Vegan Dessert Recipes: 4 Easy Baked and No-Bake Treats

These vegan dessert recipes cover four familiar treats with short ingredient lists: chocolate pudding, chewy oat bars, fudgy brownies, and apple crisp. Choose a no-bake option when you need dessert quickly, or use the oven for a warm, shareable finish.

For an easy vegan dessert, follow the finished cues rather than relying only on the clock. Chilling, bubbling fruit, and moist crumbs each signal when the texture is ready.

Vegan Dessert Recipes: Quick No-Bake Pudding and Oat Bars

Chocolate tofu pudding makes four servings and needs 30 minutes to chill.

• 1 (12-ounce) package silken tofu, drained
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened plant milk, as needed

1. Add the tofu, cocoa, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt to a blender or food processor.
2. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the sides once, until completely smooth. Add the plant milk if the mixture is too thick to blend easily.
3. Divide the pudding among four small dishes. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

The pudding is ready when it is cold, glossy, and thick enough to hold a spoon mark. If it tastes slightly grainy, blend it longer before chilling. Silken tofu supplies the creamy body and sets as it cools.

Peanut butter oat bars yield 12 bars and require about 1 hour of chilling.

• 2 cups quick oats
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment. Warm the peanut butter, maple syrup, and melted vegan butter in a saucepan over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until smooth.
2. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla, salt, and oats until every oat is coated.
3. Press the mixture firmly into the lined pan. Compact it with the back of a measuring cup, especially around the corners.
4. Chill for at least 1 hour, then lift out and cut into 12 bars.

The bars should feel firm and hold together when lifted. If the mixture looks dry before pressing, stir in 1 tablespoon of warm peanut butter or maple syrup. The nut butter and syrup act as the binder, while chilling helps the bars set.

Easy Vegan Dessert Recipes: One-Bowl Brownies

Fudgy one-bowl brownies make 16 squares in an 8-inch pan.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup neutral oil
• 1/3 cup unsweetened plant milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving some overhang for lifting.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add the applesauce, oil, plant milk, and vanilla. Stir just until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the edges look set and the center still looks slightly soft.
5. Cool completely in the pan before slicing. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter; a completely clean toothpick means the brownies may be overbaked.

Applesauce replaces the egg by binding the batter and adding moisture. The oil keeps the brownies tender, while plant milk loosens the cocoa-heavy mixture without making it cakey.

Fruit-Forward Options: Simple Apple Crisp

Easy apple crisp serves six and takes about 45 minutes from preparation to table.

• 4 medium apples, about 2 pounds, peeled or unpeeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold vegan butter

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons flour. Spread them in the dish.
3. Combine the oats, remaining flour and brown sugar, remaining cinnamon, and salt. Rub in the cold vegan butter with your fingers until coarse, uneven crumbs form.
4. Scatter the topping over the apples. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling at the edges and the topping is golden.
5. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. The juices will thicken slightly as the crisp cools.

Use apples that stay firm when baked, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady. If the topping browns before the apples soften, loosely cover the dish with foil for the remaining baking time.

Choosing Substitutes for Butter, Milk, and Eggs

• Milk: Unsweetened soy, oat, almond, or coconut milk can replace dairy milk one-for-one. It mainly adds moisture and helps loosen brownie batter, so avoid strongly sweetened varieties.
• Butter: Vegan butter gives the apple crisp a rich, tender crumble. Melted coconut oil works in the oat bars, but it creates a slightly firmer texture when chilled.
• Eggs: Applesauce binds and moistens brownies, producing a fudgy center. In the pudding, silken tofu provides structure and creaminess instead of an egg-based custard.
• Nut butter: For peanut-free oat bars, use sunflower seed butter in the same quantity. Press the mixture firmly; loose packing is the most common reason no-bake bars crumble.