Ingredients:

• 7 large honeycrisp apples, peeled and cored
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 3/4 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, I used grade A amber
• 1 TBS + 1 tsp corn starch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cups blackberries, I used frozen
• 2-1/2 cups white flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 stick of Earth Balance vegan butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 + 1/8 cup maple syrup, I used grade A amber

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is preheating, slice the apples in half horizontally, then in 1/3" thick slices vertically and put into a large bowl. Toss with lemon zest and juice. Add the 1/4 cup maple syrup, corn starch, and salt, stirring gently to combine. Next add the blackberries, if using frozen, do not let them thaw before you add them. Again, stirring gently to combine. Pour the mixture into a glass casserole dish. I used a 10.5"w x 1.5"d round quiche dish. Redistribute blackberries by hand if needed so they are evenly distributed. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to push the mixture down to minimize air pockets.

Next, it's time to make the crumble. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Add the cubed Earth Balance. Using your fingers, squeeze the flour mixture and the Earth Balance together over and over until everything is well incorporated. Clean your hands then pour the remaining maple syrup onto the flour mixture. Use a spoon to stir and fold in the maple syrup. You should start to get large crumbs. You want to stir until most of the flour mixture is moist and there is not much dry loose flour left. Use your hands to crumble the mixture on top of the apples and blackberries. I like my crumbles on the large side. They will get crisp in the oven and they are wonderful. Fill the top of the apple mixture with all of the crumble mixture. Do not press down, you want the crumbs to be free-form and loose. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes until golden brown. Let cool 15-20 minutes before serving. This gets better the longer it sits. I cover it loosely with aluminum foil and let it sit out on the counter. If you cover it with plastic wrap the crumble will eventually soften. This is best served warm with either vegan whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 - 1/4 cup of rolled oats
• 3/4 cup of rolled oats, ground fine in a food processor
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/8 cup agave syrup, I used light
• 1/8 cup canola oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, or more to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper, then spray the paper with non-stick spray. In a large bowl whisk together the rolled oats, ground oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium bowl whisk the banana, agave, oil, and vanilla together. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture. Using a spoon, stir until everything is well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place a heaping tablespoon of batter for each cookie onto the parchment lined pan, leaving at leaving about 2 inches between the cookies. Press the down on them slightly until they are no more than 1/2" thick. Put 8-10 cookies on each sheet. Bake cookies for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through to make sure they back evenly. They should be just slightly golden around the edges. Let rest on pan for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Makes 16 - 20 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut flakes, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups non-dairy milk, I used SoDelicious Plain Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 2 TBS cornstarch
• 1 tsp agar agar flakes
• 1/4 cup agave syrup, I used light
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 - 14.5 ounce can of full fat coconut milk
• vegan whipped cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut flakes onto a cookie sheet and bake for 5 - 7 minutes stirring occasionally until coconut is toasted and golden. Next, in a medium saucepan add non-dairy coconut milk, cornstarch, agar flakes, agave syrup, and salt. Whisk well to combine. Add toasted coconut, reserving a tablespoon or two for garnish. Bring to a slow boil over medium-low heat. Once boiling, cook for 10 minutes whisking often. Place a mesh strainer above a heat proof bowl and pour coconut mixture through to strain. Use a spoon to move coconut flakes around and get all the liquid. Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out the thick cream, being careful to get as little of the coconut water as possible. Add the cream to the bowl with the coconut mixture. Once all the cream is added, whisk very well until everything is incorporated and there are no lumps. Pour mixture into 4 ramekins, small bowls, glasses, or whatever else you have on hand. Each serving is 1/2 cup. Put into the fridge and let chill for 1-2 hours until set. Top with vegan whipped cream and remaining toasted coconut. Makes 4 servings, 1/2 cup each.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Make sure you have the container for your ice cream make in the freezer for at least 24 hours. Puree the raspberries in a food processor, until very smooth. Push raspberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve, this step is to remove the seeds, you can skip this is you don't mind them. In a large bowl, whisk the puree, coconut milk, agave, extract, and salt together until completely combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until mixture is thoroughly chilled. Then follow the instructions on your ice cream maker. You may want to process a little longer until nice and creamy. Add the chocolate chips in the last 5 minutes so they get mixed in. I processed my ice cream for about 35 minutes total. Place ice cream into a glass dish and press plastic wrap down onto the top of it so it's not in contact with the air. Add a lid too if you have one. Let freeze for an hour or two, then get ready to scoop some creamy purple loveliness! Keep in mind this has no added "gums" to keep it soft in the freezer. It will eventually freeze hard, so remove an hour ahead for softer, more scoop-able ice cream. Serves 1, just kidding!

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1-1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 7 dates
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup almond meal or almond flour, packed
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Peanut Butter Mousse:

• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 - 13.5 oz can of coconut milk, refrigerated at least 2 hours
• 1/8 cup agave syrup, I used light
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar, or brown sugar (optional)
• salt to taste, only if your peanut butter isn't salted, mine was

Fresh Strawberry Jam:

• 1 quart of strawberries, stems removed and quartered
• 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup agave syrup, I used light
• 2 TBS lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 TBS agar-agar flakes

Topping:

• 1/2 cup of chopped, salted peanuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 x 8 non-stick square cake pan with cooking spray. Place the oats, shredded coconut, dates, and salt into a food processor and process for a minute or two until everything is flour-like consistency. Add almond meal and pulse 4 to 5 times to combine. Next add the coconut oil and pulse until it just starts to come together as a dough. Sprinkle this mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Then use your fingers to gently press the crust down, leveling as needed. Make sure it is pressed in pretty well and then transfer to the oven. Bake for 13-18 minutes until the edges are golden. Set pan on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

When crust has cooled, place the 2 cups peanut butter, coconut milk, agave syrup, vanilla, and coconut sugar into a medium bowl. A quick tip for an easy way to measure the peanut butter is to spray your measuring cup with cooking spray first, then the pb will come out easily. The coconut sugar is optional, I know it's not readily available out there yet, add more agave or even stevia for a sweeter mousse. Using a mixer with a whisk attachment, beat for a couple of minutes, scraping the sides down occasionally, until everything is combined and light and fluffy. You could also use a high powered blender for this step. Scoop and pour the peanut butter mousse onto the top of the crust. Place directly into the fridge to chill.

Next, in a large saucepan, mash the strawberries (I used a potato masher, but you can use whatever you like). Add the lemon juice, agave, and agar, stir well. Bring mixture to a slow boil. I used medium heat to achieve this. Once the mixture comes to a rolling boil, set a timer for 10 minutes. Reduce heat a bit (medium-low), and let the mix boil for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep agar from sticking to the pan. After 10 minutes remove from heat and let it cool for about 20 minutes, whisking occasionally to help it cool down. It doesn't need to be room temperature, but it should only be just warm as you don't want to melt the peanut butter mousse. Pour the fresh jam carefully over the top of the cooled mousse and place in the fridge to set and chill through. I let mine chill for about 3 hours. Then remove it to serve or cover with plastic wrap and place back in the fridge to enjoy later. To serve, sprinkle with the peanuts. These are best kept chilled, and only add the peanuts right before serving as they will turn greasy and brown if left in the fridge (they still taste good though). Cut bars into 2" squares, this makes 16 evenly sized bars.

Ingredients:

Tart Crusts:

• 1-3/4 cups oats, ground fine in a food processor, or oat flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup agave syrup, I used raw
• 1/8 cup coconut oil, unrefined, melted
• 1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Filling:

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked minimum of 4 hours or overnight, drained
• 2/3 cup coconut milk or other non-dairy milk, I used SoDelicious unsweetened coconut, you could also use water
• 2/3 + 1/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup agave syrup, I used raw
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, unrefined, melted
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp chili powder, I used ancho
• 1/2 tsp cayenne, use more or less depending on how much heat you like
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Whipped Cream:

• 14.5 oz can of coconut milk, refrigerated overnight or longer
• 1-1/2 tsp agave syrup, I used light
• 2" section of vanilla bean

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 4 tartlet pans that have removable bottoms with cooking spray, my pans were just over 4" in diameter. Combine all crust ingredients into a food processor, and pulse until well combined and everything comes together in a sticky dough. Using your hands, press dough mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of each tartlet shell. The ideal thickness would be 1/8", you want a thin crust, but not so thin you see the bottom of the pan. I find it easiest to start in the middle of each tart and work my way to the edges and up the sides, adding little pieces to fill in the sides as needed. Place all 4 tartlets on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until just starting to crisp. Cool to room temperature leaving them on the same cookie sheet, but placing it on a wire rack.

When the crusts have cooled, put all of the ingredients for the filling into a high-powered blender (withholding some or all of the cayenne if you don't want much heat), I used my vitamix. Blend, stopping to scrape sides occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes until it's smooth and creamy and has no graininess left from the nuts. Blend longer if needed, the goal is to make sure it's smooth. Adjust seasonings, add more cayenne if you really want to spice it up. Using the aid of a spatula, pour the filling into the tart shells, smooth the tops, and place them back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight. This chilling allows the filling to set up and get thicker like a cheesecake. Don't cover them with plastic wrap until they have chilled long enough to set or the chocolate will stick to the wrap.

The whipped cream should be made at least a few hours before you're planning to serve the tartlets. Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out only the thick cream that is at the top. Try to get as little of the coconut water at the bottom as possible while still getting as much of the thick cream as you can. Put into a small metal bowl. Next, halve the section of vanilla bean lengthwise and place it, cut side up, on a work surface. Hold a knife perpendicular to the bean, then run the blade over each cut side, bearing down to scrape out the seeds. Scrape the vanilla seeds off of the knife and into the bowl of coconut cream. Add the agave syrup and whisk briskly until everything is combined and there are no lumps, usually a couple of minutes. You could also use a hand mixer, but I find that since this is so small an amount doing it by hand works out best. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or even overnight. When ready to serve, gently whisk again just a few times to lighten it up like whipped cream, be cautious as over whisking will cause it to soften.

To serve, remove tartlet from it's pan and place onto a plate, top with a good dollop of the whipped cream and garnish with a mint sprig, cinnamon stick, dust with cocoa or cinnamon, or even just top with a raspberry. Whatever you have on hand will work, get creative. You could even put a thin slice of jalapeno on top to let your guests know there is some heat in this tart. Serve while still cold.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups day old or stale bread, cut into 3/4" to 1" cubes
• 2 cups coconut milk or other non-dairy milk, divided, I used SoDelicious unsweetened
• 3 TBS cornstarch
• 1 TBS maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 pinches turmeric
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/8 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened, divided
• 2-1/4 tsp canola oil, optional
• maple syrup for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 of the wells in a muffin tin with cooking spray. Put cubed bread in a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1/3 cup of the milk until the cornstarch dissolves and there are no lumps. Then add remaining milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and turmeric whisking until everything is completely incorporated. Pour the milk mixture on top of the bread, add the chocolate chips and all but 1 tsp of coconut (this tsp will be sprinkled on the top before baking). Toss gently with a wooden spoon or spoonula until all the bread gets coated with milk. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, stirring once or twice until most of the milk is absorbed by the bread.

Use a large spoon to scoop the bread and milk mixture up and distribute evenly among the 9 muffin wells. While scooping, please make sure to grab the chocolate chips which generally hang out at the bottom of the bread bowl. You want everyone to have equal amounts of chocolate so there is no fighting I make sure the muffin cups are filled about 2/3 full with liquid and generally not more since these do expand a bit while baking. You may have some leftover liquid, that's fine, it just depends on how much moisture your bread absorbed. I drizzle 1/4 tsp of canola oil over the top of each, but this is optional if you are watching your fat intake. Sprinkle the top of these with the reserved tsp of coconut. In the remaining 3 wells of the muffin tin, carefully pour water into them and fill at least halfway full. This helps everything bake evenly in the oven. Bake these 35-40 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and crispy. Remove from oven and let sit on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Carefully use a spoon or small spatula to remove each pudding to plate. Drizzle with maple syrup and enjoy! This makes 9 mini puddings, and is perfect for 4 people.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1-1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 7 dates
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup almond meal or almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Lemon Cream:

• 2 cups coconut milk, I used SoDelicious unsweetened
• 2 TBS agar agar flakes
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 3 TBS + 1 tsp agave syrup
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 pinches of turmeric (for color)
• 1 pinch of salt, I used pink Himalayan
• 1 - 6oz container of non-dairy plain yogurt, I used SoDelicious coconut plain

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 x 8 non-stick square cake pan with cooking spray.

Place the oats, shredded coconut, dates, and salt into a food processor and process for a minute or two until everything is flour-like consistency. Add almond meal and pulse 4 to 5 times to combine. Next add the coconut oil and pulse until it just starts to come together as a dough. Sprinkle this mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Then use your fingers to gently press the crust down, leveling as needed. Make sure it is pressed in pretty well and then transfer to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges are golden. Set pan on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

When crust has cooled, place the 2 cups coconut milk into a medium saucepan and sprinkle the agar flakes on top. Let sit for a few minutes then add the lemon juice, zest, agave, vanilla, turmeric, and salt. Whisk to combine. Bring mixture to a slow boil. I used medium heat to achieve this. Once the mixture comes to a rolling boil, set a timer for 10 minutes. Reduce heat a bit (medium-low), and let the mix boil for 10 minutes, whisking frequently to keep agar from sticking to the pan. After 10 minutes remove from heat and whisk in the yogurt. Pour this mixture carefully over the top of the cooled crust and place pan in the fridge to set. I let mine set for about an hour. Then remove it to serve or cover with plastic wrap and place back in the fridge to enjoy later. These are best kept chilled, but can also be served at room temperature. Cut bars into 2" squares, this makes 16 evenly sized lemon bars.

Have I mentioned lately how wonderful cashews are? Well they are. Treat them right and they become the perfect foundation for creamy desserts. So my dear friends, I embraced the cashew as my catalyst for marscarponesk creaminess. And wow did they ever deliver! This recipe does take some patience and love, but it's so worth it. One quick note: I don't care for super sweet desserts, so feel free to add more agave if you have a sweeter tooth. I truly hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.

Ingredients:

For the cake layer:

• 1/2c raw almonds, soaked overnight in water
• 1/3c raw pecans
• 1/3c raw cashews
• 5 dates, chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the coffee layer:

• 1c raw cashews, soaked a minimum of 6 hours or overnight
• 1/4c coconut milk (I used SoDelicious unsweetened)
• 2 Tbs hot water
• 3 tsp instant espresso
• 2 tsp agave syrup
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp raw cacao powder, or cocoa powder
• 1 tsp carob powder, or more cocoa powder
• 2 good pinches salt

For the cream layer:

• 1-1/2c raw cashews, soaked a minimum of 6 hours or overnight
• 2/3c coconut milk (I used SoDelicious unsweetened)
• 2 tsp agave, or more for a sweeter dessert
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 inch section of vanilla bean
• 1/8 tsp salt

Cacao or cocoa powder for dusting

Directions:

Start with the cake layer...Drain almonds (soaked covered with water overnight in the fridge), place them and remaining ingredients for the cake layer into a food processer. Pulse repeatedly for several minutes until mixture is crumbly and moist. Crumble size should be somewhere between sand and kosher salt. In a small glass casserole, I used a 1 quart rectangular dish, or even individual ramekins, gently press half of the cake mixture into the bottom. Don’t flatten it too much, you want it to be light and airy. Cover dish with plastic wrap and place in the freezer while you start on the coffee layer. Set aside remaining half of the cake layer in a bowl on the counter.

Next is the coffee layer… Drain the cashews (soak overnight just like the almonds). Stir the espresso powder into the hot water until dissolved. Place the cashews, espresso mixture, and the remaining ingredients into a blender. A quick note here, the easiest way to melt coconut oil is to set the jar into a bowl of hot water for several minutes, the outer layer will melt and you can pour what you need the mixture to thicken in the fridge later). Blend ingredients until the mixture is thick and creamy, starting on a low setting until the cashews really start to break down then working up to a higher setting. Ideally you want it to be the consistency of marscapone. If mixture seems too thick, add more coconut milk. If it seems to thin add more coconut oil. Take the prepared dish out of the freezer and evenly spread half of the coffee mixture over the cake layer. Return dish to freezer. Put remaining coffee half into the fridge to keep cool. You will need to clean your blender now as the cream layer also needs to be whipped up in it. Please be sure to dry it well. Make sure the coffee layer has a good 20 minutes in the freezer.

Finally the cream layer… Again drain the cashews, add them to the blender, reserving one cashew. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and place it, cut side up, on a work surface. Hold a knife perpendicular to the bean, then run the blade over each cut side, bearing down to scrape out the seeds. Using the reserved cashew, scrape the vanilla seeds off of the knife and onto the cashew. Place cashew with vanilla into the blender. Add remaining ingredients. Blend ingredients until the mixture is thick and creamy, starting on a low setting until the cashews really start to break down then working up to a higher setting. If mixture seems too thick, add more coconut milk. If it seems to thin add more coconut oil. Take the prepared dish out of the freezer and very carefully spread half of the cream layer on top of the coffee layer. Again, return dish to the freezer. Please let it set up for at least 30 minutes or even longer.

Now you need to repeat the layering process starting with the cake layer. Be gentle when adding the cake layer over the cream as you don’t want to flatten any of the layers below. I use my fingers to sprinkle it on and gently pat the top until it’s fairly even. Return to the freezer again for another 15 minutes. Then spread remaining coffee mixture over top. Return to freezer again for a minimum of 20 minutes. Spread remaining cream mixture over the top, making sure to smooth it out or swirl it up so that it looks pretty, dust top with cacao powder. Cover with dry plastic wrap and return to the freezer for another 30 minutes. After that move it to the fridge. It will be better the longer you wait. Try to give it at least a few hours for the flavors to meld before serving. Dust with more cocoa if needed or for presentation and enjoy! Makes 4-6 servings.