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Vegan Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding)

What is capirotada? Well, according to google it’s Mexican bread pudding, but that’s not quite right. It differs greatly from American bread pudding because it does not have a custard base. It is toasted bread soaked in a piloncillo, cinnamon, and clove syrup, then layered with bananas, peanuts, raisins and toasted coconut. Traditionally it contains cheese, but for the vegan version I have simply omitted it. Piloncillo is unrefined whole cane sugar, and it has a very unique flavor.

This recipe for vegan capirotada is toasted bread soaked in a piloncillo-cinnamon syrup layered with bananas, peanuts, raisins and coconut.

This vegan capirotada (Mexican bread pudding) screams it’s Friday in lent. I realize it’s Thursday, but you know how it is when you have three kids demanding every minute of your attention. The other thing you should now is that my husband hates this dessert. Maybe hate is too strong a word, let’s just say he dislikes it very much. Though, I know many of you would agree that this is a dessert Mexicans hold close to their hearts, because it most likely reminds us of a special person who would make it without fail during lent.

This recipe for vegan capirotada is toasted bread soaked in a piloncillo-cinnamon syrup layered with bananas, peanuts, raisins and coconut.

Easter is right around the corner, and I’ve kind of been procrastinating like I always do. Also this year Karina’s birthday is on Easter. Any ideas for a vegan Easter-birthday party menu?

This recipe for vegan capirotada is toasted bread soaked in a piloncillo-cinnamon syrup layered with bananas, peanuts, raisins and coconut.

The Recipe: Vegan Capirotada

  • You can refrigerate the leftovers and eat it hot or cold.
  • If you cannot find bolillos feel free to use a baguette instead.
  • Toast the bread very lightly.
  • Feel free to add vegan cheese if you like. Enjoy!

This recipe for vegan capirotada is toasted bread soaked in a piloncillo-cinnamon syrup layered with bananas, peanuts, raisins and coconut.

This recipe for vegan capirotada is toasted bread soaked in a piloncillo-cinnamon syrup layered with bananas, peanuts, raisins and coconut.
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Vegan Capirotada

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 5 Bolillos, large, stale, cut into 3/4 inch slices
  • 8 oz Piloncillo (1 cone)
  • ½ Ceylon Cinnamon stick
  • 4 cups Water
  • 2 Cloves, whole
  • 2 Bananas, sliced into rounds
  • ½ cup Raisins
  • ½ cup Roasted peanuts
  • ¼ cup Coconut, shredded, toasted, unsweetened
  • 2 tbsp. Sprinkles

Preparation

  1. Turn on oven broiler on high.
  2. Place sliced bread on a sheet tray and place under broiler 1 -2 min. or until bread is golden brown.
  3. Flip the pieces of bread over and repeat the process. Remove from oven and set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 350F
  5. In a small sauce pot, bring water, piloncillo, clove, and cinnamon to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and stir until the piloncillo has dissolved. Strain and place liquid back into the pot.
  6. Add the raisins, and ¼ cup of the roasted peanuts to the liquid and bring back up to a simmer. Take off heat and set aside.
  7. Line the bottom of an 8 X 8 square pan with a layer of bread. Pour ¼ of the liquid over the bread and cover with banana slices, raisins, and peanuts. Add another layer of bread and repeat the process. You should be able to fit 3 layers of bread.
  8. When the final layer of bread has been laid down, pour the remaining liquid on top and cover with banana slices, toasted coconut, ¼ cup of remaining peanuts, and some sprinkles.
  9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 min. or until syrup is absorbed. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 min. then serve

Chef's Notes

Refrigerate leftovers. Can be eaten hot or cold. If you cannot find bolillos use baguette or french bread.

 

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Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins (Fuss-Free Vegan)

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There’s nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you’re on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. The recipe is from Sam Turnbull’s new book Fuss-Free Vegan: 101 Everyday Comfort Food Favorites, Veganized. Sam is the girl behind the blog It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.

Fuss-free vegan cookbook

This is the perfect book for the new vegan. I wish it had been around when I started to make changes, but still craved my favorite comfort foods. In the beginning I was so hesitant to try to veganize things like pizza and burgers, because I knew it wouldn’t taste the same. It took me a long time to finally try it. I wish Sam’s book was around back then.

There's nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you're on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. They are so good!

The recipes, as the title suggests, are fuss-free. In other words, they are easy and require few ingredients. Some of my favorite recipes from the book, besides these vegan blueberry muffins, are the vegan mozzarella, the mushroom wellington, and the lasagna. Every recipe has a picture, which is very helpful, and it has a very thorough introduction to what you need in a vegan pantry and everyday kitchen tools. I would have liked to see more vegan Mexican recipes, but I guess that’s more my thing.

There's nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you're on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. They are so good!

What I really loved about the book was that it is unmistakably Sam’s. It’s bright and colorful, like I imagine she is, and you can tell she put a lot of hard work into it. She even made her own font!! I really recommend this book, especially if you’re just starting out. You won’t be disappointed.

The Recipe: Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins

The recipe is pretty straightforward, but I did successfully make these substituting:

  • the sugar with 1/2 cup of maple syrup (for those that are sugar free),
  • the oil for apple sauce (for those that are fat-free)
  • I did 1/2 AP flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour
  • You can substitute the blueberries for raspberries or blackberries if you wish.

Enjoy!

There's nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you're on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. They are so good!

There's nothing quite as effortless as popping a muffin in your purse for breakfast when you're on the go, and these easy vegan blueberry muffins are the perfect solution. They are so good!
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Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins

"Excerpted from Fuss Free Vegan: 101 Everyday Comfort Food Favorites, Veganized. Copyright © 2017 Samantha Turnbull. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.”
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 small muffins
200 kcal
Author Sam Turnbull

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup White sugar
  • 2 tsp. Baking powder
  • ½ tsp. Salt

Wet Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
  • ½ cup light oil (such as canola or vegetable oil)
  • 1 tbsp. Fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
US Customary - Metric

Preparation

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease the cups of a muffin pan or fill it with liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients except for the blueberries. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the blueberries and lightly fold them in, being careful not to overmix. It’s ok if there are lumps.
  4. For large bakery-style muffins, fill 8–9 muffin cups right to the top with batter, then bake for 18–22 minutes until lightly golden on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes
  5. out clean. For small muffins, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups and bake for 15–20 minutes, until lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan, then store them on a plate covered with a clean tea towel for 2 to 3 days. This will keep the muffins the best texture, but if you want them to last longer, store them in a large sealable bag in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)
Calories 200 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 14%
Sodium 101mg 4%
Potassium 109mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Sugars 13g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 0.1%
Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 5.7%
Iron 4.6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes, but all opinions and thoughts are my own.

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Orange and Anise Vegan Hojarascas (Polvorones)

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. In the US these are known as Mexican wedding cookies, and are dusted with powdered sugar. In northern Mexico, where I’m from, they are very popular during the Christmas season. You can see them displayed in panadería windows, and are often given as gifts.

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I This is the mother of all cookie recipes (cue angelic choir). It might just be one recipe, but you can make many different kinds of cookies, I made 3, apricot thumbprint cookies, hojarascas dusted with cinnamon sugar, and pecan hojarascas dusted with powdered sugar. On the other hand, if anise and orange isn’t your thing, you can add ground nuts, dried fruits, or even coat them in chocolate. Our favorite cookie out of the three was a small round one dusted in cinnamon-sugar.

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I

Now that we live in San Antonio visiting family is so much easier, and I am very happy to be spending Christmas in my childhood home. My mom goes all out on the Christmas decorations, and the kids are so excited about Santa coming and are counting down the days. We are making tamales tomorrow for Christmas eve, and are planning all sorts of games and activities for the children. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I

The Recipe: Orange and Anise Vegan Hojarascas

  • I used Earth Balance as a butter substitute, which is salted, so if you use salted butter omit the salt in the recipe.( I did try to make these with coconut oil, but I wasn’t a fan of the result.)
  • The recipe is so simple. You cream butter and sugar, then add the orange zest, anise, and vanilla extract.
  • You can add 1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans if you like nuts, then dust with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar depending on your preferences. ¡Enjoy!

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I

 

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. I
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Orange and Anise Vegan Hojarascas

These vegan hojarascas, also known as polvorones, are scented with ground anise and orange zest, and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 dozen
118 kcal
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 5 oz. (2/3 cup) Sugar, granulated
  • 12 oz. (1 ½ cups) Vegan butter, room temperature
  • 16 oz. (3 cups) Flour, all-purpose
  • 1 tsp. Ground anise seed
  • 1 tbsp. Orange zest
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Cinnamon-sugar:

  • 1 ¼ cups Cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp. Freshly ground cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Cream butter and sugar, in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.
  3. Add vanilla, orange zest, and ground anise. Mix.
  4. Slowly add flour, with mixer at low speed. Mix until well combined.
  5. Line 2 sheet-pans with parchment paper. Roll out dough on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick and cut into desired shapes (you can also roll dough into 1 inch balls and bake them that way).
  6. Place cut dough on sheet-tray, 1 inch apart from each other.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms become golden brown.
  8. Remove from oven. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, dust with cinnamon sugar.
  9. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Chef's Notes

You can add ¼ cup of finely chopped pecans to the dough if you like and eat nuts. You can also use this cookie dough recipe to make thumbprint cookies. Dust with powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar for a more Mexican wedding cookies look. 

Nutrition Facts
Orange and Anise Vegan Hojarascas
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 118 Calories from Fat 51
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5.7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%
Sodium 67.16mg 3%
Potassium 15.8mg 0%
Total Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Sugars 8g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 5%
Vitamin C 0.5%
Calcium 0.5%
Iron 2.75%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

 

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Almond Atole (Atole Almendrado)

I never liked atole as a child, probably because we would have those artificially flavored packets of Maizena atole. This almond atole is something completely different. Almond milk, ground almonds, cinnamon. piloncillo, and masa harina combine to make this a warm, comforting, and sweet beverage.

Atole is a drink from pre-hispanic times that can be sweet or savory depending on the region in Mexico where you are. It was drank by the indigenous people of Mexico for breakfast or sometimes as a meal in itself. It was also used for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. Traditionally, it is made by dissolving ground dried corn in milk or water, and adding fruits or different flavorings to it. It is available all year, but is especially popular in the winter months.

Currently, atole is also made with cornstarch, rice flour, oat flour, or barley. Its consistency ranges from thin and milky, to very thick.  It is drank on special occasions like the Day of the Dead, Christmas, baptism, first communions, weddings, and feast days. Tamales and atole is classic pairing and one you should definitely try.

While doing research on atole I happened to find that almond atole is a favorite of my home state, Coahuila. I had never tried it before, so I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was, and nothing like the packaged version of atole that you can find at Mexican grocery stores. Like always, I made way too much of it, and saved what we didn’t drink in the fridge. The next day I served it to the kids for breakfast, almost like a porridge, and they ate it all up.

The Recipe: Almond Atole (Atole Almendrado)

I have used masa harina or maseca for this recipe. but if you have access to fresh masa I would recommend you use that instead. You can buy fresh masa at some tortillerias or Mexican groceries. Also make sure the cinnamon stick is a true ceylon cinnamon (also known as Mexican cinnamon). You can use whatever sweetener you like, I used piloncillo, but brown sugar would also work well. I haven’t made this recipe too sweet, so feel free to sweeten it up. ¡Enjoy!

This almond atole combines almond milk, ground almonds, cinnamon. piloncillo, and masa harina to make a warm, comforting, and sweet beverage.
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Almond Atole (Atole Almendrado)

This almond atole combines almond milk, ground almonds, cinnamon. piloncillo, and masa harina to make a warm, comforting, and sweet beverage
Total Time 25 minutes
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups Almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1 stick Ceylon cinnamon
  • 1 cup Masa harina, maseca
  • 1 ½ cups Raw Almonds or (1 2/3 cup almond meal)
  • ½-3/4 cup Piloncillo, brown sugar or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Heat almond milk in a medium sauce pot, bring to a simmer.
  2. While the milk comes to a simmer, grind the almonds in your blender until they resemble a powder. Set aside.
  3. Dissolve the masa harina in a little bit of water.
  4. Add the masa harina to the almond milk, and mix well.
  5. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
  6. Add the ground almonds, cinnamon, and piloncillo to the saucepot. Simmer at very low heat for 15 minutes. Stir well.
  7. Serve hot. As it cools it will thicken, so add more almond milk if necessary.

Chef's Notes

I have used masa harina or maseca for this recipe. but if you have access to fresh masa I would recommend you use that instead. Also make sure the cinnamon stick is a true ceylon cinnamon (also known as Mexican cinnamon). You can use whatever sweetener you like, I used piloncillo, but brown sugar would also work well.

 

 

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Vegan Chocolate and Amaranth Skulls

The Day of the Dead is a celebration of life, and a mocking of death and the power it holds over us. The indigenous people of Mexico believed that death was not an end, but a passageway to another life. El Día de los Muertos is a homecoming festival, where we receive our loved ones with open arms, and party like only Mexicans now how to, with food, color, music, and dance.

 

Altars are used to honor those that have departed, and there are many traditional elements that must come together to create an altar worthy of our ancestors. One of these elements are candy skulls.The use of sugar or amaranth skulls can be traced back to pre-hispanic times, and historians believe that human blood might have been used to form the amaranth skulls. Today you can find colorfully decorated skulls made out of sugar, honey and amaranth, and chocolate and amaranth.

Over the years I have slowly found ways to veganize some of our food traditions. We have made vegan pan de muerto, sugar skulls, and candied pumpkin. This year we made vegan chocolate and amaranth skulls, which are decorated with colorful royal icing, are very easy to do, and are quite delicious! Unlike the sugar skulls which are used mostly for decorations, these are meant to be eaten.

To make these you will need a skull mold, vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, and popped amaranth. You can pop the amaranth yourself, or you can buy it already popped. I found mine at a Mexican candy store and ended up buying way too much! The chocolate takes about 30 minutes to set, and they hold for up to 3 days if you store in an air tight container.

The Recipe: Vegan Chocolate and Amaranth Skulls

For the vegan chocolate you can use the enjoy life brand which is certified vegan or Guittards, if none of those are available in your area, there are other options. I bought my skull molds on mexicansugarskulls.com. Enjoy!

Vegan chocolate and amaranth skulls for the day of the dead with colorful royal icing, very easy to do, and are quite delicious!
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Vegan Chocolate and Amaranth Skulls

Vegan chocolate and amaranth skulls for the day of the dead with colorful royal icing, very easy to do, and are quite delicious! 
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 large skulls (front only)
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Vegan Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 1/4 cups Popped amaranth

Royal Icing

  • 3 floz. Aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp.)
  • 4-5 cups Powdered sugar
  • 4 Food coloring of choice

Equipment

  • 1 Skull mold
  • 4 Pieces of cardboard (4.5 X 4.5 inches)
  • 4 Disposable piping bags

Preparation

  1. Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl and melt over a double boiler until all the chocolate has melted. You can also melt it in 30 sec. intervals in the microwave, making sure to stir between each interval.

  2. Pour popped amaranth into the bowl with the chocolate and mix well. with a wooden spoon, to incorporate.

  3. Wet the mold a little bit with a moistened paper towel and press the amaranth chocolate mix into the mold. 

  4. Press the cardboard square against the mold and flip the mold, to have the skull facing you. Lift the mold, and carefully place the cardboard with the skull on it on a sheet tray.

  5. Repeat this process with the rest of the mix. Let chocolate set for 30 min.

Royal Icing

  1. While de chocolate is setting, in a large bowl, lightly beat the aquafaba until it starts to bubble. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar and mix well. Test the consistency of the icing on a plate. It should be thick enough that it doesn’t slide down the plate easily. If it seems too thin, add 1 more cup of powdered sugar. The consistency should be considerably thicker than the icing used to decorate cookies.

  2. Separate the icing into 4 small bowls. Add your food coloring of choice and mix well.
  3. Pour each bowl of icing into a disposable piping bag. Secure with a rubber band, and cut a tiny bit off of the tip of the bag. Test the amount of icing that comes out before decorating your skull.

  4. Decorate your skull however you desire. The icing will take about 30 min. to set.

Chef's Notes

For the vegan chocolate you can use the enjoy life brand which is certified vegan or Guittards, if none of those are available in your area, there are other options. I bought my skull molds on mexicansugarskulls.com.

You can pop the amaranth yourself, or you can buy it already popped.

 

 

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Day of the Dead Vegan Sugar Skulls

Things are getting busy around here. Halloween is right around the corner, and so is the Day of the Dead. This has become one of our favorite family traditions, and so every year we make vegan sugar skulls, and pan de muerto for our altar. The skulls are very easy to do, and the kids really enjoy making them (the adults do too!)

Making vegan sugar skulls for the Day of the Dead is one of our favorite family traditions. The kids love it, and the adults too!!!

Last year I perfected the recipe for the vegan version of the sugar skulls, and I couldn’t be happier. Usually, the preparation requires meringue powder or egg whites, but I am using aquafaba with great results. It is definitely more affordable than using meringue powder, and you can make hummus with the chickpeas.

Making vegan sugar skulls for the Day of the Dead is one of our favorite family traditions. The kids love it, and the adults too!!!

This year I have been very conflicted. As you probably already know, el Día de los Muertos is going mainstream. I don’t know how I feel about that. A part of me is excited that more people can get to know Mexican culture, but another part of me wants to scream, ” No, this is cultural appropriation!” I don’t know, what do you think? I guess all I can do, is do my part in helping others understand the beauty of the tradition. Last year I invited some friends over to make the sugar skulls, and then we read the book The Day of the Dead by Bob Barner.

Ok, so let’s get down to business. I recorded a small video for you with the whole process.

The Recipe: Day of the Dead Vegan Sugar Skulls

We don’t usually eat the sugar skulls, but you can if you want to. We use them for decoration. I purchased my molds from mexicansugarskulls.com, way back when nobody else was selling them, but now you can easily find them on Amazon. If you live in a humid climate the sugar skulls will take longer to dry, and you will most likely have to add less aquafaba.

Making vegan sugar skulls for the Day of the Dead is one of our favorite family traditions. The kids love it, and the adults too!!!

Making vegan sugar skulls for the Day of the Dead is one of our favorite family traditions. The kids love it, and the adults too!!!
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Day of the Dead Vegan Sugar Skulls

Total Time 2 days
Servings 5 people
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

Skulls:

  • 6 cups Sugar, granulated
  • 4 tbsp. Aquafaba, (liquid from can of chickpeas)

Royal Icing:

  • 3 floz. (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp.) Aquafaba
  • 4-5 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 4 Food coloring of choice

Equipment:

  • 2 Sugar skull molds- front and back
  • 5 Card board squares 4.5 X 4.5 inches
  • 4 Disposable pastry bags
  • Sequins

Preparation

Sugar Skulls

  1. In a large bowl, lightly beat the aquafaba until it starts to bubble.
  2. Pour in the sugar, and use your hand to mix well and incorporate the sugar and the aquafaba. It should have the consistency of wet sand, almost like you are going to build a sand castle.
  3. Make sure your mold is clean and dry. Press the sugar mix into the mold. Use a spoon to scoop out some of the sugar from the back of the skull. This will make the skull less heavy.
  4. Press the cardboard square against the mold and flip the mold, to have the skull facing you. Lift the mold, and carefully place the cardboard with the skull on it on a sheet tray.
  5. Repeat this process with the rest of the sugar. If you want to make a complete sugar skull use both the skull molds.
  6. Leave to dry for at least 24 hours.

Royal Icing

  1. The next day, in a large bowl, lightly beat the aquafaba until it starts to bubble. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar and mix well. Test the consistency of the icing on a plate. It should be thick enough that it doesn’t slide down the plate easily. If it seems too thin, add 1 more cup of powdered sugar. The consistency should be considerably thicker than the icing used to decorate cookies.

  2. Separate the icing into 4 small bowls. Add your food coloring of choice and mix well.
  3. Pour each bowl of icing into a disposable piping bag. Secure with a rubber band, and cut a tiny bit off of the tip of the bag. Test the amount of icing that comes out before decorating your skull.
  4. Decorate your skull however you desire. I like to use sequins for the eyes. Let dry 24 hours.

Making a complete skull

  1. If you are making complete skulls, leave some of the royal icing white, and use it to glue the front and back of the skull, after it has dried for the initial 24 hours. After you have glued it together, let dry a bit before decorating it.

Chef's Notes

If you live in a humid climate the sugar skulls will take longer to dry, and you will most likely have to add less aquafaba. The longer you let the skulls dry the better. The sugar skulls are not meant to be eaten. They are for decoration. Royal icing recipe adapted from The Blenderist.

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Creamy Banana Pecan Paletas

Sometimes all you want on a blistering hot day is creamy banana pecan paletas. These banana popsicles have only 3 ingredients. are vegan, super easy to make, have no refined sugar, and are so deliciously creamy you will keep coming back for more.

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!

This year I’m participating in #paletaweek hosted by Lola’s Cocina, which is a Mexican recipe blog. It is not vegan, but Lola has a huge selection of agua fresca and paleta recipes that are almost all vegan. There are so many possibilities with paletas, the options are endless. Paletas in Mexico are usually made with fresh fruits that are in season. The paletas themselves have tons of fruit pieces and are just the right amount of sweet. Vendors sell them on the street in small refrigerated carts, and the flavors can range from classic strawberry to the unconventional sweet corn flavor.  My absolute favorite is coconut, and in second place mango con chamoy.

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!

One of my favorite ice creams is butter pecan or just plain pecan. When I set out to make these paletas I wanted them to be pecan flavored, but I didn’t want to add a ton of refined sugar to them. So I decided to use bananas instead of a plant-milk. The result surpassed my expectations! The banana gives this paleta its sweetness, but at the same time the pecan flavor doesn’t get lost in the mix. The heat here in San Antonio has been pretty intense, and testing these paletas several times this week definitely made things better.

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!

The Recipe: Creamy Banana Pecan Paletas

Make sure you freeze the bananas before hand, otherwise your paletas will turn a sad grayish-brown color. Feel free to add a bit more almond milk if your blender is having trouble processing the bananas. You can also roast the pecans in the oven for a more intense pecan flavor.

 

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!
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Creamy Banana Pecan Paletas

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 Paletas

Ingredients

  • 5 Bananas, ripe, peeled, cut into rounds, and frozen overnight
  • 1/2 cup Almond milk, vanilla, unsweetened
  • 1/3 cup Chopped pecans

Preparation

  1. Freeze peeled and cut bananas overnight in a Ziploc bag.

  2. The following day place the bananas and almond milk in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

  3. If the mixture is too thick you can add some more almond milk. 

  4. You must work quickly otherwise your bananas will start to turn brown.

  5. Pour the banana-almond milk mixture into a cold bowl. 

  6. Add half of the chopped pecans and mix well with a spatula. 

  7. Scoop the banana mixture into your popsicle molds and top with a generous sprinkle of chopped pecans.

  8. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze overnight. 

Chef's Notes

Make sure you freeze the bananas before hand, otherwise your paletas will turn a sad grayish-brown color. Feel free to add a bit more almond milk if your blender is having trouble processing the bananas. You can also roast the pecans in the oven for a more intense pecan flavor.

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Vegan Tequila Truffles

Hola! I am Jeni from the blog Thyme & Love and I am so excited to be writing a guest post here on Dora’s Table! Before I share my recipe for these delicious and easy Vegan Tequila Truffles, I thought that I would give a little background about myself and my recipe inspiration.

These Vegan Tequila Truffles are rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple. They are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.

I first discovered authentic Mexican food when I started dating my Husband Hector, who is from Mexico City. I immediately feel in love with the cuisine and culture of Mexico. I grew up in the Midwest and ate a pretty typical American diet. There wasn’t much variety and we never had true authentic Mexican food. I learned a few recipes and the basics of Mexican cuisine from Hector’s Mom Adela. Since I was already Vegan when I met Hector I began to research Mexican recipes that were naturally Vegan or that could easily be made Vegan.

 

These Vegan Tequila Truffles are rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple. They are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.

I love traveling to Mexico as much as I can, especially to Mexico City. It is the first place that I visited in Mexico and it holds a special place in my heart. After Hector and I got married, we decided to move to Mexico City for awhile. It was one of the greatest experience of my life. On my blog, you’ll find that many of my recipes are inspired by Mexico.

Now, let’s talk about these Vegan Tequila Truffles. When Dora asked me to share a holiday recipe with you, I immediately knew that I wanted to share a Mexican inspired truffle recipe. Truffles are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.

These Vegan Tequila Truffles are rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple. They are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.

The Recipe: Vegan Tequila Truffles

The truffles start by melting dark chocolate in warmed coconut milk. You want to look for chocolate that is at least 70% cacao. After most of the chocolate has melted, the rich ganache is infused with Mexican vanilla and tequila. It is completely optional but for a little kick add chili powder to the ganache. I like to use guajillo chili powder.

After chilling the fridge for a few hours, the truffles are rolled into balls and then coated in cocoa powder.

You’ll find these Vegan Tequila Truffles to be rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple.

These Vegan Tequila Truffles are rich, creamy, chocolaty and simple. They are easy to make and perfect for the holiday season.
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Vegan Tequila Truffles

Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Author Jeni Hernandez

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Coconut milk, full fat
  • 12 oz. Vegan Dark Chocolate at least 70% Cacao, finely chopped
  • 1 pinch Sea Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Mexican Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tbsp. Tequila
  • ¼-½ tsp. Chili Powder, optional
  • 1/4 cup Cocoa powder, for dusting

Preparation

  1. In a medium saucepan heat the the coconut milk over medium heat. When the milk comes to a low boil add the chopped chocolate and continually stir until about ¾ of the chocolate has melted. Turn off the heat and add the pinch of salt, vanilla, tequila and chili powder if using. Keep stirring until all of the chocolate has melted. 

  2. Pour the chocolate into a loaf pan or shallow dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the chocolate is almost solid. If the chocolate is still wet in some spots continue chilling until firm. 

  3. Once the chocolate is chilled and firm, prepare a dish with the cocoa powder for rolling. Use a tablespoon sized scoop to scoop out small balls; I like to use a cookie scoop. Scoop out the tablespoon size balls then gently use your hands to roll into a round ball shape. Toss in cocoa powder to coat and shake off the excess. Transfer to a cookie sheet or pan lined with wax paper. Continue until all the chocolate has been scooped out. Depending on the size of the scoop, you should get about 14-16 truffles. 

  4. Enjoy the truffles right away or store in a tightly covered container in the fridge. Let the truffles come up to room temperature before serving, about 10-15 minutes. 

Chef's Notes

It is completely optional but for a little kick add chili powder to the ganache. I like to use guajillo chili powder.

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The Best Vegan Marranitos

I have done it! After three failed attempts, here is the best vegan marranitos (Mexican piggy cookies) recipe ever. Ok, I might be a little too excited about this one, but hear me out. This is my favorite pan dulce, you can ask any of my family members, and they will be sure to tell you I have eaten many marranitos in my life! A marranito is a Mexican pastry shaped like a piggy. It can be soft like a sweet bread or more on the hard side like a cookie. This version is more like a pastry than a cookie. It is made with a combination of whole wheat and white flour and infused with a piloncillo, star anise, clove, and cinnamon syrup.

Here is the best vegan marranito (Mexican piggy cookies) recipe ever. They are infused with piloncillo, star anise, clove, and cinnamon.

It took me so long to get the recipe right because I wanted it to be low-fat. I tried substituting the fat with beans and the result was as weird as it sounds. Then I tried substituting the fat with apple sauce and added a flax-egg, which was a big mistake because they turned out super gummy. I finally gave up and went with the apple sauce and 2 tbsp. of oil. I am pretty happy with the result. They taste just as they should, so much so, that the kids ate them so fast I hardly had time to photograph them. We dunked them in the thickest Mexican hot chocolate.

Here is the best vegan marranitos (Mexican piggy cookies) recipe ever. They are infused with piloncillo, star anise, clove, and cinnamon.

School starts this week in Hawaii and we are not ready for summer to end. After many weeks of deliberation we have decided to homeschool. We did not make this decision lightly, but I think this is the best choice for us right now. I am terrified and hopeful at the same time. We are getting everything set up and we should be ready to go in the next few weeks. The good thing is that we still have a lot of Hawaii to explore, so that will keep us very busy.

Here is the best vegan marranitos (Mexican piggy cookies) recipe ever. They are infused with piloncillo, star anise, clove, and cinnamon.

The Recipe: The Best Vegan Marranitos

I recommend eating the marranitos while they are still warm out of the oven and dunking them in hot chocolate or coffee. If you would like to make these with fat you can substitute the amount of apple sauce with vegan butter or coconut oil. Enjoy!

Here is the best vegan marranitos (Mexican piggy cookies) recipe ever. They are infused with piloncillo, star anise, clove, and cinnamon.

Here is the best vegan marranito (Mexican piggy cookies) recipe ever. They are infused with piloncillo, star anise, clove, and cinnamon.
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Marranitos

Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 8 large marranitos
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Water
  • 3/4 cup Piloncillo, 4.5 oz
  • 2 Cloves, whole
  • 1 stick Mexican cinnamon
  • 1 Star anise
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp. Flour, all-purpose
  • 1 cup Flour, whole wheat
  • 1 tsp. Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt kosher
  • 1/2 cup Apple sauce
  • 2 tbsp. Vegetable oil

Preparation

  1. Place water, piloncillo, cinnamon, clove, and star anise in a medium sauce pot set to medium heat. Simmer slowly and stir until the piloncillo dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat and all purpose flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Strain the piloncillo syrup into a medium bowl. Add the apple sauce and oil and mix well.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough begin to comes together.
  5. Use your hands to incorporate the dough together and form a ball. The dough will be on the wet side.
  6. Cover in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour or in the freezer for 30 min.
  7. Preheat oven to 350F.
  8. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.
  9. Use a large pig shaped cookie cutter to cut out the dough and place them on a parchment lined sheet tray.
  10. Reform the dough scraps into a ball and roll out again to cut out more marranitos. Repeat this process until you cannot cut out any more.
  11. Bake for 15 minutes or until the marranitos are golden brown on the bottom.
  12. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Chef's Notes

These are best eaten warm out the oven or dunked in hot chocolate or coffee. If you would like to make these with fat substitute the apple sauce with vegan butter or coconut oil.

 

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Corn Paletas

Corn Paletas? What kind of weird sorcery is this? When you think about it a little bit, it makes total sense. We tend to associate corn with savory, but what about corn muffins and corn bread. Corn can also be sweet. Corn is sweet, so why not make paletas out of it.

I didn’t come up with this myself though. Corn is a common flavor in the paleterias of Michoacan and Central Mexico, where you can find ice cream as well as paletas. The first time I had one I was a little thrown off by the visible chunks of corn, but the flavor won me out at the end. Kind of like the first time I had Korean shaved ice with sweet red beans. You will have to make them in order to decide whether you like them or not. One of my kids loved them, and the other hated them.

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat. They are super easy to make.

Cooking Mexican food in Hawaii hasn’t been to difficult. I have been able to find most of what I need at the regular grocery store, but dried chiles eluded me. I had to drive 40 minutes to the one Mexican grocery store in all of Oahu to find them. It turned out to be a little hole in the wall shop, and it became instantly smaller as soon as I brought my two kids in there. They were touching everything and running around like the crazy kids that they are. The lady, who I assume was the owner, was very nice, but I could tell she was worried about her livelihood with my kids in there. I picked up some dry chiles, spices, and some Mexican candy and ran out as quick as I could. It was a hot sticky day, so I bought two Jumex juices for the kids and we sat outside the shop to drink them. What is your favorite paleta flavor?

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat. They are super easy to make.

The Recipe: Corn Paletas

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat, and they are super easy to make. I used almond milk to make these paletas, but you can use coconut milk for a more decadent version. If this is your first time making these I would recommend pureeing the mixture until it is completely smooth and straining it. Once you decide if you like them or not you can play around with the texture. Enjoy!

 

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat. They are super easy to make.

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat. They are super easy to make.
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Corn Paletas

Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 10 paletas
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Corn kernels fresh (about 4 ears)
  • 3 cups Almond milk
  • 3/4 cup Sugar, granulated, or other vegan sweetener
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Place corn, almond milk, and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once it simmers, turn the heat off and take off the stove.
  2. Let cool to room temperature.
  3. Place mixture in the blender, add vanilla, and process until smooth. (You can leave chunky if that is your preference.)
  4. Straining the mixture is completely optional.
  5. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 5 hours.

Chef's Notes

If you are using popsicle molds without an insert, refrigerate popsicles for 45 min. then insert wooden popsicle sticks. You can use coconut milk for a more decadent version. If this is your first time making these I would recommend pureeing the mixture until it is completely smooth and straining it. Once you decide if you like them or not you can play around with the texture.

 

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