If you're dairy-free or eat a mostly plant-based diet, adapting a traditional recipe to make it vegan is so easy.
Most can be ‘‘vegan-ised’' by using plant-based milk instead of dairy milk, dairy-free butter or coconut oil instead of butter and flax or chia ‘‘egg’’ instead of egg.
Most of these recipes can be gluten-free with a few subs, too.
Coconut condensed milk can be found at most supermarkets, in the alternative milks aisle.
Vegan citrus slice
Base
500g Arnott’s Nice biscuits crushed
250g dairy-free butter (Olivani or Nuttlex work)
1 tin coconut or oat condensed milk
1 ½ cups desiccated coconut
1 packet mixed peel
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
Icing
3 cups icing sugar sifted
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Method
1) Mix all base ingredients together till well combined and press into a greased and lined 20cm square cake tin. Allow to set in the fridge for at least an hour.
2) To make the icing, mix together icing sugar and lemon juice till a thick icing is formed and pour over the base. Let icing set before cutting.
- For gluten-free use gluten-free biscuits and coconut condensed milk.
- Arnott’s Nice biscuits are dairy and egg free but you can use any vegan plain biscuit you like.
Vegan magic 7 layer slice
150g Arnott's Nice biscuits
100g dairy-free butter, melted
1 tin coconut or oat condensed milk
1 cup walnuts
1 cup glace cherries
½cup dried cranberries
1 cup chocolate chunks
¾ cup oreo crumbs
¾ cup shredded coconut
Method
1) Preheat oven to 180degC. Grease and line a 20cm square tin.
2) Melt butter and add to the bottom of the cake tin. Next sprinkle crushed biscuit crumbs and press down into melted butter.
3) In even layers sprinkle over half the chocolate, walnuts, glace cherries, dried cranberries, oreo crumbs and the remaining chocolate then pour over a whole tin of condensed milk.
4) Bake 20 minutes till golden and blistered on top. Cool in fridge at least 1 hour before cutting
and serving.
- For gluten-free use gluten-free biscuits and coconut condensed milk
Vegan caramel slice
Base
1 cup flour
½ cup cocoa, sifted
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ cups desiccated coconut
¾ cup brown sugar
150g butter, melted
Caramel
30g butter
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1 can coconut or oat condensed milk
Topping
1x 250g block Whittaker’s 72% chocolate
1 Tbsp dairy-free butter
Method
1) Preheat oven to 180degC. Mix base ingredients until combined and press into a greased and lined square cake tin. Bake 10 minutes till just starting to brown on the very edges.
2) In a medium saucepan add butter, golden syrup and condensed milk. Stir consistently on a medium heat for 8 minutes, making sure it does not catch on the bottom.
3) Pour caramel on to biscuit base and bake 10 minutes till golden brown and blistered. Cool.
4) Once cooled, melt chocolate and butter together and pour on top of caramel. Wait till chocolate is set then slice and enjoy!
- For gluten-free use 1 cup gluten-free flour, ½ cup rice flour and coconut condensed milk
Vegan choc chunk apricot oat biscuits
150g dairy-free butter
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp golden syrup
1 cup flour
1 tsp bp
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1 ½ cup whole oats
1 cup Whittaker’s 72% chocolate cut into chunks
¾ cup diced dried apricots
Method:
1) Preheat oven to 180degC.
2) Cream dairy-free butter and sugar together then add golden syrup and combine.
3) Sift dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture with the oats till combined.
4) Stir through dried apricots and chocolate chunks.
5) Bake for 15 minutes till golden brown cool and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
