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30 Minutes or Less

Fresh Avocado Salad (ready in 5 minutes!)

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overhead image of avocado salad in a bowl with lemon on the side

This avocado salad is BURSTING with fresh herbs and vegetables! Perfectly ripe avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tangy red onion tossed in fresh lemon juice and olive oil. This super quick and easy salad recipe comes together in one bowl, and in under 5 minutes!

super close-up image of avocado salad

What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Salad

Avocados – Duh! The main ingredient, the stars of this show, are two perfectly ripe large avocados. How can you tell when an avocado is ripe? Give it a gentle squeeze, and if the skin feels firm but gives a little, then your avocado’s ripe and ready to use in this salad! However, if your avocado feels especially hard and doesn’t give at all when squeezed, then it’s not ripe and should be left at room temperature overnight to ripen.

Lemon Juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice gives this salad a nice touch of acidity and brightness! The lemon juice also helps to preserve the freshness of the vegetables in this dish. Though if you don’t have any lemon juice, a touch of apple cider vinegar will work too.

Fresh Herbs – Use any kind of fresh herb you’d like! I used fresh basil and OMG it was delicious. But I’ve also made this plant-based meal with fresh cilantro and fresh parsley, both of which were just as tasty.

Salt – I swear by lightly salting avocado, no matter what dish it’s in. A tiny pinch of salt brings out the rich, creamy, almost buttery taste in avocado. And if you don’t already have some, I highly recommend investing in some flaky sea salt. For this salad recipe, wait until the very end to add the salt. Salt, while enhancing flavor, will also turn the avocado brown. Therefore, to keep your avocado salad looking as bright and fresh as possible, salt the salad right before serving!

avocado salad in a bowl with serving utensils.

Tips and Tricks

  • If you’d like to prep this recipe ahead of time, then prep all ingredients except the avocado. Once avocado is removed from its skin and exposed to air, it’ll brown pretty quickly. This browning doesn’t mean the avocado’s gone bad, and won’t at all affect the taste, though it simply won’t look as pretty. Therefore, chop and prep all other herbs and veggies, then toss in the avocado and salt right before serving to keep it looking vibrant and fresh!
  • Enjoy this avocado salad as-is, or add in your favorite plant-based protein for a heartier meal. A can of drained beans, a cup of lentils, or some crispy cubed tofu would all go perfectly in this salad! Though if not vegan, feel free to serve this salad as a side dish to roast chicken, pan-seared salmon, or really any main course.
  • Store leftover avocado salad in an airtight container. Though before securing the lid, press a piece of plastic wrap over the veggies so that it comes into contact with the top of the salad. This’ll help prevent the avocado from turning brown, and lock in freshness for up to three days!
overhead image of avocado salad in a bowl with lemon on the side

This Avocado Salad Is…

Fresh Avocado Salad (ready in 5 minutes!)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: SaladsDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

This avocado salad is BURSTING with fresh herbs and vegetables! Perfectly ripe avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tangy red onion tossed in fresh lemon juice and olive oil. This super quick and easy salad recipe comes together in one bowl, and in under 5 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 2 large avocados, diced

  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 English cucumber, sliced

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, and/or basil

  • big pinch of salt

  • fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

  • Add all ingredients except salt and black pepper to a large bowl and toss to combine.
  • Just before serving, sprinkle in salt and black pepper, then eat immediately.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Berry Breakfast Crisp (for one!)

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close-up image of berry breakfast crisp.

This berry breakfast crisp tastes so indulgent, it might as well be dessert! But don’t worry, it’s entirely gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. It’s super healthy with plenty of plant-based protein and fiber which will leave you feeling full until your next meal!

overhead image of berry breakfast crisp with coconut yogurt on top.

What You’ll Need To Make Berry Breakfast Crisp

Fresh Berries – Use any kind(s) of fresh berries you’d like! I used a combo of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries – and OMG they were delicious. However, you can totally use whatever berry’s in season, or whatever you have on-hand. You could even use frozen berries if you’d like, just keep in mind they’ll yield more liquid once baked, resulting in a watery filling.

Rolled Oats – It’s super important you use rolled oats, instead of whole or steel cut oats. Rolled oats are flattened then toasted, and bake up beautifully in this berry breakfast crisp.

Almond Flour – Either almond flour or almond meal will work in this gluten-free breakfast recipe. I use and love the Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour, as well as Anthony’s Almond Flour. And if you’re interested in other almond flour breakfast recipes, check out my almond flour pancakes or almond flour banana bread – both are incredible!

Coconut Oil – A tablespoon of solid coconut oil gives the crumble atop this berry breakfast crisp its crumbly texture. If your coconut oil is liquid at room temperature (this happens when the weather’s warm), then simply place it in the fridge or freezer for 5-10 minutes before using. Also, if you don’t have any coconut oil, you can use a tablespoon of cold butter or ghee instead.

close-up image of berry breakfast crisp with coconut yogurt on top.

Tips and Tricks

  • Remember, this recipe makes a single serving. Therefore, you’ll want to double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe when baking for others!
  • Finish off this berry breakfast crisp with a scoop of vanilla yogurt! I topped mine with a dollop of Cocojune’s unsweetened coconut yogurt and it was perfectly creamy and delicious. Though if you’re eating this for dessert, feel free to top it off with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream instead – YUM!
  • You can easily prep this healthy breakfast recipe the night before if you’d like. To do this, assemble the berries and crumble, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Then, in the morning, bake it off as instructed and enjoy a warm berry crisp for breakfast!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Paleo: For a paleo crisp, replace the rolled oats with finely chopped nuts and/or coconut flakes!

Make it Nut-Free: To make this a nut-free breakfast recipe, replace the almond flour with one tablespoon of brown rice flour or all purpose flour.

Berry Breakfast Crisp (for one!)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: BreakfastDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

This berry breakfast crisp tastes so indulgent, it might as well be dessert! But don’t worry, it’s entirely gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. It’s super healthy with plenty of plant-based protein and fiber which will leave you feeling full until your next meal!

Ingredients

  • For the berries:

  • 1 cup fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc)

  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • For the crumble:

  • 1/4 cup rolled oats

  • 2 tablespoons almond flour or meal

  • pinch of salt

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, solid

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  • Add all berry ingredients to a bowl and toss to evenly coat, then transfer into small oven-safe dish.
  • Mix all crumble ingredients together in same bowl as the berries, then sprinkle over top of the berries.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and bubbly. Serve warm with additional maple syrup and/or a scoop of vanilla yogurt.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Make this an apple breakfast crisp by replacing the fresh berries with fresh sliced apples!

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30 Minutes or Less

Extra “Cheesy” Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

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close-up image of vegan spinach artichoke dip with chips

Perfectly creamy and extra “cheesy” vegan spinach and artichoke dip! Perfect for entertaining, bring this easy vegan recipe to your next party or potluck. A handful of simple ingredients, a blender, a baking dish, and 30 minutes is all you’ll need!

Overhead image of vegan spinach artichoke dip in a skillet with chips on the side.

What You’ll Need To Make This Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Cashews – Raw and unsalted cashews are the base of this hearty plant-based dip. You’ll start by soaking them in boiling for water for about 10 minutes, this’ll soften them and help them blend. I love using cashews in this recipe for not only their buttery flavor, but for how nutritionally dense they are! This vegan spinach artichoke dip is so much healthier than the classic kind, and higher in protein.

Nutritional Yeast – I know what you’re thinking …nutritional what? Just hear me out. Nutritional yeast is a totally natural, plant-based ingredient with a nutty, “cheesy” flavor. I use and love this Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast for all of my savory vegan recipes. It’s surprisingly versatile and tastes delicious sprinkled over popcorn, pasta, potatoes, and in this recipe. Though if you’re not vegan and/or have no interest in getting yourself some nutritional yeast (you’re missing out), you can easily replace the two tablespoons of nutritional yeast with two tablespoons of powdered parmesan cheese.

Lemon Juice – A touch of lemon juice mimics the tanginess found in most dairy products. And because this vegan spinach artichoke dip is completely dairy-free, the lemon juice is necessary. Though if you don’t have any fresh lemon juice on-hand, you can use a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.

Artichoke Hearts – Arguably the best part, one whole can of drained artichoke hearts give this side dish its signature hearty texture. They key here is using a can of artichokes packed in water, not oil!

A tortilla chip being dipped into vegan spinach artichoke dip.

Tips and Tricks

  • This vegan spinach artichoke dip tastes best straight out of the oven! When making for guests, I recommend blending and prepping this dish ahead of time, then popping it in the oven right before your guests arrive. This’ll guarantee the dip is bubbling hot, and tastes its best for friends and family.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. To reheat, you can either microwave on high for 45 seconds, or bake at 425° Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes.
  • Serve this plant-based dip however you’d like! I enjoyed mine with a side of crispy corn tortilla chips. Though you can even serve it with a side of fresh veggies for a super healthy, vegan snack.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free version of this recipe, use raw and unsalted sunflower seeds in place of the cashews!

Add Cheese: If not vegan or dairy-free, go ahead and top this spinach artichoke dip off with some shredded parmesan and/or mozzarella right before baking.

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

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

10

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

Perfectly creamy and extra “cheesy” vegan spinach and artichoke dip! Perfect for entertaining, bring this easy vegan recipe to your next party or potluck. A handful of simple ingredients, a blender, a baking dish, and 30 minutes is all you’ll need!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, unsalted

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk, I used almond milk

  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

  • 4 cups fresh spinach, or 2 cups frozen spinach

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
  • Soak cashews in a heat-safe bowl with boiling water for 5-10 minutes, then drain.
  • Add soaked and drained cashews to blender along with the non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Blend until super smooth and no lumps remains.
  • Add drained artichoke hearts and fresh or frozen spinach to blender and pulse 2-3 times to finely chop the veggies.
  • Transfer to an oven-safe dish or skillet and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and bubbly.

Recipe Video

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Dairy-Free

Healthy Gluten-Free Donuts (One-Bowl!)

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gluten-free donuts coated in powdered sugar

Perfectly soft, sweet, and delicious gluten-free donuts! Finish em’ off with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or a simple glaze for a healthier version of a classic dessert. Made entirely with whole ingredients, these perfect gluten-free donuts are also vegan and refined sugar-free!

a stack of gluten-free donuts covered in powdered sugar.

What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Donuts

Oat Flour – Oat flour bakes up beautifully in this gluten-free recipe. It’s also super cheap and easy to get your hands on! You can either buy oat flour, or make it yourself. To make it yourself, simply pulse rolled oats in a blender until very fine. Once the oats resemble the texture of flour, they’re ready to use in this recipe!

Flax Eggs – This vegan egg substitute is also very quick and easy to make yourself. To make one flax egg, combined one tablespoon of flax meal with three tablespoons of water. Whisk that mixture up and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before adding to your donuts batter. As the flax egg sits, it’ll thicken into a gel-like consistency.

Almond or Peanut Butter – Really any nut or seed butter will work here! I used peanut butter because I personally love the taste. Though almond butter will add little to no nutty flavor. And for a nut-free version, simply use sunflower seed butter instead.

Coconut Sugar – While still sugar, coconut sugar is an unrefined, slightly healthier version of white sugar. It offers up the same amount of sweetness as regular sugar, but less of a blood sugar spike. Also unlike white sugar, coconut sugar contains fiber which helps to slow down the rate at which it metabolizes in our body. If you’ve got a sweet tooth like me, you’re all too familiar with that famous energy spike, then crash from eating processed white sugar. Well, with coconut sugar, you can expect much less of that!

a gluten-free donut in a bowl of powdered sugar.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use a large cookie scoop to transfer your gluten-free donut batter to your donut pan! A cookie scoop allows for a more precise transfer of batter. Also, while I’ve never tried it myself, I’ve heard people have a lot of success with piping batter into the donut pan from a large zip-top bag (similar to how you’d pipe frosting on a cupcake)!
  • No donut pan? No problem! Simply bake these donuts into muffins instead.
  • Finish these gluten-free donuts off any way you’d like! I went this classic powdered sugar route. Though for a krispy kreme copycat, dunk them in a simple glaze.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free donut recipe, replace the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter!

Healthy Gluten-Free Donuts (One-Bowl!)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

24

donuts
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

Perfectly soft, sweet, and delicious gluten-free donuts! Finish em’ off with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or a simple glaze for a healthier version of a classic dessert. Made entirely with whole ingredients, these perfect gluten-free donuts are also vegan and refined sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2 flax eggs, see Notes

  • 1 cup milk, I used non-dairy milk

  • 1/2 cup almond or peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Topping options:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar

  • 1 cup coconut sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar + 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a donut pan.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • Form a well in the center of your flour mixture and add in flax eggs, non-dairy milk, almond butter, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
  • Slowly whisk the batter starting at the center, slowly moving outward until both wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.
  • Carefully fill your donut molds with the batter, then bake for 20-22 minutes. Once done, pop donuts out of the mold and onto a cooling rack.
  • Once cool, dip in either powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar to coat.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Flax Eggs: To make on flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit on the counter for 10 minutes to thicken.
  • Store these gluten-free donuts in an airtight container at room temperature where they’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days!

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30 Minutes or Less

Carrot Cake Baked Oats

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carrot cake baked oats in two mugs

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.

Close-up image of carrot cake baked oats with cream cheese icing and carrots on top.

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 in place 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!

Non-Dairy 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 non-dairy 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.

Carrot cake baked oats being scooped out of a mug.

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

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 non-dairy 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, optional

  • 1 tablespoon walnuts, optional

  • For the cream cheese icing:

  • 1 tablespoon non-dairy 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!

Recipe Video

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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