Vegan Baking

These chewy Pecan Caramel Chews are reminiscent of those little caramels you used to get from trick or treating when you were little- except they're packed with pecans and dipped in chocolate. Be sure to use a candy thermometer with this vegan caramel recipe for best results. If you like your caramel extra soft or extra hard, adjust the caramelization temperature 10F lower or 10F higher respectively.

At Veganbaking.net we stress taste before healthiness when it comes to sweets. If you're into vegan baking you may be a health nut and sooner or later you may be concerned about how sugar effects the body. If you're a junk food vegan, we respect that. If you're concerned with the health aspects of different kinds of sugar, read on.

I know that one day I won't have access to my favorite bagel place on Bedford ave in Brooklyn on my way home from the bars to grab a late night snack. This Everything Bagel recipe will hopefully keep me content in those times. Enjoy these vegan bagels with Tofutti cream cheese, Creamy Cashew Cream Cheese, my more involved Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese or whatever else floats your fancy. I've designed these bagels in the authentic NY style which uses barley malt, also known as malted barley. Barley malt is highly recommended but if you don't have it just use an additional one-half Tablespoon sugar in it's place. Be sure to allow ample time for this recipe- it takes about two hours. If you live further than two hours away from New York City, this recipe will be easier than flying there for the flavor.

Ganache can be a very versatile base for a recipe. It can be adapted to anything from frostings to truffles to fillings. Just adjust the Soy or Cashew Cream in this Dark Velvet Ganache recipe plus or minus up to 2 Tablespoons to get the thickness that suits your needs. For example: 2 more Tablespoons Soy Cream, Cashew Cream or non-dairy milk will make this ganache solidify into a soft frosting-like consistency at room temperature. 1 cup of Soy or Cashew Cream yields ganache that is perfect for cakes. You can even customize it further with things like Grand Marnier, Chambord, espresso or mint extract.

This Gingerbread Pecan Biscotti recipe showcases the winning combination of candied ginger, pecans, molasses and just the right amount of spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. The result is a vegan biscotti armed with a deep, complex flavor with a spicy finish that helps kick out those winter blues.

I recently had a cookie at Whole Foods that knocked my socks off. I enjoyed the flavor, the packaging and since I used to own and operate a vegan organic cookie company myself, I was naturally intrigued. Enter Liz Lovely. I had the pleasure of asking Dan from Liz Lovely some questions to find out what makes them tick.

Veganbaking.net: Please describe your business.

Dan: Liz Lovely was founded by Liz and Dan Holtz (front left & right) to bring you cookies with a higher purpose. We call it Baking a Difference™.

We bake gourmet cookies with organic & fair trade ingredients from our 100% vegan cookie bakery in the Green Mountains of Vermont.

Unlike most natural food companies these days, we bake everything in our own bakery and ship it directly to people and stores all over the country.

There's no such thing as a drop-in replacement for cream but this Cashew Cream recipe comes pretty close when you need it for a substitute for baking. It can be used as a vegan base in ganaches, custards, sauces, cakes, etc. Cashew cream is also soy-free and can be made raw if you obtain raw ingredients.

These Balsamic Candied Pecans are great for salads, ice cream or just random munching. It's one of those examples of how balsamic vinegar can mysteriously elevate certain foods to food crack status. This vegan recipe also features olive oil and brown sugar that help create complex flavors during the caramelization process.

There's no such thing as a drop-in replacement for cream but this Soy Cream recipe comes pretty close when you need it for a substitute for baking. It can be used as a vegan base in custards, fillings, sauces, cakes, etc.

Some of us may remember chia seeds from the ch-ch-chia pet commercials in the 80's. Well they're back! It turns out that ch-ch-chia can b-b-bind. They work similarly to flax seeds in that when ground, the mixture gets goopy and pulls together when heated. Perfect as an egg replacer in things like vegan cakes, cookies or anywhere else you would want to substitute an egg. Like flax seeds they also contain protein, fiber and are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Just be sure to use white chia seeds. The darker varieties will be visible in your finished product. White chia seeds can be found online if they're not available at your local health food store.

Peanut butter and maple syrup have this amazing relationship. I think they might be in love with each other. This vegan Peanut Butter Maple Fudge recipe is really easy to make and you have the option of adding chocolate chips if you want to crank up the flavor/passion levels even more.

These vegan Sugar Cookies are perfect for the holidays or any time you feel like treating yourself. This recipe is on the shortbread side of things so they're nice and crispy. They can be rolled and cut with cookie cutters or pressed out of a cookie press. Dust them with coarse sugar, cinnamon, cardamom or all three if you're feeling frisky.

This vegan Bourbon Baked Apple recipe is a great way to get that ridiculously good apple flavor without resorting to the time intensive sport of pie making. It's kind of like an apple pie but without all the crust drama. The core of the apple is removed and replaced with a delectable mixture of pecans or walnuts, raisins, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. The whole deal is then doused with bourbon and baked to perfection. I won't tell if you drink some of the bourbon to make sure it's 'okay'.

This Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Mousse recipe features a silky vegan chocolate mousse enhanced with coconut oil, cocoa powder and a touch of vanilla extract. It's then blended with fresh raspberries for a delectable combination. It's also easy to make, wheat free and doesn't even require baking. The hardest part is waiting several hours for it to firm up in the fridge.

This Sticky Cinnamon Roll recipe features brown sugar, maple syrup and just the right amount of cinnamon, making them moist and chewy. And if that's not enough, these vegan cinnamon rolls are topped with walnuts, raisins then drizzled with icing to make them an irresistible treat any time of day.