Ditching dairy? Don’t worry, there’s no need to give up on your favourite desserts — here’s how!

Going vegan isn’t always easy. No matter the reason — the environment, lactose intolerance, ethics, health — all vegans know the difficulty of giving up tasty food. But veganism is more popular than it’s ever been, and there’s a whole world of vegan baking out there. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to making vegan desserts with our favourite ingredient— chocolate!

At Hotel Chocolat, we’re lovers of all things chocolate, so we’re certain that going vegan doesn’t have to mean giving it up for good. In fact, it’s entirely possible to continue enjoying chocolate as a vegan — even milk chocolate.

Whether you’re thinking about ditching the dairy this Veganuary or you’re a long-time vegan rediscovering a passion for baking, we’re here to help!

Vegan baking

What can I use in place of egg?

Eggs aren’t sweet like sugar or smooth like butter, but they do provide one vital role in baking — binding. The truth is, there are a whole variety of ingredients that can act as a binding agent. Here are a few of our suggestions for vegan desserts:

• Mashed banana — One egg can be swapped for half a banana. But beware— this will give your baked vegan desserts a banana flavour!

• Silken tofu — Flavourless and good for dense cakes.

• Flaxseed — Ground and mixed with water, flax seeds are great in brownies.

• Yoghurt — Plant-based yoghurts, made from soy or coconut, can work as a binding agent for a range of vegan desserts.

One egg is about four tablespoons, or 60g, of the equivalent ingredient. Now you’ve got your ‘eggs’ sorted, let’s get baking!

How to bake vegan chocolate chip cookies

Is there anything more classic and comforting than a chocolate chip cookie? Here’s a dairy-free twist for your vegan dessert.

Ingredients

• 150g plain flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 125g vegan spread
• 2 tbsp plant milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2x 70% Dark Chocolate Slab Selector, chopped

Method

Before you start cooking, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with baking paper.

Mix the vegan spread and sugar in a bowl until you have a creamy mixture, then add your vanilla extract and plant milk. Next, sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold this together to create a dough, then stir in the chopped chocolate.

Now you have your mixture, use two dessert spoons to put small mounds of dough onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, then take your freshly-made, scrumptious cookies out of the oven to cool.

And for the final step, enjoy!

Vegan chocolate mousse

Fluffy, indulgent, and easy to make, plant-based chocolate mousse is one of our favourite bake-free vegan desserts.

What type of chocolate should I use?

In vegan chocolate mousse, dark chocolate is the star of the show. It’s rich, opulent, and packed with deep cacao notes. What’s more, dark chocolate is often vegan — but not always, so make sure to check in advance!

Our 70% Dark Chocolate Batons are vegan* and come in the perfect shape to break up and melt. Or why not add a twist to your mousse by using a chunk of our Salted Dark Chocolate 70% Slab Selector?

*Please note that, because our dark and vegan chocolate is produced in the same environment as our milk chocolate, we can’t guarantee that it’s completely free from milk traces.

How can I make vegan chocolate mousse fluffy?

The heavenly fluffiness of a non-vegan mousse comes from whipping egg whites until they’re full of air bubbles. Naturally, vegan chocolate mousse can’t use egg whites, so you have to get a bit inventive.

For a silky-smooth vegan chocolate mousse, try using tofu as a replacement. Or if you want something even fluffier, you can use aquafaba (chickpea water) to whip up a delicious dessert.

Vegan chocolate ‘nice cream’

What is ‘nice cream’?

Imagine an ice cream that’s easy to make, free from added sugars and 100% vegan…

No need to imagine any further, because this mystical dessert already exists: ‘nice cream’. Despite the name, ‘nice cream’ doesn’t contain any cream. In fact, it’s all banana! At its simplest, ‘nice cream’ is made of frozen bananas, blended into a creamy dessert.

‘Nice cream’ is a delicious ice cream alternative on its own, but you don’t have to stop at just bananas. We think that there’s nothing better than chocolate to satisfy a craving for sweetness, so we’ve whipped up a recipe for our very own Hotel Chocolat-edition chocolate ‘nice cream’.

How to make chocolate vegan ‘nice cream’

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas
• Your choice of plant milk
• One Classic 70% Dark Hot Chocolate Sachet
• 70% Dark Chocolate Slab Selector, grated

Method

First, peel the bananas and chop them into chunks. The riper the banana, the better, which makes this recipe the perfect way to use up bananas that you haven’t eaten. Pop the chunks in a freezer-proof container, then freeze overnight.

Put the banana chunks and the hot chocolate into a food processor. Now you can start blending it all together until the mixture is soft and creamy. Our tip: add in a splash of plant milk if the mixture is looking too thick.

If you want your ‘nice cream’ soft-serve style, you can enjoy it right away like this. Or if you want ‘nice cream’ you can scoop, put it back in the freezer.

For an extra bit of pizzazz, grate some 70% dark chocolate on before serving — it will look irresistible!

High-cacao vegan chocolates from Hotel Chocolat

Chocolate can add a dash of decadence to any recipe, so what could make a better dessert than pure chocolate? We believe that everyone deserves a treat now and again — but when ‘chocolate’ is often synonymous with ‘milk chocolate’, what can you do?

Our expert chocolatiers have the answer: high-cacao vegan* chocolate. At Hotel Chocolat, we’re serious about our dedication to scrumptious chocolate, and that doesn’t stop with our vegan range. With none of the dairy but all of the passion put into our usual chocolates, there’s something for any taste in our vegan chocolate collection.

If you’re a lover of the dark side, why not try our Gianduja Bombe Selector? With its rich, dark chocolate and smooth hazelnut praline, this little chocolate makes the perfect after-dinner treat.

Or if you prefer milder milk chocolate, you’re in luck — our Nutmilk chocolates, such as the Simple Vegan Nutmilk Ganache Selector, can satisfy the desire for that smooth, creamy sweetness.

Whether you’re treating yourself to your favourite vegan chocolate or searching for the perfect gift for a loved one, we’ve got you sorted.

And, of course, if you want the best of both worlds, why not top your vegan desserts with one of our truffles, tipples, pralines or caramels? The perfect, opulent finish!

*Please note that, although we believe our vegan chocolates contain no dairy, they are made in the same factory as our milk chocolate. As such, we cannot guarantee that they are completely free from milk traces.