Paid Post
A little bit of creativity in the kitchen goes a looong way. Whether you're waiting on dinner or whipping up a pre-meal snack, Sabra Hummus is a fresh, tasty way to satisfy your appetite.
1. Create a convincingly creamy ice cream with frozen banana slices...
Courtesy of Jenn at Deliciously Sprinkled / Via deliciouslysprinkled.com
...and dive into the most mouthwatering "ice cream" sundae this side of the malt shop.
(Pro tip for the vegan-friendly bakers out there: Overripe bananas can also make for an excellent butter substitute!)
2. Crunchy cashews can be blended down into a creamy cheese...
Courtesy of Lorimer Street Kitchen / Via lorimerkitchen.com
...and with the help of a little water and nutritional yeast, you can whip up this delectable Thai mac 'n' cashew cheese dish in 30 minutes flat.
Even if you're not in a mac 'n' cheese mood, cashews can make excellent swaps for all sorts of savory dishes and creamy confections, like this vegan fettuccine kalefredo or this carrot cake with cashew cream cheese frosting.
3. Nutrient-rich hummus makes a pitch-perfect pizza topping...
Courtesy of This Rawsome Vegan Life / Via thisrawsomeveganlife.com
...that adds a savory, vegan-friendly flavor when subbed for cheese on this mouthwatering roasted veggie pizza.
And if you're just looking for an all-vegan side to spruce up any dinner, this chickpea purée can also add an excellent twist to make extra-creamy mashed potatoes — just sub out the butter for olive oil, and you've got a spectacular side sure to win over vegans and non-vegans alike.
4. Mashed avocado can be a creamy, dreamy butter substitute...
Courtesy of 10th Kitchen / Via 10thkitchen.com
...that's pitch perfect for both savory and sweet dishes, like this intensely amazing avocado cake with margarita glaze.
5. Speaking of butter, pumpkin purée is an unexpected but outstanding stand-in...
Courtesy of Hello Glow / Via helloglow.co
...and these scrumptious baked pumpkin doughnuts should be all the proof you need.
6. Chickpea patties are an awesome, protein-packed swap for your standard beef burger...
Courtesy of Natascha Elisa of Clean Cooking / Via nataschaelisa.com / cleancookingrecipes.com
...that can easily be topped off with some mashed avocado and sun-dried tomato to make a mouthwatering chickpea burger you never knew you needed.
Bonus swap: Aquafaba, the viscous liquid that canned chickpeas come steeped in, can create an ultra-convincing alternative to eggs.
7. Coconut cream can do everything conventional baking cream can do...
Courtesy of 10th Kitchen / Via 10thkitchen.com
...while adding a rich, delicious twist to incredible confections like these vegan (and gluten-free) lemon curd doughnuts.
8. Blended tofu makes a remarkable ricotta substitute...
Courtesy of Oh My Veggies / Via ohmyveggies.com
...making it the perfect centerpiece for this vegan baked manicotti, or, if you're in the mood to snack on something a bit sweeter, these delectable cannoli bites.
9. Zucchini noodles are a low-carb way to get your spaghetti fix...
Courtesy of Lee Hersh, fitfoodiefinds@gmail.com / Via fitfoodiefinds.com
...and an ultra-delicious avenue to delectable dishes like this pumpkin marinara zucchini pasta, or, if you're looking to fry up a little something for breakfast, these garlic Sriracha hash browns.
10. On that note, sliced zucchini is an easy entry to vegan-friendly lasagna...
Courtesy of This Rawsome Vegan Life / Via thisrawsomeveganlife.com
...which means you could be enjoying this raw lasagna with cilantro-walnut pesto like right now. Add in a bit of that blended tofu ricotta we were talking about, and we're getting hungry just thinking about the possibilities.
11. Speaking of, coconut oil can make a swell substitute for dairy milk...
Courtesy of The Woks Of Life / Via thewoksoflife.com
...meaning these vegan char siu pork buns (stuffed with delicious marinated tofu) can be on your dinner table in no time. Even better, you can cook up breakfast biscuits on par with the buttermilk-rich alternative with a simple mix of coconut oil, coconut milk, and self-rising flour.
12. Unsweetened applesauce is an excellent choice for when you're looking to cut down on sugar...
Courtesy of Lorimer Street Kitchen / Via lorimerkitchen.com
...and, when all's said and done, is one of the secret ingredients that makes these cranberry pecan banana bread muffins as delicious as their pictures imply.
(Even if you're all set on sugar, unsweetened applesauce can also make a stellar substitute for standard cooking oils!)
13. A mixture of flaxseeds and simple tap water creates a consistency comparable to eggs...
Courtesy of Natascha Elisa of Clean Cooking / Via nataschaelisa.com / cleancookingrecipes.com
...which creates these very delicious, very berry pancakes that any breakfast aficionado is guaranteed to go nuts for.
14. A long-time meat alternative, tempeh can be creatively cooked to make delicious meatballs...
Courtesy of Oh My Veggies / Via ohmyveggies.com
...and these sweet and sour tempeh meatballs are really all the proof you need.
Still not convinced? Two words: Tempeh. Bacon.
All header imagery courtesy Shutterstock.
