Bake Your Mom a Yummy Vegan Treat This Mother's Day

On Mother's Day I always loved making my mom breakfast in bed. The most memorable one was the time my sister and I make burnt toast, soggy corn flakes and served it with a glass of orange juice concentrate. My mom laughs when she tells how she had to force herself to eat and drink her "treat" for her darling 4 and 5 year old girls as they watched with glee. We were proud of that meal!

I told my friend this story and she laughed with us, then pointed out that it was a lacto-ovo meal. I started wondering what she would do for a Mother's Day treats since she is vegan. It is easier than I thought!

Vegans!

Vegans do not consume anything made from animals. Eggs, milk, cheese, honey and meat are the obvious things to avoid. The list doesn't stop there. Some sugars are not vegan. According to VegFamily, some companies, like Domino and Savannah foods, "use it in filters to decolorize their sugar." Casein, whey and gelatin are other items to keep an eye out for when shopping for the vegan mom.

Since I started researching vegan and raw diets about a year ago, I found that it isn't really that hard to find vegan recipes or veganize the recipe you already have. While some of the recipes may sound crazy or scary, I have found that most of them are actually quite delicious.

My Favorite Treat Recipe

My favorite recipe for a treat is a bar that is similar to a Larabar. I found the recipe online about a year ago but I don't remember where. We started calling them "Dotchi Bars" since we couldn't find the name for the bar.

You will need:

¼ cup pitted dates
¾ cup nuts, dried fruit, coconut and/or oats

Chop the dates in a food processor (I don't suggest a blender) or mash them with a potato masher. This is the glue part of the recipe. Add in your dry ingredients. Mix it together into a ball. Now you can roll it into a rope and press it flat for cutting into "granola bar" sizes. Or you can roll them into tablespoon sized balls and have "truffles". I like both. Refrigerate to help it hold its shape.

Tweak the recipe

I LOVE the pecan and coconut mix for this recipe. I mix it almost half and half with a touch more coconut than pecan. I also bought a mixed dried fruit tray at a local market and added that. It was great!

I have also added cocoa powder for a chocolate treat and then rolled them into balls and ran each ball around in coconut. You can skip the coconut and just have chocolate and nuts.

Don't be afraid to try a few combinations. You may find one that you like better than my suggestions.

Another Easy Recipe

Another tasty treat that I really enjoy is frozen yogurt pops. It's easy to make too.

Buy soy yogurt and a sweet fruit, like strawberries or bananas. Blend 1 cup of yogurt with ¼ cup (or more if you like it fruity!) fruit. Pour the mix into Popsicle holders or a small cup (place a stick in it so you'll have something to hold onto when it is done) and freeze them. Usually they freeze in about 4 hours.

Alternatives for your favorite non-vegan recipes

If you have a favorite recipe you would like to make vegan; here are some alternatives to non-vegan foods.

Eggs can be substituted with a ½ a banana. I had brownies made with banana as an egg substitute and they were delicious!

Cow milk can be substituted with soy milk, almond milk, rice milk and even hemp milk. Although hemp milk has a nutty taste to it and may not be the best for cakes. I would substitute with soy if possible.

Sugar in the Raw can be used in place of refined white sugar if you just aren't sure if the sugar you have is vegan.

Agave nectar is a great sweetener also and is what most of my vegan friends use when they want something sweet. It also a good substitute for honey.

One last quick tip

Whatever you do for your vegan mom this Mother's Day, remember not to buy her pearls. They come from clams. Ivory, leather and feathers are also out! If you aren't sure if something is vegan, don't be afraid to ask. I have found that some people are very helpful in this area. I have made some friends with store clerks in my quest for vegan food and gifts.

I hope you enjoy this Mother's Day and these recipes. If you are served burnt toast and orange juice concentrate, smile! You are loved!