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4-Ingredient Christmas Crack Recipe (Saltine Chocolate Toffee Bark)

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Christmas Crack Recipe

This Christmas crack is the perfect last-minute holiday recipe! With just 4 ingredients and minimal effort, you’ll have a perfectly sweet, slightly salty Christmas treat. This totally foolproof saltine chocolate toffee bark recipe is super easy, perfect for even the most inexperienced home cooks!

christmas crack pieces on a baking sheet with milk on the side

Main Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

  • Crackers – I used Simple Mill’s almond flour sea salt crackers, they’re entirely grain-free and a totally delicious! They act as the perfect substitute to Saltine crackers, used in most traditional Christmas crack recipes. This simple swap makes this holiday dessert recipe gluten-free, and a little bit healthier.

  • Butter – Feel free to use whatever kind of butter you’d like, though I used vegan butter to keep this recipe vegan-friendly. My sister’s vegan, so I always try to make at least a few holiday treats that she can eat too. And honestly, you can’t even taste the difference in this vegan version!

  • Sugar – I used coconut sugar, since it’s less refined and slightly lower on the glycemic index. However, brown sugar will work just as well!

  • Chocolate Chips – Either 2 cups of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate will do! Also, you can use whatever intensity of chocolate you’d like – I prefer dark chocolate to balance out some of that sweetness in the caramel layer. If you don’t have a microwave, or would prefer not to use it, then simply melt your chocolate over a double boiler instead. I always opt for the microwave because it’s easier!

  • Toppings (optional) – Christmas crack is great on its own, but feel free to add additional toppings like chopped nuts, candy, sprinkles, shredded coconut, or crushed candy canes.
Christmas Crack Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free Options)
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Christmas Crack Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free Options)

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

10

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

5

minutes
Chilling Time

6

hours

This Christmas crack is the perfect last-minute holiday recipe! With just 5 ingredients and minimal effort, you’ll have a perfectly sweet, slightly salty Christmas treat. This totally foolproof recipe is super easy, perfect for even the most inexperienced home cooks!

Ingredients

  • 1 Sleeve Saltine Crackers or 1 box Simple Mill’s GF Crackers

  • 1 Cup Butter (Dairy or Non-Dairy)

  • 1 Cup Coconut Sugar

  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange crackers in an even layer on baking sheet.
    • Christmas Crack Step 1
  • Melt butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once butter has melted, cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly until dark brown and bubbling.
  • Remove from heat, then immediately pour over crackers. Bake for 5 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
  • Melt chocolate in the microwave, in 30 second intervals until completely smooth. Remove crackers from oven and let cool for 1 minute or until no longer bubbling, then pour chocolate over top and spread into an even layer.
  • Leave to cool at room temperature then transfer to either the fridge for 6-8 hours, or the freezer for 3-4 hours. Remove crack candy from pan, peel away foil, and break into large chunks.

Notes

  • To Store: Store Christmas Crack in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
  • To Freeze: Break or cut it into pieces and store it in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months.

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Desserts

Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

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Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

With a delicious burst of tart lemon flavor and a moist and delicate crumb, this Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe is a classic dessert that can be enjoyed for any occasion.

Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

Main Ingredients For Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

  • Sugar

  • Lemon Zest

  • Softened Butter – I used non-dairy.

  • Eggs

  • All Purpose Flour – I use Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free all purpose flour.

  • Almond Flour – adds protein and moisture to the cake. 

  • Baking Powder

  • Salt

  • For the lemon drizzle you’ll need powdered sugar and lemon juice

Tips When Making Lemon Drizzle Cake

  • Add poppy seeds: Mix in 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds to the batter just after mixing in the dry ingredients. 

  • How do I know when the lemon drizzle cake is done? The cake should be golden brown on the outside. Insert a toothpick into the center and it should come out clean or with just a few crumbs.

  • How do I store the lemon drizzle cake if there are leftovers? Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
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Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

4 from 5 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 
Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

With a delicious burst of tart lemon flavor and a moist and delicate crumb, this Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe is a classic dessert that can be enjoyed for any occasion.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Sugar

  • 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest

  • 1 Cup Softened Butter (non-dairy)

  • 4 Large Eggs

  • 1/4 Cup Milk (or non-dairy milk)

  • 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

  • 1 3/4 Cups Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour

  • 1/2 Cup Almond Flour

  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

  • For the lemon drizzle:

  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Mix together the sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add in the butter and use either a hand or stand mixer to beat until pale yellow.
  • Beat in one egg at a time, before adding in the milk and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the gluten-free all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Slowly fold flour mixture into butter mixture until just combined, do not overmix.
  • Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted down the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
  • While the lemon cake cools, make the drizzle by whisking together all ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Once cake has cooled completely, spoon lemon drizzle over top. Leave drizzle to set for about 10-15 minutes before slicing and enjoying.

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Desserts

Vegan (No-Churn!) Raspberry Sorbet

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three upside down cones of vegan raspberry sorbet on parchment paper

This vegan raspberry sorbet is perfectly sweet and irresistibly delicious! This super easy, no-churn, and three ingredient recipe is totally foolproof. Simply add all ingredients to a blender then freeze and enjoy a nice cold bowl of vegan raspberry sorbet when the sweet cravings hit!

hand holding a cone of vegan raspberry sorbet

The Story Behind This Vegan Raspberry Sorbet Recipe

Raspberry sorbet will forever taste like vacation to me. I’ve been known to eat ice cream every. single. day. while on vacation. It’s what vacations are all about! Though when I had to cut dairy out of my diet, I was SO sad to have to leave behind my daily vacation ice creams. Raspberry sorbet was first introduced into my life as a way to fill that ice cream void. However, I quickly became obsessed and excited to order raspberry sorbet over tummy ache-inducing, dairy-filled ice cream. I just can’t get enough of the sweet yet tart flavor of a good cone of raspberry sorbet.

Over my last few dairy-less years, I guess you could say that I’ve become a sort of raspberry sorbet snob. I can lick out the good sorbets, and the not-so-good sorbets. To me, raspberry sorbet should be sweet but not too sweet. It should tastes like fresh, not artificial, raspberries. And most importantly, it should contain a subtle chunks of fresh raspberries throughout.

This vegan raspberry sorbet recipe is not only a way for me to enjoy the taste of vacation at home. But it’s also a way for me to make (in my opinion) the most PERFECT cone of raspberry sorbet EVER. I also figured, since I’m making this myself, I might as well make it healthier too! With the help of fresh raspberries, maple syrup, and a touch of lemon juice – I’ve managed to make a raspberry sorbet that entirely vegan and refined sugar-free. I also don’t have enough space in my one bedroom apartment for an ice cream machine, so it’s a no-churn recipe too! This vegan raspberry sorbet is probably the easiest thing you’ll make all week. It’s also healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast if you’d like!

What You Need To Make Vegan Raspberry Sorbet

Frozen Raspberries – As I said earlier, so many ice cream shops make/sell sorbet using artificial fruit flavors. And we will have none of that over here at SDHB! Easy to acquire frozen raspberries are the star of this show. You can either purchase pre-frozen raspberries or fresh raspberries, then freeze them yourself. To freeze fresh raspberries, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer them to the freezer for 2-3 hours or until frozen solid. You can then go straight into using them to make this vegan raspberry sorbet. Or, you can store them in an airtight container in the freezer to use later on.

Maple Syrup – A little bit is all you’ll need to lightly sweeten this vegan raspberry sorbet! Maple syrup is a natural sweetener, which yields more vitamins and minerals than its refined counterparts. If you don’t have maple syrup, you can use honey or simple syrup instead.

Lemon Juice – This ingredient is totally option, though I recommend it. Lemon juice brings out the freshness of the raspberries. It also contributes to that perfect balance between tart and sweet in this non-dairy recipe.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

  • Make it Sugar-Free: Feel free to leave the sweetener out of this recipe altogether, if you’d like! The raspberries have enough natural sugar on their own to sweeten this vegan raspberry sorbet.
  • Use A Different Fruit: You can swap the raspberries out for your favorite frozen berry – strawberries, blueberries, or even blackberries would make great substitutions.
Vegan (No-Churn!) Raspberry Sorbet
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Vegan (No-Churn!) Raspberry Sorbet

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

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

This vegan raspberry sorbet is perfectly sweet and irresistibly delicious! This super easy, no-churn, and three ingredient recipe is totally foolproof. Simply add all ingredients to a blender then freeze and enjoy a nice cold bowl of vegan raspberry sorbet when the sweet cravings hit!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups frozen raspberries

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1/2 cup fresh raspberries, optional

Directions

  • Add frozen raspberries, maple syrup, and lemon juice to a bender and blend until smooth.
  • Transfer to a baking dish lined with parchment paper, swirl in fresh raspberries if using, transfer to the freezer for 2-3 hours or until solid.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Remove this vegan raspberry sorbet from the freezer 5 minutes before serving! It will be rock solid straight out of the freezer, but will quickly soften to the perfect consistency after a few minutes at room temperature.

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Dairy-Free

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free)

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strawberry rhubarb crisp on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

This strawberry rhubarb crisp is perfectly sweet, slightly tart, and finished off with a crumbly oat topping! This easy vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free dessert is a total crowd-pleaser and is perfect for summer parties. Serve this strawberry rhubarb crisp warm with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream for a delicious, healthier dessert!

Strawberry Rhubarb crisp in a baking dish surrounded by fresh strawberries.

One of my mom’s signature desserts is a strawberry rhubarb pie. Now I was never much of a pie person (still am not), but I LOVED this particular pie. Aside from being totally freaking delicious, rhubarb is pretty intriguing. I just couldn’t get over how delightfully sour and tart it was. I’ve wanted to recreate my mom’s strawberry rhubarb pie for a while now, but to be completely honest, I just don’t have the energy these days to make a whole a** pie. And that’s where pie’s easygoing, more forgiving younger sister comes in – fruit crisp! This strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe couldn’t possibly get any simpler, but still houses all of the delicious flavors I remember from my childhood.

What You Need To Make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb – OK let’s chat about rhubarb for a second. I know rhubarb is known and loved in some parts of the world. Though in my part of the world, it’s barely ever talked about (which makes me sad, because it’s worthy of our attention). Therefore, if you’re not familiar with rhubarb it’s a tart-tasting fruit that kind of looks like a pinkish/red celery stalk. Rhubarb is always paired with some type of sweetener to balance out its extremely tart flavor. The result is this almost sour candy flavor that is just incredible!

Strawberries – Oh, happy strawberry season! Strawberries, unlike rhubarb, are an extremely common fruit and I think we all know what they taste like. And the key here is fresh strawberries, as they taste best. You have the option to either leave your strawberries whole or slice them in half.

Almond Flour – Almond flour replaces the all purpose flour in this recipe. Aside from aiding in making this crisp gluten-free, I especially love the nutty flavor this flour gives this crisp. If you don’t have almond flour, you can use almond meal instead. If you don’t have either of those, feel free to use all purpose flour instead!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Add dairy: If not vegan or dairy-free, use regular butter instead of dairy-free butter in this recipe.
  • Use different fruits: Feel free to use whatever berries you’d like in this recipe in place of both the strawberries and rhubarb. Whatever fruit you decide to use, just make sure it measured out to a total of 6 cups.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (V/GF/RSF)
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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (V/GF/RSF)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

Ingredients

  • For the filling:

  • 3 cup rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces

  • 3 cups strawberries, halved

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest, optional

  • For the crisp:

  • 1 cup oats, see Notes

  • 1/2 cup almond flour, see Notes

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/4 cup dairy-free butter, see Notes

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • Add all filling ingredients to a bowl and toss to coat fruit, then transfer to a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  • Add all crisp ingredients to a bowl and mix together with a fork, then sprinkle over filling.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Almond Flour: You can use regular all-purpose flour instead of almond flour if you’d like.
  • Dairy-Free Butter: I used Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks for this recipe, as they’re my favorite for baking. Though you should be able to get away with using any non-dairy butter you’d like. And if you’re not vegan or dairy-free, you can use regular butter instead!

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30 Minutes or Less

Healthy Blueberry Donuts (V/GF)

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Healthy Blueberry Donuts Recipe

These healthy blueberry donuts are my favorite vegan spring treat! They’re soft, sweet, and bursting with juicy fresh blueberries. These donuts are light and nutritious, but taste just as goods as the ones you’d pick up at your local bakery. Serve these healthy blueberry donuts warm with a drizzle of blueberry glaze – YUM!

Healthy Blueberry Donuts

How Healthy Blueberry Donuts Came To Be

I love all food, but there is a special place in my heart for donuts. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or how full I already am, I will NEVER turn down a donut. My personal favorite are cake donuts, I love that crispy outside and crumbly inside. Now I can’t ever give up regular deep-fried gluten and dairy-filled donuts, but I will try to supplement a few of my donut cravings (they come often) with a healthier donut version when I can. These healthy baked blueberry donuts are a riff off my apple cider donuts from last fall. I really wanted those apple cider donuts, but I also wanted something that felt and tasted more like spring. That’s how fresh blueberries entered my donuts and a gorgeously bright purple-y/pink blueberry glaze found its way on top.

I should also note that these healthy blueberry donuts are in fact SO healthy, you could eat them for breakfast. This recipe includes healthy grains, healthy fats, and just a touch of sugar. If I plan on enjoying these for breakfast, I’ll leave a couple without icing and top them with almond butter instead. This extra healthy variation also makes for a great afternoon snack!

What You Need To Make Healthy Blueberry Donuts

Oat Flour – You can make oat flour by taking dry rolled oats and blending them until you achieve a flour-like consistency. There is also always the option to buy already ground oat flour at the store, but I find making it myself to be much cheaper and super easy. If you make the oat flour yourself, be sure to blend it until no large oat pieces remain. We don’t want chunks of rolled oats in our donuts, just a nice smooth flour.

Flax Eggs – If you’re not vegan, you can use 1 real egg in place of the flax eggs. Though if you’re looking to make these donuts vegan, combine 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Whisk the flaxseed meal and water together, then let it sit for at least 5 minutes or until it thickens. Once the flax “eggs” are thick, you’re free to use them in this recipe.

Non-Dairy Milk – Really any non-dairy milk will work here! I used almond milk which made delicious healthy blueberry donuts. Though you’re free to use any nut, seed, soy, or even cow’s milk you’d like.

Almond Butter – Feel free to use any nut or seed butter you’d like in this recipe. I prefer almond butter because it lends little-to-no almond flavor to these healthy blueberry donuts. Another flavorless nut butter option is cashew butter. Though feel free to use peanut butter, pecan butter, walnut butter, or even sunflower seed butter if you’d like.

Blueberries – I haven’t personally tried this recipe with frozen blueberries. The fresh blueberries bake up perfectly in my opinion, and I just can’t picture the frozen blueberries doing the same. Luckily, blueberry season begins this month so you shouldn’t have any trouble picking up a fresh pint of blueberries next time you’re at the store!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Add Dairy: Use 1 cup of cow’s milk instead of non-dairy milk in this recipe.
  • Use All-Purpose Flour: Swap out the oat flour for 1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour instead.
  • Not Vegan: Use 1 egg instead of the flax eggs in this recipe.
  • Make it Nut-Free: Use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
Healthy Blueberry Donuts (V/GF)
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Healthy Blueberry Donuts (V/GF)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

12

donuts
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

These healthy baked blueberry donuts are my favorite vegan spring treat! They’re soft, sweet, and bursting with juicy fresh blueberries. These donuts are light and nutritious, but taste just as goods as the ones you’d pick up at your local bakery. Serve these healthy blueberry donuts warm with a drizzle of blueberry glaze – YUM!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups Oat Flour, see Notes

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

  • 2 Flax Eggs, see Notes

  • 1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk, see Notes

  • 1/2 Cup Creamy Almond Butter

  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar, see Notes

  • 1 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  • 1/2 Cup Fresh Blueberries

  • Flor the blueberry glaze:

  • 1/4 Cup Fresh Blueberries

  • 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a donut pan.
  • Mix the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
  • In a separate small bowl, mix together the flax eggs, non-dairy milk, almond butter, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold in the fresh blueberries
  • Fill your donut pan with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove from molds and let cool on a wire rack.
  • Add the glaze ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Then top cooled donuts with blueberry glaze.

Notes

  • Oat Flour: Make oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a blender until a flour forms.
  • Non-Dairy Milk: I used almond milk, but you can use any non-dairy milk you’d like.
  • Coconut Sugar: You can use white sugar or cane sugar instead.

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