Connoisseurus Veg

The Best Vegan Tiramisu

Get ready for a dessert that's pure decadence! This vegan tiramisu is made with layers of coffee-soaked vegan ladyfingers and sweet cashew cheese blended with whipped coconut cream. It's absolutely heavenly and you'd never guess it was dairy-free.

I'm just going to say it: this is the best tiramisu I've ever had. I don't say something like that lightly, as I LOVE tiramisu, and I've had lots of it.

Also, we're including both vegan and non-vegan tiramisu in this competition. Back when I was in college I waited tables at several restaurants that claimed to have amazing tiramisu, and I enjoyed that tiramisu and agreed with them at the time.

And since I love it so much, I recently sought out some vegan versions to taste-test in preparation for creating this vegan tiramisu recipe (I hadn't had it in years, so I needed a taste-refresh). They were delicious. But not as delicious as this.

Now I'm sharing the recipe so you can create this deliciousness in your own kitchen!

[feast_advanced_jump_to] Ingredients You'll Need

• Raw cashews. These are the main ingredient in our vegan mascarpone cheese. They need to be raw (not roasted), and you'll need to soak them in water for several hours to soften them up, so plan accordingly.
• Maple syrup. Maple will give the filling a really nice flavor, but you can certainly substitute another vegan liquid sweetener like agave if you prefer.
• Non-dairy milk. You can use pretty much any vegan milk that's unsweetened and unflavored, such as soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or cashew milk. Read my guide to non-dairy milk if you're having trouble choosing one.
• Lemon juice. Be sure to use freshly squeezed juice, which will give your cashew cheese much better flavor than anything from a bottle.
• Vanilla extract.
• Salt.
• Coconut cream. You can usually get this in stores near the coconut milk, in cans. You'll need to chill it in the fridge overnight before using it to make vegan whipped cream for this recipe.
• Vegan ladyfingers. We're using homemade vegan ladyfingers in this recipe, because I've never had luck finding them in the store. If you don't feel like making ladyfingers, feel free to substitute with your favorite vegan cookies or even strips of vegan vanilla cake. They really serve mostly as a vehicle for the coffee, so it's not super critical what you use. You can even keep the entire recipe gluten-free by using a gluten-free cake or cookie! If you're using a particularly dense cookie, like a vegan sugar cookie, just soak it a little longer in the coffee.
• Espresso. You can use strong-brewed coffee if you don't have expresso handy.
• Coffee liqueur. This is optional, just use it if you'd like a little extra coffee flavor punch. For a different twist, try substituting rum.
• Cinnamon.
• Cocoa powder.

How It's Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

Place all of your vegan mascarpone ingredients into a blender or food processor bowl: soaked raw cashews, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt.

Blend everything up until the mixture is smooth and creamy. This can take a few minutes if you're not using a high-powered blending device, so be patient.

Tip: Did you forget to soak your cashews? You can soften them up more quickly by boiling them in water.

Open your can of coconut cream, then drain off any liquid. The solids that are left are coconut cream.

Place the coconut cream into a mixing bowl, then beat it at high speed with an electric mixer until it becomes light and fluffy. This will only take a minute.

Tip: If you can't find coconut cream, buy full-fat coconut milk instead. There will be a bit more liquid to drain off when you open the cans. Simply buy an extra one to make up for the loss.

Fold the cashew cheese mixture into the whipped coconut cream using a spatula. Be gentle, but keep folding until they are completely combined.

Combine the espresso and coffee liqueur (if using), then dip a ladyfinger briefly in the mixture before arranging it in a baking dish. Do this for half of the ladyfingers. Cover the ladyfingers with half of the coconut mixture.

Arrange a second layer of dipped ladyfingers over the coconut mixture, the top it all off with the remaining coconut mixture. Dust everything with a touch of cinnamon and a generous coating of cocoa, and pop it in the fridge until it's completely set.

Your vegan tiramisu is ready to slice and serve! I like to top each slice with a few chocolate shavings.

Tip: Vegan tiramisu is sloppy. If you want nice clean slices, try sticking it in the freezer (after it's set) for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Easy Variation

Need a quick an easy alternative to the method I just described? Or perhaps you don't have a blending device? I have an alternative for you, BUT it's not as good. It's still very tasty, but not nearly as amazing as the recipe version.

Instead of blending the cashew mascarpone mixture, simply beat together two (8 ounce) containers of vegan cream cheese, ⅓ cup of maple syrup, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Fold it into your coconut cream mixture the same as you would with cashew cheese, and proceed with the recipe as otherwise instucted.

Leftovers & Storage

Vegan tiramisu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days.

More Classic Vegan Desserts

• The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake
• Classic Vegan Cheesecake
• Vegan Baklava
• Creamy Vegan Chocolate Pie

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

Print The Best Vegan Tiramisu Get ready for a dessert that's pure decadence! This vegan tiramisu is made with layers of coffee-soaked vegan ladyfingers and sweet cashew cheese blended with whipped coconut cream. It's absolutely heavenly and you'd never guess it was dairy-free. Course DessertCuisine American, Italian Prep Time 25 minutes minutesSoak Time + Chill Time 8 hours hoursTotal Time 8 hours hours 25 minutes minutes Servings 12 Calories 497kcal Author Alissa Saenz Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained and rinsed
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 (13.5 ounce/400ml) cans coconut cream, chilled overnight in the fridge (Note 1)
• 36 vegan ladyfingers (Note 2)
• 1 ½ cups espresso or very strong coffee
• 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, optional
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, or as needed

US Customary - Metric Instructions

• Place the cashews, maple syrup, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt into a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Blend until smooth.
• Open the cans of coconut cream and drain off the liquid. Transfer the remaining solid portion to a large mixing bowl.
• Use an electric mixer at high speed to whip the coconut cream until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Add the cashew mixture to the bowl with the coconut cream. Fold in the cashew mixture using a spatula.
• Place the espresso into a small bowl. Add the coffee liqueur, if using.
• One at at time, dip half of the ladyfingers in the expresso mixture, then arrange them in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Spread half of the coconut cream mixture over the ladyfingers.
• Dip each of the remaining ladyfingers in the espresso mixture, then arrange them over the coconut cream layer.
• Spread the remaining coconut cream mixture over the top layer of ladyfingers.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon (if using) over the coconut cream mixture, followed by the cocoa.
• Cover the dish and refrigerate the tiramisu until set, about 4 hours.
• Slice and serve.

Notes

1. If the coconut cream has been stored in a warm area or you can hear sloshing when you shake it, you may need to chill it for a full 24 hours.
2. Store bought vegan cookies, or thin strips of vegan vanilla cake can be substituted for ladyfingers if you don't feel like making them. Denser cookies may need a bit longer of a dip in the espresso mixture.

NutritionServing: 1slice (1/12 of recipe) | Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 74.8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20.2g | Saturated Fat: 11.3g | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 54.8g | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg

The post The Best Vegan Tiramisu appeared first on Connoisseurus Veg.

Vegan Ganache

This vegan ganache is rich, sweet, and silky smooth! It's also super easy to make with just two ingredients! Perfect for everything from drizzling on cakes, pies and ice cream, to making truffles, to eating by the spoonful.

Ganache is a basically a must-have for any chocolate lover, and that includes vegans!

Chocolate ganache is a rich, thick chocolate sauce that's perfect for dressing up all kinds of desserts. It can be drizzled over just about anything that you want to add some chocolaty flavor to. Try it on ice cream, vegan chocolate cupcakes, vegan chocolate cake...even vegan crepes or pancakes!

Traditional ganache is made using a very simple two-ingredient recipe, with those two ingredients being chocolate and heavy cream. Obviously heavy cream is a no-go for vegan ganache. But that's okay!

In this recipe we're replacing heavy cream with my favorite vegan substitute: coconut milk. Coconut milk supplies the same richness as heavy cream, but it's totally dairy-free. And if you're worried about your ganache tasting like coconut, don't. With all the rich chocolate flavor in there you'll never even taste the coconut milk.

[feast_advanced_jump_to] Ingredients You'll Need

You only need two ingredients. Seriously!

• Vegan chocolate chips. While any type of vegan chocolate chips will work, I recommend going with smaller ones, as they'll melt more easily. Use mini chips if you can. I'm using Enjoy Life brand in the photos, which are great if you need to keep your ganache allergy-friendly and gluten-free, but any brand will do. You could even finely chop up a vegan chocolate bar.
• Coconut milk. We're using full-fat coconut milk from a can for maximum richness. Will other types of non-dairy milk work? Probably, but your ganache might be thinner and lacking body.

How It's Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

Step 1: Place your chocolate chips into a small bowl.

Step 2: Slowly heat up the coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Just barely bring it to a simmer.

Step 3: Immediately pour the hot coconut milk over the chocolate chips. Now let everything sit for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Once five minutes have passed, you can begin stirring the coconut milk and chocolate chips together. At first it will seem like nothing is happening.

Step 5: Keep stirring. Eventually the chips will all melt and the mixture will become smooth.

Step 6: Let the ganache cool completely. This will take about 2 hours. It will thicken up as it cools, due to the chocolate resolidifying.

Tip: This vegan ganache recipe makes a thick but pourable ganache. If you need a thicker consistency for making chocolate truffles or piping, cut the amount of coconut milk down by as much as half.

Shelf-Life & Storage

Vegan chocolate ganache can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to five days. Refrigerating it may change the texture though.

More Vegan Dessert Sauces & Spreads

• Vegan Caramel Sauce
• Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (Vegan Nutella!)
• Roasted Strawberries
• Vegan Lemon Curd

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

Print Vegan Ganache This vegan ganache is rich, sweet, and silky smooth! It's also super easy to make with just two ingredients! Perfect for everything from drizzling on cakes, pies and ice cream, to making truffles, to eating by the spoonful. Course DessertCuisine American, French Prep Time 12 minutes minutesCook Time 5 minutes minutesCooling Time 2 hours hoursTotal Time 2 hours hours 17 minutes minutes Servings 12 Calories 159kcal Author Alissa Saenz Ingredients

• 9 ounces vegan chocolate chips
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (see Note)

US Customary - Metric Instructions

• Place the chocolate chips into a small heatproof bowl.
• Place the coconut milk into a small saucepan and set it over medium-low heat. Slowly bring it to a simmer, stirring frequently.
• Remove the coconut milk from heat as soon as it starts to simmer and immediately pour it over the chocolate chips. Let the coconut milk and chips sit for 5 minutes.
• After five minutes, begin stirring the coconut milk and chips.
• Continue stirring until all of the chips have melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Allow the ganache to cool completely. This should take about 2 hours.
• Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container for storage.

NotesThis amount of coconut milk will give you a thick, but pourable ganache. For a thicker ganache that's suitable for piping or making truffles, reduce the amount of coconut milk by up to half. NutritionServing: 2tablespoons | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.3g | Protein: 1.9g | Fat: 10.4g | Saturated Fat: 7.1g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 13.4g | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Vegan Ganache appeared first on Connoisseurus Veg.

Szechuan Tofu

This spicy Szechuan tofu is easy to make and loaded with flavor. Pair it up with rice for a scrumptious vegan dinner that's better than takeout!

I love remaking some of my favorite dishes from Chinese restaurants. Whether it's lo mein, chow mein, General Tso's tofu, or Kung Pao tofu, recreating these classic dishes is always a fun challenge, and I always end up with a delicious dinner at the end of the process.

Szechuan tofu is a dish that I've ordered so many times and absolutely loved, but never got around to tackling until now. Szechuan cuisine is known for spicy, bold flavors, with generous use of aromatics, so I was a little intimidated at the prospect of attempting to capture that level of deliciousness in a recipe of my own.

I'm happy to say that this turned out to be a seriously scrumptious tofu stir-fry — every bit as delicious as those I've gotten in restaurants. It's pretty easy to make too! The key is heavy use of pungent spices and flavors like garlic, ginger, Chinese five spice, and Szechuan peppercorns.

Read on to learn about exactly what you'll need and how to throw this flavor-packed meal together.

[feast_advanced_jump_to] Ingredients You'll Need

• Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.
• Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
• Sambal oelek. This is a spicy red chili paste that can be found in the international aisle of most supermarkets. The recipe gives you some leeway as to how much you'd like to use, depending on your spice preference. If you're unsure, start with less and add more when the dish has finished cooking. Sriracha sauce can be substituted if samabal oelek isn't available.
• Toasted sesame oil. Look for this in the international aisle of your grocery store.
• Garlic.
• Ginger.
• Cornstarch.
• Chinese five spice. This is a mix of cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel and Szechuan peppercorns. Most stores carry it in the spice aisle.
• Peanut oil. You can use another high-heat oil if you prefer, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or corn oil.
• Super firm-tofu. Extra-firm tofu will also work in this recipe, but it will need to be pressed before cooking.
• Red bell pepper.
• Scallions. You might also know these as green onions.
• Szechuan peppercorns. Look for these in the international section of the grocery store, or try an Asian market. (An alternative spelling of their name is Sichuan peppercorns.) Black peppercorns can be substituted in a pinch, but will give your stir-fry a slightly different flavor.
• Toasted sesame seeds.
• Cooked rice. Noodles are a great alternative if you're not up for rice.

Tip: Dried red chile peppers are another ingredient that you'll find in authentic Szechuan tofu. I prefer to use sambal oelek because it gives me more control over the heat level, but feel free to go with dried chiles if you'd like. Add them at the same time as the Szechuan peppercorns.

How It's Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

Stir your Szechuan sauce ingredients together first: soy sauce, brown sugar, sambal oelek, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and Chinese five spice.

Coat the bottom of a wok or skillet with oil and add cubed tofu. Cook the tofu pieces for a few minutes, turning them just once or twice, until the become golden brown and crispy. Move the tofu to a plate.

Tip: Cook your tofu in batches if you can't fit it all in a single layer in the bottom of your wok.

Add some more oil to the wok, then add chopped bell pepper. Stir-fry the bell pepper, very briefly, just until the pieces start to become brighter in color. Add the white parts of your scallions (save the green for later), and ground Szechuan peppercorns. Stir-fry for a minute longer.

Return the cooked tofu to the wok, then pour the sauce over the tofu. Be super careful not to pour the sauce directly on the hot surface, or it will sputter. Mix everything up and stir-fry the mixture for about 1 minute, just until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu and pepper pieces.

Take the wok off of heat and add toasted sesame seeds and the green parts of your scallions.

Your Szechuan tofu is read to enjoy! Pile it onto plates with some rice and dig in.

Prep-Ahead Tips

• The sauce can be mixed in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
• The bell pepper can be chopped in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Leftovers & Storage

Leftover Szechuan tofu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.

More Tofu Stir-Fries

• Thai Basil Tofu Stir Fry
• Tofu Stir-Fry with Garlic Sauce
• Rainbow Peanut Butter Tofu Stir-Fry
• Tofu & Eggplant Red Curry Stir-Fry (Pad Ped)

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

Print Szechuan Tofu This spicy Szechuan tofu is easy to make and loaded with flavor. Pair it up with rice for a scrumptious vegan dinner that's better than takeout! Course EntreeCuisine American, Chinese Prep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 15 minutes minutesTotal Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 4 Calories 301kcal Author Alissa Saenz IngredientsFor the Sauce

• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons organic brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sambal oelek, or to taste (Note 1)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice

For the Stir-Fry

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
• 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu, died (about ½-inch)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
• 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, ground with a mortar and pestle (Note 2)
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• Cooked rice, for serving

US Customary - Metric Instructions

• Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or container. Set aside.
• Coat the bottom of the wok (or nonstick skillet) with half of the oil and place it over medium heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes in an even layer (Note 3). Cook the tofu cubes for about 10 minutes, flipping the pieces once or twice until they're browned and crispy on multiple sides. Transfer the tofu to a plate when done.
• Add the remaining oil to the wok and raise the heat to medium-high.
• Give the wok a minute to heat up, then add the bell pepper. Stir-fry the pepper just until it begins to deepen in color, about 1 minute.
• Add the white parts of the scallions and Szechuan peppercorns to the wok. Continue to stir-fry the mixture for about 1 minute more, until the bell pepper becomes tender-crisp.
• Return the tofu to the wok and carefully pour the sauce over the tofu. Continue stir-frying the mixture until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu and bell pepper, about 1 minute.
• Remove the wok from heat.
• Top the stir-fry with sesame seeds and the green parts of your scallions. Serve with rice.

Notes

1. Two teaspoons will give you a relatively mild dish, and is a good place to start if you're unsure of how much heat you can tolerate. When in doubt, start with less and add more when the dish has finished cooking.
2. You can substitute black peppercorns if Szechuan peppercorns aren't available.
3. You can cook the tofu in batches if it won't all fit in the bottom of your wok.
4. Nutrition information does not include rice.

NutritionCalories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.9g | Protein: 20.2g | Fat: 16.9g | Saturated Fat: 3.1g | Sodium: 1251mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 8.6g | Calcium: 362mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Szechuan Tofu appeared first on Connoisseurus Veg.

Vegan Applesauce Muffins

These vegan applesauce muffins are moist, tender, and studded with sweet raisins and crunchy walnuts. They're also super easy to make using pantry staples!

I love baking up pretty much anything made with apples and spices. I love my vegan apple pie, vegan apple cake, and vegan apple muffins.

But I really love these vegan applesauce muffins because they're filled with all the deliciousness of apples, along with cozy spices, but are considerably less work than other apple-based treats. There's no chopping or prep work involved — the apples have already been sauced for you!

It's also really easy to keep a jar of applesauce in the pantry, along with pretty much every other ingredient that goes in to these muffins, so I can easily whip up a batch on a moment's notice.

One of these muffins and a cup of hot tea is basically snack-time heaven as far as I'm concerned.

[feast_advanced_jump_to] Ingredients You'll Need

• Unsweetened applesauce. Use smooth applesauce — not chunky.
• Vegetable oil. Whatever type of oil you normally bake with will work. Corn oil, canola oil, and melted coconut oil are all fine options.
• Non-dairy milk. Use an unsweetened variety of plant milk. Other than that, just about any type will work, including soy milk, almond milk, oat milk and cashew milk. Read my guide to dairy-free milk if you need help choosing one.
• Vanilla extract.
• Flour. The recipe calls for plain, all-purpose wheat flour, otherwise known as white flour. Whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour could be substituted. And while I haven't tried it, I suspect an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend would work if you need to keep the muffins gluten-free.
• Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional sugar may be processed using animal bone char.
• Brown sugar. This also needs to be organic.
• Baking powder.
• Baking soda.
• Salt.
• Spices. We're using a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves for maximum spicy deliciousness.
• Raisins.
• Walnuts.

Tip: Not a fan of raisins and/or walnuts? Feel free to leave them out or substitute another stir-in. Try other types of nuts and dried fruit, fresh fruit, or vegan chocolate chips!

How They're Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

Start by stirring together your wet ingredients in a small container, such as a liquid measuring cup. This mix will include applesauce, milk, oil, and vanilla.

Whisk your dry ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt and spices.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry mixture. Stir them together just until combined. Don't overmix them. The batter will be pretty thick.

Fold in the raisins and walnuts. Be very gentle here, still making sure to avoid disrupting the batter too much.

Divide the batter among paper-lined muffin cavities and pop the muffin tin into the oven. Bake your muffins until they're set. You can test one for doneness inserting a toothpick in the center, then removing it. If it comes out clean, it's done.

Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack and let your vegan applesauce muffins cool for at least a few minutes. You can enjoy them when they're warm, or let them cool completely.

Shelf-Life & Storage

Applesauce muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days, in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for about 3 months.

More Vegan Muffin Recipes

• Cinnamon & Spice Vegan Bran Muffins
• The Best Vegan Banana Muffins
• Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins
• Vegan Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

Print Vegan Applesauce Muffins These vegan applesauce muffins are moist, tender, and studded with sweet raisins and crunchy walnuts. They're also super easy to make using pantry staples! Course BreakfastCuisine American Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 20 minutes minutesTotal Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 12 muffins Calories 271kcal Author Alissa Saenz Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (regular applesauce - not chunky)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup organic granulated sugar
• ¼ cup organic brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup raisins
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts

US Customary - Metric Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a 12-cavity muffin tin with papers.
• Stir the applesauce, oil, milk, and vanilla together in a small container, such as a liquid measuring cup.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together in a large mixing bowl.
• Pour the applesauce mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir just until combined.
• Fold in the raisins and walnuts.
• Divide the batter among the paper lined muffin cups.
• Bake the muffins for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake them for 12 to 14 minutes longer, until set (20 to 22 minutes total bake time).
• Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack and let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing them from the tin.

NutritionServing: 1muffin | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.8g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 14.8g | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Vegan Applesauce Muffins appeared first on Connoisseurus Veg.

How to Cook with Seitan

Thinking of trying seitan but not sure what to do with it? Read through this simple guide to learn everything you need to know about cooking with seitan.

Years and years of developing vegan recipes have taught me that seitan dishes can be a hard sell, even with the vegan community. And I get it. Seitan is kind of weird and leaves folks scratching their heads as to what to do with it. It's easier to stick with trusted old favorites.

But not really. Seitan is some pretty awesome stuff, and today I hope to convince you to start cooking with it!

Seitan is one of my favorite plant-based proteins, along with temeph and tofu. I love them all! But in some ways, I love seitan the most.

Seitan is delicious. It's super versatile and can be used in so many recipes. And between temeh, tofu and seitan, seitan is actually the easiest to work with, believe it or not! Tofu often needs to be pressed, and tempeh may require steaming, but seitan is always ready to go, requiring at most some chopping of slicing before cooking.

Let's talk about how you'd go about cooking with it.

[feast_advanced_jump_to] What is Seitan?

Seitan is an ingredient that's typically used as a meat substitute. Of all the plant protein options out there, it's one of the closest to meat in terms of taste, texture and appearance. It's also quite high in protein, packing about twenty grams of protein into a single eight ounce serving.

One of the reasons seitan may not be so popular with some folks is due to the fact that it's primarily made from gluten. Gluten is the protein found in wheat and some other grains. It's one of the main ingredients in wheat flour. It's what gives structure to flour-based baked goods like cakes and breads, and it's what gives seitan its meaty texture.

Gluten had gotten a bit of a bad rap in recent years due to rising awareness of Celiac disease and gluten-sensitivity. Obviously if you have one of these conditions you'll want to pass on seitan, but if not, there's really no reason not to enjoy it. John's Hopkins Medicine confirms that gluten consumption is totally fine for those of us who can tolerate it.

In addition to gluten, wheat flour also contains starch and bran. If you remove those things and isolate the gluten, you'll end up with something that closely resembles meat in texture and appearance. But it'll be pretty flavorless.

Seitan is made by taking that gluten and adding savory flavors, so it tastes like meat. There are a few ways of doing this, such as by adding spices and baking them in, marinating them in, or, my favorite, simmering them in. My basic seitan recipe involves producing a dough out of vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour, and water, then simmering the seitan dough in a heavily seasoned broth to cook the seitan and infuse it with flavor.

Cooking with Seitan

Another thing that makes seitan super easy to work with is the fact that it's already cooked. Store-bought seitan can be eaten right out of the package, and it'll taste pretty good! This means you don't need to worry about hitting a certain temperature when you cook with it. And since it's pretty tasty to begin with, it's not all that difficult to successfully work it into a dish.

Start with a Recipe

The easiest way to get started cooking with seitan is pretty obvious: work from a recipe that calls for seitan. There are tons of delicious recipes out there for veganized versions of meat-based dishes featuring seitan. Try one of these delicious seitan recipes.

Substitute Seitan for Meat

Once you're ready for the next step, try substituting seitan in a meat-based recipe. This works for most recipes, whether they call for chicken, turkey, beef, pork or another type of meat.

Seitan can generally be substituted directly for meat by making a few simple tweaks to the recipe you're working with.

First off, remember that seitan is already cooked. This means it often doesn't need to be cooked as long as meat does. In some recipes that require prolonged cooking methods such as browning in order to cook a piece of meat through (for food safety purposes), seitan can be cooked much more briefly.

While not always required, you may want to adjust cook times or add seitan later in a recipe than you would if you were using meat. Most of the time this isn't critical, but in some instances cooking seitan too long could cause it to become overly dry and chewy.

One thing to pay attention to when substituting seitan for meat is the form of the meat in the recipe. While you have a lot of leeway as to the size and shape of a homemade seitan cut, you're a bit more limited when using store bought, which is typically available in small chunks and strips.

You may need to cut your seitan into smaller pieces. In recipes that call for ground meat, you can finely mince the seitan to make it work, using a process like the one called for in this vegan beef burrito recipe. In recipes where shredded meat is used, seitan can be grated using a box grater or shedder. Check out this vegan barbecue beef sandwich recipe for guidance on how to do that.

Recipes that call for larger cuts of meat can be a challenge, and they may not always work using store-bought seitan. For these types of recipes you're generally best using homemade seitan, or, better yet, finding a seitan-based recipe for the particular cut of meat you're looking to replace, like this vegan steak recipe or this vegan chicken tenders recipe.

Start to Improvise

Once you have a feel for seitan you can start to improvise by adding it to dishes where you want a little extra substance or protein, or even creating your very own seitan recipe.

Here are a few simple techniques to try:

• Brown seitan chunks, slices or strips in a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat. Cook them for five to ten minutes, flipping them once or twice. Browned seitan can be added to stir-fries, curries, sandwiches, wraps, soups, and stews, among other types of dishes.
• Cut your seitan into appropriately sized pieces, then simmer them in a soup, stew, sauce or chili. They only need a few minutes of simmer time — just long enough to heat up completely.
• Add raw seitan to cool dishes. It can be piled in a salad or mixed into a sandwich filling like this vegan chicken salad.
• Dredge your seitan in a breading, such as flour or cornstarch, then fry it and douse it in flavorful sauce like in this vegan Mongolian beef recipe.
• Marinate your seitan before cooking it. You can use pretty much any marinade here, whether it's designed for meat or vegetables. Marinated seitan can then be baked, pan-fried in a bit of oil, or grilled like in this seitan kebab recipe.

How to Season Seitan

One thing to keep in mind when cooking with seitan, particularly if you're incorporating it into a recipe that calls for meat, is that it's already heavily seasoned. Part of the process of making seitan involves seasoning it to taste like meat. This may be done with sauces like soy sauce, liquid smoke, or vegan Worcestershire sauce, as well as salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or other spices and herbs.

Because of this you could easily end up overseasoning your seitan when using it in a recipe. You might need to make some adjustments.

Taste-test your seitan before you add it to a recipe. Some seasonings, like salt, are easy to detect. Others might be more subtle. Think about whether you might want to reduce the amount of any seasonings in the recipe to compensate for what is already present in your seitan. This can be tricky at first, but once you get a feel for it it will become second nature!

How to Store Seitan

When storing store-bought seitan, always refer to the expiration date on the package. Store-bought seitan should be stored in the refrigerator, in its original packaging when possible, and disposed of before the expiration date. You can extend the shelf-life of unopened seitan by placing it in the freezer, right in its original packaging, where it will be good for at least three months.

Once opened, store your seitan in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days, or in the freezer for up to three months. If possible, store the seitan in the liquid that it was packaged in, which will help to keep it moist and flavorful.

The principles for storing homemade seitan are pretty much the same as for store-bought. If you cooked your seitan in broth, store it in that broth in an airtight container. It will keep for about five days in the refrigerator, or about three days in the freezer.

More Vegan Cooking Guides

• What is Tempeh (and How to Cook with It!)
• How to Press Tofu (3 Methods!)
• A Guide to Dairy Free Milk
• How to Freeze Tofu

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Spiced Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

This vegan sweet potato pie is rich, creamy, and lightly spiced for amazing flavor. A delicious dairy-free and egg-free dessert that's perfect for holidays and special occasions!

Growing up, my family was always all about pumpkin pie for holidays. It wasn't until I started developing recipes that I decided it was time to try sweet potato pie for a change. Boy was that overdue!

Sweet potato pie is absolutely delicious. It's packed with flavor and a tad denser than pumpkin pie. Sweet potato pie tastes like fall, but in the form of a pie. What could be better? Now I make sure there's always a vegan sweet potato pie at Thanksgiving dinner.

This vegan spin on a classic southern pie is pretty easy to make, as far as pies go, and it always wins over other folks who have never tried sweet potato pie...even the non-vegan ones!

[feast_advanced_jump_to] What You'll Need

• Sweet potatoes. We're using basic orange sweet potatoes for this recipe, though you could sub other varieties like yellow and purple sweet potatoes I'm sure. These might be labelled as "yams" if you buy them in the United States.
• Pie crust. You can use a homemade vegan pie crust, or buy one at the store. Be sure to check the ingredients if you go with store-bought — many brands contain lard or butter.
• Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk from a can. You could probably get away with using light coconut milk or some other non-dairy milk, but coconut will give you the richest, most decadent sweet potato pie filling.
• Maple syrup. You can sub another liquid sweetener, like agave, if you'd like.
• Cornstarch. Cornstarch is one of my favorite vegan egg substitutes, and it worked particularly well in my vegan custard pie, so I tried it again in this one. Worked like a charm!
• Vegan butter. Most grocery stores sell this near the regular butter. Earth Balance, Miyoko's and Melt are a few popular brands you could use.
• Spices. Since this is a spiced vegan sweet potato pie, the recipe calls for a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom. Feel free to leave them out for more of a classic sweet potato pie flavor.
• Salt.

How It's Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

Start by baking your sweet potatoes. Poke a few holes in each with a fork or knife, then place them directly on the oven rack to bake until they're soft. Once they're done, slice them open to help the heat escape.

Tip: To save time, your sweet potatoes can be microwaved for about 8 minutes instead of baked. You can also bake (or microwave) your sweet potatoes a few days ahead of making the pie. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Prepare your crust while the sweet potatoes cook. Roll it out, place the dough in a pie plate, poke a few holes in it and crimp the edges.

Next you'll be blind baking the crust. This means prebaking it before you fill it to prevent it from getting soggy. Line the crust with some foil or parchment paper, fill it with pie weights (or dried rice or beans), and pop it into the oven to bake while you make the filling.

While the crust bakes, place all of the filling ingredients into a food processor bowl. This includes the insides of your sweet potatoes, coconut milk, maple syrup, vegan butter, vanilla extract, spices and salt.

Blend everything until the batter is smooth and creamy. Feel free to give it a taste-test at this point and make any adjustments you'd like, such as adding more maple syrup or spices.

Transfer the filling to your pie crust, smooth out the top with a spatula, and pop it into the oven. Bake your vegan sweet potato pie until the filling is set.

Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it.

Tip: Because it can take a while to cool, it's a good idea to make this pie a day before serving.

Leftovers & Storage

Vegan sweet potato pie will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days or in the freezer for about 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions Can this pie be made gluten-free?

Yup! Just use a vegan and gluten-free pie crust, such as this one.

Can I use canned sweet potato to make this pie?

I haven't tried it myself, but I can't see why not!

What kind of vegan whipped topping can I put on this pie?

The topping shown in the photos Reddi-Wip dairy-free topping, made from almond milk. Another option is to use coconut whipped cream (see this strawberry shortcake recipe for instructions on how to make it).

More Vegan Pies

• Classic Vegan Apple Pie
• Classic Vegan Pecan Pie
• Vegan Peach Pie with Crumble Topping
• Classic Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

Print Spiced Vegan Sweet Potato Pie This vegan sweet potato pie is rich, creamy, and lightly spiced for amazing flavor. A delicious dairy-free and egg-free dessert that's perfect for holidays and special occasions! Course DessertCuisine American Prep Time 20 minutes minutesCook Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutesTotal Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes Servings 8 Calories 463kcal Author Alissa Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds total)
• 1 homemade vegan pie crust, or a store-bought vegan pie crust
• ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup vegan butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato using a sharp knife.
• Place the sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake them until very soft, about 45 minutes (Note 1).
• When the sweet potatoes are done baking, slice them open to allow the steam to escape. Allow them to sit for a few minutes to cool.
• Prepare the pie crust while the sweet potatoes bake. If you're not using a premade crust, roll out your dough and drape it into a 9-inch pie pan. Press it into the pan, trim the excess, and crimp the edges if desired.
• Use a knife or fork to poke a few holes in the bottom and sides of the crust.
• Line the inside of the crust with a sheet of foil or parchment paper, then fill it with pie weights, dried rice or beans.
• Bake the crust for 15 minutes, then remove it from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350°.
• When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides and place them into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade (Note 2). Add the coconut milk, maple syrup, cornstarch, vegan butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and salt.
• Blend the ingredients until smooth, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
• Transfer the batter to the pie crust and smooth out the top with a spatula.
• Bake the for about 45 to 50, or until set. Keep an eye on the pie and, if needed, cover the edges with foil or pie shields after about 15 minutes to prevent burning.
• Remove the pie from oven and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
• Serve with dairy-free whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if you'd like.

Notes

1. Alternatively, you can microwave the sweet potatoes for about 8 minutes, checking every minute or so after the first 5 minutes.
2. You should have about 2 cups of sweet potato. If you have much more than that, use the extra for something else.

NutritionServing: 1slice (⅛ of pie) | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 57.1g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 24.5g | Saturated Fat: 9.9g | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 5.7g | Sugar: 13.1g | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg

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