Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

If you like super moist and yummy cupcakes then this recipe is for you. They are light and fluffy yet still packed full of a nice chocolatey flavour. I tested these on my non vegan family and they could not believe that they were vegan and that there was no butter in them.

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes but as it is usually only me eating them, I tend to half the recipe and make 6. The cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for approximately 4 days. 

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 cup of non dairy milk 

1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar 

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

1/3 cup of oil (I use olive oil)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon of any additional extracts (I like to use peppermint to make after 8 cupcakes) if you don't want to add another flavour then just add more vanilla. 

1 cup of plain flour

1/3 cup of cocoa powder 

3/4 teaspoon of bicarb of soda 

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

pinch of salt 

Icing

1 cup of non dairy butter/margarine 

1/2 cup of icing sugar 

75g of dark chocolate 

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 170c (fan)

2. In a bowl mix the non dairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Place to one side for approximately 5 minutes until the milk has started to cuddle

3. In another bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, bicarb, baking powder and salt

4. To your flour mixture add your milk and vinegar. Followed by your sugar, oil and extracts

5. Mix until smooth and transfer to cupcake cases. Fill the cases approximately 3/4 full

6. Place into the oven and cook for approximately 20 - 25 minutes

7. Once the cupcakes are cooked remove them from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool 

8. Whilst the cupcakes are cooling, begin to make your icing

7. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler

8. Whilst your chocolate is melting, add your butter and icing sugar into a food mixer and beat for approximately 3 to 4 minutes until the butter becomes light and fluffy

9. Once the chocolate has melted again this will only take a minute or two. Place it to one side to cool slightly. The chocolate needs to be warm but not too hot that it will melt the butter

10. When the chocolate has cooled, add the melted chocolate to the butter icing and beat until combined. Once combined, pipe or spoon the icing onto the now cooled cupcakes. 

Enjoy! 

Vegan Doughnuts

Ingredients 

1 cup of self raising flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of soy milk
1 Flax egg (1 tablespoon of flax seeds + 3 tablespoons of water)
1/4 cup of vegan margarine
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 150c (fan)

2. In a large mixing bowl add flour, sugar and salt.

3. In a small saucepan heat milk, margarine and vanilla. Heat until margarine is melted.

4. Add to the dry ingredients the flax egg and then the wet ingredients

5. Spoon mixture into doughnut tray

6. Bake in the oven for approximately 12 minutes. The doughnuts will not turn brown.

This mixture will make approximately 10/12 doughnuts.

Once the doughnuts are cooled, they can be topped with whatever you fancy. I used a dark chocolate icing and a vanilla icing.

Vegan Guacamole

I am yet to meet a person who doesn't like gauc! Like seriously who cannot love this stuff. And homemade is even better, so fresh and tasty and oh so simple to make. 

Ingredients 

2 large ripe avocados 

half a red onion (diced)

1 clove of garlic 

4 cherry tomatos 

1 lime (juiced) 

pinch of salt and pepper

dash of olive oil 

half red chilli (deseeded and chopped)

Method

This is really the easiest thing you could ever make and though it may be simple, it will still impress your friends! Simply take all of the ingredients above and put them in a food processor, blend them up and there you go. Guacamole is made. Be careful not to over blend though, it should still have some bite to it. 

Vegan Burrito Bowl

Perfect cold winter night food. Colourful and Tasty. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup of brown rice

250g of kale

1 lime (juiced)

1/4 teaspoon of cumin 

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 avocado 

pot of salsa

1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 onion 

1 clove of garlic (pressed)

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon of chilli powder

tortilla chips 

cheese (grated to scatter on top)

Method

1. Cook the brown rice 

2. Whilst the rice is cooking, mix lime juice, cumin and salt into a large bowl and mix in kale. Leave to one side 

3. Add black beans to saucepan to warm through. Whilst warming, brown onions and garlic in frying pan. After approximately 5 minutes, add black beans to frying pan and add cayenne pepper and chilli powder. Continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes. 

4. Once the rice and beans are cooked put these onto a plate and add kale, avocado, salsa, cheese and tortilla chips. 

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola

I find breakfast the hardest time to be vegan, I don't know if it is because my family all eat fry ups and bacon sandwiches. Egg on toast is a staple in our house or if it just seems like breakfast is boring. Toast and Jam can get a little old after a while as can porridge. If like me you struggle to find an exciting breakfast you can quickly eat on the go, this granola is perfect for you. Simply make a batch ahead of time and grab a load whenever you need it.

Ingredients

3/4 of cup of sugar (I used caster but any sugar will do)

1/2 cup of cocoa powder 

1/2 cup of soya milk (any non-dairy milk is fine)

1/2 cup of water 

2 or 3 tablespoons of peanut butter (smooth or crunchy will work)

8 tablespoons of oil (vegetable or olive)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

5 cups of oats

3 tablespoons of flax seeds

1/4 cup of pecans

1/4 cup of dried cranberries 

1/4 cup of flaked coconut 

50g of chopped dark chocolate 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150c (fan)
2. Mix together in a large bowl sugar, cocoa, milk, water, peanut butter, oil, salt and vanilla. 
3. Add oats, flax seeds, pecans, cranberries and flaked coconut
4. Spread the mixture evenly onto two lined baking trays. The mixture will take approximately 45 minutes to cook and become dry. Check the mixture every 20 minutes and give it a stir and a mix up to create little granola nuggets. 
5. Allow to cool on baking trays for approximately 30 minutes. When cool, mix in chopped chocolate and store in air tight container

The granola will keep for approximately a month and makes between 10 to 15 servings. 

This is a perfect grab and go breakfast. I just pick up a tub full and mix with soya milk when I get to work. Simple and easy. 

Vegan Curry

Curry - Simple, Warming and Perfect for a Friday night! This vegan alternative has it all. 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of Tikka Curry Paste (I use Sainsbury's) - you can use whatever type of curry paste you want e.g. balti, korma, madras. The spiciness is up to you. 

1 tin of Coconut milk

100g of Red Lentils 

2 medium sized Potatoes

Half a large sweet potato

1 large carrots (chopped)

Half a red pepper (chopped)

1 clove of garlic (pressed)

1 onion (chopped)

Serves approximately 4. 

Method

1. Add 100ml of boiling water to the red lentils in a bowl and put to one side. 

2. In a medium sized saucepan add the chopped potatoes and carrot (no need to peel - the skin has all the goodness!), add water and allow to simmer until vegetables are soft. This will take approximately 10 minutes. 

3. In a large frying pan/wok, add a splash of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, mushrooms and garlic. Once the onions have began to brown, add the pepper. 

4. Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked add them to the mushrooms, onions and peppers. To this add the curry paste and allow to fry for approximately 3 to 5 minutes. 

5. Next drain the red lentils and add to the curry. Following this add the coconut milk and allow to simmer and thicken for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. 

6. Enjoy! Your vegan curry is ready to go! Serve with rice, popadoms, nan bread, pitta etc. 

Tip - this curry freezes really well so if you are like me and love to have food ready to go in the freezer this is a winner! 

Vegan Lasagne

I am a great lover of food you can make lots of and freeze because some days when I come home from work I really cannot be bothered to stand in front of the cooker and make food. Lasagne is one of those dishes. Make it in a large tin, eat some and then have enough left for 2 or 3 more meals. It also keeps for quite a while in the freezer to meaning if you make loads, you don't have to eat it for the next 3 weeks solid to use it up! 

Ingredients

500g of button mushrooms (sliced)

1 onion (chopped)

1 clove of garlic 

1 tin of chopped tomatoes 

2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar 

100g of vegan butter

100g of plain flour

1/2 pint of soya milk

vegan cheese to grate 

Lasagne sheets

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 160c (fan).

2. Add a splash of oil into a large pan (I use a wok because of the amount of mushrooms) and add the chopped onion and pressed garlic. Allow these to cook until they start to brown (approximately 5 minutes). Next add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft. 

3. To the mushroom mixture add the tin of chopped tomatoes and dark brown sugar. Allow this to simmer until the tomato sauce has reduced. (if it doesn't, simply add a tablespoon of cornflour to thicken). If the mixture is to wet, your lasagne will be soggy. 

4. In a saucepan melt the butter and then add flour. Mix continually until combined. Next add in small amounts of the milk, do not add it all in one go because this will stop the natural thickening of the roux. Once all the milk is combined, take off the heat. 

5. For my lasagne, I used a 9cm by 9cm deep tin (like one you would use to make brownies). Add a layer of the mushroom mix followed by lasagne sheets. Add a layer of your béchamel sauce and then a layer of cheese. Continue this layering until you have used all of the mixtures. I usually tend to get two layers. 

6. Cook in the oven for approximately 40 to 45 minutes. If your cheese begins to brown cover the tin with foil. 

This dish is really great because you can make it in the morning and then simply cook it in the evening or make the day before etc (just pop it in the fridge). 

Like I said, I make this dish to freeze because it is so simple and easy. 

Vegan Breakfast

Breakfast for me is one the of best things about the weekend. During the week I am far too lazy to be worrying about a fancy breakfast, grabbing toast is about as fancy as it gets. But the weekends are a different thing completely. Pancakes, french toast, omelettes, bacon, eggs, toast, porridge. I could go on forever but you get the picture.

I thought going vegan was going to be the end of that but I was wrong. Avocado on toast with tomatoes is amazing! It is so fresh and light yet filling. It is also so simple to throw together. Crush an avocado in a bowl and then spread it on toast, place tomatoes on top and there you go.

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

One of the things I struggle most with being a vegan in the UK is not being able to simply pop to the shops to buy treats as UK supermarkets really don't stock a wide range of vegan products.

I am therefore always on the look out for sweet simple treats to make and these cookie are amazing!

Ingredients (yields 12 cookies)

1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water (this acts as the egg)
1/4 cup of sunflower oil
1/4 cup of vegan butter (this can be replaced with peanut or almond butter for a different taste)
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup of demerara sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of bicarb of soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking power
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 cups of oats
100g of dark chocolate

Method 

1. Pre heat the oven to approximately 160c (fan)

2. In a large bowel add the flax egg mixture. Leave this to ferment for approximately 5 minutes (it should look thicker in appearance)

3. To the flax egg mixture add sunflower oil, butter, sugars and vanilla. Mix well until smooth

4. Next add bicarb, baking powder, sea salt, cocoa powder and oats. Mix well after adding each ingredient

5. Chop/break into little chunks the chocolate and add to the mixture

6. If you mixture looks to dry or wet, simply add more oats or a little soya milk

7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spoon on the cookie mixture. The mixture can spread a little when cooking so ensure you leave gaps between your balls of dough. I used approximately a tablespoon of mixture per cookie and left approximately 10cm gaps between them

8. Cook in the oven on the middle shelf for approximately 12 minutes. Once out of the oven leave on the baking tray to cool for approximately 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.

These cookies are incredibly easy to make and taste delicious. My non vegan mum said they tasted like a hobnob!

Tip - Try not to touch them too much before they are completely cool, they can be a little delicate when still hot and can easily snap and break although this just makes them even better crumbled over vegan ice-cream.