Hello everyone and happy (almost) summer,

The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the lawn needs mowed, and everybody suddenly is having get togethers again. I haven’t made my incredibly delicious summer pasta salad yet or even my indulgent vegan macaroni salad, but I did come up with something new. I was at the store and spotted “egg roll” wrappers and decided that I was going to repurpose them for bite size appetizers. After some kitchen cabinet, refrigerator, and soul-searching, I came up with Vegan  Spinach Artichoke Cups.

This savory snack is ready in under 30 minutes and calls for just ten ingredients (including spices!). Have a party this evening, but no time to prepare for it except the morning? No problem! These vegan spinach artichoke cups are the perfect appetizer that you can serve at room temperature. Give them a try! They’ll fly off the platter.

What are some of your favorite go to snacks for summer parties?

Cheers and happy eating!

Jocelyn

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Vegan Spinach Artichoke Cups

These vegan spinach artichoke cups are the perfect appetizer that you can serve at room temperature. These are savory, indulgent and ready in under 30 minutes!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Vegan Appetizer, Vegan Spinach Artichoke Cups, Vegan Wontons

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

5 minutes minutes

Total Time 17 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 24 vegan wonton wrappers
• 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup vegan sour cream
• 12 oz. vegan cream cheese
• 1/2 15 oz. can artichokes diced
• 1/4 red pepper, extra large diced
• 1 cup spinach chopped
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and place cupcake liners in a muffin tin. 
• Press a wonton wrapper into each of the baking cups and fold the sides in a bit. (If you can't find vegan wonton wrappers, you can cut summer roll/ egg roll wrappers into quarters).
• Bake for 6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. 
• While the cups are baking, dice the red pepper and artichokes.                    
• Heat the vegan cream cheese until soft. Mix the vegan mayonnaise, vegan sour cream, smoked paprika, garlic salt, onion powder, salt and pepper.
• Add the artichokes, red pepper, and spinach. Mix well.
• Remove the cups from the muffin tin and cupcake liners and place on a cooling rack for five minutes.
• Scoop the vegan cheese and veggie mixture into the cups.
• Top with smoked paprika and enjoy!

The post Vegan  Spinach Artichoke Cups appeared first on Vegan Hostess.

Can you believe it’s August? I can. Because every  time I go check on my garden it looks like a jungle! My cucumbers and squash are going for gold this year, while my tomatoes seem to be slow starters. I’ve harvested so many cucumbers lately that I decided to make *drum roll please* … Homemade Dill Pickles!

I really should have been making dill pickles all along. Making the brine fills the house with an amazing dill-vinegar aroma. It’s also really simple. I thought there was way more to it, but all you need to do is bring a few ingredients to a simmer, chop your veggies for pickling, and put them in Ball jars. Once canned, you simply gently flip the Ball jar upside down a few times each morning to ensure it’s all mixing properly. These quick pickles keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks and are perfect for snacking, sandwiches, and so much more!

I went traditional, but what other veggies would you like to pickle? Let me know in the comments!

Happy snacking!

Jocelyn

PS – I found a new rebate app that I want to share. Makeena is an app that specializes in organic and produce savings. Yes, I said it, produce savings! Plus, the app can be used at any store that sells the products on the rebate tab. It’s very simple to use – you just scan your receipt and earn savings. Once you save $20, you can cash out to your PayPal or Venmo account. Get $1.00 by joining now – use my promorcode TXHRNK. Happy saving!

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*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. All opinions are my own.

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Homemade Dill Pickles

These crunchy, tangy dill pickles will be a hit at your next party!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Dill Pickles, Homemade, Pickle Recipe, Pickles

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Curing Time 3 days days

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups distilled white vinegar
• 6 cups filtered tap water
• 7 whole cucumbers medium
• 6 tbs salt course
• 6 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 package dill
• 6 whole garlic cloves large

Instructions

• Chop your cucumbers into rounds or spears, or both. Place the chopped veggies into a bowl that can handle high heat. 
  
• Heat the distilled white vinegar, filtered water, course salt, black peppercorns, garlic cloves, any other spices of your choosing, and dill in a medium pot over medium-high heat. 
  
• Occasionally stir the mixture until the course salt dissolves and the mixture is simmering. Note, the water will become discolored. 
  
• Pour the brine over the cucumbers. 
  
• Place a bowl/ plate over the cucumbers to keep them submerged. 
• Let the brine/ cucumber mixture rest for one hour.
• Store your freshly homemade pickles and brine in large Ball Jars that are sealed tight. 
  

Notes

You can edit the recipe based on your needs/ quantity. The ratio is what is important. For the vinegar/ water, use a 1 to 1. Then use one-tablespoon of salt and one teaspoon of black peppercorns per two cups of liquid. Also, feel free to add a few teaspoons of additional spices.

*These homemade dill pickles can be stored in their brine in a sealed container for two+ weeks. 

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The post Homemade Dill Pickles appeared first on Vegan Hostess.

Are you planning a halloween potluck? Heading to a boo-tastic bash? A frightful party? Why not make a spooktakular vegan graveyard cake?!

This fun dessert is quick, easy, and devilishly delicious! It’s not a made from scratch piece of art—instead it’s a cake that is easy to whip up so you can spend all that extra time on the decorations! There are so many “accidentally vegan” baking items on the market that are perfect for this recipe. Just grab a boxed cake mix, follow the instructions, add icing, and then decorate your ghostly graveyard cake! I’ve been making graveyard cakes off and on since I was in elementary school so I can attest that they never grow old! Why not give it a try?

Cheers and happy haunting!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!

Spooktacular Vegan Graveyard Cake

Time

The post Spooktacular Vegan Graveyard Cake appeared first on Vegan Hostess.

My dad loves carrot cake. Every few years for my parents birthdays  … Yes, you read that correctly—my parents were born on the same day two years apart! Anyway, every so often, I surprise them with a homemade carrot cake. This year, I started making the cake, got half way through the recipe, and realized I didn’t have any raisons! A carrot cake without raisons! Can you believe it? Well, it was much too late to head to the store. Or at least, I didn’t want to trek to the 24 hour Giant Eagle. So I started thinking about how to make a carrot cake with a twist. I looked around the cupboard and saw some chocolate chips, pecans and ginger powder. Voila! Why not make a vegan chocolate chip carrot cake?!

I have this saying—good food + good food = good food. It works with basic ingredients as well. The cake was perfectly moist, not too dense, and just sweet enough. It did not disappoint! Both my parents loved it! Why not give this recipe a try the next time you need an ‘inspired’ dessert?

Cheers and happy eating!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake

Time

• 36 minutes (26 cook, 10 prep)

Servings

• One tall 9 in round cake pan (or 18 cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour (I used a mix of whole wheat and all purpose flours)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup Splenda or other sugar alternative
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup soy yogurt (I used vanilla Kitehill yogurt)
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Grease a 9 in baking pan (alternatively fill a cupcake pan with liners).
3. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, vegetable oil, soy yogurt, and vanilla.
4. Sift the dry ingredients together and then add them to the wet ingredients.
5. Mix until no large clumps remain.
6. Fold in the carrots, pecans and chocolate chips.
7. Spread the batter evenly into a 9 in round cake pan or fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full.
8. Bake for ~24 minutes until you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.
9. Transfer the cake/ cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
10. Ice the cake/ cupcakes, decorate, and enjoy!

The post Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake appeared first on Vegan Hostess.

I recently blew out the candles for my 30th birthday. Where did the time go?! The weekend was filled with family, friends, lots of laughter, and of course, plenty of good food! When it comes to baking for my loved ones, I go all out with flavor and style. But for me, I like to keep my own birthday treats simple. 

I love a perfectly done vegan vanilla cupcake. The light airy cake, topped with a sweet icing and sprinkles – it can’t be beat! There is something so comforting and special about it. I’ve been making these cupcakes for years, but I recently doubled the amount of time I let the soy milk and apple cider vinegar curdle. I have to say, it made a huge difference! I’ve never had cupcakes so fluffy! 

Give this updated recipe a try and let me know how it works for you!

Cheers & happy eating!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!

Prep Time: ~20 minutes; Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients:  

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ¾ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cinnamon sugar
• ½ cup Earth Balance, softened
• 1½ cup soy milk (not almond for this recipe)
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup Truvia baking blend
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• Sprinkles!

Directions:  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a muffin pan with your favorite cupcake liners.
• Whisk the soy milk and apple cider vinegar vinegar together and set aside to curdle (note, let it rest for 10 minutes! The added time makes the batter fluffy).
• Combine the softened Earth Balance, vanilla, and Truvia baking blend, until no large chunks remain.
• Once the soy milk mixture has rested, add it into the wet ingredients and mix well.
• Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon sugar, and salt, and mix until no lumps remain.
  
• Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. (I use an ice cream scooper!)
• Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
• Frosting – I cheated and used vanilla pillsbury, but you can actually make your own frosting from scratch. Using a hand mixer, combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup soy milk until fluffy.
• Garnish with sprinkles of your choosing.
• Enjoy!

The post Recipe: Vegan Vanilla “Birthday” Cupcakes appeared first on Vegan Hostess.