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Vegan Chocolate-Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies

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These Orange Shortbread Cookies are flaky, delicate, melt-in-your-mouth goodness! I really wanted to utilize orange + chocolate again this season, because it’s one of my favorite dessert combos. An orange flavored chocolate shortbread cookie came to mind, but then I decided to leave out the cocoa powder and dip the baked cookies in dark chocolate instead! I love the mix of the light cookie with the rich dark chocolate!

My first few attempts at re-creating multiple shortbread recipes with coconut sugar weren’t my favorite. Coconut sugar is so much darker than regular can sugar, and the larger granules don’t lend a good hand to such a delicate shortbread cookie. I ended up using powdered sugar, which is what the original recipe from epicurious calls for. I don’t find these cookies to be overly sweet, and my favorite part about them is how versatile the dough can be. Leave out the almond extract, replace the orange for lemon, etc – do your thing!

I think these cookies bake best with a thicker cut cookie, and the edges may spread a tiny bit. As soon as my cookies came out of the oven, I carefully (and slowly!) re-cut each one with my cookie cutter to clean the edges up a bit. In other words, don’t expect these cookies to come out looking super sharp. They’re packed full of delicious coconut oil, so they’re bound to spread a bit! As always, happy baking, friends!

Vegan Chocolate-Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies
Makes ~15 cookies, depending on cookie cutter size

1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
Zest from one medium orange
1/8 tsp almond extract
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp corn starch
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
2oz dairy-free dark chocolate
1 tsp coconut oil, solid

1.) In a medium bowl, beat the solid coconut oil until smooth and a bit fluffy, around 5 minutes. Using a big wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the orange zest, almond extract, and salt. Sift in the powdered sugar and corn starch and mix with a spoon. Add the almond milk and stir until dough comes together. It will be crumbly. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and flatten to a disc shape. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2.) Roll your dough between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/4″ or 1/2″ thick, depending on how thick you like your cookies. Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes (I used a 2″ circle), dipping your cutter in flour before each cut (I recommend a non-complicated shape, as you may have to re-cut the cookies post-bake). Gently move the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet and re-roll leftover dough, cutting more shapes. Once all your cookies are transferred to the baking sheet, freeze them for 10 minutes.

3.) Preheat your oven to 325°F. Bake the frozen cookies at 325°F for 10 minutes. If the edges of your baked cookies look messy, carefully re-cut the cookies with your cutter. It’s important to be extra gentle with this step, because these cookies are quite delicate. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

4.) Once cookies have cooled completely, use a knife to shave your chocolate (make small cuts along the edge). Melt half of the chocolate shavings in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring between each set. Once melted, add the second half of your chocolate shavings and stir until all the chocolate is melted. Add 1 tsp of solid coconut oil, stirring until melted and totally combined.

5.) Line a cooled baking sheet with parchment paper (or re-use the one from earlier). Dip half of each cookie in the chocolate and lay on your baking sheet to set. Immediately zest fresh orange over the chocolate. Alternatively, you can drizzle the chocolate over each cookie or cover your cookies totally by placing them on a cooling rack and pouring the chocolate over each cookie – you will need to melt more chocolate if you choose the pour method. Enjoy! Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Crinkle Cookies

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A couple of weeks ago I had an idea to create and post a bunch of new dairy-free holiday cookie recipes for you all to enjoy. So I’m officially kicking off the Sugared & Stirred 12 Days of Dairy-Free Cookies with these Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Crinkle Cookies! I mean, can it get anymore holiday?! I’ve baked three big test batches of these this week, and I’m nowhere near being over them. They’re made ultra chocolatey with rich dutch-process cocoa and chopped, melted chocolate. They’re the perfect amount of peppermint-y with a delicious mint crunch, thanks to the crushed candy canes I added to the powdered sugar coating – a serious mint chocolate dream.

The recipe for these cookies is pretty straightforward, but be sure to follow it exactly as written as I haven’t tested any ingredient swaps. You’ll want to use dutch-process cocoa (Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa has a new formula that is 100% dutch-process now – check the label) and peppermint extract. Regular mint extract will taste like spearmint, which isn’t what we want here. When it comes to rolling the dough balls in the powdered sugar and crushed candy canes, make sure to double or triple roll them until they are heavily coated. I found that a thin coat of sugar would melt in the oven and come out with less of a powdery, snowy look. Feel free to drop any questions below. Happy baking!

Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Crinkle Cookies
Makes ~26 small cookies

2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water)
6oz semisweet dairy-free chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup solid coconut oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp peppermint extract (not mint extract)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp crushed peppermint candy (1-2 candy canes)

1.) Make your flax eggs by combining the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl; set aside to allow time to thicken. Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with about an inch of water and place over medium heat. Grab a heatproof bowl (one that will sit on your pot of water without touching the water), place it on your pot of water, and add the chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Stir frequently until everything is melted; set mixture aside.

2.) In a medium bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until flour and cocoa are combined.

3.) Return to your chocolate mixture and stir in the coconut sugar. Add the flax eggs and peppermint extract and stir to combine. Finally, add the dry ingredients and stir until totally combined. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Stir the dough, re-cover, and refrigerate for another 15 minutes.

4.) Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a shallow bowl or dish, mix together the powdered sugar and crushed peppermint candies; set aside.

5.) Remove dough from the refrigerator and scoop 1 Tbsp dough balls, 8 at a time. Roll each dough ball in your hands, warming up the dough a bit, and then, using a spoon, immediately roll in the powdered sugar mixture. Make sure each dough ball is heavily coated before carefully transferring to your baking sheet.

6.) Bake cookies – 8 per standard baking sheet – at 350°F for 6-7 minutes or until cookies have begun to crack and spread. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 1 minute before moving to a cooling rack. If you’d like to sprinkle a bit more powdered sugar on top, let your cookies cool completely before doing so. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

Vegan Orange Cranberry Swirl Bread

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Okay, so I love a good cranberry orange bread. You know those giant cran orange muffins at the grocery store? LOVE THOSE. So I made my own, dairy-free version. And then Thanksgiving came around and I really wanted to make a cranberry orange loaf with a cranberry swirl. Talk about festive.

This loaf is easy to get together – seriously, don’t let the homemade cranberry sauce deter you. It’s vegan. And it’s sweetened with just the right amount of coconut sugar – my favorite unrefined, low GI sweetener. For this loaf, you’ll make the cranberry sauce, and then get to work on the easy quick bread batter. If you decide to use fresh squeezed orange juice, zest your oranges before you cut them in half.

When it comes to adding your batter and cranberry sauce to the loaf pan, remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect. That’s what makes this so easy! You’ll just plop spoonfuls of batter and cranberry sauce into the pan and then swirl it all together with a chopstick (or knife). You’ll have way more batter than sauce, so opt for big spoonfuls of batter and little spoonfuls of cranberry sauce. I found that this loaf baked fast for me, so keep that in mind. Happy baking!

Vegan Orange Cranberry Swirl Bread
Makes one 9×5″ loaf

Cranberry Sauce
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
Zest from one orange
Orange Bread
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
4 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest from two oranges
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with olive oil. In a small saucepan, make your cranberry sauce by combining fresh cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and orange zest. Cook on medium heat until cranberries have burst (I like to mash mine with a fork along the way) and sauce has thickened a bit. For a less chunky cranberry sauce, blend the sauce in a blender or food processor (I didn’t do this). Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool.

2.) In another small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal, orange juice, and water; set aside to thicken. Grab a medium bowl and stir together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, almond milk, applesauce, vanilla, and orange zest; set aside.

3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add all of the liquid ingredients, including the flaxseed meal mixture, and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.

4.) Begin spooning your batter and cranberry sauce into your prepared loaf pan, alternating between the two. You will have much more batter than cranberry sauce, so drop smaller spoonfuls of the cranberry sauce so you don’t run out (I like to make sure I have plenty to spoon onto the top of the loaf). Once you’ve added all of your batter and sauce, use a chopstick or knife to swirl the two together. Be sure you insert your chopstick all the way to the bottom of the pan for a more even swirl.

5.) Bake your loaf at 350°F for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with slight crumbs. Allow your loaf to rest in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the loaf by running a knife along the edges, tilting your pan, and using a spatula or knife to shimmy the loaf out, careful not to ruin the pretty swirl on top. Enjoy warm or let cool!

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts

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It’s our first week in our new apartment, and I really wanted my first bake to be something with a chocolate icing. I melted dark chocolate and added that to a super simple mix of confectioner’s sugar and almond milk and OMG. It came out so good. And then I dipped my Chocolate Banana Donuts in it and I literally ate three. Yeah, that happened. These donuts are freaking good. I made Nathan take them to work, because I knew I’d end up eating all 12.

The batter is easy to whip together – it’s basically a quick bread batter that I piped into a donut pan. If you don’t have a donut pan yet, then you should definitely get one. They’re relatively inexpensive, especially if you buy one from a favorite craft store that regularly has 40% off coupons…

For this baked donut recipe, you’ll use a piping bag or large Ziploc bag to simply pipe the batter into the pan – that’s it! I promise it’s easy. And the icing? Just three basic ingredients, warmed up over a double boiler to make sure it sets. If you don’t warm your icing, there’s a good chance it will soak into the donuts (trust me). If you have any questions, leave them below. Happy baking!

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts
Makes 12 regular donuts

Donuts
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey if non-vegan)
1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp neutral oil*
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour (all-purpose will work, too)
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Icing
1 cup confectioner’s/powdered sugar
~2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
.7oz (20g) vegan dark chocolate

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a donut pan with olive oil. In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, honey, yogurt, almond milk, flax eggs, vanilla, oil, and mashed banana; set aside.

2.) In a large bowl, sift together the flours and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until no flour pockets remain.

3.) Fill a pastry bag or large Ziploc bag with the batter (I started out with half). Pipe the batter into your greased donut pan, filling to the top. Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a donut comes out with crumbs. Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack – they should pop right out when you turn the pan over and shake a bit. Let donuts cool completely.

4.) To melt the dark chocolate, bring about an inch of water to simmer in a medium saucepan. Place your chocolate in a heatproof bowl that will rest on top of your saucepan, being sure it doesn’t touch the water. Let your chocolate melt, stirring constantly. Remove your bowl from the heat and set your chocolate aside.

5.) In another heatproof bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and almond milk until combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix until totally combined. Heat your icing over the simmering water (the same way you did the chocolate) until just warm to the touch; remove from heat. Dip the tops of your donuts in the icing and then set them to rest on a cooling rack. Be sure to work quickly as the icing will begin to set fast. Enjoy your iced donuts!

*an oil with a light taste, such as avocado, grapeseed, or light olive oil. I don’t recommend coconut oil, as the cold ingredients (milk and yogurt) will cause the melted oil to solidify

Vegan Pumpkin Butter Poptarts

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I can’t think of a single person whose face doesn’t light up at the sight of homemade poptarts. I mean, they’re a delicious, flakey pastry stuffed with sweet goodness and topped with glaze (and sometimes sprinkles)! And for a lot of us, they remind us of our childhood. Or, in my case, teenagehood, because let’s not pretend that I didn’t buy poptarts out of the school vending machine way too often well into my teen years.
For me, homemade poptarts far outweigh their thin, store-bought counterparts. And these Vegan Pumpkin Butter Poptarts are filled with a delicious, and easy, homemade pumpkin butter and then topped with a sweet maple syrup and cinnamon glaze! I’m not sure there’s anything not to like!
Homemade poptarts do take a bit of time and effort. But you can make the pumpkin butter ahead of time, or even by a jar from the store. The crust is pretty straightforward, so I think the hardest part is deciding what size to make your poptarts! You can go with a standard size, mini, or even one giant one! Have fun with this recipe, and make it your own. Don’t like pumpkin? Try apple butter or apple jam. Either of those options would make a delicious filling! Happy baking!
Vegan Pumpkin Butter Poptarts with Maple Glaze
Makes ~8 3×4″ poptarts
Crust
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup coconut oil, solid
6-10 Tbsp ice cold water
Pumpkin Butter
1 15oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut sugar or granulated/brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Maple Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Other
1 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk (to seal the poptarts)
1.) Make the pumpkin butter: add all ingredients to a sauce pan and bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring often. You will have a lot leftover, so refrigerate what you don’t use (which will be most of it!) or make my Vegan Pumpkin Butter Sweet Rolls.
2.) Make the crust: add the flour, coconut sugar, and salt to a blender or food processor and give the ingredients a quick blend. Add the solid coconut oil and blend until combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add 4 Tbsp of ice cold water and blend. Keep adding water by the Tbsp until your dough comes together. Scoop your dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into two balls. Wrap each dough ball in plastic and flatten to a disc shape. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, usually around 15 minutes.
3.) Cut out the poptarts: roll your dough between two pieces of parchment paper (or on a lightly floured surface) to ~1/8″ thick. You’ll want to roll each disc into somewhat of a rectangle. Begin cutting out your poptarts by trimming the sides of your rectangle. Then, you can cut even rectangles from your crust. I made my poptarts roughly 3×4″. Refrigerate your rectangles for 5-10 minutes.
4.) Assemble the poptarts: remove your rectangles from the refrigerator and spoon pumpkin butter on half of them, making sure to leave 1/4″ of an empty border around each one. The amount of filling will depend on your poptart size; I added 1-2 tsp of pumpkin butter to each of my poptarts. Brush almond milk around the edge of all bottom rectangles. Place top rectangles on the bottoms and use a fork to press the sides together. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes + preheat your oven to 375°F.
5.) After 20 minutes, remove your assembled poptarts from the refrigerator and poke holes in the top. I did a single fork prick right in the middle of each poptart. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until crust is slightly golden. Allow your poptarts to cool (or eat them warm!).
6.) Make the glaze: in a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. You want your glaze to be pretty thick so it doesn’t run off of your poptarts – unless that’s the look you want! Add more powdered sugar if it’s too thin and a little almond milk if it’s too thick. Spread your glaze over each poptart. It won’t look perfect at first, but once it settles and spreads a bit, it will smooth out. Enjoy your poptarts at room temp or heated up!
Pumpkin Butter recipe adapted from allrecipes