Sweets & Treats

Vegan Maqui Berry Cheesecake

Vegan maqui berry cheesecake with a gluten-free almond-oat crust, and an optional strawberry compote topping.

I love it when M eats dessert with me.

Like, sharing dessert might be my love language.

For Christmas, he got me some fancy extra dark truffles that I happily divided it up between us so we could enjoy them in pairs.

It doesn’t happen very often, because he has more of a savory tooth than a sweet one.

It’s just special to share something sweet with someone you’re sweet on, you know?

Which is why I love when his birthday rolls around.

Every year to celebrate M’s birthday I make a variation of vegan cheesecake.

He always says he doesn’t need a birthday cake, but everybody needs a birthday cake, right?!

Cheesecake, while not a cake in the classical sense, is his favorite dessert, and one I’m happy to create and enjoy with him.

This year, I was inspired to create something a little funky and colorful.

This Vegan Maqui Berry Cheesecake is made with a gluten-free almond-oat crust, and an optional strawberry compote topping.

Add a little color to your year and make this for a fun dessert for any occasion!

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SunButter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

SunButter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies made with Organic SunButter and your favorite no-sugar-added jam. The perfect holiday cookie!

I’m just going to come out and say it: the end of this year has felt like a slog for me.

Anyone else?

I’m tired, I’m cranky, and I feel like the only thing that sounds interesting to me at the moment is a one-way ticket to the Bahamas.

Maybe it’s the shorter daylight, maybe it’s surviving the most wonderful time of the year as a new dog mom, or maybe it’s the extreme cold we’ve had this December.

Whatever *it* is that has me staring at blank pages with blinking cursors and cursing the creative slump I’ve fallen into, needs to go.

Regardless of the cause, I’m actively trying to take it easy on myself.

Because baby it’s freakin’ cold outside, because it’s the holidays, because I’m moving into 2025 without those nuisance negative beliefs.

That being said, whether you’re crushing the last few weeks of 2024 or cruising like I am, I think we all deserve a cookie.

These SunButter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies are made with Organic SunButter and your favorite no-sugar-added jam.

They’re the epitome of the perfect holiday cookie made with lots of SunButter, jam, and love.

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies with oat and almond flour and dark chocolate chips. The perfect classic vegan cookie for any occasion!

It’s cookieeeeeee season, friends!

Just this week, I have three batches of cookies on the menu for three respective holiday events.

And pretty much every gathering this time of year requires cookies, am I right?

Today, I’m sharing with you a classic chocolate chip cookie with an un-classic vegan and gluten-free twist.

I first made these cookies for “Cousinsgiving” last weekend when we celebrated with my cousin, her husband, and their (now toddler!) daughter.

They were the perfect chocolate studded dessert after a beautiful spread of Vegan Zoodle Carbonara, cranberry sauce, delicata squash, and green beans.

I love that these cookies are easy to mix up in one bowl, making them a go-to recipe for last minute cookie exchanges.

You know, for the times you find out the night before (or the day of!) that you need cookies for an event.

Have no fear, these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are here.

They’re made with the perfect mix of oat and almond flour and lots of dark chocolate chips.

This perfect classic vegan cookie also happens to be packed with fiber, plant-based protein, and healthy fats.

Not that we need to worry about the perfect nutrition label this time of year (or ever), but now you know!

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1-Bowl Blondies

By Flora & Vino 5 Comments

1-Bowl Blondies with oat and almond flour sweetened with pure maple syrup. Top with Endangered Species 60% Dark Chocolate Baking Chips!

Thanksgiving came and went and now the world is hustling and bustling in a holiday craze.

I actually finished my holiday shopping early this year because I was overeager to buy gifts in October and November.

This feels like a major flex now, because I have more time for writing my Christmas cards and…baking.

Friends, ’tis the season for baking.

Baking all things, but mostly sweet things.

I’m excited to share my first December baked good with you.

I had my oven on every day last week working on different variations of blondies.

What I’m sharing with you today is my favorite; sweet, chewy, and chocolate studded goodness.

These 1-Bowl Blondies are made with oat and almond flour sweetened with pure maple syrup.

Top them with Endangered Species 60% Dark Chocolate Baking Chips and don’t forget to measure chocolate chips with your soul.

Make a pan of these vegan and gluten-free blondies for you and yours!

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8 Vegan Holiday Pies

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

8 Vegan Holiday Pies that are made with plant-based and gluten-free ingredients. Perfect to make for any winter holiday celebration!

Are you a pie person or a cake person?

When I was growing up, I didn’t understand why I had to have cake and not pie for my birthday.

I was certain that a candle stuck into a fruity pie with a buttery crust would be far better than it’s cake-y rival.

I’ve never actually done the pie for my birthday thing, so I’m very glad that it’s pie season again!

Sure, we can eat pie all year round, but there’s something about Fall that really makes me want to extract my pie pan from the cabinets.

That’s why I’m sharing these 8 Vegan Holiday Pies with you today.

They’re perfect to make for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, or whatever wintry holidays you celebrate.

I included pie bars and full pies so you can pick your level of commitment to the pie-making process.

I find pie “bars” a little more accessible and less intimidating, so they’re a fantastic low-effort option.

However, I promise you that all of these recipes are made with simple ingredients and not *too* many steps.

Bookmark this post and come back to it whenever you need a why to make pie.

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SunButter Date Caramel Apples

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

SunButter Date Caramel Apples made with apples topped with homemade caramel and rolled in sunflower seeds and dark chocolate chips.

In the past week, Flora took her first 1-mile walk with us!

The walk, which should normally take about 20-ish minutes, ended up taking over 30 because of lots of…

“Leave it, Flora!”, zig-zagging, “Drop it, Flora!”, dragging, “Heel, Flora!”, pulling…you get the idea.

Long story short: we’re still working on leash walking, and it’s a PROCESS.

She immediately came home and proceeded to lap water ferociously, lay down dramatically, and then initiated more play 10 minutes later.

Well, I guess we can’t tire her out.

With all this dog walking and dog training, I’m relying on healthy snacks to get me through this fall.

I’ve always been a sweet snacker, and this SunButter Date Caramel Apples hits just right for the season.

This good-for-you snack is made with your favorite apples topped with homemade caramel and rolled in sunflower seeds and dark chocolate chips.

It’s the best fall snack and a great way to use up all of those apples we collect this time of year!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Cake

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Cake made with rice cakes, creamy peanut butter, and melted cacao wafers. A healthy peanut butter cup snack!

If you’ve been around here a while, you also know that I’ve been dressing up rice cakes for years.

While some people see dry, boring, bland cakes, I see a neutral and nutritious vehicle for *all* of my favorite toppings.

I mean, the possibilities are endless, friends.

Which is probably why I was immediately taken with the viral TikTok Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cake.

(Well, that and the fact that my favorite dessert pairing in the history of dessert pairings is chocolate + peanut butter.)

Rice Cakes are also an amazing vegan and gluten-free substitution for toast, crackers, or anything wheat based.

It took me a while to finally try the recipe trending on social media, but now that I finally have, I *need* to share it with you.

This is my version of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Cake.

They’re easy to make for a solo snack or dessert with your favorite rice cakes, creamy peanut butter, and melted cacao wafers.

Basically, it’s a healthier one serving peanut butter cup, and I think we could all use one of those as Halloween creeps up!

Grab some rice cakes, your favorite jar of nut butter, and Semisweet Cacao Wafers and let’s make this sweet treat.

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Apple Pie Crumble Bars

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Apple Pie Crumble Bars with an almond oat crust and crumble topping with a stovetop apple pie filling. The best fall breakfast or snack!

I *love* apples, mostly because I can let them sit on the counter for a while and ponder delicious ways to use them.

They’re not fickle like summer berries, where you need to use them THE DAY you purchase them.

Or like Flora’s leash training, which some days feels easy and other days (read: most of the time) I think she’s the one walking me.

But, I digress.

We were talking apples, not Aussies!

One of M’s favorite recipes that I make this time of year is a vegan apple crumble.

It’s also one of my favorite ways to use up a bunch of apples that I got at the grocery store, farmers market, or apple orchard. This year, I decided to get a bit creative and turn his favorite apple recipe into…bars!

These Apple Pie Crumble Bars are made with an almond oat crust and crumble topping with a stovetop apple pie filling.

It’s still easy to make with simple ingredients, but crumble turned bars means they’re portable, concise, and convenient.

Slice them into squares and enjoy them for the *best* fall breakfast, snack, or dessert.

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Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake made with oat and almond flour with Artisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter and a creamy coffee frosting.

When people ask how things are going, I *try* not to default to “Good, but busy”; as my standard response.

It feels true, but I’d like to get a little more creative.

Because busy has a connotation of the mundane, the dragging, the blah.

And truthfully, my “busy-ness” is completely comprised of things of my own doing and choosing.

I’m spending a lot of time in the kitchen creating fall recipes for YOU, friend! A job that doesn’t always feel like work and definitely never tastes like it.

When I’m not in the kitchen for work (read: you!) , I’m in the kitchen for us (read: me!) meal prepping so the fridge isn’t *only* full of the treats I’m testing.

My days are also peppered with puppy training, articulating “Touch!”, “Let’s Go!”, and “Down!”, with an encouraging lilt and a bag full of homemade dog treats.

Then I have the hours devoted to sequencing my next Saturday yoga class; noting the shapes, the breath, and the themes.

I always squeeze in non-negotiable movement into my days, whether it’s yoga, climbing, running, or just a long neighborhood walk.

All in all, these are problems that past Lauren would have *loved* to have had.

Yes, my days are exhausting and full, but I’m usually smiling at the end of them.

So, friend, if you ask me how I’m doing, I’m going to smile and shove a piece of Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake in my face.

How’s that for a response?

This Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake made with oat and almond flour with Artisana Organics Raw Walnut Butter and a creamy coffee frosting.

You’re going to want to enjoy a slice later with a mug of something warm.

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Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

By Flora & Vino 1 Comment

Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread made gluten-free with almond flour and oats. Super moist and chocolate-y with pumpkin puree and dark chocolate!

Don’t mind me while I ease into stew, casseroles, and baked goods.

This week we had Flora in the kitchen while I opened the oven and slammed the fridge and rattled pots and pans.

If there’s one thing you can count on me for, it’s to make a *lot* of noise while I’m baking.

Luckily, Flora seemed more curious about what everything was than scared by the clatter.

(Unfortunately, this recipe is not pup safe, but you can bet more homemade dog treats are coming!)

My first bread of the season turned out to be a wild success, and M and I have enjoyed slices all week long for breakfast and snacking.

It’s not chocolate, it’s not pumpkin, it’s Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread.

And if that wasn’t enough to entice you, I added dark chocolate chunks to really seal the flavor profile into something irresistible.

I *love* baking with pumpkin because it makes your baked goods moist and rich without a ton of oil.

In fact, this bread is baked with no-added-oils and instead relies on healthy fats from nut butter and almond flour.

This Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread is also made gluten-free with almond flour and oats!

It’s super moist and chocolate-y with pumpkin puree and dark chocolate for a healthy snack, breakfast, or dessert.

I love it sliced straight from the fridge as a mid-morning snack topped with peanut butter.

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Sweets & Treats

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