Spanish-style almonds flavoured with olive oil, smoked paprika and garlic. A quick recipe to prepare ready for snacking on.
Almendras Fritas is a traditional Spanish tapa. The almonds are usually fried, but instead I’ve roasted mine and once lightly toasted and still hot from the oven, I’ve mixed the almonds with olive oil, garlic and paprika seasoning, and flaky sea salt.
In Spain, you’ll typically find fried almonds (only seasoned with salt) on the side in bars, ready to devour with a beer or glass of wine.
They also make a fabulous, healthy snack to munch on. They’re perfect for all occasions, whether it be for a mid-morning/midday snack to re-engerise yourself with, or served up at a party alongside other tasty nibbles.
Last summer, I went on a holiday to beautiful Nerja in Andalusia. It was on that trip that I discovered the Spaniards’ love of savoury and sweet nuts.
Walking around most cities or towns, there are many stalls selling warm almonds. We also found a shop that sold caramelised nuts. They took anything from almonds, to cashew nuts, to sunflower seeds and coated these nuts and seeds in caramel – some with salt added too.
I brought back a few packs to eat at home, but this is something I’ve wanted to recreate for the blog since my holiday.
But first, I chose to make a savoury version of roasted nuts.
I intended to share this recipe before Christmas/New Year and wanted to post it alongside these Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels. In the end, time got the better of me, but I made sure this recipe went straight to the top of my 2023 recipe planner.
Spanish-style roasted almonds, flavoured with smoked paprika and garlic.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 15 minutesminutes
Servings 6
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
300graw almonds
1teaspoongarlic granules
1teaspoonsmoked paprika
1/2teaspoonsaltI use sea salt, but table salt is fine too
1tablespoonolive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
Evenly spread the almonds out on a large baking tray. Toast the almonds for 5-8 minutes until slightly darkened in colour - watch them carefully as the nuts toast very quickly.
While the almonds are toasting, prepare the spice mix. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic granules, smoked paprika and the salt.
When the almonds are ready, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and the spice mix and toss to combine.
Serve the almonds warm or at room temperature. The almonds will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
The recipe makes enough almonds to generously fill a medium sized serving dish and will roughly serve about 6 people.
Deliciously crunchy and each almond has a tasty coating of smoky paprika and garlic.
You’ll find these addictive and will be eating them constantly by the handful…
Roasted potatoes in a sriracha glaze – the potatoes are soft on the inside, crisp on the outside with a spicy sticky glaze.
This recipe is inspired by So Vegan, I saw a blog post/recipe video of these potatoes being made and instantly saved the recipe to try myself.
Asian food is always super flavourful and this sriracha glaze is sweet, sticky and adds a delicious spicy kick of heat to each mouthful.
Slice your potatoes and place in a large baking tray. Drizzle over a tablespoon of oil and season with a smallish pinch of salt before roasting for 30-35 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and have turned golden in colour.
When the potatoes are a few minutes away from being ready, start preparing your glaze.
Take all the glaze ingredients, whisk together in a bowl, then pop in a saucepan and then heat for a few minutes until thickened. Toss the potatoes in the glaze and mix together in the pan until the sauce is coating the potatoes.
Serve right away with a sesame seed and chive or spring onion garnish.
Roasted potatoes in a sriracha glaze - the potatoes are soft on the inside, crisp on the outside with a spicy sticky glaze.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Total Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
800gbaby potatoesquartered
1tablespoonvegetable oil
Salt
Sriracha Glaze:
3tablespoonsagave nectar, honey or maple syrup
1teaspoonsesame oil
2tablespoonssoy sauceI use dark soy sauce
1 and 1/2tablespoonssrirachaadjust to taste
3cloves of garlicfinely chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Place the potatoes on a large baking tray. Drizzle with the oil and season with a generous sprinkle of salt. Roast the potatoes for 30-35 minutes until soft and they're lightly golden in colour.
When the potatoes are nearly ready, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the agave nectar/honey or maple syrup with soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha and the chopped garlic.
Heat the glaze in a large saucepan (I recommend a deep frying pan/wok to do this) and allow the glaze to gently bubble for 2-3 minutes, or until it's thickened slightly. Add the roasted potatoes to the pan and mix to coat the potatoes in the glaze. Serve garnished with sesame seeds and chives/spring onion.
Red lentil curry is a quick and cheap homemade vegan meal. Packed with the perfect balance of spice and sweetness, this curry makes a filling lunch or dinner served with fragrant, golden pilau rice.
I’m serving you up not just one recipe, but two with my Red Lentil Curry and Pilau Rice recipes.
I absolutely love Indian food. My friend, Niketa, is from India and, as you’d guess, she makes the most incredible, traditional Indian food. On my visits to her house, she’s cooked me homemade samosas and fried pea kachori, lots of amazing curries and also vegan biryani.
Her food has a beautiful blend of spices and tastes out of this world!
When Niketa isn’t making me her tasty Indian recipes, we love to get into the kitchen and create some of our Indian favourites at home.
We make this Chickpea Tikka Masala recipe very often. Now I’ve turned my attention to perfecting a red lentil curry/dahl. You can’t beat a good curry, whether it be for a quick weekday dinner or a homemade takeaway-style meal at the weekend.
Lentils are a fantastic source of protein for anyone following a vegan lifestyle. I always have a big pack of lentils in my kitchen cupboard and there’s numerous ways to incorporate them into recipes. I make many vegan dishes using red lentils, including pastistio (an amazing Greek pasta bake), vegan bolognese and curries.
Vegan food certainly isn’t boring or repetitive, it’s every bit as tasty and exciting! Lots of vegan recipes are also super affordable and make filling and satisfying meals you’ll want to make again and again.
This lentil curry goes with many different sides. Bombay potatoes, onion bhaji, samosas and rice. We often eat this curry with basmati rice, but make it extra special and serve with pilau rice.
Pilau rice is rice that’s flavoured with bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and turmeric. The last ingredient gives the rice its glorious golden colour. I braise my rice in the oven. This is the method I was taught at culinary school and I’ve stuck to preparing it that way ever since.
Serve the curry with Bombay potatoes, poppadoms or naan bread. I make my homemade naan bread using this recipe
This curry tastes amazing on the day you make it, but if you do happen to have any leftovers, taste the curry the next day – it’s even better!
The amount of times, I’ve made a bigger batch and we’ve had leftovers, all I need is a bit of bread to tear and scoop this curry up with! We’ve even been known to eat this straight from the fridge and spread it in a sandwich!
Serve the curry hot or cold, sprinkle with extra nigella seeds or some chilli or coriander.
Red lentil curry is a quick and cheap homemade vegan meal. Packed with the perfect balance of spice and sweetness, this curry makes a filling lunch or dinner served with fragrant, golden pilau rice.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
Red Lentil Curry:
200g(1 cup) dried red lentilswashed and drained
1vegetable stock cube or pot
2tablespoonscoconut or vegetable oil
1medium brown or red oniondiced
4cloves of garlicfinely chopped
1tablespoonchopped gingerI use frozen ginger for ease
Salt and pepperto taste
3teaspoonscurry powderI use medium curry powder
1 and 1/2teaspoonsgaram masala
1teaspoonground turmeric
1/2teaspooncumin (ground or seeds)
1/2teaspoonground coriander
Pinch of cayenne pepperoptional
3tablespoons tomato purée
400ml can coconut milkI use full-fat
1tablespoonmango chutney
2 very generous pinches of nigella seeds (roughly one teaspoon)optional
Pilau Rice:
2tablespoonsvegetable oil
5cardamom pods
5whole cloves
2-3bay leavestear to release even more flavour
1cinnamon stick
1teaspoonground turmeric
1/2teaspooncumin seeds
300glong grain rice
600mlboiling water
Salt and pepperto taste
1tablespoonbaking block or dairy-free spread optional
Instructions
To Make The Red Lentil Curry:
Take the rinsed lentils and add them to a medium saucepan. Add the vegetable stock cube/pot and cover the lentils with boiling water - add enough to just cover and go above the lentils by about 1 cm. Bring up to the boil, cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down to low and gently simmer the lentils for 10 minutes. When the water is absorbed, take the lentils off the heat.
Meanwhile, as the lentils cook, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger along with salt and pepper for 5 minutes until softened and starting to brown.
Add the spices to the pan and toast for a minute until fragrant. Now add the tomato purée and cook for a further minute. Add the coconut milk, mango chutney and nigella seeds (if using), stir to combine, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes.
Now add the lentils to the pan and stir the lentils into the curry sauce. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the pilau rice or your choice of sides.
To Make The Pilau Rice:
Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Heat the oil in a large (oven safe) saucepan on a medium heat. Add the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, turmeric and cumin seeds. Gently cook, just toast lightly stirring constantly for a minute until fragrant - be really careful not to overheat the spices.
Now add the rice and toast for another minute and coat thoroughly in the spices. Season with salt and pepper, then cover with the boiling water. Stir the rice, with a fork, turn the heat up to high and leave on the heat until the rice comes up to the boil. Once boiling, cover the pan with a lid and braise in the oven for 20 minutes.
Once the rice is ready, remove from the oven and if desired, discard the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and the cinnamon stick. Using a fork, finish the rice by mixing in the tablespoon of dairy-free spread or baking block. Leave the rice on the side with the lid on for 5 minutes to allow the spices to infuse, then serve alongside the curry.
The curry and rice will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Homemade sausage rolls made with vegan sausages, herbs and black pepper incased in flaky puff pastry. This easy sausage roll recipe is perfect to pack up for lunch, picnics and all kinds of gatherings.
Sausage rolls are something I’ve loved since childhood. They’re available in most bakeries and supermarkets, I used to make a lot of sausage rolls when I worked as tea room baker and nowadays in my current job role these feature on the menu rotation.
Making your own couldn’t be easier or quicker. I cheat and use ready rolled puff pastry, which saves a job rolling out a block of puff pastry.
Most supermarket puff pastry is vegan, but always check the label.
Lots of vegan sausage roll recipes use a mix of beans, vegetables or nuts to make the filling. I like to keep the recipe as easy and traditional as possible by using vegan sausages. I take a pack (8 in total) of my favourite vegan sausages, remove the outer skin layer and mash the sausage ‘meat’ with a heaped teaspoon of dried sage and lots of black pepper.
You can add whatever flavourings/spices you desire. Swap the dried sage for rosemary, oregano or leave it out entirely. I sometimes use fresh herbs from our garden. Also, if you want, then why not add a spoonful or two of caramelised onion or tomato chutney? I’ve linked my favourite onion chutney further down in this blog post…
Making these sausage rolls is pretty straight forward. Take your pastry and divide it up into 3 long slices. Evenly spread the sausage mixture down the centre of each piece of pastry and press together to form an even roll of sausage meat. Lightly brush a little water down either side of the pastry and roll the pastry up and seal the edges together.
Wrap the pastry rolls up and chill for about half an hour – this is optional but it makes slicing the sausage rolls neatly a lot easier. You can slice and bake the sausage rolls straight away if you’re pushed for time.
Trim the edges and then slice each roll in half, then each half in half again – you’ll have 4 sausage rolls and once you’ve sliced up the other two, you’ll have 12 sausage rolls in total. You can make mini sausage rolls too, if you prefer – just slice each roll in half, then each half into 3 and you’ll have 18 mini sausage rolls.
A plate of these sausage rolls goes down brilliantly at parties. My grandad was the biggest fan of sausage rolls and also homemade bacon and cheese pastry turnovers. I know he would’ve loved these and happily eaten his way through a plate of these!
Food evokes memories and this recipe certainly reminds me of good times spent enjoying food with my family.
I’ve baked these sausage rolls countless times, we serve them with lots of different condiments: recently I served these with salad and some chutney, my Caramelised Onion Chutney is a reader favourite and definitely worth making to go alongside these.
These never last long in our house, we took them to an afternoon tea recently and we came home with an empty container. That’s proof of just how good these sausage rolls taste as they impressed the non-vegans too!
Homemade sausage rolls made with vegan sausages, herbs and black pepper incased in flaky puff pastry. This easy sausage roll recipe is perfect to pack up for lunch, summer picnics and all kinds of gatherings.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
320-375gpack ready rolled puff pastrycheck the label to see if it's vegan
8vegan sausages (I use a 336g pack of Richmond Meat Free)
1teaspoondried sageuse your favourite herbs
Black pepperadd a generous amount
1-2tablespoonsplant milk for brushing
A couple of drops of soy sauce (this helps give the sausage rolls a golden colour when baked)optional
Nigella seeds, sesame seeds or poppyseed'soptional
Instructions
Take your puff pastry from the fridge and unroll on a chopping board. Leave the pastry a few minutes to warm up, whilst you prepare the sausage filling.
Remove the skins from each sausage and place the sausage meat in a small mixing bowl. Add your herbs and seasoning (I use dried sage and black pepper) and mash together to combine.
Split the puff pastry into thirds lengthways and equally distribute the sausage filling down the centre of each piece of pastry.
Brush each pastry edge with water and then roll the pastry up to cover the sausage meat filling completely and seal the edges. Cover the sausage rolls with cling film and chill in the fridge or place in the freezer for 30 minutes - this is optional, but it makes cutting them up easier.
Using a sharp knife (I find a serrated knife best for this), trim the edges and then slice each roll into four equal pieces (if you want to make 12 sausage rolls in total) or slice each roll into 6 pieces for mini sausage rolls (you'll have 18 mini sausage rolls in total).
Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Evenly spread the sausage rolls out on the baking tray. Mix the plant milk with a couple of drops of soy sauce and generously brush each sausage roll.
At this point, sprinkle the tops of each sausage roll with either nigella, sesame or poppyseed's (optional but it looks and tastes great). We love ours with nigella seeds because it works really well paired with the sage.
Bake the sausage rolls for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Leave to cool for a few minutes then serve. The sausage rolls taste amazing when served warm or cold.
Take the classic lemon drizzle cake to the next level by adding pistachio. This vegan cake is soft, fluffy and a taste of spring.
Spring has arrived, well maybe not in the UK at the moment as we’ve been experiencing a mixed bag of weather after having beautiful weather last month.
The dismal weather tends to make me crave all things spring and summer even more.
A few weeks ago, I fancied baking a lemon cake. I thought about sharing a vegan lemon drizzle cake, but I wanted something slightly different. I’ve always loved adding nuts to cake, before going vegan, this Greek-style Honey Walnut Cake was one of our favourites.
This Pistachio Lemon Drizzle Cake is a fabulous recipe from So Vegan. The recipe was straight forward to follow and the finished bake was everything I’d hoped it would be.
Fluffy, packed with gorgeous lemon flavour and with a nuttiness coming through from the pistachio.
We devoured this cake in record time. It barely lasted two days and there were only four of us in the house! We kept going back for slice after slice…
With Easter this week, this cake will be a delicious addition to your Easter menu served with fresh berries of your choice.
Take the classic lemon drizzle cake to the next level by adding pistachio. This vegan cake is soft, fluffy and a taste of spring.
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
Pistachio Lemon Cake:
80gshelled pistachiosplus extra for decoration
200gplain flour
1 and 1/2teaspoonsbaking powder
3/4teaspoonbicarbonate of soda
150gcaster sugar
1lemonzested and juiced
80mlmelted baking block/dairy-free spread or vegetable oil
200mlplant milkI use oat
Lemon Syrup:
1lemonjuiced
70gcaster sugar
Lemon Icing:
100gicing sugar
1-2tablespoonslemon juice(add more or less depending on your preferred consistency)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 900g / 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper and set aside.
In a food processor, process the shelled pistachios until they're a crumb like consistency. Set this mixture aside for later on.
Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl and sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Give these ingredients a quick stir together to combine. Add the pistachio crumbs and lemon zest (zest of one lemon) to the bowl and mix.
In a small jug, whisk together the juice of the lemon you zested earlier, along with the melted baking block/dairy-free spread or vegetable oil and the plant milk. Add these wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold together until no lumps of flour remain - be careful not to over mix the cake batter.
Pour the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean without any uncooked batter remaining. Test directly in the centre of the cake to ensure it's baked all the way through. Mine took about 55 minutes to bake fully, but all ovens are different so keep checking.
Once the cake has baked, prepare the lemon syrup. In a small bowl or jug, stir the lemon juice with the sugar until all the sugar has dissolved. Take a tooth pick and prick holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the syrup over the warm cake and leave it cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes, then carefully remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Now the cake is cool, prepare the lemon glacé icing. In a small bowl, stir together the icing sugar with enough lemon juice until you have a thick but slightly runny icing.
Drizzle the icing over the cake as you desire and decorate with an sprinkle of extra chopped pistachios. Allow the icing to set before slicing. Store the cake in an airtight container or a cake plate with a cover for up to 3 days.
No-bake vegan chocolate hazelnut cheesecake. This stunning dessert has a crumbly digestive biscuit base, an ultra creamy chocolate hazelnut filling and is decorated with drizzles of melted chocolate hazelnut spread, chopped hazelnuts and dairy-free whipped cream.
I’m thoroughly enjoying creating vegan cheesecake recipes and recently, I trialled out a new cheesecake flavour. I have four vegan cheesecake recipes on the WJBN blog now, with many more planned for future posts.
Before being vegan, I ate cheesecake on a regular basis. Cheesecake was a dessert I made frequently for social gatherings. I love the ease and fun involved in making cheesecake.
I thought going vegan would mean I wouldn’t get to enjoy cheesecake anymore, but I’ve said it before, I couldn’t have been more wrong! These vegan cheesecake recipes I’m creating are just as creamy and indulgent as the cheesecakes I was making containing dairy.
I’m always disappointed going out for meals. Some restaurants cater exceptionally well to vegans, but others there’s very little choice. Don’t get me wrong, there are several amazing vegan options when eating out, but I’m rarely excited or blown away, especially with the dessert choices.
I’ve tried one or two vegan cheesecakes, but unfortunately they left me unimpressed. That’s why I decided to no longer buy, but instead make my own!
I base all my vegan cheesecakes around the same recipe I devised when sharing this Vegan Biscoff Cheesecake. The only change I made was using crushed digestive biscuits instead of Biscoff and swapping the Biscoff cookie butter spread for a vegan chocolate hazelnut spread.
The vegan chocolate hazelnut spread is every bit as addictive as Nutella. I’m guilty of devouring it by the spoonful straight out of the jar…
This cheesecake is a slice of heaven!
We polished this cheesecake off in a matter of days. It’s smooth and gorgeously mousse-like, the chocolate hazelnut flavour is light but just enough with the additional drizzle of melted chocolate hazelnut spread and sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts.
The cheesecake needs at least 6 hours to set, but I recommend you leave it overnight for the best results. The longer you leave it to chill, the more set and it’ll be easier to slice neatly.
No-bake vegan chocolate hazelnut cheesecake. This stunning dessert has a crumbly digestive biscuit base, an ultra creamy chocolate hazelnut filling and is decorated with drizzles of melted chocolate hazelnut spread, chopped hazelnuts and dairy-free whipped cream.
Prep Time 6 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Total Time 6 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
Digestive Biscuit Base:
360gdigestive biscuitsfinely crushed
1tablespoonsugar (I use light brown sugar)optional
150gbaking block or dairy-free spread (salted or unsalted) melted
Nutella Cheesecake Filling:
200gvegan cream cheese
200gvegan chocolate hazelnut spread
50gicing sugar
250mldairy-free cream
Instructions
To make the biscuit base: Mix the crushed biscuits and a tablespoon of sugar (if using) with the melted dairy-free spread until moistened. Press the biscuit crumbs into a 23cm springform tin until compact. Put to one side while you make the cheesecake filling.
To make the cheesecake filling: In a large mixing bowl whisk the vegan cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut spread and icing sugar until smooth. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the dairy-free cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the Biscoff cream cheese mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated - be careful not to over mix.
Spread the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base you prepared earlier and smooth the top with either the back of a spoon, a spatula or a palette knife. Cover the cheesecake and leave it to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the springform tin and decorate as desired. I piped extra dairy-free cream around the edge of the cheesecake, then melted some more chocolate hazelnut spread drizzling that over each slice of cheesecake and scattered over some chopped hazelnuts.
The cheesecake will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Easy and healthy homemade granola. This recipe will soon be a staple for your weekday breakfast and it can be topped anyway you like!
Originally posted in January 2015, recipe and photographs updated March 2022.
Looking for an affordable, healthy and delicious breakfast recipe? If so, I have a great granola to share with you – a recipe my Mum created. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it’s what sets you up for the day ahead.
Granola just like cake and cookies is another one of my favourite things to make. Most granola recipes I make usually tend to be crunchier, clustered-style granola, which is typically higher in fat and sugar. But since I like to keep as healthy as I can I wanted to share a healthier and lighter granola that can be eaten for breakfast or that could also even be enjoyed as a nourishing snack.
To make my granola, oats are combined with maple syrup, oil and vanilla, the last ingredient of which is an optional addition, but I love the flavour it adds.
Granola is one of my go-to breakfasts to enjoy before heading to work and my favourite way to eat this granola nowadays is with vegan milk or yoghurt and fresh berries or some sliced banana. If you wanted to try something different you can even layer the granola with yoghurt and fruit compotè in a jar and make yourself a granola parfait.
With this basic recipe you can add anything extra you’d like such as different nuts or even dried fruit like apricots, cranberries or raisins. If you’re a chocoholic just like me you can add chocolate chips once the granola is baked and cooled.
This is a speedy breakfast recipe idea, it takes around 15 minutes to prep ready for the oven and then only needs 10 minutes in the oven to bake!
You can adjust the recipe to your taste, add less or more maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it and add a different mix of nuts/seeds you enjoy – this recipe is super customisable.
The recipe makes one large and one small jar of granola, so plenty to keep you going for breakfast throughout the week and beyond!
Healthy homemade granola. This recipe will soon be a staple for your weekday breakfast and it can be topped anyway you like!
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
350gjumbo rolled oats
150gmixed chopped nutsI use 50g of each almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts
2tablespoonsmilled or whole flaxseedsoptional - you can also use other seeds you like
5-6tablespoonsmaple syrup
5-6tablespoonsvegetable oilI use rapeseed
1teaspoonvanilla extractoptional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
Mix the oats, chopped nuts and flaxseed (or seeds of choice if using) in a large mixing bowl.
Add the maple syrup, oil and vanilla to the oats. Stir the ingredients together until the oats are moistened. Spread the granola out on a large baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden and toasted.
Allow the granola to cool before transferring to a jar or airtight container to store it. The granola will keep for up to a month.
Easter bunny-shaped shortbread biscuits, a simple and easy bake for your Easter table.
I made these cute bunny shortbread biscuits a couple of weeks ago in preparation for Easter. I’ve been cracking on with my Easter recipes, having recently updated my favourite Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns.
For my latest recipe idea, because that hot cross bun recipe that takes a fair amount of time to make, I wanted my next Easter bake to be easier and something kids and adults alike will enjoy baking!
I took this Vegan Shortbread recipe and used a bunny biscuit/cookie cutter I’ve had for years and only really ever used occasionally. I used the cutter to stamp out adorable bunny-shaped shortbreads. They might even be too cute to eat?!
Then once the shortbreads were baked and then cooled down, I made a very small amount of white glacé icing – I made sure the icing was quite thick and then I popped it in a piping bag, snipped the end and piped small ‘blobs’ of icing on the tail end of each bunny shortbread. If you don’t use homemade glacé icing, you can also use those tubes of readymade icing or melted chocolate of your choice instead.
The final decoration was a mini chocolate egg on the end of each biscuit to resemble a bunny tail. I used a 75g bag of vegan mini chocolate eggs. Some of the biscuits I didn’t decorate, so I made do with one bag of chocolate eggs, so if you want to decorate every biscuit, you might want to grab another bag of mini chocolate eggs.
You might also need more chocolate if you’re like me and find yourself snacking your way through the bag as you decorate…
This shortbread recipe was one of my late grandma’s favourite biscuits. My grandma was half Scottish and she always loved her shortbread. When I first made them, she enjoyed them so much, she asked me to bake them again. I unfortunately never got the chance to, but this recipe will hold a special place in my heart, because I know just how much she loved it.
I’ll be baking these shortbread biscuits again over Easter. They’re fun, cheap to make and are a great Easter baking project!
Further decoration of these biscuits is optional, you can leave them as they are with an extra sprinkle of sugar, or drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkles.
Easter bunny-shaped shortbread biscuits, a simple and easy bake for your Easter table.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 20biscuits
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
200gvegan baking blocksoftened
100gsugarI use vanilla sugar
150gplain flour
150gself-raising flour
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
Glacé icing or melted chocolate of your choice
75gmini chocolate eggs (I use vegan)
Instructions
Line two large baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside. Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. Cream the softened vegan baking block and the sugar until light and pale in colour (about 1-2 minutes).
Now sift the flours and add to the creamed baking block and sugar mixture along with the vanilla extract. Continue to mix until a crumbly and soft ball of dough comes together. Don’t overwork the dough, try to touch it as little as possible. At this point you can wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill it for 15 minutes, however this is an optional step - it does make rolling the dough out easier.
On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to about 1/2 cm thickness. Using your favourite biscuit/cookie cutters (I use a bunny-shaped cutter), cut out shapes from the dough and transfer to the lined baking trays. Sprinkle the top of each biscuit with a little extra sugar or you can dust each baked biscuit with icing sugar after baking if you prefer.
Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes until they’re crisp and slightly golden around the edges - all ovens are different so they may need baking for longer. I like adding a little extra sugar to the tops at this point.
Once baked, leave to cool on the baking trays for 5-10 minutes, then carefully transport to a wire rack and allow the biscuits to cool completely to room temperature.
Now decorate with a dab of glacé icing on the end of each bunny shortbread to attach the mini chocolate egg, which will look like the bunny tail. Allow the icing to set before serving.
Shortbread will keep in an airtight container for up to one week.
Authentic Greek tzatziki made dairy-free with vegan ingredients. Serve this light, fresh and creamy dip with pita bread/chips and your favourite mezze foods.
My traditional Greek tzatziki is a blog recipe I shared nearly 6 years ago in April 2016. Tzatziki reminds me of my travels to the Greek islands and Cyprus many years ago and one taste of this amazing dip just transports me back to those beautiful sunny destinations.
A taste of pure sunshine is exactly what we need on a wintery February day. I’m sure you agree?
I grew up in an English household, but as a child I travelled to some great places around Europe. Through travelling, I’ve been eating different cuisines and gaining new experiences from a young age. Throughout my childhood and even to this day, we eat traditional British food (delicious roast dinners, stews and pies), but also a mix of Italian, Spanish and Greek/Cypriot food.
Tzatziki originates in Greece. It’s very similar to the Turkish dip, cacik and raita, an Indian creamy cucumber dip.
I used my original tzatziki recipe and veganised it by swapping the Greek yoghurt for an oat-based alternative – I highly recommend Oatly Greek Style Oatgurt for the creamiest dairy-free Greek-style yoghurt.
Start by slicing the cucumber in half, then in half again, then scrap the seeds from the centre of each piece. Grate or finely chop the cucumber and then squeeze as much water from the cucumber as you can.
We don’t want the cucumber to add any extra water to our dip, this is not a runny sauce, it’s meant to be thick and super creamy – how it’s served in Greece! As it sits in the fridge it will thicken slightly and the flavour will intensify. I leave mine overnight, but 2-4 hours in the fridge is absolutely fine before serving.
I use freshly chopped dill in my tzatziki. You can use mint instead.
It’s great to use pita bread to scoop up the tzatziki. This time I bought my pita bread. I know I’ve said it before, that homemade pita bread is far superior, so I’d recommend making your own with my Greek Pita Bread recipe if you’re going to attempt this tzatziki.
This tzatziki is a tasty dip served just with pieces of pita bread, but it’s also incredible with either lemon herb rice or roasted vegetable couscous (both recipes I’ve featured below for you) and falafel or, if you’re vegetarian, some grilled/fried halloumi.
Authentic Greek tzatziki but made with vegan ingredients. Serve this light, fresh and creamy dip with fluffy pita bread/chips and your favourite mezze foods.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
1large cucumber
400gdairy-free yoghurtI use oat-based Greek-style yoghurt
2garlic clovesfinely chopped
1tablespoondill or mintfinely chopped
1tablespoonlemon juice
1tablespoonolive oilI use extra virgin for best flavour
Salt and black pepperto taste
Instructions
Slice the cucumber lengthways and using a small spoon scoop out the watery centre and discard the seeds. Coarsely grate the cucumber or dice it. Place the cucumber in a sieve over a bowl and squeeze as much of the water out as you can. I always leave the peel on because it contains lots of flavour and texture, but this is just my personal preference.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the cucumber, yoghurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning. The dip can be served straight away but it is best left to chill in the fridge for at least 2-4 hours in order for the flavours to develop and marry together.
When ready to serve, place the tzatziki in a serving bowl or dish and drizzle with extra olive oil. It will keep fresh covered or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give the tzatziki a good mix prior to serving.
No-bake vegan white chocolate Oreo cheesecake. Ultra creamy and mousse-like cheesecake made without any dairy.
This is officially my first new recipe in 2022, it’s been two months since I last posted on here. As you might have read from my Facebook post here, the end of 2021 and start of this year have been a difficult time for me and I needed to take a break. I have my mojo back and I’m ready to crack on with blog content and sharing new recipes.
I finally picked up my camera again, after last working on my blog properly in November. It’s been nice to get back to blogging, taking the time off made me realise how much I missed it!
After sharing my Vegan Biscoff Cheesecake last year, this recipe has become one of the most viewed vegan dessert recipes on the blog.
So far, I’ve made a Biscoff version and a classic No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake. There’re three vegan cheesecake recipes on this website, if you have any cheesecake flavours you want to see, then just comment below and let me know your ideas!
Recently, I incorporated one of the best accidentally vegan biscuit/cookies into my classic vegan cheesecake recipe.
Oreos are my guilty pleasure. They’re sweet, chocolatey and an opened pack never seems to last long when I’m around!
To make this cheesecake, start by picking your favourite biscuit for the cheesecake base. I went for Oreos, but digestives or another chocolate cream filled biscuit would work (such as bourbon creams).
Because I used Oreos, I use slightly less butter – you don’t want the base too wet, with these measurements it’s just perfectly crumbly but still holds together when sliced. If you choose to use digestives instead of Oreos, increase the butter in the biscuit base part of the recipe to 140g instead of 75g (if using Oreos).
The cheesecake filling is made by combining vegan cream cheese with icing sugar, vanilla extract and melted dairy-free white chocolate, then folding through whipped dairy-free cream and crushed Oreos.
I said before, I didn’t think cheesecake would be on the menu anymore for me following a vegan lifestyle. But how wrong I was!
This Vegan Oreo Cheesecake is not only dairy-free, it’s nut-free and easy to make gluten-free. It’s a great make-ahead dessert and perfect for feeding a hungry crowd!
No-bake vegan white chocolate Oreo cheesecake. Ultra creamy and mousse-like cheesecake made without any dairy.
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 6 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next
Ingredients
Oreo Biscuit Base:
300gOreo cookies
75gbaking block or dairy-free spread (salted or unsalted)melted
Oreo Cheesecake Filling:
200gvegan cream cheese
3tablespoonsicing sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
100gvegan white chocolatemelted and cooled slightly
250mlvegan cream
154gOreo cookiesroughly crushed
Instructions
To make the biscuit base: Mix the crushed Oreos with the melted dairy-free spread until moistened. Press the Oreo crumbs into a 23cm springform tin until compact. Put to one side while you make the cheesecake filling.
To make the cheesecake filling: In a large mixing bowl whisk the vegan cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold through the melted vegan white chocolate until combined. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the dairy-free cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the white chocolate cream cheese mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated, then finally fold through the crushed Oreos - be careful not to over mix.
Spread the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base you prepared earlier and smooth the top with either the back of a spoon, a spatula or a palette knife. Cover the cheesecake and leave it to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the springform tin and decorate as desired. I love serving it with extra whipped cream and some crushed Oreos. The cheesecake will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
