Dairy Free Peppermint Cheesecake

I don’t know about you but one of the things that I can’t seem to get enough of at the Holidays is peppermint! This Dairy Free Peppermint Cheesecake made with the Vanilla Oat Milk from the Rise Brewing Company is super easy and great to take along to a family dinner or work party because even your friends who are not dairy free will love it!

I’ve always kinda shied away from cheesecakes at home because they seemed so finicky. Line the pan with foil, bake with a hot water bath, magic spells to chant while it’s cooling so that it (fingers crossed) won’t crack…seemed like too much work BUT this recipe is the opposite of all that. Throw everything in a stand mixer and you’re off to the races! (And, for the record, yes…mine did crack, and it was STILL delicious! Best part of this recipe is that it works just as well if you’re planning to do a traditional cheesecake and are not worried about it being dairy-free.

What you are going to need to buy:

Graham Crackers 10-12, total

2-3 tablespoons Butter - (we used the plant-based butter from Earth Balance)

3/4 cup of Vanilla Oat Milk from the Rise Brewing Company

16 oz Cream Cheese - (we used the vegan cream cheese from Miyoko!)

8 oz Sour Cream - (we love the Tofutti Brand best!)

Egg Substitute (for 3 eggs) - (we used the Just Egg from the Brand Eat Just)

2 1/2 cup Sugar

2 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1-2 teaspoons Peppermint Extract, depending on your taste.

Pinch of Salt

Red food coloring, optional

What you are going to need to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust: Combine crushed graham crackers and melted butter until a sandy texture is achieved.
using a small glass, or the flat bottom of a measuring cup, press into the bottom of a spring-form pan. Store in fridge until ready to fill with cheesecake mixture to allow butter to firm back up.

In a stand mixture combine room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla until soft and well combined.

With mixer on LOW, gradually add the oat milk, sugar, salt, and peppermint extract.

Next, add the “eggs”, gradually making sure everything is well combined. Once combined, beat on high for 1 minute.

At this point, if you are so inclined, you can remove half the batter and add red food coloring to the half that is left in the stand mixer so that you can then swirl the batter in the pan.

Pour batter into the spring form pan and bake for 1 hour, or until center is just set.

Once baking is completed crack the oven door and allow to cool, inside the oven for 1 hour.

Refrigerate 4-5 hours or overnight.

Serve cold, with your favorite non-dairy topping!

Cheesy Quinoa, Mushroom, and Broccoli Bake

Okay, friends...are you ready for your new favorite side dish? This Cheesy Quinoa, Mushroom and Broccoli Bake is my vegan take on a recipe from an all time favorite chef of mine Alton Brown! Part Mac n' Cheese, part, Broccoli Casserole...hopefully this updated plant based version does his original recipe justice...I'm not gonna lie, it's one of the best things that I have eaten in a long time! Yum!

Bonus: This recipe requires a killer cheese sauce, so two recipes in one!

One of the most frequent comment I get, from friends and strangers alike, when it comes to plant-based and dairy free recipes is “What about cheese?” The truth is…non-dairy cheeses have come A LONG way in the last several years. This recipe is proof of that! Here’s my bet…even your cheese loving friends will gobble it down!

What you are going to need to buy:

FOR THE CASSEROLE:

Dried Quinoa - (They do sell, ready to serve, quinoa in a bag…which I have never tried. If that’s your thing, give it a go!)

Fresh Broccoli - (You could honestly use frozen if you have it on hand in the freezer)

White Mushrooms, sliced

Non-Dairy Butter - (We used Earth Balance)

Veggie Stock or Bouillon Cubes - (We used THESE from Edward and Sons)

Minced Garlic - (We like the jarred kind from Spice World)

Balsamic Vinegar - (We get ours from this great little place here in Central Florida called The Ancient Olive)

Just Egg - (Or, your favorite egg replacer)

FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:

Non-Dairy Butter - ( We used Earth Balance)

Flour

Your Favorite Plant Milk - (We love this Organic Oat Milk from RISE BREWING)

Non-Dairy Cheese Shreads - (We used THESE CHEDDAR SHREADS from VioLife!)

Yellow Mustard - (yes, just trust us!)

Salt and Pepper

Non-Dairy Sour Cream - (in our opinion Tofutti is the OG…and also the best!)

What you are going to need to do:

Start by cooking your quinoa. I used 3/4 a cup of dried quinoa in about 1.5 cups of liquid. Follow your package directions.

In another pot, with a little butter, garlic, and a splash of balsamic vinegar, cook your mushrooms (6-8 ounces) until they have reduced in size by about half, are soft, and they have taken on a nice, brown, color.

Chop your broccoli (5-6 ounces) into small florets.

At this point, add your cooked mushrooms, and fresh broccoli to the pot with the quinoa, (there should still be a little liquid left) reduce heat to warm and cover. The heat and steam in the pot will cook the broccoli.

Now, onto the cheese sauce!

Wipe out the pot that you were cooking your mushrooms in and, on low heat, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter. Gently allow butter to brown, but not burn, because we’re going to make a roux.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flower on top of the melted butter and whisk to combine. Cook mixture for about 30 seconds and then slowly add 1.5 cups of oat milk, whisking the entire time so that no lumps form. Bring to a boil and let boil about 30 seconds.

Reduce heat and add the cheddar shreds, stirring to melt.

Add 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard…don’t be afraid, just do it! (You can use brown mustard, if you like it!)

Stir in 1/4 cup of sour cream.

Continue to stir, on low/medium heat, until everything is melted.

Add salt and pepper, to taste. It will take more salt than you think…a full teaspoon isn’t too much! (I also added some onion and garlic power to mine for this dish!)

…And, boom! vegan cheese sauce! If it seems thin, increase the heat and let simmer for 1-2 minutes, but remember it will tighten up as it cools.

Assembly:

Preheat your oven to 350.

Mix in the equivalent of ONE egg of your favorite egg replacer into the quinoa/mushroom, broccoli mixture.
Add the cheese sauce to the casserole mixture and stir gently to combine. Bake in a 9x9 casserole for 30 minutes at 350 and then broil on LOW for the last 5 minutes to add a nice brown color to the top. (Keep your eye on it for this last part…all ovens are different. Don’t burn it!

Total bake time, about 35 minutes.

Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with herbs, if that’s your thing. I used some fresh, flat-leaf parsley.

Makes 4 side-dish sized servings, but full disclosure, I totally ate this last night for my legit dinner…dinner servings: 2-3ish

Enjoy!

Fluffy Pear and Pecan Pancakes

We don't have a partridge but we do have pears! These pecan and pear pancakes made with vanilla oat milk from Rise Brewing Company are super easy to make and are the perfect Christmas morning breakfast!

I’ve tried to make a lot of vegan pancakes in my day…a lot! Most aren’t bad…some have been terrible but these, THESE might just be the best that I have ever had! Light and fluffy, the texture is perfect, and with only a handful of ingredients they come together so quick and easy…the best part, no one even needs to know they are dairy free!

What you are going to need to buy:

1.5 cups of Flour

3 teaspoons of Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Salt

3 tablespoons Sugar

1/2 cup of small Pecan pieces

1 and 1/4 cup of Oat Milk - (We love the Vanilla Oat Milk from Rise Brewing)

1 Egg or your favorite vegan Egg Substitute - (We used Just Egg from Just Foods)

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Diced Pear

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

What you are going to need to do:

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cinnamon.

Stir in egg, oil, and oat milk until mixture comes together. If mixture is too dry add a bit more oat milk or and additional teaspoon of just egg.

Do not over mix.

Stir in pecans.

Let mixture set while you dice the pear into small chunks

In a small saucepan, over medium/high heat bring the diced pear and maple syrup to a quick boil, mix, and remove from heat. Stir in a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

Heat a lightly oiled pan or griddle over medium heat and cook pancakes until brown on both sides.

Serve warm with your favorite plant based butter and pears drizzled over the top.

Spinach and Mushroom White Lasagna

If you’re looking for a recipe this Holiday for a non-traditional family dinner or need to accommodate dairy free guests this Spinach and Mushroom White Lasagna made with oat milk from the Rise Brewing Company just might be it!

Did someone say carbs? Creamy and delicious, no one will know that this entire dish is dairy free! The best part about this recipe is that it reheats just as well the next day if you have any leftovers…but don’t hold your breath. You can make ahead and assemble the night before, just bring to room temperature before baking.

What you are going to need to buy:

Lasagna Noodles

1 bag (6 oz) Baby Spinach

8 to 10 oz of Baby Bella Mushrooms

Minced Garlic - (We like the jarred kind from Spice World)

Ricotta Cheese - (We used the Dairy Free Ricotta from Tofutti)

Sour Cream - (We used our favorite Dairy Free Version from Tofutti)

Mozzarella Cheese - (We used the Mozzarella Shreds from Follow Your Heart)

8 oz Parmesan Cheese - (We used the Parmesan Shreds, also from Follow Your Heart)

Oat Milk - (We love the Original Oat Milk from Rise Brewing)

1 Egg or your favorite vegan Egg Substitute - (We used Just Egg from Just Foods)

Plant Based Butter - (We used our favorite from Earth Balance)

Flour

Fresh Herbs, Basil, Rosemary and Parsley

Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

What you are going to need to do:

This lasagna is assembled much like any traditional recipe.

To make the filling…

To begin, slice mushroom and saute in a medium skillet with butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Once Mushrooms are cooked stir in spinach and cook down until spinach has wilted down. Set mixture aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, 4 or 5 oz of mozzarella cheese, 2 oz of Parmesan cheese, your egg, (or egg substitute), chopped herbs, salt and black pepper and mix until smooth.

To make the White Sauce…

In a saucepan over medium/low heat melt 2 tablespoons of butter. After butter is melted but before it begins to brown, reduce heat and sprinkle over 1 heaping tablespoon of flour, whisking until smooth. Cook flour and butter for one minute. Add in 1/4 cup of oat milk and whisk quickly to avoid lumps. Add in an additional 3/4 cup of oat milk and bring mixture to a light boil. After mixture has boiled, reduce heat and stir in 4 oz of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg. if mixture is too thin, continue to cook on medium heat until it thickens up to a runny pudding consistency. Remove from heat and cool for 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream. Check seasoning. Add more salt/pepper/nutmeg if desired.

Boil the lasagna noodles until soft.

The Assembly…

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

In a buttered 9 x 9 pan spoon a small amount of the white sauce in the bottom, just to cover.
Add your first layer lasagna noodles, overlapping slighting at the seams. Follow with a layer of the ricotta mixture and top that with 1/3 of the spinach/mushroom mixture. Ladle 1/2 cup of the white sauce over the spinach and mushrooms and top with another layer of noodles.

Repeat 2 more times:

Noodles, Ricotta, Spinach and Mushroom, topped with the white sauce.

Top your 3rd layer with noodles and spoon over remaining white sauce. Top with remaining mozerellla and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes until cheese on top and golden. You can also switch over the a low broil for this step but watch is closely so that the top doesn’t burn.

Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Vegan Peppermint Hot Cocoa

I’m super excited to be partnering on this recipe with the Rise Brewing Company! Their organic chocolate oat milk is the fastest and easiest way to make the richest and the most creamy dairy free cocoa you’ve ever tasted!

This recipe is so easy and to be honest it doesn’t even feel like much of a recipe but this time of year who doesn’t love a quick and easy recipe that comes together in only minutes?

What you are going to need to buy:

Chocolate Oatmilk from Rise Brewing

Sugar

Cocoa

Peppermint Extract

Non Dairy Topping

Salt

Peppermints or sprinkles for garnish

What you are going to need to do:

In a saucepan on medium heat melt/disolve:

• 1 cup of chocolate oat milk

• 1/2 cup of sugar

• 1/3 cup of cocoa

• 1 capful of peppermint extract

• Pinch of salt

Once the sugar and the cocoa are well incorporated add the remaining Oat Milk from the carton and keep on stovetop until heated through. Finish with your favorite dairy free topping.

Makes 4-5 servings!