14 Vegan Desserts So Rich and Creamy Nobody Will Guess There Is No Butter or Eggs

Maybe you have a vegan friend coming for the holidays, a family member with a dairy or egg allergy, or you just want to eat more plants. Good news: vegan desserts have come a long way. With a few clever swaps like coconut cream, flax eggs, cashews, dates and good dark chocolate, you can make treats that are rich, fudgy and creamy. Most people will never notice what is missing. Tip: always check labels on chocolate and sugar if you are baking for someone strictly vegan. Let us get baking..

Chocolate Avocado Mousse Tart, Showstopping Vegan Desserts

This tart is proof that vegan desserts can be the star of the table. The filling is made from ripe avocados, melted dark chocolate and maple syrup, blended until silky smooth. You cannot taste the avocado, only deep chocolate. The crust is just dates and nuts pressed into a pan, no baking needed. Top it with berries and coconut flakes and watch it disappear. Would you tell your guests the secret ingredient?

You will need: Crust of 1 1/2 cups walnuts or almonds, 1 cup pitted dates and a pinch of salt. Filling of 3 ripe avocados, 6 oz melted dairy free dark chocolate, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 tsp vanilla. Berries and coconut flakes.

How to make it: 1. Blend nuts, dates and salt and press into a tart pan. 2. Blend avocados, chocolate, maple syrup, cocoa and vanilla until very smooth. 3. Spread over the crust. 4. Chill at least 4 hours. 5. Top with berries and coconut before serving.

One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake

This is the cake that wins over every skeptic. It is a classic depression era style cake made with no eggs, butter or milk, just oil, vinegar and baking soda for lift. The result is moist, fluffy and deeply chocolatey. Mix it in one bowl, bake it, and cover it with a simple dairy free fudge frosting. Would you believe it is one of the easiest vegan desserts there is?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup water or coffee, 1/3 cup oil, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp vanilla, dairy free frosting.

How to make it: 1. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl. 2. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla and stir until smooth. 3. Pour into a greased 8 inch pan. 4. Bake at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes. 5. Cool and frost.

Fudgy Vegan Brownies

The secret to fudgy vegan brownies is melted dark chocolate and a little aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas, which helps create that shiny crackly top. They are dense, rich and chewy, exactly what a brownie should be. Add walnuts if you like crunch. Corner piece or middle piece? This debate has broken up friendships.

You will need: 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 4 oz dairy free dark chocolate melted, 1/2 cup oil, 1/3 cup aquafaba, 1 tsp vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Whisk sugar, aquafaba, oil, vanilla and melted chocolate. 2. Add flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. 3. Spread in a lined 8 inch pan. 4. Bake at 350F for 25 to 28 minutes. 5. Cool completely before cutting.

No Bake Cashew Cheesecake, Creamy Vegan Desserts

Soaked cashews blend into a thick, silky cream that tastes amazingly like cheesecake, especially with lemon juice and a little coconut oil. This version gets a pistachio topping, but you can flavor it with berries, matcha or chocolate. It sets in the freezer, so there is no oven involved. Creamy vegan desserts like this are also lovely for warm climates or summer parties.

You will need: Crust of 1 cup almonds and 1 cup dates. Filling of 2 cups cashews soaked 4 hours, 1/3 cup coconut oil melted, 1/3 cup maple syrup, juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tsp vanilla. Pistachios.

How to make it: 1. Blend the crust and press into a springform pan. 2. Drain the cashews and blend with the other filling items until silky. 3. Pour over the crust. 4. Freeze 4 hours or until firm. 5. Thaw 20 minutes, top with pistachios and slice.

Chewy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Can you make a classic chocolate chip cookie without butter or eggs? Absolutely. Vegan butter or coconut oil plus a flax egg gives these cookies crisp edges and soft, chewy centers. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes makes them even better. Bake a few at a time and keep the rest of the dough in the freezer. Be honest: do you prefer crispy or chewy cookies?

You will need: 1/2 cup vegan butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax plus 3 tbsp water), 1 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Beat vegan butter and sugars. 2. Add flax egg and vanilla. 3. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt, then the chips. 4. Chill 30 minutes and scoop onto trays. 5. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Coconut Panna Cotta

Traditional panna cotta uses cream and gelatin, but coconut milk and agar agar make a version that is just as silky. Agar is a plant based gelling powder from seaweed, and it sets quickly even at room temperature. Serve it in glasses or turn it out onto plates with mango puree, passion fruit or berries. Which topping would you choose: A, mango, B, berries, C, passion fruit, or D, chocolate sauce?

You will need: 2 cans full fat coconut milk, 1/3 cup sugar or maple syrup, 1 tsp agar agar powder, 1 tsp vanilla, fruit to serve.

How to make it: 1. Whisk coconut milk, sugar and agar in a pot. 2. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes, whisking. 3. Stir in vanilla. 4. Pour into glasses or molds. 5. Chill 2 hours and serve with fruit.

Coconut Macaroons, Simple Vegan Desserts

Classic macaroons use egg whites, but aquafaba works like magic here. Whipped chickpea liquid binds shredded coconut into golden, chewy mounds that are crisp outside and soft inside. Dip the bottoms in dark chocolate if you want to be fancy. They are naturally gluten free too, so they are great for mixed crowds. Simple vegan desserts like these are perfect for holiday cookie trays.

You will need: 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut, 1/2 cup aquafaba, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, 3 oz dairy free dark chocolate for dipping.

How to make it: 1. Whip the aquafaba until foamy and soft peaks form. 2. Fold in sugar, vanilla, salt and coconut. 3. Scoop mounds onto lined trays. 4. Bake at 325F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. 5. Cool and dip bottoms in melted chocolate.

Sticky Date Cake

Dates bring natural caramel flavor and keep this cake incredibly moist. Soak chopped dates in hot water with baking soda, mash them into the batter, and bake. Then pour over a quick vegan toffee sauce made with coconut cream and brown sugar. It is a dairy free spin on British sticky toffee pudding and it is perfect for a cold night. Warm or cold, which way would you eat it?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups chopped dates, 1 cup boiling water, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/3 cup oil, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1 flax egg, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder. Sauce of 1 cup coconut cream and 3/4 cup brown sugar.

How to make it: 1. Soak dates in boiling water with baking soda for 10 minutes and mash. 2. Mix in oil, sugar and flax egg. 3. Fold in flour and baking powder. 4. Bake in a greased pan at 350F for 35 minutes. 5. Simmer the sauce ingredients 5 minutes and pour over the warm cake.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups, Dairy Free Vegan Desserts

Homemade peanut butter cups taste even better than store bought, and they are easy to make vegan. Melt good dark chocolate, spoon a little into mini liners, add a disc of sweet peanut butter filling, then cover with more chocolate. Sprinkle with flaky salt. They keep in the fridge for weeks, if you can hide them well enough. Dairy free vegan desserts like this make great gifts.

You will need: 10 oz dairy free dark chocolate, 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tbsp maple syrup, pinch of salt, flaky salt.

How to make it: 1. Melt the chocolate. 2. Spoon a thin layer into 12 mini cupcake liners and chill 10 minutes. 3. Mix peanut butter, sugar, maple and salt and add a small disc to each cup. 4. Cover with more chocolate. 5. Add flaky salt and chill until firm.

Strawberry Nice Cream

Nice cream is the easiest frozen dessert you can make. Frozen fruit is blended until thick and creamy, like soft serve, with no ice cream maker needed. Frozen strawberries with a splash of oat milk and a little maple syrup make a pretty pink scoop. It is light, fruity and great for kids. What flavor would you try next: A, mango, B, cherry chocolate, C, peach, or D, mixed berry?

You will need: 3 cups frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup oat milk or coconut milk, 1 to 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1/2 tsp vanilla, mint to serve.

How to make it: 1. Let the berries sit 5 minutes to soften slightly. 2. Add everything to a food processor. 3. Blend, scraping down often, until thick and smooth. 4. Serve right away as soft serve. 5. Or freeze 1 hour for firm scoops.

Fresh Fruit Sorbet

Sorbet has always been dairy free, so it is a natural fit for vegan desserts. Ripe fruit, sugar syrup and a squeeze of lemon are all you need. Mango, raspberry and lemon are classic flavors. If you do not have an ice cream maker, freeze the mix in a pan and scrape it with a fork every 30 minutes for a granita style treat. It is a refreshing end to a rich holiday meal.

You will need: 4 cups chopped ripe mango or berries, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, juice of 1 lemon, pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Simmer sugar and water until dissolved and cool. 2. Blend fruit with the syrup, lemon and salt. 3. Strain if using berries with seeds. 4. Churn in an ice cream maker or freeze in a pan, scraping every 30 minutes. 5. Freeze until scoopable.

Chewy Oat Bars

Chewy oat bars are a great snack and a gentle dessert. Oats, nut butter and maple syrup hold together seeds and dried cranberries for bars that are sweet but wholesome. Oats bring fiber, and nuts and seeds bring some plant protein. Wrap them for lunchboxes or after school snacks. Looking for more lighter treats? See our low sugar desserts.

You will need: 2 cups rolled oats, 1/2 cup peanut or almond butter, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp coconut oil, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Warm nut butter, maple and coconut oil until smooth. 2. Stir in oats, cranberries, seeds, cinnamon and salt. 3. Press firmly into a lined 8 inch pan. 4. Bake at 350F for 15 to 18 minutes or chill for no bake bars. 5. Cool completely and cut.

Date Energy Bites

These little bites taste like cookie dough, but they are made from dates, oats, nut butter and a few chocolate chips. No baking, no mixer, just a food processor and 10 minutes. Keep a jar in the fridge for when the 3pm sweet craving hits. Roll them in coconut, cocoa or chopped nuts. How many would you make: A, a small batch, or B, a double batch?

You will need: 1 cup pitted dates, 1 cup oats, 1/3 cup nut butter, 2 tbsp cocoa or ground flax, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, 1/4 cup dairy free mini chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Pulse dates in a food processor until sticky. 2. Add oats, nut butter, cocoa, vanilla and salt and pulse to combine. 3. Stir in chocolate chips. 4. Roll into balls. 5. Roll in coconut and chill 30 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bark, Easy Vegan Desserts

Chocolate bark is one of the most beautiful and easy vegan desserts for the holidays. Melt good dairy free dark chocolate, spread it thin or drop it in rounds, then press on dried cranberries, apricots, pistachios and a pinch of sea salt. It sets in 30 minutes. Pack it in clear bags with a ribbon and you have a lovely homemade gift.

You will need: 12 oz dairy free dark chocolate, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots, 1/3 cup pistachios or almonds, flaky sea salt.

How to make it: 1. Melt the chocolate gently in short bursts. 2. Spread on a parchment lined tray or drop into rounds. 3. Press on the fruit and nuts. 4. Sprinkle with flaky salt. 5. Chill 30 minutes and break into pieces.