Vegan Quesitos are crispy, flaky, and decadent puff pastry filled with a delicious vegan cream cheese filling.
Vegan Quesitos – Puerto Rican Cream Cheese Puff Pastries is my vegan version of the most delicious and popular pastries in Puerto Rico. You can find them around the island in bakeries, food stands, and restaurants. I grew up eating quesitos from my neighborhood bakery in the town of Bayamon. They had the best pastries in my town. After moving to the states, it was hard for me to find them here, so I learned how to bake them. They were a big hit when I ran my bakery in Kentucky. My vegan quesitos won’t disappoint you!
The regular recipe calls for cream cheese, corn syrup, and an egg wash. My vegan quesitos are; refined sugar-free, easy to make and so delicious. Make your own puff pastry or simplify your life by buying it. Pepperidge Farm is probably your best bet when looking for a vegan puff pastry. Many store-bought puff pastries are made without dairy or egg because it makes them more shelf-stable.
Coquito Tres Leches Cake is a delicious sponge cake soaked in my traditional Coquito and topped with Italian Meringue.
This is my version of Coquito Tres Leches. I’ve been making this recipe for a very long time. It was my clients’ favorite recipe when I had my home-based bakery in Kentucky. Although sharing my delicious Coquito Tres Leches recipe wasn’t on my list, because it is my classic cake recipe. Some of my clients in Kentucky are missing having this cake during their holiday feast, so I decided to share it. Plus, sharing is caring! You can make this cake vegan very easily. Read the recipe notes for vegan replacements. As I always mention, feel free to replace any ingredient. If you want to use this cake as a basic cake just replace the coquito with your choice of milk.
These Puerto Rican Vegan Bacalaitos are crispy, fluffy, fish-free fritters that are great for any occasion.
Bacalaitos are a staple in our Puerto Rican street food culture. You can find them everywhere around the island, especially at food stands, carnivals, and even at your church’s cafeteria. My grandmothers used to make them all the time. I never liked cod-fish, so I used to take it out of my fritter while eating them. These are regularly made using codfish, in Spanish “bacalao”. Here’s my vegan version of these delicious cod-fish fritters.
This is my favorite fritter, even though I don’t make it often. How can you make a vegan version of bacalaitos? Well, the flavors of these fritters come from the marinade. As long as you marinate your protein substitute you will have an amazing crispy and fluffy fritter.
Healthy Vegan Pecan Bars with a shortbread crust and loaded with nuts.
These healthy vegan pecan bars with a shortbread-style crust are perfect for your holiday feast. These are vegan, refined sugar-free, and loaded with nuts. These healthy vegan pecan bars are the perfect portion for a snack or dessert. They are pretty much a pecan pie but in the form of a bar. My coworkers and my family loved these bars so much. It’s amazing how you can twist a recipe to make it healthy and still enjoy some sweetness.
For these bars, I used monk fruit and replaced the corn syrup with agave syrup. I love using the Lakanto brand because you use the same ration and it won’t change the flavor. You can also check out my Apple Cider Sugar-Free Donuts recipe for another delicious fall dessert. These pecan bars are way heavier on the pecans than on the filling, so if you’re a big fan of pecans but not so much the super sweet pie filling, these are just for you.
These bars could not possibly be any easier to make. The crust is mixed by hand, pressed into the pan, just a whisk of the filling ingredient, folding in the pecans, and done. These bars are all about the pecans! To enhance the pecan flavor, roast pecan halves in the oven over 300 degrees F for 8 minutes. This step is optional but totally recommended.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to take a picture and share it on my Facebook page or tag it #thehungrydragonfly on Instagram! I love seeing your creations!
Healthy Vegan Pecan Bars
Mariela
These healthy vegan pecan bars with a shortbread-style crust are perfect for your holiday feast. These are vegan, refined sugar-free, and loaded with nuts.
1 3/4cupsall-purpose flouryou can replace for gluten-free blend
6tbspmonk fruit or granulated sugarI use Lakanto brand
1/2tspsea salt
1/2cupvegan buttery spread or regular buttermelted
For the Filling:
3/4cupmonk fruit, brown sugar blend I used Lakanto brand
2/3cupagave syrup or corn syrupyou can replace for maple syrup
1/2cup vegan buttery spread or regular buttermelted and hot
1 tsporganic vanilla extract
1.2tspsalt
4cupspecan halvesroasted
Instructions
Inside a baking tray bake pecan halves for 8 minutes under 300 degrees. Set aside.
Make the crust:
Adjust oven rack to the lowest position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line up a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir using a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.
Using your hands continue to combine until no flour remains and a small portion of dough holds together when squeezed.
Evenly spread spoons of dough over your baking pan. Using your fingertips, press and smooth dough into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Make the Filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, agave syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth and well combined.
Fold pecan halves into the sugar mixture until the pecans are evenly coated.
Pour the pecan mixture over the crust, using a rubber spatula. Spread it working it to the edges and into corners. You will have bare patches and that's okay.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbly across the entire surface.
Transfer pan to a wire rack. Let bars cool completely in the pan, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into 20 to 24 bars and serve.
Store bars at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
You can make these bars gluten-free by replacing the flour. Also, you can replace the sweetener for your favorite blend.
These Apple Cider Cake Donuts are easy to make, healthy, cakey, flavorful and so delicious. This is a one-bowl recipe that comes together very quickly and easily. The best breakfast or snack for a fall crisp morning.
This apple cider cake donuts recipe can be used for cupcakes or mini bundt cakes. I used a fall silicon mold that my husband bought for me but you can use what you have available. Although baking is always happening in my kitchen, I don’t bake donuts very often. Fall seems to be the perfect occasion for baking donuts. I never tried apple cider donuts before moving to New Hampshire. Last week we went to a farm and I ate them for the first time. They tasted heavenly! So, I decided to create my own recipe using monk fruit instead of regular sugar and baked instead of fry. They turned surprisingly amazing! The cinnamon sugar makes them melt in your mouth.
