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30 Minutes or Less

3-Ingredient Healthy Vegan Caramel Sauce

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3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce in a small jar with a spoon

This homemade vegan caramel sauce is perfectly sweet and super easy to make! It comes together in one saucepan, with just 3 ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This vegan caramel is delicious drizzled over ice cream, apples, cake, or cookies! Try it over my no-churn vegan vanilla ice cream recipe, or even on top of my healthy apple crisp. YUM!

3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce being poured over a green apple.

What You’ll Need

Coconut Cream – Coconut cream is the thick, white cream found at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. It’s important to note that coconut cream can only be obtained by a can of full-fat coconut milk, not low-fat or boxed coconut milk. Native Organics also sells a great canned coconut cream, which is what I used in this recipe. Also, remember to only use the coconut cream and not any of the liquid found at the bottom of the can. To do this, open your can of full-fat coconut milk or cream, then scrape and remove the cream from the top. Fill a one-cup measurer with this coconut cream, then save the liquid for use in smoothies later on!

Maple Syrup – This natural sweetener is the only sweetener in this vegan dessert recipe! Our vegan caramel is so much healthier than your standard caramel because it contains only natural ingredients, and has a lot less sugar. However, healthier doesn’t mean any less delicious. Maple syrup gives this sauce an irresistibly rich flavor.

Peanut Butter – Peanut butter is the finishing touch to this recipe, adding the perfect texture and flavor. Though if you’re not a fan of peanut butter, you can use almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or sunflower seed butter in its place!

vegan caramel sauce being whisked in a saucepan

This Vegan Caramel Is….

  • Healthy
  • Plant-Based
  • Gluten-Free
  • Refined Sugar-Free
  • Paleo
  • & Delicious!

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: Replace the peanut butter in this recipe with 1/4 cup of sunflower seed butter!

Make it Paleo: Use almond butter instead of peanut butter for a delicious paleo caramel recipe.

3 ingredient vegan caramel sauce in a small jar with a spoon
5 from 1 vote

3-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce

This homemade vegan caramel sauce is perfectly sweet and super easy to make! It comes together in one saucepan, with just 3 ingredients, and in under 5 minutes. This vegan caramel is delicious drizzled over ice cream, apples, cake, or cookies!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut cream, see Notes
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter

Instructions

  • Add coconut cream and maple syrup to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until bubbling, then reduce to low heat and continue stirring for 3 minutes.
  • Remove pan from heat and stir in almond or peanut butter. Let cool, it’ll continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes

  • Coconut Cream: Coconut cream is the thick, white creamy part at the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk. You can only obtain coconut cream from either a can of full-fat coconut milk, or a can of coconut cream.
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    Desserts

    Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

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    Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

    My homemade Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie recipe is simple, sweet, and soo delicious. Made with simple ingredients, and infused with unsalted pecans and chocolate chips, this pecan pie will be a huge hit during holiday dinners!

    I don’t know about you, but I think pecan pie is a must-have Thanksgiving dessert! This pecan pie is made with chocolate chips (technically optional but highly recommended) and it’s vegan-friendly, so everyone – no matter their allergies – can enjoy it. It’s also the slightly healthier version since it’s made with ingredients like coconut sugar and coconut milk, instead of corn syrup and eggs.

    Main Ingredients Needed to Make This Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

    • Prepared pie crust – I used gluten-free

    • Pecans (chopped)- I used raw & unsalted pecans

    • Chocolate chips – Up to you, but dark or semi-sweet would probably taste best

    • Butter – dairy-free (Earth Balance is a good option)

    • Coconut milk (full-fat)

    • Coconut sugar – you can sub for brown sugar if you’d like

    • Cornstarch

    • Vanilla Extract

    • Salt

    Tips to Consider When Making This Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Recipe

    • I personally love the pecan-chocolate chip combination, but if you want to make more of a traditional pecan pie, you can use 1 cup whole and 1 cup chopped pecans instead, and omit the chocolate chips.

    • Since this recipe is vegan, that means no eggs! Cornstarch is going to help bind this pie together. Just make sure to let it cool completely before slicing so it has time to firm up.

    • Want to up the sweetness even more? Serve it with your favorite dairy free vanilla ice cream!
    Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie
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    Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

    5 from 1 vote
    Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    4

    servings
    Prep time

    30

    minutes
    Cooking time

    1

    hour 
    Total time

    1

    hour 

    30

    minutes

    My homemade Vegan Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe is simple, sweet, and soo delicious. Made with simple ingredients, and infused with unsalted pecans and chocolate chips, this pecan pie will be a huge hit during holiday dinners!

    Ingredients

    • 1 (9-inch) Whole Prepared Pie Crust (gluten-free)

    • 3 Tablespoons Dairy-Free Butter

    • 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar

    • 1 Cup Unsweetened Full-Fat Coconut Milk

    • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

    • 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch

    • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

    • 1 Cup Raw Unsalted Pecans

    • 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

    Directions

    • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and par-bake the pie crust for 25 minutes.
    • Add all pie filling ingredients except pecans and chocolate chips to a bowl and whisk together.
    • Once smooth, add in chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
    • Transfer filling to par-baked pie crust, then bake for 1 hour.
    • Cover pie with aluminum foil about halfway through to prevent crust from burning.
    • Remove pie from oven, let cool completely before slicing.

    Recipe Video

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    Dairy-Free

    Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala (Gluten-Free)

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    Tofu Tikka Masala

    Skip the delivery and try this vegan and gluten-free version of the classic Indian dish known as tikka masala that uses tofu in place of meat! Serve over freshly steamed basmati rice and garlic naan for a complete Indian spiced dish.

    Tofu Tikka Masala

    Tikka masala is surprisingly easy to make vegan! Instead of meat, I used tofu, which works perfectly in this dish since it soaks up all the delicious spices and flavors in this recipe. The sauce is creamy, tangy and spicy, but not hot or overbearing.

    And what’s an Indian meal without spice?! You’ll notice my list of ingredients have a handful of them. So, if you enjoy spicy foods, your taste buds are definitely going to enjoy the turmeric, garam masala, cumin, cayenne pepper and paprika found in this dish.

    Tikka Masala Overview

    Just in case you’ve never come across Tikka Masala before, I wanted to give a quick overview of what it means.

    Tikka masala is an Indian dish consisting of roasted marinated chicken chunks in spiced curry sauce.

    • The “tikka” refers to the protein. The most common ingredient used is chicken, but it varies. Some people like to use lamb instead. For my recipe, we skip the meat altogether and replace it with tofu.

    • The “masala” translates as “spice mix” and refers to the sauce. Most include a tomato base, garam masala and a creamy element like yogurt or, in this case, coconut milk.

    MAIN INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala

    • Tofu – Make sure to buy the extra firm kind.

    • Olive Oil

    • Ginger

    • Garam Masala, Cumin, Tumeric & Cayenne Pepper – Mix these with a few other spices in the recipe to create a spicy and tangy flavor.

    • Tomato Sauce – A common pantry item, this is going to be the base for the sauce.

    • Coconut Milk – I use full-fat coconut milk for the sauce, which makes this dish super rich and creamy without needing to rely on any dairy.

    ADJUST THIS RECIPE TO YOUR DIET

    • Need a little less spice? You can adjust the amount of spices to suit your heat preference, or leave it out all together for a non-spicy tikka masala dish.

    • Dairy: You can try using yogurt, a heavy creamer or regular milk in place of the coconut milk.

    TIPS FOR MAKING THIS Tofu Tikka Masala Recipe

    • Serve with basmati rice and naan (a popular Indian flatbread) for a complete meal.
    Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala (Gluten-Free)
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    Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala (Gluten-Free)

    0 from 0 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Course: DinnerCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Medium
    Servings

    4

    servings
    Prep time

    15

    minutes
    Cooking time

    25

    minutes
    Calories

    300

    kcal
    Total time

    40

    minutes

    Skip the delivery and try this vegan and gluten-free version of Tikka Masala that uses tofu in place of meat with flavorful spices that is bound to give your taste buds something to look forward to!

    Ingredients

    • For the tofu:

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil

    • 2 (16-ounce) blocks extra firm tofu, pressed dry with a dish towel then cut into cubes

    • ½ teaspoon salt

    • For the sauce:

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil

    • 1 onion, finely chopped

    • 4 garlic cloves, grated

    • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated

    • 2 teaspoons garam masala

    • 1 ½ teaspoon cumin

    • 1 teaspoon turmeric

    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

    • 1 teaspoon salt

    • Pinch of cayenne pepper

    • 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce

    • 1 (13.5-ounce) can full fat coconut milk

    Directions

    • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add in the tofu in an even layer and sprinkle evenly with salt.
    • Cook tofu 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy. Remove tofu from skillet and set aside.
    • Heat olive oil for sauce in the same skillet and cook onions for about 3 minutes or until slightly soft.
    • Add in the garlic and ginger, cook for one minute before adding in the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, salt, and cayenne pepper.
    • Cook spices for about 30 seconds before pouring in the tomato sauce and coconut milk. Reducing heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
    • Add tofu back into the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Recipe Video

    Notes

    • Storage: Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • Reheat: Gently rewarm leftovers in an oven over medium-low heat. You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave until hot.

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    Desserts

    Vegan No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream (refined sugar-free)

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    three cones of vegan chocolate ice cream lying on a table

    No ice cream machine necessary for this easy three ingredient vegan chocolate ice cream! This non-dairy frozen dessert is perfectly chocolatey and sweet. With minimal time and effort, you’ll have an irresistible vegan summertime (or anytime!) treat.

    three cones of vegan chocolate ice cream lying on a table

    The Story Behind This Recipe

    What most people don’t know about me is that my first job ever was actually at an ice cream shop. I worked there almost all through high school (before my dairy-free days) and ate ice cream literally every. single. day. Ohhhh what I wouldn’t do to have my high school metabolism again! So as you can imagine, once I went dairy-free in college I deeply, and I mean DEEPLY, missed ice cream. Back then, vegan/dairy-free ice cream wasn’t much of a thing. My options were typically limited to sorbet, which is already made without dairy. And while sorbet definitely helped cool me down and curb my sweet tooth, I longed for a big ole’ cone of classic chocolate ice cream.

    These days, vegan ice cream isn’t nearly as hard to find, but what is hard to find is one that checks off all my boxes. I don’t want any funky ingredients such as fake sweeteners, gums, etc. Those cause just as much of a digestive nightmare for me as eating regular ole’ ice cream does. And most importantly, I don’t want to have to sell a kidney to afford it! The better the ingredient list, the more expensive it almost always is. Therefore, I came up with this vegan chocolate ice cream to both suit my needs and save me some money (because it’s either my bi-weekly manicure or $10 pints of ice cream, and I’d choose the former any day!).

    The no-churn part of this recipe simply derived from the fact that I don’t own an ice cream maker. I’m looking into purchasing one now, but until I find one that doesn’t take up half of my freezer I will continue to make this no-ice-cream-machine-necessary recipe!

    What You Need to Make Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

    Full Fat Coconut Milk – None of that low-fat or lite coconut milk here! We need all that luscious healthy fat to achieve a thick and smooth texture. You could even use two cans of coconut cream if you’d like, only adding to the creaminess of this vegan chocolate ice cream.

    Coconut Sugar – Coconut sugar keeps this three ingredient vegan chocolate ice cream completely refined sugar-free. This natural sweetener is more nutritious than regular sugar and contains 25% less sucrose than white sugar. Though if you don’t have coconut sugar, you can easily swap this out for cane sugar or white sugar if you’d like!

    Cocoa Powder – This ingredient seems pretty self-explanatory. However, I will say that if you’d like you can substitute cacao powder for the cocoa powder in this recipe. Cacao has more nutrients and antioxidants than cocoa powder and would make this three ingredient vegan chocolate ice cream that much healthier.

    Vegan No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream (refined sugar-free)
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    Vegan No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream (refined sugar-free)

    5 from 1 vote
    Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    8

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Freezing time

    8

    hours

    No ice cream machine necessary for this easy three ingredient vegan chocolate ice cream! This non-dairy frozen dessert is perfectly chocolatey and sweet. With minimal time and effort, you’ll have an irresistible vegan summertime (or anytime!) treat.

    Ingredients

    • 2 (14 ounce) cans full fat coconut milk or coconut cream, see Notes

    • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

    Directions

    • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
    • Transfer to a parchment-lined container and freeze for 8 hours or until firm.
    • Remove ice cream from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.

    Recipe Video

    Notes

    • Coconut Milk: I used Let’s Do Organic heavy coconut cream for this recipe, but any full-fat coconut milk or cream will work!

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    30 Minutes or Less

    One-Pot Lemon Pasta (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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    Close up image of lemon pasta with parsley on top.

    This one-pot lemon pasta is the easiest recipe you’ll make all week! Plenty of fresh lemon, creamy coconut milk, and a splash (maybe more, hehe) of white wine create the most delicious sauce for this pasta dish. The best part? You’ll need just ONE pot to make the entire thing! That’s right, throw everything in a pot, cook, and dinner will be ready in under 20 minutes.

    Lemon pasta on a plate sprinkled with parsley and a side fo white wine.

    I created this recipe for the lazy girl in me. She comes out every so often, especially on weekday nights when all I wanna do is melt into my couch with a bowl of chips and call it a day. Though because I know a bowl of chips isn’t enough to keep me full through the night – trust me, I’ve tried – I needed something filling, yet super easy to make.

    I’ve had my sights set on a lemon pasta recipe for a while now. With the weather (finally!) getting warmer, I’ve been craving fresh, bright, citrusy foods. I’m at a point where I buy a bag of both lemons and limes every week at the grocery store and squeeze them over all my food and into my water. So the idea of combining my most current-favorite thing, lemon, and my always-favorite thing, pasta, was a no-brainer. I knew I wanted to keep my lemon pasta simple, and above all else EASY, so I settled on a one-pot dinner with just eight ingredients (one being salt). This one-pot lemon pasta has truly changed my lazy little life, and I’m sure it will yours too!

    What You Need To Make One-Pot Lemon Pasta

    Gluten-Free Pasta – Use whatever gluten-free pasta you’d like in this recipe. Any shape or brand will do! I used the Jovial Brown Rice Farfalle (aka Bow Tie) Pasta and highly recommend it. If you’re not gluten-free, feel free to use regular pasta instead.

    Coconut Milk – Makes for an incredibly light and creamy sauce, but doesn’t taste like coconut. You could use any non-dairy milk you’d like in this recipe, but I love coconut milk for how nice and thick it is. If you’re not vegan/dairy-free, you can use heavy cream instead.

    Vegetable Broth – Using broth instead of water in this recipe adds that much more flavor. It doesn’t have to be vegetable broth, though. If you’re not vegan, chicken broth works too.

    Dry White Wine – I love the brightness a nice dry white wine adds to recipes. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio work best in this recipe, or anything with “crisp” in the description. And if cooking with wine isn’t your thing, use one more cup of broth instead.

    Lemon – Duh! Use plenty of lemon in this recipe. I know the recipe says 3 tablespoons, but I almost always add more. To get the juiciest lemon possible, push down with your palm and roll it across your countertop a few times. Then slice it open, squeeze the juice into a glass, and remove any seeds before using it in this recipe.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    • Add Dairy: Use heavy cream instead of coconut milk and add 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese at the end!
    • Add Protein: Grilled chicken or sautéed shrimp would taste great over this one-pot lemon pasta.
    One-Pot Lemon Pasta (V/GF)
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    One-Pot Lemon Pasta (V/GF)

    5 from 1 vote
    Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    4

    servings
    Cooking time

    15

    minutes
    Total time

    15

    minutes

    This one-pot lemon pasta is the easiest recipe you’ll make all week! Plenty of fresh lemon, creamy coconut milk, and a splash (maybe more hehe) of white wine create the most delicious sauce for this pasta recipe. The best part? You’ll need just ONE pot to make the entire thing! That’s right, throw everything in a pot, cook, and dinner will be ready in under 20 minutes.

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, see Notes

    • 3 Garlic Cloves, minced

    • 12 Ounces Gluten-Free Pasta

    • 2 Teaspoons Salt

    • 1 Cup Coconut Milk, see Notes

    • 2 1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth, see Notes

    • 1 Cup Dry White Wine, see Notes

    • 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

    • 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

    Directions

    • Add the olive oil and garlic to a large pot over medium heat, cook for 2-3 minutes.
    • Add in the pasta, salt, coconut milk, vegetable broth, and white wine. Bring to a boil and cook for 12 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
    • Turn off the heat, add in the lemon juice and zest, then stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

    Recipe Video

    Notes

    • Olive Oil: You can use butter instead of olive oil.
    • Coconut Milk: If not vegan/dairy-free, use heavy cream instead.
    • Vegetable Broth: Chicken broth also works in this recipe!
    • White Wine: If you’d like to make this recipe without wine, use an extra one cup of broth instead.

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