Dessert – Page 5 – The Vegan Rhino

October 12, 2018October 31, 2020

Rhino’s Pumpkin Roll

Have you ever tried making a thin pumpkin cake, only to later roll it around in a white plant-based cream cheese filling and topped with dusted powdered sugar? If you haven’t then you are in for a real treat! This simple pumpkin roll will not only wow all of your family and friends, but you will surely impress yourself with this restaurant-style dessert made in the comfort of your own home. The best part about any Swiss roll cake is that you can keep it in the freezer for any surprise guests that drop by or you can take it to a gathering or give it as a tasty gift during the holiday season. This recipe is so good that you may need to make two at a time!

Yields 1 cake; around 10 slices

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup granulated sugar

4 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer + 8 Tbsp. Water, (in 2 batches)

1 cup homemade pumpkin purée

1 cup King Arthur all-purpose organic flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. Vitacost ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp. pumpkin spice seasoning

1/2 tsp. Vitacost Fine Himalayan Pink Salt

1/8 cup Vitacost powder sugar, for dusting

1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Cream cheese frosting:

4 Tbsp. Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, room temperature

8 oz. Kite Hill Cream Cheese

1 cup Vitacost powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. Vitacost pure maple syrup

Directions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray or vegan butter.
In a stand mixer, beat the already combined egg replacer and water with the sugar for 1-2 minutes or until it thickens. Add the pumpkin puree; mix till combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, salt, and baking powder into the batter. Mix together until flour is combined and switch to using a spatula. This way you can get a few more stirs in without over mixing the batter.
Pour the batter onto the 10×15 baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cake springs back after you touch it. Prepare your dish towel while it bakes by dusting it heavily with powdered sugar. This will prevent the cake from sticking.
Once the cake springs back after toughing it, remove it from the oven and immediately (and carefully) flip the cake pan on top of the towel and remove the parchment paper slowly (there will be a massive cloud of powder sugar so prepare yourself).
Begin to roll the towel with the cake into a log shape and allow to cool on a cooling rack until room temperature. Make sure that you do not let the cake cool for more than an hour, or it can cause the cake to crack when you go to unroll it.

Buttercream:

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese for 2-3 minutes on a medium speed until well combined.
Then add the powdered sugar and maple syrup (or flavoring) and mix; set aside.

Assembly:

Carefully unroll the log and spread the frosting in a single layer. Cover the frosting with the walnuts at this time (optional).
Re-roll the cake back up into a log shape..
Place into the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to allow cake and frosting to firm up a bit (set overnight for best results).
Remove from the fridge and dust top with powdered sugar.
Serve and enjoy.

Chef’s tip: Move quickly when cooling this cake, or it will crack and break when you go to roll it. You can also use pecans instead of walnuts.

October 3, 2018May 14, 2020

Homemade Apple Crisp

Thinking back to this simple yet delicious dessert brings back memories of apple picking at Patterson’s Fruit Farms in Chesterland, Ohio. The warm apples mixed with cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg always pairs perfectly with a heaping scoop of cold vanilla ice cream. Pro Tip: For a crisp crunchy top, be sure to clump your oat mixture up in your hands before placing it on the apples. So get out to your local farm and pick up a bag of fresh apples so you can whip up this apple crisp!

Yields 10-12 servings

Ingredients

8-9 apples, peeled and cored

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. King Arthur organic flour

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Topping:

1 1/4 cup King Arthur organic flour

1/2 cups whole rolled oats

3/4 cup butter, melted (about 10 Tbsp.)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. Vitacost organic ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Vitacost Himalayan Pink Salt

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To prepare your apples, first peel, decore, and slice all apples into wedges- slice again to make wedges more thin. Add the lemon juice and using your fingers, mix apples to coat evenly. Next, add the sugar and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a glass mixing bowl, combine oat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, salt, and walnuts. Mix until topping mixture has formed.
In a casserole dish, pour apple and evenly place the topping mixture over the apples.
Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and top is brown.
Serve immediately with a side of ice cream or a whipped cream topping if you choose.

Chef’s tip: You can add 1/2 tsp. vanilla to the apples if you’d like before baking for added flavor.

September 30, 2018October 31, 2020

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin pie is a notorious fall-inspired dish that makes its way on to the dinner table during numerous holiday parties throughout the autumn season. Normally comprising of eggs, dairy, and heavy cream- this recipe leaves those out! This raw vegan dessert uses a cashew “cream cheese” as it’s base, only to be accented with flavorful aromatics such as lemon juice, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice seasoning. Instead of using your oven for this dessert, you’ll only need a mixer and food processor. Can’t wait for you to sink your mouth into this wholesome plant-based and non-baked pumpkin cheesecake!

Yields 15 servings

Ingredients

Filling:

1/2 cup Vitacost pure maple syrup

2 tsp. pumpkin spice seasoning

2 8 oz. containers of Miyoko’s “Cream Cheese”

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2-2 cups pumpkin purée, homemade

1 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Crust:

2 cups raw almonds, unsalted

8 mejdool dates, pitted

1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

4 Tbsp. vegan butter or coconut oil

1/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats

1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice seasoning

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Whipped “Cream”:

1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk, full fat

1/4 tsp. powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

To make your crust using a food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs, coconut oil, and mejdool dates. Pulse until mixture is well combined and is crumbly-looking.
Press crust mixture into a 11”x7” cake pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a Kitchen-aid stand mixer, pour “cream cheese”, maple syrup, vanilla extract, pumpkin purée, pumpkin spice, and lemon juice and mix until well combined.
Pour mixture into the prepared pie crust and place into the freezer for at least 2 hours to set (overnight-48 hours preferred).
In your stand mixer, combine coconut cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar and whisk for 2-3 minutes until very smooth, be careful not to over mix.
Once bars have set, allow to defrost for 20 minutes before slicing into equal squares and top with whipped cream and a pecan.

Chef’s tip: Feel free to make the crust out of walnuts and almonds or use a mixture of graham cracker crumbs with walnuts or almonds.

September 13, 2018May 14, 2020

Raw Blueberry Cheesecake

This light and fresh “cheesecake” will blow you and your friends away when you bring this over to your next family gathering or party. Made by soaking cashews over night and blending into a creamy mixture with aromatic flavors like lemon and fresh blueberries.

Yields 10 slices

Ingredients

Filling:

3 cups cashew, soaked overnight

3/4 cup filtered water

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup lemon juice, reserved for half of the mixture

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Crust:

2 cups almonds

1 Tbsp. Butter

8-10 mejdool dates

1/2 tsp. Simply Organic almond extract

1/4 cup oats

Pinch Vitacost Fine Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions

Spray and line with parchment paper the bottom of a round springform pan. Set aside for later.
In a food processor, add the crust ingredients and process until it starts to form a sticky-like dough. Once clumped together, transfer to your springform pan and press it down evenly. Place in the freezer to set for 30 minutes.
In a blender, take your soaked cashew, water, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice, and vanilla and blend until very smooth.
- Option** Cut mixture in half and add fresh blueberries. Blend until smooth. Pour 2 cups of filling on to almond crust, allow to firm up in freezer for 10 minutes. Then add the 2 cups of blueberry filling on top.
Pour mixture on top of the almond crust and smooth down with back of a spatula. Place back into the freezer to set fully, about 5-7 hours (best results overnight).
Allow cheesecake to thaw at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes before serving.

Chef’s tip: You can either mix all of the filling ingredients together or if you want, you can split the mixture in half and add 1/2 cup of blueberries to the mixture.

September 5, 2018May 14, 2020

Coco’s Macadamia Nut Cookies

These gooey and crunchy cookies will leave your mouth watering, once you smell and taste how good they are! Recently, I created this recipe for a good friend of mine who wanted a cookie with macadamia’s and dark chocolate- so what did I do? Made her this recipe! So get ready to impress your friends and family with these awesome nutty cookies!

Yields 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, room temperature

1 cup Nutiva organic unrefined coconut sugar

2 1/2 cups King Arthur organic flour

2 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer Gluten Free + 4 Tbsp. Water, mixed

2 tsp plain almond milk

1 tsp Simply Organic almond extract or vanilla extract

1/4 tsp Simply Organic ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp Vitacost Himalayan Fine Pink Salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup Enjoy Life Real Chocolate Chips Morsels Dark Chocolate

1 cup Royal Hawaiian Orchards Natural Macadamias Unsalted, coarsely chopped

Optional Caramel Sauce:

1/2 cup Vitacost organic light brown sugar – non-GMO

1/8 cup plain almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp coarse rock salt

Directions

Preheat oven to350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combin sugar and butter and cream together. Add the egg replacer into the creamed sugar mixture until well incorporated.
Pour the flour, baking soda, almond milk, almond extract, salt, and nutmeg into the bowl and stir until dough has formed. Gently fold in the dark chocolate and chopped macadamia nuts.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place onto a baking sheet. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Drizzle cookies with caramel sauce or smear over the top. Cool and serve or store in container.

Chef’s tip: For an extra crunch, make sure to add some almond slivers or chopped walnuts to the dough mix!

Chef’s tip: Substitutions** If you do chose to use a gluten free flour, you may have to press the cookie down with a fork to flatten. You may also switch out the organic cane sugar for coconut sugar, pure maple syrup, or any sugar of your choice.

August 29, 2018May 14, 2020

Zesty Key Lime Pie

Don’t let its gourmet presentation trick you. This half-baked dessert is actually one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make. Simply create the creamy base by blending soaked cashews with fresh, aromatic ingredients for a tangy, yet oh-so-sweet, treat. Full disclosure: the first time I made this pie was for a housewarming party and just moments after placing it down on the buffet table, it was devoured. Trust me, this light, guilt-free dessert is ideal for any occasion.

Yields 8 slices

Ingredients

Filling:

1 cup Vitacost organic whole raw cashews, soaked

1/3 cup Vitacost organic maple syrup

1 can full fat coconut milk

3/4 cup lime, juice

5 Tbsp. organic corn starch

1 Tbsp. lime zest, to garnish

1 tsp. Simply Organic Madagascar pure vanilla extract

Crust:

2 cups almonds

3 Tbsp. Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks

3-4 mejdool dates, pitted

1/2 tsp. Simply Organic almond extract

1/4 cup oats

1 tsp. Simply Organic Madagascar pure vanilla extract

Pinch Vitacost Himalayan Fine Pink Salt

Directions

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter and pour into a food processor with the crust ingredients. Pulse until well combined.
Press crust mixture down into sprayed cheesecake pan until evenly distributed.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown (careful not to burn).

Filling:

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Then pour into a sauce pan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
Stirring constantly, allow to boil for approx. 8 minutes or until it has thickened (if any lumps form, you can always smooth it out in the blender again).
Once thickened, pour into pre-pressed pie crust. Place in to the refrigerator to set for 4-6 hours or store in freezer overnight for best results.
Serve with vegan whipped cream and lime zest on top.

Chef’s tip: Depending on your preference for tartness or sweetness, you can always add more lime juice, zest, or maple syrup.

August 23, 2018July 12, 2020

Strawberry-Stuffed Citrus Sponge Cake Roll Up

Roll up to your next dinner party with this sweet, drool-worthy dessert. Stuffed with strawberry jam, homemade buttercream and fresh citrus, it’s a tangy treat that will surely impress guests—plus, they’ll never guess it’s made without eggs or dairy! If you’ve never made a gourmet-style recipe like this, don’t worry because it’s fairly easy to make. All it takes is a little bit of patience and you’ll have a perfect roll up cake in no time!

Yields 1 cake; around 10 slices

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer + 6 Tbsp. Water

3/4 cups all-purpose organic flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tsp. almond extract

1/4 tsp. Vitacost Fine Himalayan Pink Salt

2/3 cup strawberry jam

1 Tbsp. orange zest, garnish

Butter cream frosting:

1.5 cups Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, room temperature

4.5 cups powdered sugar

2.5 tsp. water

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer, beat the egg replacer and sugar together for 1-2 minutes. Add the orange juice and almond extract. Beat until combined.
Add the flour, salt and baking powder into the batter, until fully combined.
Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 11-16 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from the oven. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on top of a towel. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to prevent the cake from sticking. Carefully flip the cake pan on top of the parchment paper. Remove the parchment paper and throw away.
Tightly roll the towel with the cake into a log shape and allow to cool for 30 minutes or until room temperature.

Butter cream:

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and half of the powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and remaining powdered sugar and mix until frosting forms; about 3-4 minutes.

Assembly:

Carefully unroll the log and spread the frosting in a single layer. Cover the frosting with the strawberry jam.
Re-roll the cake back up into a log shape.
Frost the cake with the remaining butter cream and top with orange zest and mint leaf.
Place in freezer for the butter cream to set for 1-2 hours or overnight for best results.
Serve and enjoy.

Chef’s tip: Move quickly when cooling this cake, or it will crack and break when you go to roll it.

July 20, 2018May 14, 2020

Supreme Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crunchy, delectable, dunk-able—now that’s the triple threat for cookie connoisseurs (like me!). If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling guilty, try these vegan-friendly chocolate chip cookies. And when you’re craving a little more, use your creativity to enhance the already-delicious flavor and texture profile of these nutritious treats. Simply add your favorite fix-ins, such as nuts, seeds or dried fruits, to the cookie dough and bake

Yields 44 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, room temperature

1 cup Florida Crystals Organic Cane Sugar

2 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer + 4 Tbsp. Water, mixed

2 1/2 cups King Arthur Organic Flour

2 tsp Plain Almond Milk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Simply Organic Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Vitacost Himalayan Pink Salt

2 cups Vitacost Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini-Chips

Optional: 1 cup peanuts or walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In mixing bowl, combine your butter and sugar together. Cream the mixture until smooth consistency. Add the almond milk, vanilla extract, egg replacer mixture and set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry mixture to your wet mixture, stirring until all of the flour mixture is thoroughly combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips and the optional nuts of your choice, do not over mix or break chocolate chips.
Roll the dough into 1/2 in diameter balls, and place onto a baking sheet. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chef’s tip: Melt some additional chocolate. Once your cookies are cool to the touch, dunk one side and place on parchment paper to harden in fridge.