Meggan Leal

Macaron Troubleshooting: Mottled Macarons and 10 Ways to Prevent Them

November 10, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

Why are my macarons mottled and stained on top? Learn what causes it and ten ways to prevent mottled macs.

If you’d like to see other installments in the Macaron Troubleshooting Series, click here!

And for more mac fun join our vegan macaron community on Facebook!

WHAT ARE MOTTLED MACARONS?

Mottled macarons whose tops have darker colored spots and blotching. They look stained, like they’ve had water sprayed on them.

WHAT CAUSES MOTTLED MACARONS?

Macarons become mottled when either there is excess liquid (either oil or water) in the batter, or they were not baked high or long enough to sufficiently evaporate it out.

EXCESS OIL

Excess oil can come from three sources, and will make your macarons not only mottled, but hollow and the tops will be very fragile.

OILY ALMOND FLOUR

If your almond flour contains a lot of oil, there are a couple of things you can do to try and save it:

1. Dry it out in the oven. Spread your almond flour out on a clean baking sheet and pop it in the oven at around 200F (just under 100C). Bake it for 20 minutes and turn the oven off, and let it hang out in there for another 10 minutes before pulling it out and letting it cool.

2. Pulse it with your powdered sugar. This is less reliable than #1, but might help if you already have your oven preheated for the macarons or you don’t have time to wait for the almond flour to bake.

Simply put the almond flour and powdered sugar for your recipe in a food processor or blender and gently pulse until everything is combined well.

MAKE SURE TO USE VERY SHORT PULSES! If you hold that button down, you’ll release *more oils* and turn it into almond butter. Almond butter is delicious, but doesn’t make good macarons.

ADDED OILS

Many times the flavors people try to add to their macaron batter contain oil. Whether it’s lemon oil, peppermint oil, or something with naturally occurring oils like cinnamon or cocoa, these additives can wreak havoc on your macs.

The same holds true for colors. Make sure you are not using colors that contain oil! Candy colors made for chocolate will destroy your batter. Some natural colors like yellows that contain turmeric and greens with matcha can also cause problems.

If you’ve never made successful macarons before, you should leave out the flavors and colors until you can consistently make great batches. That way you know it’s the additive that’s causing the issues!

OIL FROM YOUR EQUIPMENT

If you use your silicone mats to make cookies, or your mixing bowl for buttercream, there’s a chance that some oil may have hung around on your equipment and sabotaged your macarons.

You should always wipe down all of your pans, mats, spoons, whisks, bowls, etc. with some vinegar prior to beginning the recipe to get rid of any residual grease that might deflate your meringue and doom your macarons.

Also beware of bits of buttercream falling from your mixer into the bowl!

EXCESS MOISTURE

If either your batter contains too much moisture, or it doesn’t have a chance to escape during baking, you could get mottled macarons.

INCORRECT MEASURING

One reason for this could be that the batter is too wet. This happens when your ratios are off.

Maybe you tried to estimate instead of measuring, or you’re using cups and spoons instead of weighing out the grams with a kitchen scale.

Even the best of us sometimes mess up too, though. It’s possible you accidentally added too much aquafaba (or water for folks who make potato protein macarons) or not enough dry ingredients.

This will also happen if you are making Italian macarons and didn’t heat the sugar up enough (which leaves extra water in it), or added too much color.

The result of way too much color being added to macaron batter. They are mottled on top and the feet oozed out from the bottom. — I added waaaaay too much color to this macaron batter. The mottling just got worse and worse as they sat, too.

MERINGUE AND MIXING ISSUES

If your meringue is underwhipped or your batter is overmixed, it could also cause your macarons to be too saturated with moisture.

When you whip the meringue to stiff peaks, what you’re doing is creating billions of teeny tiny bubbles. It makes the batter light and airy, and allows it to dry out in the oven. If you don’t whip the meringue stiff enough, the bubbles aren’t there to allow moisture to escape easily.

Likewise, if you overmixed your batter during macaronage, you’ve popped all the bubbles you made during the meringue stage and the same problem arises.

Whip your meringue well and be sure you do not overmix your batter. It’s better to be too stiff and undermixed than to have mottled puddles for macarons.

HEAT PROBLEMS

Even if you did everything else right, when your oven is not hot enough it will cause your macarons to be too moist.

The oven temperature needs to be high enough to evaporate the moisture in the macarons before it has a chance to soak the outer shell of the cookie. It also needs to be hot enough to dry out the macaron before the meringue has a chance to deflate.

Anything lower than around 210F (100C) and sometimes even hotter than that depending on the batter and the weather will not dry out your macarons fast enough.

Chances are that if your tops are mottled, the macarons have no feet, and your macarons stick to your mat or paper, your oven wasn’t sufficiently hot.

BAKING TIME

Not baking long enough will also cause these problems.

Even if you vaporize the moisture in the outer parts of the shells with sufficient heat, if you don’t bake long enough the liquid will spread and settle on the surface. This will give them a mottled, stained appearance.

Under-baking will also leave your macarons raw on the inside, and they will be very fragile. Another sign that this is what has occurred is that they will stick to the mat.

If your macarons stick to the mat, become mottled AFTER baking, are raw inside, but have great feet, your oven was probably hot enough but the baking time was too short or you opened the door too much during baking.

CHECK YOUR FILLINGS

If your macarons baked perfectly with no problems, but become mottled after maturing, the culprit is your filling.

When you fill macarons with something very wet like jam or curd, the shells will absorb the moisture and become soaked and soggy.

Either switch the filling for something fat-based like buttercream or ganache, or give the bottoms of your macs a swipe of melted chocolate or frosting to make them waterproof before filling them.

MATURATION

If you mature them at room temperature, they can also over-mature after about 6-12 hours depending on the filling. Room temp maturation is good if you’re in a rush, but otherwise – keep it in the fridge.

TEN WAYS TO PREVENT MOTTLED MACARONS

Here is your checklist to make sure your macarons don’t come out mottled:

10 Ways to Prevent Mottled Macarons

Mottled macarons can be caused by plenty of different things, but here are 10 ways you can avoid them:

Instructions

1. Wipe down all of your equipment with vinegar before you begin.

2. Measure everything accurately by the gram with a good kitchen scale.

3. If making Italian macarons, make sure you bring your sugar syrup to the correct temperature.

4. Whip your meringue very well.

5. Do not add color or flavor with oils or meringue-deflating ingredients (if in doubt, leave it out!)

6. Do not let your batter sit for too long before piping (two hours max).

7. Make sure your oven is hot enough.

8. Make sure you bake them long enough and don't open the oven door.

9. Do not use very wet fillings without sealing your shells first.

10. Mature them in the fridge.

Notes

Find my vegan Italian macaron recipe here.

Find the ingredients and equipment I use for macarons here.

Join our vegan macaron community on Facebook here.

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Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Macaron Troubleshooting: Burning Bottoms

November 3, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

Why are my macarons burning on the bottom? Learn why the bottoms burn, and easy ways to fix it.

Burning Bottoms

Your oven is spot on, you’ve confirmed it with eight different thermometers. The meringue was perfect. Your macaronage is on point. but your macs are spreading and coming out crispy and brown and burnt!

What the heck?!

Ask yourself these questions:

Macaron Pans

What color is your pan?

Dark, heavy pans (like many used in Germany!) hold on to heat. Imagine talking a walk on a sunny day in a black t-shirt. Like you, your macs are going to feel a lot more toasty than what the thermometer says!

Most (dare I say all?) macaron recipes are written for shiny silver colored aluminum pans.

Aluminum pans (like these) conduct heat efficiently. The only way they’ll burn your macs is if you have them too close to the bottom heating element.

So is all lost if you only have dark colored pans?

NO!

Just turn your oven temperature down about 10-15°F to account for it and you should be fine! AND! This goes for all the recipes you make with it, not just macarons. You’ll experience a lot more success this way in all your baking ventures!

Macaron Mats

What kind of mat are you using?

Silpat style mats (like these) are what I prefer to use because the macarons hold their shape (on parchment, they go kind of oblong).

These mats also protect your macarons a bit from the heat on the bottom. My macaron recipe is written for these mats, but you can totally adjust for parchment if that’s what you’ve got!

Parchment paper: if you’re using parchment paper and your macarons are burning on the bottom, adjust your oven temperature about 5°F lower.

Using a dark pan with parchment paper? Just add the degrees together! Lower the temp 15-20°F and you should be good!

Thick silicone mats (like these) can either hold on to heat or shield heat depending on their color. Darker = hotter. Play with the temp accordingly and find your sweet spot.

Personally, I hate these mats so much. Lol. But my friend Eggless French Mac Master Deepa Jha uses them like a pro, so I suppose all hope is not lost. 🤪

Teflon and copper mats (like these) transfer heat more like parchment paper, so try turning the thermostat down a few degrees if you use them.

BONUS: Two More Things to Try

Are the bottoms of your macarons still burning even though you’re using silpat style silicone mats and a silver aluminum tray? Here are some things you can try:

Double up your pans! You can stack a second pan and it will help shield the macs’ bottoms from the heat while the rest can still bake nicely.

Raise the rack! If the heat in your oven comes from bottom coils, you can try baking the macs in the middle or even upper rack. Just don’t put them too close to the top of the oven or they might not get enough air circulation to dry out properly.

That’s it for today! Hopefully these tips will help you in your baking adventures!!

If you’d like more help with your macaron making, I’d love you to join our thriving Facebook community!

Do you have any other tips? Share them in the comments below!

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Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Easy Vegan Cheese for Pizza (Nut-Free, No Blender)

October 14, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

Vegan cheese for pizza that actually tastes good, is quick and easy to make at home, and doesn’t use nuts or cashews? Yes!

I told you on my Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce recipe that it could be used to make a million and one different cheesy applications, and I wasn’t kidding! From my crave-worthy Choriqueso to nachos to vegan or dairy-free Philly cheesesteaks and more – it’s a great recipe to have in your arsenal.

This recipe transforms it into the perfect topping for all your homemade pizzas (and anything else you’d love pizza cheese on!). It browns in the oven, has some stretch to it, and even re-melts when you heat the leftovers back up.

Cheesy vegan steak sandwiches — A yummy, cheesy topping for all your vegan ‘steak’ sandwiches!

Here are some of the reasons you’ll love this recipe:

It’s vegan! Whether you’re lactose-intolerant, allergic to dairy, or just choose not to consume animal products, now you have a great cheese for your pizzas.

It’s easy! This recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients and no expensive equipment – not even a blender.

It’s fast! No need to worry about setting overnight or even for an hour. If you decide last minute to make pizza for dinner, that’s fine! This recipe comes together in less than ten.

It’s delicious! Not only does it check the boxes of vegan, fast, and easy – it also tastes great. It can be hard to find a recipe like that!

It’s allergy-friendly! Dairy is just the tip of the iceberg here. This cheese sauce also boasts being nut-free. Since most vegan cheeses contain cashews or other nuts, this is pretty impressive and inclusive.

Equipment Needed

A stovetop or burner. You’re going to be cooking this sauce over a stove. You could use a fancy heating blender if you have one, but the stove works just fine.

A small saucepan. I prefer non-stick, but if you don’t have one that’s ok. A one-quart is plenty big enough.

A silicone spatula. A wooden spoon, a plastic heatproof spoon, or a metal spoon will work fine too (just don’t scratch your non-stick pan with the metal!), but silicone works the best.

Ingredients Needed

Two batches of my cheese sauce base recipe. It should be more than enough to cover two medium or large pizzas with some left over. This will definitely depend on how thick you pour it on, though.

If you’re only making one pizza, feel free to make only one batch of the cheese sauce and halve the additional ingredients.

Miso. Miso is a fermented soy bean paste, and the more mild white miso works well here. It’s used for its tangy fermented flavor (similar to the lactic acid in dairy cheese).

If you’re soy-free or can’t find it, you can omit it or substitute it for two times the amount of fermented sauerkraut brine. Yes, I just said that. Thanks to 86eats.com I’ve learned how wonderfully cheesy it can make vegan cheeses taste!

Vegan Mayonnaise. Yes, mayo.

Mayo adds some cheesy tang to the recipe, as well as adds some fat – which is lacking in the base, but definitely needed on pizza! If you’re oil-free though, you can omit this and add extra miso or sauerkraut brine instead.

Check the ingredients and look for a soy-free variety if you need one!

Mmm Garlic. Pizza is Italian and garlic is a requirement. It just is. Granulated or paste work best here, or it’ll make your cheese chunky. That doesn’t sound good at all.

Salt. Pizza cheese is salty! Please don’t forget to salt your sauce. Table salt, pink salt, whatever salt – just not black salt unless you’re making an “egg” pizza!

How to Make It:

It really couldn’t be easier!

Just whip up the vegan cheese sauce base, then stir in the rest of the ingredients (except the salt). Then, salt at the end to taste!

That’s it! Really!

How to Use It:

I pour it hot directly on the pizza. That’s the easiest way! Once it starts to cool, it’ll start to get kind of gloopy and slime-like, and it makes it harder to get an even ‘coat’ of your vegan cheese on the pizza.

Mini cheesy pizza with sliced red baby bell peppers — This is what cold cheese sauce will look like on your pizza before you bake it.

If you’re using leftover, cooled cheese sauce, it’ll be gelatinous and pretty off-putting as is (this is what happens when the heat-activated tapioca starch gets chilled). No worries, though! Just use a spoon or ice cream scoop to put it on the pizza and it’ll melt beautifully.

Bake your cheesed pizza at 480F for 15 minutes to get it to bubble and brown nicely. Five to ten minutes longer if you’re like me and like it to be a bit extra or if you’re using cold cheese sauce from the fridge.

Vegan Cheese GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY — Delicious, melty vegan cheese after baking!

How to Store Leftover Vegan Cheese for Pizza:

If you happen to have any sauce left over, just pop it into a sealed container and put it in the fridge.

It’ll keep for three to five days.

Leftovers will turn semi-solid and gelatinous, but will melt beautifully once heated again.

Video to Make the Base Cheese Sauce:

Follow the video above to make the sauce – just remember to add in all your other ingredients except the salt after the cheese is done. Salt to taste at the end, and enjoy!

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Printable Recipe Card:

Yield: 2 cups

Easy Vegan Cheese for Pizza

Vegan cheese for pizza that actually tastes good, is quick and easy to make at home, and doesn’t use nuts or cashews? Look no further!

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 9 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 batches Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce Base
2 tsp white miso paste
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt to taste

Instructions

Make the vegan cheese sauce base according to recipe instructions
Stir in the remaining ingredients until well mixed
Pour evenly over pizza or other desired vehicle for eating cheese
Bake at 480F for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and browned on the edges.

Notes

Store leftover cheese sauce in a covered dish in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

If using cold cheese sauce, scoop with spoon or ice cream scoop onto pizza before baking, and add 5 minutes to the baking time.

If you cannot find or don't want to use miso (it's soy-based), substitute it with 4 tsp of fermented sauerkraut brine.

This is enough cheese to generously cover two medium or large pizzas with some left over - depending on how thick you pour it on.

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Aquafaba in Baking: 8 Amazing Pastry and Dessert Recipes

February 24, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// 2 Comments

Aquafaba in baking is a miracle of the vegan world. Replacing eggs has never been easier! Try magical bean water today!

All it takes is to crack open a can of your favorite legumes (or cook your own). Drain off the brine and use it instead of eggs in plenty of recipes. From cookies to bread to icing and more – you’ll be amazed at what aquafaba can do for your baking.

I’ve gathered a list of my own aquafaba recipes as well as a couple favorites from my friends 86eats and Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery. Let me know what you make and how you liked it!

Easiest Vegan Meringue Cookies Ever with Aquafaba

Thanks to aquafaba, vegans and other egg-avoiders can now enjoy crispy meringues whenever they want, again.

American Meringue Buttercream (vegan)

If you love Swiss meringue buttercream but hate the work it takes, this is the recipe for you! No cooking required.

Vegan Royal Icing

Royal icing has never been so easy, thanks to aquafaba! Just mix and whip and ice.

Challah Y'all, Vegan Challah

Photo Credit: www.86eats.com

The classic Jewish enriched dough bread, made vegan instead of egg-heavy thanks to aquafaba.

No-Chill, No-Spread, Vegan Rolled Sugar Cookies

Classic sugar cookies made with aquafaba instead of eggs, with the twist that they don't need to be chilled before baking.

No Chill, No Spread, Vegan, Gluten-Free Rolled Sugar Cookies

The same classic sugar cookies as above, but made both vegan and gluten-free.

Aquafaba Italian Meringue Buttercream Recipe - Gretchen's Vegan Bakery

Photo Credit: www.gretchensveganbakery.com

The most stable buttercream you can get your hands on. It's a bit of work, but well worth it!

Vegan Italian Macarons with Aquafaba

The holy grail of aquafaba recipes: macarons. Not for the faint of heart; they're tricky to master, but not tricky to eat!

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Vegan Cheesecake Dip (dairy-free, nut-free, coconut-free, cream-cheese-free)

February 14, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

Two inexpensive and easy-to-find grocery items combine to perform magic in this simple but tasty twist on cheesecake. Make it tonight to impress all your people!

Ok, so this recipe almost feels sacrilegious. I feel kinda bad for even posting it but 1. it’s freaking delicious and 2. it’s freaking easy and 3. I tried so so hard to get an actual cheesecake recipe up for you guys in time for Valentine’s Day, but I fell hard from my high horse after my first attempt succeeded wildly and then I couldn’t replicate it. SO EXPECT ACTUAL CHEESECAKE SOON. But until then, this should fill the hole in your heart where cheesecake used to be.

Even though this isn’t an actual cheesecake, it tastes exactly like one. And it’s way super easy to customize to be any flavor of cheesecake your heart desires. And?? It’s free of all top eight allergens except for soy (sorry soy-avoiders, but I promise I’ve got one coming out for you shortly!).

But before you go any further… THIS RECIPE IS NOT HEALTHY. If you’re looking for a healthy recipe, just turn back now. Close your eyes and cover your ears and go back to where you came from because this is not it. My goodness, is it not. At all. But it’s a great treat every once in a while and super simple to whip up if you need something at the last minute for some bunch-of-ingredient-avoiders.

SooOooOOoo can I get a drum roll, please?!

Ingredients

That’s it. Lol.

I told you it was simple!! And not healthy. BUT SO GOOD.

1. Pick your favorite vegan yogurt – whatever you like to eat in whatever flavor you want your vegan cheesecake dip to be. Are you nut-free? Well then don’t pick one with nuts, silly. Need to avoid coconut? Don’t get that one. I used soy for mine since soy is in the second ingredient, and I didn’t want to double up on allergens.

2. Pillsbury Creamy Supreme cream cheese frosting. No, you stop it. Don’t get mad at me. I told you this wasn’t healthy!! I warned you. You’re not allowed to get mad at me for this! The readymade frosting tastes like cream cheese and sugar, which are two big ingredients in cheesecake. Badabing badaboom. It comes in both a tub and a pre-filled pastry bag. Either one works.

(Betty Crocker Cream Cheese frosting might also work, but it does have a ‘may contain milk products’ warning on it, and contains ‘natural flavors’ which are always dubious. Use at your own risk)

The yogurt is fermented (which adds cheesy tang) and has probiotics, which is awesome. But the probiotic content doesn’t negate the fact that this is totally not a health food – so stop trying to make that happen! Geeze. Just enjoy it as a treat!

What ingredients are in this frosting??

The only top allergen is soy. It’s certified gluten-free, and while it’s not certified vegan, the plant-based community has overwhelmingly decided that it is free of animal products.

Here’s the ingredient list though – just.. just don’t think it’s gonna be healthy. And don’t try to feed it to your WFPB friends.

I hate those ingredients! Can I just use your cream cheese frosting recipe??

You can give it a shot, as long as everything is cold. You’re not going to be able to warm it up or the frosting will split. It might even split if it’s cold because the yogurt has a lot of moisture and my frosting doesn’t have added emulsifiers. I’m working on a recipe for those of you who can’t use the packaged stuff, though.

I suppose if you really really really really really hate the frosting, you can go ahead and use vegan cream cheese instead. But this recipe is magnificent because it doesn’t use cream cheese! But whatever, do what you want. 😉 You’ll need to add a sweetener of some sort to it though, or it’ll just taste like fruity cream cheese. Which isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. Just ain’t cheesecake.

Wait.. did you say warm it up?

Heck yeah I did. Because the frosting has so many emulsifiers (ingredients that help water and oil become best friends instead of mortal enemies), this can be served as a warm dip! And I absolutely love it warm contrasted with some ice cold fresh fruit. Omnomnom.

You definitely don’t need to serve it warm though, and the warmer it is the thinner the cheesecake dip will actually be. So it’s up to you how you want to serve and eat it. Cold, hot, or room temp. They’re all wonderful.

Can I add anything to it?

For sure! I melted in a little cocoa butter for the pot in the photos, actually! I, believe it or not, don’t really like sweets too much, so I added the cocoa butter to calm the sugar sweetness down without compromising the viscosity/thickness of the dip. Unsweetened chocolate would also be a great choice if you wanted to go the rich chocolate cheesecake route.

Stirring in chopped, freeze dried fruit is a marvelous addition (peaches! omg freeze dried peaches in this.. hnnnggg..).

I stirred some cheesecake crust crumbles for a little bit of crunch and was not disappointed. You could try crushed Oreos or graham crackers and I’m sure it would be mouth-watering, too!

It’s so hard to hold the camera to take pictures with one hand while trying to sprinkle cheesecake crust crumbles INTO the cheesecake dip and not just around it with the other.

Oh, and if you want to add color, just stir it into the yogurt before you mix everything together.

How do I make it?

First step: Open the yogurt.
Next step: Put the yogurt in whatever you want to serve the vegan cheesecake dip in
Next: whisk/stir in spoonfuls of the frosting until you like the texture of the dip. Keep in mind that the more frosting you add, the sweeter it’s going to be.
Finally: stir in any additions you want and serve with whatever vehicles you want to use to get it into your mouth

Note: If you want to serve the dip warm or to add chocolate or cocoa butter, I recommend heating all the ingredients up slowly together in a saucepan before pouring into your serving dish.

What do I dip into this magical vegan cheesecake dip?

I’m not here to tell you how to run your life, but pretty much anything you wanna put in your mouth can get dipped into this cheesecake dip.

Bananas are good, oranges are bomb, and granny smith apples are totally my favorite. Fresh fruit and yogurt! Heck yeah! So healthy!! NO. STOP THAT. IT’S NOT HEALTHY.

If you’re a sugar fiend, try out some marshmallows! Or some graham crackers would be perfection to complete the cheesecake flavor profile. In the picture, I’m dipping one of my gluten free sugar cookies to keep with the whole GF theme.

Just about any fresh fruit, dried fruit, cookies, crackers, spoons, or whatever else you’d love to throw onto a cheesecake would be great in this cheesecake dip. If you dipped an actual slice of cheesecake into this vegan cheesecake dip, that would be epic and I want to see a picture.

Can I turn this into an actual cheesecake?

Please excuse me while I cry.

I totally did. And it was magnificent. I did one part yogurt to two parts frosting and froze it and it was perfect.

And then I could never make it happen again.

Sad, melting disaster of a cheesecake. 😭

If you want to give it a try, you’re more than welcome. Just don’t tell me if it works out because I will just cry more.

And if you don’t want to give it a try and need a tried and true recipe, check out Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery. Cheesecakes are totally her specialty, and she has tons of amazing recipes for them!

How can I make this vegan cheesecake dip healthier?

Please leave me alone so that I can go make it!

Ok! Geeze! Go!!

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Recipe:

Vegan Cheesecake Dip

Two inexpensive and easy-to-find grocery items combine to perform magic in this simple but tasty twist on cheesecake. Make it tonight to impress all your fans!

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

vegan yogurt of your choice
Pillsbury Creamy Supreme cream cheese frosting

Instructions

1. Open the yogurt and the frosting

2. Put the yogurt in whatever you want to serve the vegan cheesecake dip in

3. Whisk/stir in spoonfuls of the frosting until you like the texture of the dip. Keep in mind that the more frosting you add, the sweeter it’s going to be.

4. Stir in any additions you want and serve with whatever vehicles you want to use to get it into your mouth

Notes

If you want to serve the dip warm or to add chocolate or cocoa butter, I recommend heating all the ingredients up slowly together in a saucepan before pouring into your serving dish.

Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Sauce

February 10, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// 1 Comment

Simple ingredients with big time flavors combine to give you a creamy, luscious pasta sauce with the classic Italian taste you love and the creaminess you miss from before your dairy-free days. No nuts, no coconuts, and no funny business, but still easy as can be with amazing results.

One of the things I missed the most when I gave up dairy was a good, luxurious, comforting cream sauce for my pasta. There are plenty of recipes out there that use blended cashews or other nuts, or even coconut cream. I don’t like spending the bajillions of dollars on cashews, and I don’t really like coconut a whole lot, so that’s a no from me, dawg.

There is an amazing recipe by Oh She Glows for Cauli-power Alfredo which I’ve made and is tremendously delicious, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to give it a go. It’s work though, including a food processor/blender and I am lazy – so I’ve only made it once despite how delicious it is.

I made a spaghetti squash lasagna with the cauliflower alfredo back in 2016 and I still dream about it to this day

What I Needed

So what was I looking for, exactly? An easy creamy pasta sauce that doesn’t take a whole lot of time, doesn’t need blenders or food processors, doesn’t use nuts, and did I mention I want it to be creamy?

Easy. Creamy. Quick. Delicious.

What It Ain’t

This isn’t an alfredo sauce or comparable. I’ve got one of those on the way, but this is a tomato-based cream sauce (my favorite before I gave up dairy). So if you’re looking for a white cream sauce, check out the one I linked above or stay tuned for mine coming out soon.

Let’s Get Down to Business

Ingredients You Need

Tomatoes: For super duper ease I used canned tomatoes. Whole tomatoes are going to be the best quality, but diced tomatoes ain’t too bad themselves. I go for diced because I like them. You definitely can use fresh tomatoes – and big, juicy vine tomatoes are going to be your besties for this recipe. Just measure out about 30oz (850g), chop them up, and give them a few minutes in your hot pan before moving on to the rest of the recipe.

Onions: I like to use sweet onions, but plain white or even yellow onions will work fine here. I buy pre-chopped onions from my store because I have arthritis and laziness.

Garlic: Again, I buy pre-minced. It works fine for me and tastes enough like garlic to make me happy. (See “onions” above for why I go this route). Feel free to use fresh, or substitute with granulated garlic if that’s your jam. Use a half a teaspoon if you use dry, though. Or more. I’m not about to tell anyone to curb their garlic usage! (I actually use way more than I put in the recipe, but I’ve been accused by a lot of people of using too much garlic and I didn’t want to offend any palates out there)

My cheat code for arthritis and laziness

Oil: In the spirit of this being Italian food, I use extra virgin olive oil. This one is my most favorite – it’s actually Tunisian. Yeah, I know, Tunisia isn’t in Italy. But most “Italian” olive oils aren’t even usually olive oil anymore, and this one is and it’s absolutely delicious. Can’t do olive oil? Use whatever neutral oil floats your boat – or just sub with your favorite vegan butter!

Basil: Basil is 1000000% my most favorite herb of all time, and if you can get it fresh it’s amazeballs. Italian basil, of course. Thai basil might be a bit too spicy for this application, but you can give it a shot if you’re feeling adventurous! If you can’t find fresh, feel free to use dried. Just follow the notes in the recipe card below. Can’t do basil? Try it out with oregano and thyme instead. Throw in a little rosemary and sage and your tastebuds will be very happy. 🙂

The Special Ingredient: as I was sitting around thinking about how I could make a creamy vegan tomato basil sauce without cream, as I often do, I scanned through my mental list of things that could possibly make it creamy as I noted above. Nuts, but expensive (and allergenic). Cauliflower, which is delicious but tedious and requires horsepower. Coconut, but blech. I could use my easy cheese sauce, but that wouldn’t give it exactly the creamy, luxurious mouthfeel I was wanting. Then.. it hit me.

Carbonara.

Carbonara is a creamy Italian pasta sauce that has absolutely zero cream in it. Its creaminess is achieved with eggs. They’re stirred in at the end to form a glossy, creamy, divinely delicious sauce with zero dairy. So what can we use instead of eggs to make a vegan version? What else but aquafa–

Just kidding.

For once I’m not using aquafaba!! I’m using something that uses it though! Mayonnaise. It’s a creamy emulsion of oil and vinegar traditionally made with eggs, but vegan mayo gives us the perfect creaminess we are needing in our sauce without the use of eggs, dairy, nuts, coconuts, or magic – well at least not much of it, anyway.

Process Notes

One of the best tips I have included in this recipe is to microwave the garlic and onion with your olive oil. This is a nifty trick I learned from Alton Brown in his book I’m Just Here for the Food 2.0. It softens the onion and mellows the garlic perfectly to cut out a good chunk of time from your stove-top cooking. Just be aware that your microwave will smell like onions and garlic for a while.

You can use your hands to smush up the tomatoes in the traditional rustic Italian manner, but again – arthritis. I use a potato masher for a good, texturous, chunky sauce. If you don’t like your sauce to be chunky, you can totally use a blender or food processor.. Or just use tomato sauce and save yourself some dishes?

Save that pasta water! It’s important because the starches in the water bring the oils and waters together for a creamy emulsion in your sauce. Check out this awesome video for a demonstration.

As far as how much of your vegan mayo to add – it’s up to you! I recommend starting with two tablespoons, and see if you like that level of creaminess. If you want it creamier? Add two more tablespoons. Rinse and repeat.

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Do the Thing

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Sauce

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp olive oil (or other neutral oil)
2 14.5oz cans of diced or whole tomatoes
handful of fresh basil, divided
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
12oz pasta, prepared according to package instructions MINUS four minutes
1/4 c reserved pasta water
4-8 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (depending on how creamy you want the sauce to be)

Instructions

Put your water and salt to boil for your pasta
Heat a large saucepan or skillet over medium high heat
Stir together your onion, garlic, and olive oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for one minute on high
While your onion mix is in the microwave, empty your tomatoes into your hot pan and stir, letting some of the liquid evaporate off
Add your onion mix into the tomatoes and stir well
Add your uncooked pasta to the boiling water and stir well. Set a timer for the time it takes it to cook MINUS four minutes
Tear half of your basil into small pieces and stir into the tomatoes
Use a potato masher or fork to smash your tomatoes into smaller pieces, and let the mixture cook down until thickened to your liking (I let it go for about four to five minutes at medium-high heat)
Drain your pasta and add to your tomato mixture along with 1/4c of the pasta water
Stir well and lower the heat to medium-low, allowing the mixture to thicken more for five to six minutes until the pasta is al dente
Tear the remaining basil into small pieces and add to the pasta
Remove from heat and stir in the mayonnaise for a magically cream-less creamy tomato basil sauce!
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with fresh basil and vegan parmesan, and enjoy immediately with some yummy carbs

Notes

If you don't have fresh basil, you may substitute 4 tsp of dried. Add it all together at the first addition rather than dividing in half

If you're soy-free, try Sir Kensington's vegan mayo! We love Hellman's, but it does contain soy.

We use gluten-free pasta and Barilla's is our favourite!

Vegan Choriqueso (Queso Dip with Chorizo)

February 1, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

The combination of spicy, acidic chorizo and smooth, creamy cheese is one of my favorite appetizers in Mexican cuisine. This warming comfort food has turned dairy-free, vegan, and allergy-friendly here, and I think you’ll love it as much as I do.

This recipe comes on the heels of my Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce Base recipe, and is the first one I’m publishing using it! But don’t worry, I have lots more on the way. 🙂

So if you haven’t already, take a quick peek over there and acquaint yourself with it because you’re going to need a double batch for this recipe.

What is choriqueso and how do I eat it?

Choriqueso is a fondue made from melting white cheese (usually Oaxaca, which is very similar to mozzarella) and adding fried chorizo. Sometimes onion or tomato can be added, or even bell pepper. One of my favorite varieties in Mexico was served with sautéed mushroom slices!

Overall, the cheese itself is very mild in terms of flavor – but the punch comes when the chorizo is added! It’s spicy, acidic, and bright red. The flavor is addictive and pairs beautifully with all kinds of other foods. I even use it in my Quick and Easy Vegan Pozole recipe to add amazing depths of flavor that would normally take hours to develop.

It’s eaten with chips, fresh tortillas, bread, or whatever else you can get your hands on to dip and scoop it with. You’ll be in heaven if you try it over fries!

Ingredients

The ingredients you’ll need here are

1. a vegan Mexican style chorizo (Cacique soyrizo is my favorite),

2. vegan mayonnaise,

3. vegan butter or oil,

4. chopped white onion,

5. lime juice,

6. miso paste, and

7. salt.

Some fresh cilantro leaves to garnish are also lovely. And of course, you’ll need the double batch of cheese sauce.

This recipe as written contains soy – but if you avoid it, check out this spice mix and add one tablespoon + one tablespoon of vinegar to your ground meat replacement of choice, and Sir Kensington’s Fabanaise is soy-free, as well!

Equipment

Equipment and tools you’ll need are:

A stovetop burner,

a medium sized pan,

a silicone spatula,

an oven-proof bowl big enough to hold at least four cups,

a smaller heatproof bowl that can hold at least a cup,

an ovenproof platter or pan to bake the larger bowl on (in case of overflow), and

an oven to bake it in.

Process

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. heat your pan over medium heat, and add your butter/oil

3. add the chorizo and stir well until it starts to appear more dry (about 3-4 minutes)

4. add the onion and miso paste, stirring well to incorporate

5. once the onions are translucent, separate a third of the mixture and set aside for garnish

6. add the cheese sauce

7. stir well until completely incorporated

8. add lime juice and stir well

9. add mayonnaise and stir well

10. taste test and add more salt if desired

11. pour cheese mix into oven safe bowl (unless your pan can go straight into the oven, then do that – fewer dishes to wash!)

12. add remaining chorizo to top

13. set bowl on baking tray in oven and bake for 20 minutes

14. remove from oven, squeeze fresh lime juice and sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top, and serve the choriqueso immediately

Video Tutorial

(Currently uploading)

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Yield: 3 cups

Vegan Choriqueso

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 batches Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce
2 tbsp vegan butter or oil
4 oz vegan Mexican-style chorizo (see notes in post for soy-avoidance)
1/2 c diced white onion
2 tsp miso paste (use chickpea miso if avoiding soy, or omit entirely)
4 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (see notes in post if avoiding soy)
Salt, to taste

Garnish

Juice of half a lime
1/8 c chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. heat your pan over medium heat, and add your butter/oil

3. add the chorizo and stir well until it starts to appear more dry (about 3-4 minutes)

4. add the onion and miso paste, stirring well to incorporate

5. once the onions are translucent, separate a third of the mixture and set aside for garnish

6. add the cheese sauce

7. stir well until completely incorporated

8. add lime juice and stir well

9. add mayonnaise and stir well

10. taste test and add more salt if desired

11. pour cheese mix into oven safe bowl (unless your pan can go straight into the oven, then do that – fewer dishes to wash!)

12. add remaining chorizo to top

13. set bowl on baking tray in oven and bake for 20 minutes

14. remove from oven, squeeze fresh lime juice and sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top, and serve the choriqueso immediately

Notes

If you want to turn up the heat, try adding your favorite hot sauce!

If you’re pressed for time, this can be made without baking - just pour into a bowl and serve!

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce Ever BASE RECIPE (no blender needed!)

January 31, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// 2 Comments

Say welcome back to pizzas, pastas, grilled cheese sandwiches (toasties for you Brits!), fondue, and more – because this basic vegan cheese sauce recipe will open the door for all of them to come back into your post-dairy life! No nuts, no soaking, no blenders, no weird ingredients, and virtually fool-proof.

This is the absolute bare minimum, base level, most allergy-friendly, but still absolutely luscious and wonderful vegan cheese sauce recipe that will change the way you eat forever.

Seriously. The day you make this cheese sauce will be the first day of a new era in your kitchen.

I swore I didn’t do stories in my recipes but here I go..

I don’t usually go into ancient histories and long babbling stories here on my blog, but this post deserves a little backstory:

So in my formative years while growing up, we had a small dairy goat farm. I milked goats twice a day with my two little hands, strained, stored, and turned the milk into all kinds of amazing things. Butter, yogurt, ice cream, and.. CHEESE. So I’ve got a little bit of knowhow when it comes to cheesemaking.

A pink piece of printer paper with three goats drawn on it, and "GOATS ROCK!" in all caps. Top is captioned with 'Hoof Hearted Farm" — Lololol. A piece of original artwork by yours truly from 20 years ago. Yes, our farm was officially registered under that name.

And do you know what I realised? Guess what we made cheese out of? MILK. Not solid milk. Not milk powder. LIQUID MILK. Cheese in the simplest sense is milk + something to thicken it (rennet, bacteria, time, and/or acid). This is a way oversimplified explanation of cheesemaking which can actually get super duper complicated, but just hang with me for a minute..

Now, I know that plant-based milks don’t exactly perform in the same ways as dairy milk. Trust me, I’m not that dense. But most plant-based milks on the market today come pretty darn close to the taste and texture of dairy milk. The sweetness is just about the same (cow’s milk has around 13g of sugar per 8oz), and the viscosity is matched thanks to gums, proteins, or gelling agents that are either added or are naturally in the plant that’s being used to make the milk.

So I decided to give plant milk a shot to see if it could deliver. And boy did it.

What kind of milk do I use?

Rice milk, soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, pea milk, and oat milk have all yielded pretty similar results with this recipe. I’m convinced that any decent tasting dairy-free milk will be able to give you a nice cheese sauce.

I use oat milk because it’s my favorite in coffee 🤷🏼‍♀️

So basically, choose your favorite plain, unflavored milk here that you love to drink on its own to make your vegan cheese sauce. Allergic to nuts? Choose one without them. Don’t like soy? Don’t use it. Hate additives and can’t find any without them? Use homemade. The world is your [vegan alternative] oyster!

What other ingredients are there?

For our bare-minimum basic vegan cheese sauce, there is only one more ingredient: tapioca starch. (This is the one I use. Don’t laugh at the name, it works great.)

Tapioca starch is a super fine powder that will. get. everywhere.

When tapioca starch is heated in liquid, not only does it thicken it but it also makes it stretchy and very.. well, cheese-like. And not only that, but the ‘cheese’ will thicken even more when it cools, and remelt when it’s heated. It’s freakin’ magic.

Can’t find tapioca starch, and can only get your hands on tapioca flour? No worries, they’re the same thing.

Allergic to tapioca? Give arrowroot powder/flour/starch a try. It performs nearly identically to tapioca.

Are both tapioca and arrowroot out for you? Potato starch (NOT flour) is a great sub and still gives you some good stretch!

What this cheese sauce ISN’T

This sauce is NOT firm cheese product which can be sliced and grated.. at least not in its natural form. I’ve got a variation that can be sliced and grated, and I’m working on getting that recipe put together for you so stay tuned!

It’s perfect for pouring and dripping, not for slicing and grating.

This sauce does NOT look appetizing while cold! Seriously. It’s gross and gloopy. But don’t judge it, heat it up, and watch the magic happen!

Refrigerated cheese sauce is goopy and semi-solid, kinda like soft jello. It melts beautifully when heated, though.

This sauce is NOT flavored! This is the BASE RECIPE – so if you want to give it a smoky mozzarella or cheddar flavor, or if you want to go a bit funky and go bleu cheese direction, you’re going to have to add some flavor to it. This recipe will taste like the milk you made it with and no more.

If you want some flavoring ideas, I highly recommend giving my friend Kat a visit at 86eats.com and browsing through her plethora of vegan cheese recipes. She’s the queen of vegan cheese and your flavor will most likely be found there! Check out what she uses for flavors and pop ’em in this sauce and you’ll be golden. I’m also adding my own recipes here as I get them put together, so stay tuned for that. (Eek I already put together the first one – my vegan chorizo queso recipe!)

I swear though, if you come at me with one star saying this sauce is bland and tasteless I’m gonna give you the angry Samuel L. Jackson stare.

How do I use it?

First of all, flavor it. Lol. Even if it’s just a little salt and garlic powder to get your feet wet. Then? The sky is the limit! Toss it with some pasta, drizzle over an open-faced sandwich before toasting, use it on pizza, in lasagna, as a dip, in soup.. Whatever your heart desires!

What equipment do I need?

Super simple here, y’all.

A saucepot. A tablespoon. A measuring cup. A silicone spatula. A stovetop.

That’s it. Really.

Sometimes I use a fine mesh sieve if I want to get some chunky ingredients mixed in for flavoring, or if I walk away and it thickens while I’m gone and gets tapioca pearls in it. But otherwise, it’s not needed.

You absolutely do not need a blender!

The Process:

The first thing you’re going to do is measure out one heaping tablespoon of tapioca starch into a measuring cup and add just enough of your plant milk to cover the starch (add in any desired flavorings now).

Mix it well until there are no lumps and the milk is smooth.

Next, add milk until you have one cup total.

Pour the mixture into a small saucepot over medium heat, and stir continuously with a silicone spatula.

As the mixture heats up, you’ll soon feel the bottom of your pan become slippery and friction fade away – keep stirring.

Once you start to see froth/foam start to appear at the top of the milk, turn your heat to low, and stir quickly. It will begin to thicken within just a few seconds.

When your mixture thickens it will look very lumpy at first, keep stirring vigorously for another minute or two until it all smooths out. This whole process should take less than ten minutes.

Once it’s smooth, turn off the heat and remove your pot from the stove so that your cheese sauce doesn’t burn.

You can use your sauce now or store it in the refrigerator for future use. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Other cheesy things I have to offer:

Other than my sense of humor, that is..

I’ve got my vegan chorizo queso recipe here!

And if you’re wanting other dairy-free, vegan cheese options that aren’t necessarily of the savory variety, you should check out my revolutionary cream cheese frosting and my crave-worthy cream cheese danish filling!

Video Tutorial:

Watch me make it, from beginning to end:

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Pinterest image showing stretchy cheese sauce over an open faced sandwich

Printable Recipe:

Yield: 1 cup

Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce Ever BASE RECIPE

This is the un-flavored base recipe for all kinds of cheesy creations to come.

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 9 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup plant milk (your choice, unflavored)
1 heaping tbsp tapioca starch (use arrowroot or potato starch if allergic)

Instructions

mix tapioca starch with enough milk to cover until smooth
add milk until one cup total
heat in a small saucepot over medium heat, stirring continuously
once froth rises to top, turn heat down to low, continue stirring
sauce will thicken very quickly, stir until smooth
remove from heat

Notes

Check out 86eats.com for flavoring ideas, or check back later for new recipes from me!

Use while hot, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Koala Macaron Template & Tutorial

January 13, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

To support ongoing bushfire relief efforts in Australia

Printable pdf macaron template and tutorial page. All profits will be donated to The Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Service & Brigades Donations Fund via Celeste Barber’s fundraiser on Facebook.

Name your own price, but donations of all sizes are appreciated – no matter how small. To adjust the price, simply edit the amount in the field below. Once you purchase, you’ll receive an email with the download link.

Use this template and tutorial to make your own koala macarons (also can be used for meringue cookies or royal icing transfers). Be sure to share your creations on social media and tag @cookingoncaffeine and #baking4bushfires.

Tune in to Dream Confections, LLC’s Facebook this Saturday, January 18 to watch her create them live! Click here to view the event.

Get all of my product recommendations in my Amazon Shop.

Grab all my macaron recommendations on the Macaron Recipes & Resources page so that you can feel fully prepared to make some awesome koalas and spread the #baking4bushfires love!

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Silk Vegan Heavy Whipping Cream Review

January 3, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// 31 Comments

Wondering if the new dairy-free, vegan heavy whipping cream alternative from Silk is perfect? I asked the questions and found the answers.

First of all, this post is NOT sponsored by Silk or any brand other than myself – Cooking on Caffeine. What you’ll find here are my own personal, honest opinions, based on how I use the product and my own tastes.

I stumbled on this product at my local Walmart today while looking for my favorite oat milk creamer (which they didn’t have, and I am upset). It was next to the dairy whipping cream, and was flanked by their new dairy-free half and half (which I didn’t purchase).

Of course it caught my attention, and of course I bought it. I have so many questions! I have so many recipes to test! Does it go well in coffee like cream? Does it actually whip up (and stay whipped)? Does it make perfect, luscious ice cream? How does it cook? Does it give a silky mouthfeel like dairy cream? Does it separate like dairy cream? Can I overwhip it?

Whew. So many questions.

The most important question is obviously whether it’s good in coffee or not.

And I’m sure you have the same questions I do, so I’ve decided to do all the testing and post the answers here because we all need answers!

Let’s get the dairy-free whipping cream party started!

What’s it made of? Is it safe for my allergy or diet?

According to the packaging, it’s certified gluten-free, so that’s the one allergen you can be 100% sure you’re safe with here.

Unfortunately, there is a cross-contamination warning for dairy, soy, and tree nuts. What does that mean? It means this product is made in the same building that houses those allergens – they aren’t included in the whipping cream, but they can’t give a guarantee that particles haven’t found their way into it.

Super special thanks and shoutout to Raechel Carr from the Deliciously Dairy Free Facebook group for sharing the screenshot below of her email response from Silk regarding cross contamination with us!

Silk's email response regarding cross contamination risk

If you are extra sensitive and risk anaphylaxis if you consume dairy, tree nuts, or soy – this isn’t the product for you. if you are allergic to coconut, this is not safe for you as coconut is a main ingredient. It also contains fava bean protein, which is a legume – so avoid if you’ve got a legume issue. It also contains guar gum and sunflower seed oil and lecithin – so avoid if needed. See the email above for more info.

The bottom line is that if you’re avoiding animal products, this is safe. If you’re dairy-free by choice, you’re safe. If you’re only mildly intolerant of dairy, tree nuts, or soy, you make the call but you should be ok.

If you don’t have to avoid cross contamination, this is an exciting product because it’s made without soy ingredients! It has historically been very difficult to find whipped cream alternatives that are soy-free – so now the soy-avoiders can rejoice!

It’s also sugar and carb-free, so the keto/low carb community will rightfully be dancing for joy when they find this product!

You will also notice a complete lack of carrageenan – which is nearly unheard of for dairy-free alternatives.

Beyond just ingredient items, this vegan whipping cream is Non-GMO Project Certified, which will put a lot of minds at ease who are concerned about that sort of thing.

Guess what’s also missing? Palm oil. It’s pretty much a win win win win.

What does it look like?

It’s pure white and thicker than milk.

How does it pour? What’s the viscosity like?

It isn’t as thick as I imagined it would be – more like a half and half type consistency than heavy whipping cream – but definitely better than any plant milk I’ve come across, except for super fatty canned coconut milks.

What does it taste like?

It tastes like.. nothing really. It’s not sweet at all, but there are no bitter or sour notes either. It’s completely neutral.

Is it great in coffee?

Um, YES. I absolutely loved it in my coffee!

Back in my dairy days, I drank my coffee with half and half – and this is exactly like it.

I was afraid it was curdling as I poured it into my hot coffee (which I brew quite strong) since most plant milks separate right away. It looked like it was doing it, but as soon as I stirred it all smoothed out.

And guess what? It stayed that way! It didn’t separate at all over the 45 minutes I had it sitting. Huzzah!

Does it whip?

This answer is a little more complicated.

Yes, it whips. But not well. I used a cold bowl and cold beaters and cold whipping cream, and I added some pure powdered sugar since whipped cream should be a little sweet, but could only get it to very soft peaks. It would be perfect for dolloping over hot pie or fresh fruit. (Note: I was using my humble four-speed Kitchenaid hand mixer. Something more powerful may have been able to get to stiff peaks)

After mixing for a little more than five minutes on high speed, it started to separate – badly. Just like dairy whipping cream (which I guess could be considered a good thing? It’s like dairy except that I couldn’t get it to stiff peaks).

HOWEVER! I drained off the liquid “whey” (I poured the contents of the bowl into a fine mesh sieve and stirred it around with a rubber spatula, pouring out whey as I could) and whipped what was left AND IT WAS GLORIOUS. It was super stiff, fluffy, smooth, creamy, and delicious. I put some on my coffee and it was amazing.

The only issue here is that there is the faintest aftertaste of coconut since it’s concentrated, now. It isn’t bad though. I dislike coconut and it’s not enough to bother me. Other than that, it’s just like fresh dairy whipped cream!

So does it whip? Yes, no, yes.

As for the “whey”, I’m going to try using it as milk in a cake recipe. (Update: I ended up using it in my coffee as creamer and it was darn delicious)

It’s kind of disappointing that half of the whipping cream is going towards “whey”, but the quality of the concentrated whipped cream is high enough that I may just keep buying it for things like flavored butters.

Can I overwhip it?

Yes, yes you can. See the above paragraph. 😉

Does it stay whipped?

It will if you fridge or freeze it immediately. Within an hour, the room temp whipped cream was already super soft and melty. Because of this I don’t recommend trying to put it between cake layers unless the cake layers are absolutely frozen, going straight into the freezer, and going to be served while cold. To see the before and after freezing, check the paragraph below – but here is a before and after of the room temp whipped cream:

And here is a before and after of my refrigerated whipped cream, two hours between photos:

Does it freeze well?

After being whipped, YES! Here is a before and after photo of it being whipped, separated, and whipped again (as outlined above) as a small sample:

**I have a bit of un-whipped in the freezer overnight and I’ll test it in the morning and update here with results** I’ll also be testing homemade ice cream with it in the near future. (Update: it whipped up fantastically!)

Does it heat/cook well?

Oh, does it.

It’s a thing of beauty, y’all. Even if you have zero interest in trying to make whipped cream, you’ll love cooking with it! I made a five minute alfredo to test if it would 1) heat without curdling, and 2) tolerate an acid (lemon juice) being introduced and still hold up. It also has salt, and a handful of other seasonings for testing.

I’m happy to report that it passed with flying colors! And it was delicious. I’ll get the recipe up soon!

Does it curdle/separate?

In coffee it does not (YAY!) but it does while whipping after soft peaks. You’re safe to cook with it, though!

Is it everything I’ve been dreaming of?

Well, maybe not everything. I wish it whipped up stiffer right out of the carton, but apart from that I am super impressed! I’m having visions of all kinds of pasta sauces, flavored vegan butters, and of course – delicious coffee.

If you want whipped cream though, you’ll have to work for it and chill it right away. And if you don’t want to do all that work, I suggest trying my American meringue buttercream recipe and letting it whip for 15 or so minutes. You’ll get a light and silky faux whipped cream that’s much more stable than this one.

Overall, I think this is a quality product and I will definitely be purchasing it again. I hope that they can get rid of the cross contamination risks so more folks can enjoy it. Despite its shortcomings though, it’s exciting that we have things like this becoming commercially available, and I can’t wait for them to get better and better!

Meggan Leal

WHAT ARE MOTTLED MACARONS?

WHAT CAUSES MOTTLED MACARONS?

EXCESS OIL

OILY ALMOND FLOUR

ADDED OILS

OIL FROM YOUR EQUIPMENT

EXCESS MOISTURE

INCORRECT MEASURING

MERINGUE AND MIXING ISSUES

HEAT PROBLEMS

BAKING TIME

CHECK YOUR FILLINGS

MATURATION

TEN WAYS TO PREVENT MOTTLED MACARONS

Instructions

Notes

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Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Burning Bottoms

Macaron Pans

Macaron Mats

BONUS: Two More Things to Try

Pin For Later:

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Here are some of the reasons you’ll love this recipe:

Equipment Needed

Ingredients Needed

How to Make It:

How to Use It:

How to Store Leftover Vegan Cheese for Pizza:

Video to Make the Base Cheese Sauce:

Pin it For Later:

Printable Recipe Card:

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Ingredients

What ingredients are in this frosting??

I hate those ingredients! Can I just use your cream cheese frosting recipe??

Wait.. did you say warm it up?

Can I add anything to it?

How do I make it?

What do I dip into this magical vegan cheesecake dip?

Can I turn this into an actual cheesecake?

How can I make this vegan cheesecake dip healthier?

Please leave me alone so that I can go make it!

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Recipe:

Ingredients

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