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maple syrup

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Dairy-Free

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

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overhead image of vegan graham crackers on a table

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own as a healthy snack or dessert!

vegan graham crackers witha glass of almond milk and rolled oats

I’d like to start off by thanking the person that first invented s’mores. Graham crackers are great, but let’s be honest they’d be nothing without the s’more. S’mores put graham crackers on the map. And it wasn’t until I had leftover boxes of this crispy cookie lying around from s’more-making that I realized how perfect they truly are. They’re soft, light, crumbly, and not to sweet. Graham crackers deserve a moment of their own and I am here to give them that. Think about this for a second – why don’t we place this sweet cracker in the same lineup as say a chocolate chip cookie? They are more than worthy of standing alone in my opinion. Not convinced yet? OK OK just make this vegan graham cracker recipe yourself and you’ll understand.

What You Need To Make Vegan Graham Crackers

Oat Flour – I love baking up my gluten-free treats with oat flour! Not only is it inexpensive, but it’s super easy to acquire. I highly advise against purchasing pre-made oat flour, it’s simply not necessary. Instead, purchase a big bag of oats then grind them in a food processor or blender to make your own cheap and easy oat flour. Oat flour gives these vegan graham crackers their irresistibly soft texture. It also make them healthier and more nutritious!

Maple Syrup – Just a touch of maple syrup gives these gluten-free cookies a bit of caramel color and flavor. You’ll notice that I keep the amount of sweetener in this recipe low because these vegan graham crackers really don’t need much! Maple syrup is a delicious natural sweetener and much healthier than any refined sugar.

Vegan Butter – I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in my vegan/dairy-free baked goods. Though any vegan butter will work here, just be sure to melt it completely before adding it to this recipe. You could also sub the vegan butter for melted coconut oil or regular butter if you’d like!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Add Dairy: Feel free to use regular milk and butter in place of the almond milk and vegan butter in this recipe.

Make it Nut-Free: Use soy, hemp, or coconut milk instead of almond milk to make this vegan recipe nut-free.

Add Gluten: I haven’t tested this myself, but you can try using 2 cups of all purpose flour instead of oat flour. If you give this a try, start with just the 2 cups then add a bit more flour until a dough forms. And of course, let me know how it goes!

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)
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Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

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

16

cookies
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Chilling time

1

hour

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own!

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups oat flour, see Notes

  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar, see Notes

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter or coconut oil, melted

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup almond milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Mix together the oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add in the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until a dough forms.
  • Cover and transfer dough to the fridge for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Remove dough from fridge and roll out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thick.
  • Cut dough into 2-inch squares, transfer to a baking sheet, poke the top of each graham cracker with a fork, then bake for 10-12 mintues.
  • Remove from oven, then let cool slightly on a baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Oat Flour: Make oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a blender or food processor until a fine flour forms and no large oat pieces remain.
  • Coconut Sugar: Feel free to use cane sugar or white sugar in place of the coconut sugar in this recipe!

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Breakfast

Mini Vegan Berry Shortcakes (Grain-Free)

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mini vegan berry shortcakes arranged on a cake stand

These mini vegan berry shortcakes are as cute as they are delicious! A few simple ingredients come together to create a soft shortcake base, which is then topped off with homemade coconut whipped cream. A sprinkling of fresh berries is the finishing touch to this easy and adorable dessert!

close-up image of mini vegan berry shortcakes

These Mini Vegan Berry Shortcakes Are…

  • Soft
  • Crumbly
  • Perfectly Sweet
  • Grain-Free
  • Fresh
  • Summery
  • & a total crowd-pleaser!

What You Need To Make Mini Vegan Berry Shortcakes

Almond Flour – This gluten and grain-free flour is a staple in my kitchen. Almond flour has a very mild taste and gives these shortcakes their irresistibly soft and crumbly texture! While almond flour used to be difficult to locate, you can easily find it either online or in most grocery stores these days.

Coconut Flour – This particular ingredient is vital to the construction of these mini vegan berry shortcakes. Coconut flour holds together these tiny treats, in the absence of eggs. It is very important that you do not skip or replace this it with any other type of flour (unless noted in the flour substitutions section below).

Coconut Cream – If you’re looking to make the vegan coconut whipped cream yourself, you’re going to need a can of coconut cream! I highly recommend the tiny cans of Native Forest Coconut Cream which can be found at Whole Foods. However, if you can’t find that particular brand then pick up any can of coconut cream and use just the solid coconut cream at the top of the can in this recipe. This step will ensure your cream whips up beautifully light and fluffy!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: I have not tested this myself, but I can imagine that equal parts oat flour would work in place of the almond flour in this recipe. If you give this a try, let me know how it turns out! 🙂

Flour Substitutions: I get asked a lot if all purpose flour can be subbed in my gluten-free recipes and for this one in particular, you can try using 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour in place of the almond and coconut flour. Though keep in mind that I have also not tested this myself and therefore cannot attest to its success! If you opt for all purpose flour in these mini vegan berry shortcakes, start with just one cup and the remaining half cup (or maybe even more flour) until a dough forms.

Mini Vegan Berry Shortcakes (Grain-Free)
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Mini Vegan Berry Shortcakes (Grain-Free)

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

24

mini shortcakes
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

These mini vegan berry shortcakes are as cute as they are delicious! A few simple ingredients come together to create a soft shortcake base, which is then topped off with homemade coconut whipped cream. A sprinkling of fresh berries is the finishing touch to this easy and adorable dessert!

Ingredients

  • For the vegan shortcakes:

  • 1/2 cup dairy-free butter, softened

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 cups almond flour

  • 1/4 cup coconut flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • For the coconut whipped cream:

  • 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut cream

  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • For topping:

  • fresh berries

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
  • Beat together the dairy-free butter and maple syrup, then add in the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, and baking soda.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined, then cover and let chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  • Scoop two tablespoons of dough into each mini muffin mold and press down then up the sides to form a cup shape.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes, then let cookies cool in pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • While cookies cool, remove the top later of solid coconut cream from the can and discard any liquid. Beat coconut cream along with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
  • Top each mini shortcake with whipped cream and fresh berries – enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Store these mini vegan berry shortcakes in an airtight container in either the fridge or freezer!

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30 Minutes or Less

Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oats (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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overhead image of peanut butter and jelly baked oats with milk and blueberries on the side.

These peanut butter and jelly baked oats are the most delicious way to start your morning! Creamy peanut butter, your favorite jelly, and just a touch of maple syrup are what make this recipe special. Whip up these peanut butter and jelly baked oats on mornings when you want something that’s perfectly sweet, comforting, and oh-so-satisfying.

overhead image of peanut butter and jelly baked oats with milk and blueberries on the side.

The baked oats life chose me. The carrot cake baked oats recipe I shared a few months back literally blew UP! Everyone was going crazy over that recipe, and tbh I don’t totally blame them. Though while the carrot cake version is delicious, I wanted to give you guys options. So I brainstormed some classic favorite flavor combos and ultimately landed on peanut butter and jelly. There is nothing more iconically wholesome than peanut butter and jelly. And when added to baked oats, the results is truly comfort food made HEALTHY.

What You Need To Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oats

Rolled Oats – Oats are an ideal breakfast, with plenty of vitamins, mineral, and health benefits! Feel free to use either rolled oats or quick oats in this recipe – both will work. I almost always have a bag of rolled oats in my house as an easy and versatile gluten-free grain.

Banana – You can use either a mashed banana or half a cup of apple sauce in this recipe. The mashed fruit act as a fort of egg-replacer in this vegan breakfast recipe.

Peanut Butter – I’d recommend opting for smooth peanut butter if you have it, but if not crunchy will work too. Though keep in mind that the peanut butter will be blended with all ingredients in the second step. Therefore, if you use crunchy, there’s a good chance it will be no longer crunchy by the end of this recipe.

Jam – Go crazy with this one! Literally use whatever jam or jelly your heart desires. I had some homemade blueberry jam lying around, so I used that. But i’m sure any jam or jelly flavor will taste incredible in these peanut butter and jelly baked oats!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Add Protein: Feel free to add a tablespoon of your favorite protein powder to increase the protein in these baked oats. If you end up adding protein powder, I’d recommend increasing the almond milk amount to 1/2 cup instead of 1/3 cup.

Make it Grain-Free: To make these peanut butter and jelly baked oats grain-free, use coconut flour in place of the rolled oats.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oats (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
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Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oats (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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

1

serving
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

These peanut butter and jelly baked oats are the most delicious way to start your morning! Creamy peanut butter, your favorite jelly, and just a touch of maple syrup are what make this recipe special. Whip up these peanut butter and jelly baked oats on mornings when you want something that’s perfectly sweet, comforting, and oh-so-satisfying.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats

  • 1 banana, mashed

  • 1/3 cup almond milk, see Notes

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon jam of choice

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a ramekin.
  • Add all ingredients except the jam to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Pour into ramekin, then swirl in the jam. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Almond Milk: Feel free to use any dairy-free milk you’d like instead of almond milk.

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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)

2 from 1 vote
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

Carrot Cake Baked Oats (V/GF)

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Carrot Cake Baked Oats Recipe

These carrot cake baked oats taste just like eating carrot cake for breakfast! This recipe includes a vegan cream cheese icing and is entirely refined sugar-free. Add a scoop of almond butter and a handful of chopped walnuts for a healthy, well-balanced breakfast.

Carrot Cake Baked Oats

What You Need To Make Carrot Cake Baked Oats

Rolled Oats – You can use either rolled oats or quick oats in this recipe. I like to stock up on oats whenever I’m at the store, they’re so versatile and super satisfying. Oats are one of the best gluten-free grains, loaded with vitamins, minerals, and plenty of health benefits.

Apple Sauce – You can swap mashed banana for the apple sauce in this recipe – use whichever you prefer!

Maple Syrup – I love using maple syrup instead of refined sugar in my recipes. Maple syrup not only tastes delicious but is full of antioxidants and less likely to spike your blood sugar.

Walnuts – Add a much-needed crunch to these carrot cake baked oats. I used raw, unsalted walnuts in my recipe and gave them a quick chop before mixing them in. If you don’t like walnuts, feel free to either swap them with another nut or leave them out!

Dairy-Free Cream Cheese – No carrot cake is complete without the cream cheese frosting. Therefore, I developed a two-ingredient cream cheese icing for these baked oats. My preferred dairy-free cream cheese is Kite Hill’s plain flavor. If you’re not dairy-free, you can definitely use regular cream cheese instead. Just make sure, whatever cream cheese you use, is plain and doesn’t have any added flavors.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Add Protein: Throw one tablespoon of your favorite vanilla protein powder in with the oats and make the rest of the recipe as directed.
  • Make it Nut-Free: Use soy or coconut milk instead of almond milk and leave out the walnuts. If you’re also making the cream cheese icing, make sure your dairy-free cream cheese is nut-free as well!
  • Add Dairy: Swap out the almond milk for cow’s milk and the dairy-free cream cheese for regular cream cheese.
Carrot Cake Baked Oats (V/GF)
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Carrot Cake Baked Oats (V/GF)

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

1

serving
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

These carrot cake baked oats taste just like eating carrot cake for breakfast! This recipe includes a vegan cream cheese icing and is entirely refined sugar-free. Add a scoop of almond butter and a handful of chopped walnuts for a healthy, well-balanced breakfast.

Ingredients

  • For the baked oats:

  • 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats, see NOTES

  • 1/2 Cup Apple Sauce, see NOTES

  • 1/4 Cup Almond Milk, see NOTES

  • 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

  • 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

  • 1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  • 2 Tablespoons Grated Carrots

  • 1 Tablespoon Raisins

  • 1 Tablespoon Walnuts, see NOTES

  • For the cream cheese icing:

  • 1 Tablespoon Dairy-Free Cream Cheese

  • 1/2 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a oven-safe ramekin.
  • Add the oats, apple sauce, almond milk, maple syrup, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla extract to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Pour into ramekin and mix in the raisins, carrots, and walnuts. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
  • Whisk together the dairy-free cream cheese and maple syrup in a small bowl. Pour icing over your oats and enjoy!

Notes

  • Rolled Oats: You can also use quick oats, if you’d like.
  • Apple Sauce: You can swap the apple sauce for 1/2 cup of mashed banana.
  • Almond Milk: Use any non-dairy milk you’d like!
  • Walnuts: Pecans would also taste great, but use whatever nuts you’d like.

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