If you’re feeling a craving for chocolate cake but baking a whole cake would be a curse in the making, then try this 1-minute microwave mug cake. Yes, it’s indulgent. But at least it just makes one portion, so you definitely won’t end up devouring a whole cake and suffering the predictable guilt afterwards. If you make this recipe and …
Palmier
This is the perfect recipe for last-minute pop-ins from friends. Just make sure you have puff pastry defrosted (or defrost on low in the microwave). It’s a bit naughty (puff pastry has saturated fats, and there’s quite a bit of sugar in the recipe) – but that’s ok from time to time! If you make this recipe and decide to share …
Aquafaba Meringues
I remember when a meringue was still the holy grail of vegan kitchen experiments, before aquafaba was discovered (almost simultaneously, in different kitchens) 🧁 Since then, it’s become a must-have in vegan kitchens everywhere—and thank goodness it’s so accessible! Just a can of chickpeas (or other beans) will give you the gift of this magical bean water. Strain it, add …
Spiced Molasses Muffins with Flax and Oats
I wanted to experiment with using a generous amount of flaxseed in a muffin, and I also wanted to use up some blackstrap molasses that I found in the cupboard. I added some spices to complement the strong molasses flavour, some oats for fibre and dates as an extra treat, and ta-da! We have a breakfast muffin that packs a …
Vegan Malva Pudding
You know that feeling you get when you tuck into a familiar childhood favourite? Mmmm that is what malva pudding gives me, every time! This classic South African dessert is traditionally made with eggs, milk and cream – but it’s super easily veganised. I first shared a vegan malva pudding recipe in my early days with Vegilicious (the student organisation …
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Who doesn’t love the classic combo of lemony tang with poppyseed crunch? This recipe is adapted from the Martha Stewart website – veganised with aquafaba in place of egg and coconut oil instead of butter. The quantities are adjusted to make for a cookie that spreads less and has a more solid texture. Enjoy! If you make this recipe and …
Peanut Butter Oat Cookies
After I made vegan dog cookies with peanut butter and oats and ended up scraping the bowl clean because they were so good, I thought I should make a version of the cookie for humans, just with a little extra sugar and oil because it’s a treat! These cookies are simple and delicious, with easy-to-find ingredients. If you make this recipe and decide …
Vegan Dog Treats with Peanut Butter & Oats
It’s time to get the vegan dog treats out! There’s something really special about sharing your home with a furry companion, and learning each other’s quirks. As I mentioned in my post about vegan dogs, not only can dogs thrive on plants, but it’s way better for the planet, and for the wallet. Since Kira adores peanut butter, this is …
Berliner Pfannkuchen
When in Berlin, have a Berliner? Or make a vegan one? Yep, I’ll take the bait. I’ve just moved to Berlin for who-knows-how-long, and I thought I’d celebrate the occasion by trying my hand at veganising the city’s traditional pastry. It’s very similar to a doughnut: a light, sweet dough that’s fried until it puffs up, then filled with jam …
Cooking from books, the old-school way
I love a good cookbook. Paging through a book of beautiful food photos is half the pleasure, and knowing all the potential that your shelf of cookbooks holds for delicious treats is a little bit exciting! Like most millennials, I only really started using the internet for *literally everything* as an adult. I was a bit of a bookworm growing …
Vegan Crêpes
I had a bunch of fun in the kitchen trying out different ways to make crêpes (i.e. thin, delicate pancakes, in the French style). Flapjacks (the thicker version, what Americans call pancakes) are super easy to veganise and they’ve been my go-to for years, but somehow I was always intimidated at the thought of trying vegan crêpes, since I’d always …
Quinoa Banana Muffins
I tried out a variation on vegan banana bread that is gluten-free and sugar-free, using quinoa flour as a one-to-one substitute for wheat flour. And it’s wonderful! I used the quinoa flour from Woolworths, but you can also just buy quinoa and process it into a flour using a food processor or Nutribullet. This flour is a fantastic option for …
Simple Banana Bread
There are many ways to make banana bread, but here’s a super simple one. Feel free to use this as a base, and add some fancy stuff like chopped walnuts, choc chips, or a long slice of banana on top to please the eye. If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me …
Vegan baking substitution guide
I’m going to share a secret with you. The best way to create great vegan recipes is to take your favourite non-vegan ones, the ones that were handed down from your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents… and swap out the animal-based ingredients for vegan alternatives. Most of the time you can get away with straightforward swaps (e.g. cow’s milk can pretty much …
How to substitute eggs in baking
Oh, eggs. The baking ingredient with the most complex and interesting properties: no wonder pastry chefs everywhere rely on them for their beautiful creations. But fear not, vegan culinary geniuses have cracked the secrets*. The trick is to understand why chicken’s eggs play such a big role in baking, and then to find egg substitutes that best mimic the most important …
Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
I love a fudgy brownie. It’s brownie, not chocolate cake. I even like it slightly undercooked to up the fudge-factor. The great thing about a vegan recipe is that there’s zero risk of food poisoning from uncooked eggs! This recipe is flour-free (and therefore gluten-free), with black beans as the star ingredient—but you’d never know it. They are chocolatey with …
Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend
No more overpriced store-bought gluten-free flour blends for me! This blend is super easy to make at home if you can get hold of the ingredients. I got mine from Atlas Trading Co. in Cape Town, but do a little online research to see where you can get the ingredients in your area. I used a bit of quinoa and …
Oat Choc Chip Cranberry Cookies
If there was ever an excuse to make oat milk, this is it. These cookies are pretty amazing: I’ve had four or five since I made them yesterday. #noselfcontrol You can vary this recipe a bit, as you wish: try a bit less sugar; swap out part of the vegan butter for oil (but not too much as it won’t …
Beasting Cake
A delicious vegan and gluten-free variation on a bee sting cake, with a funny story.
Vegan Blueberry Yoghurt Muffins
These muffins are a great little indulgence for a weekend treat. Use up some of those frozen blueberries you’ve been keeping, and your homemade soy yoghurt!
