Friday 24 October 2014

I'm not Vegan, but I'll eat it anyway

There are so many different diets out there these days. Paleo, Vegan, clean eating, vegetarian ect ect. I don't like sticking to one particular diet or cutting out a food group. Food is for enjoying, but always in moderation.


So all of this clean eating hype, has led me to experiment with Vegan food.
I have been trying to cut back on dairy in everyday eating...except for in my 3/4 latte!!
So I decided to make clean/vegan carrot cake muffins...with vegan cream cheese frosting!!! Yes, Vegan!

Carrot, banana, pineapple, apple, chia, almond meal, coconut oil, coconut sugar. Nothing but goodness! And without any milk, butter or eggs, you can still achieve a moist  delicious cake.


There are so many ingredients you can use to substitute butter, milk & eggs. Banana for oil/butter, 1tbs ground chia seeds + 3tbs water for an egg, crushed pineapple or stewed apple for oil/butter/sweetener, soaked dates/agave syrup for sweetening. Start experimenting!

And the vegan cream cheese! Wow! It tastes just like cream cheese! But I ended up adding some vanilla & coconut sugar to make it a cream cheese frosting for my muffins.

*note: this frosting has chia seeds added & the almonds had been re-ground after this pic.

Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
1 Banana mushed
1 Carrot grated
2 tbsp Coconut oil
1/3 cup Coconut sugar
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, pulsed
1 apple stewed & pulsed
1 chia egg (1tbs ground chia seeds + 3tbs water)
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup polenta (or use almond meal/coconut flour)
2tsp gluten free baking powder
Optional:
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup raisins/sultanas 

Pregheat over to 180degC. Mix & mash all wet ingredients together. Stir in dry ingredients.
Coat muffin tins with coconut oil & spoon in mixture.
Place in oven for 18mins.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting 
Vegan Cream Cheese
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar 
1 tsp lemon juice
Additional for Frosting
2 tbsp Coconut sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
1/2 tbsp grated lemon rind
2 tbsp Coconut oil

Soak almonds in water for 8 hours - no less. Drain & blanch almonds in boiling water. Remove skin from almonds. The skins will just pinch off.
Add all ingredients (only top ingredients if you just want to make cream cheese) to blender/vitamiser & buzz till smooth. If your having trouble getting it to smoothen out, gradually add tsp of water if needed.
Spread on your Vegan Carrot cake muffins & Enjoy!!!


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