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Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split

· Natalie 24 Comments

A sweet potato split and filled with creamy banana ice cream and all the toppings, this is one healthy, funky, uniquely delicious recipe you’ve gotta try! 

Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split {vegan}

So wait…the concept of a stuffed sweet potato doesn’t usually involve ice cream? No caramel sauce either? Vegetables and beans and stuff, really? Are you sure!? Huh.

Because when I started brainstorming on a stuffed sweet potato recipe, ice cream was the first thing that came into my head. It was as obvious and nonnegotiable as frosting on a cupcake. The only real question was what flavor. And when faced with ice cream flavor indecision, the best course of action is usually to make them all. So I did.

An oblong edible vessel. Three flavors of ice cream. Extra caramel sauce in a jar in the fridge. The Sweet Potato Split was practically begging to be created!

Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split {vegan}Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split {vegan}

Right now you are either thinking “Yum, yes, bring on this crazy concoction!” Or you are thinking “Um…this sounds very weird.” Or possibly even “Why must you bring nicecream into everything you crazy lady!?”

If it’s the first one, go pop your sweet potato in the oven now and come right back so you will already be on your way to making this funky fruit-filled feast by the time you finish reading.

If it’s either of the others, then hear me out. Sweet potato brownies with ice cream on top–delicious! Sweet potato actually made into ice cream–a creamy treat! Sweet potatoes with marshmallows–a classic! Other warm, slightly-sweet carby things with ice cream (like oatmeal)–so yum! Ice cream is pretty much just a less sticky marshmallow. A sweet potato is pretty much just a less chocolatey sweet potato brownie. So by that logic, the Sweet Potato Split really was meant to be.

Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split {vegan}

I love the texture contrast between dense starchy sweet potato and creamy light banana ice cream. And even moreso I love the temperature contrast between warm sweet potato and chilly fast-melting ice cream! Or you can chill your sweet potato first if you want to slow down the nicecream melting rate and give yourself more time to savor each deliciously temperature and texture diverse bite.

Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split {vegan}

This recipe could of course be a tasty template for all kinds of flavor combinations, but I must say the ones in this particular split mingled very well. Cinnamon, blueberry, and chocolate ice creams + caramel sauce + blueberry compote + blueberries and mulberries on top = totally delicious! The addition of a few chocolate chips wouldn’t have been a bad idea either.

The caramel sauce is my favorite Silky Sweet Date Caramel Sauce recipe from last week. I’m kinda putting it on everything if you hadn’t noticed. The blueberry compote is a recipe by my friend Tiina from My Berry Forest that I make often as a topping because I absolutely love the flavor and simplicity of it. I think it is the addition of star anise–with the berries it is heavenly!

Other topping ideas…
– These roasted balsamic strawberries would be amazing (and kinda classy I think!)
– My top topping choice for just about everything. Or the grain-free version. Oooh or the lemon version even!
– Sprinkles obvs.
– To make you feel 8 again…magic shell!
– With some seasonally flavored ice cream scoops, this sauce would be insanely good!
– These little chewy chocolate guys.
– I think there might still be room for some cookie crumbles.
– And of course fruit of all kinds!

Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split {vegan}

This particular Sweet Potato Split happened around 2:30 p.m. because gotta get that early afternoon photo lighting! But if your snacking schedule isn’t dictated by the angle of the sun, then I think it would make for a killer breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Oh heck, there are no mealtime rules with this melty mash-up.

Try it. For me. And your tummy. You’re welcome.

This Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split is a healthy, funky, uniquely delicious snack you gotta try!Click To Tweet

Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split {vegan}

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Blueberry Caramel Sweet Potato Split

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews
  • Prep Time: 90 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Total Time: 150 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 large sweet potatoes

Cinnamon Nicecream

  • 2–3 frozen bananas
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Blueberry Nicecream

  • 2–3 frozen bananas
  • 1/2–1 cup frozen blueberries

Chocolate Nicecream

  • 2–3 frozen bananas
  • 2 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
  2. Poke your sweet potatoes. Place on a pan and bake for approximately 45 mins to 1 hour or until squeezable.
  3. Remove from the oven. Slice in half lengthwise. Let them cool for at least 30 mins or even chill overnight.
  4. Blend each flavor of nicecream separately.
  5. Transfer each to a shallow container. Freeze for 1-2 hours.
  6. When you are ready to eat, place one large scoop of each flavor of nicecream inside each sweet potato. Top with caramel sauce and toppings. Enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Nice Cream Split {vegan}

So whatcha thinking–crazy cool or crazy crazy?

What delicious flavor trio are you imagining scooped inside a Sweet Potato Split?

Also, nicecream or nice (space) cream? I think I’ve been doing it wrong….

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Silky Sweet Vegan Date Caramel Sauce

· Natalie 89 Comments

Just 5 ingredients, a blender, and a few minutes is all it takes to create this most decadent, silky, rich Vegan Date Caramel Sauce, perfect for dipping or drizzling!

Silky Sweet Vegan Date Caramel Sauce

I am still questioning whether this super simple recipe justifies it’s own whole post and video. But hey, we’re here, it’s rich and dreamy, let’s do this.

Silky Sweet Vegan Date Caramel Sauce

I am a big fan of the classic date caramel. For dipping, for coating, for frosting–it’s awesome. But one thing it is not awesome for is drizzling. Frankly it has no drizzle game, it just plops. And unattractively I might add.

I started experimenting in hopes of finding a more silky, less plopping prone date caramel sauce to use as part of another recipe, but after posting this photo on Instagram a drizzle-worthy caramel sauce recipe seemed to be in high demand. So I tweaked and tested multiple batches yesterday until I found an ingredient mix that had the exact consistency I was after. I should note this is not the same sauce as in that photo, that was a date-less nut butter situation. But I for one like this fruit-filled version much better!

Silky Sweet Vegan Date Caramel Sauce Silky Sweet Vegan Date Caramel Sauce

I didn’t even consider all that pesky stove-top candy thermometer business, so it had to be a no-cook blender recipe. A lot of no-cook caramel sauces are made up of a liquid sweetener + nut butter + coconut oil. For my liquid sweetener I chose coconut nectar because it is really sticky. Brown rice syrup would work too. Maple syrup is a bit thinner than you want for this recipe. I know it might seem weird to add a sweetener to already sweet dates, but that viscosity is essential for a smooth pour-able texture. The dates are the thickener here instead of nut butter, plus they add extra caramel flavor. The coconut oil I replaced with coconut milk. While still high fat, at least it’s not pure fat. You can try it with a lower fat plant milk, but it’s not going to have the same texture.

Blend it all up with a little bit of sea salt and vanilla bean powder (because yum), and you have a silky sweet vegan date caramel sauce. This sauce is by no means the healthiest caramel sauce around, good old 2-ingredient date caramel claims that title. But it is quite a topping treat on ice cream, brownies, oatmeal, spoons, almost anything!

Silky Sweet Vegan Date Caramel Sauce Silky Sweet Vegan Date Caramel Sauce

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Silky Sweet Vegan Date Caramel Sauce

★★★★★ 5 from 17 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
  • Category: Sauce
  • Method: Blender
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Just 5 ingredients, a blender, and a few minutes is all it takes to create this most decadent, silky, rich Vegan Date Caramel Sauce, perfect for dipping or drizzling!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
  • 1/2 cup coconut nectar or brown rice syrup
  • 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender.
  2. Blend on high until very smooth and creamy. You can adjust the consistency by adding more coconut milk if it is too thick to pour easily.
  3. It makes a lot, so keep the extra in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Keywords: Sauce, caramel, sweet, topping, dates, medjool, healthy, sweet, vitamix, easy

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Vegan Date Caramel Sauce Pin

Soft-Baked Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie

· Natalie 52 Comments

A soft-baked, cinnamon sugar topped snickerdoodle cookie with pumpkin added in for extra fall flair. This vegan, gluten-free, single cookie recipe is ready for warm-from-the-oven devouring in no time!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Single Cookie Recipe {vegan & gluten-free}That title up there was supposed to read ‘Soft-Baked Sweet Potato Snickerdoodle Cookie’. It has a nice ring to it doesn’t it, with the alliteration. But in the middle of making it the idea for an orange ingredient swap hit me, and I just had to test the recipe one more time but with pumpkin instead.

Now I don’t know if it was my actual tastebuds talking or the current pumpkin craze, but the pumpkin version was kinda sorta a whole lot more delicious!

Plus I haven’t posted anything pumpkin in like…okay fine it’s been less than a week. But it’s October so that means it’s acceptable to post all pumpkin all the time. At least I hope so. Otherwise I have some major content calendar revising to do.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Single Cookie Recipe {vegan & gluten-free}Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Single Cookie Recipe {vegan & gluten-free}

You may be thinking “Another oversized cookie on a Monday?” But of course you are thinking that in an excited tone not an exasperated one, right? If there is anything Monday needs, it’s more exceptionally large and quick to make baked goods. Healthy-ish dessert the size of a hockey puck–I can’t imagine a better way to kick off the week.

No sprinkles or frosting or movie tie-in this time, but this cookie doesn’t need all that. Because it has something else. Something wonderful. Cinnamon sugar!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Single Cookie Recipe {vegan & gluten-free}

Soft and chewy. Drowned in lightly sprinkled with cinnamon sugar before baking. Only 6 ingredients. A single cookie recipe means you get to enjoy the entire batch at peak warm-from-the-oven freshness. Ready in 12 minutes. Happier Monday friends.

Soft-Baked Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie #vegan #glutenfreeClick To Tweet

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Single Cookie Recipe {vegan & gluten-free}

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Soft-Baked Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 17 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cookie 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 4 tbsp oat flour
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

  • 1 tsp coconut sugar*
  • Dash of cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients for the cookie in a bowl. Mix to form a sticky dough.
  3. On a pan lined with parchment paper, press into a thick cookie shape (about 4 inch diameter). Or you can even use a cookie cutter for a perfect circle.
  4. Mix together the cinnamon sugar topping. Sprinkle on top and press in lightly
  5. Bake for 12 mins at 350F.
  6. Let it cool for 5-10 mins before eating.

Notes

*Coconut sugar works and tastes great here. But for the classic sparkly sugar-coated snickerdoodle look, organic cane sugar works better.

>>> Click Below To Pin <<<

 Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Single Cookie Recipe {vegan & gluten-free}

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Turmeric Spice Pancakes

· Natalie 44 Comments

Easy, fluffy Turmeric Spice Pancakes you can whip up in the blender in no time for a vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, anti-inflammatory breakfast. And with 2 color options!

Turmeric Spice Pancakes {vegan & gluten-free}Turmeric Spice Pancakes…and a chemistry lesson.

Do you remember in school when they taught us about the color wheel? Do you remember the part about how it’s not possible to make primary colors with other colors? Well that is a lie and these pancakes prove it. Because it turns out yellow + yellow can = red. Whaaaaaaat??

Turmeric Spice Pancakes {vegan & gluten-free}Turmeric Spice Pancakes {vegan & gluten-free}

Turmeric + lemon juice = red. Mind blown! At least my mind, maybe you already knew that. But you better believe I was completely confused when I poured yellow pancake batter into the pan, flipped it, and it was RED.

Chemistry–always surprising me when I least expect it.

UPDATE! I was wrong. A very smart reader explained it to me, read the real reason in the comments –> here

Turmeric Spice Pancakes {vegan & gluten-free}

After I ate my pancakes, did some googling, discovered that turmeric and lemon can make red, and then recovered from my pancake color confusion, I remade them without the lemon so as to not confuse everyone. Gold and glowing, just as all things turmeric are supposed to be. But I have to admit I actually like the red ones better.

Without the lemon juice they are just not as super fluffy. Still fluffy, just not SUPER fluffy. And more importantly the red compliments the pumpkin butter yogurt swirls much better, don’t you think?

Turmeric Spice Pancakes {vegan & gluten-free}Turmeric Spice Pancakes {vegan & gluten-free}

So if you want a super fluffy stack, go with the red version. Or if you wanted to fool someone into thinking you made them a tall stack of red velvet pancakes but secretly sneak them a dose of anti-inflammatory turmeric spice this would be the perfect way to carry out that deception. Or if you ever find yourself making red velvet cupcakes only to realize you are out of beets mid batter-mixing, having this trick in the back of your mind could save the color of your batch of cupcakes.

But the gold version is nice too.

I should note, there isn’t much info out there on google about this crazy color magic. Some sites said only lime + turmeric makes red, not lemon. Considering the batter was still very much yellow, and I know I’ve combined the two before in juices/smoothies, maybe it’s only with heat. Or maybe I possess a rare color-morphing bottle of turmeric. I don’t completely understand it, but I do find it fascinating. Edible, soft, fluffy, breakfast science is the best kind of science!

Turmeric Spice Pancakes {vegan & gluten-free}

For the spice part of the Turmeric Spice Pancakes, I added in the typical golden milk latte spices: cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and (not a spice) vanilla.

And just in case all those warming spices weren’t autumn enough, I topped the entire breakfast stack with yogurt and Tiina, from My Berry Forrest’s, delicious Apple-Pumpkin Butter. I may be a little bit obsessed with this stuff right now. Make it…you’ll see why!

Apple Pumpkin Butter - My Berry Forest Turmeric Spice Pancakes {vegan & gluten-free}

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Turmeric Spice Pancakes

★★★★★ 4.8 from 4 reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 5 -7 pancakes 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/4 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
  • 2 tbsps maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp baking powder*
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • pinch of black pepper
  • ¼ tsp ginger

For topping

  • Coconut milk yogurt
  • My Berry Forest’s Perfect Apple-Pumpkin Butter
  • Chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
  2. Blend till combined. Don’t over blend.
  3. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan. Since it is quite thick, spread/smooth into a circle.
  5. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side. When you can easily slide a spatula under, flip. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan.
  6. Repeat until all the batter is gone.
  7. Top with yogurt, pumpkin-apple butter, and chopped nuts. Enjoy!

Notes

*If you want to make the fluffier but red version, use 1 tsp baking soda + 2 tsps baking powder + 1 tsp lemon juice.

>>> Click Below To Pin <<<

Turmeric Spice Pancakes {vegan & gluten-free}

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oreos

· Natalie 62 Comments

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oreos are easy and fall-festive sandwich cookies with a 4 ingredient vegan gluten-free cookie and a simple pumpkin spice cream filling!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}I’ve already visited the pumpkin + chocolate combo once this pumpkin season. And there was that time last year with this cookie-covered brownie situation. But I hope you don’t mind if I bring back that killer combo for a part 3…

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}

This take on those delicious two flavors is the most obvious, had-to-happen recipe of them all: Pumpkin Spice Oreos! Duh, what took me so long? Thank goodness for a friend who also happens to be recipe genius, Arman, for pointing it out. And with plenty of time left in pumpkin season to make this stack of sandwich cookies happen.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}

My original 5-Ingredient Easy Vegan Oreos recipe just needed a little tweaking to get in the festive fall spirit–more orange and more spice. Because these are made with only real foods, the pumpkin filling is not overly orange. Not like the shade of those candy corn pumpkins I used to love but most people hate. I promise you will taste the pumpkin flavor though! And the spices. And the hint of maple to make things extra autumnal.

There will be extra frosting, so you have options…
1. Eat it. With a spoon. No shame.
2. Make more cookies.
4. Quadruple stuff those sandwich cookies. None of this silly double stuff stuff!
3. Save it for a special Halloween recipe that may or may not require frosting and may or may not be coming on Monday.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}

Sidenote (a.k.a. rant): Does it annoy anyone else when something is labeled “pumpkin spice” but they literally mean just the spices and no actual pumpkin. Silly me, I interpret “pumpkin spice” as pumpkin + spice expecting orange squash inside, but they are just using “pumpkin” as an adjective for “spice”.

Like Pumpkin Spice Tea. Newsflash…there’s usually no pumpkin in the tea. It should read Just The Spices That Usually Go in Pumpkin Pie But No Actual Pumpkin Tea. Although worse yet is when they try to make up for it with “natural pumpkin flavors”?

Okay rant over. Back to Pumpkin Spice Oreos.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}

The cookie is a little more fall festive too with a dash of pumpkin pie spice baked right in. I also made them slightly larger this time, which means more bites. And more bites means more chances for frosting to squish out the sides with every bite (especially if you quadruple stuff). To prevent that, refrigerate or even freeze your cookies for 30 mins or so after sandwiching but before eating. It makes the filling more firm and less prone to squishing.

I’ve gotten many comments on my original oreo recipe like “But oreos are already vegan.” Yes, yes they are, which is great. But they are sorta full of crap–high fructose corn syrup, palm oil, and artificial flavors all in one bite. The choice is yours of course, I’m just here to give you a healthier, gluten-free, oil-free sandwich cookie option!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}

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Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}

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Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oreos

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
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Ingredients

Scale

Cookie

  • 1/2 cup cacao powder (*see note)
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp brown rice flour
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves)

Filling

  • 15 oz can full fat coconut milk (refrigerated overnight to separate)
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • **See notes for a low fat option

Instructions

  1. Make the filling first so it has time to refrigerate and thicken.
  2. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk with a hand mixer until well combined and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or jar and refrigerate.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  4. Combine all the ingredients for the cookie. Mix to form a thick dough.
  5. Roll into 10 balls. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten with the bottom of a cup or your hand. They will not spread while baking, so flatten them to desired thickness now.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350F.
  7. Let them cool completely, or better yet refrigerate before making the sandwiches.
  8. Once cool, spread your filling on half of the cookies. Sandwich with the other half.
  9. Eat immediately or refrigerate or freeze for 30 minutes or so to allow the filling to solidify.
  10. Keep in the refrigerator.

Notes

*I highly recommend using cacao powder, NOT cocoa powder for this recipe. Cocoa powder is much more bitter and as these cookies contain a lot of it it can make the cookies too bitter. Cacao has a more mild flavor that is better here.

**For a low fat filling option, you can use pumpkin butter instead. I really like this recipe.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Oreos {vegan & gluten-free}

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