Classic Vegan Desserts to Make While on Quarantine

One does not simply resist desserts. We all live for desserts, after all. It’s an epic finish to our full-course meals. So how about to try these classic vegan desserts!

When you say desserts, a lot of people would think chocolates or ice cream. Just the thought of this food will make you gulp. If you don’t like desserts that are too sweets, you can also opt for fruits.

But for some reason, not everyone likes fruits. Instead, some people would choose chocolates and ice cream anyway. Then again, too much of everything is bad.

For one thing, sweets can be tempting. More often than not, a lot of people end up indulging in sweets, which aren’t healthy by the way. But no worries, you can still enjoy dessert without the guilt.

Recipe 1: Vegan Peanut Butter Macarons

If you love peanut butter, you can try making these vegan macarons. You can eat it as a dessert or a yummy snack for your family. For this recipe, you will need:

• ½ cup peanut butter, fresh from the fridge

• 1 tbsp. dark cocoa powder

• 1 cup chickpea liquid (aquafaba)

• ½ cup of sugar

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• ½ tablespoon cream of tartar

• 1 ½ cup almond meal

Steps:

1. In low heat, pour the chickpea liquid into a pot. Let it simmer and reduce to about 1/3 cup.
2. Take the pot out of the stove, store the aquafaba in a container, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Next, preheat oven to about 250F or 120 degrees Celsius.
4. Whisk powdered sugar, dark cocoa powder, and almond meal in a bowl until mixed well.
5. In another bowl, add the aquafaba (straight from the fridge) and mix until it starts to form a peak.
6. Add cream of tartar and sugar to the beaten aquafaba, and mix again. Do so until it forms a peak.
7. Sift the powdered sugar, dark cocoa powder, and almond meal to the aquafaba mix. Fold in the ingredients together gently.
8. Get a piping bag and pour the batter in. Pipe the mixture onto a baking sheet lined up with parchment paper.
9. Let the piped mixture rest at room temperature for about two hours. Make sure its surface does not stick to your fingers.
10. When it’s already set, bake for 30 minutes. Afterward, let it cool for about 15 minutes.
11. When they’re already cool enough, start piping peanut butter on the macarons. Top it with another macaron like it’s a sandwich (you know what macarons like, anyway).
12. Chill for two hours, then you can serve it and enjoy!

Recipe 2: Cookies and Cream Cheesecake (Vegan version)

Love cookies and cream but you’re vegan? Easy peasy! You’ll love this vegan version of this classic cheesecake recipe! You will need:

• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

• 1 cup coconut cream

• 30 pcs. vegan chocolate sandwich cookies (optional: additional pieces for toppings)

• 2 tbsp. coconut oil

• 3 cups cashews

Steps:

1. Soak the cashews in boiling water for 2 hours, max.
2. Prepare a 9-inch springform cake pan and line it up with parchment paper.
3. Blend 20 pcs. cookies in a food processor for 30 seconds. If you don’t have a food processor, you can blend it manually (a.k.a. using your hands). Pour the coconut oil while blending continuously. Make sure the mixture becomes crumbly in texture.
4. Press the crumbs on the pan evenly, and freeze for about an hour.
5. Take out the remaining 10 pcs. cookies and scrape the filling. Separate the cookies and the filling.
6. Back to the cashews. Drain it and blend in a food processor until it sticks and balls up.
7. Add the cookie cream filling and coconut cream to the processed cashews and blend it once again. Mix the lemon juice and blend until it has a smooth consistency.
8. Add crumbled scraped cookies. Set the processor to pulse until it mixes good enough to the coco cream-cookie filling mixture.
9. Take out the frozen crust and pour the filling. Add remaining crumbled cookies on top, then pour the remaining filling over the cookies.
10. Put it in the freezer for about an hour. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe 3: Chocolate Cake (Vegan Version)

Who doesn’t love chocolate cake? How about a healthier version of the classic chocolate cake? Here are the ingredients that you will need.

Cake:

• 2 tsp. cocoa powder

• 1 ½ cups almond milk (or any other milk substitute)

• ½ cup maple syrup

• ½ cup of coconut oil

• 1 tbsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. salt

• ½ cup of cocoa powder

• 2 cups of sugar

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting:

• ¼ cup almond milk

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 cup of cocoa powder

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 cup vegan butter

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375F or 190 degrees Celsius.
2. Mix sugar, flour, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a large bowl. Make sure there are no clumps.
3. Create a small crater in the middle of the dry mixture. Add the coconut oil, almond milk, and maple syrup. Whisk until it becomes a lumpy batter.
4. Grease two 9-inch cake tins using coconut oil or non-stick baking spray. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. the cocoa powder inside the pan.
5. Pour half of the mixture into the cake tins each. Put them inside the oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. You can use a toothpick to check whether it’s already baked well.
6. Once done, transfer into a cooling rack. Let it cool for about 5 to 10 minutes before removing the cakes from the tins.
7. Next, prepare the frosting. Mix powdered sugar, vanilla extract, vegan butter, and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer. Make sure the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
8. Pour almond milk into the mixture and mix more.
9. Choose which cake will be the bottom part. Level it off carefully and make sure it does not fall.
10. Place a small icing amount at the center of the serving dish, then place the cake on it.
11. Using a spatula, coat the bottom cake layer. Once coated evenly, put the other cake on top and frost it the same way.
12. Put the cake inside the fridge for about 30 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!