I love how green tea has a subtle ability to refresh coupled with a slight hint of savoriness. I adore how vegan cupcakes can be a celebratory canvas for almost any flavor combination, that you get to just pick up and take a bite out of. But how do you infuse green tea into a baked cake product? Easy, right?

This Easy Vegan Buttercream Frosting is just a simple, versatile, delectable frosting that will elevate your cakes and cupcakes to a new level without requiring you to put on your lab coat and don your frosting goggles. You can either use Regular Vegan Butter with a cocoa butter base which is recommended, Regular Vegan Butter with a coconut oil base, or, if you haven’t gotten around to buying a walk-in freezer to store your Vegan Butter in yet, go the easy route and use store bought stick margarine.

When I originally developed my first Vegan Butter recipe I had no idea it would be helpful to so many bakers. I just wanted something that was truly homemade where I had full control of the production process so I could introduce variations to tailor the vegan butter to the application I was working on. Other advantages were that it didn't need to rely on palm oil, which much of the commercial vegan butter industry utilizes, which is linked to rainforest destruction, as well as placing Sumatra orangutans in perilous danger. 

The original Vegan Butter recipe uses refined coconut oil for a base, but what happens if there begins to be environmental issues with that type of oil? What if it's difficult to find coconut oil in your area? What if you recently had a dump truck empty 3500 pounds of deodorized cocoa butter in your driveway and you're wondering what to do with it? I don't know which one of these issues led to this, but soon after posting the first Vegan Butter recipe, people started inquiring how to make it using cocoa butter instead of coconut oil. 

One of the benefits of Vegan Butter is that since you’re building it up from scratch, you can have full control of what you want it to be. It doesn’t have to go down the route of completely replicating traditional butter if you don’t want it to. Why would you want to replicate the texture of butter but not necessarily the flavor? Frostings and short doughs such as tart dough, pie crust and shortbread come to mind. You have much more variability in your end result if you can control flavor through your actual fat in addition to other ingredients. Imagine chocolate croissants where the butter is replaced with a fat that has the texture and flavor characteristics of both chocolate and butter. This is the reason I developed Chocolate Vegan Butter. Oh and you can spread it on toast too.

Traditional bakers have been able to create a vast variety of foods over the last several hundred years of baking evolution. It’s surprising when you realize that everything from puddings to cakes to cookies vary little in the range of ingredients used. Versatile ingredients such as flour, sugar, fat and eggs make this sort of variation possible. These are the building blocks of pastry. Vegan baking is easy when all you have to worry about is manipulating flour, sugar and fat. So what are we do to do in regards to replacing the almighty egg? There is a legend that the Romans believed in chicken eggs so much, they mixed them into their concrete. To first understand what we need to replicate this building block we need to understand what an egg does in the world of baking.

The more I learn about pastry, the more I realize that European pastry is on a completely different level compared to classic American pastry. My impression is that European pastry is all about introducing flavor depth through manipulating eggs, butter and technique. Croissants, strudel and danish pastries come to mind. American pastry, on the other hand, tends to build off bold flavors with a strong sugar backbone accentuated by spices. Apple pie, cupcakes and cookies come to mind here. 

This super easy Vegan Coconut Almond Truffle recipe will satisfy that late night chocolate craving without the excess sugar and empty calories of other desserts. This perfect blend of coconut, chocolate and almond will keep you coming back for more.

Ok so I found this Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe and it was a HUGE hit with my family and friends. It was quite easy to make as well! I've never really been a cake person, in fact I detest the stuff for the most part; but this cake made even me nod in approval. The blend of coffee that I put in the recipe adds to the chocolaty goodness and taste. It's very moist as well. There is a glaze that goes with the cake, but I personally never use it. I think the cake is just fine alone. However, I will add the directions for the glaze in case you guys want to try it.... Enjoy!

Vegan Orange Icing is perfect for doughnuts, cookies or cakes such as Rosemary Olive Oil Semolina Cake. It features fresh orange juice that lends a bright burst of flavor, coconut oil to allow it to solidify properly and a touch of vanilla extract for depth of flavor.

These Vegan Vanilla and Almond Crescents are an incredibly delicious biscuit with just the right amount of sweetness and lots of rich flavours from the almonds and vanilla. My choice of coconut oil for this (and most of my cooking) is the more refined kind, which is refined by filtering it through clay to remove the coconut taste and smell. This gives a ‘buttery’ flavour and texture to the baked good with all the goodness of coconut oil, but without being overwhelmed by coconut flavours.

This White Chocolate Vegan Butter is enhanced with sweet, white chocolate undertones. Spread this Vegan Butter on chocolate muffins, crusty toast or feature it in a white chocolate tart crust. A white chocolate danish dough with dark chocolate in the center could be particularly interesting.

Vegan Butter is designed to mimic real butter in vegan baking applications. Like real butter, Vegan Butter is more solid than tub margarine and not as spreadable. This is so it can perform optimally in vegan baking applications. If your goal is to have a conveniently softer, spreadable Vegan Butter, swap out 1 Tablespoon of the cocoa butter with 1 additional Tablespoon canola, light olive oil or rice bran oil.

Coconut Vegan Butter is similar to Vegan Butter but involves unrefined coconut oil and agave syrup to accentuate the coconut flavors. The result is a spread that celebrates the richness and smoothness that only coconut can offer. Since this Vegan Butter is slightly more sweet than a regular vegan butter, it's recommended to add another layer of complexity to things like pancakes, toast or a baked item where coconut would enhance flavor. Also use this to make things like coconut pie crust or coconut lime scones.

Vegan Butter is designed to mimic real butter in vegan baking applications. Like real butter, Vegan Butter is more solid than tub margarine and not as spreadable. This is so it can perform optimally in vegan baking applications. If your goal is to have a conveniently softer, spreadable Vegan Butter, swap out 1 additional Tablespoon of the coconut oil with 1 Tablespoon canola, light olive oil or rice bran oil.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies are my very favorite comfort food. These are absolutely as good as I remember them... minus the eggs, dairy and gluten! Perfection.

Making this Easy Vegan Granola recipe is only slightly harder and much more fun than scooping it out of the bulk bins at the local health food store. It features almond butter for its base, rolled oats, cinnamon and nutmeg and just the right amount of walnuts and pecans to round out the crunch. A touch of raisins add a welcoming sweetness. 

I prefer to not overload with sugar in the morning so my granola recipes tend to err on the side of reduced sweetness which is a contrast from most store-bought granola. If you like your granola sweet then you may consider adding a few Tablespoons additional sugar. The reduced sweetness allows other flavor nuances to come through. The almond butter toasts during baking which brings on a rich flavor. A small amount of unrefined coconut oil increases flavor complexity further. Use this granola recipe as a base for future granola recipes. Enjoy it with non-dairy milk, top it with non-dairy yogurt or crumble it over ice cream.

I glanced over at my fruit basket yesterday and found four moldy looking apples at the bottom. They had been languishing there for over a week, with no one paying them any attention. Now, I'm a bit of a purist with my apples. I only like them tart and crunchy with faint green veins running through their flesh. Bruised apples with brown spots go straight on my list of foods I most hate to eat. Still, something had to be done with those apples, and without much of a plan, I peeled, cored, and chopped them up. 

Then I spied a jar full of demerara sugar that I'd bought recently, and inspiration took form. I decided I'd bake an apple bread. The principle would be the same as banana bread, only since apple has a higher water content, I could consider lowering the amount of fat in my recipe, and under bake slightly, so my cake would remain moist. A small quantity of vinegar provides just enough acid for leavening, and the baking soda helps it rise. This bread bakes up dense.

This Vegan Garlic Tarragon Bread Spread recipe features extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, fresh tarragon and just a touch of white wine vinegar to evoke a complex buttery flavor with a sharp cheese inspired finish.

Holiday dinners at my Godparent's house was always a special occasion. The food was inspirational but the the one dish that my brother and I looked forward to all year was the simple but perfect implementation of garlic bread. This consisted of a store-bought flute of San Francisco sourdough, sliced but leaving the bottom crust intact so the slices could be torn off as the loaf worked its way around the table. This loaf was buttered between the slices, wrapped in tin foil and warmed in the oven. Buttering the slices while leaving the loaf intact had the advantage of ensuring both sides of each slice was buttered. Wrapping the loaf in tin foil had the benefit of allowing the entire loaf to be saturated with buttery aromas and flavors during its time in the oven and the tin foil could be folded back over the loaf in between servings to keep the bread warm while it was on the table. Brilliant!

Anzac cookies are probably one of my favorite cookies! The richness of coconut, the depth of Lyle’s golden syrup all held together with oats, flour and sugar…oh yeah, and your favorite non-dairy butter too! How incredibly delicious this mixture is. All I can say is THANKS AUSTRALIA for coming up with a perfect cookie. Australians call these cookies biscuits and they were developed during the first World War for the soldiers. They were perfect for travel because they do not contain milk or eggs, which means the soldiers had a yummy way to have sustenance while away. The one secret ingredient is Lyle’s Golden Syrup. I found mine at a local store that has an international section. Look where you might find ingredients from the UK, you will likely find this sweet gem. There’s only one way it could get better…add fruit! So which fruit goes well with coconut and oats? My pick is strawberry. I originally planned on making homemade strawberry jam but then got impatient (big surprise for those who know me) and bought a jar of organic strawberry preserves instead. I suppose that for this recipe you could use homemade jam and it would add another layer of deliciousness. These cookies are sweet, rich and the texture is a little chewy, a little soft…and A LOT delectable.

A tough of sugar takes the edge off the bitterness of the rye in this Easy Vegan Rye Bread recipe. Molasses has been added to increase the overall richness of the rye flavor and caraway seeds adds an interesting layer subtle spicy cool to the loaf. Feel free to experiment with these additions and change them if you prefer. The loaf will still turn out roughly the same.

Initially I was intrigued by the flavor of rye breads but intimidated by baking them. How was I supposed to bake flavorful, crusty loafs with most of the leavening-enhancing gluten out of the picture? A little research found that although rye flour contains about the same amount of protein than regular flour, most of this protein isn't from glutenin and gliadin, the two protein compounds that unravel and combine to create gluten when water is added and the mixture is kneaded. What rye flour does contain though are natural gums called pentosans which absorb about 16 times their weight in water. This is the puzzle piece of how these breads are crafted.

I haven't yet met anyone who isn't a raging pizza fan. It was one of the hardest foods for me to give up when I lit the vegan torch. Luckily, I've developed this Easy Vegan Pizza Crust recipe that's easy to make and features a rich flavor with a crispy exterior and chewy interior. This has come at a price. The uneven road leading to this crust has made past girlfriends almost dump me over failed pizza prospects. I've lost many highly anticipated meals and wasted lots of time. Yes, the lowly pizza crust depends on some fundamental ingredients and methods that are to be mastered in order to bake itself to crispy perfection.

Butter is one of those ingredients that can be so central to baking that as soon as some people hear the term vegan baking they wonder aloud almost in a panic, “what about the butter?!” Many vegan baked items get along great with fats like canola, coconut oil or even olive oil. These types of fats work wonders for cakes, cookies, bars and breads. When designing recipes where we need something to act like butter, things start to get complicated. Solid fats like butter and margarine are integral to things like puff pastry, pie crust, shortbread, croissants, danish dough and certain cakes. This is because in these cases the fat is used to coat the flour so gluten doesn't develop too much and also trap air bubbles to enhance leavening and texture. The only option in these instances is to turn to a margarine or similar vegan butter that is solid at room temperature and gets soft as it melts so it blends to one cohesive mass of dough.

These Vegan Power Puffs are so puff-tastic! I highly recommend them. I have never used millet before and I will certainly be using it more often. It’s fluffy, light and has more protein than puffed rice. These little power puffs are a perfect snack with a hot cuppa joe. You can easily cut this recipe in half if you aren’t trying to feed an army. These are so good that my husband brought them to his Tai Chi class this morning and vanished with a request for more next week…I highly suggest you give these a whirl.

Where Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce is good for a quick caramel fix, Vegan Golden Caramel Sauce is the no-holds-barred recipe where flavor and consistency are top priorities. Traditional caramel sauce relies on heavy cream which allows the sauce to be thick and rich due to the solids present in the cream. This vegan caramel sauce recipe relies on cashew cream to supply the extra cream factor and solids, resulting in a silky smooth golden caramel that's perfect for drizzling on ice creams, baking into pies or tucked into brownies. Substitute the vanilla extract for bourbon, rum or brandy if you want an extra layer of flavor complexity.

This Vegan Vanilla Icing recipe is a great companion for drizzling on Vegan Cinnamon Rolls, danishes, or Vegan Pop Tarts. It features confectioners sugar as its base and just a touch of non-dairy milk and vanilla extract to bring it all together.

This Vegan Rum Spice Icing recipe is a great companion for drizzling on spiced versions of Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, danishes, or Pop Tarts. The vegan icing features powdered sugar for its base, dark rum, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves to move the spice factor forward. Feel free to cut back on the rum or eliminate it completely if you're concerned about alcohol consumption.

This Vegan No Knead Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread is now my go-to vegan bread recipe because it's simple to make and is a great example of how wet doughs can create wonderfully light and spongy breads. The higher water content allows the gliadin and glutenin in the flour to align into tight gluten bonds over time so you can forget about all that kneading drama. The result is a fluffy, chewy loaf that's perfect for sandwiches. Feel free to use this bread as a starting point and substitute a ½ cup of the flour for things like wheat germ, wheat bran or oat bran. It's important to note that due to the wetness of this dough it's only suitable for baking in a loaf pan.

Lemon and corn both work to bring out each other's best qualities in this Vegan Lemon Cornmeal Pancake recipe: corn highlights lemon's tanginess and lemon enhances corn's savory flavors. These bright, buttery flavors packed into a vegan pancake is a great way to start the day. Try them topped with a touch of almond butter, fruit and/or real maple syrup.

This smooth Vegan White Chocolate Ganache recipe uses cocoa butter without the cocoa solids making it a versatile white and creamy vegan topping for cakes, truffles or fillings. Unlike margarine or butter, cocoa butter and coconut oils melt rapidly when they reach their melting point instead of softening slowly. Due to this, extra care must be taken as it resolidifies from it's melting temperature of 93F (34C) to 100F (38C). You can adjust the firmness by adding or subtracting 1 Tablespoon of water. Also feel free to substitute 1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon of liqueur or other flavoring extract to further customize your ganache.

One of my favorite breakfasts is this Vegan Gingerbread Waffle recipe accompanied by a cup of strong coffee and veggie sausage on the side. Just when you''re thinking that you may be eating dessert you'll notice a savoriness that will assert that this is indeed breakfast. Slather these vegan waffles with a touch of almond butter, a splash of maple syrup and a sprinkling of Balsamic Candied Pecans to make this a truly memorable experience.

This Vegan Maple Roasted Peanut recipe makes an addictive snack. Once I was on a San Francisco Muni train and was in the process of getting busted for both sneaking on without paying and eating while on the train. As the Muni cops closed in, I clutched my container of Maple Roasted Peanuts tightly.

This Vegan Vanilla Cupcake recipe makes light and airy vegan cupcakes that have a soft, tender crumb due to the addition of arrowroot flour as well as apple cider vinegar. Vanilla extract and a touch of almond extract tie it all together. These cupcakes utilize the quick bread method which involves mixing your dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then mixing them both together at the end. This is a really easy way to make great cakes that have tender and spongy qualities. The drawback of this style is you have to be careful if you adjust the amount of sugar; more sugar will tenderize the batter, negatively affecting rise. These cupcakes are a little under sweet for my taste but if you're going for an elaborate frosting job no one will notice. If you increase the sugar in this quick bread method by even 1 Tablespoon, the cupcakes won't rise enough so it's not recommended. Use these cupcakes as a base for other flavor variations by switching out some of the flour and/or flavoring extracts. If you're looking for a cupcake that's a little bit more sweet and full flavored check out the Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes - Cream Method.

I veganized this Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread from a recipe found here. All I can say is WOW! Moist, full of texture, earthy and oh so delicious.

This Vegan Vanilla Cupcake recipe makes soft vegan cupcakes that utilize the cream method which involves beating or creaming Vegan Butter or margarine and sugar together, beating in an egg replacing liquid then mixing in the flour and remaining liquid at alternating stages. This results in a cake that has a more substantial mouth feel and less crumbs partially due to the gluten in the flour becoming more activated from the mixing. This method also provides a more substantial rise that is less inhibited by sugar than cakes made via the quick bread method. This cupcake requires more preparation and is less tender and spongy but more flavorful due to the Vegan Butter or margarine and slightly increased sugar. Use these cupcakes as a base for other flavor variations by switching out some of the flour and/or flavoring extracts. If you're looking for a cupcake that's a little bit more fluffy and less sweet check out the Vanilla Cupcakes - Quick Bread Method.

Crepes unlock huge brunch and dessert option potential depending on wether you make savory or dessert crepes. This Vegan Buckwheat Crepe recipe is pretty foolproof as long as you use the right pan described below. If making savory crepes fill them with things like tofu scramble, seitan and beans or wild rice and mushrooms. If making sweet crepes fill them with bananas, chocolate and coconut; peanut butter, maple syrup and walnuts or caramel, pecans and apples topped with a drizzle of Cashew Cream. Buckwheat lends an earthy, nutty richness to these vegan crepes, which are based on Easy Crepes but factor in buckwheat flour's ability to absorb slightly less liquid than all-purpose flour due to it's smaller amount of gluten.

Crepes unlock huge vegan brunch and dessert option potential depending on wether you make savory or dessert crepes. This Easy Vegan Crepe recipe is pretty foolproof as long as you use the right pan described below. If making savory crepes fill them with things like tofu scramble, seitan and beans or wild rice and mushrooms. If making sweet crepes fill them with bananas, chocolate and coconut; peanut butter, maple syrup and walnuts or caramel, pecans and apples topped with a drizzle of Vegan Cashew Cream.

There's nothing quite like home made bread. This hearty Easy Vegan Wheat Bread recipe is easy to whip up if you have a few hours and it's really simple. In bread baking, longer rise cycles at lower temperatures usually result in more flavor compounds that are generated due to the yeast extracting and break down more starches in the flour and converting them into sugars which will then get caramelized during baking. Some doughs call for an overnight rise in the refrigerator so optimum flavor can be developed. In this vegan loaf you have the option of doing an overnight slow rise in the refrigerator or a regular rise. The two first rise cycle is for the main fermentation of the dough where the yeast eats the most sugars and rises the bread with CO2. The last rise is called proofing in where the dough rises after it's been molded into it's desired shape or placed in it's specific mold.

Use this Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce recipe to bring another dimension to vegan cheesecakes, ice creams, pies, brownies or pretty much anything. Caramel is one of those rare taste miracles that's in the same realm of chocolate sauce and maple syrup; it would probably make cardboard taste delectable. It's liquid gold. This is an easy to make sauce that utilizes coconut cream for rich flavor. Coconut contains flavor compounds called lactones which are among the same compounds that give dairy products like cream their signature flavors. Want to turn up the flavor level to eleven? Replace the vanilla extract with 1 Tablespoon bourbon, rum or brandy.

Although not as smooth and creamy as Dark Velvet Ganache, this Easy Vegan Ganache recipe is still great when you need vegan ganache in a pinch. 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 non-dairy milk in this recipe plus or minus up to 2 Tablespoons to get the thickness that suits your needs. For example: 2 more Tablespoons non-dairy milk will make this ganache solidify into a soft frosting-like consistency at room temperature. ½ cup of non-dairy milk yields ganache that is perfect for vegan cakes. You can even customize it further with things like Grand Marnier, Chambord, espresso or mint extract.

Mango and coconut are good friends and some of my favorite foods so why not pair them together in this Vegan Coconut Mango Pancake recipe? These vegan pancakes feature coconut milk, shredded coconut, mango chunks, just the right ratio of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour and a touch of vanilla extract to further unify the flavors. It's the closest a pancake breakfast will ever get to feeling like a tropical paradise.

This Vegan Blueberry Frozen Soy Yogurt recipe is super simple to make. It's just unsweetened vegan soy yogurt mixed in an ice cream maker with the fruit jam of your choice. I happened to have blueberry jam when I made this batch. Be sure to use quality soy yogurt. There are some brands out there that don't taste anything remotely like yogurt and they are to be avoided. It's also recommended using quality jam made with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Be sure to use unsweetened soy yogurt or else your frozen soy yogurt will come out too sweet. This recipe is already on the sweet side so the fruit comes through with intensity.

This Cherry Candied Almond recipe is an excuse for me to combine two of my most favorite flavor combinations: cherries and almonds. I used brown sugar and olive oil for a more complex sweetness profile and just the right amount of almond extract to bind the cherry and almond flavor in holy matrimony. Try these as a relatively guilt-free vegan snack, add them to salads or sprinkle them on your ice cream.

One of the best parts of growing up was waking up to the aroma of Dad's legendary pancakes every Sunday. After gorging on them doused with maple syrup, the fam and I would go hiking on Mt Tam. Like clockwork, I'd eventually proceed to have an enormous mysterious energy crash that would reduce me into a quivering mess that Mom would call the shakes. I later found out this was because the maple syrup I loved so much was causing my blood sugar to peak, then crash due to its high glycemic index. Now I'm a lot more careful by making sure that I get some veggie sausages and go easy on the maple syrup. Agave syrup has a significantly lower glycemic index than maple syrup. Adding maple extract to it makes it a delicious maple syrup substitution, as shown in this recipe. Check out our article on sweeteners and glycemic index to see how different sweeteners stack up.

This Vegan Rice Crispy Treat Cupcake recipe is the first thing I made after ordering Dandies Vegan Marshmallows from Chicago Soy Dairy. I feel like a kid again with these gluten-free treats. Vegan baking doesn't get much easier than melting Vegan Butter, marshmallows, adding vanilla extract then mixing in puffed rice. Making the vegan ganache is slightly more involved but still simple. Be sure to make these as close to your eating occasion as possible because Vegan Rice Crispy Treats love to dry out. If you need to make them a day or so beforehand, keep them in an air-tight container.

This Vegan Cornmeal Spelt Pizza Crust recipe is one of the fastest, easiest crusts around because it doesn't need lots of kneading and it doesn't require yeast. Although it's not gluten-free, it does have very low amounts of gluten which is good if you're trying to cut back on it due to food allergies. This recipe makes a vegan crust that is 12 to 14 inches. This dough can also be refrigerated for later use.

This Vegan 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.

There's no such thing as a drop-in replacement for cream but this Vegan Cashew Cream recipe comes pretty close when you need it for a substitute for baking. It can be used as a vegan base in custards, ice creams, sauces, cakes or anywhere else you'd like to add richness. Cashew cream is also soy-free and can be made raw if you obtain raw ingredients.

There's no such thing as a drop-in replacement for cream but this Vegan 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, ice creams, sauces, cakes or anywhere else you'd like to add richness.

Some of us may remember chia seeds from those 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 forms a mucilage, also known as goop, and pulls together when heated. Perfect as an egg replacer in things like vegan cakes, cookies or anywhere else you'd 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 Vegan 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.

Bananas work great as a vegan egg replacer due to their abundance of specific starches and sugars. Keep in mind that whatever you put bananas in will undoubtedly turn into banana-whatever-the-name-of-your-recipe-is. This can be great for things like vegan cakes, pancakes and quick breads but awkward in things where you're not going for the whole banana thing. Bananas aren't as powerful binders as Egg Replacer Powder or Flax Seed Egg Replacer but due to the large amount of sugars and pectin they contain, they're more powerful than using Yogurt as an egg replacer.

This Creamy Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is a great way to get that cream cheese flavor without resorting to lab derived ingredients like xenophobo-lactate. This vegan frosting features cashews and is enhanced with just the right amount of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla extract. The mixture is then given a rest to allow complex flavors to develop more fully. It takes longer to make due to this step but it's worth it.

This Creamy Vegan Cashew Cheesecake recipe is a natural take on a vegan cheesecake that doesn't use space age ingredients like cheesecakes using store bought vegan cream cheeses often do. I tried to strike a good balance between unprocessed ingredients and high quality flavor. This cheesecake uses a cashew base enhanced with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and just the right amount of sugar and vanilla extract to tie it all together.

Don't get me wrong, I love vegan cream cheese alternatives from companies like Tofutti. It's just that I've been wanting to have an option for something that's a little more natural. Creamy Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese doesn't taste like cream cheese as much as some of the space age alternatives but it's close enough for me. Keep in mind that if you forego using the xanthan or guar gum in this recipe it won't be as creamy. It's use is recommended- we're trying to emulate lactose here so we need all the help we can get.

One wonderful summer in lovely Northern California, I had the pleasure of camping with one of my favorite people ever (who I'll just call Alf). That night he introduced me to something I'll never forget...Banana Delight! Serve with some quality sipping whiskey and good friends.

This Sassy Vegan Shortbread Cookie recipe is easy to make and has lots of possibilities for customizing. The buttery vegan cookies pack a generous helping of Vegan Butter with just a touch of vanilla extract for a delectable flavor and a satisfying crunch.

Most people won't be able to guess that these Vegan Chocolate Covered Date Bonbons are just chocolate covered dates if you don't tell them. One thing that they will know is that they're amazing. You can tell them that you spent 13 hours making the filling in this vegan bonbon recipe and just leave it at that.

This Vegan Mulled Wine recipe uses maple syrup as its primary sweetener then utilizes allspice berries, cinnamon bark, orange peel and clove berries for a smooth, spicy wine that will soothe those winter blues. This vegan spiced wine is great for holiday parties because it's easy to make and it gets things started.

This Vegan Nectarine Peach Plum Cobbler recipe features the best members of the stone fruit family. They're having a little family reunion in your cobbler with special flavor enhancing guests like orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. This cobbler party is then topped off with a lightly spiced crust.

This Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola recipe brings possibly one of the best flavor combinations known to man to the granola world. This allows this vegan granola to be extremely versatile, being equally good for breakfast, sprinkled on top of ice cream or enjoyed all by itself for a mid day snack.

This Vegan Protein Power Granola recipe is great for a hearty first meal of the day because it's low in sugar, high in protein and high in flavor. It gets the bulk of its protein from hemp protein powder. It then utilizes natural sweeteners like maple syrup, chopped dates and raisins for a complex sweetness profile that won't send blood sugar levels through the roof, if you don't drown it in maple syrup anyway. Walnuts and pecans round out the crunch department in this vegan granola while providing a tasty contrast with the hemp powder.

This Vegan Tropical Paradise Granola recipe features shredded coconut, coconut oil, dried pineapple and dried mango. Cashew butter makes a creamy base that ties it all together. Savoring this vegan granola is kind of like going on vacation. Except without palm trees. And it's cheaper. And it tastes better.

This Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Granola recipe is a great way to start the day due to its bright lemony sweetness and crunchy almonds that go perfectly with the non-dairy milk of your choice.

This Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pancake recipe features lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest combined with poppy seeds to create a bright lemony flavor that's a great way to start the day. These vegan pancakes are delightful topped with a touch of almond butter, fruit and/or real maple syrup.

I always thought properly made pumpkin pie was amazing until I tried sweet potato pie. Sweet potatoes are sweeter and the flavor is considerably more complex than pumpkin purée so that's why I was so excited to develop this Vegan Sweet Potato Pie recipe. This vegan pie is further enhanced with cashew butter, barley malt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves to create a flavor that will leave pumpkin in the dust. Try making it with Flaky Vegan Pie Crust.

This recipe for Poached Pears in Red Wine is perfect for last minute dinner parties because its easy to make and can be quickly made onsite. It features red wine enhanced with orange juice, sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon. The pears are then simmered in the mixture causing the sugars in the pears to caramelize and generate a multitude of wonderful flavor compounds that generally translates to "mmmmm". Oh and they taste awesome dolloped with vegan whipped cream or soy yogurt too.

Peaches and pears make a wonderfully warm flavor combination in this Vegan Peach Pear Cobbler recipe. Stone fruit enhancing ingredients like lemon zest, ginger and nutmeg are prominently featured in this vegan cobbler. It's like getting a group hug from a peach and a pear.

This vegan Apple Cake recipe utilizes applesauce and a touch of apple cider vinegar, brown rice syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to bring out the best apple flavors. It pairs perfectly with Cream Cheese Frosting or Creamy Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting.

These Vegan Pecan Bonbons are beautifully simple because they're made up of just dates, cinnamon, almond butter and coconut blended to perfection. It's just an effortless, fruit-sweetened treat.

This Vegan Pumpkin Buckwheat Pancake recipe features pumpkin enhanced with barley malt syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Buckwheat flour then lends an earthy, nutty richness. They're delightful topped with a touch of almond butter, fruit and/or real maple syrup to brighten up any morning.

This Vegan Protein Pancake recipe is perfect for breakfast if you really want to make sure you get an adequate dose of protein during the first meal of the day. They utilize your choice of just the right amount of hemp protein powder or soy flour and feature chopped walnuts to further increase the protein ante and add to the flavor department. Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger give these vegan pancakes a satisfying flavor that goes great with a splash of maple syrup (or fresh berries if you're hyperventilating at the idea of consuming too much sugar).

This is your simple, standard Easy Vegan Pancake recipe that strikes a good balance between fluffiness and thinness. They feature enhanced nutrition in the form of whole wheat flour and your choice of oat bran, wheat bran or wheat germ. Feel free to mix 1 cup of chopped fruit or berries into the batter before pouring. Top these vegan pancakes with maple syrup, Agave Maple Syrup and/or a dollop of almond butter.

This Easy Vegan French Toast recipe is just one more reason to get up in the morning. It's great for brunch with friends too because you don't have to waste the whole morning being on griddle duty as much as you do with pancakes. It features chickpea flour, nutritional yeast flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom to bring out the best combination of savory and sweet flavors.

This Vegan English Muffin recipe features just a touch of lemon juice and sugar to enhance its yeast-induced flavors. They're awesome fresh out of the toaster with a little Vegan Butter, jam or whatever your preferred muffin topping is. I've been known to use these as burger buns too. They're not loaded with preservatives and dough conditioners like their store-bought cousins but they'll still keep in the freezer stored in a plastic freezer bag for several months.

This Vegan Blueberry Buckwheat Pancake recipe features blueberries and buckwheat flour which lends them a tart sweetness along with an earthy, nutty richness. You also have the choice of adding either oat bran, wheat bran or wheat germ. These vegan pancakes are delightful topped with a touch of almond butter, additional fruit and/or real maple syrup.

This easy to make Vegan Banana Walnut Pancake recipe features both banana purée and banana slices for maximum banana flavor. Walnuts add an earthy complexity. Top these vegan pancakes with a touch of almond butter, fruit and/or real maple syrup.

This Ferocious Vegan French Toast recipe utilizes the creaminess of cashew butter and just the right combination of tahini instead of the usual eggs. These nut butters get slightly toasted during cooking which adds a complex savory richness that's further enhanced by cinnamon and nutmeg. It's a delicious vegan take on the old classic.

A Thai classic, this Sweet Sticky Vegan Rice Pudding (Kao-Niew-Moon) recipe is simple to make and wonderfully creamy due to its use of coconut milk, sugar and a touch of salt. Topping this gluten-free vegan pudding with sliced mango is highly recommended.

This Vegan Sweet Corn Tomatillo Pudding recipe features savory buttery flavor enhancers such as non-dairy milk, brown rice syrup, corn kernels, lime juice, just the right ratio of corn flour to corn meal and chopped tomatillos for a welcoming spicy finish. The result is a gluten-free vegan bread pudding that elevates corn to newfound status in the bread pudding world. You'll never need to go to another corporate American Tex Mex restaurant again to get it.

This Strawberry Sorbet recipe is simple to make because it features just strawberries, sugar and just the right amount of lemon juice. Try it with some balsamic vinegar drizzled over it. Sorbet will never be the same again.

This Raspberry Sorbet recipe is simple to make because it features just raspberries, sugar and just the right amount of lemon juice. Try it with some balsamic vinegar drizzled over it. Sorbet will never be the same again.

This Vegan Peanut Butter Maple Ice Cream recipe takes advantage of the alchemy that happens when peanut butter and maple syrup are combined in holy matrimony. These flavors are further bound in this vegan ice cream with the addition of non-dairy milk and a touch of vanilla extract.

This Orange Sorbet recipe is simple to make because it features just orange juice, sugar and just the right amount of lemon zest. Because it's so much better than frozen orange juice.

This Fresh Lemon Sorbet recipe is simple to make because it features just lemon juice, sugar and just the right amount of lemon zest. It really hits the spot on a hot summer night.

This Vegan Banana Walnut Ice Cream recipe makes wonderfully creamy ice cream due to its extensive use of bananas and cashew butter This vegan ice cream is further enhanced with non-dairy milk, walnuts and a touch of vanilla extract.

The subtle buttery flavor of zucchini and intensely sweet flavors of pineapple collide with delicious chaos in this Vegan Zucchini Pineapple Muffin recipe. Flavors are further enhanced by the addition of vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Just the right ratio of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour is used to give these vegan muffins the optimum level of fluffiness.

This Vegan Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe has a wonderful warm, buttery flavor that is enhanced by barley malt syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger and a touch of cloves. Pecans add flavor complexity and a delightful crunch. These vegan muffins are equally good with baked sweet potato purée substituted for the pumpkin as well.

Orange chunks and dried cranberries make a perfect combination of sweet, tart flavors in this Vegan Orange Cranberry Muffin recipe. Lemon zest further unifies the orange and cranberry and just the right amount of vanilla extract ties it all together.

This Vegan Buttermilk Biscuit recipe makes great vegan dinner rolls that pair well with American feast-style dinners on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. They feature just the right amount of tahini and lemon juice to accurately impart buttermilk flavors.These biscuits are also great served as a snack with a smear of margarine or almond butter. Serve them warm.

There's something about bananas and walnuts that just makes a perfect quick bread. This Vegan Banana Walnut Muffin recipe delivers it to your tastebuds thanks to the help of cinnamon, nutmeg a touch of vanilla extract. A slice of these vegan muffins topped with almond butter is a great thing.

This Celebration Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe features barley malt syrup to considerably push pumpkin flavors forward. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves and a touch of lemon juice are also effective flavor enhancers in this easy to make vegan pie. Flaky Pie Crust is recommended.

This Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe features the pumpkin boosting flavors of cashew butter and barley malt syrup. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves further enhance flavors better than eggs ever could in this vegan pie. Flaky Pie Crust is recommended.

Making your own vegan pie crust is time consuming but a homemade crust tastes about 23 times better than a store-bought one. You can make multiple batches and freeze the rest for later use. Home made pie crust has that irresistible flakiness and gives you the satisfaction of knowing that you made the whole pie. This Flaky Vegan Pie Crust recipe can be used for any pastry such as Vegan Pop Tarts, turnovers, English pasties or anything else you'd like to envelop in tender, flaky goodness.

In a pie crust the goal is tenderness and flakiness. This is achieved by a high level of fat and a low level of water. The fats serve two purposes: The Vegan Butter in this recipe breaks into small pieces, coating the flour and inhibiting gluten from forming. The shortening is cut into larger pieces so it doesn't break down as much when it's cut into the flour. This is so the shortening forms thin layers as the dough is rolled. These thin layers catch evaporating water as the crust bakes which causes the crust to form thin, flaky layers similar to what's found in puff pastry.

This Vegan Sugar Glaze recipe is simple to make and perfect for topping everything from Pastries to Quick Breads and Muffins.