Vegan Chocolate Chip Scones

One rainy evening while M was out, I suddenly felt like baking, so she’d have something warm and cosy to come home to. I decided to make scones but to add chocolate chips. I used coconut oil here to get a hint of chocolate-coconut flavour, which is a combination I like, but feel free to replace the coconut oil with rapeseed or sunflower.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

½ cup sugar

8 tbsp coconut oil

3 tsp vanilla

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk (I used rice milk)

1 cup chocolate chips (make sure they’re vegan)

Instructions:

1. Mix everything but the milk and chocolate chips together.

2. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the milk and slowly mix the milk into the dry ingredients.

3. When it is well mixed, add in the chocolate chips.

4. You can make one big scone that you slice before baking into pieces or you can lightly flour your hands make individual small scones, which is what I did.

5. Bake at 180 C for 15-25 min.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup peanut butter (I use crunchy)

½ cup butter or margarine (I use Pure) (or about 1/3 cup oil)

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 egg

½ tsp salt (if there is no salt in the peanut butter)

1¼ cup flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp vanilla

¾ cup chocolate chips

 

Instructions:

1. Cream the butters and sugars together.

2. Add everything else except the chocolate chips and mix well.

3. Add the chips and stir.

4. Drop by teaspoons or tablespoons onto a lined baking tray.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 190 C.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

You could also add nuts, if you like.

 

Ingredients:

½ cup butter or margarine

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1½ cups flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

¾ cup chocolate chips

 

Instructions:

1. Cream the butter or margarine and sugars together.

2. Add the egg, then mix in everything else except the chocolate chips.

3. Once it is mixed well, add the chocolate chips.

4. Drop by teaspoons or tablespoons onto a lined baking tray.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180 C.

Chocolate Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

½ - ¾ cup caster sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp cocoa powder

 

Instructions:

1. Whisk the egg whites until foam, then add the cream of tartar.

2. Continue whisking on a higher speed, and add about 1 tbsp of sugar at a time.

3. Slowly add in the vanilla and cocoa powder.

4. Whisk until firm and shiny.

5. Pipe onto parchment paper on baking trays and bake for 40 minutes to 2 hours at 140 C until crisp on the outside and chewy inside. The time varies depending on how big the cookies are.

Chocolate Cinnamon Pudding

I saw a recipe from Nigella Lawson for chilli-cinnamon chocolate pudding with rum and I thought it sounded intriguing, not least because it is what is known as “self-saucing”. I didn’t think M would like the chilli or rum so I left those out, along with the butter for greasing, and I used more white sugar and less brown sugar than Nigella. Still, the result was good, especially served with cream or Oatly.

 

I think this could easily be adapted so that other flavours are used instead of cinnamon (orange, nuts, etc), so that will be what I do next.

 

Ingredients:

150 g flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

200 g caster sugar

50 g cocoa powder

185 ml milk (I used rice milk)

4 tbsp rapeseed or corn oil plus extra to grease the pan

100 g sugar (I used about half dark brown soft sugar and half caster, but any combination would be fine)

175 ml boiling water

 

Instructions:

1. Grease the pan.

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, vanilla, caster sugar, and 25 g of cocoa together.

3. Mix the milk and oil together and blend with the dry ingredients.

4. Pour into the pan.

5. Mix the other 25 g of cocoa and the sugar and spoon over the ingredients in the pan.

6. Pour the boiling water on top.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 180 C.

Kladdkaka (Gooey Chocolate Cake)

This was my favourite chocolate cake when I lived in Sweden. It should be gooey, so don’t cook it too long, and ideally it ought to be served with cream and perhaps some strawberries or raspberries. You can also top it with frosting, as desired.

 

Ingredients:

1 vanilla pod (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

½ cup flour

4 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)

 

Instructions:

1. Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. Whip the eggs, vanilla seeds (or extract), and sugar together until light and fluffy.

2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and mix with the salt and oil.

3. Blend everything together and pour into a lined cake tin.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 165 C.

Pear Crumble

I saw Nigel Slater’s recipe for pear crumble, but I changed it quite a bit, to suit our non-dairy diet and to make it even tastier (i.e. I added hazelnuts, but you can always use different nuts or just use more flour and oats instead).

 

Ingredients:

4 pears

50 g rapeseed oil, plus extra

1 tsp lemon juice

55 g sugar, plus extra

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 tbsp oats

60 g flour

30 g hazelnuts

30 g dark chocolate, optional

 

Instructions:

1. Wash, peel, and chop the pears.

2. Lightly oil them and toss them with lemon juice and a little sugar. Bake at 190 C for 10-15 minutes, until softened.

3. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together except the dark chocolate. Grate or chop the chocolate.

4. Dot the crumble topping over the pears and sprinkle with chocolate (or mix the chocolate into the crumble topping first).

5. Bake at 190 C for 30-40 minutes.

Macarons

We’ve finally given in and made a trendy dessert. Yes, we made macarons. They seem fiddly but as long as you’ve got the proportions right, it’s not too hard. I looked at lots of recipes and it seems the egg to almond ratio should be about 120% and the egg to sugar (both types) about 50%.

 

To make chocolate macarons, replace 25 g of sugar with cocoa.

 

Make any buttercream or other filling you like. We used my chocolate ganache.

 

Ingredients:

140 g egg whites (about 4 medium eggs)

75 g granulated sugar

1 pinch salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

230 g icing sugar

115 g ground almonds (if they are not fine enough, mix in a food processor with the icing sugar)

 

Instructions:

1. Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar, and salt until stiff. Add in the vanilla and whisk a little more.

2. Mix the icing sugar and almonds together and then add to the meringue. Stir well, until no longer stiff but not liquid either (25-35 strokes).

3. Pipe evenly onto parchment-lined baking trays. Knock the trays to get out any air.

4. Bake for 12-18 minutes at 150 C.

5. Let cool, then sandwich pairs of macarons together with filling.

Chocolate Cherry Bread

A tasty treat that’s perfect with coffee or tea.

 

Ingredients:

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (about 200 ml)

3 cups strong white bread flour (about 400 g)

½ cup cocoa powder

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1-2 tsp cinnamon, optional

1-2 tbsp oil

¼ cup rice milk (or regular milk)

¼-½ cup chocolate pieces

½ cup cherries

 

Instructions:

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water and set aside for about 15 minutes until frothy.

2. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the yeast and the wet ingredients. Knead well for 5-10 minutes.

3. Add the chocolate pieces. Wash and de-stone the cherries and fold them in.

4. Leave to rise for an hour.

5. Shape into a loaf or small rolls and leave to rise another 30-60 minutes.

6. Bake at 180 C for 20-40 minutes, or until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

 

Gooey Vegan Brownies

When I was on leave from work, enjoying a “staycation”, I had a craving for gooey brownies. So this is what I came up with.

 

If you bake this recipe in a fairly small tin, it will puff up like a soufflé. If you bake it in a wider, shallower tin, you’ll end up with brownies.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

¾ cup sugar (more if you like it sweet)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup rice milk (or water or coffee)

½ cup oil (I used rapeseed for a slightly nutty flavour)

¼-½ cup chocolate chips, optional

¼-½ cup nuts, optional

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

2. Mix the wet ingredients together and add to the dry mixture. Blend thoroughly.

3. Add the chocolate chips and/or nuts, if using.

4. Bake at 175 C for 15-25 minutes, depending on whether you prefer them more on the gooey side or more on the cakey side.

Vegan Chocolate Cake 4

We stayed at a lovely B&B in Pembrokeshire and the wonderful host made a vegan chocolate cake for M, since we had told her that M couldn’t have dairy or soya. It was delicious and we’ve now adapted it and made it at home. It’s wonderful topped with fresh berries.

 

Ingredients:

1¼ cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¾ cup sugar (or more if you like it sweet)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup vegetable oil plus extra to oil the tin

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup warm water

 

icing

½ cup icing sugar

2-3 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp margarine

 

Instructions:

1. Mix all the cake ingredients together until well blended.

2. Oil the cake tin and pour the mixture into it.

3. Bake at 175 C for 20-25 minutes (until a knife comes out clean). Cool for an hour.

4. Mix the icing ingredients together and spread on the cake.

Vegan Chocolate Cake 3

This one is lovely topped with chocolate ganache.

 

Ingredients:

50 g (about 3 tbsp or ¼ cup) coconut oil, plus a little extra to grease the dish

150 g flour

20 g ground almonds (or another 15 g flour, if you prefer)

45 g cocoa

175 g sugar (I use a combination of dark brown and white, to add a bit more depth of flavour)

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp vanilla

235 ml (1 cup) coffee, water, or milk

30 ml (1/8 cup) maple syrup

 

Instructions:

1. Melt the coconut oil.

2. Sift all the dry ingredients together.

3. Mix in all the other ingredients.

4. Lightly grease a cake tin and bake for 15-25 minutes at 180 C.

Vegan Brownies

Ingredients:

180-200 ml coconut oil (about 10 tbsp)

250 ml coffee or water

250 g flour

150-200 g sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

65 g cocoa

1 tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

50-100 g chocolate, optional

50-100 g nuts, optional

 

Instructions:

1. Melt the coconut oil. Make the coffee or heat the water.

2. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and vanilla together.

3. Mix in the liquids.

4. Grate or chop the chocolate, if using, and add it and the nuts, if using, to the mixture.

5. Smooth into a greased pan and bake for 15-25 minutes at 180 C, until it is your preferred level of moisture (some people like cakey brownies, some prefer moist; I’m in the latter camp).

Vegan Chocolate Ganache 2

I used this to top my vanilla cupcakes from the last post.

Ingredients:

90 g dark chocolate

1 tbsp coconut oil

1-2 tbsp rice milk (or soy or almond)

Instructions:

1. Melt all the ingredients together.

2. Cool slightly, then spread on cupcakes.

Chocolate Almond Cake

My mother sent me a recipe and I am not sure where it was from, but this is my version of it. I made just a half portion (i.e. half of what is here) the first time, as it is so rich.

The recipe suggested this method of baking, but next time I will try it without the water bath.

Ingredients:

340 g dark chocolate

½ cup oil or ¾ cup butter plus extra for the tin

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup coffee

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup ground almonds (or hazelnuts, or other nut)

6 eggs

hot water

Instructions:

1. Melt the chocolate with the oil or butter, vanilla, and coffee.

2. Add in the sugar, salt, and nuts. Stir well.

3. Whisk the eggs and add them in.

4. Grease a cake tin and put the batter in it. Then put the cake tin in a roasting pan and add the water. Loosely cover the tin with foil.

5. Bake at 170 C for 40-90 minutes (depending on if you have made a full portion or a half portion).

Vegan Chocolate Ganache

This is great to spread on the cake I posted last time or on cupcakes or brownies.

Ingredients:

50-75 g dairy-free chocolate (I used dark chocolate)

¼ cup milk (I used rice milk)

1 tsp vanilla, optional

Instructions:

1. Melt the chocolate in the milk over low heat. Add vanilla if desired.

2. Spread on your cake or brownies.

Vegan Chocolate Cake 2

Since my M can’t eat dairy, I’ve been coming up with other recipes for her. Recently, I made another vegan chocolate cake (this one without tofu since she can’t eat that either). If desired, top with a chocolate ganache.

Ingredients:

1½ cups flour

1½ cups sugar (I used white sugar and a touch of coconut palm sugar for a slightly deeper flavour)

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup coffee (you can also use plain water; I used chicory “coffee”)

1/3 cup milk (I used rice milk)

½ cup oil (rapeseed or sunflower), plus extra for the pan

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together, then pour into a lightly oiled pan.

2. Bake at 175 C for 20-25 minutes.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

You can double the recipe and make two cakes, then put frosting between the layers. I used a simple frosting made of cocoa powder, soy cream, and icing sugar. The end result was a chocolatey, gooey cake that was just perfect for a Friday evening.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup ground almonds
½ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch salt
½ cup soy milk
175 g (about 6 ounces) tofu
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for the baking tin
¼ cup hot coffee or water

Instructions:
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl or food processor.
2. Add the soy milk to the dry ingredients and mix again.
3. Blend the tofu in a blender until creamy. Add the oil and mix again.
4. Add the tofu and the hot coffee or water to the other ingredients. Mix well.
5. Oil the baking tin (or line with greaseproof or parchment paper). Pour the batter in.
6. Bake at 180 C for about 20 minutes. Frost if desired.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had a craving and just had to make some soft and gooey chocolate chip cookies. Probably next time I’d reverse the measurements for the sugars (i.e. ½ cup brown and ¾ cup white), as brown is just a bit too caramelly for my taste.

Ingredients:
¾ cup butter (about 150 g)
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 eggs (or 1 egg and 1 extra yolk)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1½ cups chocolate chips (about 200-300 g) (I just chopped up a block of baking chocolate, so I had chocolate shards more than chocolate chips)

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter, then mix it with the sugars and the cocoa, blending so it gets airy (you can use a mixer).
2. Mix in the vanilla and eggs, until fluffy. Then mix the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour together, and then carefully blend the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
3. Add the chocolate chips and mix until everything is just blender.
4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a baking tray and bake at 165 C for about 15 minutes.

Brownies

These are chewy and rich. Use only white sugar if you want a bit less depth of flavour. You could also ice these with any of the frostings I’ve posted recently.

Ingredients:
115 g butter, plus extra for the pan
200 g chocolate
¼ cup cocoa
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 pinch salt
2 eggs

Instructions:
1. Melt the butter and chocolate together, then mix in the cocoa, sugars, vanilla, flour and salt.
2. Whisk the eggs and blend them into the rest of the batter.
3. Grease the dish. Pour the batter in.
4. Bake at 175 C for around 20 minutes.