For this recipe you only need a few ingredients. It is vegan, gluten-free, sweetened with dates and without oil. I have used almond butter to replace oil. You can also use any other nut or seed butter.

Glazed with some chocolate and garnish with walnuts, these cookies were simply perfect! The combination of nuts and chocolate makes for a special flavour. If you live in Aotearoa New Zealand, I recommend the dark chocolate drops from TradeAid. They are perfect

Print

Chocolate Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-free, Fruit-sweetened)

Super easy chocolate cookies that don't take much time to make. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, fruit-sweetened and without oil. They also makes a nice edible gift.

Course Baked Sweet

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword chocolate, Cookies, Dates, fruit-sweetened, gluten-free, oil-free, vegan

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Pieces

Ingredients

• 100 g dates, pitted and chopped
• 170 ml water
• 50 g almond butter (or other nut/seed butter)
• 130 g rice flour
• 50 g buckwheat flour
• 3 tbsp FAIR-TRADE cacao
• 1 tbsp ground psyllium fiber
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• some FAIR-TRADE chocolate for glazing

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 170°C (top/bottom heat). Blend dates, water and almond butter with a stick blender until smooth.
• Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Add the dates mixture and stir to combine.
• Roll out the dough between sheets of baking paper. Cut out cookies and place them on a baking tray. Repeat until the dough is used up.
• Bake for approx. 12 to 15 minutes. If desired, glaze with some FAIR-TRADE chocolate after they cooled down.

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

And somehow I couldn’t stop thinking about an ice cream idea with this kind of flavour combination. Since there are lots of vegan ice cream recipes on the blog already that require an ice-cream machine or double handling with a high-speed blender, I decided to try a semifreddo version. Less work and just as delicious was the concept

And I must admit, the result was pretty impressive. I haven’t used the classic ingredients (or vegan alternatives for those). For example, this recipe would be ideal for additional aquafaba. But I killed my electric hand-mixer last year and since I’m trying to be as minimal as possible, I didn’t buy a new one. I simply don’t use it often enough to justify doing that.

I’m hoping to borrow an electric hand-mixer from a friend one day. Until then I’m happy to keep living without it as long as I can create delicious, creamy dreamy recipes like this one without it

As always, this recipe for hazelnut chocolate semifreddo is vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar. And it proves again that one can make a creamy icy treat without dairy

Please note: I made this recipe a little sweeter this time. While I found it almost too sweet, all my test eaters found it to be juuuust right
…and please excuse the flood of photos to follow – they all looked soooo delicious, I had a really hard time choosing…and I wanted to share them all with you

Print

Hazelnut Chocolate Semifreddo (Vegan, Gluten-free, Lactose-free)

As always, this recipe for hazelnut chocolate semifreddo is vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar. And it proves again that one can make a creamy icy treat without dairy.

Course Ice Cream, Semifreddo

Cuisine French

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan

Keyword chocolate, dairy-free, Dates, Hazelnut, Ice Cream, no redined sugar, Semifreddo, soy-free

Servings 1 21cm loaf tin

Equipment

• 21cm loaf tin
• high-speed blender

Ingredients

For the hazelnut ice cream:

• 180 g hazelnuts
• 690 ml water
• 180 g dates
• 3 tablespoon tapioca or potato or corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground vanilla
• 2 pinches salt

For the chocolate sauce:

• 1 tablespoon rice syrup
• 1 tablespoon nut or seed butter I used almond
• 1 tablespoon FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
• 1-2 tablespoon water
• Some extra chocolate sauce and chopped hazelnuts for garnish if desired

Instructions

• Roast the hazelnuts in a pan on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. After about 10 minutes they should start to turn golden brown with the skin cracking.
• Place them onto a clean tea towel and rub off the skins.
• Place in blender, add water and blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend some more until the mixture gets quite hot.
• In the meantime prepare the chocolate sauce by mixing all ingredients in a cup. Add just enough water to create a fairly thick, creamy sauce.
• Line loaf tin with baking paper. Drizzle some of the chocolate sauce. then scoop in some of the hazelnut mixture. Repeat until its all finished up.
• Place in fridge until it has cooled down. Then place in freezer for approx. 4 hours. If you leave it in the freezer for longer, let thaw for approx. 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
• Turn it upside down onto a plate. Remove baking paper. Garnish if you like (I used some extra chocolate sauce and chopped hazelnuts).

Notes

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

You may have noticed my little beetroot craze that happened on the blog not long ago. There was the Pink Ranch Salad Dressing, the Pink Probiotic Cream Cheese  and I even snuck some beetroot into this yummy vegan Raspberry Ice Cream recipe.

Thank You For The Inspiration

While I’ve tried beetroot burgers before, I have never used cooked whole buckwheat. The inspiration came from lovely Barbara, from the Austrian based blog Glueck Isst (German language only). She inspired me to try this stuffed pepper recipe that turned into this wonderful dish, which I shared on my Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzXThADJlLs

Inspired by Barbara, I was sooo generous with herbs and spices. And I think that is what made this beetroot burger extra delicious! I couldn’t believe the flavour! Until this day I thought that my Quinoa Burger was the best creation that I had managed in regards of vegan burgers. But no, move over Quinoa Burger, there is a new flavoursome kid in town!

Without Oil – It’s Possible!

I cooked these burgers without using oil. Once upon a time I had a very good non-stick frying pan. But after 6 years of pretty much daily use, it is not that non-stick anymore. So while I’m saving up for a proper iron cast pan, I’m using baking paper that I cut to fit the frying pan. It works really well and can be reused for a few times.

Oil-soaked burger patties are just not really my thing, and be assured, they taste just as good without being cooked in oil. As always, this recipe Buckwheat Beetroot Burger is vegan and gluten-free.

Tip: You can precook the burger lightly in the pan and then store them in the fridge or freezer until you want to throw them onto the BBQ.

Print

Buckwheat Beetroot Burger (Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Oil-free)

I cooked these burgers without using oil. Oil-soaked burger patties are just not really my thing, and be assured, they taste just as good without being cooked in oil. As always, this recipe Buckwheat Beetroot Burger is vegan and gluten-free.

Course Burger, Main

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword Barbeque, Beetroot, Buckwheat, Burger, Fritters, soy-free, without oil

Servings 6 small(ish) burger patties

Equipment

• non-stick pan
• potato masher

Ingredients

• 100 g whole buckwheat groats
• 250 g water
• 100 g grated beetroot
• 1-2 pinches salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 2 tablespoon tahini or any other nut or seed butter
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 10 drops liquid smoke alternatively 1/3 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon psyllium fiber husk
• 1 to 2 tablespoon rice flour
• 1 to garlic cloves minced

Instructions

• Wash the buckwheat groats in a sieve and drain. Place in small pot, cover with water and cook on medium heat until it starts boiling. Simmer on low heat with closed lid until water has evaporated.
• Transfer cooked buckwheat to a bowl. Mash with a potato masher.
• Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. A wooden spoon works well for this step.
• Preheat the frying pan. If you don’t have a very good non-stick pan, but would like to avoid using oil, cut a piece of baking paper to size and place in frying pan.
• Form patties with cold, wet hands. Cook patties on medium to low heat on both sides until they brown up on each side.

Notes

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

There raspberries, plums and quite a bit of nut pulp that has been leftover from making my own almond milk (something that I really recommend). This nut pulp is an incredible ingredients for cakes. It adds this amazing soft texture to baked stuff. Like the apple cinnamon cake or these chocolate muffins. And yes, there were also raspberries!

Besides using up some raspberries, I also wanted to create another no bake recipe that doesn’t use cashews. After I made this delicious Almond Raspberry Ice Cream the other, I was convinced that it would work in a no bake cake recipe as well. And it does, yay!

What amazes me the most, is that this recipe uses only 6 ingredients! Plus the garnish of course. And as always, it is also vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar.

The raspberries make for quite a tart treat. If you like it a little sweeter, I recommend to add some more sweetness to raspberry layer.

Please note: in order to get a creamy consistency, you have to use a powerful high-speed blender and also use the tamper. Otherwise you have to add a little more water which won’t have the same results. Then it will be more like an ice cream cake.

Print

No Bake Almond Raspberry Slices (Vegan, Gluten-free, No Refined Sugar)

Besides using up some raspberries, I also wanted to create another no bake recipe that doesn’t use cashews. After I made a delicious Almond Raspberry Ice Cream, I was convinced that it would work in a no bake cake recipe as well. And it does, yay! And as always, it is also vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar.

Course Cake

Cuisine German

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan

Keyword Almond, cake, no bake, No Refined Sugar, Raspberry, Slices

Servings 1 Cake (30 x 20 cm)

Equipment

• high-speed blender

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 140 g almonds soak in water for 8 hours, then rinse and drain
• 140 g dates pitted and finely diced

For the vanilla cream:

• 70 g dates pitted and finely diced
• 140 g almonds soak in water for 8 hours, then rinse and drain
• 250 ml water
• 2 1/2 tablespoon cacao butter melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla

For the raspberry cream:

• 250 g raspberries
• 45 g dates pitted and finely diced (more if you like it less tart)
• 70 g almonds soak in water for 8 hours, then rinse and drain
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cacao butter melted
• 60 ml water

Instructions

• Line cake tin with baking paper. For the crust, place almonds and dates in high-speed blender and pulse until crumbly.
• Transfer crumbles into cake tin and spread evenly. Press firm.
• For the vanilla cream, blend all ingredients in a strong high-speed blender until smooth. You may need to use the tamper to keep the mixture turning in the jug.
• Spread the vanilla cream evenly over the crust.
• Without cleaning the blender jug, add the remaining ingredients for the raspberry cream and blend until smooth. Using the temper is recommended, to keep the mixture moving inside the jug so that you achieve a creamy texture.
• If you like to create a swirly effect, first place a few dollops of raspberry cream all over the vanilla cream. Then swirl them around with a teaspoon.
• Spread the remaining raspberry cream on top. Garnish if you like. Place in freezer until set (approx. 3 to 5 hours). Cut slices when it’s still semi frozen, then store covered until serving.

Notes

Enjoy! 

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

The other challenge was not to use dates as a sweetener for a change. So good old coconut sugar it was instead. But dates allow for such a creamy consistency and act as a natural thickener, especially in dairy-free ice creams. Coconut sugar doesn’t offer this option. With cocoa powder and some guar gum (another pantry challenge participant), you can achieve a super creamy consistency.

And yes, coconut sugar is a sugar still. But you won’t find recipes on this blog that contain chemical sweeteners that put a knot in your tongue while trying to pronounce them. Instead, I advocate to enjoy your sweet treats responsibly and occasionally while eating a well balanced whole food diet.

But I was talking about the consistency. I really couldn’t believe how creamy, smooth and silky this ice cream came out. It was super easy to scoop (with my latest second hand shop score, the stainless steel ice cream spoon, yay!) and melted on the tongue. And all that while being vegan and nut-free and gluten-free and without refined sugar

Note: This vegan tigernut ice cream is not very sweet. Better taste and adapt if needed, before you pour it into the ice cream maker. Also, to make tigernut mylk, you have to plan some extra time, because it takes a while to prepare it properly.

While most of my ice cream recipes work with an ice-cream maker as well with a high-speed blender, I haven’t tried the high-speed blender option with this recipe yet.

Makes approx. 1 liter:

tigernut mylk made from 1 1/4 cups tigernuts (180g) and 3 cups of water (see instructions here)
3/4 cup (75g) FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (55g) coconut sugar, please see note above
2 teaspoon guar gum (or 2 heaped tablespoon psyllium fiber husk)
1/4 teaspoon ground vanilla
1 pinch salt

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth.

2. Pour into ice cream maker and churn until it is finished. You may want to store it in the freezer for a little while to make it firm up some more.

3. If you leave the ice cream in the freezer for longer, let the ice cream thaw for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Enjoy! 

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

And, as it turns out, walnuts also make the perfect ingredient for an easy vegan, no bake walnut chocolate slice. Not long ago, I made a raw hazelnut orange chocolate cake that used only hazelnuts to replace any flour.

This time it’s the walnut that gets all the spotlight in this easy recipe. Have I mentioned that it’s easy? If you like a fancier version, I can recommend this walnut chocolate slice (the base calls for hazelnuts, but you can use walnuts too).

Note: The yield was 9 slices for me. I used a slightly larger cake pan (20 x 30cm), but because the dough is so easy to shape, I only used about 2/3 of the space (20 x 20cm). Of course you can make them in a larger pan, but that will result in thinner slices. I thought that the thickness was just right.

And oh, have I mentioned the gooyness yet? Those delicious walnuts somehow created an extra gooey texture that I haven’t achieved with other nuts yet. If you are a fan of gooey, vegan chocolate treats, this recipe might just the thing for you!

Calling for only 6 ingredients, this recipe for easy walnut chocolate slice is as always vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar.

Print

Easy Walnut Chocolate Slice (Vegan, Gluten-free, No Refined Sugar)

Winter time is chocolate time. Well, at least in my world. And lately I just can’t seem to get enough of walnuts. Especially when combined with chocolate – its such a delectable flavour. Those delicious walnuts somehow created an extra gooey texture that I haven’t achieved with other nuts yet.

Course Baked Sweet, Cake, Slices

Cuisine German

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword cake, chocolate, No Refined Sugar, Slice, soy-free, Walnut

Servings 9 Slices

Equipment

• cake pan 12 x 12 cm

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 220 g walnuts soak in water for 8 hours, then rinse and drain
• 140 g dates pitted and finely diced
• 25 g FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder (if you live in NZ, I highly recommend the one from Trade Aid)
• a tiny bit of water if needed

For the chocolate glaze:

• 2 tablespoon tahini
• 2 tablespoon FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoon rice syrup or other liquid sweetener
• 2 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon cacao butter melted
• Some chopped walnuts for garnish optional

Instructions

• Place dates and walnuts in a high-speed blender and pulse until fairly crumbly (I tend to switch the blender on and off and shake the jug a bit in between).
• Transfer walnut and date crumbles to a bowl, sprinkle with cocoa powder and stir to combine. Should it be too dry, add just a tiny bit of water (say 1 teaspoon) and see how you go. Be careful not to add too much water. The dough should be fairly thick and sticky.
• Line cake pan with baking paper. Scoop the dough into the cake pan and spread it evenly (please see my note above).
• Place in freezer while preparing the chocolate glaze.
• For the chocolate glaze, mix all ingredients in a cup. I recommend to place the cup in a bowl of warm water to help to combine the ingredients.
• Spread the glaze evenly on top of the dough. Sprinkle with garnish of your choice.
• Place in freezer until the glaze has set (approx. 1 to 2 hours) then chill until serving.

Notes

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

Also, this recipe has a little twist. Because there aren’t only raspberries in it to create that dreamy pink colour. I have also snuck in some beetroot. You can use raw or cooked beetroot, the effect will be pretty much the same And as always, this recipe for almond raspberry ice cream is vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar.

There are two options to make this vegan ice-cream: by using a high-speed blender and an ice cream maker or by using only the high-speed blender. You can find instructions for both options below.


Makes approx. 1 liter:

1 cup (140g) almonds, soak for at least 8 hours in water, then rinse and drain
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon (70g) coconut sugar
50g beetroot (cooked or raw, add more if you like it more pink)
1 teaspoon guar gum
200g raspberries
2 1/2 cups (600ml) water
a handful of raspberries for garnish (I also used chopped pistachios)

Instructions for ice cream maker:

1. Blend all ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth.
2. Pour into ice cream maker and churn until it is finished. Transfer mixture into a freezer safe container. Sprinkle with raspberries and stir them into the ice cream a little. You may want to store it in the freezer for a little while to make it firm up some more.
3. If you leave the ice cream in the freezer for longer, let the ice cream thaw for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Instructions with high-speed blender:

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.

2. Pour mixture into large ice cube forms or approx. finger thick into freezer safe containers. Place in freezer.

3. Once frozen, chop up the slabs into rough chunks and place in high-speed blender. Blend on high-speed, using the temper to press the chunks into the blades (similar as you would make nice cream out of frozen bananas).

4. Transfer the ice cream to freezer safe container. Sprinkle with raspberries and stir them into the ice cream a little. You may want to store it in the freezer for a little while to make it firm up some more.

If you leave the ice cream in the freezer for longer, let the ice cream thaw for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Enjoy! 

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

Of course, I had to visit various ice cream bars to try some vegan ice creams. One of my favourites was the organic ice cream bar Cortina in Kassel. They had six flavours, I went for chocolate and walnut.

It was quite sweet but utterly delicious! I kept thinking about the walnut flavour. And when I came across my little stash of wild harvested New Zealand walnuts, I decided to try and make my own walnut ice cream. This one being free from refined sugar though.

Turns out for this walnut ice cream you only need three ingredients! And as always, it is vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar

While you can make this recipe with an ice-cream maker, you can also make it with a high-speed blender. Please see instructions for both below.

Print

3 Ingredient Walnut Ice Cream (Vegan, Gluten-free, No Refined Sugar)

When I came across my little stash of wild harvested New Zealand walnuts, I decided to try and make my own walnut ice cream. This one being free from refined sugar though.

Course Ice Cream

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword Ice Cream, No Refined Sugar, Walnut

Servings 1.5 Liter

Equipment

• high-speed blender
• ice cream maker

Ingredients

• 220 g walnuts
• 140 g dates pitted and diced
• 750 ml water

Instructions

Preparation with ice cream maker:

• First roast the walnuts in a frying pan on low heat, stirring occasionally until they turn slightly golden brown and smell deliciously Let cool down. You can also soak the walnuts for approx. 8 hours prior to roasting, but it’s not essential.
• In the meantime, let the dates  soak in the water.
• Transfer water, dates and walnuts to high speed blender and blend until smooth.
• Transfer to ice cream maker and churn until firm enough. Serve immediately or transfer to a freezer safe container. If you freeze it for longer, let it defrost for about 30 minutes before serving.

Preparation with high-speed blender:

• First roast the walnuts in a frying pan on low heat, stirring occasionally until they turn slightly golden brown and smell deliciously Let cool down. You can also soak the walnuts for approx. 8 hours prior to roasting, but it's not essential.
• In the meantime, let the dates  soak in the water.
• Transfer water, dates and walnuts to high speed blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour mixture into freezer safe container until approx. finger thick high. Place in freezer until solid.
• Remove ice cream slabs from freezer containers and cut into chunks.
• Place chunks into high-speed blender. Blend on medium to high speed and use the tamper to press the ice cream chunks into the blades. Blend, until it is (ice) creamy.
• Serve immediately or transfer to a freezer safe container. If you freeze it for longer, let it defrost for about 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

That sounded strange and beautiful at the same time. I had to give it a try!

And, oh boy, lavender and blueberries indeed make an amazing pair! The sweet and flowery aromas of lavender infuse deliciously with the blueberries. And it has a refreshing taste to it.

So if you have both lavender and blueberries at hand, I can only recommend to try this recipe for this delicious blueberry lavender ice-dream, that is also vegan, gluten-free and free from refined sugars.

Update: you can make this ice cream recipe with an ice cream maker as well with a high-speed blender. You will find both options below.

Print

Blueberry Lavender Ice-Dream (Vegan, Gluten-free, Refined Sugar Free, No-Churn Option)

If you have both lavender and blueberries at hand, I can only recommend to try this recipe for this delicious blueberry lavender ice-dream, that is also vegan, gluten-free and free from refined sugars.

Course Ice Cream

Cuisine New Zealand

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan

Keyword Blueberry, fruit-sweetened, Ice-Dream, Lavender, purple, Refined Sugar Free

Servings 1 liter

Equipment

• high-speed blender
• ice cream maker

Ingredients

• 70 g cashews soak them in filtered water for at least 3 hours, then rinse and drain
• 70 g dates pitted
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon lavender flowers approx. 1-2 flower ‘heads’
• 1-2 pinches salt
• 400 g approx. blueberries

Instructions

Preparation with ice-cream maker:

• Blend cashews, dates, salt and water until smooth.
• Add blueberries and pulse a few times.
• Pour into ice-cream maker and churn until it has reached the desired firmness. If it is too soft, pop it into a container and into the freezer for a while.

Preparation with high-speed blender:

• Blend all ingredients except the blueberries and lavender until smooth.
• Pour into freezer safe containers until approx. finger thick high. Sprinkle with blueberries and lavender flowers, scattering them evenly over the surface.
• Place in freezer until solid.
• Once frozen, pop the slab(s) onto a chopping board and cut into smaller chunks.
• Place chunks in high-speed blender and blend on lower medium speed, using a tamper to push the squares into the blades. Blend until smooth. Transfer to dessert bowls immediately or pop it into a freezer safe container to let it firm up again a little more.

Notes

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.