dairy free

Pastel Semlas

¼ cup coconut oil, melted (or about 75g local organic butter/vegan butter, melted)
1 cup oat milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cardamom
½ cup xylitol or erythritol
1 cup almond flour
1 cup rice flour
½ cup psyllium husk powder
1 local organic free-range egg (or 3 tbsp chia ½ cup water)

Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F degrees. Mix the melted oil (or butter) with the oat milk. Add in the rest of the ingredients. If using chia-water mixture, let it thicken to gel for about 10 minutes before adding). Stir well and leave to thicken for 20 minutes. Now the dough should be easily moldable so you can create round buns from it. Add a bit of rice flour, if needed. Form 8 small buns and place them on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until slightly golden. Let cool completely before cutting in half.

Fill with almond paste and coconut whipped cream (colored with pink pitaya powder or beet powder and/or turmeric).

 

Coconut Whipped Cream

2 can full-fat coconut milk (keep in the fridge)
1 tbsp coconut syrup (or for example maple syrup)
½ tsp vanilla powder

Take the coconut milk cans from the fridge and scoop out the white thick paste into a bowl. Add syrup and vanilla. Whip until fluffy. If the mixture gets too warm and runny, keep it in a fridge for a while so that it gets as thick as normal whipped cream. Use as a filling in semlas with almond paste.

 

Almond Paste

1 cup almond meal
3-5 tbsp coconut syrup or maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla powder or seeds from half vanilla bean

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl with a spoon. The dough should be easily moldable, like playdough, not too dry or crumbly. Add more syrup or almond meal if needed. Roll the dough into a pole (about 5 cm / 2 inches thick) and roll it inside a parchment paper or plastic wrap. Put it in the fridge and leave to thicken for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Cut the pole into 1 cm/½ inch thick slices. Use slices inside semlas with coconut whipped cream.

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Blueberry Crumble Pie

About 9 pieces

1 ⅓ cup gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup almond meal
⅓ cup coconut sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cardamom
pinch of sea salt
1 cup coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp raw organic honey or coconut syrup

Filling:

1 cup blueberries
1 ripe banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
dropperful liquid stevia
1 cup blueberries & 4 tbsp chia seeds

On top:

Blueberries
edible flowers
coconut milk powder, optional

Dish size: 20 x 20 cm / 8 x 8 Inches

Preheat the oven to 175 Celsius / 350 F degrees. Cover the pan with parchment paper. Mix the base ingredients in a bowl with a spoon so that you get a crumbly but slightly moldable dough. Press about ⅔ of the crust dough firmly onto the bottom of the pan.

Prepare the filling. Mix 1 cup blueberries, banana, vanilla extract & stevia in a blender until smooth. Scoop into a small bowl and stir in the whole blueberries and chia seeds. Leave to thicken for 15 minutes. Spread the berry mixture onto the crust. Sprinkle on the remaining crust dough. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until nice & golden. Take out from the oven and let cool completely. Cut to pieces, top with blueberries and edible flowers and sprinkle on some coconut milk powder. Enjoy! Store in the fridge.

Lemon Cheesecake Chia Pudding

1 can full-fat coconut milk, kept in the fridge
juices from 1 medium lemon
1-2 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp local organic honey or maple syrup
½ tsp turmeric
4 tbsp chia seeds

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Leave to thicken for 5 minutes. Taste and add more sweetness or lemon, if desired. Stir and put in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. Serve with cake crumble and popsicles of your choice.

Crumble:

½ cup pecan nuts
½ cup almonds
5 fresh dates, pitted
½ tsp cardamom
pinch of sea salt

Place the nuts and almonds in a blender and blend until fine crust. Add dates and spices: Blend until you get a crumbly dough. Taste and add spices, if needed.

Strawberry N’Ice Cream

2 cups fresh strawberries
1 ripe banana
1 cup cashew nuts
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
0,5 cup almond milk (or other plant-based milk)

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and prepare ice cream with the directions of the manufacture. If you don’t own an ice cream maker pour the mixture into a freezer-safe jar and freeze for 3-4 hours stirring the mixture every 30 minutes. Serve crusted nuts, small date pieces and a dash of cardamom.

Peanut butter Waffles with Roasted Apple Slices

For 2

2 organic eggs
½ cup unsweetened peanut butter
½ ripe banana (mashed)
1 tsp coconut oil
5 tbsp oat milk (or almond milk)
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla powder

On top:

Roasted apples (recipe below)
Date caramel sauce (link to the recipe on my bio)
Whipped coconut cream (from 1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated + some vanilla & honey or coconut syrup)

Preheat the waffle iron. Break the eggs into a bowl, add peanut butter, mashed banana, coconut oil and oat milk. Mix. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Dose some dough into the waffle iron and cook for about 2 min.

Roasted Apple Slices

2 sweet apples
Ceylon cinnamon

For roasting:
coconut oil

Preheat the waffle iron. Cut the apples into thin very slices. Grease the waffle iron with coconut oil. Place the apple slices inside the waffle iron, sprinkle on some cinnamon, close the lid and roast for about 2 minutes. Serve with waffles.

Champagne Cookies

½ cup almond flour
⅓ cup rice flour
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ cup xylitol or erythritol or coconut sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp vegan butter, melted
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
6 tbsp sparkling wine/champagne OR apple juice

Frosting:

5 tbsp coconut oil, soft, but not totally melted.
2 tbsp coconut syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp beet powder or pomegranate juice
+ ¼ tsp turmeric powder

Preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F degrees. Mix flours, sugar and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix in the melted butter & oil + champagne or juice. The dough should be easily moldable, soft but firm. Let sit for 10 minutes. Form small balls with your hands and press them into cookies onto a baking tray covered with baking paper. Press the sides slightly with your fingers to get a nice round shape. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until the cookies get a slightly golden color. Cookies should remain quite soft and rich, not go dry and hard. Let cool completely. Prepare the frosting.

Spoon the soft (white & room-temperature, not transparent and liquid) coconut oil into a small bowl. Stir in the syrup & vanilla. Add the colorant from beet powder, pomegranate juice and or turmeric powder. Mix vigorously with a spoon so that you get a nice pink/apricot colored mixture with no lumps. When the cookies are cool, frost them and top for example with shredded coconut or nonpareils. Place into a fridge so that the glaze hardens.

Vanelja’s Crepes:

Makes about 5 crepes

1 cup oat flour (or rolled oats blended to flour)
5 tbsp potato starch
2 tbsp coconut sugar
tiny pinch of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sparkly water
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Preheat the skillet. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add vanilla, sparkly water and oil. Stir until even. Add a drop of coconut oil to the skillet and pour on some dough so that you get a thin round crepe. Cook until the surface looks dry, flip with a thin spatula and cook the other side. Prepare the rest of the crepes.

Caramel sauce:

6 fresh dates, pitted & peeled
3 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
+ little bit of water

Place the dates, peanut butter and vanilla into a blender and blend until smooth. Add a couple of tablespoons of water so that you get a smooth texture.

Raw Snickers recipe from It's a Pleasure cookbook by Virpi Mikkonen

Vanelja’s Snickers Bars

BASE:

5 tbsp grated raw cacao mass
5 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp local organic honey or coconut syrup or maple syrup

NOUGAT FILLING:

0,5 cup almond flour
5 tbsp peanuts
0,5 cup coconut milk
5 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 fresh dates
0,5 tsp vanilla extract

TOFFEE FILLING:

5 tbsp peanut butter
5 tbsp local organic honey or coconut syrup or maple syrup
¼ cup coconut milk
0,5 tsp vanilla extract
4 fresh dates, pitted

NUT FILLING:

¼ cup slightly ground peanuts
0,25 tsp sea salt

CHOCOLATE ICING:

¼ cup raw cacao mass
2 tbsp smooth nut butter
4 tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil
1 tbsp local organic honey or coconut syrup or maple syrup
0,25 tsp sea salt

Tin size approximately 6 x 8 inches

BASE. Melt the raw cacao mass in a warm water bath. Add the peanut butter and honey. Mix. Pour the mix into a tin greased with coconut oil or covered with parchment paper. Place into the freezer.

NOUGAT FILLING. Grind the peanuts in a blender. Add the almond flour, melted coconut oil, coconut milk, dates and vanilla extract. Mix well. Take the base out of the freezer, and pour the filling on top. Return back into the freezer.

TOFFEE AND NUT FILLINGS. Mix all ingredients in a blender.
Break ¼ cup of peanuts for example with a mortar & add a pinch of salt.
Take the dish out of the freezer and pour the toffee and nut filling on top. Smooth with a spoon. Return to the freezer.

CHOCOLATE ICING. Melt the raw cacao mass in a warm water bath. Add the nut butter, coconut oil and honey. Mix well. Add a pinch of sea salt. Bring the dish out of the freezer and pour the chocolate icing over the toffee filling. Pop back into the freezer for half an hour.

Take the dish out of the freezer. Cut and serve.

Vanelja’s Raw Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Fudge

⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
5 tbsp coconut sugar
5 tbsp coconut syrup
2 tsp gingerbread spice mix
½ cup almond meal
½ cup coconut flour (or rice flour or half & half)
1 tbsp flax meal

Frosting: Raw chocolate, melted

Place the coconut, coconut sugar and coconut syrup into a small pot and on medium/low heat bring to a simmer. Mix well. Pour in the spice mix and take from the stove. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, pour into the pot and mix everything into a smooth batter. Press pieces of the dough into chocolate molds or form tiny balls. Place into the fridge and let thicken overnight or for about 1-2 hour in the freezer. Take the fudges out from the molds and dip them into melted raw chocolate. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Chia Caramel Pudding:

1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
3 fresh dates, pitted
1 cup almond milk or oat milk
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp chia seeds

Place all ingredients, except chia seeds into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl/jar and stir in chia seeds. Let thicken for about 15 minutes or longer.

Blueberry Nice Cream:

2 frozen bananas, cut to pieces
2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk, kept in a fridge
2 tbsp blueberries
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a blender until smooth soft serve. Taste and add some sweetened, for example raw honey, if you like. Serve with chia pudding.

Vanilla Crepes with Berry Coconut Cream filling

Makes about 5 crepes

Crepes:
1 cup oat flour (or rolled oats blended to flour)
5 tbsp potato starch
2 tbsp coconut sugar
tiny pinch of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sparkly water
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Preheat the skillet. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add vanilla, sparkly water and oil. Stir until even. Add a drop of coconut oil on the skillet and pour on some dough so that you get a thin round crepe. Cook until the surface looks dry, flip with a thin spatula and cook the other side. Prepare the rest of the crepes. Set aside & prepare the filling.


Berry Coconut Whipped Cream:

1 can full-fat coconut milk, kept in a fridge
2 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla powder
2 tsp blueberry powder

Open the coconut milk can and scoop out the white thick paste into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and whip with a mixer until fluffy. If the mixture becomes too liquid, place it into a freezer for 10 min.

Filling and toppings:
berry coconut whipped cream
blueberries and blackberries
banana slices
peanut butter
coconut milk powder

Assembly:
Spoon about ¼ cup Berry Coconut Whipped Cream down the center of each crepe. Add a few banana slices and berries, whole or mashed. Roll up. Top with peanut butter, berries and coconut milk powder. Serve and enjoy right away!

GF & Vegan Pancakes with Pastel Pancake Spreads

Pancakes:

Makes about 7 small pancakes

1 ripe banana
½ cup / 1,5 dl oat milk (or for example almond milk)
½ cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Let the dough thicken for about 20 minutes. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Drop about 2 spoonfuls of the batter onto the pan and cook until the surface looks almost dry. That should take about 2 minutes. Flip, and cook until nicely browned on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter. If the pancakes remain too pale, lift the heat up a bit or if they get too brown, lower the heat.


Pastel Pancake Spread:

1 cup cashew nuts, soaked for 1 hour & rinsed
5 tbsp coconut oil, melted
½ cup coconut milk, kept in the fridge
2 tbsp coconut butter / coconut bliss
3-5 tbsp coconut syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
for the color: a tiny dash for example blueberry powder, beet powder, turmeric or blue spirulina

Place all the ingredients, except the colorant into a blender and blend until smooth. If the texture is too thick, add a bit of liquid from the coconut milk can so that you get a smooth spread. Taste and add more sweetness, if desired. Spoon the mixture in a small bowl and mix in the colorant you like, or divide the mixture in different bowls and make many color variations. Place the spread into a fridge so that it thickens a bit before serving.

Vanelja’s Raw Carrot Cake
with California Raisins

Base:
2 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 ½ cups raw walnuts
½ cup California raisins
7 fresh dates, pitted
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ cup almond flour

Frosting:
1 cup cashews, soaked for 1 hour & rinsed)
5 tbsp coconut cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Grind the carrots into popcorn sized pieces in a food processor. Add California raisins, walnuts and dates, vanilla extracts, salt, cinnamon & cardamom and pulse to mix. NOTE! The batter should remain coarse and have a cake-like texture so be careful not to over-blend it until smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in the almond flour. Line a 7-9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and scoop the batter in. Spread and press down evenly.
Add the cashews to a food processor or to a high-speed blender with coconut cream, lemon juice, syrup and vanilla. Blend until silky smooth. The icing should resemble cream cheese. If needed, add a little water. Spread the icing over the cake. Pop the cake in the freezer for 3 hours. Bring back to room temperature and remove from the cake tin. Let thaw for 30 minutes. Decorate and enjoy! Store in the fridge and use within a week.

Gingerbread Sweetpotato Dream Cake

Well here’s a winter treat worth sharing. This creamy raw cake gets its surprising richness from sweet potato and gentle warmth from gingerbread spices. And lemme tell you that it is one heavenly union.

Made in collaboration with Electrolux Explore 7 blender and Asennemedia

As you may may have noticed from my previous blog post where I launched my new ebook Dreamy Season – Wholesome food for Holidays & winter, I’m kinda of a Christmas freak. Like I could actually eat Christmas related food the whole winter season and when it comes to Christmas recipes, my imagination seems to be endless.

One of my favorite nice cream recipes I’ve ever created is a gingerbread nice cream that has sweet potato in it. Homehow those two elements make a perfect match and I’ve been wanting to bring them together in some other dish too.

Gingerbread Sweetpotato Dream CakeElectrolux Explore 7 blender

The idea evolved when I got to test the new Electrolux Explore 7 blender. As the first thing I wanted to try with it was a smoothie. I’m kind of a smoothie nerd and my way to test a blender is to see how smooth it actually makes my smoothie. And I have to say I was kind of surpised. Blenders in this price group usually leave smoothies a bit grainy but this baby blended them smooth as velvet. Really nice job.

The second thing I wanted to test was a raw cake. The batter there is thicker than in a smoothie so it gives new challenges to the blender. Again, very nice, very smooth. One great feature in Explore 7 blender is that it’s designed in a way that though it makes mixtures smooth it doesn’t heat up the ingredients so it keeps everything fresh and the nutrients alive n´ kicking. It isn’t a blender for thick nut butters, raw cake crusts etc, but you can definitely make great soups, smoothies, raw cake batters, grind nuts and even make juice (!) with it. Plus it’s pretteehh.

Oh, and back to my sweet potato gingerbread matching mission. So when I challenged the blender with a raw cake I wanted to make something christmassy. Because of my christmas mania condition, you know. Then I remembered the heavinly union of the gingerbread and sweet potato in my nice cream and the idea was born. Also wanted to make a nut-free raw cake for a change, as people ask me about them constantly.

And it came one fine piece of cake, I have to admit.

Try it yourself to get yourself into Christmas mood and let me know how it resonates! And if the Explore 7 blender resonated, tune into my Instagram as I’m giving away one blender on my today’s IG post. See you there!

V

Vegan & gluten-free gingerbread cookies

Hello love! Check this out – One thing I’m really proud of is that I get such an amazing feedback about my recipes from you guys. I also get a lot of wishes on what kind of recipes you want me to create and share. And I always listen to them very carefully, so that I can serve in the best way possible. 

Upon your wishes, I have now created a luscious collection of wholesome and delish feel-good Christmas recipes, most of them suitable for the whole winter season, not only for the Holidays.

Dreamy Season ebook

My brand new ebook is called Dreamy Season and it contains 62 recipes and 141 pages, all made with love by Yours Truly. In this book I have gathered my all-time favourite winter recipes and treats – the ones I love to pamper myself & my family during the Holidays. I have to say that this has been truly a passion project for me, as I’m a crazy Christmas lady who could eat Christmas-spirited food the whole winter. 

Dreamy Season ebook serves wholesome & delish recipes for breakfasts, dinners, desserts and drinks, all perfect for the Holiday season – or for those moments when you just feel like enjoying some deliciously comforting winter food magic.

How about for example a bowl of Pink Morning Kiss Porridge or Golden Oatmeal, a piece of Christmas Toffee, selection of plant-based Cheeses and some Christmas Wreath Pizza? Or maybe a slice of Tofu Ham, goodies from the Christmas Platter, a piece of Chai Banana Bread or few mouth-watering Gingerbread Fudge or Snickers Moon Balls with a sip of Cloudy Apple Drink? All plant-based, naturally sweetened and gluten-free, all good for your body as well as to your soul and perfect for those comfy winter moments.

You can read more about the book from here and check out also the Dreamy Season menu. Note that this ebook is in English and it has some of the same recipes that can be found from my Finnish cookbook Joulukirja.

Vegan hot chocolate

plant-based tofu ham

What’s in the ebook?

* 62 recipes

* All plant-based

* Gluten free

* Dairy free

* Refined sugar free

* Beautiful colourful images

* Breakfasts, dinners, lunches, drinks, dips/basics, treats

* Simple & easy recipes + some more challenging ones

* Book full of comfort and pleasure

Dreamy Season ebook - Plant-based Christmas platter

How can you use this ebook?

  1. Click the PURCHASE button.
  2. Apply the discount code at the checkout.
  3. Pay for the ebook safely with PayPal of with your credit card.
  4. Wait for your page to redirect you to a page with a downloadable link.
  5. Download the ebook onto your laptop, iPhone or iPad. (NOTE! the download link will be available to you for 24 hrs and then it will expire.)
  6. Open it with your preferred program such as Preview on Mac, Adobe Reader or iBooks
  7. Go and make your Christmas dreamy!

Snickers Bliss Balls

And for the celebration of the launch I’m giving a big discount for you guys. During this week you will get the Dreamy Season only for €5,90 with the code DREAMY. (Normal price is €9,90.) So if feel good Christmas food resonates, apply the code DREAMY here and get your copy.

I really hope you will enjoy the ebook as much as I enjoyed – LOVED – creating it. And when sharing your creations from the book, remember to tag me @vanelja in so that I can see them.

Wishing you the dreamiest season, friend. 

Blueberry Dream Cake - Raw cake by Vanelja

Well hello, babes! Finally it’s happening, updated Vanelja.com has opened its doors and welcomes you to take a tour. Though it took quite some time to get this open, it has been heart-warming to notice how many of you regularly uses the recipes on my site, as I have got tons of messages from people asking when all the material will be returning. So sorry you’ve had to wait for them, but happy to know you’ve missed my treats!

Blueberry Dream Cake by Vanelja

And now when the new site is open I’m also beyond excited to launch my brand new grocery: Blueberry Dream Cake by Vanelja. It is a treat that I absolutely ah-dore and I’m just so super duper happy to start offering my all time favorite raw cake to people. I get asked almost weekly if I do catering or if I take orders for my dream cakes, and now I can finally say YES!

And this one is truly a raw cake of my dreams. If I should pick only one sweet treat to consume for the rest of my life, it would be my Blueberry Dream Cake, most def, no doubt about it. It has such a mouth-watering taste with the pecan based crust with a hint of cardamom and the rich blueberry filling. The texture is creamy and fluffy yet the cake is very fresh because of the white layer with some hints of lemon in it. I honestly start salivating even now when describing it to you, haha. And what’s lovely about this Blueberry Dream Cake is that there is no coconut flavor that pushes through, which I feel is a problem in many raw cakes.

Blueberry Dream Cake - Raw cake by Vanelja

I’ve made my Blueberry Dream Cake in collab with Green Street, a big-hearted Helsinki-based provider for raw cakes and other healthy food. The cake will be out very soon, at 15th of May to be exact, and you’ll be able to buy it from certain retailers, supermarkets and cafés in Helsinki and Stockholm. Gonna list down all the retailers here on my site soon! And if you want to have a whole cake, preordering is open NOW and the first deliveries start 15th of May. If you have some parties coming up this spring and summer, like graduation parties, family get-togethers, brunches for friends etc. you can preorder the cake HERE. It is a great thing to serve for a big bunch of people as it is vegan, gluten free and naturally sweetened, so it fits to most diets and most occasions. I prefer it as a weekend brekkie, as it is perfect for cozy slow mornings.

The decoration of these photos are not included in the cake, but it has a beautiful pattern on the surface (which you can see here) so it can be served as it is, or  you can finish it for example with some blueberries or edible flowers.

Blueberry dream Cake brekkie

At the moment the availability of my Blueberry Dream Cake is limited only to Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, but hopefully we’ll get the cake to wider reach too. Again, gonna be updating the retailers here on my site. And if you have a café and you’d think my Blueberry Dream Cake could match your selection, throw me a message!

But in the meantime, let me know how you like my cake and my new site! There are still some new features on their way + one surprise gift for you coming before the summer, so stay tuned – especially on Vanelja’s Instagram, as that is the place where I holler most often about my moves.

xo

V

Matcha Smoothie Bowl by Vanelja

Matcha Smoothie Bowls Vanelja

So Matcha Beauty Bowl

1 ½ frozen banana
½ cup steamed, peeled and frozen zucchini, cut to pieces
½ cup cashew nuts, soaked for 1 hour and rinsed
2 brazil nuts
2 heaping tbsp full fat coconut milk, the white paste
1 tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp vanilla powder
1 tbsp collagen powder (skip, if vegan)
1 tbsp tocotrienols
1 cup unsweetened oat yogurt (or unsweetened coconut yogurt or almond yogurt) +tbsp matcha powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender, except the matcha. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add some yogurt or plant-based milk if the mixture is too thick. Pour half of the mixture into a bowl. Mix the matcha with the remaining mixture. Fill a serving bowl with the green and white mixture, garnish the smoothie bowl with coconut flakes, edible flowers, apple coins and sesame seeds.

Healthy Christmas Cake by Vanelja

Hello friends! I thought I’d share this oh-so delicious and christmassy Gingerbread Coconut Bundt Cake recipe that got popular on my Instagram also here on my site, so that many of you’d find it.

Gingerbread Coconut Bundt Cake - vegan, gluten free and naturally sweetened.

I created this vegan & gluten-free cake with warm notes of gingerbread and juicy chuncks of dates originally for Risenta and have been preparing it several times already, as it is just sooo good and rich and delish. I try not to think about it too much now so that the cravings won’t hit me again or else I’ll find myself baking it again and eating it tomorrow the whole day…

But you go and make this! And let me know how you liked it!

Enjoy & Have a cozy Christmas!

V

Healthy Christmas Cake by Vanelja

Healthy Christmas Cake by Vanelja

(vegan, gluten free, naturally sweetened)

Cake:

5 tbsp ground flaxseed
½ cup water
1 ½ cup Risenta almond meal
1 cup Risenta rice flour
⅓ cup coconut sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
2 tsp gingerbread spice mix
½ tsp cardamom
tiny pinch of sea salt
1 can (400 ml) full fat coconut milk
½ cup coconut oil, melted
5 fresh dates, pitted
5 tbsp coconut syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
+ 5 fresh dates, pitted and cut to small pieces

Frosting:

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter or white tahini
1 tbsp coconut syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

On top:

Coconut flakes
hazelnuts

Cake mold:

0.4-0.5 gallons (1,5 – 1,8 liters)

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (175 Celsius) degrees. Grease the bundt cake mold with coconut oil. Mix the ground flax and water in a small bowl and leave to thicken. In the meantime prepare the cake dough.

Mix the dry ingredients in a big bowl. Place coconut milk, coconut oil, 5 dates, coconut syrup and vanilla into a blender and blend until smooth. Mix with dry ingredients. Add also the flax mixture you made and mix well. Stir in the date cubes. Pour the dough into the cake mold. Bake for 55-60 minutes. The cake is ready when a toothpick comes out clean. Take out of the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes and remove from the mold. Let the cake cool down totally. Frost and serve! The cake is at its best after one night in the fridge.

Frosting:

Mix the coconut oil, nut butter and vanilla in a small bowl. If the mixture goes too runny, keep it in the fridge for about 15 minutes, mixing it couple of times. Frost the cake and decorate with coconut flakes and nuts.

More recipes on Vanelja’s Instagram!