When I first decided to go vegan at age fifteen, I thought I would never have dessert again, like I used to. I thought it would always be second-rate, vaguely similar, but never the same. Boy, was I wrong. I have had so many decadent, scrumptious vegan desserts throughout the years. Even looking at some of these recipes is enough to make my mouth water! They are also healthier than the non-vegan versions because they contain much less fat and calories and NO cholesterol whatsoever.

Vegan Chocolate Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can kidney beans
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3.5 oz package vegan dark chocolate
• 4 tablespoons hazelnut brittle. You can also sub it with chopped hazelnuts, or use sugar sprinkles or coconut flakes instead

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain the kidney beans. Place them into a blender together with the brown sugar, almond milk and cacao and blend until the mixture is smooth.
2. Then transfer it to a medium bowl and stir in the whole-wheat flour, the baking powder and vanilla. Spray the donut pan with cooking spray or grease it with vegan butter such as Earth Balance.
3. Either use a spoon to fill each donut or fill the batter into a Ziploc bag and cut off one edge.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the vegan chocolate hazelnut donuts for 9-11 minutes. Allow to cool down in the pan for a couple of minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.
5. In the meantime, make the chocolate glaze. Melt a 3.5-ounce package vegan dark chocolate either by using a microwave or place the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place it over a pan of barely simmering water. Once melted, cover the donuts with the chocolate and sprinkle with hazelnut brittle.

Vegan Snickers Cheesecake Bars

These yummy cheesecake bars are also gluten free!

Ingredients

Produce

• 1 3/4 cup Date, packed pitted
• 3/4 cup Peanuts, roasted salted

Canned Goods

• 1/2 cup Coconut milk, full fat

Condiments

• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1/3 cup Maple syrup

Baking & Spices

• 3/4 cup Dark chocolate, vegan
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt

Oils & Vinegars

• 3 tbsp Grape seed or olive oil

Nuts & Seeds

• 1 1/2 cups Cashews, raw
• 1 1/2 cups Walnuts, raw

Instructions:

1. Add cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling hot water. Let set, uncovered, for 1 hour, then drain thoroughly. Also, line an 8x8-inch baking dish* with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In the meantime, make crust by adding dates to a food processor. Blend/mix until small bits remain or it forms into a ball. Remove and set aside.
3. Add walnuts and sea salt to the food processor and process into a meal. Then add dates back in and blend until a loose dough forms - it should stick together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. If it's too dry, add a few more dates through the spout while processing. If too wet, add more walnuts.
4. Press the crust into the parchment-lined dish (see photo), until uniformly flat. I like to lay parchment paper on top and then press down with something flat - like a liquid measuring cup - and press down so it's firmly packed. Set crust in freezer to set.
5. Next make date caramel by adding 3/4 cup dates to the food processor. Blend until a paste forms, then add hot water a little at a time until it forms a nice caramel-like paste that's spreadable. Try not to add more than 3-4 Tbsp (45-60 ml), which will depend on the freshness of your dates. Set aside.
6. Add your drained, soaked cashews to a high speed blender, along with vanilla (optional), maple syrup, coconut milk, sea salt, oil, and lemon juice. Blend on high until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
7. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lemon for brightness, salt for flavor balance, or maple syrup for sweetness.
8. Pour filling over the crust and tap on the counter to release any air bubbles. Then add half of the date caramel in small spoonfuls and swirl with a toothpick or chopstick (see photo).
9. Sprinkle the peanuts on top and tap once again so they gently sink in. Cover lightly with plastic wrap, and then seal the top with foil. Freezer for 4-6 hours, or until completely set and firm.
10. When ready to serve, set out cheesecake (to thaw briefly) and top with remaining date paste and a few more roasted peanuts (optional).
11. In the meantime, prepare chocolate sauce. Add chocolate and coconut oil (optional) to a ceramic bowl and set over a small saucepan with 1-inch simmering water (over medium heat). Stir occasionally over the simmering water until melted (alternatively, melt in the microwave in 30-second increments).
12. Drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake, slice into 9 to 12 bars and serve.
13. Enjoy immediately. Store leftovers in the freezer up to 3 weeks (best in the first week).

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

There's nothing like classic chocolate chip cookies, but these have some oats and almond butter to make them heartier and healthier. This recipe makes about 12 bars.

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1 cup natural almond butter
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups oat flour
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• 1½ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• ⅓ to ½ cup dark chocolate chips, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper (double-check your pan size, because 9x9-inch won’t work for this recipe).
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the coconut sugar, almond butter, and vanilla on high for 1 minute using a stand or hand mixer with paddle attachment.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and sea salt. Place the bowl next to the mixer.
4. With the mixer off, add the oat flour mixture. Then, pour the almond milk over the oat mixture and begin beating on low and increase speed to medium. Beat for 15 seconds or until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. The dough should pull together into large, moist mounds as it moves around the mixing bowl. Add the chocolate chips and stir to incorporate.
5. Transfer the dough to the lined pan and use your fingers to press evenly into the bottom. It will seem like there isn’t enough dough, but keep pressing it outward until it’s nearly touching the sides of the pan. If desired, dot the top of the cookie dough with another tablespoon or two of chocolate chips.
6. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes or until the edges are golden and crackled and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a bit of moist crumb at the tip. (note: if you want slightly drier, well-set bars, bake for 25 to 30 minutes). Don’t over-bake.
7. Let cool completely in pan. Then, grasp the edges of the parchment to gently remove the bar from the pan. Slice into 12 bars.
8. You can store the bars in the pan at room temperature (loosely covered with foil) or in the refrigerator. I love the dense, fudge-like texture they take on when chilled, so I usually opt for to store them in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls

These are my personal favorites- gooey, chocolatey, peanut-buttery, bite sized! I recommend making double because they will disappear within the first day. They're just that good.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel¹
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter, SunButter Natural or almond butter - room temperature²
• 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (commenters have used agave and maple syrup with success!)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder³
• a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
• 1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips (use vegan and dairy-free chocolate chips, if needed)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they're combined.

1. Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.
2. With wet hands, form into 1 1/2" balls. Place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don't do much rising.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes. The dough balls will still be very soft when you take them out of the oven. They will not set like normal cookies.
4. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the fridge) for up to 1 week.

Notes

1. My can of chickpeas was 400 grams, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons.
2. Don't even try with regular peanut butter! They'll come out oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter. :)
3. If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This dessert is usually more for a special occasion such as a birthday, but is so simple that it can possibly be made for something more casual such as tea-time, brunch, or dessert.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 cups gluten free flour blend OR white spelt flour if you are not gluten free*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅓ teaspoon ginger
• ½ cup organic cane sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup organic canola oil
• 3 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup water**

For the frosting:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 ounces Daiya brand vegan cream cheese, softened
• 4 Tablespoons buttery spread, softened

Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

This recipe is Vegan, Glute-free, and Paleo all in one! These are so healthy that would eat these as snacks at any time.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1½ cup raw almonds
• 8-10 medjool dates
• water

Cheesecake:

• 2 cups raw cashews (soaked overnight)
• 1½ cups fresh strawberries
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ⅓ cup coconut oil (measure after melting)
• Juice from 1 lemon
• ½ tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the cashews. In a food processor, combine the dates and almonds. Slowly, a little at a time, add water until you see the mixture clump together. Once it looks like it's holding together, press a little bit into the bottom of each muffin cup. I used silicone muffin liners for these, but you can also use paper liners.
2. Once all the crust is pressed into the muffin cups, place them in the fridge while you make the cheesecake part.
3. In a food processor, combine all the cheesecake ingredients and blend until smooth. Spoon the cheesecake mixture into each muffin cup. Fill them to the top. Once you are done place them in the fridge to chill. They need a good 6 hours or so to set up pretty well. You can speed up the process by placing them in the freezer for a bit. These can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Whichever you prefer. They should last a couple weeks in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.

Banana Cream Pie Blizzard

This last one is also one of my favorite because it is good for dessert, but also a snack because of the protein and potassium it contains. It serves about two or three.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 6 hours or overnight, then drained)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk (light or full fat)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 5-7 medjool dates, pitted (if dry, soak in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain)
• 2 Tbsp banana powder (ground banana chips)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 just ripe banana, sliced
• Optional: Crushed vegan-friendly cookies (such as Nabisco Original Graham Crackers)

Instructions

1. The night before, place your ice cream churning bowl in the freezer to properly chill. Also, make sure you soak your cashews overnight OR the next day for at least 6 hours. Be sure to drain thoroughly before adding to blender.
2. Grind your banana chips in a coffee or spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. If using a spice grinder, not all of the chips will grind. Pick out parts that didn't grind for other uses.
3. Add all ice cream ingredients EXCEPT raw banana and cookies to blender and blend until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Use the “liquify” or "puree" setting if you have it to get it completely creamy and blended. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more banana powder or dates if desired.
4. Chill mixture in the freezer for 2 hours, or in the fridge overnight. If you don't have an ice cream maker, see notes.
5. Add chilled mixture to ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions - about 45 minutes. It should look like soft serve.
6. For a true blizzard experience, spoon directly into 2-3 serving glasses and layer with fresh sliced bananas and crushed vegan cookies. Optional, top with coconut whipped cream.
7. Alternatively, transfer mixture to a freezer safe container, cover and freezer until firm - about 4-6 hours and scoop as ice cream.

Note: If you don't have an ice cream maker, pour blended batter into an ice cube tray, freeze, and then blend into a thick shake with a little more coconut milk or almond milk.

Try some of these desserts, especially the last few because they are so refreshing for summer!