The Happy Gluten Free Vegan

Sometimes, when you crave something sweet, nothing but chocolate will do. It’s rich and decadent, lifts your spirits, and has a seductive flavor that can’t be beat. You can almost believe these vegan, gluten-free muffins are actually healthy. They’re much better for you than the store-bought variety, at least. This recipe features coconut sugar and maple syrup and utilizes either gluten-free rice or oat flour. You can have these muffins for breakfast or pack them in your lunch box and take them to work. Give our recipe a try, and you’ll soon find yourself in Chocolate Heaven. This treat is inexpensive, quick, and incredibly easy to make!

DRY INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cup gluten-free brown rice flour (oat flour works, as well. Try Bob’s Red Mill, it’s our favorite)
1 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (check label to make sure there are no milk solids)
1 teaspoon baking soda (aluminum-free, please!)
¼ teaspoon sea salt (NOT iodized table salt!)

WET INGREDIENTS
½ cup water+ 2 extra tablespoons
½ cup non-dairy milk (we used Forager organic coconut-cashew milk, it tastes delightful!)
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/3 cup coconut sugar
¼ cup pure maple syrup (just say no to pancake syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill each compartment of muffin pan with cupcake liners. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and slat in large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Meanwhile, melt coconut oil in small saucepan and warm milk in another pan. Pour milk and oil into a smaller bowl and add coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and water. Stir briskly and then pour the mixture into the larger bowl with the dry ingredients.

Combine all ingredients until blended. The batter should be thick and creamy but not stiff.
Spoon a couple of tablespoons of batter into each compartment of the muffin pan. Place pan on the center rack of your oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes. You can stick a toothpick or fork in the center of one of the muffins to make sure it comes out clean. Your kitchen will smell divine in the meantime.

Makes 10-12 medium-sized muffins. These delicious confections keep well in a covered container. You probably don’t want to eat all 12 of them at one sitting. Invite ten of your friends over and have a party, instead. We guarantee they will disappear quickly. They’re great warm or cold. Enjoy!

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Some folks persist in thinking that folks who follow a vegan, gluten-free diet eat nothing but nuts and seeds. If you have a friend or relative who harbors this belief, slice a couple of pieces of banana bread from this rich, moist loaf and place them in front of her/him. Then sit back and smile. S/he will be singing a different tune after the first bite and might even beg you for the recipe. You’ll be amazed by how easy it is to make this bread, and how delicious it tastes. Here’s how:

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend (Bob’s 1/1 is still our absolute favorite for baking).
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder (check label to make sure it’s aluminum-free)
½ teaspoon sea salt
7/8 cup organic turbinado sugar or coconut sugar (these sugars are always vegan, unlike
commercial sugar, and they taste much better, as well)
1/3 cup coconut oil or organic canola oil (coconut oil is our favorite—naturally sweet).
2 very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup water

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
¼ cup vegan, gluten-free chocolate chips (be sure to check ingredients on package)
¼ cup poppyseeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If you choose coconut oil, heat in pan on stove top or for 15-20 seconds in microwave until
liquefied. In large bowl, mash bananas with fork until all lumps are gone. Pour coconut or canola
oil into bowl and combine with banana mixture. Add apple cider vinegar, water, and vanilla
extract and beat to a nice froth. A large spoon will do well for this task. Blend in the dry ingredients, starting with baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then add the sugar and flour. When all ingredients are thoroughly combined, grease a small bread pan with coconut oil and pour mixture inside. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a fork or toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, your entire kitchen will be filled with the most delectable aroma!

Serve as is, or with maple syrup, Earth Balance, vegan butter, almond butter, or any other topping of your choice. It’s great for breakfast, dessert, or a late night snack. Serves 4-6, but two people can gobble down this bread in a matter of hours, if not sooner. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

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Now that pumpkin spice season is officially here, you might be feeling great despair, thinking you won’t be able to partake of any delicious goodies. Fear not, because when you try these amazing vegan, gluten-free muffins, you’ll wonder why you put up with the conventional kind for as long as you did.

Beware, however – once you bake a pan of them, your family won’t stop begging you for more. If you don’t mind opening that Pandora’s box, here’s the recipe:

10 oz pumpkin puree (that’s about ¾ of a small can)
½ cup olive oil
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
¾ cup real maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup!)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups gluten-free flour (there are many varieties, but Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour is our favorite)
2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure it’s aluminum-free)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger (for a treat, try fresh ginger, and use a fine grater)
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon sea salt

Optional ingredients:
1 cup walnuts and/or pecans
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
½ cup poppy seeds

Mix together the wet ingredients in one large bowl and the dry ingredients in another. Beat wet ingredients to a thick froth and combine with dry ingredients. Grease muffin tin with olive oil or natural, organic vegan margarine. Pour batter directly into compartments, filling almost to the top. Place the entire concoction into a 395 degree, pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. If you can stand additional bliss, brush the tops of the muffins with maple syrup about five minutes prior to removing them from the oven. Your house will smell so divine that you won’t want to leave for hours!

Makes one dozen muffins. You can eat them as is or slice them open and put a bit of natural margarine (like Earth Balance) in the center. Or try it with some vegan cream cheese (Kite Hill is the absolute bomb). The possibilities are endless, really. We don’t recommend that you devour all twelve of these muffins at once, but we won’t try to stop you, either. They’re great for breakfast, snacks, or even for dessert. You’d better invite all your friends over, if the aroma emanating from the windows isn’t enough to lure them to your door. Be aware: this is not a diet food. Bon Appetit, and happy autumn!

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This is an astonishingly easy vegan chocolate crème pudding (or blancmange or pots de crème)!

Vegan Chocolate Crème Pudding

1 box firm silken tofu (not the refrigerated kind – the kind that is on supermarket shelves in the Asian section – see picture below)

scant 3/4 cup soy milk (we use vanilla flavored unsweetened soy milk)

1/3 cup vegan sugar

1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder or raw cacao (we use raw cacao)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until very smooth

Pour into serving dishes and chill until it’s time to serve.

We recently made this to take to a potluck (we poured it into small Dixie cups and transported them in a baking pan) and it was a huge hit! It’s rich enough that even a small amount is very satisfying!

Vegan Chocolate Crème Pudding in background (Vegan Almond Crème in foreground)

This is the kind of tofu you want:

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If you find you’re in a pinch for a quick dessert, or have a large dinner on which to focus, this delicious recipe will make it look like you spent hours on it. Part of the reason it is so simple is because the base, the vegan and gluten-free chocolate cake, is pre-made by Amy’s Organics, and available at Whole Foods and the frozen section of most grocery stores. It is delicious, and doesn’t even need to be baked!

Vegan and Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with Sweet Cashew Cream and Poached Cherries

*At least 2 hours prior to preparation, take the Amy’s Organic Chocolate Cake out of the freezer to thaw, and soak the cashews.*

Vegan and Gluten-Free Cashew Cream

1 cup raw cashes, soaked at least 2 hours
1/4 cup filtered water
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend at high-speed until thick and creamy. If needed, keep adding water in small amounts to get the cream to the desired consistency. Set aside.

Poached Cherries

1 cup distilled water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups of cherries, pitted
Juice from 1/2 lemon

Heat all of the ingredients, except the cherries and lemon juice, in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil. Let it boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Don’t let it over-boil. Add the cherries and lemon juice and cook for another few minutes and remove from heat.

When ready to serve: slice the chocolate cake into serving sizes. Place each piece of cake on a plate, and spoon the cashew cream and poached cherries (preferably still warm), over each slice. Serve.

To top the entire dish even more, add some chocolate shavings as garnish. Simply use a vegetable peeler to shave some of your favorite chocolate into small shavings.

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I have had the recipe for no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies made on the stovetop for more than 40 years. Now I have turned these wonderful (and fast and easy) treats into gluten-free and vegan no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies!

True story: When I was a sophomore in high school, living in Priest River, Idaho, I hitchhiked to visit someone in Washington state (I sure hope that my kids aren’t reading this. It was a different, safer era, ok kids?) This very nice couple, Ronald and Connie Happ, picked me up, and they brought me to their house and fed me before sending me on my way. One of the things that they fed me was these cookies, and I begged the recipe off Connie. In fact, I have always called these “No Bake Cookies ala Happ”.

They are incredibly easy to make – great for kids to make (with supervision).

Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

1 stick Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Stick
1/2 cup alternative milk (soy, almond, rice, hazelnut, etc.)
2 cups vegan sugar (read why most sugar isn’t vegan)
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
3 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (dry, not cooked!)

Put Earth Balance stick, milk, and sugar in a large saucepan, and put on stove over medium heat until everything is melted, stirring occasionally. Bring mixture to boil and boil for three minutes. Remove from stove and immediately stir in the vanilla and the cocoa, until well blended. Stir in a quarter of the oatmeal until well blended, then stir in another quarter of the oatmeal until well blended, repeating until all of the oatmeal is blended in.

Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto wax paper or aluminum foil. Let set until firm. Eat.

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It’s that time of year to get in your last minute holiday shopping. As both vegan and gluten free lifestyles are growing in popularity, and necessity, so are new products that appeal to both worlds. Vegan and gluten free sweets and treats are now increasing in popularity and make an excellent stocking stuffer. Here are our five favorite vegan and gluten free stocking stuffers:

1. Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Pretzels – these delicious treats are the perfect marrying of sweet and salty. Gluten free pretzels are covered by vegan chocolate, to make a perfect holiday snack.

2. Organic Nectars Organic Raw Cacao, Chocagave, Organic Chocolate Dessert Syrup – this decadent chocolate dessert sauce is the winner of the 2008 Sofi™ silver for Outstanding Dessert Topping. This delicious topping is a mix of raw cacao powder, raw organic agave syrup, and organic nectars. Because it is low-glycemic, it is suitable for that diabetic gift recipient on your list!

3. Lazy Day Chocolate Orange Slice Truffle – treat your gift recipients to a crunchy cookie that is smothered in creamy belgian chocolate.

4. Sweet Pete’s All Natural, Gluten Free, Vegan Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels – the combination of caramel and salt is widely popular these days, and there is no need for those who are vegan and gluten free to be left out. The caramels are made with vegan coconut milk, covered in dark chocolate, and then sprinkled with sea salt. These are sure to be a hit!

5. Yummy Earth Organic Candy Drops Wild Peppermint – it doesn’t quite feel like the holidays without some minty treats! These peppermint candies are free of dyes, chemicals, pesticides, gluten, and animal ingredients.

Most of these products are available in bulk, which means you have the option of buying a bigger shipment, and dividing them up amongst friends and family to give you more bang for your buck. We’d love to hear from you – what are your favorite vegan, gluten free stocking stuffers?

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