The Hamptons Vegan

Living the Vegan Lifestyle

Vegan Recipes

Make Vegan Spice Muffins for Flavors of The Fall

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vegan spice muffins topped with brown sugar frosting and chopped nuts

The Spice Muffin Beginnings

These vegan spice muffins have been a staple at our house for many years. They go so far back that they could’ve been the OG of the pumpkin spice craze of our current times.

When researching, I came across a Reddit post that showed a 1939 recipe for spice muffins in a Minneapolis Newspaper. Spice muffins came around during the Depression Era. They go pretty far back!

And while we’re on the subject of Depression Era recipes, many cakes, quick breads, muffins, and other recipes from that time contained no eggs, butter, milk, or any animal products. Try our chocolate snack cake based on the original Depression/Wacky Cake, with chocolate chips added to “modernize” it.

So when people say they don’t like vegan food, they’re not taking into account all the foods we (as a society) have been eating for a long time that were already vegan.

This vegan spice muffin recipe has simple ingredients and is easy to make, just like those. It’s a delicious recipe from the past that is good to this day.

The Spice Muffins of Today

Today, it’s nearly impossible to pass a coffee shop, a grocery store, a candle shop, a soap shop, or a TV commercial without the word ‘pumpkin spice’ being thrown around earlier and earlier before the actual Fall Season. And as commercialized as it’s become, I’m all in for the spicy season foods and feels!

But there’s no pumpkin in pumpkin spice! It’s the spices used in the pie that are customarily featured in all things “pumpkin-spiced.” If you’re interested in the spicy history, check out this post from the Food Historian.

All the Autumnal Spiciness

This muffin recipe has a warm blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. (No ginger though, but you could probably add it in if you prefer!)

It also has raisins, walnuts, and a brown sugar topping that takes it to the next level.

You will not miss any eggs or dairy that you normally find in a muffin recipe, I promise!

Let’s warm up with the spicy photos!

spice muffin ingredients
Assemble the spice muffin ingredients
dry ingredients for spice muffins
Mix the dry ingredients
creamed ingredients with dry ingredients and flax "egg"
Cream the shortening and sugar
creamed ingredients, dry ingredients, simmered raisins, and flax mix for spice muffins
Gather the dry mix, creamed mix, flax mix, and simmered raisins together.
spice muffin wet ingredients
Mix the creamed mixture, the raisins with cooking water, and the flax mixture.
spice muffin batter
Now mix in the dry ingredients
spice muffin batter with nuts
Add the chopped nuts
spice muffin batter in tin
Fill 12 cupcake papers with batter
muffins fresh out of the oven
Fresh out of the oven

NEXT- optional brown sugar frosting:

mixing brown sugar frosting
Cook brown sugar with non-dairy milk and the salt.
bring brown sugar to a soft boil
Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring until it’s smooth.
add butter and vanilla to brown sugar mix
Remove from the heat and add vegan butter and vanilla. Cool slightly
brown sugar frosting
Beat in powdered sugar.
vegan spice muffins
The finished vegan spice muffin, topped with brown sugar frosting and chopped nuts.

These beauties are on their way to a football party! Go Team!!

But any reason is good to make spice muffins!

vegan spice muffins topped with brown sugar frosting and chopped nuts
thehamptonsvegan

Vegan Spice Muffins

A warm spiced muffin treat, perfect for the Fall Season or any time.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
frosting 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Snack
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax meal
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
BROWN SUGAR FROSTING TO DRIZZLE (OPTIONAL)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 3 tablespoons nondairy milk or cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons non-dairy butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup chopped nuts to top (optional)

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Combine the raisins with the 1 cup of water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside. (Do Not Drain)
  3. Mix the ground flax meal with the 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Set aside.
  4. Cream the shortening and the sugar until well blended.
  5. Add the flax mix and the raisins with their water to the creamed mixture.
  6. Combine the dry ingredients. (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.)
  7. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.
  8. Stir in chopped walnuts.
  9. Divide the batter amongst a greased (or lined with cupcake papers) 12-cup muffin tin.
  10. Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out dry.
  11. Cool for 3-5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the hot tin and continue to cool on a wire rack.
BROWN SUGAR FROSTING (OPTIONAL)
  1. Combine brown sugar, non-dairy milk, or cream, and salt in a saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil over low to medium heat, stirring until smooth.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in vegan butter and vanilla. Cool slightly.
  4. Add the powdered sugar and beat until it's smooth.
  5. Drizzle the frosting on the cooled muffins and top with chopped nuts.

The Best Pasta Pesto Primavera Makes a Rainbow

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Pasta Pesto Primavera is a rainbow on your plate!

So how many colors can you add to this pasta pesto primavera dish?

RED- peppers, tomatoes, red lentil pasta, onions

ORANGE -carrots, butternut squash, peppers

YELLOW -peppers, summer squash, golden potatoes, golden beets

GREEN – broccoli, peppers, zucchini, brussel sprouts, avocados, spinach

BLUE – potatoes

INDIGO – eggplant

VIOLET -cauliflower

and don’t forget about

WHITE – cauliflower, potatoes, turnips, parsnips and mushrooms

BLACK – beans

BROWN – mushrooms

It’s a beautiful thing!

The Versatile Veggie Entree

Because there are endless possibilities to create this dish, it works with what you already have in your fridge and pantry. And I love that.

Then I always make extra Posh Pesto and keep it in the freezer. And I always have pasta on hand. Then I see what vegetables are leftover and viola, pasta pesto primavera is ready to go!

This is how I make my Pasta Pesto Primavera

Start by chopping all the veggies approximately the same size.

Then line the biggest baking tray (or two smaller ones) with parchment paper.

Pasta

Now boil water for the pasta.

boiled pasta

Pesto

Then make the Pesto recipe (or pull it out of the freezer to thaw if you have it on hand).

assemble pasta pesto primavera ingredients

Primavera

Bake those veggies with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper in a hot oven, (I cook at 425F), until slightly browning. Then I usually saute onions, mushrooms, and garlic on the stove.

roast vegetables
sate onions and mushrooms

Begin to cook the pasta. And thaw the pesto. Then when the veggies are cooked, mix them all together.

So there you have it. It’s a rainbow on your plate. (And a pot of gold for your health!)

plated pasta pesto primavera

How about a rainbow happy ending to the pasta pesto primavera meal?!:

Have a rainbow bowl of fruit of course!

RED – raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, watermelon

ORANGE – oranges, mango, cantaloupe

YELLOW – peaches, bananas, passionfruit

GREEN – grapes, honeydew melon, kiwi

BLUE – blueberries,

INDIGO – blackberries

VIOLET – plums, elderberries, grapes

Now Go and Enjoy the Rainbow!

pasta pesto primavera
thehamptonsvegan

Pasta Pesto Primavera

A rainbow of veggies come together with pasta and pesto for a golden delicious meal
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: dinner
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. pasta
  • 1 cup vegan pesto
  • 8 cups various colorful vegetables of your choice
  • 1/3 cup pasta cooking water

Method
 

  1. Cut up all the vegetables into approximately the same size.
  2. Boil water for pasta.
  3. Roast veggies on a parchment-lined baking tray(s) at 425 Fahrenheit for about 40 – 50 minutes until lightly golden. Stagger quicker cooking veggies like broccoli after roasting veggies first that need more cooking time
  4. While roasting vegetables, prepare (or thaw) pesto.
  5. Saute onions, mushrooms, and spinach (if using) on the stove.
  6. Cook pasta for about 15 minutes before taking out the roasted veggies.
  7. Scoop out about 1/3 cup of pasta water from the cooking pasta pot.
  8. When all items are prepared, drain pasta, return to pot, and add pesto and reserved pasta water to pasta. Add in all veggies and mix together.
  9. Top with sliced avocado or guacamole (if using).
  10. Store in the fridge for up to a few days.

Notes

Make this pesto recipe and freeze it for later!
Posh Pesto

The Best (and Easiest) Vegan Gravy

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vegan gravy on mashed potatoes
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You will love this gravy- guaranteed.

This easy vegan gravy tastes just as good as the more complicated recipes!

So I came across this vegan gravy recipe years ago in a random magazine. I don’t remember which one or where it came from. Maybe in a waiting room somewhere, so I may, or may not, have ripped it out. But I never got around to trying it until a year ago.

I was searching for another recipe one day, but couldn’t find it. (Note to self, clean up the recipe boxes!) But then this gravy recipe I’d saved caught my eye.

‘Hmm, I should try this,’ I thought.

I placed it on the top of the pile, advancing it to the favorites’ level in my chaotic filing “system”.

That week, the Big Guy and I were shopping, and he put an envelope of meat-based gravy in our cart. I sighed and rolled my eyes at him.

“What?” He asked.

I told him I would make the gravy. But we both knew I hated making gravy. There were so many steps in my current mess of gravy recipes.

He wasn’t overly fond of the taste of my vegan gravies, no matter how advanced and intricate they were, anyway. I even made Martha Stewart’s recipe, and he rejected it! Sorry, Martha.

It seemed the harder I tried, the bigger I failed at gravy.

But then I remembered the gravy recipe I had recently come across again. It was simpler than any others, and I already had all the ingredients. It had nothing out of the ordinary. And I had nothing to lose. So I gave it a go.

This vegan gravy couldn’t be easier.

The simple ingredients are:

oil,

flour,

vegetable broth,

soy sauce or tamari,

nutritional yeast,

poultry seasoning,

and a pinch of Dijon mustard.

And that’s it!

It makes about 1 1/2 cups.

One and a half cups of vegan gravy in a measuring cup.

While past gravy recipes were good, they included a variety of mushrooms, hours of chopping and prep, and lackluster results. (At least, not the cheering masses of applause I envisioned).

But this recipe is great and has none of that fussiness!

I love that this comes together so fast. I don’t have to save gravy-making for the holidays anymore. And we don’t need gravy envelopes with weird ingredients/chemicals, either.

And best of all, it tastes the best too! Simple for the win. I love that! It’s a happy ending to my gravy journey.

Make this vegan gravy for your vegan-gravy-journey-happy-ending too!

© thehamptonsvegan 2017-2025 all rights reserved

vegan gravy on mashed potatoes
thehamptonsvegan

The Best (and Easiest) Vegan Gravy

Make this simple delicious gravy anytime you get a craving for gravy.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup olive oil or use avacado or other oil
  • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons Tamari Sauce Or soy sauce
  • 2 cups vegetable broth I use Better than Bouillon vegetable base.
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Method
 

  1. Add olive oil and flour to a medium saucepan and whisk together. Turn heat to medium and continue whisking for about 2 or 3 minutes.
  2. Add nutritional yeast and tamari sauce and whisk to combine. It will come together quickly into a paste-like consistency.
  3. Slowly whisk in the vegetable broth for up to 8 -10 minutes until fully combined and smooth and when gravy clings to the back of a spoon. Turn heat up a notch if it's taking longer.
  4. Stir in the poultry seasoning and mustard and serve warm.

Notes

This recipe easily doubles.
When refrigerated, gravy will thicken considerably. Heat and whisk to thin. Add a little broth or water to thin if it still appears too thick. 
Personally, if I’m making a leftover plate, I add the gravy to the plate to whatever food I’m having with the gravy and microwave it all together.
 

Homemade Chocolate Pudding Is One Of Our Favorite Desserts

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chocolate pudding
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And Who Doesn’t Love Chocolate Pudding?

Chocolate pudding has been featured on many TV shows, proving it’s a classic favorite.

Remember the Rugrats? Angelica demanded chocolate pudding from Stu because she was in bed with a broken leg. At 4 a.m.! (It made a great meme of bleary-eyed Stu cooking the pudding and saying he lost control of his life.)

And Adam Sandler as Billy Madison shouting, “Where’s my snack pack? You know I like Snack Pack. Why can’t you just give me a Snack Pack?”

Then, of course, there were all those Jello pudding commercials featuring Bill Cosby back in the day.

But more recently, you may remember the Walking Dead scene when Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) eats a whole big can of 112 ounces of chocolate pudding he finds.

Or when Dustin in Stranger Things exclaims, “I found the chocolate pudding!” Oh, the joy.

So the only reference to chocolate pudding I’d rather not think about is the image I now have of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on his private flight, eating chocolate pudding with three fingers. Did they have to publish that event?

Well. Let me bring this back around. Chocolate Pudding. Because it’s still undeniably delicious.

But Can We Make A Good Vegan Chocolate Pudding?

It took a while to sample many versions of a homemade vegan version. But we have found one that isn’t too thick, isn’t too dark chocolatey, isn’t too runny, or too healthy tasting.

This recipe is closer to the old-fashioned creamy, milk chocolate flavor that makes it the best of all chocolate puddings. Now I’m the one shouting about it. I found the chocolate pudding!

While making this recipe isn’t quite as fast as popping open a Snack Pack, it is immensely easier than fighting off zombies. Or searching the school cafeteria for pudding while hiding out from the bad guys. So, there’s that!

But as serious as pudding can get (and that’s serious), anybody can make this pudding recipe. It’s made from readily available ingredients and comes together quickly.

You can add a little Cocowhip. Or put it in a vegan pie shell and cover it in non-dairy whipped cream to make a chocolate pie. Use it as a topping for chocolate cake! Or freeze it in popsicle molds and make pudding pops!! So many ways to eat chocolate pudding! (But please don’t eat it with your fingers, just use a spoon.)

Now let’s break it down:

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Step 1

First, assemble the ingredients.

chocolate pudding ingredients

Step 2

Now mix sugar, cocoa powder, corn starch, salt, and soy milk in a medium-sized pot.

Mix together chocolate pudding ingredients.

Step 3

Cook over medium-high heat, while continuously whisking, and bring to a boil. ( That takes about 5 minutes.) And as it gets thicker, continue whisking and boiling for 1-2 minutes after it comes to a boil.

Chocolate pudding comes to a boil.

Step 4

Then remove from the heat and add vegan butter and vanilla. Mix well.

Add butter and vanilla to chocolate pudding.

Step 5

Finally, spoon into bowls. Cover and refrigerate for up to a week. Makes about 4 cups.

Dish the pudding into 4 bowls.

How easy is that?!

So enjoy this old-school favorite just a bit more now! Because it’s not just yummy. And it’s not just a great childhood memory. But it’s vegan now too! Win-win-win!

chocolate pudding with cocowhip

Chocolate pudding with a Cocowhip topping!

If you’re feeling nostalgic, check out our other recipes with homey feels like Rice Pudding, Sloppy Joes, or Peaceful Pot Pie (a throwback to chicken pot pie). Or the forever classic, Chocolate Chip Cookie.

© thehamptonsvegan 2017-2025 all rights reserved

thehamptonsvegan

Chocolate Pudding

An easy delicious vegan chocolate pudding
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Servings: 4 cups
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/3 cups soymilk (552 ml) or (18.6 fluid ounces)
  • 3/4 cup sugar (170 grams) or (5.3 ounces)
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder (35 grams) or (1.2 ounces)
  • 3 Tablespoons corn starch (30 grams) or ( 1.06 ounces)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (1.5 grams) (a pinch)
  • 2 tablespoons vegan butter (28 grams) or (1 ounce)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (4.2 grams) or (5 ml)

Method
 

  1. Assemble the ingredients. Add the first 5 ingredients to a medium-sized pot. (soymilk, sugar, cocoa powder, corn starch, and salt).
  2. Whisk continuously over a medium-high flame and bring to a boil. (about 5 minutes). Whisk another 1 – 2 minutes after it comes to a boil to thicken.
  3. Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter and vanilla. Stir to combine.
  4. Dish the pudding into 4 small bowls. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Lovely Linzer Cookie brings the love

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lovely linzer cookies

If ever a cookie deserved the title “lovely” it’s the lovely Linzer cookie.

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Linzer cookies are so appealing to view and decadent and delicious to taste. And they couldn’t be more perfect for an accompaniment to tea! So they make a very presentable gift for friends and loved ones!

Valentine’s Day Cookie Perfection

Do you agree?! This cookie should be the go-to for Valentine’s Day baking. Cut out the center with a heart or make the whole cookie shape a heart. Either way, when you fill the center with that beautiful red jam and sprinkle the top with sifted confectioners sugar, the whole Linzer cookie becomes an edible valentine in the spirit of the holiday.

linzer cookies with flowers

But then, I also love them during the Christmas season, too! And really, there isn’t a bad time to make these cookies. Because it’s a perfectly lovely Linzer cookie for all the days of the year!

The traditional lovely Linzer cookie remains a favorite

In the beginning, this cookie originated in Linz, Austria, from a torte/pie recipe found in a cookbook belonging to a Countess in 1653. It evolved into the Linzer cookie we know today with very little change from the original version.

Simple ingredients that we still use today make up this recipe. Ground almonds are in the original cookie dough instructions. And the current Linzer filling consists of red or black currant jam.

Lucky for New Yorkers, they can now make it just like the Austrians did with black currant jam as well. But this was not possible from 1911 through August 5, 2003. A ban was placed on black currants in the U.S. because they believed that the currants caused a fungus in trees that would hurt the timber industry. However, for Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Virginia, there are still no black currants allowed!

Today, red raspberry jam is a trendy cookie center, too. Therefore, if you can’t have black currants where you live, red raspberry jam does the trick!

No need to mess with perfection! It’s lovely to know that these same Linzer cookies were made in kitchens and bakeries long ago. And it’s comforting to think families and bakers have kept this recipe alive, passing it along to future generations to share the love.

linzer cookies for Valentines day

Vegan recipe sharing with you

So, we sincerely hope you love this recipe. And we’re so happy to continue carrying on the tradition of sharing the Linzer cookie while updating it just a little bit to become vegan. So please continue to share this veganized Valentine’s treat with everyone.

VIVA LA LINZER COOKIE!

linzer cookie tops
linzer cookie bottoms with jelly

Another Valentine’s Day Favorite:

Layers of Love Cake

layers of love cake for the ones you love

Also, The Scrumptious Strawberry Pie!

strawberry pie
the Scrumptious Strawberry pie

Check out some of our other long-standing, traditional recipes made vegan including the Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie

chocolate chip cookies

and the American Apple Pie for the World.

apple pie

© thehamptonsvegan 2017 – 2025. All rights reserved

lovely linzer cookies
thehamptonsvegan

Lovely Linzer Cookies

vegan sugar cookie with jam filling
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chill time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup vegan butter 170 grams
  • 1/2 cup sugar 100 grams
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water set aside to gel for about 5 minutes
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 200 grams
  • 3/4 cup almond flour 80 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from about 1/2 lemon)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup raspberry jam 95 grams
  • 1-2 tablespoons confectioners sugar to sift onto cookie tops

Equipment

  • 1 small sifter to add confectioner (powdered) sugar to the tops of cookies
  • 2 cookie cutters One 2-inch cutter and one small cutter for the opening on the top cookie

Method
 

  1. Beat butter and sugar together until light.
  2. Add flax mixture and vanilla and continue beating until light and well mixed.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, salt, cinnamon and lemon zest.
  4. Add flour mix to wet mix and blend together, but don't overmix.
  5. Divide dough into two parts, wrap in cling wrap and chill for at least an hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Remove one of the chilled doughs from the fridge and sprinkle a bit of flour on a sheet of parchment paper. Add dough to the center of the parchment then top with the second sheet of parchment paper. Roll to 1/8- 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out round or heart shapes with floured cookie cutters and then, using a floured spatula, gently move the cutouts to the prepared pan. Reroll scraps until all dough is used. (*1)
  8. Bake for approximately 10-14 minutes. They should be lightly brown just around the edges.
  9. Remove 2nd chilled dough and roll it out to 1/8- 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out with the same cutter and process used in step 7 above. I transfer them to a parchment-lined cookie sheet now. Then using a small cookie cutter, cut out a circle, heart, or another small shape from the center of each 2-inch cutout cookie. If the tiny cutout doesn't come out easily with the cookie cutter, just use the tip of a bread knife to gently lift the little cutout off the sheet and set it aside. This helps keep the shape without any distortion that can happen while moving to the cookie sheet. Reroll scraps until all dough is used, making sure there is an equal amount of cookie tops and cookie bottoms. Baking time may be slightly less for the top cookies than for the bottom cookies.
  10. Cool cookies on a wire rack. When completely cool, dust powdered sugar on only the tops of the cookies with the cutout centers.
  11. Stir jam until smooth. Flip the cookies without the cutout centers over to their bottom side. Spread about 1/2 -1 teaspoon on each bottom. Then top with the sugar-dusted cookies. (*2)
  12. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to about 5 days.

Notes

*1- If the dough is very soft and hard to work with, rechill. Also, it helps to chill a bit just before putting them into the oven to help them hold their shape. Add a bit more flour if the dough is very sticky. Add a little at a time until the dough is workable, but not too much, to avoid a tough cookie.
 
*2- After filling the cookies with jam, the jam will start to soften up the cookies. For a crisper cookie, wait to assemble cookies shortly before serving. Soft cookies are fine though too!

Chocolate Cream Candy (like Cadbury) But Better

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vegan cadbury type chocolate cream candy
chocolate cream candy creation
The Chocolate Cream Candy Creation

Chocolate Cream Candy, Like Cadbury- only better, cuz…VEGAN!)

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So, the Chocolate Cream Candy Creation, because if you are anything like our Hamptons Vegan family, one of your all-time favorite parts of Spring and the Easter Season revolves around the availability of those once-a-year offerings of THE CADBURY EGG.

Still not sure why the Cadbury people only offer this beloved confection for such a short time each year. Because surely they could sell this, and make a bigger profit, all year long!

But perhaps they’re familiar with the saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Do they want us to want it more than the other candies that sit on the shelves, every day of the year? Why, Cadbury, why?

Well, whatever the reason, Cadbury eggs are off the list all day, every day for vegans. (Cue the tiny violins).

But Wait!

For all you Cadbury-craving-vegans, we have the solution! And bonus- you can have them any stinkin’ time of the year.

We bring to you the Chocolate Cream Candy Creation!

These faux Cadbury eggs are also simple to make! Just a few basic ingredients, and a little freezer time for ease in handling, is all it takes! You’ll be happily experiencing the joy of that egg-shaped chocolate with the creamy yolk-like center in no time at all.

simple egg assembly (like playing with play-dough), and then it becomes a chocolate treat!
chocolate cream candy creations filling

To mold or not to mold

(or mould for the British readers)

Our recipe will give you a great-tasting Cadbury-Esque candy to be proud of, and we’re fine with them in the mounded shape they take after the chocolate hardens on the parchment paper. But if you also want the actual egg shape for your Chocolate Cream Candy Creation, you could just coat the inside of an egg-shaped mold with chocolate, drop the pre-made cream filling inside, and lastly, “glue” the sides together with melted chocolate to seal.

That’s if you want to go above and beyond in your recreation. And here’s a link to a mold that should work, if you have a little more patience than we do!

So if you like Cadbury eggs as much as we do, we hope you’ll try this recipe! And the Easter Bunny would surely approve of this dairy-free version! But remember, you can have them any time of year now! So, sorry, Easter Bunny, we don’t need your approval anymore. 🙂

One more thing

If you want some other great recipes that bring the Spring, try our Scrumptious Strawberry Pie

strawberry pie
The Scrumptious strawberry pie

Or our Posh Pesto Sauce!

pesto ingredients
Basil and their friends get together…
pesto
a posh pesto portrait!

© thehamptonsvegan 2017-2025 all rights reserved

chocolate cream candy creation
thehamptonsvegan

Chocolate Cream Candy Creation!

Vegan/dairy-free Cadbury-like chocolate cream-filled eggs
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 20 eggs
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup organic light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups sifted organic confectioner's sugar
  • couple drops yellow food color or a pinch of turmeric for color
  • 12 ounces vegan chocolate chips about 2 cups
  • 2 teaspoons vegan shortening
  • several pairs food-safe disposable gloves recommended for working with this sticky and colorful dough

Method
 

  1. 1.) In a large bowl, cream together the light corn syrup, vegan butter, vanilla, and salt.
    2.) Stir in the sifted confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time, stirring until mixed together well.
    3.) Remove about 1/3 cup of mix and place in a small bowl. Add food color or turmeric and mix well. Cover both bowls of filling, separately, and freeze for about 30 minutes.
    4.) Remove yellow filling after 30 minutes and chop in half and then keep chopping halves in half until you have 20 small pieces of yellow filling roughly the same size. Roll quickly into balls and place on wax or parchment paper and re-chill in the freezer. (If it's hot in your kitchen, you may have to rechill more often as this is a very sticky dough at room temperature.)
    5.) After about 20 more minutes of chill time, remove the white filling and chop it into evenly sized pieces to make 20 pieces. Flatten each piece into a roundish disc shape. (Once again, if the room temp is too warm you may need to rechill to make it easier to work with)
    6.) Remove yellow balls from the freezer and place one in the center of each white disc. Wrap the white filling around the yellow to fully cover and then roll and work into an egg shape. Try not to hold it for long as the heat from your hand will warm it and may result in more freezer time needed. Next, chill your 20 egg-shaped dough pieces one last time.
    7.) While chilling the dough, place the chocolate chips and shortening in a heatproof bowl and place on top of a pan of simmering water in a double boiler manner, stirring gently while melting together OR place ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave every 30 seconds up to 2 minutes total to melt together. Stir after every 30 seconds.
    8.) When the chocolate mix is ready, remove 7 dough shapes from the freezer and dunk each into chocolate with two spoons. Work as quickly as possible before the shapes begin to melt. When coated, place on parchment or wax paper to set and harden. Then remove the next 7 dough shapes and repeat the process. Remove the last 6 dough balls and repeat the process. When all are done, place in fridge or freezer to set up well, then eat, serve, or wrap in cellophane to give as gifts! (If mailing, make sure the temperature will be under 70 degrees Fahrenheit or candies will melt.)

Notes

Make our Corn Syrup/Honey Substitute Recipe
Recommended brands we like:
Wholesome light corn syrup 
Wholesome organic confectioner’s sugar
Enjoy Life chocolate chips
Simply balanced semi-sweet chocolate chips
Spectrum organic shortening
Earth Balance organic vegan butter
Miyoko’s European-style Vegan Butter
Watkins food coloring
Green direct latex disposable gloves
 

Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookie is magic in the kitchen

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chocolate chip chickpea cookie served
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This is a little story of the Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookie. Let me start at the beginning.

I’d been trying to incorporate healthy recipes into my weekly meal plans. Not only vegan/plant-based choices, but also those with no oil, salt, or sugar. For me, I’m all-in on vegan forever. But when it comes to going strictly SOS free, I’m more flexible. I’ve got the books and seen the movies. Yet I’ve only dabbled in trying the recipes for myself. Because the ones I’ve tried have been either a hit or a miss.

But I will gladly recommend Dr. Gregor’s Cheesy Broccoli Soup. And if you substitute the oil and vegetable broth for sodium-free veggie broth, our Miraculous Minestrone Soup is a great, healthy choice as well. But the SOS free dessert is tricky. For a healthy chocolate craving, my go-to is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie. (The Hemp Heart Date Shake is a sweet treat, too!) Yet, I still like a good dessert to bite into. And I didn’t have a lot of luck with that. Until I came across a recipe for a chocolate chip chickpea cookie without sugar, salt, or oil. Unbelievable, right?!

There’s magic in chickpeas.

It’s amazing how versatile the meager chickpea (aka garbanzo bean) is! So many ways to use them in recipes. We love them in the Nautical Not Tuna Sandwich! And I plan to try out this recipe for a crispy chickpea snack. But the most surprising thing I’ve found is the way they work to replace textures normally developed with less healthy choices like eggs and flour.

And Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookie Dough?

I was skeptical, to say the least. This recipe for a chocolate chip chickpea cookie made without sugar, flour, or butter seemed completely impossible. I mean, it could be made, because I watched the video and I saw the photos. But come on, it couldn’t really taste good, could it? So I was almost angry at the thought of someone trying to sell me on the idea that something made completely from healthy ingredients would still taste good. Good as in sweet dessert treat good.

It’s easy too?!

The claims that not only could you make a healthy version of something that really tasted like a chocolate chip cookie, but also make it easier than the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, were provocative. And I was intrigued.

So, even though I did not believe all the hype, I was sucked into it. Plus, I had all the ingredients.

cookie ingredients
assembled ingredients
chickpea cookie ingredients measured out
measured ingredients

Nothing unusual or hard to get. And it was quick, easy, and made in the blender.

cookie batter blended
a smooth, blended batter
cookie batter with leaveners
Stir in the leaveners
cookie batter smoothed in pan
Smooth batter into the pan
chocolate chip chickpea cookie ready to go into the oven
Add chocolate chips and ready to go into the oven
timer is set
Set the timer

So I set out to prove this recipe was a fraud. It was probably nothing more than an impostor recipe disguised as a magic miracle dessert.

The magic miracle dessert- chocolate chip chickpea cookie.

Well, it is a magical miracle dessert creation! It was almost scary taking that first bite, but I broke off a little piece and tasted it. It seemed good. I tried again. Good, again! Then I had a visit from my son that day. He liked it too! And the tough sell- the Big Guy. We waited, he tasted, he liked!! Now you know it passes the test if he likes it. And he’s not going to sugar coat his opinions. 😉

chickpea cookie out of the oven
fresh out of the oven
plated chocolate chip chickpea cookie
ready to take that first bite

A Gift from the Cookie Gods?

Nah, I found it online. Also did a little deeper dive into chickpea cookies and desserts, and they’re out there. But the one that checks all the boxes health-wise is this one. I’ve flexitized (probably not a real word) it by using semi-sweet chocolate chips that have a bit of added sugar. But the Trader Joe’s 100% chocolate chips would make it compliant. Or you could use Ghirardelli 100% chips, or Santa Barbara 100% chips or try Hu chocolate chips, lightly sweetened with dates!

And I added one more date to my version, making it four as opposed to the original recipe of three. But either way, it’s delicious while still a healthy dessert. I’d say it has the soft consistency of a custard pie, but the flavor is chocolate chip cookie dough.

So prove it to yourself! Try making this crazy, unbelievable recipe and see if you agree! Make it a game and ask friends and family to taste it to guess the secret ingredient. And they won’t believe it either!

(Then, just for fun, challenge them to say Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookie three times fast. You’re trying it right now, aren’t you?)

© thehamptonsvegan 2017-2025 all rights reserved

slice of chocolate chip chickpea cookie
thehamptonsvegan

Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookie

a healthy (and yummy) chocolate chip cookie recipe
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 15 oz. can *organic chickpeas (425 grams) aka garbanzo beans DO NOT DRAIN +see notes
  • 4 Medjool dates, pitted (about 86 grams with pits, 81 grams without pits) roughly chopped (or soak in boiled water for about 10 minutes then drain to soften if very tough so they blend easier)
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (64 grams) +see notes
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (84 grams) +see notes

Equipment

  • 1 high speed blender
  • 1 8 inch cake pan or 8 inch springform pan

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C)
  2. Blend dates, peanut butter, chickpeas and liquid from chickpeas in high speed blender until smooth. (no date pieces should be evident)
  3. Add baking powder and baking soda and stir.
  4. Pour mixture into 8 inch pan.
  5. Top with chocolate chips.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes.

Notes

FYI stuff:
*liquid in 15 ounce can of chickpeas equals about 2/3 cup or 6.7 ounces.
*chickpeas in a 15 ounce can is about 1 and 1/2 cups chickpeas when drained.
+to follow the No SOS way of eating (no salt, no oil, no sugar) make sure to use no sodium chickpeas; use no salt, sugar, oil peanut butter or use peanut butter powder; and use 100% chocolate chips

Golden Milk is the Gold Mine of Good Stuff

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pouring a mug of golden milk
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I LOVE Golden Milk. It’s a warm, creamy, spicy drink that feels just like a big hug.

However, I’d never tasted it until a few years ago. And oh, what I was missing!

The Glow

Look at the lovely color of golden milk. It comes from the ingredient turmeric. And not only does turmeric make golden milk a nice color, but it also makes it so healthy.

And the benefits of turmeric and its superpower, curcumin, blend beautifully with the addition of the spices. So ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper are my choices.

Now whip up this easy recipe for golden milk. Because it’s not only good, but good for you.

ingredients for golden milk mix

To sweeten this up, add a teaspoon of date syrup or maple syrup to your milk.

golden milk mix
foamy golden milk

The good benefits of golden milk

And after doing some research of my own, the science backs up the health claims. Just look at all the goodness in a cup of this warm beverage:

  • Curcumin has anti-bacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties
  • Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
  • Ginger may fight against respiratory infections and aid in digestion
  • Cinnamon has powerful anti-diabetic properties
  • black pepper increases the bioavailability of curcumin
  • Nutmeg has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and antioxidant properties
  • Cloves are antimicrobial, antioxidant, and high in manganese

And it’s so pretty too!

Gratitude for this glorious drink

cinnamon topped golden milk

Golden milk is so comforting when you’re not feeling your healthiest. Also, it’s a nice replacement for coffee. But additionally, a welcoming drink before bed. And it’s so easy to whisk up a cup anytime.

Isn’t it great to find something with a taste you love AND super healthy too?! Simply, it’s a no-brainer! No guilt, all glory. So come on over and enjoy a healthy beverage choice!

Also, try our other recipes that include ginger, cinnamon, or turmeric:

Simply Sweet Sweet Potatoes

sweet potatoes

Baddass Breakfast Casserole

slice of breakfast casserole

Appealing Acorn Squash

acorn squash

Joyful Gingerbread Pancakes

syrup on gingerbread pancakes

American Apple Pie for the World

apple pie

And Bigly Big League Breakfast Sandwich

© thehamptonsvegan 2017-2025 all rights reserved

golden milk poured into a mug
thehamptonsvegan

Golden Milk

a delicious, warming, healthy, powerhouse drink
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Drinks
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups organic soymilk or canned lite coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or use date syrup
  • 1 teaspoon organic ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
  • pinch ground black pepper

Method
 

  1. Measure all ingredients into a saucepan.
  2. Turn heat on low.
  3. Whisk well and continue whisking while heating on low to medium heat until tiny bubbles begin to form. Don't over heat.
  4. Pour into mugs and sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon.

Notes

 
 
 
 
 

Favorite Chocolate Fudge for a New Year

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vegan chocolate fudge
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Cheers to chocolate fudge and holidays past

chocolate fudge for the holidays

So, I’ve been trying to recreate our family’s favorite chocolate fudge from holidays past for quite some time now. Our original favorite chocolate fudge included marshmallow crème (aka fluff) and evaporated milk. When I would occasionally stumble upon vegan evaporated milk, usually made from coconut, I would scoop it up. Then I would source a bag of Dandies marshmallows from the Wild by Nature store or Whole Foods.

But when I tried to assemble it the way I did our non-vegan fudge, the measurements were not the same, and trying to calculate the marshmallow math complicated the whole thing. The worst part was the melting of the marshmallows. It was a very messy, imperfect addition. So, fudge wasn’t something I chose to make anymore.

If at first, you don’t succeed…keep trying because… chocolate and family!

chocolate fudge cooling in pan

But this year, I had family requests for the traditional sugar cookies and that darn fudge. I did not want to let anyone down. And I was ready to try again. I came to realize there were other ways to work a recipe!

Try, Try Again!

Chelsea told me about a recipe she found. It was delicious, but a bit confusing regarding the cooking time. The first time I tried it, it turned into hard chocolate pebbles. Another time, it was made on a different stove and it was too mushy. But this fudge consisted of readily available ingredients. And it was very yummy, so it deserved another shot. I googled, of course.

Thank you, fudge scientists!

watch the thermometer for the chocolate fudge
Time to take it off the heat!

It states on the World Wide Web that fudge should reach a temperature between 237 and 240. That made sense. It was tricky to know what level of heat or flame to use for the seven minutes of cooking time in the fudge recipe directions we were using, and different stoves heat differently.

So I tried it with my candy thermometer. Ding, ding, ding, we had a winner! The first time I tried it with the thermometer, it only took 4 minutes for the fudge to reach this temperature. The second time it was ready after 8 minutes. I needed that thermometer!

chocolate fudge mixed and ready to pour in pan to cool

Let the chocolate fudge eating begin!

squares of vegan fudge

The only problem now is how to stop eating it. It’s a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate dream creation. And the tradition of chocolate fudge is back on our holiday menu once again for good.

I am so happy to have this little confection in our vegan recipe files. It’s a go-to holiday staple, but can also come in handy when you haven’t contributed to PI day at school. It’s quick, easy, and adaptable. You can add nuts (or PI numbers on top)! It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, or Birthdays, too!

3.14 chocolate fudge

So, whether you’re headed to a party for your New Year’s Eve Celebration or staying home recovering from COVID like some of us😒, you can make this little treat for one and all. No dairy, no gelatin, all vegan chocolate fudge. ❤

It might not be tops on the healthy list, but it brings happiness!

P.S. Chocolate is said to be good for sore throats. So, I was going to test that out tonight! Until I came across this article. Oh well, another myth, making the rounds. But our fudge has no dairy, so I’m okay with it. I’ll eat it because it tastes so good. So, Auld Lang Syne and all that holiday cheer stuff. 😊 HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 💋🎉🔔⏳⏰

© thehamptonsvegan 2017-2025 all rights reserved

chocolate fudge cooling in pan
thehamptonsvegan

Favorite Chocolate Fudge

Easy chocolate vegan fudge recipe
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings: 28
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup vegan butter (56 g) softened but not melted
  • 1/2 cup soymilk (120 ml)
  • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips (155 g/ or 5 1/2 oz.) or use uniformly chopped chocolate
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar (250 g)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (60g- optional) can be toasted for depth of flavor

Equipment

  • 1 candy thermometer
  • 1 digital scale optional

Method
 

  1. Assemble all ingredients before starting.
  2. Prepare a loaf pan with parchment paper to cover the bottom and the two short sides, allowing it to hang over the edges. This makes it easy to pull from the pan when cool. (Can use foil.)
  3. Chop nuts, measure and chop chocolate (if not using chocolate chips), measure out vanilla, and measure butter. Let the butter soften. It's best to measure with a scale rather than cups.
  4. Add soymilk and sugar to the saucepan and whisk together. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
  5. Turn the heat to medium and stir the milk and sugar. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching, until the thermometer reads 237-240 degrees Fahrenheit. (approximately 5-8 minutes or more).
  6. Immediately remove from heat and quickly add chocolate, softened butter, then vanilla, stirring constantly. Then add in nuts, stir, and scrape into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and let it cool.
  7. When cool, run a knife gently around the edges, if necessary. Remove from the pan with the help of the parchment paper, and chop into squares. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks at room temperature away from light and heat.
  8. *Can be wrapped in cling wrap or foil, then placed in a zip lock bag and frozen for 3 months or more. When thawing, place in the refrigerator until thawed, then cut into squares to serve. Or chop, wrap each piece individually, and then place it in a zip lock and into the freezer for a piece of bite-size fudge whenever you need one!

Pancakie Pancakes are the best pancakes!

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pancakes. time to eat!
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Pancakie pancakes. Oh, the memories!

Pancakes were (and probably still are) my family’s favorite breakfast. It goes way, way back. When everybody was little, our Bryan began calling them “pancakies.” It remained endearing to our family. To this day, they are often still requested for breakfast by this name. No, he will never live this down.

But the original pancakies were not vegan. It took trial and error to convert our vegan pancakes to the pancakie standards we remembered.

Our trial and error resulted in the batter being too thick, too sticky, or not working at all.

Perfect Pancakie Pancakes

But then we came across this perfect recipe that does not fail. It works every single time we make it. And throw in some extra yummies to take it to the next level. (Berries for me and chocolate chips for the rest of the gang.) Except for the Big Guy that is! It’s plain pancakes with a little vegan butter and maple syrup. And that’s what makes them great, too. They are versatile but also just fine the way they are.

pancake, not ready to flip.
Don’t flip the pancake yet!
pancake ready to flip
Now it’s ready- flip that pancakie!

And the ingredients couldn’t be any simpler! Mainly shelf-stable items that are easily purchased at your local grocery store. So you can whip these babies up anytime you have a pancakie craving!

Future Pancakies

We know you’re going to love these. So you should plan to make a double batch! And you can freeze these for more pancake breakfasts throughout the week. Just reheat them in the toaster and enjoy an easy pancakie breakfast. Cook once, eat twice! (Or three or four times!)

golden brown pancake
Golden brown pancake perfection

These pancakes are a classic. And they taste amazing with a side of saucy apples on top!

Sauteed apples atop pancakes
Saucy Apple Topping

But if you want to change it up occasionally, try our Joyful Gingerbread Pancakes or our Favorite French Toast! They work great when you’re feeling like breakfast for dinner, too!

© thehamptonsvegan 2017-2025 all rights reserved

stack of pancakes
thehamptonsvegan

Pancakie Pancakes

The best in breakfast comfort food.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 16
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter or oil for pan

Method
 

  1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  2. Mix ground flax seed with water in a medium-sized bowl, and let thicken up for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla to the flax/water mixture and stir it well.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Don't overmix. Let the mixture set while preparing the pan.
  5. Heat a nonstick pan on medium-high heat until hot.
  6. When heated, add butter or oil and let it heat through. Then add about 1/3 cup of batter to the pan. Do not move pancakes until small bubbles start to appear on the edges.
    Gently lift an edge to check for golden color underneath. Then carefully lift the edges gently until your pancake flipper can easily go completely under the pancake.
    Then flip and finish cooking the other side, checking for doneness after about 1 minute.
    If pancakes are cooking too quickly, turn the heat down a notch. If the pan isn't completely nonstick, grease it well.
  7. Add in any mix-ins of your choosing. If you use different add-ins like chocolate chips, bananas, and berries, place them on the tops of the pancakes as they cook. But if you want the same add-ins in all the pancakes, mix them into the batter before pouring them onto the griddle.
  8. To keep them warm as you finish cooking the rest of the batter, place a wire cooling rack inside the oven set to warm (or 170 degrees Fahrenheit.).Add the finished pancakes to the rack until ready to eat.