Recipes For Vegans Who Want To Make Their Valentine a Chocolatey Treat!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and so it is time for you to decide what you want to do for your lovely partner. It is a special occasion that is often filled with chocolate treats and being vegan doesn’t have to change that.

We have found 3 delicious chocolatey treats for you to make that will have your partner falling in love with you all over again.

We hope you enjoy!

TAHINI-STUFFED DATES (AKA TAHINI BOMBS!)

Prep time
25 mins

Cook time
5 mins

Total time
30 mins

A decadent yet healthy 30-minute vegan dessert! Fresh dates stuffed with tahini, dipped in DIY 4-ingredient chocolate, and sprinkled with coconut and sesame seeds.

Author: Minimalist Baker
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Serves: 25

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE*

• 1 1/4 cup (~210 g) finely chopped cocoa butter*
• 2 heaping Tbsp (40 ml) coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
• 1 cup (96 g) cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder

DATES

• 25 medjool dates
• 4 Tbsp (60 g) tahini, divided (from raw or roasted sesame seeds)
• Pinch sea salt
• 2 Tbsp (10 g) unsweetened desiccated coconut flake or sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling simmer over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium and set a medium glass or ceramic mixing bowl on top, making sure it’s not touching the water (this creates a “double boiler”).
2. To the mixing bowl, add finely chopped cocoa butter and coconut oil and let melt, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or whisk — about 2–3 minutes.
3. Once melted, carefully remove bowl from heat (turn off stove top) and add the maple syrup and cacao or cocoa powder. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to mix until fluid and thoroughly combined.
4. Taste and adjust flavor as needed. I added about 2 Tablespoons maple syrup total, but it’s completely up to how sweet you prefer your chocolate.
5. Because the chocolate is quite thin at this point, set in the refrigerator to chill and slightly thicken and make dipping the dates easier — about 15–20 minutes total, removing to stir/whisk occasionally. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s more like pourable hot fudge than melted coconut oil.
6. Next, carefully remove pits from dates and be careful to keep one side of the date intact, as opposed to splitting it into two separate pieces. You’re trying to create a small crevice in the date (see photo) so it’s easy to add/contain the tahini. Once pitted, fill with tahini — about 1/2–1 tsp depending on size of date.
7. Add dates to a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop in freezer to chill while chocolate thickens.
8. Once chocolate has thickened (if it got too thick, briefly microwave or set back over the double boiler to thin), add one date at a time and flip with a slotted spoon or fork to fully coat, then tap off any excess chocolate. Set back on the parchment baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with a little sea salt and either sesame seeds or coconut. Repeat until all dates are coated.
9. Enjoy immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for 1 month. Let come to room temperature before enjoying for best flavor/texture.

Notes

• If you don’t have cocoa butter, simply sub all of the ingredients for 1 1/4 cup (150 g) chopped dark vegan chocolate + 1 Tbsp (15 g) coconut oil and melt in the microwave in 30 second increments or over a double boiler on the stovetop. No need to refrigerate — it will already be thick enough for dipping as is.

HEALTHY VEGAN FUDGE (30 MINUTES!)

Prep time
30 mins

Total time
30 mins

Easy vegan fudge made healthy with a base of coconut, nut butter, and cacao powder. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and dates, and intensely chocolaty thanks to melted cocoa butter and cacao powder. The ultimate rich, vegan-friendly fudge.

Author: Minimalist Baker
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free

Serves: 21

Ingredients

• 2 cups (170 g) unsweetened desiccated coconut (finely shredded)
• 1/2 cup (128 g) creamy nut butter (i.e. cashew butter, peanut butter*, or almond butter)
• 1/4 cup (55 g) melted cocoa butter*
• Heaping 1/3 cup (38 g) cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2–3 fresh (14–21 g) pitted dates*, chopped (medjool is best, or sub more maple syrup)
• optional: 3 Tbsp (15 g) cacao nibs for topping

Instructions

1. Line a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Add coconut to a food processor and mix until a creamy “butter” or liquidy paste is formed — about 4 minutes — scraping down sides as needed.
3. Next, add nut butter, melted cocoa butter, cacao powder, maple syrup, sea salt, and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined, scraping down sides as needed.
4. Lastly, add chopped (pitted) dates and mix once more to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more vanilla for vanilla flavor, cacao powder for chocolate flavor, maple syrup for sweetness, or nut butter for nuttiness.
5. If the mixture appears too thick, simply thin with a bit more maple syrup or melted cocoa butter! It should be semi-thick but pourable (see photo).
6. Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Then top with cacao nibs (optional). Loosely cover with plastic wrap or another sheet of parchment paper and freeze until firm to the touch — about 15–20 minutes.
7. Remove from freezer and cut into 21 even squares (or desired number). Enjoy immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month. Best enjoyed at room temperature.

Notes

*I like peanut butter the best!
*If you can’t find or don’t have cocoa butter, it can be omitted.
*Don’t add more than 2–3 dates total, as they can make the fudge seize up and get too thick. If you need more sweetness at that point, sweeten with stevia or maple syrup)
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 21 slices.

1-BOWL VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Total time
45 mins

1-bowl vegan chocolate cake made in less than 1 hour with simple ingredients. A 2-layer buttercream-frosted cake that’s moist, fluffy, and rich with chocolate flavor.

Author: Minimalist Baker
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 10

Ingredients

CAKE

• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) original unsweetened Almond Breeze Almond Milk
• 2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups (307 g) unsweetened applesauce*
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) strong brewed coffee (or sub more almond milk)
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) melted coconut oil, or sub grape seed or canola oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups + 2 Tbsp (320 g) whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups (266 g) organic cane sugar (or sub granulated sugar)
• 1 cup (96 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

FROSTING

• 1 cup (16 Tbsp or 224 g) vegan butter, softened
• 2 1/2–3 cups (280–336 g) powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup (30 g) dairy-free semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ~1/4 cup unsweetened original Almond Breeze Almond Milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and lightly spray 2 8-inch round cake pans or 1 large rectangular pan with nonstick spray (see notes for cooking times for different size pans). Dust with cocoa powder, shake out the excess and set aside.
2. Mix the almond milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl, and let set for a few minutes to activate. Add the oil, coffee, vanilla extract, and applesauce and beat until foamy.
3. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift over the wet ingredients while mixing with a hand-held or standing mixer. If you don’t have a sifter, simply mix dry ingredients in another bowl and add to the wet mixture while beating. Beat until no large lumps remain. It should be creamy and pourable. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed, adding more sugar if desired (I found it plenty sweet).
4. Divide batter evenly between your 2 cake pans or rectangular pan.
5. Bake 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
6. While cooling, prepare frosting by beating together all ingredients until light and fluffy, adding the powdered sugar in small amounts until you reach your desired consistency and sweetness. If it becomes too thick, add more almond milk. If it’s too thin, add more cocoa powder or powdered sugar.
7. Once the cake is cooled, frost generously with buttercream frosting, adding a thick layer between the top and bottom layers (if doing a 2-layer cake). Alternatively, omit the frosting and dust with cocoa powder.
8. Serve with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate, or caramel sauce, coconut whipped cream or a glass of almond milk!

Notes

• I tested butternut squash puree in the original recipe and it made it a bit too dense for my liking. Applesauce was perfect, which is why I highly recommend it over other purees.
  *Double the recipe and use 4 pans for a 4-layer cake. Halve the recipe and use 1 pan for a 1-layer cake.
  *Adapted from my Fudgy Vegan Beet Cupcakes
  *Buttercream adapted from Martha Stewart
  *Confused on how long to bake your cake when using different pans? Here’s a helpful guide.

We hope that you and your partner enjoy these delicious Vegan treats and would love to hear from you about how it turned out.

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