Tag Archives: dessert

Homemade Graham Crackers

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Do you ever get a baking itch you have to scratch? Like when you hear about something and the idea of making it sticks in your head and you find yourself googling all these recipes until you actually scratch that damn itch and make it already? I do. And that’s how I felt about homemade graham crackers.

Homemade Graham Crackers - Vegan

These are perfect for summer time. Since I guess that’s what it is now that it’s past Memorial Day.

Homemade Graham Crackers - Vegan - Kbaked

I used some vegan marshmallows from Trader Joe’s (for $2.99 whatup) and used some of their dark chocolate lover’s bar to make s’mores. It was epic. But I also like eating graham crackers with peanut butter.

Truth be told I made these last summer, but recently found the photos and realized I never posted this recipe! So here it is, from the archives :).  Enjoy!

Homemade Graham Crackers

Homemade Graham Crackers - Kbaked

Prep Time: 30-50 minutes
Cook Time: 15-25 minutes
Servings: about 24 crackers, depending on size

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or graham flour (Bob’s Red Mill and a few other brands make this; I found it at my local grocery store, but whole wheat pastry flour also works)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground clove (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
  • 3 tablespoons non0-dairy butter, or coconut oil, melted

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine flour, cinnamon, spices, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk brown sugar, butter, molasses, vanilla, and non-dairy milk.
  4. Add dry mix to wet mix and fold together until combined.
  5. Roll dough into a ball and allow to cool in the refrigerator for about 30-40 minutes, or in the freezer for 10. This is optional, but will help with rolling.
  6. Flour a surface and roll dough into a large rectangle, about 1/4th inch thick.
  7. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into triangles. I used a meat-cutter to make fun edges. This is optional.
  8. If desired, poke holes into surface to resemble graham crackers.
  9. Transfer to parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned and slightly firm. Rotate halfway through baking.
  10. Allow to cool completely. Crackers will harden a bit as they cool.
  11. Enjoy!

Easy Vegan Puppy Chow

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Puppy chow!! Aka muddy buddies (apparently). Aka the best darn sweet crunchy snack of all times ever period!I remember puppy chow sales being a thing when I was little. Were they a thing where you grew up? Because when I went to college I realized they aren’t a thing everywhere. In fact all 3 of my freshman year suite-mates hadn’t heard of puppy chow. How sad, I know. MuddyBuddys_Katherine_baker

I think Puppy Chow is a Midwest thing. I could be wrong. All I know is that everyone I know from the Midwest knows what it is, and I’ve met lots of coasties who do not. But that could be an anomaly.

Baker_Katherine_puppy_chow_mix

If you look on the back of a Chex box for a puppy chow recipe, you may notice that that recipe contains butter and vanilla. I find these additions to be unessential. Like, when you’re eating puppy chow, I feel like they don’t add much. IMG_5461

At least to me. I just use peanut butter, chocolate, powdered sugar, and cereal, and I don’t miss anything. So I reason I’ll save vanilla and butter for instances where it really does add shine. Gotta save those valuable baking resources, amiright?

PuppyChow_KatherineBaker

So here is my coincidentally, stripped-down, bare-bones, completely delicious vegan puppy chow recipe. If you’ve never had it, make it right the fuck now. Trust me. KatherineBaker_Chocolate_peanutbutter

This is another adapted recipe I posted on Spoon University, but here you’ll find it completely unabashedly dairy-free and with slightly different photos. Enjoy!

-Kbakes

PS: If you want more p chow in your life, check out this Puppy Chow Granola post!

PuppyChow_KatherineBaker_

Easy Vegan Puppy Chow

  • Prep Time: 15-20 mins
  • Cook Time: nada
  • Servings: varies on how much you can eat at once (I can eat a lot of this at once)

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups Chex or other plain cereal
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter or other nut butter (almond or sunflower seed butter would also be yummy)
  • 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Trader Joe’s) or chopped dark chocoalte
  • 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar, depending on if you’re one of those people who likes a little or a lot of powdered sugar on your chow

Method:

  1. Melt the chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl by heating in 30-second increments in your microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring between each until chocolate is almost (but not completely) melted. Add peanut butter to the bowl and return to the microwave and heat for an additional 30-60 seconds, until peanut butter is also melty.
  2. Mix those two together. Enjoy the views and the smells.
  3. Add cereal to bowl and mix gently. You want to coat the cereal with the chocolate/peanut butter mixture, but also want to be careful as to not crush the cereal.
  4. Transfer to a large zip-lock, add powdered sugar, and shake it up until cereal is coated with powdered sugar.
  5. Eat the shit out of that delicious puppy chow.

Vegan Salted Coconut Milk Caramel

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Caramel! Do you say it “CARA-uh-mel” or “CAR-uh-muhl” or “KAR-mul?” I say it “delicious,” and something I enjoy swirled into my ice cream or as a dipping sauce for a hot doughy pastry (hello, mini churros).yummy-vegan-coconut-milk-caramel

So once upon a time I found and fell a bit infatuated with these vegan caramels made from coconut milk. Me being me, I instantly starting working on how I could recreate something similar.

I typically make my vegan caramel from dates, which is delicious, but this was a fun new challenge and I can’t wait to bake with this stuff and incorporate it into other fun desserts and treats.coconut-milk

What are you up to right now? As I’m typing up this post, I’m watching Vanderpump Rules. It’s the best worst show ever.

Life is still a bit of a doosey for me lately. I’m experiencing multiple transitions and am exploring new platforms for freelance, and in the meantime I find I have a lot of create energy and am unsure where to place it. It feels like I’m going to pop creative juice all over the carpet. So when this happens I end up baking breakfast cookies and making homemade vegan caramel. I need a life. Or a friend who will eat my food that isn’t my dog.vegan-coconut-milk-caramel

In other news, I am experiencing a really adorable adult acne breakout. This acne does not help me in the she-looks-like-a-teenager-don’t-take-her-seriously-department. Which is starting to get a wee bit frustrating. But that’s okay. I recently read a tweet from a vlogger I follow about letting people who doubt you and try to take advantage of you be your motivation to succeed. So I’m going to try to go this route. Which I guess means caramel, among other things.

Enough of my talking. On to the caramel:delicious-vegan-coconut-milk-caramel

It’s easy, delicious, and has a lovely coconul undertone. It’s wonderful swirled into yogurt, on top of ice cream, AND in the recipe I am going to post next (stay tuned ~ I’m really excited about this one).

Oh, and if you’d like the mini vegan churros recipe here it is: 1) Go to Trader Joe’s. 2) Buy frozen mini churros. 3) Eat.

Prep Time:  2 mins
Cook Time: 35-40 mins
Total Time: ~40 minutes
Servings: ~1/2 cup caramel sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar or coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Method:

  1. In a small saucepan, combine coconut milk and sugar.
  2. Heat mixture to a boil over medium heat. Maintain slow boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, roughly 35-40 minutes. Stir in coconut oil and vanilla and remove from heat.
  3. Transfer caramel sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Vegan Macaroon Bars

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Once upon a time I lived very near to exceptional vegan eatery called Peacefood Cafe.

From the famous chickpea fries to the best vegan burger I have ever put in my mouth, you really can’t go wrong at Peacefood (minus the raw sushi, I’d skip that).

Then, of course, there is the dessert case. HOLY COW that dessert case. It is beautiful and extensive and wonderful and delicious. The carrot cake is a frequent subject of my day dreams. The raw key lime pie is super tangy and refreshing. The raw cocoa mousse pie tastes like heaven took slice-form. And the deceptively simple coconut macaroons are other-wordly.vegan-coconut-almond-macarron-bars

I’m proud to say I’ve eaten everything in their dessert case at one time or another (seasonal/daily specials aside). But I’m sad to admit I skipped over the chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons for a long time.

Until, one day, my friend Dan ordered one post-dinner, so I got one too. It was phenomenal. Moist, sweet, but not overly so, and dipped in dark, dark chocolate. HEAVEN.vegan-coconut-macaroon-bars

It took me several attempts to recreate macaroons that tasted half as good as Peacefood’s. The key, I have decided, is almond extract, and enough melted coconut oil to keep the inside moist and luscious.

The macaroons are yummy, but a bit putsy to make, so I turned the recipe into a bar form so there is less messing around/time between me and ma macaroons.

If you want to create the regular babies, just use an ice cream scoop and shape into small mounds and place onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet  before putting into the oven instead of pouring into a pan. delicious-vegan-gf-macaroon-bars-with-almonds

Vegan Macaroon Bars with Almonds

Prep Time:  20 mins
Cook Time: 10-12 mins, plus at least 1 hour to chill
Total Time: 1 hr, 30 mins
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces shredded coconut (unsweetened, I got mine for $1.99 at Trader Joe’s)
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract (optional, but truly the MVP here; if you don’t have any, sub an additional teaspoon vanilla)
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
  • 1/3 cup almonds, chopped
  • dash of sea salt

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 12×12″ pan.
  2. Place shredded coconut in a food processor or blender and pulse until a rough crumb forms (it should still have some shredded texture, but aim for tiny shred pieces).
  3. Transfer shredded coconut to a bowl.
  4. Microwave coconut oil until melted (about 1 minute). Pour into bowl with shredded coconut. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and stir until well combined and sticky. If the dough does not seem sticky enough, add an additional tablespoon or two of maple syrup.
  5. Pour dough into greased pan and press into pan with a spatula. Flatten and pack dough as much as possible.
  6. Place pan into oven for 10-12 minutes, until top is just lightly browned.
  7. Remove pan from oven and place in the refrigerator to cool.
  8. Meanwhile, microwave chocolate chips in 30 second increments until melted, stirring at each increment. This will take about 90-120 seconds.
  9. Chop almonds.
  10. Remove pan from the refrigerator or freezer and pour melted chocolate over the coconut bars. Spread chocolate with a spatula to evenly cover bars. Sprinkle chopped almonds over melted chocolate. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
  11. Place bars into the refrigerator until the chocolate top sets, at least one hour.
  12. Slice into bars and enjoy!

PS ~ Have you checked out the kbaked Facebook page yet? 🙂 😉

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Salted Caramel Date Truffles (from my ebook!)

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Hi everyone! If anyone is out there still.

I must apologize for my disappearance! I had a major cross country move, and then I started grad school for human nutrition at Columbia! I’m also working some and interning a bit with Spoon University. I’ve never been so busy in my whole life! But that said, I’ve really been missing blogging and am going to try my best to get back to it! Winter break will CERTAINLY be full of blogposts!

But I thought I’d share this Salted Caramel Date Truffle Recipe that’s from my ebook, (which you can buy here), and also featured on Spoon University, here.

These are honestly amazeballs. Like, way better than they have the right to be. With the salty crunch on the somehow seemingly sinful date filling, combined with the creamy nut butter, they blow the senses a bit, and create a cravable, not-actually-unhealthy treat.

You can use any nut butter you want, but for these, sunbutter is ma fav 😀

Enjoy! Ps I used Iron Salt on these babies (that’s the pretty pink stuff on top).
PPS – WordPress is being a pooper and I’m having mega-trouble uploading photos, so for now, I only have these two on here. Will add more laters!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Level: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 8-oz. dried, pitted dates or date pieces
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup sunfloweer seed butter (can substitute almond butter or peanut butter)
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)

Directions:

  1. Soak dates in warm water until softened, at least 15 minutes.
  2. Drain dates. In a food processor or blender, process dates and vanilla until a smooth paste forms. Add sunflower seed butter and ¼ teaspoon sea salt and continue to blend until well combined.
  3. Roll mixture into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place into the freezer until set, about 15 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in a small microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until melted (about 60-90 seconds total). Stir in coconut oil.
  5. Remove truffles from the freezer. Dip each truffle in melted chocolate and return to baking sheet.
  6. Sprinkle with remaining sea salt and return to the freezer until set, another 15-20 minutes.
  7. Enjoy! Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Vegan Olive Oil Lemon Blueberry Muffins

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I’m not one to tell anyone what to do with their lives but can I tell you that you need to make these muffins? Because you do.

Easy Vegan Olive Oil Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Well, not really. But if you’re looking to increase your daily intake of deliciousness or happiness, I’d strongly urge you to make these muffins.

Vegan Olive Oil Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Why? I believe it’s rather obvious just by looking at the title. First of all, who dislikes muffins? Can you name one single person? Me either.

Delicious Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Blueberry Muffins !

Moving on to what’s inside: olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh juicy blueberries. When I was little my mom used to always serve blueberries with lemon juice and sugar for dessert or as a snack sometimes in the summer. It’s a wonderly simple, refreshing, and easy treat. The lemon juice makes the blueberries sparkle, and the sugar tempers the bitterness of the lemon. Yum.

Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Blueberry Muffins

So the other day I was eating my blueberries with lemon juice and sugar just like I did 20 years ago (omg I’m so old), and I simultaneously wanted a muffin. As you may know, blueberry muffins are my favorite muffins, which I discuss in this post, Vegan Blueberry Flax Breakfast Muffins. And then when it comes to summery treats, I think citrus/sour, so I decided to make a muffin that paired lemon and blueberry together.

Easy Vegan Olive Oil Lemon Blueberry Muffins

When it came to choosing a fat, I went with olive oil. Because this Lemon Olive Oil Coconut Cake is quite literally still one of my favorite things I’ve ever made. These muffins are basically a portable muffin-version of the cake. Aka perfection.

Vegan Olive Oil Lemon Blueberry Muffins

The blueberries add a luscious burst of juiciness and flavor, and a nice textural contrast to the super moist cake. Which leads me to mention that in the world of muffins, I always believe there are two categories: breakfast muffins and desesrt muffins. These are definitely more on the dessert-y muffin side of life. But you can also eat them for breakfast. Because yum.

Easy Vegan Olive Oil Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Hope your summer is going splendidly~! And if you need a little sunshine in your life or in your mouth, make these muffins and cuddle your puppy and have a lovely day. 😀

Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Blueberry Muffins

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 20-25 minutes
Level: easy

Delicious Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Blueberry Muffins!

makes 24 muffins / cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 cups olive oil
    • can sub up to half with coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk or almond milk, unsweetened (can use ‘lite’ canned coconut milk, or out of a fat-free out of a carton, like the kind you put in cereal. both work!)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cider (or any) vinegar
  • zest of 2 large lemons (about 3-4 tablespoons)
  • juice of 2 large lemons (1/4-1/2 cup)
    • *note, you can make this as lemony or as plain as you desire, by increasing or decreasing lemon juice and zest within given ranges
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • could also sub 1 cup cake flour & 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • gluten-free: use 2 cups gluten-free flour blend, or oat flour with varied results
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl or measuring up combine almond/coconut milk and vinegar. Allow to sit, at least 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil and sugar and whisk together. Zest lemons and place zest aside. Juice lemons and place juice aside n another small bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add lemon zest and whisk again.

4. Add half flour mixture to olive oil and sugar mixture, and fold gently with spatula. Add half non-dairy milk and vinegar mixture. Repeat with remaining half of flour mixture and remaining half of non-dairy milk mixture.

5. Fold in blueberries

6. Pour batter into lined or well-oiled muffin tins

7. Bake for 18-22 minutes until lightly golden, fragrant, and/or cake begins to pull away from sides of pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean upon removal.

Delicious Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Blueberry Muffins !

Papaya Mango Coconut Tropical Cream Pie

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The other night I had a crazy wild fun dream that I made a mini pie. As a result of this magical dream, I couldn’t stop thinking about a mini pie for a full 36 hours, which prompted me to go to Crate and Barrel and buy not one, but two mini pie dishes. Hashtag why buy one mini pie dish when you can have two?!

Vegan Papaya Mango Coconut Tropical Cream Pie.

I mean, how could I not? JUST LOOK AT THEM. I even took an iPhone foto to document the cuteness/brag about my purchases.

Screen Shot 2015-06-20 at 10.35.36 PM

This pie trip was actually super appropriate and justifiable because 1) I love pie and mini things and 2) The Recipe Redux challenge for the month of June was “Pie Love.”

I love me a good pie. I mean, really, who doesn’t like pie?Pie is for everyone; it is truly a food for the people. And pie can be oh so many different things – sweet or savory, fluffy or dense, chocolatey or fruity, or even veggie packed and dinner-appropriate. Pie is a food of many hats, you could say.

Papaya Mango Tropical Coconut Cream Pie - Vegan & Gluten Free!

I wanted to make a sweet pie because sweet I’m a dessert queen. At first I was going to make a fruit-filled pie. And then I did. It was peach and blueberry with a crumble topping. It was great. I ate it all in 24 hours. It’s likely that it’s recipe will pop up soon right here on kbaked.com. But then I next had a hankering for a cream pie. A fluffy, wonderful pillowy refreshing pie for summer. One you could hypothetically place your head down to sleep on, should you desire.

Vegan Papaya Mango Coconut Tropical Cream Pie.

Cream pies are a little bit less common for those who are dairy-free to come across. So I also enjoyed the additional challenge of dreaming one up and executing it. I used canned coconut cream as a substitute for heavy whipping cream. This works magically. There are a million recipes for coconut whipped cream on the internet, so I”m not going to pretend like I made it up. If you’ve never had coconut whipped cream, you should give it a whirl. Google “coconut whipped cream” recipe and make some. Side note: it’s delightful with berries.

Papaya Mango Coconut Cream Pie - Vegan & Gluten Free

I bought my coconut cream at (surprise surprise) Trader Joe’s for $1.49. Damn good deal. Also a good deal is the $2.99 papayas we have had in recently. Papayas have been such a nice change of pace for me as far as fruit goes. It’s like this creamy buttery mellow flavored tropical melon. Gimme.

Papaya Mango Tropical Coconut Cream Pie - Vegan & Gluten Free!

Papaya basically has the word “pie” in it, so I figured why not put it in a pie. And then I decided to add some mango for extra sweetness and a tropical flavor punch. The result is a wonderful fluffy and refreshing pie which is light and airy and fluffy and reminiscent of sitting on a beach in Cabo or something. Or sitting on your porch in Suburbia, WI. Basically the same thing right? right.

Papaya Mango Coconut Tropical Cream Pie. Vegan.

If you need something to lighten your spirits, tantalize your taste buds, or just something plain different to mix up the summertime dessert routine, I suggest you make this pie. Pro tip: tastes great with a whole lotta berries and a little extra crushed up graham cracker on top. Enjoy 🙂

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: at least 1 hour
Level: easy

makes one pie serving 6-8, easily halved for a mini pie

Ingredients – Crust:

  • 10 graham crackers (about 1 + 1/2 sleeves) –> for gluten-free, use gluten-free graham crackers or other plain crispy cookies
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Ingredients – Pie Filling:

  • 1 can coconut cream refrigerated at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. —> (coconut cream is available at Trader Joe’s. If you do not have a Trader Joe’s in your area, simply take a can of full fat coconut milk and place in the fridge overnight. remove solid fat portion from can for pie)
  • 1/2 large papaya (about 1.5-2 cups cubes)
  • 1 cup cubed mango (frozen or fresh)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers into crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place in a ziplock bag and smash with a wooden spoon or rolling pin until crumbs form. Pour into a medium bowl and add sugar. Mix.

Vegan Papaya Mango Coconut Tropical Cream Pie

2. Melt coconut oil and add to graham crumbs. Mix well. Pour graham mixture into a pie dish and press into bottom and edges. Place in the refrigerator to set.

Coconut Whipped Cream - Vegan

3. In a food processor or blender, combine cubed papaya and mango. Puree until smooth. Add sugar and puree again.

Vegan Papaya Mango Coconut Tropical Cream Pie.

4. In a large bowl using an electric beater, whip solid coconut fat from a can until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gently fold in papaya and mango puree mixture until just combined. Pour into pie dish with graham crust. Garnish with shredded coconut if desired. Place in fridge to chill for at least an hour. Enjoy :-D.

For more Pie Love from fellow Recipe Redux members, click around below: