5 Mouthwatering Vegan Dessert Recipes for Chocoholics

Photo by Brittany Berlin/Baked with Love

Looking for chocolate dessert recipes? You've come to the right place. We spoke to Brittany Berlin, a vegan food blogger and the author of Baked with Love: Over 100 Allergy-Friendly Vegan Desserts, who provided five scrumptious dessert recipes perfect for chocolate-lovers. The best part: these sweet treats are proof that you don't need animal products to indulge in chocolate heaven––as these desserts don't contain eggs or dairy.

Yes, you heard us right. Each dessert is packed with plant-powered goodness and can even be made gluten-free with a GF flour. Whether you are an amateur baker or a professional chef, these goodies are quick and easy to prepare as a snack, dessert, even breakfast––you name it. Here are five mouthwatering recipes that'll be sure to satisfy any chocoholic's sweet tooth.

1. Flourless Chickpea Brownies

Photo by Brittany Berlin/Baked with Love

This recipe makes 12 brownies.

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup coconut oil, softened
• ¾ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup raw cacao powder
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon finely ground sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 by 6-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas and coconut oil until smooth and creamy, almost like hummus. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it to the edges. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

4. Allow the brownies to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

2. Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo by Brittany Berlin/Baked with Love

This recipe makes 20 cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour or all-purpose flour
• ½ cup raw cacao powder
• ¼ teaspoon finely ground sea salt
• ¾ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup coconut oil, softened
• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened dairy-free milk (if needed)
• ⅔ cup vegan dark chocolate chips (55% to 70% cacao)

Directions

1. Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet (at least 17 by 14 inches) with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can bake the cookies in batches using 2 medium baking sheets.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cacao powder, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the coconut sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, and espresso powder, if using, until creamy.

4. Gradually stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture; continue stirring until the mixtures are well combined and you should have a thick and sticky dough. Add the dairy-free milk if needed to help the dough form. Then fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Use a 1––1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop to form the dough into 20 balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. (If you don’t have a medium cookie scoop, scoop up heaping tablespoons of the dough and form the portions of dough into balls between your hands.)

6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges appear set and the cookies have spread slightly.

7. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

3. Molten Lava Cakes

Photo by Brittany Berlin/Baked with Love

This recipe makes 4 small cakes.

Ingredients

• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon vegan butter or coconut oil, divided
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cassava flour, divided
• ⅔ cup plus ½ scant cup unsweetened chocolate chips (100% cacao), divided
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• Coconut whipped cream, store-bought for topping (optional)
• Fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter and use it to grease four 5.4-ounce ramekins, then dust the ramekins with 1 tablespoon of cassava flour.

2. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the remaining ½ cup of vegan butter until melted and hot to the touch. Add ⅔ cup of the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the applesauce and coconut sugar until well combined.

4. Pour in the melted vegan butter and chocolate mixture and fold it into the applesauce mixture.

5. Add the remaining ½ cup of cassava flour and mix until there are no clumps.

6. Fill each ramekin three-quarters of the way full with batter. (There will be batter remaining in the bowl.) Add 1 heaping tablespoon of chocolate chips to the middle of each ramekin.

7. Top with the remaining batter. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the middle just begins to set.

8. Remove from the oven and let cool and set for 10 minutes.

9. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes (use oven mitts if the ramekins are hot) and flip over gently onto serving plates.

10. Serve warm, topped with the coconut whipped cream and raspberries, if desired.

4. Brownie Cheesecake

Photo by Brittany Berlin/Baked with Love

This recipe makes one 8-inch cheesecake.

Ingredients

Chocolate Oat Crust

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 cup pitted medjool dates, soaked in water for 2 hours and drained
• ⅓ cup gluten-free oat milk or water

Brownie Filling

• 16 ounces raw cashews, soaked in water for 2 to 3 hours and drained
• 1 cup plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ⅓ cup arrowroot powder
• 5 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (100% cacao), chopped (about ½ cup)
• ½ cup raw cacao powder

Directions

To make the crust:

1. Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, pulse the oats and cacao powder to almost a fine powder.

3. Add the soaked dates and oat milk or water and blend until you have a thick and sticky dough, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Press the dough into the bottom and about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the prepared springform pan. Place the pan in the freezer to chill while you prepare the chocolate brownie filling.

To make the filling:

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

6. In a food processor, blend the cashews until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the yogurt, maple syrup, and arrowroot powder and blend until smooth. There should be no visible pieces of cashew.

7. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or on the stovetop.

8. Pour the melted chocolate and cacao powder into the food processor. Blend until fully incorporated or, for a swirled effect as shown in the photo, pulse 2 or 3 times, just until the chocolate begins to be mixed into the cashew base.

9. Remove the springform pan from the freezer and pour the filling into the pan.

10. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set around the edges but not at the very center. (The center of the cake will appear slightly glossy, while the edges will be set when the cake is ready to come out of the oven.)

11. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool on the countertop for 15 minutes, then place it in the freezer to chill for 2 hours.

12. When ready to serve, allow the cheesecake to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan and carefully place the cake on a plate to serve. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to a month.

5. Double Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Photo by Brittany Berlin/Baked with Love

This recipe makes one 9 by 5-inch loaf –– about 16 slices.

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups mashed bananas (4 to 5 large ripe bananas)
• 2 Flaxseed Eggs
• ⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats, ground into a rustic flour
• ½ cup cassava flour
• ½ cup raw cacao powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon finely ground sea salt
• ½ cup vegan dark chocolate chips (55% to 70% cacao)

For the top (optional):

• 1 ripe banana, sliced in half lengthwise
• ½ cup vegan dark chocolate chips (55% to 70% cacao)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some paper overhanging the sides for easy removal.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the mashed bananas with the flaxseed eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined.

3. Sift the oat flour, cassava flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Add any larger bits of oats caught in the sifter to the bowl and whisk to combine.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until there are no clumps of flour.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the sliced banana and 1⁄2 cup of chocolate chips, if desired. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the bread from the pan. Slice and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.