Vegan Cider Waffles With Apple Cranberry Topping

Don't tune me out at the word vegan, y'all. I personally dip my toes in vegan baking pretty frequently, as I am a semi-lactose-intolerant vegetarian who lives with a dyed-in-the-wool vegan. I can say with confidence that this is among the easiest vegan "pastry" recipes ever. There are no flax or chia eggs, no Ener-G egg replacer, only really simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

But seriously, YUM, guys. These are light and crispy, spicy and aromatic, and they pretty much taste like fall on a plate. The apple cranberry topping is a quick and simple touch that take these to the next level. They don't take that much effort to make, and they will totally make your Saturday morning the best one ever. Trust.

RECIPE (adapted from Art of Dessert)

Makes 3 large waffles

Waffle Ingredients:

1.5 cups + 3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 cups almond milk

6 tbsp apple cider

5 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Apple Topping Ingredients:

2 medium apples (I used Gala, but feel free to use whatever you like)

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

3 tbsp coconut oil (or vegan margarine)

3 tbsp dried cranberries

Dash of maple syrup (optional)

Waffle Instructions:

Preheat waffle iron and spray with non-stick spray

Stir all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth

Pour 1/3 of the batter into the iron

Repeat until you have achieved a warm waffle trifecta

Topping Instructions:

Peel, core, and slice your apples

Preheat coconut oil in your pan

Add spices, sugar, and cranberries, stir until combined

Add apples, saute for about 5-7 minutes or until apples are tender

If using maple syrup, stir it in right at the end and get it out quick to prevent sticking

Pour on top of warm waffles and enjoy a taste of the season!

P.S. the waffle maker we have now is an old one of mine from my parents' house. It's shaped like a princess carriage. So every breakfast is 300% more awesome for this fact. Look on in envy:

Recipe: AB&J Smoothie

I can't believe I haven't shared a recipe with you guys yet! I'm really passionate about food, and I live to cook. It's a bit difficult in a dorm room, though! Now that I'm home for the summer, look forward to a lot of Frankenstein-y vegetarian/vegan recipes. Some of it may look a little funky, but I promise there's a method to my madness.

I love smoothies for breakfast, and I always try to experiment to make something that marries really healthy and really delicious. Enter the AB&J - fruits, veggies, protein, and Omega 3s make a breakfast worth getting out of bed for.

Ingredients:
1 large banana, frozen in chunks
~4 strawberries
~3 baby carrots
1 heaping tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp ground flax (whole flax works too, but makes the smoothie a little chewy)
3/4 cup almond milk (or whatever milk you prefer. This makes a realllly thick, milkshake-esque smoothie, so if you like yours thinner, up the quantity accordingly)

Instructions:
Throw everything into a blender, with milk last
Even the baby carrots will blend up...I promise

Blend until smooth

And enjoy! This is seriously the perfect summer breakfast, and the almond butter/strawberry combo makes this smoothie taste like a delicious peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich. Bonus: there's about 8 grams of protein in this sucker, and it's jam packed with healthy fats and sweet, fruity goodness. Other bonus: it tastes like a milkshake.

Let me know if you give this smoothie a try - I swear by it! Happy blending.