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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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    30 Minutes or Less

    Perfect Paleo Brownies

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    close up image of the inside of paleo brownies

    These paleo brownies are total perfection! Extra chocolatey and extremely indulgent, yet are entirely gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.

    overhead image of paleo brownies with milk and cocoa powder on the side

    What You’ll Need

    Almond Flour – Be sure to use almond flour, and not almond meal in these paleo brownies! Almond flour is ground much finer than meal, resulting in a lighter and overall better brownie. I’ve tried many different brands of almond flour and truly loved them all. Trader Joe’s makes a great almond flour, as does Costco. Almond flour was once hard to come by, but thankfully, it’s sold in most grocery stores these days!

    Almond Butter – Almond butter makes these brownies exceptionally rich and delicious! Don’t worry though, your brownies won’t at all taste like almonds. Almond butter also gives these brownies structure, in the absence of gluten or grains.

    Coconut Sugar – This unrefined sugar is a paleo-friendly alternative to regular white sugar. Also, unflike white sugar, coconut sugar contains vitamins, minerals, and even fiber. The fiber in particular aids in slowing down the absorption of sugar in our body, placing it lower on the glycemic index. Basically, what this means is you’re less likely to experience that sugar spike and crash with coconut sugar, than with refined white sugar.

    three paleo brownies stacked on top of each other

    Top Tips

    • Let the brownies cool slightly before cutting! Trust me, I understand the temptation of wanting to dive straight into a pan of brownies as soon as they’re out of the oven. But try your best to fight those urges and let the paleo brownies cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This’ll help them hold their shape!
    • Bring any chilled ingredients to room temperature before getting started. If the eggs, for example, are too cold, they’ll cause the melted coconut oil to seize up and harden in the batter. Therefore, place all ingredients out on the counter about an hour before diving into this recipe!

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan: Simply swap out the eggs for 2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water) for vegan paleo brownies!

    Make it Nut-Free: I haven’t tested this version myself yet, but you can try using sunflower seed butter in place of the almond butter and 1/4 cup of coconut flour in place of the almond flour. If you give this nut-free version a try, please let me know how it is!

    close up image of the inside of paleo brownies
    5 from 1 vote

    Perfect Paleo Brownies

    These paleo brownies are total perfection! Extra chocolatey and extremely indulgent, yet are entirely gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 16 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 eggs, at room temperature
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup almond flour
    • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line or grease a 9×9-inch baking dish.
    • Add eggs, almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and beat together either by hand or with an electric mixer.
    • Add in almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until completely smooth and combined. Fold chocolate chips into brownie batter.
    • Transfer batter to your prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

    Notes

  • Leftover paleo brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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    Dairy-Free

    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 6 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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