Treat

Vegan Mini Cake Donuts (Gluten-Free)

by Livvy

These vegan mini cake donuts are to die for – and they are even gluten-free! Hope you like them as much as I enjoyed making them! Cupcakes were all the rage for a while. I …

Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Cake (Gluten-free)

by Livvy

It’s pumpkin-everything season. Pumpkin Spice Latte. Pumpkin Pie. Pumpkin Soup. Pumpkin carving. Pumpkin candles. And my latest obsession, Pumpkin Cream Rooibos Tea. And here’s one more for ya—Pumpkin Pecan Cake. This is a have-a-friend-over-for-coffee kind of cake.

She’ll never guess it’s vegan and gluten-free. She’ll ask you for the recipe. You’ll top off her coffee (or pumpkin cream tea) and chat away.

The best way I can describe this dessert is a cross between carrot cake and coffee cake. It’s very moist and has a pumpkin seed-pecan crumb topping that steals the show. With about 300 calories and 17 grams of fat per serving, it’s definitely a TREAT. People too often assume vegan equals healthy.

Just because it’s vegan doesn’t mean you should have a second piece. A single piece is definitely worth the splurge, though.

I promise that this will be the only pumpkin recipe you see on 86 Lemons this season. One can only take so much pumpkin.

If you haven’t had your fill, then here are a few other vegan pumpkin recipes you might enjoy: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, Pumpkin Spice Turnovers, Harvest Vegetable Stew in Mini Pumpkins.

Vegan Kale Salad with Blackberries and Toasted Coconut-Pecan Clusters (Gluten-free)

by Livvy

I used to think kale was only used for garnish. I mean, really, who eats that stuff?! I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of plain ol’ raw kale. It’s bitter and tough and has a terrible aftertaste. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to transform this super nutritious leafy green.

A little lemon, a little olive oil, some salt/pepper, and of course, TLC in the form of massage (yes, that’s right—massage) and suddenly kale is not only tolerable, it’s delicious. Especially when you toss in fresh blackberries and toasted coconut-pecan clusters. Now we’re talkin’.

Vegan Kale Salad with Blackberries and Toasted Coconut-Pecan Clusters Gluten-free

Honestly, you can sneak kale into just about anything. If I have extra kale, I wash it, spin dry it, de-stem it, tear it into bite-sized pieces it and freeze it. Then I can toss a handful in a smoothie. Or toss the whole bag in a pot of soup. It’s great for juicing, too—stem and all.

For those of you who are totally anti-kale, try spinach instead. And if blackberries aren’t readily available, try raspberries, strawberries or blueberries—or all of the above. Dried cherries would be great as well. No pecans on hand? Walnuts will work, too.

These toasted coconut-pecan clusters are amazeballs. In fact, it’s kind of hard not to eat ’em all right off the pan. Sweet, salty, nutty, and perfectly crunchy. More, please. They would make a great hostess gift during the holidays. Fill up a small canning jar, tie on some festive ribbon and you’re good to go.

Oh, and your house will smell heavenly while they are baking.

If you have trouble finding unsweetened coconut flakes, try your local health food store or order online.

Vegan Fried Ice Cream (Gluten-free)

by Livvy

I generally try to keep it pretty healthy here. Not today. This recipe for vegan fried ice cream (with a gluten-free option) is all about SPLURGING. It’s a special occasion dessert. One to pull out for birthdays, anniversaries, and such. Or maybe you’ve just had a really bad week and you could use a little food joy.

During college, I was a server at a Mexican restaurant chain called Chi-Chi’s. Fried Ice Cream was a popular menu item. If you’ve ever been a server, then you’re familiar with the term “sidework”. Sidework is a term for the tasks servers are assigned to do in addition to their basic duties.

There was no worse sidework than cleaning the dessert station. I HATED it. Imagine a freezer full of crispy coated ice cream balls next to a station with a deep fryer and containers of strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce, and honey. Plus the whipped cream, cherries, and cinnamon-sugar fried tortillas.

By the end of the day, it was always a giant sticky mess. And it took forever to clean. Maybe that’s the reason I never made fried ice cream at home. Until now.

The process itself really isn’t too bad. It’s the freezer time that makes it so involved—a two step freezing process that requires some patience. The frying step takes the least time, but is essential to creating a warm, crispy shell.

Obviously, if you have a deep fryer, it will come in very handy for this recipe. If you don’t, you can use a large pot, which is what I did.

Vegan Coconut Lemon Tart (Gluten-free)

by Livvy

I wonder if other countries get carried away with national flag-themed food the way we do in the U.S. Do a search for “Fourth of July desserts” on Pinterest and you’ll get a smorgasbord of inventive red, white and blue creations. I’m gonna take a wild guess and assume we do this better than anyone else.

Because we are obnoxious Americans. We are loud and proud. We love our flag. And we love food. So what’s better than food that resembles our flag? (The answer is a lot of things are better than that, but let’s go with it for today.)

The raspberries and blueberries on this Coconut Lemon Tart are a subtle nod to Old Glory. A simple, understated reflection of our national colors that doesn’t require layering vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet and blue cake. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten-Free)

by Livvy

A moist, chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal cookie that is both vegan and gluten-free. Excellent recipe!

Vegan Apple Tart (Gluten-free)

by Livvy

This Apple Tart is SO GOOD! It has a 5-ingredient crust with a buttery, shortbread-like flavor and texture. The filling and glaze are equally simple and impressive. The end result is a beautiful, healthy dessert with a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors. A crowd-pleaser that will quickly disappear long before you’ve had a chance to mention it’s vegan and gluten-free.