Simple vegan apple crumble

I’m often given big bags of apples at this time of year by friends and family - they know how to keep me happy :) So it’s good to have some really simple, quick and easy recipes to use them up. This vegan apple crumble really is simple and uses just seven ingredients, but tastes absolutely divine. It’s the kind of dish that reminds you that summer ending does have its perks!

This recipe makes enough apple crumble for one big dish to serve around 10 people. Otherwise, you can do as I did and divide the apple crumble into smaller enamel pie dishes and freeze them for a rainy day. If cooking from frozen just cover with foil to prevent the crumble topping from burning and add around 20 minutes to the cooking time.

This vegan take on a British classic is also much healthier than traditional recipes. For instance, using vegetable oil instead of butter means it has just a fraction of the saturated fat; using wholegrain flour adds more fibre; adding oats to the crumble topping means more zinc and beta-glucans (soluble fibres that have been shown to promote the growth of good bacteria in our gut and reduce cholesterol levels); and walnuts in the crumble topping add omega-3, as well as a beautiful nutty crunch!

Simple vegan apple crumble recipe

Ingredients (serves 10):

• 7-8 apples (approx 1kg)

• 150 golden caster sugar

• 300g blackberries

• 150g whole grain flour

• 150g oats

• 120g vegetable oil

• 60g walnuts, chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C

Core and roughly chop the apples. Spread them out in a large pie dish or a few smaller pie dishes if you plan to freeze some smaller portions

Sprinkle the apples with 50g of the sugar and scatter the blackberries on top

To make the crumble topping, just tip the flour, oats, the remaining 100g of sugar, the vegetable oil and crushed walnuts into a large bowl and mix with your fingertips until well combined

Distribute the topping over the fruit (if freezing, do so at this point).

Bake in the oven for around 20-30 minutes until the fruit has softened and the topping has turned golden (use foil to protect the crumble topping if it begins to brown too quickly)

Serve on its own or with vegan cream or ice cream.

Nutrition (per serving of apple crumble):

• Protein: 5.7g (Women: 11.4% / Men: 10.4%)

• Iron: 1.8mg (Women: 12.2% / Men: 20.7%)

• Calories: 371 (Women: 18.6% / Men: 14.8%)

• Sugar: 26.7g (Women: 29.7% / Men: 22.3%)

• Total Fats: 17.5g (Women: 25.0% / Men: 18.4%)

• Saturated Fat: 1.8g (Women: 9.0% / Men: 6.0%)

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

• Fibre: 7.7g (Women: 25.7% / Men: 25.7%)

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

Elderflower and gin sorbet recipe

This is a great recipe for dinner parties - your guests will be so impressed that you made a fun, slightly alcoholic sorbet, and when you tell them it’s flavoured with elderflowers you foraged yourself… they’ll be blown away! It’s great as a refreshing tipple after dinner, or you could serve this elderflower and gin sorbet as a lovely ‘amuse bouche’ to set the tone before a meal. Either way, it’s sure to impress and entertain!

I should point out, that as a nutritionist, this is not exactly a balanced dessert. It’s mostly sugar with a bit of alcohol, and has no fibre, protein, or many micro-nutrients. But I’m a big advocate of a balanced lifestyle - basing your diet around loads of whole plant foods, while making sure to enjoy the small things in life in moderation. I always tell my clients that avoiding restrictive habits leads to a really positive relationship with food, meaning you’re much more likely to keep to your healthy habits for life, rather than entering the all-too-common crash dieting cycle.

There’s only a small amount of gin in this recipe, and you could definitely omit it for an alcohol-free sorbet. Bear in mind that the alcohol does help it set a little softer, so if you do leave it out, remember to take the sorbet out of the freezer a few minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop.

If you have an ice cream machine (you can buy small household ones quite cheaply) this would work brilliantly in it. Otherwise you can follow the steps below for great sorbet without a machine.

For tips on foraging your own elderflowers, check out this guide by The Woodland Trust.

Elderflower and gin sorbet recipe (vegan)

Ingredients (serves 8):

• 1.5 cups sugar

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup (40-50g) fresh elderflowers

• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 4 Tbsp gin

Method:

Heat the sugar and water in a large lidded pan over a low heat, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat and mix in the elderflowers. Put the lid on the pan to cover and allow to infuse overnight.

Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the elderflowers, then add the lemon juice and gin.

Chill the mixture in the fridge, then freeze in your ice cream machine as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you don’t have an ice cream machine, place the sorbet mixture in a tub into the freezer. Every 30 minutes, take out of the freezer and stir/mash up with a fork. After a few times doing this, and the sorbet is firm, smooth it over and level out the sorbet and serve or keep in the freezer until ready to eat.

Nutrition (per serving):

• Protein: 0.1g (Women: 0.2% / Men: 0.2%)

• Iron: >0.1mg (Women: >0.1% / Men: >0.1%)

• Calories: 169 (Women: 8.5% / Men: 6.8%)

• Sugars: 38.1g (Women: 42.3% / Men: 31.8%)

• Total Fats: 0.0g (Women: 0.0% / Men: 0.0%)

• Saturated Fat: 0.0g (Women: 0.0% / Men: 0.0%)

• Salt: 0.0g (Women: 0.0% / Men: 0.0%)

• Fibre: 0.1g (Women: 0.3% / Men: 0.3%)

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.

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.