It looks like we might finally be getting a few more days of summer at long last, does anyone else think its been a bit of damp squib so far this year? Apart from a few nice days just as I finished off the patio over a month ago, I’ve spent most of my time standing forlornly in the garden staring up at the sky doing my best drunk Delia impression “WHERE ARE YA?”
Still, rain or shine it’s ALWAYS time for good food and a couple of weeks ago I harvested our surprisingly bumper crop of cherries from our teeny cherry tree and made an amazing Bakewell tart. I love cooking but I find that I rarely make anything sweet. Partially because there’s only two of us so we can never manage to eat it all and partially because I haven’t really mastered making vegan sweet goodies.
It’s no secret my real sweet weakness is chocolate so I thought I’d share some vegan chocolate recipes from Santa Barbara Chocolate ideal for entertaining this summer (or, all for me) because let’s face it we all always need some vegan chocolate desserts in our lives.
Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe
There’s possibly nothing better than a good old chocolate cake (no disagreements allowed 🙂
Ingredients:
- 1 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips (at least 60% cocoa)
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup organic light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or flavour of your choice)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free if needed)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups non-dairy milk (almond, coconut, soy, etc.)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper and grease with vegetable oil. In a large saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, cocoa powder, water, sugar, and vanilla over low heat until the chocolate melts. Stir gently. Remove from heat and let cool.
Next, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and non-dairy milk in a medium bowl. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting it with your favourite frosting. You can make your own frosting using vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and water.
Vegan Brownie Recipe
Brownies are pretty much the best treats to have at home aren’t they? Perfect for that mid-morning or mid-afternoon pick-me-up. They are easy to prepare, and you can use whatever ingredients you have available at hand. Homemade brownies are much better than store-bought ones because they are usually made with healthier ingredients without refined sugars. Here is a recipe for brownies that you can try for summer parties:
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 1 cup organic light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup non-dairy milk (almond, soy, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free if needed)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9×9 inch cake pan with vegetable oil. Melt the cocoa powder and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and non-dairy milk to the mixture and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine the baking powder, flour, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the cooled chocolate mixture and mix well. Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let cool before cutting into squares and serving.
Vegan Dark Chocolate Mousse Recipe
If you are looking for a vegan chocolate dessert that will impress your guests, this dark chocolate mousse recipe is a must-try! It’s easy to prepare, and you can even make it ahead of time and chill it in the fridge until it’s ready to serve – we love vegan chocolate recipes that are this easy.
The best part is that this vegan treat is dairy-free, gluten-free, and actually not tooooo naughty because it doesn’t contain sugar. Instead, it’s made from healthier ingredients such as cacao powder, almond milk, bananas, and coconut oil. Here is what you need to do:
Ingredients:
- 3 ripe bananas (mashed)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cacao powder (unsweetened)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or 1 tablespoon agave nectar)
- 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
Directions:
Mix the mashed bananas, coconut oil, cacao powder, maple syrup, and almond milk in a large bowl until well combined. Using an electric mixer (or blender) on low speed, mix until everything is well blended and has a smooth and creamy texture.
Transfer the mixture to a glass container with a lid and refrigerate overnight or at least for 3 hours because it will help the mousse set. Serve chilled.
It’s always exciting to come across new recipes especially where chocolate is concerned so if you try any of these vegan chocolate recipes, do let me know how they turn out!
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