Vegan Tofu Lemon Posset

Vegan tofu Lemon Posset

If you have friends round for dinner, it’s great to have a dessert you can make in advance, leaving you free to join in with the chat and laughter, rather than working away in the kitchen and leaving your guests to entertain themselves.

Well now you can blow your friends’ minds with this seriously tasty vegan tofu lemon posset recipe, which you can make the day before and simply bring out when you’re ready for dessert. It’s literally just a case of chucking the five ingredients into a food processor, and tipping the posset mixture into some ramekins to set in the fridge, so it’s ridiculously easy too. You can even make these tofu lemon possets up to four days in advance and store them in the fridge ready to go for a quick vegan dessert throughout the week :)

Did I mention they’re absolutely delicious? They have a good lemony zing which is balanced by the subtle sweetness from the agave. And the silken tofu provides the beautifully creamy texture that you’d expect from a good posset.

Because these vegan lemon possets are made with silken tofu instead of traditional double cream, they’re much higher in protein too. That’s right, this vegan dessert is higher in protein than the dairy-based original, with around 20% of your protein requirements in just one small dessert.

Vegan Tofu Lemon Posset Recipe

Ingredients (makes 4 vegan lemon possets):

• 2 x 300g packs silken tofu

• 100ml agave syrup

• 2 lemons

• 4 Tbsp coconut oil

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To serve (optional):

• Handful of raspberries

• Chopped pistachios

• Icing sugar

• Vegan biscuits

Method:

Melt the coconut oil gently in a pan. Once melted, chuck the oil into a food processor along with the tofu (drain the excess liquid), the juice and zest of the two lemons, agave syrup, and vanilla extract.

Blitz until smooth, then pour the lemon posset mixture into four ramekins and pop in the fridge to set for at least an hour, or ideally overnight.

To serve, top with some berries of your choice and chopped pistachios for a dash of colour and some texture.

*Make sure to get the right tofu - silken tofu is much softer and creamier than solid tofu. It’s usually found in the world-food aisle in small rectangular cartons

** When zesting your lemons, don’t zest too deeply - only use the outer-most yellow part of the peel which is full of the lovey citrus oils. Go too deep and you get to the white bitter pith which you don’t want in your posset

Nutrition (per vegan tofu lemon posset):

• Protein: 10.2g (Women: 20.4% / Men: 18.5%)

• Iron: 1.2g (Women: 6.8% / Men: 13.8..5)

• Calories: 302 (Women: 15.1% / Men: 12.1%)

• Sugars: 18.1g (Women: 20.1% / Men: 15.1%)

• Total Fats: 22.0g (Women: 31.4% / Men: 23.2%)

• Saturated Fat: 11.4g (Women: 62.0% / Men: 38.0%)

• Salt: 0.1g (Women: 1.7% / Men: 1.7%)

• Fibre: 0.3g (Women: 1.0% / Men: 1.0%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Easy vegan banana bread

Banana bread is a great way to use up any ripe bananas you have lying around - in fact the riper they are, the better. That’s because as bananas ripen, the starch gets broken down into simple sugars, so they help to naturally sweeten your banana bread. It also means they’re easier to mash so you won’t end up with any lumps in your loaf.

This vegan banana bread recipe results in a lovely, moist, rich loaf which really is incredibly easy to make, even for baking novices like me! Here are my favourite ways to enjoy this vegan banana bread:

• Eaten as a cake in the afternoon with a good cup of tea

• Toasted under the grill and spread with peanut butter for a fancy breakfast

• Warm out of the oven (or re-warmed) with a dollop of vegan cream, yoghurt, or ice cream for an easy dessert

And of course, this vegan banana bread has just a fraction of the saturated fat of traditional banana breads made with eggs and butter, with all the flavour and texture (check out the full nutrition info at the end of the post).

Easy vegan banana bread recipe

Ingredients (makes one loaf, 10 servings):

• 225g plain flour

• 100g light brown sugar

• 4 level tsp baking powder

• 3 tsp cinnamon

• 75g chopped walnuts

• 3 large (or 4 medium sized) very ripe bananas

• 75g vegetable oil

Method:

Heat your oven to 180C (360F).

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and walnuts) together in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, mash the peeled ripe bananas with a fork. Mix in the vegetable oil, then add this mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly to combine well.

Line a small, greased, loaf tin with baking paper and tip in the banana bread batter. Bake for 40 minutes, checking half way through baking (use tin foil to cover if the banana bread is browning too much on top).

Use a skewer to check the banana bread is cooked - it should come out clean (no sticky batter) when poked into the middle of the cake.

Allow to cool a little then serve - a slice of this vegan banana bread goes brilliantly with vegan cream, yoghurt, or ice cream!

Nutrition (per serving):

• Protein: 3.9g (Women: 7.8% / Men: 7.1%)

• Iron: 1.5mg (Women: 10.1% / Men: 17.2%)

• Calories: 271 (Women: 13.6% / Men: 10.8%)

• Sugars: 15g (Women: 16.7% / Men: 12.5%)

• Total Fats: 12.7g (Women: 18.1% / Men: 13.3%)

• Saturated Fat: 1.3g (Women: 6.5% / Men: 4.3%)

• Salt: 0.1g (Women: 1.7% / Men: 1.7%)

• Fibre: 2.2g (Women: 7.3% / Men: 7.3%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Vegan Chocolate Protein Waffles

Everyone loves a waffle. Add chocolate to the equation and you’ve got the ingredients for something truly magical. Plus knowing these waffles are vegan, and help with recovery from exercise thanks to the added protein, means they don’t have to be eaten as an occasional treat, but can be enjoyed as a healthy breakfast, snack or dessert any day of the week! Make a batch of these vegan chocolate protein waffles, freeze any leftovers, then pop one straight from the freezer into the toaster for two minutes for an instant pudding when you next crave something sweet but healthy.

The peanut butter ‘caramel’ sauce I topped this with is a stroke of genius - just two ingredients and 10 seconds in the microwave is all it takes. Then you have an incredible sweet peanut butter sauce with the consistency of caramel that you can drizzle on anything, from these chocolate protein vegan waffles, to your morning porridge, or even vegan ice cream (where it almost sets and goes chewy over the cold ice cream thanks to the golden syrup). Try this sauce and you can thank me later :)

Don’t have a waffle maker? Still want a sweet vegan chocolatey protein snack? Try these chocolate protein microwave mug cakes that literally take 5 minutes to make.

* A note on protein - it’s absolutely not necessary to use protein supplements just because you’re on a vegan diet. They can however be useful and convenient, especially if you’re regularly weight training, where a higher protein intake can help with building muscle strength and mass - the same reason you’ll often see meat eaters drinking a whey protein shake after the gym! Vivo Life is my favourite vegan protein brand - all their products are vegan, use raw and fermented proteins for improved absorption, are independently tested for heavy metals, and are smooth and taste great! You can use ‘TJ10’ for a 10% discount on your first order with them!

Vegan Chocolate Protein Waffles Recipe

Ingredients (makes 6 small waffles):

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

• 3 tsp cocoa powder

• 1 scoop Vivo Life Perform (raw cacao flavour)

• 1 cup soy milk

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Peanut Butter Sauce (enough for 6 small waffles):

• 1 Tbsp smooth peanut butter

• 2 Tbsp golden syrup

Method:

Turn on the mini waffle maker to heat up while you prepare the batter

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, cocoa powder and vegan protein powder) in a bowl

Add the soy milk and vegetable oil, and mix until smooth

Pour a small ladle of the batter mixture into the hot mini waffle maker and cook for around 6-7 minutes until golden and crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside

Once ready, remove the waffle and set aside on a wire rack while you cook the remaining waffles

To make the peanut butter sauce, simply spoon the peanut butter and golden syrup into a ramekin and microwave on full power for 10 seconds until warm. Stir together with a teaspoon until smooth and caramel-like in texture.

Pour the peanut butter sauce over the vegan chocolate protein waffles and top with your favourite fruit (here I used banana, chopped Medjool dates, and some raw cacao nibs for extra chocolate goodness!)

Nutrition (per vegan waffle with peanut butter sauce):

• Protein: 7.0g (Women: 14.0% / Men: 12.7%)

• Iron: 1.6mg (Women: 10.8% / Men: 18.4%)

• Calories: 189 (Women: 9.5% / Men: 7.6%)

• Sugar: 11.2g (Women: 12.4% / Men: 9.3%)

• Total Fats: 7.4g (Women: 10.6% / Men: 7.8%)

• Saturated Fats: 1.3g (Women: 6.5% / Men: 4.3%)

• Salt: 0.1g (Women: 1.7% / Men: 1.7%)

• Fibre: 1.8g (Women: 6.0% / Men: 6.0%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Vegan Protein Fruit Smoothie Ice Lollies

The summer days are pretty sweltering at the moment, but I refuse to complain about it (whenever I'm tempted to, I just think back to our last winter's cold, dark, wet days, then count my blessings)! Instead, I'm trying to make the most of the summer fun by getting outdoors, swimming in rivers or the sea as much as possible, and I've been making these really healthy vegan fruit smoothie ice lollies - they're incredibly refreshing and taste so good! Plus, they're packed with antioxidant and vitamin-rich berries, with only 38 calories per popsicle. The added vegan protein powder is optional, but by adding it these healthy summer treats also provide a little protein hit to help you recover and repair from your exercise and help you on your way to your fitness goals! All you need is an ice lolly mould and some fresh fruit! 

Vegan Protein Fruit Smoothie Ice Lollies Recipe

Ingredients (makes 10 lollies):

• 1 banana

• 100g strawberries

• 100g raspberries

• 100g blueberries

• 1 scoop Vega vanilla protein powder (optional)

• Water

Method:

Wash the berries and remove leaves from the strawberries, then chuck along with the peeled banana into a food processor or blender. Top up about half way with water (better to start with less water as you can always add more depending on how thick you like it). Add the Vega protein powder, then blitz everything until smooth. Pour into lolly moulds then pop in the freezer for a few hours until set. 

Nutrition (per lolly):

• Protein: 2.4g (Women: 4.8% / Men: 4.4%)

• Iron: 0.4mg (Women: 2.7% / Men: 4.6%)

• Calories: 38 (Women: 1.9% / Men: 1.5%)

• Sugars: 3.4g (Women: 3.8% / Men: 2.8%)

• Total Fats: 0.5g (Women: 0.6% / Men: 0.5%)

• Saturated Fat: 0.1g (Women: 0.5% / Men: 0.3%)

• Salt: 0.1g (Women: 1.7% / Men: 1.7%)

• Fibre: 1.8g (Women: 6.0% / Men: 6.0%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Vegan Chocolate Orange Pots

You'd never know these chocolate orange pots are vegan. They're rich, thick, creamy, and have just the right amount of zesty orange flavour to complement the rich chocolate. And the secret ingredient to get the mousse-like consistency? Silken tofu! So, they're much lower in saturated fat and much higher in protein than traditional chocolate pots made with dairy cream.

Vegan Chocolate Orange Pots

Ingredients (makes 6 pots):

• 600g silken tofu

• 150ml fresh orange juice

• 50ml fresh water

• 200g dark chocolate (50-65% cocoa)

• 150ml maple syrup

• Pinch of salt

• Zest of one orange for topping

• 1 Tbsp cocoa for topping

Method:

First of all, wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and wring as much of the water out as possible. Then tip the drained tofu into a blender, add the juice and water, and blend until smooth. 

Now gently melt the dark chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of lightly simmering water. Add the maple syrup to the melted chocolate, then pour into the blender along with the tofu, and blend until fully incorporated. 

Divide the mixture between six pots / glasses / ramekins, then place in the fridge for at least an hour until set. When ready to serve, dust with cocoa powder and garnish with a little orange zest. 

Nutrition (per pot):

• Protein: 9.0g (Women: 18.0% / Men: 16.4%)

• Iron: 3.2mg (Women: 21.6% / Men: 36.8%)

• Calories: 320 (Women: 16.0% / Men: 12.8%)

• Sugars: 29.9g (Women: 33.2% / Men: 24.9%)

• Total Fats: 15.5g (Women: 22.1% / Men: 16.3%)

• Saturated Fat: 7.7g (Women: 38.5% / Men: 25.7%)

• Salt: 0.2g (Women: 3.3% / Men: 3.3%)

• Fibre: 2.8g (Women: 9.3% / Men: 9.3%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Vegan waffle recipe with quick blueberry sauce

I initially added this vegan waffle recipe to the vegan breakfasts section of the site. Then one evening last week we had a lovely dinner, but one that didn’t quite fill me up enough. I was raiding our cupboards trying to find something sweet but reasonably healthy, but short of baking a cake we didn’t really have anything quick or easy to hand. Then I had a light bulb moment and remembered this vegan waffle recipe that I had only ever made for breakfast before, and whipped it up in under 10 minutes. I thought I should also include in the dessert section because it’s perfect for that too. In fact you could have these waffles any time of day - breakfast, brunch, afternoon treat with tea, or dessert!

All you need is a waffle iron like this mini one from Urban Outfitters. And this vegan waffle recipe I’ve been working on really is the bomb. The waffles turn out golden and crispy on the outside, light and fluffy in the middle. They’re sweet, but not overly, sickly, sweet. They’re mega versatile too and make the perfect receptacle for holding onto lovely sauces, fruit, spices or nut butters. And guess what? By making these waffles vegan and with whole wheat flour, they have a fraction of the saturated fat (but all the flavour) of traditional waffles made with eggs and dairy.

My favourite sauce for these waffles is this super-quick and easy blueberry sauce. Keep some leftovers if you make it because it also goes brilliantly on porridge or swirled into smoothie bowls for a sweet touch.

Vegan Waffles Recipe with Quick Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients (makes 6 small waffles):

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

• Small pinch of salt

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup soy milk

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

For the blueberry sauce (6 servings):

• 1 cup frozen blueberries

• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 Tbsp water

• 1 tsp cornstarch

Method:

Start by making the blueberry sauce. Tip the blueberries, maple syrup and lemon juice into a pan and simmer over a low heat

In a small cup stir the water and cornstarch until smooth, then add to the blueberries

Simmer on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened

Now turn on the mini waffle maker to heat up while you prepare the batter

Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl

Add the soy milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix until smooth

Pour a small ladle of the batter mixture into the hot mini waffle maker and cook for around 6-7 minutes until golden and crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside

Once ready, remove the waffle and set aside on a wire rack while you cook the remaining waffles

Serve with the warm blueberry sauce, a portion of fresh fruit and a dollop of your favourite nut butter

Nutrition (per mini waffle with sauce):

• Protein: 3.6g (women: 7.2% / men: 6.5%

• Iron: 1.0mg (women: 6.8% / men: 11.5%)

• Calories: 163 (women: 8.2% / men: 6.5%)

• Sugars: 10.4g (women: 11.6% / men: 8.7%)

• Total fats: 5.4g (women: 7.7% / men: 5.7%)

• Saturated fat: 0.6g (women: 3.0% / men: 2.0%)

• Salt: 0.1g (women: 1.7% / men: 1.7%)

• Fibre: 3.6g (women: 12.0% / men: 12.0%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.