I'm back on the cupcake train with my mini pink lemonade cupcakes! I recently celebrated my birthday and thought it would be fun to mix it up with some lemony goodness. Truth be told, I've always loved having lemon cake for my birthday, not just because it's delicious but because it's such a not-your-average birthday cake flavor! These were an absolute hit with my friends and family, and I'll definitely be making these again soon...perhaps for a perfectly sweet and sour Valentine's Day treat? 🍋​💖
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Ingredients
​3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegan butter (+1 cup for frosting)
2 cups organic granulated sugar 
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest (+/- 1 teaspoon for frosting)
1 cup non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice (+/- 2 tablespoon for frosting)
16 oz powdered sugar
pink natural food coloring (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners (I went for a sunny yellow). 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. This is the dry mixture.

In another mixing bowl, combine 1 cup vegan butter with granulated sugar, and gradually add in applesauce, vanilla, lemon zest and milk until well incorporated.  Slowly add in the dry mixture until you have a divinely smooth, seriously lickable batter.

​Spoon slightly less than a tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

​For the frosting, using a standing mixer or hand mixer, whip remaining 1 cup butter, gradually adding in powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. To suit your discerning flavor palette, add approximately 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest (trust your taste buds on this one). Since I can't get enough of millennial pink lately, I added in a drop or two of pink natural food coloring to complete the pink lemonade look. You can also add yellow natural food coloring for a traditional lemonade vibe.

I used a piping bag and large star tip for my signature swirls. You can also simply spread frosting on with a knife. Enjoy!
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After having so much fun making Triple Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Cookies last year, I knew I wanted to come up with something new this year with Dandies Peppermint Marshmallows. Take a trip with me to the magical Peppermint Forest and delight in these super decadent chocolatey cupcakes!
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Ingredients
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup Dutched unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup hot brewed coffee
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (+ 1-2 tablespoons for frosting)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini vegan chocolate chips (optional)
6 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
5 oz (1/2 bag) Dandies Peppermint Marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
1 cup vegan butter
16 oz powdered sugar
pink natural food coloring (optional)
crushed peppermint candies (optional)
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Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners (I opted for festive gold ones). 

In a large mixing bowl, pour hot coffee over the finely chopped chocolate and stir with a heatproof spatula until melted. Add in the cocoa powder and brown sugar and mix until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. 

Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt and baking soda. 

To the cooled chocolate mixture, add the applesauce, vegetable oil, non-dairy milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Now, gradually add in the flour mixture until well incorporated. Optionally, fold in mini chocolate chips with a spatula. 

Spoon slightly less than a tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Now for the frosting, start by whipping the aquafaba until fluffy peaks form. Meanwhile in a microwave safe bowl, combine coconut oil and marshmallows. Microwave in 30 second intervals, giving a quick stir in between until fully melted. Add the marshmallow mixture to the aquafaba meringue and whip together until smooth. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whip vegan butter and gradually add in powdered sugar until creamy. Add in marshmallow aquafaba mixture until well incorporated. Optionally, add in natural vegan food coloring for that extra pop of pink.

For fancy swirls as pictured, pipe on frosting with piping bag and large star tip. Otherwise, dantily spread frosting on with a knife. For an added touch of holiday flair, sprinkle crushed peppermint candy on top. Enjoy!

This delicious stew is a favorite in my house, and as long as you don't mind a bit of peeling and chopping, it is super easy to throw together since everything goes into one pot! As always with soups and stews, the spices and seasonings are approximate, so feel free to adjust however you see fit! A bay leaf is always a nice finishing touch to round out the flavors.
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Ingredients
1 white onion, diced
4 cloves fresh garlic, diced
​1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (optional)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
​15 oz (1 can) chickpeas
​15 oz (1 can) diced tomatoes
​3-4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
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Directions
Add a little water to the bottom of your stew pot and sautée the onions, garlic and ginger on medium heat until they start to brown slightly. Add in butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, gold potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and seasonings and stir to combine. Cover with broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, and continue to cook until all the vegetables are nice and tender and the flavors are thoroughly incorporated. Allow to cool slightly then serve in a ridiculously oversized bowl of your choosing. Enjoy!
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Pumpkin. Marshmallows. Chocolate. Cookies. Need I say more?

Ingredients
1 1/2  cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) vegan butter, I used Earth Balance
1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup Pumpkin Dandies Marshmallows
​3/4 cup vegan chocolate chunks
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Directions
​Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, pumpkin pie spice and salt). Set aside. 

Using a standing mixer or mixing bowl with hand mixer, cream together cold vegan butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Add in the applesauce and vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredient mix into the wet ingredients until well incorporated. Turn the standing mixer or hand mixer off and stir in the pumpkin marshmallows and chocolate chips using a wooden spoon or spatula. This dough is legit!

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spoon out tablespoon-sized balls of dough and bake for 12-14 minutes until the cookies are slightly golden brown at the edges. Immediately remove parchment paper with cookies from the hot baking sheet to allow them to cool.

Ingredients
​1 shallot, diced
10 oz button mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme, fresh chopped or dried
1/2 teaspoon sage, fresh chopped or dried
salt and pepper, to taste
splash of white wine (optional)
3 cups almond milk or non-dairy milk
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base or 2 cubes vegetable bouillon
5 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons cold water
3 15 oz cans cut green beans 
1 can fried onions
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Directions
First, preheat oven to 350°F. While the oven is preheating, heat the oil in a skillet or wok over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in the chopped shallot and mushrooms. Add in the thyme, sage, salt and pepper, to taste. If you have white wine around, feel free to add a splash into the pan for added depth of flavor. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the almond milk and bouillon until the bouillon is fully dissolved. It should be hot but should not come to a boil. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water. Once mixed, add it into the saucepan with the milk mixture and stir to incorporate. This will thicken the mixture to mimic the texture of condensed milk.

Once fully incorporated, add the green beans and the shallot-mushroom mixture into the saucepan with the milk. Remove from heat  and stir in about 1 cup of the fried onions. 

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle another cup of fried onions overtop. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the fried onions begin to turn brown and extra crispy. Enjoy!
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This recipe was adapted from a recipe on PETA.org.

There's just nothing on earth quite like curling up on the couch with an episode of Stranger Things and a bowl of chips with some kinda tasty dip. I never really got the hummus craze (gasp) until I tried it out with salty potato chips...which isn't exactly the healthiest choice but hey, it's damn good.  At least this hummus is super healthy and loaded with awesome ingredients. Not to mention, it's crazy delicious and super easy to make.
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Ingredients
​1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cooked puréed pumpkin
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons  ​garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
​1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
pumpkin seeds, optional
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Directions
​In a blender or food processor, combine the chickpeas, pumpkin, tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper until smooth and creamy. Spoon into bowl of choice and optionally top with a sprinkling of paprika and pumpkin seeds.​ Enjoy!
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As you know, shake recipes are my favorite, so it was only a matter of time before I came out with my own version of the classically autumnal pumpkin drink! These taste like a refreshing sip of fall in a glass. You can also totally add coffee to make these into a perfectly blended PSL! ​
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Ingredients
1 pint vegan vanilla ice cream (I used NadaMoo Vanilla...Ahhh)
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup canned puréed pumpkin
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup ice
vegan whipped cream (optional)
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Now that I'm back in Cincinnati and seeing the nostalgic Busken Bakery smiley cookies I used to love so much everywhere I look, I have been seriously craving some extra sweet frosted goodness. In true vegan food blogger form, I decided to make my own version of the sugary confections, using Chloe Coscarelli's perfect sugar cookie recipe for the base along with a cute pumpkin cookie cutter for good measure. While the resulting cookies are thinner than those from Busken, the sugar icing really does the trick to mimic the over all taste and feel. Since sugar icing is traditionally made with egg whites, I incorporated aquafaba instead which worked out perfectly! For fun, I added pumpkin marshmallows with mini chocolate chips to make the spooky eyes. They ended up looking kind of like a cross between the soot sprites from My Neighbor Totoro and the Pac-Man Ghosts. As I final test, I gave these out to several non-vegan friends who said they reminded them of the Busken cookies exactly! Here is the recipe for the icing if you want to create these at home.
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Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
3-5 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
1-2 tablespoons water
​1 teaspoon vanilla
natural vegan food coloring (optional)
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Directions
Using a standing mixer or mixing bowl with a hand mixer, incorporate powdered sugar with aquafaba, water, vanilla and optional food coloring until smooth and shiny. Using a piping bag, pipe the outline of the cookies and allow to harden slightly before filling in with more frosting. Add extra bling (like the marshmallows and chocolate chips) if desired, and then allow the frosting to set a bit more before enjoying your creations. That's it!
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Don't be spooked into thinking there aren't many vegan candy options out there for Halloween. If you dust off the cobwebs, there is vegan candy lurking around every corner! These can be found at haunts like Target, Kroger, Meijer and Whole Foods as well as small specialty shops and online.

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These Cocomel Bites are legit...like vegan milk duds but wayyy better. As soon as I tried them I knew I had to incorporate them into a recipe, and brownies just seemed like the ideal vehicle for all the chewy caramel-y goodness.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips 
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 vegan egg substitute (I used the Follow Your Heart VeganEgg)
1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoons water)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cocomels Bites, cut in half
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Directions
First, preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

Set a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to create a double-boiler. Add the vegan butter and 1 cup of the chocolate chips to the bowl. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, then whisk in the sugars and stir until combined. Remove bowl from heat.

Into the same heatproof bowl, add in VeganEgg, flax "egg" and vanilla, stirring until incorporated.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture, folding in the with a rubber spatula until just combined. 

Allow to cool slightly before folding in the Cocomel Bites and remaining chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into parchment paper-lined baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs, 30-40 minutes.

​Let cool completely in the pan. Cut into squares and serve at room temperature. If you're feeling extra, go ahead and drizzle more melted Cocomels on top. Enjoy!