The Happy Gluten Free Vegan

You probably made squares out of Rice Krispies and marshmallows when you were a kid. In fact, this might have been one of the first desserts your parents ever allowed you to prepare.

At long last, we have discovered the perfect vegan, gluten-free dish for those upcoming holiday festivities. Even if it’s just you and your significant other this year, you’ll want to eat well for the season.

If you find yourself with a surplus of apples (hey, it happens!), you might experience a desire for apple cake. You have to get rid of those apples somehow, right?

Most of us have childhood memories of biscuits. The ones we devoured so hungrily as children tended to be packed full of butter, milk, and gluten, however.

Sometimes you want to whip up something sweet, but you don’t want to make a big production out of it. You desire quick satisfaction without spending the entire day baking.

Sometimes you’re away from home, and you need a quick, protein-packed pick-me-up. Something nourishing, maybe a bit sweet. Don’t reach for a candy or granola bar — they’re often packed with white sugar, and too often contain dairy or even gluten.

Last week, we were obsessed with bananas. This week, it’s pineapple. And for good reason — they’re the perfect summer fruits!

We recently discovered the most refreshing gazpacho imaginable — made with pineapple and cucumber! You probably have a cucumber or two lounging around your kitchen, especially if you have a garden.

We had a jar of vegan mayonnaise in our refrigerator, and since we hate to see anything go to waste, we wracked our brains to determine what to do with it.

Sometimes, you crave something sweet — like right NOW — but you don’t have a lot of ingredients in your cupboard. It can be a drag to go to the store on a hot summer afternoon, especially for a few items.

These are not your mother’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! (sorry, Mom). Our vegan, gluten-free treat is scrumptious, sweet, and nourishing, without the use of butter or other animal products.

Has this ever happened to you? You check your cupboards for pancake mix, only to discover that you’ve run out. You’re still in your pajamas, so you don’t want to go to the store. There’s no reason to despair, however, because you can easily make your own vegan, gluten-free pancakes with surprisingly few ingredients. No need for store-bought mix!

Most of the gingerbread we ate during the holidays tended to be kind of dry and stale. This is a shame, because gingerbread cookies, cooked properly, are simply awesome.

You’re going to flip your lid when you bite into one of these moist, tasty apple cupcakes. They contain both applesauce and grated apples, so they’re ultra-dense and rich. Grocery stores carry a variety of different vegan cream cheese products, but our go-to favorite is Kite Hill. It’s a bit spendy compared to other brands, but worth every penny. These muffins are perfect for the holidays, since they contain cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Heavenly!

Thanksgiving is barely behind us, and we’re already thinking about all the cookies we’re going to eat in December. Really, is it even the holiday season without cookies? It’s the time of year when you’re most tempted to stray from a vegan, gluten-free diet, because most of the offered desserts are packed with dairy and wheat. Still, there is no reason why you should miss out on the fun, just because you’re trying hard to be healthy. These cookies aren’t exactly a diet food, but they are vegan, gluten-free, and delicious!

Do you still have a few leftover zucchinis from your summer garden? You may be wondering what to do with them. Most likely, you’ve given several of them away to friends, and they’ve made it clear they don’t want or need any more. Try as you might, you can’t get rid of all of them! Never fear — our sweet bread recipe will give a whole new purpose to those succulent, green vegetables. The addition of unsweetened cocoa and walnuts will send you into orbit. Good thing this recipe makes two loaves, because you won’t have any trouble devouring the first one.

There’s nothing quite like stew on a chilly fall night. It warms and comforts you, fills your belly, and gives you the vitamins you need to fight off colds. Really — what’s NOT to love about stew? This hearty West African peanut variety is packed full of vitamins and protein, since it contains peanut butter, collard greens, sweet potatoes, garlic, and other nutritious ingredients. On top of that, it’s delicious! Try it, we feel confident you’ll agree.

It’s already fall where we live, and our thoughts naturally turn to pumpkin treats. And what is more autumnal than pumpkin pie? Normally, this cool weather delicacy is made with eggs and condensed milk, but our vegan, gluten-free version calls for unsweetened almond milk and cornstarch (or arrowroot powder). The texture is more jiggly than a traditional pumpkin pie, but our version still tastes great and goes down smooth!

It already feels like autumn where we live, and we’re craving warmer, heartier foods. Of course, sweet desserts are delicious any time of the year. We recently modified a traditional rhubarb/pear/almond crumble recipe by substituting Earth Balance for butter, and gluten-free flour for the whole wheat kind. Our results were stellar. You’ll keep going back to the pan for this dessert — again, and again and again. Try your hardest not to devour the entire thing!

What happened? It’s already the end of the summer — the time when we often have a lot of vegetables left over from our numerous trips to farmer’s markets, co-ops, and supermarkets. Two vegetables that seem ubiquitous are cucumbers and wax beans. Recently, we faced a conundrum — our refrigerator’s crisper was filled to overflowing with cukes and beans. We’d rather perish than waste food, especially fresh veggies! Fortunately, with very little fuss, we were able to whip up this yummy salad. It requires few ingredients, and is cheap and easy to make. On those muggy summer nights when hot food is unappealing, this dish is a winner.