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.

Print

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.

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.

And recently I found these super cute jelly molds in an op-shop. This was meant to be. Raspberry Panna Cotta, all vegan, gluten-free and fruit-sweetened. Yay!

These panna cotta are super easy to make and you can also different fruits or berries. I served them with some cashew vanilla custard which makes a perfect combination of flavours.

Makes 2 Portions:

For the panna cotta:
• 100g raspberries
• 70g dates, pitted & chopped
• 200ml plant mylk
• 1.5 tsp agar agar powder

For the vanilla sauce:
• 40g cashews
• 2 dates, pitted & chopped
• approx. 100ml water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients for the panna cotta in a high-speed blender until smooth. Transfer to a small pot and gently bring to the boil.

2. Let simmer for a few minutes until it thickens up. Transfer to jelly molds after letting it cool down a little bit. Place in fridge until serving.

3. For the vanilla sauce, simply blend all ingredients in a powerful mini blender until smooth. Depending on how creamy you like it, adjust the amount of water.

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.

These berries had to be used for something special. With Christmas just around the corner, I opted for a festive No Bake Raspberry Chocolate Cake. I absolutely loved how it turned out!

This cake will work with other berries, or a delicious berry mix. And if you are not a fan of combing fruit with chocolate, you can omit the cocoa powder in the crust. It’ll still tastes amazing, if not better (deepening on your favourite taste).

When I listed the ingredients, I was surprised to see that it is actually only 7 ingredients that you need! So simple and easy – I love it! Of course it is vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar. The perfect dessert for Christmas, I like to keep pre-cut slices in the freezer to have a dessert ready even with short notice

Print

No Bake Raspberry Chocolate Tart (Vegan, Gluten-free, Fruit-Sweetened)

This vegan and gluten-free cake will work with other berries, or a delicious berry mix. And if you are not a fan of combing fruit with chocolate, you can omit the cocoa powder in the crust.

Course Cake

Cuisine German

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan

Keyword Cashew, chocolate, dairy-free, Dates, Hazelnut, pink colour, Raspberry, raw, soy-free, valentines, without baking

Servings 1 cake 35 x 10 cm

Equipment

• 35 x 10cm cake tin
• high-speed blender

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 140 g hazelnuts (soak in water, the rinse and drain)
• 100 g dates pitted and diced
• 3 tablespoon FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon water

For the filling:

• 250 g raspberries
• 100 g dates pitted and diced
• 100 ml water
• 40 g cacao butter melted
• 280 g cashews (soak in water for a few hours, then rinse and drain)

Instructions

• Line cake tin with baking paper. For the crust, place soaked hazelnuts and dates in high-speed blender and pulse until crumbly.
• Transfer crumbles into a bowl, add cocoa powder and stir to combine. Should it be too dry, add one tablespoon of water. Spread evenly into cake tin and press firm.
• For the filling, blend all ingredients in a strong high-speed blender until smooth. You may need to use the tamper to keep the mixture turning inside the jug.
• Pour the filling over the crust and spread evenly.
• Garnish if you like (I use freeze dried raspberry powder and chopped pistachios). 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.

Now there also is a bunch of frozen plums. I got them of some friends by the bucket, because their plum tree was going wild. I baked as much plum cake as everyone could handle, the rest went into the freezer.

Now I started using these plums in the occasional smoothie. And every time I was mesmerized by the dreamy purple colour – so beautiful! If only there was a way to stare at it even longer… Well, how about having it frozen on a stick? That was the solution!

I really love how easy these vegan ice pops are to make and how they don’t need any additional sweetener. Please note that these ice pops are not all too sweet. Because I only used bananas and plum to create a fruity sweetness. While I have used cashews, you can omit them and use more bananas instead.

As always, this recipe for Plum Banana Ice Pops is vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar. It also proves, that one does not need dairy products in order to make a delicious frozen treat

Makes approx. 10 ice pops:

200g plums
200g banana (without peel)
1/2 cup cashews (or other nuts) also see note above
1 1/4 cup (310ml) water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon guar gum (optional, makes it more creamy)

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

2. Pour into molds, add lid and sticks.

3. Place in freezer until solid. To get the ice pops out of the mould, hold it upside down under warm water for a moment.

Enjoy! 

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.

What I love so much about this salad dressing, it’s super easy to make. And it lasts a while when chilled. I would recommend to use it within approx. 3 days after making.

This is a basic recipe. You can do lots of variations, combine different sorts of nuts for example. While I have used almonds, you can also use cashews, or macadamias etc. in this yummy vegan salad dressing. Beetroot can be cooked or raw.

Makes approx. 200 ml

1/4 cup (35g) almonds (or any other nut), soak in water for at least 8 hours, rinse and drain
1/2 cup (125ml) water
40g beetroot (or more if you like), cooked or raw
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1 garlic clove
salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a powerful blender and blend until smooth.

2. Transfer to serving container. Then rinse the blender with a tiny bit of water and add to the dressing.

3. Keep chilled and use within approx. 3 days after making.

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.

The other day I found myself dreaming of my vegan cashew “cream cheese”. Then I glanced at my walnuts, soaking in a jar on the window sill; and another batch of fresh beetroot on the kitchen counter. And there it was! I have to warn you though, walnuts have a strong, unique flavour that might not be to everyone’s taste. You can substitute them with more cashews, or sunflower seeds, or blanched almonds, or….

Also, due to natural oxidation, the top layer of the cream cheese will turn slightly grey. This is normal and doesn’t affect the taste or quality.

Makes approx. 250g of cream cheese:

3/4 cup (100g) cashews (soak for 8 hours, then rinse and drain)
3/4 cup (80g) walnuts (soak for 8 hours, then rinse and drain)
1/3 teaspoon salt
20g raw beetroot (or more if you like)
probiotic powder from two capsules
1/4 cup + 1-2 tablespoon water

Instructions:

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

2. Scoop into a sterile jar, place lid on only loose so that the probiotic little helpers can breathe.

3. Place the jar in a warm place for at least 10 hours. Depending on how warm it is and how active the probiotic bugs are, the vegan “cheese” will take between 10 and 20 hours. Once the ‘cheese’ has risen and you can see small bubbles, it is ready.

4. Place in fridge and consume within a week.

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.

While the pink chai frosting was quickly created, it took me quite some time to get the texture of the chocolate cake right. Like a loong time. In other words, I don’t think I ever had that much chocolate cake in my life

In the end it was just a slight tweak of the ingredients to create this amazingly moist and chocolaty cake. All vegan, gluten-free, without refined sugars and oil-free. This time I also without dates

Print

Pink Chai Chocolate Cake (Vegan, Gluten-free, No Dates)

This is the result of one of those recipe ideas that I just couldn’t let go. I knew that it would be amazing once I had it right. Because pink chai and chocolate are such a heavenly match. All vegan, gluten-free, without refined sugars and oil-free. This time I also without dates.

Course Baked Sweet, Cake

Cuisine New Zealand

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan

Keyword cake, chocolate, dairy-free, No Refined Sugar, Pink Chai

Servings 1 cake (18 cm)

Equipment

• 18cm spring-from
• Blender

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake:

• 200 ml coconut milk preferably with high-fat content
• 125 ml water
• 1 tablespoon psyllium fiber husk
• 90 g coconut sugar
• 110 g rice flour
• 75 g FAIR-TRADE cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the pink chai frosting:

• 140 g cashews soak them in water for at least 3 hours, then rinse and drain
• 1 heaped tablespoon coconut sugar or more if you like it sweet
• 30 g cacao butter melted
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon beetroot powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2-3 tablespoon water if needed
• Some extra beetroot powder and chopped pistachios for garnish if desired.

Instructions

• First blend the coconut milk, water, psyllium fiber husk and coconut sugar in a blender. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 200°C (top-/bottom heat). Line bottom of spring-form with baking paper and grease the sides lightly (I used coconut oil for this step).
• Sift rice flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a bowl and mix it. Add the coconut cream mixture and quickly stir to combine. Don’t over stir.
• Scoop the dough into the spring-form and spread it evenly.
• Bake in oven covered* for approx. 35 to 45 minutes, or until an inserted wooden skewer comes out of the dough just slightly sticky. Let cool down a little before taking it out of the form. Then let cool down completely before applying the frosting.
• For the frosting, blend all ingredients but the beetroot powder and cinnamon in a powerful mini-blender. It helps if the ingredients are at room temperature to stop the cacao butter from setting too early. Add a few tablespoons of water if necessary.
• Once the mixture is blended to a smooth, creamy texture, add the beetroot powder and ground cinnamon and blend once more. If it is too hard to blend it, mix it manually instead of adding more water. Let cool down a little until the mixture gets a little thick.
• If you’d like to make some decorative frosting dollops, take a few tablespoons of it aside. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Garnish with a little more beetroot powder if you wish. Transfer the remaining frosting into an icing bag to add dollops. Garnish with chopped pistachios if desired.
• Chill for 1 to 2 hours until the frosting is set. Then keep covered until serving (the frosting tends to dry out after a while).

Notes

Enjoy!

*I insert an empty baking tray in the rack above the cake to shield it from direct heat.

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.