Author: Hannah Kaminsky

Hannah is the author of My Sweet Vegan, Vegan Desserts, and Vegan a la Mode. She is a professional photographer, food stylist and recipe creator. Hannah blogs many of her crafts, photos, and food creations at Bittersweet.

There is never a bad time for carrot cake, as far as I’m concerned, but something about the gentle sunshine, fresh air, and renewed hints of warmth particularly call for this earthy sweet treat. Cream cheese frosting, slathered with abandon in thick, creamy flourishes is the topping de rigueur, but for the tender beginnings of spring, the more delicate, if no less rich, finishing touch on this carrot crumb cake makes for a more contemporary approach. Incorporating the very best part of another garden party favorite, the venerable coffee cake, a nutty almond-infused topping crowns this tender orange-hued carrot crumb…

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As Valentine’s Day approaches, love is in the air – along with a certain degree of panic. No matter how predictably it falls on the calendar every single year, rooted to the same date of February 14th, it always seems to sneak up on romantics nationwide. Even the most prepared love-struck partners have been known to struggle with the deadline, since life has been known to intrude at the most inopportune times. No matter the time constraints, rekindle genuine romance at the drop of a hat by pulling this shortcut recipe for sweet cheesecake-stuffed strawberries out of your sleeve. Far better…

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Take this new cookie creation out for a spin this holiday season! Speculoos spread, also known as “cookie butter,” is this year’s biggest flavor sensation, being slathered on everything from breakfast toast to pound cake, but it’s hardly just another passing trend. Speculoos cookies themselves have been around for hundreds of years, originating in Belgium and the Netherlands as a sweet way to celebrate the eve of St. Nicholas, falling on December 6th. Over the years, this traditional cookie has morphed into an all-encompassing taste of the holidays – warmly spiced with cinnamon, redolent of brown sugar, and always yielding a crisp, crunchy…

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What’s made with cocoa but doesn’t taste like chocolate, and is a brilliant ruby-red hue but has no added food coloring? If you said red velvet cake, then you sure do know your desserts! Something of a pop culture sleeper hit, the red velvet cake is said to have originated from war time scarcity, a humble confection made of the most basic of staples that just happened to turn red due to the strange alchemy between natural cocoa powder and baking soda. Most modern renditions rely instead on some artificial augmentation, but with a little bit of baking know-how and…

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Reminiscent of harvest feasts and crisp autumnal days of yore, the classic candied apple has been around since the science of hard candies was applied to America’s favorite fruit at the turn of the twentieth century. Considering how countless bushels of candy-coated apples have been enjoyed since that revolutionary innovation, it’s surprising that little more has been done with the concept since then. For someone craving a more elegant presentation for cool weather holidays, it’s easy to take this sweet combination to a whole new level with this vegan candied apple flan. No more rock-hard candy shells to contend with…

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There’s certainly no shortage of sweet treats this time of year. Mountains of glittering, foil-wrapped candies adorn office desks and kitchen counters alike, tempting passersby to indulge at every turn. Though the abundance of goodies excites my sweet tooth, the wide range of offerings all too often prove disappointing to my taste buds; throat-searing sugary centers enrobed in waxy chocolate coatings are more common than not, each morsel putting on a festive facade to mask its flat flavors. Time and again, each new crop of bewitching confections fails to satisfy. Stop the madness, I say! Step away from the shiny…

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Labor Day will be here before we know it, bringing with it incredible harvests after a productive growing season, but also signaling the imminent end of summer. A bittersweet celebration, it can be difficult to shift gears yet again in preparation for the fall, especially after basking in the glorious warmth and light of summer. Best not to dwell on the unstoppable passage of time though, since there is still so much to enjoy right here and now. Send off summer with a final grand flourish, employing the best fruits and vegetables in these delicious vegan savory hand pies. Peaches…

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Last week I shared my healthy, dairy-free version of the infamous Shamrock Shake. And for St. Patrick’s Day I thought it would be fun to offer up another virtuous Shamrock Shake recipe from my good friend, Hannah. Her matcha smoothie recipe (a.k.a. a green tea smoothie) gets its vibrant hue from matcha powder, which is easier to locate than you might imagine. While shopping with her one day in New York, we wandered into some Asian markets, and every single one carried various brands of this versatile ingredient. Even my local grocer has an option in the Asian section. Of course, you can…

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It’s a crime that all bakers have committed at least once in their modest or illustrious baking career, and one that I can not deny being guilty of as well. Always well-intentioned, who could blame us mad pastry chefs for occasionally dropping some sort of dessert bomb… And not the kind smothered in chocolate. No, far from it. After the shock of a particularly indulgent recipe beings to wear off, we seek some sort of half-baked way to repent for our sins, perhaps switching out chocolate chips for fruit, upping the whole wheat flour, and really, is all that oil…

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This dairy-free caramelized onion dip recipe comes from Hannah Kaminsky, author of My Sweet Vegan and blogger at Bittersweet. This dip is dead simple and endlessly versatile. With a base of tofu, it even has decent nutritional value, and far more protein than your average onion dip. Give it a try; even if the crackers aren’t the best, you won’t even know when you dip them in this! Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Caramelized Onion Dip By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. Dairy-Free Caramelized Onion Dip Print Prep time 15 mins…

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I don’t think the vegan dessert queen, Hannah Kaminsky, would dare to be caught without a sweet gift in hand, which is why this simply seasonal vegan gingersnap truffles recipe was created … With all the holiday insanity, it’s disturbingly easy to forget gifts for an important family member, or realize at the last minute that you didn’t make enough cookies to go around. Very similar in construction to oreo truffles but with a delightful seasonal bent, you could easily create a small army of these sweet morsels in a matter of minutes, before anyone suspects that things ever when…

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Both Hannah and Alisa sampled the new Dairy-Free Coconut Milk Kefirs. While the strawberry and vanilla were quite tasty, the original was a bit too sharp for drinking straight up. Using her dessert expertise (she is the author of My Sweet Vegan after all!), Hannah developed a creation this coconut kefir vegan cheesecake, which is not only probiotic-friendly, but downright delicious … Sweetened just enough so as not to overwhelm the delicate nuances of the kefir, this is a sophisticated but simple treat that would be the perfect ending to just about any meal. You could certainly dress it up with a vibrant…

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Paris. If anyone can sum up that city in just a few succinct paragraphs, I would be highly suspicious of how much they actually experienced. After a mere five days of total immersion in the city’s culture I was overwhelmed to the point of speechlessness by all of the words that could be said and the stories that could be told. Yet, I returned home brimming with inspiration, and headed straight to the kitchen as soon as we walked through the door. Suitcases still stuffed, with both dirty laundry and happy memories, the familiar scent of buttery pastries began floating through the…

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Technically, this recipe should be called “Raspberry-Ginger Pudding Parfait with a Dark Chocolate Crunch and Silky Dairy-Free Coconut Whipped Crème,” But we couldn’t fit that whole thing in the title bar. Who would dream up such a fantastic trio of dairy-free and vegan recipes that could be enjoyed individually or altogether in this harmonious parfait? Why, Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet and author of My Sweet Vegan of course! She elaborates on this creative and creamy dessert: Chilled and refreshing, pureed raspberries cooked with a touch of agave conceal a handful of diced crystallized ginger at the very bottom, making for…

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Amy’s Organic Hot Cereal Bowls have been discontinued. See our Dairy-Free Cereal Reviews for options that are still available. Here we are, half way through October, and there’s no denying it anymore; fall is here to stay. Chilled air fills the house and meets us when we wake up, our feet meeting cold tiles when we step out of bed. Darkness settles in early these days, and the leaves have begun their metamorphosis into colorful splotches on their branches, preparing for their final descent. It’s also begun to change many foodies’ palates, causing many to seek out warmer, heartier dishes…

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Please note that Teese Vegan Cheese is still being produced, but only for wholesale. You might end up enjoying it at some restaurants, but it is no longer available as a retail product for everyday consumers to purchase. For current retail options, see our Dairy-Free Cheese Alternative Reviews. Its official: The final frontier of veganism has been reached.  Dairy and casein-free cheese, that illusive substance that has typically tasted like burnt plastic at best, is now just as good, if not better than the original animal product.  And this time, it really melts- Not just sort of, if you coddle…

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Trader Joe’s Frozen Steel Cut Oatmeal was discontinued. See our Dairy-Free Cereal Reviews for options that are still available. Convenience foods are undeniably attractive options when compared with traditional, time-consuming dishes, and so I can see how easy it is to get lured in by the seductive notion of easy eating. Just heat and go! No need to chop, measure, or use your brain at all! Salads come pre-washed and pre-assembled, since the task of compiling 6 or 7 vegetables and breaking them down is far too difficult for the average multitasking American. Sadly, the siren song of these effortless…

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Some sweet pantry staples are so ubiquitous throughout the world that they need no introduction or explanation, and the famous Oreo cookie definitely gets the honor of such an assignment.  With nearly 5 billion of the black and white sandwiches made every year, it’s no wonder that they’ve become such a facet of not just midnight munchies, but our pop culture too. After such a long, successful run on the mainstream market, it was inevitable that spin offs became vast and varied, finally moving into the realm of wholesome ingredients at long last.  We owe a great debt to the…

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Unfortunately, Zen is still in business, but they no longer make soymilk products.  Fortunately, Silk Soymilk still comes in singles in Very Vanilla and Chocolate. They also make Unsweetened Almondmilk Singles. We let Hannah be the lead reviewer for ZenSoy Soy on the Go. I had a feeling this soymlk product was right up her alley, and fortunately, I was right! To avoid setting my standards too high, I started with the least alluring flavor of ZenSoy Soy on the Go, the Chocolate soymilk. It may surprise some chocoholics that I labeled this flavor as somewhat undesirable, but in my experience,…

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Bake’mm Bagels from the Bagel Ladies might return. They are working on reopening their online store due to recent developments. But for now, I recommend checking the other bagel options in store. Most are dairy-free! We’re partial to Trader Joe’s Sprouted Bagels, if you live near one of their stores. Meant to be firm, chewy, a touch toasty on the outside and soft inside, even professional bakers don’t always get bagels right. The dough is kneaded by hand, followed by a leisurely rise for up to 12 hours, after which they are boiled, and then finally baked in a scorching-hot…

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