Indulging in dessert doesn’t have to mean straying from your healthy eating goals. There are numerous ways to enjoy sweet treats while adhering to a whole food, plant-based diet. This article explores a variety of delicious and nutritious plant-based dessert recipes that are free from oil, refined sugar, and often gluten, packed with nutrient-rich goodness.
The Need for Pleasure
Humans need many things to live happy, healthy lives, including food, water, shelter, exercise, and relationships. Pleasure is a genuine need that is often overlooked. It can take many forms, from the relief of taking off your shoes after a long day to the simple delight a delicious sweet treat gives us. While some pleasures can be harmful, whole-food plant-based desserts offer a way to indulge without compromising health.
What Makes a Dessert Plant-Based?
Vegan desserts prove that you don’t need butter, eggs, or cream to create something sweet, rich, and decadent. Stocking your pantry with simple ingredients like coconut oil (to replace butter), ground flaxseed (instead of eggs), and pure maple syrup makes creating knockout vegan desserts easy.
Refined Sugar vs. Whole Food Sugars
The key difference between a whole food plant-based dessert and a conventional one lies in the type of sugar used. Refined sugars cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels, followed by a crash. Whole foods, on the other hand, contain enough fiber to slowly release sugars into your bloodstream, keeping your glucose levels stable. When sweetening plant-based desserts, refined sugars are avoided. Instead, natural sweeteners like maple syrup (in small amounts due to its nutrient density), date syrup, or date sugar are used.
Plant-Based Dessert Recipes
Here are some refined sugar-free, oil-free, plant-based dessert recipes:
Read also: Delicious Plant Paradox Breakfasts
Cakes
Easy cakes cater to diverse dietary preferences and offer a solution for those with allergies or choosing a plant-based lifestyle. These cakes boast a moist and flavorful texture, proving that plant-based desserts can be tasty and please a crowd.
- Vegan Apple Cake: A soft, moist cake packed with apple pieces, made in one bowl with simple ingredients.
- Vegan Lemon Cake: A light, airy cake that’s soft, moist, and easy to make with pantry staples.
- Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake: Perfectly balanced, moist, and gooey.
- Vegan Vanilla Cake: Soft, moist, and light, made without eggs, milk, or butter.
- Vegan Carrot Cake: Easily made vegan with straightforward ingredients.
- Pear Cake: A simple, soft cake stuffed and topped with tender pear pieces.
- Blueberry Cake: Features juicy blueberries that infuse the cake with flavor and color.
- Vegan Coffee Cake: Soft, spongy, moist, and packed with coffee flavor.
- Vegan Pound Cake with Lemon: Easy to make, soft, moist, and perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Brownies
- Double Chocolate Brownie: Rich and deserving of a spot on any dessert list.
Cookies and Bars
- Peanut Butter Cookie Bars: These decadent bars are a favorite vegan dessert.
- Strawberry Pistachio No-Bake Cookies: A delightful plant-based treat that requires no oven time.
- Vegan Lemon Bars: Easy to make, delicious, and full of lemon flavor thanks to finger-licking good lemon curd.
- Almond Biscotti: An easy recipe made with simple ingredients.
- Red Wine Cookies: Traditionally made with grape must, red wine, or white wine.
Frozen Treats
- Nice Cream: A humane version of ice cream made by blending frozen bananas until creamy. Flavor with peanut butter, cacao, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or vanilla.
- Strawberry Nice Cream: A creamy and refreshing treat.
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Ice Cream: A delicious, healthy, and dairy-free way to satisfy a sweet tooth.
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream: A tasty plant-based ice cream that captures the flavors of the classic sandwich.
- Mango Chia Pudding: A creamy treat balancing sweetness and flavor.
- Vegan Dole Whip: A homemade vegan version of the famous pineapple Dole Whip.
Muffins
- Banana Bread Muffins: Moist, naturally sweetened, and oil-free, made with PLANTSTRONG Cornbread & Muffin Mix.
- Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
- Apple Muffins: Light and berry-packed, made without eggs and butter.
- Zucchini Muffins: Easy to make, moist, light, and super tasty with grated zucchini, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and walnuts.
- Chocolate Glazed Donuts: Soft and rich, they whip up in 5 minutes and bake in about 20 minutes.
Pies, Tarts, and Galettes
- Fruit Tart: A classic Italian pastry recipe with a light, crunchy pie crust filled with homemade custard.
- Blueberry Galette: A crunchy pie crust topped with fresh blueberries and tangy lemon zest.
- Apple Tart: A flaky melt-in-your-mouth crust with a sweet apple filling.
- Apricot Crostata: A comforting Italian crostata with an apricot jam filling.
Other Desserts
- Raspberry Hibiscus Granita: Tart yet sweet, flavored with PLANTSTRONG Raspberry Hibiscus Iced Tea.
- Tahini Banana Bark: Gets its crunch from PLANTSTRONG Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Granola.
- Chocolate Molten Lava Soufflé: Rich, decadent, and melty.
- Grilled Fruit with Lime Marinade: A unique twist on fruit, transformed into a smoky and caramelized delight.
- Baked Pears: Sweet, tender, and easy to make with four ingredients and 30 minutes in the oven.
Specific Plant-Based Dessert Recipes
PLANTSTRONG Recipes
- Grandma's Apple Grunt: Made with PLANTSTRONG Pancake & Waffle Mix, naturally sweetened and oil-free.
- PLANTSTRONG Pancake Dessert Tacos: Using PLANTSTRONG Pancake & Waffle Mix as the base, filled with fruit, plant-based yogurt, and maple syrup.
- Raspberry Chia Seed Dessert: A 4-ingredient, fiber-filled dessert with fresh raspberries, chia seeds, melted chocolate, and PLANTSTRONG Dark Chocolate Granola.
- Tahini Banana Bark: Using PLANTSTRONG Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Granola for crunch.
- Strawberry Banana Nice Cream: Using frozen strawberries, bananas, and PLANTSTRONG Oat & Almond Milk for extra creaminess.
- Waffle Nice Cream Sandwich: Using PLANTSTRONG Waffles with a "vanilla" flavored nice cream.
Clean Food Dirty Girl Recipes
- Chocolate Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting: A favorite Clean Food Dirty Girl dessert, described as the "Beyoncé of whole-food plant-based desserts."
- Black Bean Brownies: Rich and chewy brownies swirled with peanut butter drizzle.
- Coconut Almond Cake: Rich chocolate ganache covers a delicious almond cake topped with toasted coconut and almonds.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Scones: Perfect for serving at afternoon tea, brunch, or any time.
- Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes: Irresistibly rich and chocolatey cupcakes.
- Pumpkin Pie: A holiday favorite with sweet, spiced, pumpkin custard flavors.
Additional Recipe Ideas
- Banana Bread: A classic made without refined flours or sugars, letting the natural sweetness of the bananas shine.
- Baked Oatmeal Cups: Great for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, kid-friendly and perfect for a meal on the go.
- Pitaya and Banana Bowl: Blends the creaminess of tofu with frozen fruits to create a smooth base.
- Butterscotch Pie: Made with wholesome ingredients like sweet potatoes and dates.
Read also: Nutritious Granola Recipes
Read also: Advantages of a Plant-Based Cleanse