Tag

vegan butter

Browsing
Dairy-Free

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

By
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)
Print

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!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

More Healthier Vegan Desserts

View Post
By
30 Minutes or Less

Sous Vide Asparagus

By
fresh lemon being squeezed over sous vide asparagus

This sous vide asparagus is incredibly tender and delicious! This method yields perfectly cooked asparagus with minimal effort every time.

fresh lemon being squeezed over sous vide asparagus

If you own a sous vide throw ya hands in the aiiiiiir! I’m still pretty new on the sous-vide-scene, having only owned mine for a few months now. Though I gotta say, I already can’t stop using it! The sous vide is the new crockpot in my opinion. It gives you the magical ability to throw something in there, then return to a perfect meal or side dish without worry every time. This sous vide asparagus is no exception to that. Except, thanks to asparagus’ quick-cooking abilities, you’ll only need to leave it to cook for about 10 minutes. Once done, you’ll have the tastiest, most tender fool-proof asparagus of all time!

What You Need To Make Sous Vide Asparagus

Asparagus – This easy vegetable pairs well with most meals, making it a year-round favorite. Though when cooking asparagus, there is always one thing to cook in mind – it cooks quickly. Despite setting the sous vide to a pretty low temperature, you will still only need to set the time to 10 minutes. Your cook time may vary slightly, depending on the thickness or thinness of your asparagus. Though my recommendation is to start slowly, give your asparagus a quick check, then continue to cook if needed. I used pretty medium-sized asparagus and found that just 10 minutes left my asparagus tender with a slightly crunchy bite – yum!

Butter – The butter is used for flavor in this recipe, and just a tablespoon gives delicate asparagus that delicious savory taste. I used vegan butter since we like to keep things dairy-free around here, though any kind of butter will do! You can even leave the butter out altogether if you’d like.

Lemon Juice and Zest – A touch of lemon right before serving brings some freshness back into the sous vide asparagus. Lemon juice and zest is totally optional in this recipe, but highly recommended!

Why Sous Vide?

  • The sous vide does an incredible job at keeping the temperature consistent, giving you amazing results every time.
  • Cooks slower in seasoning, giving the flavors time to permeate and develop throughout the food.
  • The sous vide does all the work for you – just set it, then walk away and return to a perfectly cooked meal or side dish!
Sous Vide Asparagus
Print

Sous Vide Asparagus

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

This sous vide asparagus is incredibly tender and delicious! This method yields perfectly cooked asparagus with minimal effort every time.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch asparagus

  • 1 tablespoon butter (I used dairy-free)

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • Fresh lemon juice and zest, optional

Directions

  • Toss all ingredients to a zip-top bag, toss asparagus in bag to coat in spices then remove air from bag.sous vide asparagus process photo 1
  • Drop in sous vide bath set to 180° Fahrenheit (or 82° Celsius) for 10 minutes. If the bag floats to the top, add a few metal utensils to help weigh it down.sous vide asparagus process photo 1
  • Remove bag from bath, then remove asparagus from bag and finish off with fresh lemon juice and zest.sous vide asparagus process photo 3

Notes

  • If you’re not vegan or dairy-free, finish this asparagus off with some shredded parmesan cheese for even more flavor!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

More Easy Side Dish Recipes

View Post
By
Breakfast

Mini Vegan Berry Shortcakes (Grain-Free)

By
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)
Print

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!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

Other Delicious Vegan Dessert Recipes

View Post
By
Desserts

Gluten Free Oreos (vegan)

By
Five gluten-free oreos stacked on top of each other.

These vegan and gluten-free oreos are BETTER than the real thing! Sweet vanilla frosting is layered between two extra-chocolatey, crumbly cookies. These gluten-free oreos are not only fun, but surprisingly easy to make!

Five gluten-free oreos stacked on top of each other.

I. love. oreos. They’re easily one of my favorite packaged cookies (right next to milanos). Thought as I’m sure we all know, oreos are not gluten-free. *womp womp* But now that’s ok! I made these gluten-free oreos with all my celiacs and gluten-intolerant people in mind. These babies are completely gluten-free, though I’d argue they taste even better than regular oreos.

What You Need to Make Vegan and Gluten-Free Oreos

Vegan Butter – Found in both the cookie and the filling, vegan butter is key to this healthier recipe! A cup of softened vegan butter in the cookie dough makes them irresistibly soft and crumbly. While half a cup of softened vegan butter in the filling makes it light and fluffy. I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Baking Sticks in most of my vegan/dairy-free recipes, though feel free to use whatever kind of vegan butter you’d like! Also, if you’re not vegan or dairy-free you can easily swap regular butter in its place.

Gluten-Free Flour – I prefer and recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour, though feel free to use your favorite gluten-free flour in this recipe. When picking out a gluten-free flour for baking, you always want to make sure that it contains xantham gum! If you’re not gluten-free, you can use regular all purpose flour instead.

Cocoa Powder – Any unsweetened cocoa powder will work for these gluten-free oreos! You could even use unsweetened cacao powder for extra vitamins and minerals in your cookies. Cocoa powder is usually pretty lumpy and is the main reason I recommend you sift the dry ingredients in this recipe. Sifting the cocoa powder in particular will ensure that the rich chocolatey flavor is distributed evenly throughout the cookie dough.

Filling gluten-free oreos with vanilla frosting.

Tips and Tricks

  • I know most of us, me included, forget to soften our butter ahead of recipes that call for softened butter. While you can usually get away with quickly microwaving butter to soften it, that trick won’t work for this gluten-free oreos recipe. The dough for these cookies is on the stickier side and if your butter is at all melted going into this mixture, it will make your dough nearly impossible to work with. Therefore, don’t forget to leave the vegan butter out for at least an hour before making this recipe!
  • I didn’t have a cookie cutter small enough for this, so I used the rim of a shot glass to cut out my cookies! If you find yourself in the same boat, take a look around your kitchen for other items you might be able to use. You’ll be surprised by how many round objects can double as a cookie cutter!
  • Any double-stuffed fans out there?? Simply double the filling recipes and pile on that sweet vanilla frosting! You’re free to stuff these gluten-free oreos as much as you want.
Gluten-Free Oreos (vegan)
Print

Gluten-Free Oreos (vegan)

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: American
Servings

24

oreos
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

These vegan and gluten-free oreos are BETTER than the real thing! Sweet vanilla frosting is layered between two extra-chocolatey, crumbly cookies. These gluten-free oreos are not only fun, but surprisingly easy to make!

Ingredients

  • For the cookies:

  • 1 cup vegan butter, softened

  • 1 cup sugar, see Notes

  • 2 cups gluten-free flour

  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • For the filling:

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • For the cookies:
  • Beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy.
  • Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda together in a separate bowl and mix to combine.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar, mix until a dough forms.
  • Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll into 1/4-inch thick disc, then cut out 2-inch round circles.
  • Transfer all circles onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the fridge to chill for 20-30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • For the filling:
  • Beat all filling ingredients together until light and fluffy.
  • Place a dollop of filling onto each cookie and top with another cookie – repeat for all remaining cookies!

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Sugar: I used coconut sugar in this recipe and had great results! Though feel free to use white or cane sugar.

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

More Delicious Vegan and Gluten-Free Recipes

View Post
By
Dairy-Free

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

By
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)
Print

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!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it and tag @samdoesherbest on Instagram!

Like this recipe?

Follow us @samdoesherbest on Pinterest

More Easy Vegan and Gluten-Free Desserts

View Post
By