¼ cup of chocolate chips and pour the batter into the baking pan. 

4. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top and bake for 25 minutes. 

5. Allow the blondies to cool before you cut them!


Lemon Pound Cake Cupcakes

Thanks to Show Me The Yummy for this recipe!

best vegan desserts

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

  • ¼ cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

  • ½ cup of coconut oil (melted and cooled slightly)

  • ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

  • ⅓ cup of mashed banana

  • 1 + ½ cups of all purpose flour

  • ¼ tsp of baking soda

  • ¼ tsp of salt

  • 1 cup of granulated sugar

  • ¼ cup of grated lemon zest (about 4 lemons)

Glaze:

  • 1 cup of powdered sugar 

  • 2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a standard muffin tin with liners (you’ll only use 9). 

2. Whisk together the almond milk, coconut oil, lemon juice, and a banana in a large bowl. 

3. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and lemon zest together. 

4. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. 

5. Use a ¼ measuring cup to fill the prepared muffin tin.

6. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. 

7. Lower the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes. 

8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 

9. To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a medium sized bowl. Dunk the cooled cupcakes in the glaze and serve!


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Thanks to Bakerita for this recipe!

best vegan desserts

Ingredients 

  • ¼ cup of virgin coconut oil (room temperature)

  • ⅓ cup of almond butter (or any other nut butter)

  • ⅔ cups of coconut sugar

  • 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp of flax meal + 6 Tbsp of water)

  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract

  • ½ tsp of baking soda

  • ½ tsp of salt

  • ¼ cup of coconut flour

  • ½ cup of gluten-free rolled oats

  • ⅔ cups of chopped vegan dark chocolate

  • Flaky sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 6-inch oven-proof skillet with coconut oil. 

2. Beat the coconut oil, butter, and coconut sugar in a bowl or stand mixer until smooth. Add the flax eggs and vanilla and continue to mix. 

3. Add the baking soda, salt, coconut flour, and rolled oats to the wet ingredients. Mix everything until it’s well incorporated. Finally, fold in the dark chocolate. 

4. Press the dough into the pan evenly and sprinkle the top with a bit of sea salt. Bake for 20 minutes, or until it’s golden brown around the edges. 

5. Let the cookie cool for 5 minutes and serve warm!


The Ultimate Pecan Sticky Buns

Thanks to Orchids + Sweet Tea for this recipe!

sticky buns

Ingredients

For the Buns:

  • 2 cups of organic all-purpose flour

  • 3 cups of Artisan bread flour

  • 1 packet of rapid rise yeast

  • ½ cup + 1 Tbsp of organic brown sugar

  • 1 + ¼ cup of almond milk

  • ¼ cup of warm water

  • ¼ cup of vegan butter

  • ½ tsp of sea salt

  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon

For the Filling: 

  • ¾ cups of organic brown sugar

  • 4 Tbsp of vegan butter

  • A pinch of ground cinnamon

  • A pinch of sea salt

  • ¾ cups of canned coconut milk

  • ½ cup of chopped pecans (toasted)

Directions 

1. Start the dough by combining the yeast and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer. Slowly pour in the warm water and stir everything together. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes while the yeast activates. It should start to foam when it’s ready. 

2. Melt the butter and milk together over the stove top on low to medium heat. Stir the mixture frequently until the butter has fully melted. Allow the mixture to warm, but don’t get it hot. Add the lukewarm butter-milk mixture to the yeast and mix until well combined. Then add the all-purpose flour, bread flour, brown sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon to the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed until combined. 

3. Change the mixer head to a kneading accessory and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes on high-speed until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the correct texture is achieved. Once the dough is kneaded, add it to a lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise for an hour and fifteen minutes. 

4. To make the filling, heat the vegan butter, brown sugar, and sea salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently for about 3-4 minutes until the sauce looks like a caramel sauce. 

5. Remove the mixture from the heat and fold the toasted pecans into it. Keep stirring the mixture for another minute until the pecans are covered with the sauce. Set the sauce aside and let it cool for about 5 minutes, then divide the sauce into two even amounts. 

6. Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 375°F and flour a flat surface. Place the dough on it and roll it into a rectangle, trimming the edges if necessary. 

7. Generously spoon half of the Praline Caramel sauce on top of the dough, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the top with some pecans as well. 

8. Tightly roll the dough (long ways) and cut it into ⅕” rolls. 

9. Pour the other half of the sauce into a prepared baking dish and evenly spread it out with a spatula. Place each roll into the dish and cover them with plastic wrap to let them rise for 20 more minutes. 

10. Cook the rolls for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm!

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Which are the best vegan desserts and dinners? Tell us in the comments!


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