Did you know that Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Mousse, and Blueberry Cobbler — just about any dessert, in fact — can all be made without a single egg, or an ounce of dairy? Which means all will be 100% cholesterol-free. With just a few substitutions, and no fancy or artificial ingredients, you can learn how.
First, a word about butter. Plant-based baking often involves butter. No one, not a single human, has ever noticed that my go-to brand, Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Salted Butter, is not made from dairy (which more often than not comes from cows that have been injected with cocktails of hormones, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs). Its main ingredients are coconut oil and cashew butter. When I have house guests, I take off the wrapper, serve Miyoko’s on a butter dish, and don’t reveal it’s plant-based until after the fortunate breakfast-eater has finished their English muffin or toast. The most frequent response: “It’s so generous of you to buy butter for your guests, when I know you’re plant-based.” That’s when I confess. Miyoko’s works beautifully when baking, too.
Fruit-Based Desserts:
Blueberry cobbler: I’m a sucker for cobbler. This one is versatile enough to accommodate any type of fruit, fresh or frozen. My favorite is a mixture of berries. In 10 minutes you can mix up a healthy, berry-licious dessert with a cakey-crunchy topping.
Strawberry Shortcake: I love strawberry shortcake so much I chose it as my wedding cake. This one is deceptively simple; layers of sweet-tangy biscuits filled with fluffy coconut whipped cream, and two full pounds of strawberries.
Creamy Lemon Bars: Traditional lemon bars tend to use copious amounts of sugar, eggs and butter. This crave-worthy recipe has none of them. Dates and maple syrup add sweetness, a rolled oat crust provides fiber, and a mixture of coconut cream blended with lemon juice makes for a gluten-free treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Olive Oil Cake with Strawberries: Thanks to my new favorite ingredient, aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas), this is the most tender and light (egg-free!) cake you’ll ever make. Nisha Vora provides a step-by-step blueprint of how to create this moist, melt-in-your-mouth goodness, sure to wow everyone at your next dinner party. Nisha suggests topping it with her strawberry sauce, but any berry will do.
Chocolatey Desserts:
Chocolate Mousse: Every time I serve this mousse at a dinner party (which is frequently, because it is so easy), I turn it into a game. After my guests take a spoonful or two, I ask them to guess the ingredients. Of course everyone gets the chocolate part. But no one ever has guessed the secret ingredient, which happens to be its base. Hint: This decadent dessert is high-protein, high-calcium, and relatively low calorie (compared to traditional mousse). And of course, finger-licking delicious.
World’s Best Brownies: Yes, it’s true. The World’s Best Brownies happen to be dairy-free. How can that be? Chocolate. Chocolate. And more chocolate. And once again ….. magical aquafaba. (See Olive Oil Cake, above).
Double-Chocolate Mug Cake: If anyone had told me one of the best uses of a microwave is to make a cake, I would have tuned them out and, yes, judged them as a bad cook. That was until I watched Sadia, the genius behind Pick Up Limes, make mug cakes. With 10 minutes of effort (including cooking time!), a couple of basic ingredients, a mug, and a microwave, you can throw yourself (and others, if you must) a party. If you’re in love with this concept as much as I am, watch the video after the recipe, to learn how to make a variety of mug cakes – perfect for when you need cake, NOW.
Dairy-Free Ice Cream:
Don’t feel like baking? No problem. Ben & Jerry’s, Van Leeuwen, and a multitude of other A+ ice cream brands have jumped onto the dairy-free ice cream bandwagon. I agree with this Best Dairy-Free Ice Cream list in every way, with one exception – I’d rate their #10, GoodPops, as #1. Here’s my favorite dessert hack, when I lack the motivation or time to make any kind of dessert: Open a box of GoodPops — or any individually wrapped ice cream or ice pops — throw them into your favorite bowl, and ask guests to choose whichever they like (it brings back memories of running for the Good Humor truck). Add another bowl of berries or cherries to the table, and a couple of dark chocolate bars. I promise everyone will go home happy!
Bonus Dessert:
You don’t need to empty your pantry to make a decadent dessert. Watch this video of simple 5-ingredient plant-based desserts, and I dare you not to make at least one.
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