Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free: Vegan Desserts

Looking to cut out gluten, dairy, and refined sugars, but unable to shake that massive sweet tooth? Just grab a copy of Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free: Allergy-Friendly Vegan Desserts by Ricki Heller and get baking!

This hefty, full-color cookbook features so many amazing photographs, it’s easy to forget that the recipes are actually nutritious. Ricki focuses on whole grain gluten-free flours, legumes, seeds and nuts (sorry, this isn’t a nut-free cookbook!) for the bases of her baked good arsenal and she shuns refined sugars (just fruit, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and similar natural sweeteners are used).

In addition to gluten-free, all of the recipes in Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free are vegan (dairy-free, egg-free, honey-free), and a quick key in the recipe headers indicates which are also corn-free, grain-free, nut-free, and/or soy-free.

The chapters include an in-depth Intro on techniques and ingredients (very helpful since some of the ingredients may be “new” to many); Breakfast Bakes, Cookies, Squares & Bars; Cakes, Cupcakes, Toppings & Frostings; Cheesecakes, Pies, Tarts & Puddings; and Raw & No-Bake Treats. Here is a visual peek at what is inside this delectable cookbook:

Grain-Free Autumn Fruit Crumble (corn-free, grain-free, soy-free)

Fluffy Fruited Pancakes (corn-free, optionally nut-free and soy-free)

My Mother’s Cheesecake (corn-free)

Ultra Fudgy Brownies (corn-free, optionally nut-free and soy-free)

Other recipes on my “must make” list from Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free include:

• Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
• Grain-Free Coconut Flour Biscuits
• Easiest Almond Cookies
• Ginger Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
• Chocolate Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies (I really like cookies!)
• Dalmatian Cheesecake Brownies
• Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake
• Coconut-Butter Buttercream Frosting
• Raw Gingersnap Cookie Bon Bons
• Caramel Ice Cream

To disclaim, Ricki Heller is a good friend of mine. But to un-disclaim, I befriended her once I discovered how much I love her recipes. The second my family tasted batches of Ricki’s pancakes and oat muffins, I knew that this was someone I wanted in my culinary corner. And over the years Ricki has continued to deliver, both as an amazing person and as a recipe creating whiz. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines, and she’s appeared on several broadcasts in both the U.S. and Canada.

Now, if you will excuse me, I’m off to bake some Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies from Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free, they look to amazing to ignore, and I think my gluten-free husband and food allergic niece deserve a treat right now!