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Easy but elevated vegan eats

Kid-Friendly Homeade Chocolate Eggs

Kid-Friendly Homeade Chocolate Eggs

Healthier than store bought, and fun for kids to make, these Kid-Friendly Homeade Chocolate Eggs are made of chocolate, tahini, coconut flour and agave syrup. These chocolate eggs are of course vegan, and also gluten free and nut-free!

Kid-Friendly Homeade Chocolate Eggs Ingredients

Kid-Friendly Homeade Chocolate Eggs

Only 6 wholesome simple baking ingredients make up these Kid-Friendly Homeade Chocolate Eggs. So, you don’t have to go on a hunt just for the ingredients! Making your own homeade Easter chocolates means you can control the ingredients and sugar content! These treats are allergy-friendly being dairy-frere, gluten-free and nut-free! They use:

• Coconut Flour: a gluten-free flour made from only 100% coconuts. This flour is high in fibre and is a pretty good source of protein. Adding it to your diet may contribute to stable blood sugar, good digestion, and heart overall health. It may also support a healthy body weight when eaten with a nutritious, balanced diet.

• Dairy-free Baker’s Chocolate: Using quality baker’s chocolate means you and your little ones are not consuming any old chocolate. Much on the market are low quality, with a gritty texture or filled with waxes. Use a high quality variety like Camino Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate. It’s certified organic, gluten-free, soy lecithin free, vegan and free of 14 allergens.

•Tahini paste: This seed paste makes your chocolate eggs healthier than the store-bought which are typically filled with high fructose sugary centers. Tahini paste is highly nutritious and has a creaminess than makes

Easy and Unfussy to Make

To make your chocolate eggs you simply need mix up your flour, sweetener and tahini in a bowl, and form flat eggs shapes, then place in the freezer.

While you’re waiting for your egg centers to freeze you then melt your baker’s chocolate with coconut oil over the stove. If you’ve never done this before, don’t worry it’s super quick and easy!

Simply add your coconut oil and chocolate (chop it first so it melts evenly) to a heat proof bowl and set it over a pot of boiling water. Your bowl should hover over the water not be immersed in it. Simply stir with a spatula until it melts!

Kid-Friendly Homeade Chocolate Eggs

Once your egg centers have been chilled in the freezer for 20 minutes you’ll dip both sides of them in your melted chocolate and place on parchment. Then they go back in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill again.

Take them out and drizzle chocolate on top as decoration then pop back in the freezer until you want to eat them!

Kid-Friendly Homeade Chocolate Eggs

The beauty of these Kid-Friendly Chocolate Eggs are that they’re not fussy. They don’t come out looking like perfect little eggs from a chocolate factory! Your festive chocolate eggs will have a homeade and charming look. They’ll also taste super divine, with a chocolate-y shell and sweet cream filled centre.

Kid-Friendly Chocolate Easter Eggs (Vegan & Gluten-free)

Healthier than store bought, and fun for kids to make, these Kid-Friendly Homeade Chocolate Eggs are made of chocolate, tahini, coconut flour and maple syrup. These chocolate eggs are of course vegan, and also gluten free and nut-free!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
freezer time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Plant-Based
Servings 6 eggs

Ingredients
  

Egg Filling

  • 3/4 cup tahini paste
  • 3 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 2 Tbsp agave syrup (or sweetener of choice)
  • pinch salt

Chocolate Shell

  • 100 grams vegan semi-sweet baker's chocolate (like Camino brand)
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil

Instructions
 

Kid-Friendly Chocolate Easter Eggs

  • In a medium bowl, combine the tahini with agave syrup or sweetener of choice.
  • Stir in coconut flour and salt. Your dough should be thick, but soft (similar to cookie dough).
  • Mould your dough into 6 balls and flatten into a flat egg shape. Place on a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Transfer your egg dough filling into the freezer for 20 minutes or refrigerate for 40 minutes.
  • Just before you take the egg fillings out, begin melting the chocolate with coconut oil. Place the chopped up chocolate and coconut oil in a heat proof bowl overtop a pot of boiling water and stir until melted.
  • Remove egg dough filling from the freezer and dunk in the chocolate, making sure the whole egg is covered and place back on the tray.
  • Transfer back into the freezer for 5 minutes to set. Add an extra layer of chocolate drizzle, then place back in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy.
  • Once the chocolate is set, take the eggs out and enjoy!
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge or in the freezer.
Keyword chocolate, Chocolate dessert, Chocolate Eggs, Easter, Holiday, Passover

Looking for more spring inspired recipes? Check out my Lavender & Vanilla Buttercream Cake recipe.

Lavender & Vanilla Buttercream Cake

Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles

Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles

Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles with a beautiful green tinge, the perfect fluffy texture and a just sweet enough vanilla and matcha flavour. These are the best matcha waffles, and super simple to make!

Using Matcha in your Buttermilk Waffles

Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles

Matcha is popular for its creamy, earthy yet slightly sweet taste and its smooth caffeinated effects. The kick that matcha gives is gentle but powerful. It gives a boost of concentration and focus, rather than the harsh jolt that coffee gives you.

This lovely fine powder can be added to many baking recipes, for a slight matcha flavour and pretty green tinge. When added to waffles, matcha gives a little green hue and a complex sweet flavour.

If you’re expecting your matcha waffles to be bright green in colour, they won’t be. You would have to add a lot of matcha powder to make your waffles super green! I use Soar Organics matcha, which is high quality but…as lovers of matcha know, this tea powder cost a pretty penny! So it doesn’t make sense to add much more than you need just to get a green colour.

This Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles recipe will get you pretty waffles with a beautiful green tinge. The flavour is absolutely divine as well.

But, if you’re bent on having bright green waffles, you’ll need to add spinach to the mix. Simply puree a small handful of spinach and add to your waffle batter.

Buttermilk & Ground Flaxseed

Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles

The role of buttermilk in most recipes is to give acid in order to react with baking soda and cause it to ‘rise’ more. Vegan buttermilk works the same way. It gives a big fluffy waffle that is a step up form your normal waffles. When infused with the matcha powder, your buttermilk in this recipe not only gives oomph but a lovely flavour.

As seasoned vegans knows, ground flax is used as a binder in recipes. It’s a healthy and plant-based substitution for eggs. So, you don’t want to replace the ground flaxseed in this recipe. Ensure it’s ground flaxseed, that is a flaxseed meal, and NOT flax seeds. It needs to be ground flax in order to form a paste in your batter.

Berries, Maple & Mint Toppings

Top your Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles with fresh fruits. Strawberries really compliment the flavour of the matcha well. I topped mine with some fresh mint leaves too. For an extra special touch, always be sure to heat up your maple syrup! It keeps your waffles nice and toasty warm and is such a nice touch.

Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles

Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles

Vegan Buttermilk Belgian Waffles, fluffy with the right amount of crisp. These waffles have an absolutely delcious vanilla and matcha flavour.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Plant-Based, Vegan
Servings 3 people

Equipment

  • Waffle Maker

Ingredients
  

Vegan Buttermilk

  • 2 cups oat milk (or milk of choice)
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp matcha powder

Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles

  • 2 1/4 all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 5 Tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp vanilla

Instructions
 

Vegan Matcha Buttermilk Waffles

  • Mix the oat milk with the apple cider vinegar and your matcha powder. Whisk until matcha powder has no lumps. Set aside and let curdle for 10 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
  • Make a well in the center and pour the vegan matcha buttermilk into the well.
  • Add the oil, flaxseed mixture, and vanilla extract. Stir until just combined and the mixture is no longer lumpy.
  • Preheat your waffle iron. Grease your waffle iron with cooking spray if needed (unless non stick).
  • Add your batter to your waffle iron as per your waffle iron's instructions.
  • Repeat for the rest of the waffle batter.
  • Serve immediately. Top with maple syrup and berries.
Keyword Belgian waffles, Breakfast, Matcha, Matcha waffles, Waffles

Looking for more vegan brunch or breakfast ideas? Try my Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes!

Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes

Pearl Couscous Spring Salad

Pearl Couscous Spring Salad

Fresh and elegant. Lentils, leeks, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and watermelon make up this Pearl Couscous Spring Salad. Dressed with mint and an olive oil & balsamic dressing.

What is Pearl Couscous?

pearl couscous in bowl

Pearl couscous is a must in this recipe! You might be tempted to use any type of couscous. The typical smaller variety of couscous, though is drier and more grain-like, and it won’t be quite as nice in the recipe. What makes this spring salad so elegant is the pretty little pearls of semolina.

This larger type of couscous is actually more like a pasta than a grain. The pearl variety are light round little balls of semolina flour and water. They’re tender and soft with a slight chew like an al dente pasta.

Pearl couscous is actually a larger version of Moroccan couscous, though it is sometimes mistaken as Israeli couscous. Roughly the size of a pea, pearl couscous is even larger than Israeli couscous!

Fruit & Veg in Your Pearl Couscous Spring Salad

Pearl Couscous Spring Salad

You wouldn’t think of putting lentils and watermelon together in a salad but it works beautifully.

The lentils, though make sense with all the fresh green vegetables. The watermelon pairs well with the strawberries and sweet cherry tomatoes. When mixed all together with the light little balls of pearl couscous and top it with balsamic dressing, it’s divine.

This salad boasts a ton of healthy nutrients!

•Lentils contain: B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. They’re also a great source of plant-based protein and fibre.

•Watermelon contains: a variety of nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A and C. It’s packed with antioxidants and low in calories.

•Mint leaves contain: antioxidants and phytonutrients, vitamin A, vitamin C, and B-complex, phosphorous, calcium, and has anti-bacterial properties. It is one of the rich sources of iron, potassium, and manganese which improves haemoglobin levels and promotes brain function.

•Greens like Lettuce and Cucumber contain: Vitamins A, E, C, K . Cucumber are a good source of Thiamin, Zinc and a great source of Vitamin C.

A Simple and Healthy Dressing

balsamic dressing olive oil

High quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic, with a generous pinch of salt is all that makes up the dressing for this recipe. It’s quick, simple and can go on almost anything.

I recommend using a well sourced fine quality olive oil for all of your dressings like Acropolis Organic Olive Oil. It’s actually 100% authentic olive oil sourced from Greece. Up to 80% of oil is fake, so it’s important to choose a reputable brand. The taste of authentic olive oil is distinct and delicious, and you can really taste the difference in your dishes.

Pearl Couscous Spring Salad

Pearl Couscous Spring Salad

Fresh and elegant. Lentils, leeks, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and watermelon make up this Pearl Couscous Spring Salad. Dressed with mint and am olive oil & balsamic dressing.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

Pearl Couscous Spring Salad (Vegan)

  • 1 cup pearl couscous cooked and cooled
  • 1 cup green lentils canned (or dry lentils, cooked)
  • 1 small leek chopped
  • 1 small cucumber sliced
  • 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cups lettuce of choice chopped
  • 1/4 cup stawberries sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint
  • 1/2 cup watermelon chopped into small chunks

Balsamic & Olive Oil Dressing (Vegan)

  • 3 Tbsp baslsamic vinegar
  • 6 Tbsp olive oil
  • generous pinch of salt

Instructions
 

Pearl Couscous Spring Salad (Vegan)

  • Wash and add chop your veggies and fruit.
  • Add your vegetables and fruit into a large bowl.
  • Add your (cooked) cold pearl couscous to the bowl. (You can cool your pearl couscous by rinsing it in a strainer under cold water).
  • Add your lentils to the bowl and toss so all of your salad ingredients are mixed together.
  • Pick your mint leaves off the stalks and toss into your salad (alternatively you can choose to chop them).

Balsamic & Olive Oil Dressing (Vegan)

  • Mix your olive oil and balsamic vinegar together in a small bowl.
  • Add a genrous pinch of salt to taste and stir.
  • Pour your dressing over your salad and enjoy!

Looking for more healthy lunch ideas? Try my Smoky Maple Tofu Sandwich!

Smoky Maple Tofu Sandwich

5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies

5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies

Made of oats instead of flour, banana, and peanut butter these easy 5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies are sweetened with cocoa and topped with pumpkin seeds. Full of iron and protein, they make a healthy dessert or breakfast cookie.

Only 5 Ingredients

5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies

These flour-free oat based cookies are made up of only 5 ingredients so they are so quick and easy to make. You can add in optional pumpkins seeds to amp up the protein and iron content.

Additional idea for optional add ins:

•Cashews, almonds, or nuts of choice

•Dried fruits such as cranberries or coconut flakes

•Seeds like sunflower, hemp or flax seeds

Making Your Oat Cocoa Cookies Extra Sweet

5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies

Overripe bananas are higher in sugar than lesser ripe bananas. This naturally sweet flavour makes overripe bananas excellent for baking. They add a sweet taste to your 5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies and therefore reduce the need for refined sugar. Overripe bananas also boast higher antioxidant levels too!

If your bananas are not overripe, you’ll want to add a touch of sweetener to your cookie batter.

1-2 Tbsps of maple syrup will make up for the lack of natural sweetness in your bananas. Or, you can opt for agave which is sweeter than maple syrup, so requires a bit less. A dash of vegan sugar such as Wholesome Organic Sugar also works as a sweetness booster in these cookies.

You can also add in vanilla extract for a sweeter cookie. While vanilla actually isn’t a sweetener, we associate its taste with sweetness. Natural vanilla extract actually comes from the pods of the vanilla orchid, soaked in alcohol and water.

Vanilla gives a warmth and complexity to the flavour of baked goods. It also enhances all the other flavours within a recipe. just as salt does on the savoury side. Its aroma has a sweetness to the palate. It’s not necessary in this recipe, since these cookies are more of less sweet breakfast cookie. But, you can certainly add vanilla if you prefer a stronger sweetness!

5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies

5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies

5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies sweetened with cocoa and topped with pumpkin seeds. Full of iron and protein, they make a healthy dessert.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Gluten free, Plant-Based, Vegan
Servings 8 cookies

Ingredients
  

5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 3 large bananas overripe (If your bananas are not overripe add 1-2 Tbsps maple syrup to sweeten)
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter or nut butter of choice
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder unsweetened
  • handful pumpkin seeds optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix well until fully combined.
  • Wet your hands and form 8 balls with the cookie dough.
  • Place each ball on the lined cookie sheet, and press each ball into a cookie shape.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden on the edges.
  • Allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes before eating.

Notes

These cookies are Vegan and Gluten Free. They should be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for 5 days. They are freezer-friendly, for up to two months.
If your bananas are not overripe you’ll want to add 1-2 Tbsps maple syrup to sweeten your cookies. 
Keyword Breakfast cookies, chocolate chip cookies, Cocoa, Oat cookies, Oats, Pumpkin seeds

Looking for ore vegan cookie recipes? Try my Coconut Sugar Vegan Cookies with chocolate chips. Soft yet chewy, they’re absolute perfection.

Coconut Sugar Vegan Cookies

Smoky Maple Tofu Sandwich

Vegan Smoky Maple Tofu Sandwich

Quick and healthy, this California-inspired vegan Smoky Maple Tofu Sandwich has alfalfa sprouts, tomato, cucumber and vegan mayonnaise.

Smoky Maple Tofu

Vegan Smoky Maple Tofu Sandwich

Just 3 ingredients are used to flavour the cuts of tofu in this fresh and healthy vegan Smoky Maple Tofu Sandwich.

• Liquid Smoke:

This vegan flavour staple gives an earthy smoky taste to your tofu. Liquid smoke is a natural product. It’s created by condensing smoke from burning wood. Then, the liquid is distilled into a concentrate. Next it’s filtered of its impurities (soot and ash). What remains is liquid that smells like a wood burning fire, with notes of hickory, mesquite, and pecan.

A little drop goes a long way with liquid smoke! So this recipe uses just a teaspoon to get that warm toasty taste. Be sure use a vegan Liquid Smoke in your plant-based recipes!

•Maple Syrup

While comparable in calories and carbs, maple syrup has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar. It’s also always vegan! So a touch of maple syrup is ideal for adding a sweetness to your tofu.

•Soy Sauce

Soy sauce gives a strong aromatic umami and savoury flavour. It balances out the sweetness of maple syrup in this tofu recipe. Since soy sauce is salty, there is no added salt in this tofu marinade.

Sprouts & Fresh Veggies

Alfalfa sprouts, sliced cucumbers and tomato give that California vibe to this healthy sandwich.

There’s just something so fresh and crisp about alfalfa sprouts. They give a layer of brightness with a mild, nutty, and subtly sweet flavour with fresh green nuances. Alfalfa sprouts Sprouts are also a nutrient-dense vegetable. One cup of alfalfa sprouts has a mere 8 calories and contains vitamin K, vitamin C, fibre, folate, copper and manganese.

Lettuceeatcake.ca

Adding to the crisp taste of the sprouts, cucumbers give a cool crunch to your California inspired sandwich. Plus, all that water in cucumbers can help keep you hydrated! A few slices of ripe fresh tomatoes and a helping of dairy-free mayonnaise such as Vegenaise makes this sandwich an absolute delight!

Lettuceeatcake.ca

Smoky Maple Tofu Sandwich

Quick and healthy, this California-inspired vegan Smoky Maple Tofu Sandwich has sprouts, tomato, cucumber and vegan mayonnaise.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Course Brunch, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Californian, Plant-Based
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

Smoky Maple Tofu

  • 2 slices firm tofu 3/4 of inch thick each
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup

Sandwich

  • 2 slices vegan bread
  • 1/2 tomato sliced
  • 1/4 cucumber sliced
  • 1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts
  • handful spinach optional
  • 1-2 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise spread

Instructions
 

Smoky Maple Tofu

  • Heat up a small pan on the stovetop to medium heat.
  • Cut 2 slices from a block of firm tofu. (Make your slices approximately 3/4 of an inch thick)
  • Add maple syrup, liquid smoke and soy sauce to a bowl and whisk together.
  • Place your tofu slices in the pan and pour the marinade over top, flipping tofu a few times to ensure both sides are evenly covered.
  • Cook each side for 3 minutes or until golden brown on each side.

Sandwich

  • Toast your bread if desired.
  • Add your sliced veggies, sprouts and tofu slices to your bread.
  • Add a spread of vegenaise to your sandwich.
  • Assemble your sandwich, cut in two and enjoy!
Keyword Maple, Maple Tofu, Marinated Tofu, sandwich, tofu, Tofu Sandwich

Looking for a healthy side to your sandwich? Try my Baked Turnip Fries with Spicy Mayo!

Baked Turnip Fries with Spicy Mayo

Seaweed Smoothie

Vegan Seaweed Smoothie

A refreshing green Seaweed Smoothie with a healthy boost of iodine, magnesium and iron. Made with oat milk, this smoothie recipe is low in fat, dairy-free and chock full of nutrients.

Spinach, mango and banana are the base of this green smoothie, with seaweed added for a dose of extra vitamins and minerals.

A healthful addition to vegan diets in need of added iron.

Benefits of Seaweed Smoothie

Vegetables and legumes contain everything needed for a healthy diet. For vegans, though, iodine is one nutrient that needs particular focus. It can be bit tricky to get enough from plant products if you don’t pay attention.

Iodine is essential to make thyroid hormones, the hormones that control your body’s metabolism and cell production. It also helps in both brain and bone growth processes. However, consuming too much iodine is just as dangerous as an iodine deficiency is! So do not overdo it.

Seaweed contains iron, potassium, magnesium, iodine, calcium, fibre, zinc and more. This sea vegetable actually absorbs iodine from seawater! Seaweed also contains many other minerals and trace minerals, including calcium, copper and magnesium. They can be high in protein and fibre, whilst being low in calories and fat-free.

Kelp or Nori…Which to Use in Your Smoothie

Seaweed is an umbrella term that covers many species of sea veggies! You can use any type of human grade seaweed in your smoothie.

We can break seaweed down into three groups — red, brown, and green. Kelp is within the brown seaweeds, which generally have higher levels of iodine than red or green seaweeds.

Nori is what is usually called seaweed sheets, and used mostly for sushi making. It’s also great to eat on its own as a healthy snack. Made of red algae, Nori is also super nutrient-rich.

Both Nori and Kelp are forms of nutrient-rich edible seaweeds that are great in smoothies!

Seaweed Smoothie

Seaweed Smoothie

A refreshing green Seaweed Smoothie with a healthy boost of iodine, magnesium and iron. Made with oat milk, spinach, mango and banana, with seaweed added for a dose of extra nutrients.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Drinks, Lunch
Cuisine Plant-Based

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients
  

Seaweed Smoothie

  • 1 cup  oat milk  or milk of choice
  • 1 frozen banana 
  • 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
  • 1/8 cup seaweed or kelp
  • 1/4 cup spinach fresh or frozen

Instructions
 

Seaweed Smoothie

  • Add all ingredients to a blender.
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Add more oat milk as needed.
  • Pour into a glass and enjoy!
Keyword breakfat, Grapefruit Smoothie, healthy breakfast, plantbased, seaweed

Looking for more healthy and delicious plant-based smoothies? Try our Refreshing Grapefruit Mango Smoothie!

Refreshing Grapefruit Mango Smoothie

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