According to database company Statista, there are approximately 600,000 vegans in the UK. That's a significant proportion of the population that doesn't eat meat, eggs, dairy products or other animal-derived substances. Luckily, plenty of vegan-friendly ingredients are now available in supermarkets and shops across the UK, meaning vegans can still enjoy as many tasty treats as everybody else.
To celebrate Veganuary - the annual event that encourages people to follow a vegan lifestyle throughout January - we've selected some vegan recipes for you to make at home and enjoy with a cup of coffee. Time to get your apron on!
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Moreish cookies that are easy to make and dairy-free? Don't mind if we do!
Ingredients
To make 10 vegan peanut butter cookies, you will need:
100g dairy-free margarine
100g caster sugar
2 tbsp vanilla paste
100g crunchy peanut butter
225g plain flour
3 tbsp roasted peanuts, split in half
Begin by beating the margarine, sugar and vanilla together until smooth, using a whisk, then mix in the flour and peanut butter until combined. Use your hands to bring the mixture together into a smooth dough. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
Next, roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it’s approximately 1cm thick. If the dough is very soft, pop it in the fridge until it firms up.
Finally, use a cookie cutter to cut circles out of the dough and place them on the lined baking tray. Press some peanut halves, cut side-up, into the tops, then bake for 12-15 mins. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve to family and friends as the perfect mid-morning accompaniment to a cup of coffee.
Cheesy Vegan Scones
Don't worry, it's not actually cheese - this recipe uses nutritional yeast, which makes an ideal alternative to the real thing.
Ingredients
To make 7 cheesy vegan scones, you will need:
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the tray
1 tsp white wine vinegar
250ml almond milk
1 cauliflower stalk (around 100g)
300g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp baking powder
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
¼ tsp mustard powder
¼ tsp smoked paprika
3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
vegan onion chutney
First, heat your oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and lightly oil a baking tray. Add the cauliflower stalk to a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 5 mins, then drain well, leave to cool and finely chop. While the cauliflower cools, mix the vinegar and almond milk and set aside.
Mix the flour, baking powder, nutritional yeast, spices, thyme leaves and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl, then add the cauliflower, oil and 230ml of the almond milk and vinegar mixture. Combine using a wooden spoon - adding extra almond milk if any dry mixture remains in the bowl - until you have a soft dough. Place the dough onto a floured work surface and pat to a thickness of 2-3cm. Use a cutter to cut out rounds and transfer to the baking tray.
Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10-12 mins until golden, then serve warm with the chutney.
Vegan Chocolate Cake
At Cafe2U, we're firm believers that nothing goes better with coffee than chocolate so, to ensure nobody has to miss out on this fabulous combination during Veganuary, we've got an incredible recipe that is guaranteed to scratch your chocolatey itch.
Ingredients
To make vegan chocolate cake, you will need:
dairy-free sunflower spread, for greasing
1 large ripe avocado (about 150g)
300g light muscovado sugar
350g gluten-free plain flour
50g good-quality cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
400ml unsweetened soya milk
150ml vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting, you will need:
85g ripe avocado flesh, mashed
85g dairy-free sunflower spread
200g dairy-free chocolate, 70% cocoa, broken into chunks
25g cocoa powder
125ml unsweetened soya milk
200g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
gluten-free and vegan sprinkles
To make the cake, heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3, then grease two 20cm sandwich tins with the dairy-free sunflower spread and line the bases with parchment paper. Put the avocado and muscovado sugar in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the plain flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, soya milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and ½ tsp fine salt and process again to a liquid batter.
Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 25 mins or until fully risen. Cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat together the avocado flesh and sunflower spread with electric beaters until smooth, then pass through a sieve and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a bowl of water (or in the microwave), then leave it to cool.
Sift the cocoa powder into a large bowl, then bring the unsweetened soya milk to a simmer and gradually beat into the cocoa until smooth. Cool for a few mins, then tip in the avocado mix, sifted icing sugar, melted chocolate and the vanilla extract and mix until shiny and thick. Use the frosting to sandwich and top the cake, then cover with the sprinkles, leave to set for 10 mins and serve.
Celebrate Veganuary with Cafe2U
At Cafe2U, we know that vegan treats are every bit as tasty as traditional bakes, which is why our mobile baristas offer a range of vegan options. Contact your nearest van and find out more here.