Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipes

Nothing says romance like a cruelty-free Valentine’s Day. If vegan Valentine’s Day recipes seem like they’re out of your wheelhouse a little bit, don’t’ worry! We’ve got lots of ideas for you to choose from! There are even some ideas for entire menus, so this list really has way more than 10 recipes.


10+ Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipes

1. Chocolate Truffles – These vegan truffles use homemade cashew cream in place of dairy-based cream in conventional truffle recipes. The results are decadently delicious!

2. Almost Raw Truffles – This is an even simpler Valentine’s Day truffle recipe that requires no stove at all. And they’re free from refined sugar, too!

3. Mango-Banana Smoothie – Start the day off with a healthy breakfast packed with natural aphrodisiacs.

4. A Whole Vegan Menu – If you’re doing Valentine’s Day at home, we’ve got you covered. This menu has everything from a signature cocktail to a romantic vegan main dish and dessert.

5. Raw Chocolate-Peppermint Brownies – This is another super simple vegan dessert. All that you need to make it is a blender.

6. Grapefruit-Cranberry White Wine Spritzer – This is a festive cocktail that’s refreshing, tart, and not overly boozy. Because getting sloppy drunk isn’t super romantic.

7. Another Whole Menu – This menu had me at Tipsy Vodka Cream Sauce. YUM!

8. Romantic Dinner a Deux – Vegetarian Times has a nice selection of recipes complete with nutritional information.

9. Lemon-Ginger Vegetable Pie – This roasted veggie pie has plenty of ginger, a natural aphrodisiac. It’s a perfect Valentine’s Day main dish.

10. Easy Vegan Quiche – You can make this quiche with any veggies that you like. And your date doesn’t have to know how easy it was to make!

[via Eat Drink Better]

29 Amazing Vegan Ice Cream Recipes

Yes, you can make amazing ice cream without a cow in sight. There are lots of different ingredients to experiment with (coconut milk, frozen bananas, avocado, soy or almond milk), and you can do it with or without an ice cream maker (frozen bananas are your new best friend if you don’t have one). Here are a few basic tips to keep in mind:

• Fat helps you get the right creamy texture. That’s what makes coconut milk such a perfect substitute for whole milk and cream. Give it a shot, even if you think you don’t love coconut; the flavor is pretty subtle, especially if you mix it with fruit, chocolate, etc.
• Thickeners like corn starch and arrowroot (like in this basic coconut ice cream recipe) can also help make a creamier texture.
• Make sure any sweetener you add is in syrup/liquid form, or it’ll cause crystals to form.
• Make sure all your ingredients are as cold as they can be pre-freezing/blending. That’ll help everything combine without starting to melt too much, which can make for a grainy final product.

Coconut-based Ice Creams

1. Fig, Coconut and Blackberry Ice Cream

The flavors are pretty fruity and complex, not at all like a standard sugar and cream recipe. Make sure to use ripe figs (preferably mission figs), they taste sweeter. Find the recipe here.

2. Vegan Coconut Ice Cream

For those of you who love coconut milk, this ice cream will be right up your alley.  If you’re familiar with Hawaiian and/or tropical desserts, it’ll probably remind you of haupia.  This recipe uses the same basic ingredients– coconut milk, cornstarch and sugar– but instead of turning the ingredients into gelatin-like squares, you end up with a dazzling white frozen dessert. 

3. Salted Caramel Pretzel Ice Cream

Smooth vanilla ice cream with ribbons of salted caramel and lots of chunky chocolate-covered pretzels. You'll never eat pretzels from a bag again! Try out the recipe here.

4. Vegan Rhubarb Ice Cream

An ice cream meant for those who enjoy the tartness of rhubarb.  The perfect treat during those hot, sticky summer days. Recipe here.

5. Coffee Coconut Milk Ice Cream with Hot Fudge

This recipe is incredibly simple and yields great results. The coconut milk churned just like regular ice cream, and once frozen became the farthest thing from your typical vegan dessert. A key thing to note is that the ice cream doesn’t have a strong coconut flavor, like you would think. So if you’re not a coconut lover,  you’ll still like it - especially if you add the coffee.

6. Avocado-Coconut Ice Cream

This recipe is a bit unusual, but that’s what makes it so appealing. It’s also creamy and smooth without being heavy. And though you feel slightly virtuous as you eat it, it still tastes like a treat. But most importantly, it’s cool and refreshing, which is just what you want during those hot days.

7. Vegan Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

This delicious recipe is rich and creamy and sweet just like regular ice cream. And the cinnamon sugar and actual toast flecks gave it a whole new flavor dimension.

8. Vegan Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream

A creamy texture that is much better than any cow’s milk product I have ever made. You’ve seen a can of full fat coconut milk, and that creamy layer on the top, it’s beautiful. And it’s incredible in ice cream, with a smooth and rich flavor that's similar to gelato in Italy. You will love this recipe and everyone will be shocked that it’s vegan.

9. Vegan Black Sesame and Ginger Ice Creams

Intrigued by the deep asphalt grey color of black sesame, which is so uncharacteristic to ice cream or any dessert for that matter. Deviant ice cream. Paired with some ginger ice cream to go with the grey batch. Ginger is another one of those warming, earthy flavors, which combines wonderfully with the sesame. The pairing of the two is very comforting, almost soothing to have after a long day or to end a peaceful dinner. Find the recipe here.

10. Vegan Butter Pecan Ice Cream

You’ll need to buy (or make) a vegan butter substitute to get the ideal buttery flavor in this recipe.

11. Vegan Mango Coconut Ice Cream

Start with a can of coconut milk for a rich and creamy base. Simply combine the coconut milk with some almond milk and blend in ripe fruit and organic sugar. Chill the mixture then freeze in an ice cream maker. Scoop and enjoy. Recipe here.

12. Vegan Peanut Butter Chunk and Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream

Using coconut milk makes this recipe dairy free + vegan and incredibly simple to make.

13. Vegan Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

If your children like pumpkin pie, they are going to love this pumpkin ice cream. Recipe here.

14. Vegan Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

So yummy and refreshing, this vegan chocolate chunk ice cream recipe is sure to be a delight!

Banana-based Ice Cream

15. Vegan Maple Pecan Ice Cream

Bananas are inexpensive and when fully ripe are as sweet as can be. And they can be dressed up many ways, like this ice cream. Recipe here.

16. Banana Cherry Garcia Soft Serve

Cherries + dark chocolate is always a winning pair! Frozen bananas make magical ice cream with just a blender. Recipe here.

17. Lavender Banana-Coconut Ice Cream

A relaxing and delicious blend of lavender, coconut, and banana.  And, you don’t even need an ice cream maker to enjoy this decadent and sweet recipe.

18. Vegan Cake Batter Ice Cream

This fun recipe is just like soft serve ice cream, but it’s healthy, vegan and incredibly easy to whip up. Now you can have your cake and eat ice cream, too.

19. Vegan Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

This recipe is delicious and super healthy, much better than the store bought version any day

20. Vegan Strawberry-Banana Ice Cream

Are you ready to indulge and be blown away by this easy and decadent raw recipe? It’s 100% raw, vegan, gluten-free, sweetener free and delicious :)

21. Vegan Mango-Banana Ice Cream

A no fuss fruity, creamy, and even healthy — frozen mango and bananas are all you need in this recipe.

22. Salted Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Caramel Sauce

This recipe is easy and insanely delicious! If those that isn't enough, it’s also dairy free, gluten free and has no refined sugar. plus you don’t need a fancy ice cream maker. Follow the recipe along here.

Nut-based and Other Ice Creams

23. Vegan Peach-Almond Ice Cream

This recipe involves making your own almond milk as part of the process (don’t worry, it’s not hard).

24. Vegan Salted Caramel Ice Cream

This ice cream is made with silken tofu for added oomph. Recipe here.

25. Chocolate Sorbet

This is the good stuff. It’s essentially a mix of hot chocolate and actual chocolate, melted together and frozen into someone scoopable. This recipe is for people who wish chocolate ice cream tasted more like chocolate.

26. Chocolate Soy Ice Cream

This deliciously diet-friendly chocolate soy ice cream recipe is easy to fit into a sensible diet, plus it’s a great source of protein, fiber, iron and calcium. It’s easy and cheap to make, too, and if you don’t have an ice cream maker yet, it’s a great reason to get one.

27. Raw Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Cashews and almond milk give this ice cream recipe a great creamy texture with zero custard-cooking required.

28. Vegan Blueberry Crumble Ice Cream

This recipe takes blueberry ice cream to all new heights. Almond and coconut milk team up in this base.

29. Vegan Chocolate-Avocado Soft Serve

You can make this in a blender or food processor; just make sure to chill the coconut milk and avocados ahead of time. Recipe here.

[via BuzzFeed]

How to Make 10 of Your Favorite Sauces the Vegan Way

Many sauces have a meat broth base, and creamy sauces and dips often contain dairy. By using a number of substitute ingredients including vegetable broth, soy milk and pureed tofu, you can create a host of flavorful sauces and dips without animal-based ingredients. These articles will allow you to choose from a wide variety of vegan sauces and dips to prepare for your next meal or party.

In ancient Rome, foods could not be preserved through refrigeration. Food author Linda Stradley of What’s Cooking America suggests that sauces were most likely invented to cover up instances of doubtful freshness. Fortunately, sauces now simply exist to make our foods taste better and to add pleasing texture. Add flavor to pastas, pizzas, stir-fries and casseroles using these flavorful and easy-to-make vegan sauces.

1. Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Restaurant owner Alfredo di Lello invented Alfredo sauce for his wife by mixing together Parmesan, cream and butter in his kitchen. The sauce reportedly restored her appetite during an uncomfortable pregnancy. In this recipe, lots of onion is the secret to this easy, low ingredient and rich alfredo sauce. You will be shocked there is not an ounce of dairy in it!  Traditional Alfredo is full of fat and calories; this vegan version is much healthier.

2. Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

Marinara sauce has its origins in the 16th century. Supposedly, the Neapolitan sailors invented the sauce after the Spanish introduced the tomato, a New World crop, to Europe. A pot of simmering spaghetti sauce will fill your home with delightful aromas. The secret to this recipe is blending sun-dried tomatoes with a scoop of sauce and then stirring it back into the pot. The result is a thick and creamy tomato sauce with a ton of flavor unlike any other tomato sauce.

3. Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce (or Dip)

Peppers are used in many different Italian dishes. For example, many Italians use peppers to make Nduja, which is similar to Andouille sausage. In this recipe, smokey roasted red bell peppers and cashews make up the base of this sauce with red onion, garlic, and a touch of lemon juice. You can also use it in place of salad dressing, as a dip, a tasty spread on sandwiches, or tossed with gluten free pasta and topped with roasted veggies. The possibilities are virtually endless!

4. Vegan Ginger Peanut Sauce

Peanut sauce is generally used in cuisine from Africa, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Ginger is a common ingredient, as is garlic, coconut milk and spices. This vegan ginger peanut sauce recipe makes an excellent sauce for stir-fry or a mid-day meal. It’s so incredibly filling and requires just 10-15 minutes of your time. It’s also vegan and gluten free, and for our peanut butter-adverse friends, simply sub in cashew butter or tahini.

5. Vegan Gravy

Gravy is traditionally made by sautéing flour in animal fat to form a roux. Then, cooks add milk or water to make gravy. You can still “pass the gravy” with this vegan and gluten-free recipe that gets its rich flavor and color from sautéed button mushrooms along with hearty spices like sage, thyme, and rosemary. You’ll also know that you’re serving a much healthier version of a rich and beloved classic. 

6. Vegan Curry Sauce

Curry with vegetables makes a wonderful, flavorful weeknight supper. This korma-style curry recipe is sweet, mildly spicy, creamy…and just tastes so exotic. Curry is associated with Southern Asia but was actually invented by the British. The term curry was a catch-all for sauces made from butter, nuts, spices and fruits that were poured over rice.

7.  Vegan Enchilada Sauce

The Aztecs invented the concept of wrapping, filling and eating tortillas. The word “enchilada” first appeared in the U.S. in 1885 and literally means, “in chile.” Traditional enchiladas are more of a street snack consisting of a corn tortilla dipped in chile sauce rather than the casserole-like dish that we prepare in the U.S. today. This homemade enchilada sauce, it’s so incredibly easy and delicious and has one special and important ingredient, cocoa! Yes, it’s true. It adds a great complexity and flavor to the richness of the sauce.

8. Vegan Béchamel Sauce

This traditional French sauce usually has a base of milk with a buttery roux. In France, béchamel is known as one of the four meres or “mother sauces” from which all other sauces are derived. This recipe is creamy, "cheesy" and has that genuine delicious white sauce flavor. The trick with this sauce is to finely mince the onion and to make it creamy by sautéing it with some vegan margarine.

9. Vegan Pesto

Pesto means “pressed.” The inventors of this sauce had no access to food processors or blenders. Instead, they pressed the basil and other ingredients with a mortar and pestle. This recipe is kale-based because kale makes a killer pesto. With the addition of walnuts (healthy!), this pesto is basically a Super Sauce and can be used in a variety of dishes.

10. Vegan Mole

Historians believe that mole was invented in the 1680s in a convent in Puebla de los Angeles. The sister superior of the convent supposedly created the dish to honor the archbishop who created a convent for her order. This vegan mole is velvety smooth and decadent sauce with a nice spicy kick and hint of chocolate. Mole’s sophisticated blend of flavors earns it the right to be served as an entree, sometimes with a mere sprinkling on top of your favorite vegetable dish, or simply with rice and beans. It also pairs amazingly well with fruit or your favorite dessert.

6 Amazing Vegan Brunch Recipes

Quinoa Porridge

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
   1 cup unsweetened almond milk
   1/3 cup quinoa flakes
   1 tablespoon vanilla extract
   1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
   1/4 teaspoon ginger
   1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
   3 to 4 dried prunes, chopped (or other dried fruit)
   1 tablespoon maple syrup
   1 tablespoon raw sliced almonds

Directions:
Bring almond milk to a boil in a pot over high heat. Add quinoa flakes, return to a boil, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and prunes and cook another 30 seconds, continuing to stir. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add maple syrup, mix well, and sprinkle with almonds.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Tofu Whip

Serves: 2 to 4

Ingredients:
Maple Tofu Whip:
   1 (12.3-ounce) package non-GMO firm tofu
   1/4 cup maple syrup
Pancakes:
   1 cup spelt flour
   1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
   2 teaspoons baking soda
   1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
   1/3 cup organic pumpkin purée (canned is fine)
   1 tablespoon maple syrup
   1 tablespoon vanilla
   1 cup almond milk

Directions:
1. Drain tofu by placing it between two plates and setting a heavy pot cover on top of the top plate. Let sit for an hour, then blend tofu and maple syrup in a blender for about 30 seconds, until completely smooth.
2. Blend all pancake ingredients in a blender. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and ladle in batter by the quarter cup. Cook until bubbles appear, then flip using a spatula, even out (or thin out) pancakes with the spatula, and cook for two to three more minutes.
3. Top warm pancakes with tofu whip.

Sweet Potato Tempeh Hash

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
   2 sweet potatoes, cubed
   2 tablespoons chopped onion
   1 clove garlic, minced
   1 tablespoon olive oil
   1/2 cup julienned red bell pepper
   6 ounces tempeh, cubed
   1 cup vegetable broth
   1 teaspoon paprika
   1 tablespoon soy sauce
   Salt and pepper, to taste
   2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potato in a lightly oiled or nonstick pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. In a wok over medium-high heat, sauté onion and garlic in oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add pepper, tempeh, and a bit of broth and stir frequently for 2 minutes. (Keep broth handy and always have 1/2 to 1 centimeter of broth at the bottom of the wok.) Add sweet potatoes and paprika, and slowly add remaining broth until it has all been absorbed by the tempeh and potatoes. Then add soy sauce, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix well and serve.

Carrot Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese

Serves: 6 to 12

Ingredients:
Muffins:
   2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
   6 tablespoons water
   1 cup sugar
   1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
   1 cup flour
   1 teaspoon baking soda
   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
   1/2 teaspoon ginger
   1/4 teaspoon salt
   2 cups shredded carrots
   1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
   1/2 cup raisins, optional
Maple Cream Cheese:
   1 (8-ounce) package vegan cream cheese, cold
   1/4 cup vegan margarine, cold
   1/4 cup maple syrup
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a cupcake tin with wrappers or oil the tin well.
2. Mix flaxseed and water well, then beat with sugar and applesauce in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and beat. When well blended, stir in carrots and, if desired, pecans and raisins.
3. Spoon batter into cupcake tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and let cool on rack completely.
4. Beat cream cheese and margarine in a large bowl until smooth. Add maple syrup and vanilla and beat again until smooth. If spread isn’t sweet enough for your liking, add up to 1/2 cup sweetener of choice and beat until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Serve muffins with cream cheese spread on the side.

Tofu Scramble

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
   1 (12.3 ounce) package non-GMO firm tofu
   1 clove garlic, minced
   1/3 cup chopped onions
   1 cup chopped broccoli
   1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
   2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
   1 teaspoon paprika
   1 teaspoon ground saffron
   1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
   Salt and pepper, to taste
   1 cup shredded kale (stems removed)

Directions:
1. Drain tofu by placing it between two plates and placing a heavy pot cover on top of the top plate. Let sit for at least an hour.
2. In a nonstick pan over medium heat, lightly brown garlic and onion, stirring frequently. Crumble tofu into pan and add remaining ingredients except kale. Stir frequently, until tofu reaches desired color, about 3 minutes. (If mixture becomes too dry at any point, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.) Reduce heat to low, add kale, and stir for 1 more minute. Serve with vegan toast and tempeh bacon, if desired.

Banana French Toast with Chocolate Macadamia Nut Butter

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
Chocolate Macadamia Nut Butter:
   6 tablespoons vegan dark chocolate chips
   4 tablespoons macadamia nut butter (or other nut butter)
   1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
   1 tablespoon vanilla extract
French Toast:
   1 banana
   1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
   1 tablespoon maple syrup
   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   4 slices vegan bread
   1 tablespoon vegan margarine
   Fresh fruit, optional
   Chopped nuts, optional

Directions:
1. Place all nut butter ingredients in the top of a double boiler and stir until melted and mixed well. (If you don’t have a double boiler, place a stainless-steel bowl on top of a pot of boiling water so that the bowl rests in the water but doesn’t touch the bottom of the pot, and melt the ingredients in the bowl.) Let mixture cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
2. Blend banana, almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla in a blender and pour mixture into a shallow plate. Soak bread in mixture for 1 minute, flip, and soak another minute. Add margarine to a skillet over medium heat and rotate pan so bottom is lightly coated. Add bread and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. To serve, top two slices of bread with a dollop of chocolate nut butter and fruit and nuts, if you like.