On my blog there already is a recipe for bear cupcakes, which have a lovely, creamy chocolate frosting. You can find the recipe here.

Now I wanted some vegan, gluten-free cupcakes that are also fruit-sweetened and don’t need oil either. And even better, if they could be nut-free to make them extra allergy-friendly.

Turned out this was a bit challenging. After countless trial and error I am now very happy with the result. These cupcakes have a lovely, soft texture. And combined with the pink chai cream it’s a dream

Note: with this recipe, exact measurements of ingredients is key. I recommend a good quality kitchen scales and measuring spoons. I’m leaving a note in the recipe itself too.

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Pink Chai Cupcakes (Vegan, Gluten-free, Fruit-sweetened, Oil-free)

Super cute Pink Chai & Chocolate Cupcakes. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, fruit-sweetened and oil-free.

For a 6 piece cupcake form with 6cm diameter.

Course Baked Sweet

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword chocolate, cupcakes, fruit-sweetened, gluten-free, oil-free, Pink Chai, vegan

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Einweichzeit 4 hours hours

Servings 6 Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 130 g buckwheat flour (see note)
• 30 g FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
• 1 tsp psyllium fiber, ground
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 140 g dates, pitted and diced
• 360 ml water
• 1 tbsp tahini (or other nut/seed butter)

For the frosting:

• 70 g sunflower seeds (soaked in water for 4 hours)
• 50 g dates, pitted and diced
• 35 g cacao butter, melted
• 2-3 tsp red fruit powder (eg pink pittaya, raspberry or beetroot powder)
• 1 tsp chai spice (or cinnamon)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 190°C (top/bottom heat). Mix the dry ingredients for the dough in a bowl.
• Blend dates, water and tahini in a powerful blender until smooth.
• Pour the date mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine (don’t over stir).
• Scoop the dough evenly into the muffin form and bake for approx 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean. Take the cupcakes out of the form and let them cool down on a cake rack.
• For the chai frosting, blend all ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth (a high-speed blender with tamper is recommended).
• Transfer the blended mixture into a small bowl and let cool down in the fridge until it has firmed up (approx. 1 to 2 hours).
• Scoop the frosting into an icing bag and decorate the cupcakes. Garnish to your liking. Best stored chilled. Enjoy

Notes

Note: Precise measurements are important for this recipe. I recommend good quality kitchen scales and measuring spoons. 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml and 1/2 teaspoon equals 2,5 ml.

Buckwheat flour is not everyone’s taste. To be on the safe side you can also make a mix of 1:1 buckwheat flour and rice flour.

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 dough is very similar to a classic shortbread dough and is easy to form and roll out. Before baking it should be left to rest chilled for approx. 30 minutes.

For sweetening I use dried dates. They create a lovely sweetness and also add to the silky texture of the dough (better don’t taste it though, I warned you! ). I have tried a variety of cookies with the dough.

Here are a few cookie variation ideas:

• To make jam filled thumbprint cookies, form the dough into small balls and press dent into it, using your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon. Fill the dent with some jam before baking.

• For marble cookies add some cocoa powder to half of the dough. Should it get too dry, add little bit of water. Knead the light coloured and dark colour dough together before forming the cookies.

• Add some cinnamon to create cinnamon star cookies (a favourite with my German family)

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Super Easy Cookie Dough (Vegan, Gluten-free, Fruit-sweetened, Oil-free)

Perfect for holiday baking, a super easy and quick cookie dough. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, sweetened with fruits and oil-free. The dough is wonderfully versatile and can be used for a variety of diffferent cookies.

Course Baked Sweet

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword Cookies, fruit-sweetened, gluten-free, holiday baking, oil-free, vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Rest time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 1 Tray

Ingredients

• 200 g rice flour (or other flour)
• 70 g almond flour (alternatively ground cashews or sunflower seeds)
• 2 tbsp psyllium fiber
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 100 g dates, pitted and chopped
• 170 ml warm water

Instructions

• Start by soaking the dates with the warm water in a bowl. Then blend it smooth, using a stick blender.
• Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour the date mixture into this bowl and stir to combine. A thick dough should form, which is easily pliable.
• Cover the bowl with the dough and place in fridge for approx. 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 170° C (top/bottom heat). Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper. Cut out the cookies and place them on the baking tray. Repeat the step until the dough is used up.
• Bake the cookies for approx. 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Decorate to your liking. Enjoy

They are the perfect ingredients for these Banana Donuts with raspberry glazing. The flavour combination – wow, I was impressed. What a an amazing combo. I think the recipe also works very well with blackberries

The raspberry glazing is refreshingly light und works without nuts. I’m using sunflower seeds as an alternative. Please be aware, they need some soaking prior to cooking.

To make the glazing set I use agar agar powder. It’s important to only use pure agar agar powder. I’m also using baking measuring spoons. One teaspoon equals 5 ml.

These Raspberry Banana Donuts are:

• vegan
• gluten-free
• fruit-sweetened
• soy-free
• nut-free
• oil-free

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Raspberry Banana Donuts (Vegan, Gluten-free, Fruit-sweetened)

Fluffy Banana Donuts with Raspberry Glaze. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, fruit-sweetened and oil-free.

Course Baked Sweet

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword Banana, Donuts, gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, Raspberry, soy-free, vegan

Prep Time 4 hours hours

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Setting time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Donuts

Ingredients

For the donuts:

• 140 g rice flour
• 60 g buckwheat flour
• 2 tbsp psyllium fiber
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250 g very ripe banana (approx. 2 bananas)
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 230 ml water

For the glaze:

• 30 g sunflower seeds (soak in water for approx. 4 hours, then rinse and drain)
• 100 g raspberries
• 70 g dates, pitted and diced
• 150 ml plant mylk
• 1 tsp agar agar powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 190° C (top/bottom heat). Mix the dry ingredients for the donuts in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with water and almond butter until they are creamy. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
• Evenly spread the dough in the donut mold. Bake for approx. 15 minutes or until an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean. Let them cool down properly.
• For the glaze, blend all ingreidnets in a blender until smooth. Pour the mixture into a small pot and bring to the boil gently.
• Let it simmer on medium-low temperature for a few minutes. Spread the glaze on the donuts and garnish to your liking. Enjoy!

Notes

Notes: Agar agar needs to be pure powder not flakes. The latter will need different amount to achieve the same result. 

Also, measurement is crucial when working with agar agar. I’m using measuring spoons. 1 teaspoon equals 5ml.

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 dough as well as the filling is made with cooked pumpkin. It is amazing, how silky this chocolate cream filling is. Until now, no one that I served this tart to noticed the pumpkin, he he

The cooked pumpkin has a mild sweetness und allows the dough to be soft without oil or other fats. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free and fruit-sweetened. It also is free from soy and free from nuts which makes it very allergy friendly.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Tarte (Vegan, Gluten-free, Fruit-sweetened)

Pumpkin with a twist – and reeeaaally chocolatey. This Pumpkin Chocolate Tart is es true chocolate dream with a super creamy filling.

Course Desserts

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword chocolate, fruit-sweetened, gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, Pumpkin, soy-free, Tarte, vegan

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Setting time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Portions

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 150 g buckwheat flour
• 30 g FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp psyllium fiber
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 100 g dates, pitted and diced
• 60 ml water
• 200 g pumpkin, cooked (I use butternut)

For the filling:

• 350 g pumpkin, cooked (I use butternut)
• 150 g FAIR-TRADE chocolate
• 30 g FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder

Instructions

• Mix the dry ingredients for the dough in a bowl.
• Blend dates, water and pumpkin in a blender until smooth. Pour the mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients and stir to combine. It should turn into a thick dough that forms a ball. Cover the bowl and let rest for approx. 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 190°C (top-/bottom heat). Prepare the cake tin and fill it evenly with dough. Press it firm and pull it up the sides.
• Bake for approx.. 15 to 20 minutes and let cool down properly.
• For the filling, ,melt the chocolate in a bowl that sits in a bowl with hot water. Add the remaining ingredients and blend it smooth with a stick blender.
• Spread the filling evenly in the prebaked tarte crust. Garnish to your liking and then chill until serving. Enjoy!

For sweetening I use my own homemade stewed apple. I simply peel, remove the core and chop them into smaller chunks. Then I place them in a pot with a lid and bring them gently to the boil. Once it is cooking, I let it simmer until the apple chunks are soft. Of course you can use store-bought apple sauce from a jar.

Before baking, the apples for the topping are lightly sliced, which results in a beautiful effect that make me all dreamy A good apple cake should have a good portion of cinnamon, I believe. Freshly ground nutmeg works well too, should you have to avoid cinnamon.

After baking, I dusted the apple cake with some ground desiccated coconut, which I blended in my mini-blender.

Note: When baking, it is important to cover the cake. For this I use a small un-coated baking tray which I place right on top of the cake form.

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Apple Cake (Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free, Fruit-sweetened)

Perfect for apple season! This apple cake only uses a few ingredients and easy to make. The cake is not only vegan and gluten-free, but alsomoil-free and fruit-sweetened. For a 21 cm cake spring form.

Course Baked Sweet

Cuisine Deutsch

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword Apple, cake, Cinnamon, fruit-sweetened, gluten-free, oil-free, vegan

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10 Portions

Ingredients

• 150 g buckwheat flour
• 30 g tapioca flour (or corn starch)
• 50 g walnuts, finely chopped (you can omit it too)
• 2 tbsp sweetener of your choice (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp psyllium fiber husk
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• approx. 4-5 small apples
• 330 g stewed apple
• 80 ml water

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190 °C (top-/bottom heat). Prepare the cake tin by either greasing it or lining with baking paper (when using baking paper, I like to cut a thin stripe which I use along the rim).
• Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Peel, half, remove core of the apples. Thinly slice them as pictured.
• Pour stewed apple and water into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
• Spread the dough evenly in the cake tin. Then place the apple halves on the dough, flat side down. Gently press them into the dough.
• Bake the cake covered (I use a small un-coated baking tray which I place right on top of the cake tin) for approx. 20 to 25 minutes until the apples are a bit softer and cooking in their juice. Then bake it without covering for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the apple juice has evaporated and the top of the cake looks dry.

And yes, even though no ice cream maker is required, the ice cream has a lovely, smooth and silky texture. I was so happy when I took the first scoop and it scooped up so perfectly.

The ingredients are just a few. And if you would like to replace coffee, you can some cocoa instead and replace the water with some vegan mylk.

This recipe for cappuccino ice cream is always vegan and gluten-free. It is also nut-free and sweetened with fruits.

Note: To achieve a lovely, creamy texture, it is important to let the ice cream thaw just a bit if it was in the freezer for longer. I get the best texture when I place the whole container in the fridge for a few hours. That requires some planning and patience though.

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Cappuccino Ice Cream (Vegan, Nut-free, Fruit-sweetened)

Only a few ingredients needed. This cappuccino ice cream is super creamy and works without an ice cream machine. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and fruit-sweetened. Makes approx. 400 ml.

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword Cappuccino, coffee, fruit-sweetened, Ice Cream, nut-free, Sunflower Sead, vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Soaking time 4 hours hours

Ingredients

• 80 g sunflower seeds (or cashews), soak in water for 4 hours, then rinse and drain
• 120 g dates, pitted and chopped
• 150 ml freshly brewed FAIR-TRADE Kaffee, cooled down
• 250 ml coconut cream (from the can), OR plant-based cream

For the chocolate sauce:

• 1 tbsp FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp date paste
• 1-2 tbsp water

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients for the ice cream smooth, using a high-speed blender.
• Prepare the chocolate sauce by blending all ingredients in a small bowl. Add just enough water to achieve a creamy sauce.
• Pour one third of the ice cream mixture into a freezer safe container. Then drizzle with some of the chocolate sauce. Repeat this step twice. Garnish if you like (I use cacao nibs).
• Freeze until it is fairly firm. Should you leave it in the freezer for longer, let thaw a little before serving (also see my note above).

Now I managed to get my hands onto some freshly cracked hazelnuts from the South Island of Aotearoa. The flavour! It’s a dream and perfect for gluten-free baking, specially cake and cookies.

For sweetening I used mostly dates. I find they blend in very well and are very subtle in their flavour. Chocolate and nut will always be one of my favourite flavour combinations

As always, this recipe for Hazelnut and Chocolate Cake is vegan, gluten-free and oil-free. This time I also didn’t use any rice flour and replaced it with buckwheat flour. I think the recipe will also work well with other gluten-free flours, like oat flour for example.

Note: Before baking I have dry roasted the hazelnuts for approx. 20 minutes in a frying pan on a low heat while stirring occasionally. Afterwards I rubbed of the skins using a dish towel. This way the hazelnut flavour increases. Afterwards I blend the hazelnuts to fine crumbs, using my high-speed blender (it’s OK if some crumbs are a bit bigger).

Favourite human and I munched away this chocolate hazelnut cake within a few days. And I can already say that we will make this more often in the future. If you try the recipe please let me know what you think. I always love hearing from you

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Hazelnut Chocolate Loaf (Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free)

This hazelnut chocolate loaf has a lovely texture. It is mostly sweetened with fruits and also vegan, gluten-free and oil-free.

Course Baked Sweet

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword cake, chocolate, fruit-sweetened, gluten-free, Hazelnut, Loaf, vegan

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Portions

Ingredients

• 140 g hazelnuts best dry roasted in pan and then skins rubbed off, ground
• 140 g buckwheat flour
• 40 g FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar or sweetener of your choice
• 1 tbsp psyllium fiber ground
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 140 g dates pitted and diced
• 400 ml water

For the chocolate glaze

• 120 g FAIR-TRADE chocolate
• 50 ml plant mylk

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (top-/bottom heat). Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
• In a high-speed blender, blend the dates and water until smooth.
• Pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and swiftly stir to combine (don’t over stir).
• Spread the dough evenly in the loaf tin. Bake for approx. 25 minutes or until an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean.
• Let cool down before glazing. For the chocolate glaze I melt 120g FAIR-TRADE chocolate with 50ml plant mylk in a bowl that sits in hot water. After spreading the chocolate onto the loaf I garnish it with more chopped hazelnuts. 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 filling is cooked, with a plant-based alternative for gelatine, the so-called agar agar powder. The amount used is crucial, too little lets the filling not set properly. Using too much makes it kinda rubbery in texture. I use approx. 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid and it works quite well.

This lemon tart does not need flour or grains. The crust is made from almonds and dates, which are blended to crumbs in a high-speed blender.

Blind Baking

The crust is baked first before being filled. It works best to pre-bake it, using the blind baking method. For this you need to weigh down the dough. This basically replaces the filling so the base doesn’t blow up when the air beneath expands in the heat. It’s fairly easy. After spreading the dough in the baking tin, you cover the dough with some baking power. Then add the weight.

You can use the following:

• Special blind baking marbles
• Dried legumes (for example peas, beans etc)
• Coffee beans
• Rice or other grains
• Sterilised gravel rocks (I did this successfully already)

This recipe for lemon tart is vegan, gluten-free and fruit-sweetened. It also doesn’t need any soy or grains.

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Lemon Tart (Vegan, Gluten-free, Fruit-sweetened)

Zesty, fresh and light! This is the motto for this vegan and gluten-free lemon tart. With plenty of fun garnishing options.

Course Desserts

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword gluten-free, Grain-free, Lemon, soy-free, Tart

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Soaking time 4 hours hours

Servings 14 Portions

Equipment

• 35 x 10 cm tart form

Ingredients

• 170 g almonds
• 120 g dates, pitted and chopped

For the filling:

• 100 g dates, pitted and chopped
• 50 g sunflower seeds (soak in water for approx. 4 hours, then rinse and drain)
• 300 ml plant-based mylk, preferably unsweetened
• 75 ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 to 2 tbsp lemon zest (depending on how zesty you like it)
• 1 1/4 tsp agar agar powder (not flakes!) Also see notes below
• 1 to 2 pinches ground turmeric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 160°. For the curst, blend almonds and dates to fine crumbles, using a powerful blender. Knead the dough a bit and then spread it evenly in the tart form. Pull the dough up along the sides too.
• Blind bake the dough on the lower level for approx.. 15 minutes. Be careful, it burns easily. If needed, bake it covered.
• Let the crust cool down properly. For the filling, blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a pot and bring it gently to the boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes while stirring constantly.
• Pour the mixture into the tart form and spread it evenly. Let it cool down a little before letting it set in the fridge. Garnish to your liking. Enjoy

Notes

Notes: Agar agar needs to be pure powder not flakes. The latter will need different amount to achieve the same result. 

Also, measurement is crucial when working with agar agar. I’m using measuring spoons. 1 teaspoon equals 5ml and 1/4 teaspoon equals 1.25ml.

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.

For sweeteneing I have used dates, which also add soe more creaminess to the texture. And thanks to the sunflower seeds the recipe is not only vegan and gluten-free but also nut-free.

While these panna cotta use whole coffee beans you can also use cocoa powder and create a yummy choclate flavoured version.

Panna cotta are one of my favourite vegan desserts because they are so light and not so filling. Also, they are so easy to make! Simply blend, heat up, pour into moulds, done! Well, OK you gotta have some patience while they set

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Coffee Panna Cotta – (Vegan, Gluten-free, Fruit-sweetened, Nut-free)

Coffee in a different way! These vegan panna cotta are super easy to make und only require a few ingredients. They have a lovely coffee flavour. Add the chocolate sauce … yum!

Course Nachspeise

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword chocolate, coffee, fruit-sweetened, nut-free, panna cotta

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Soaking Time 4 hours hours

Servings 4 Serves

Ingredients

For the panna cotta:

• 65 g sunflower seeds soak in water for approx. 4 hours, then rinse and drain
• 140 g dates pitted & diced
• 350 ml plant mylk
• 1ß3 tsp FAIR-TRADE whole coffee beans depending on how strong you like the coffee flavour
• 1 1/4 tsp agar agar powder

For the chocolate sauce:

• 1 tsp FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
• 1 tsp sweetener of your choice
• 1 teaspoon tahini or seed/nut butter of your choice
• 2 to 3 tsp water

Instructions

• Start by blending the dates, mylk and coffee in a high speed blender until smooth.
• Then add the sunflower seeds and agar agar and blend once more until nice and creamy.
• Transfer the mixture to a small pot and gently bring to the boil. Let simmer for a few minutes while stirring constantly.
• Let cool down a little before pouring it into the moulds. Let set and then store chilled until serving.
• For the sauce, stir all ingredients in a small bowl. Add as much water as needed until it reaches the desired consistency. 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 these heart shaped cookies make the perfect edible gift for your loved one(s). You can also glaze them with chocolate. And there are so many options to garnish, like chopped nuts and cacao nibs and freeze dried fruits. Yum!

The pink chai glaze is sweetened with fruit. The lovely pink colour comes from cooked beetroot. You can also use beetroot powder or raw beetroot. I made the chai spice mix myself by blending ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and allspice.

The cookies are also sweetened with dates. They make for a lovely, soft texture. And as always this recipe for pink chai chocolate cookies is vegan, gluten-free and without oil.

Makes about 12 Cookies:

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

For the pink glazing:
• 30g cooked beetroot
• 3 dates, pitted & chopped
• 50 bis 60ml water
• 20g cacao butter, melted
• 60g cashews or blanched almonds
• 1/2 tsp chai spice

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (top/bottom heat). Blend dates, water and almond butter with a stick blender until smooth.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Add the dates mixture and stir to combine.

3. Roll out the dough between sheets of baking paper. Cut out cookies and place them on a baking tray (sprinkle with some flour if the dough is too sticky). Repeat until the dough is used up.

4. Bake for approx. 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool down properly.

5. For the glaze blend all ingredients in a powerful mini blender. Spread evenly over the cookies. Place in an air-tight container and store in the fridge.

Note: The glaze doesn’t turn completely firm. It is best used as a filling between two cookies.

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.