VEGAN LEMON POPPYSEED SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup vegan butter, slightly softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant milk soy, almond or oat milk
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup poppyseeds
• Zest of one lemon, finely grated

Icing

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut milk
• Natural colouring (optional): beetroot powder, blueberry juice, matcha green tea powder, turmeric, cocoa powder

Direction:

1. Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the vegan butter for 1 minute until smooth. Add sugar and lemon zest, then beat on high for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the milk, cornstarch, and vanilla, beating on high for about 1 minute until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppyseeds.
4. Form Dough: With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until incorporated. The dough should resemble playdough in texture—crumbly in the bowl but cohesive when pressed. If too wet, add up to ¼ cup more flour.
5. Roll & Chill: Gather the dough and divide it into two balls. Roll each between lightly floured parchment sheets to ¼-inch thickness. Stack with parchment between layers and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
6. Preheat & Cut: Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut cookies into desired shapes, placing them on prepared sheets. Re-roll scraps as needed.
7. Bake & Cool: Bake on the middle rack for 9–12 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges. They may look underdone but will firm up as they cool. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
8. Make Icing: Whisk together icing ingredients (except coloring) until smooth and glossy. Adjust with milk if too thick or powdered sugar if too thin.
9. Colour & Decorate: Divide icing into bowls, adding natural coloring to each. Decorate cookies by dipping, brushing, spooning, or piping.
10. Set & Serve: Allow icing to set for at least 1 hour before serving.

VEGAN BLUEBERRY COCONUT BUNDT CAKE WITH GLAZE

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ¼ cup sugar 
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• ¼ cup applesauce
• 1 cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or avocado)
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pint blueberries
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 cup shredded coconut, lightly toasted

For glaze:

• 1 1/2 cup icing sugar
• ⅓ cup coconut milk (or any type of non-dairy milk)
• 1 tablespoon blueberry juice

Direction:

1. Preheat & Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan generously with oil, then dust with granulated sugar.
2. Make Buttermilk Substitute: Mix coconut milk and vinegar in a small bowl; set aside for a few minutes.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a stand mixer or large bowl, whisk sugar, coconut milk mixture, applesauce, lemon zest, and lemon juice on medium speed for about a minute, until thick. Add oil and vanilla; mix for another minute.
5. Combine Batter: Add dry ingredients in two batches, mixing gently after each addition. Fold in shredded coconut and blueberries with a spatula until just incorporated.
6. Bake: Pour batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 55–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool & Release: Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Gently loosen the sides with a spatula or knife without cutting into the cake. Invert onto a plate, tap if needed to release, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
8. Make Glaze: Whisk icing sugar, coconut milk, and blueberry juice until smooth, adjusting consistency if needed (it should be like glue).
9. Glaze & Set: Once the cake is fully cool, drizzle with glaze and let it set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

NO-BAKE VEGAN BROWNIES

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (optional)
• ⅓ cup vegan chocolate (optional)
• Roasted cacao nibs (optional)

Method:

1. Spray an 8x8 square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together almond butter, maple syrup, and cocoa powder until completely combined.
3. Transfer batter to the lined pan and press down using damp fingers or the bottom of a glass.
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Remove from the refrigerator, slice, and serve!
6. Optional: Melt some vegan chocolate in the microwave or a double boiler. Drizzle chocolate on top of the brownies and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and roasted cacao nibs for even more flavour.

VEGAN MATCHA STRAWBERRY AMARETTI COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour or very finely ground almonds, sifted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup aquafaba (water from canned chickpeas)
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• icing sugar, as needed
• ½ cup strawberry jam

Direction:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. To prevent the cookie bottoms from over-browning, stack two baking sheets together and line the top one with parchment paper. This creates an insulated baking surface for more even baking.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, sugar, matcha powder, and salt until evenly combined.
3. In a stand mixer or bowl with a hand mixer, beat aquafaba and lemon juice until stiff peaks form (the mixture should stay put if the bowl is flipped upside down).
4. Add whipped aquafaba and almond extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft, sticky dough forms, kneading with your hands if needed.
5. Lightly dust hands with powdered sugar. Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, portion 1-inch balls, roll smooth, and coat in powdered sugar. Optionally, pipe into small rosettes using a star tip and omit the icing sugar. Arrange on the baking sheet, 1 inch apart.
6. Press an indent into each cookie and fill with strawberry jam using a piping bag or teaspoon.
7. Bake for 30–35 minutes until the tops crack and the bottoms are lightly golden (if using a single sheet, check after 25 minutes). Cool briefly, then transfer to a wire rack.
8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

VEGAN PANNA COTTA WITH MIXED BERRY SAUCE

Ingredients:

• 1 14-oz can coconut cream
• 1 cup almond or oat milk  
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup corn starch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For Berry sauce

• 3 cups mixed raspberries and blueberries
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

Direction:

1. Dissolve sugar in coconut cream: In a saucepan over medium heat, warm coconut cream and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
2. Thicken: In a small bowl, whisk almond or oat milk with cornstarch, then add to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened to a slow-flowing paste (about 10 minutes).
3. Flavour & Set: Stir in vanilla extract. Divide the mixture into 6–8 ramekins or small serving bowls. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled.
4. Make Berry Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine berries, sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes until the berries burst and the sauce thickens.
5. Strain & Store: Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to extract a thicker sauce. Let cool completely, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve: Spoon the berry sauce over the chilled panna cotta and enjoy!