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From brownies, to cookies, to cakes, and ice cream, you’ll find the best plant based desserts to please everyone around your table!
I have a big time sweet tooth. I think chocolate should be its own food group. However, I try to keep my sweet treats as healthy as possible using plant based ingredients.
You may have tried plant based desserts in the past and found them to be flavorless, dry, and unappealing. But when done right, they are not only way healthier than typical desserts, they are just as moist, flavorful and delicious.
It took me some time and many failed attempts before I figured out how to take my favorite desserts and make them plant-based. So if you’ve tried and had some missteps, these desserts have been tried, and tested to ensure they are absolutely the best.
Whether you’re making a dessert for one, your family, or a crowd, nobody will be any the wiser that these desserts are 100% plant based!
Can you eat sweets on a plant based diet?
Yes, you can eat sweets on a plant-based diet! As with all sweets and treats it’s best to eat them sparingly.
Depending on how you categorize your plant based diet, the types of desserts you allow yourself to enjoy may differ. If you primarily eat a whole plant based foods, but allow yourself some wiggle room for treats, then you can enjoy any dessert you like. If you follow a vegan you can enjoy any dessert that doesn’t contain animal products. However, if you’re following a strictly whole food plant based diet you’ll need to take a closer look at the ingredients in your desserts.
What’s the difference between a vegan dessert and a plant based dessert?
Whole Food Plant Based desserts are free of refined or processed ingredients as well as being free of any animal products. That means that they do not contain refined flours, refined sugar, oil, eggs, or vegan butter.
A Vegan dessert does not contain any butter or eggs, but it may contain refined flours, sugars, oils, or vegan butter.
Oil vs. No Oil
Most vegan desserts contain oil or vegan butter. Some common oils in vegan baking include canola oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, and sometimes olive oil.
When making a plant based dessert you’ll need to make an oil substitute.
What oil substitutes can you use?
- Unsweetened Applesauce
- Pumpkin
- Banana
- Avocado
- Raw Almond Butter
Refined Sugar vs. Natural Sugar
Refined sugar is sugar that has been processed from sugar cane or sugar beets to extract the sugar. White sugar, and brown sugar are refined sugars. Plant based sweets do not use refined sugars or artificial sweeteners.
In order to add sweetness to plant based desserts you’ll need to use an unrefined sweetener.
What type of natural sweeteners can you use in plant based desserts?
- Pure Organic Maple Syrup
- Coconut Sugar
- Brown Rice Syrup
- Dates
- Turbinado sugar
Refined vs. Unrefined Flour
When making a plant based dessert you’ll need to avoid using refined flours. Refined flour has been processed so that it’s stripped of nutrients. Refined flours include all purpose four, white flours, bread flour, and pastry flour. and some gluten free flours.
You can still use flour in your desserts, but you want to use a type that is a whole grain and hasn’t been stripped of its nutrients.
What type of flour should you use?
- Whole Wheat Flour
- White Whole Wheat Flour
- Almond flour
- Oat flour
- Spelt Flour
10 of the Best Tried and True Plant Based Desserts to Please Every Type of Eater
If you’re ready to have some fun in the kitchen and create dessert magic that will not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but will be healthy too, then you’ve got to give these tried and true recipes a try!
Vegan Blueberry Cake with Lemon
This Vegan Blueberry Cake with lemon zest is tangy, sweet and fresh. It’s a quick cake that takes only 10 minutes of prep, and 30 minutes to bake. It’s simply finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. A cake that will become a springtime favorite!
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Healthy, decadent, vegan chocolate mousse is possible and it’s delicious! Indulge in this healthy chocolatey dessert made with a secret ingredient! Aquafaba, the brine or water from canned chickpeas, whips up to create this delicate mousse!
Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
These simple vegan oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy made with almond flour and sweetened with maple syrup. They’re a whole food plant-based gluten-free version of the classic cookie but they aren’t missing any of the sweet goodness of the original.
Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes
These healthy chocolate vegan cupcakes use whole food plant-based ingredients. They’re refined sugar free, oil-free, eggless, and dairy free, yet they’re light, fluffy and chocolatey. Ice them with my favorite vegan coconut cream chocolate frosting.
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
These are the best and easiest one bowl gluten-free vegan peanut butter cookies. They’re soft melt in your mouth delicious. Made with six simple whole food ingredients, they’re dairy free, oil free, and gluten-free.
Vegan Apple Crisp
This refined sugar free apple crisp is loaded with cinnamon, ginger, and dried cranberries. The oatmeal topping made with a blend of pecans, walnuts, almond butter, and maple syrup make this apple crisp vegan and gluten free. Top it with coconut milk ice cream for the ultimate guilt free dessert.
Vegan Cookie Dough Balls
These no-bake chocolate chip vegan cookie dough balls are everything you need when you get a craving for a sweet treat. With only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep you can whip these up in a flash. Healthy and delicious these cookie dough balls are paleo, gluten-free, and dairy free!
Chocolate Nice Cream
Chocolate nice cream made with simple wholesome ingredients is creamy and sweet without cream or added sugar! It’s a healthy and nutritious way to enjoy everyone’s favorite sweet treat that takes 5 minutes to prepare and only 3 ingredients.
Healthy Vegan Brownies
These healthy vegan brownies will satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt. They are refined sugar free and oil-free yet still chewy, gooey, and chocolatey.
Watermelon Popsicles
Simple and sweet homemade watermelon popsicles without the added sugar. Layers of fruit and coconut milk, and a sprinkling of chocolate chips, these popsicles will get devoured.
Looking for more plant based resources? Check out these other round ups!
If you’ve tried any of these Plant Based Desserts please let me know how they turned out by commenting below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more vegan plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!
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