This Vegan Apple Pecan Granola recipe brings on the apple flavor with the help of both apple chunks and apple sauce. Cashew butter forms its base and packs extra protein so you'll have sustained energy throughout your morning. I go low on the sugar for this same reason and to give the other ingredients a chance to contribute flavor. Nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon work to highlight the apple. Chopped pecans toast during baking and add a welcome nutty crunch. Once you've chosen your preferred apples and baked this granola to perfection you can add it to ice cream, splash it on non-dairy milk or top it with a dollop of non-dairy yogurt.

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.

Have you ever gone apple picking and brought back pounds of fresh apples with high aspirations only to watch helplessly as your prized stock slowly breaks down as you're just too busy to commit to making all the Apple Pies, Apple Turnovers, Apple Cider Doughnuts and Apple Strudel? This happened to me recently and as I was opening the compost bin of shame my friend Dan mentioned, "you know, my Mom uses the soft apples for apple sauce and it comes out awesome!" This sounded really interesting to me but I still didn't have time. So why not combine these soft apples with this lack of time and make a quick and easy applesauce?

Fruits become extra special when they're dehydrated. Many of their sugars slightly convert into acids during a subtle fermentation and their flavors become concentrated into a irresistible tartness with subtle sweetness accompanied by intense fruit flavor. This wildly complex cherry flavor is what I wanted to capture in this Raw Vegan Cherry Almond Bar recipe. Cherry notes are further enhanced by almond flour and agave syrup. Just a bit of lemon zest and salt to bring foundation to the whole flavor package. Finally, cacao nibs add a nice contrast featuring a slight bitterness and delectable crunch. Feel free to buy dehydrated cherries or dry your own if you have a food dehydrator. I recommend Bing cherries for these bars but you should be able to get great results with any other variety.

After falling in love with rye breads I became fascinated with developing a bread containing 100 percent rye. I knew that taking all of the wheat flour out of a bread recipe would wreak havoc on the end result and a high-rising crusty bread would not be obtainable. This is because wheat flour is unique in that it contains two proteins in the wheat endosperm called glutenin and gliadin. When these proteins hydrate and undergo friction, they unravel like balls of yarn, bind together into sticky strands and form a structure building network. This elastic web of protein holds in air bubbles during leavening and acts as a structure builder after the bread cools, resulting in a high-rising, fluffy, springy loaf.

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.

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.

I'm obsessed with vegan baking because unlike traditional cooking, there are nearly no limits or boundaries to creating completely new forms of food. Effectively harnessing your imagination is the only truly required skill. Developing this skill, as well as understanding the fundamentals of baking allows you to create true art forms. Then you get to eat them.

Puff pastry is a truly remarkable building block for vegan baking because of its versatility. It can be the basis of anything from flaky layers enveloping fruit, coiled into rolls such as sticky buns, or twirled into cinnamon and sugar twists.

Referred to in France as pâte feuilletée which means pastry made leaf-like, puff pastry is made of several hundred alternating layers of dough and fat. The water in the dough produces steam during baking that separates and lifts the layers into the puffy goodness that we know and love. This steam-assisted lift is known as chemical leavening. Puff pastry often gets a bad rap due to the many steps of preparation involved. Puff pastry can be a truly time intensive endeavor- if you let it. I recommend splitting the preparation into little pieces and working at it a little bit at a time over a few days. This way you'll only spend a total of about an hour on it. You also have the option of making your puff pastry and storing it in the freezer for a special occasion or for that day when you can no longer resist some sticky caramel cinnamon buns.

I have this theory that those who don't care for croissants just haven't experienced the the real thing: the flaky outer crust shattering as you sink your teeth in, releasing a buttery aroma and uncovering a heavenly tender, fluffy, rich interior. At the end of the experience you might have to get up and shake yourself off. Many croissants start out this way but after about a day they turn into croisoggies as they quickly stale and don't have quite the same effect on the palate.

A croissant is a variation of laminated dough that starts out as dough wrapped around a buttery core. Samurai swords are made in a much similar way with molten metal being wrapped around a red hot iron core. Coincidence? I think not! This dough is folded and wrapped around itself to the point of where there are several dozen layers of fat and dough. When baked, steam is released and trapped between the layers which provides a leavening lift as well as flaky goodness. This Vegan Croissant recipe features a mix of Vegan Butter and shortening to mimic the similar fat content of butter. Do not use tub margarine for croissants if you don't want to waste your time. It's all about having a high-fat Vegan Butter so there's more distinction between the fat and dough layers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Apple butter varies from apple sauce in that apple sauce is just puréed apples with some spice and sweetener optionally added. Apple butter has a bit of a cult following because it more accurately captures the essence of the apple. It consists of a spiced apple sauce that's cooked down for several hours so the sugars caramelize, preserving the mixture in the process. Cooking the mixture also produces more complex flavor compounds, activates naturally occurring pectin so it gels and reduces it so it's more concentrated. The result is rich, creamy apple heaven. Fall apple perfection captured in a jar. You can make a large batch from this recipe and can it for future use or spread it immediately on toast, pancakes or use for anything where you would use fruit preserves.

Don't know what to do with all those pumpkin seeds from pumpkin carving? Take those little pepitas and dress them up in little spiced sugar costumes with this Candied Spiced Pumpkin Seeds recipe. They'll love it and you will too because this vegan recipe features barley malt syrup, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to help push the savory pumpkin seed flavors forward.

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.

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 Vegan Everything Bagel recipe will hopefully keep me content in those times. Enjoy these vegan bagels with Tofutti cream cheese, Creamy Vegan 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 its 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.

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 Munchable Vegan Multigrain Granola recipe has a complex, hearty flavor due to the high protein grains such as amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat that it features. Walnuts and pecans increase the protein level and add a welcome crunch, making this vegan granola perfect for breakfast before a day of world domination.

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.

I thought I didn't like scones until my friend Debbie told me I just hadn't had the right scones. She explained to me that good scones feature a complex flavor and a dense, not too crumbly texture. I then began my journey to create vegan scones based on the teachings of this scone-ophile. The result is this Scrumptious Vegan Scones recipe. I used golden flax meal for it's binding abilities, apple cider vinegar for its subtle flavor complexity and ability to enhance crumb, just the right combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour and Vegan Butter to enhance buttery flavors. Finally, raisins or berries adds just the right amount of fruit flavor and sweetness while still allowing the rich, buttery flavors to come through. I'm now a self-described sconeophile and enjoy eating scones amongst other sconerati.

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 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 100% fruit sweetened Vegan Date Spice Muffin recipe features the satisfying malty flavor of medjool dates puréed with cinnamon, ginger and a touch of vanilla extract. These vegan muffins also feature pecans and raisins for an irresistibly earthy flavor complexity and texture.

This Golden Vegan Corn Bread Recipe takes advantage of nutritional yeast flakes and a touch of maple syrup which gives it a rich, buttery flavor while corn kernels enhance its hearty texture. It's a Northern style corn bread so it features a mixture of corn flour and all-purpose flour. It's baked in a square baking pan instead of a cast iron skillet and designed to be a little sweeter and more moist than its Southern counterpart.

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.

This Hearty Vegan Breakfast Muffin recipe was created because I wanted a healthy, hearty vegan muffin that provided good energy for the first meal of the day without giving me a mega-dose of sugar like most other muffins often do. These fruit sweetened muffins contain no refined sugar, more protein, complex carbs and fiber than most other muffins because they feature ingredients like dates, raisins, walnuts, rolled oats, hemp protein powder or soy flour, maple syrup and molasses. These ingredients lend a delightfully complex taste and contribute to a dense hearty texture. They're easy to make and provide about one week of breakfasts. Try them topped with almond butter.