Not all sugar is vegan, so unless a manufactured item is labeled vegan, I wouldn’t assume that it is. I know that Whole Foods has vegan desserts and I think Trader Joe’s has pre-made vegan cookies.

A fruit tray with melted chocolate dip?

I think I'll head to WF and get some vegan cookies and some sorbet and be done with it.

Next time, ask the vegans to bring a favorite dessert to share!

I’m surprised as any guest, they didn’t ask if they could bring something.

Side story: I once had a gathering that included someone kosher. I went out if my way to get all kosher food, and they appreciated this. ( A kosher deli 30 minutes away) When they asked if they could bring something I said a dessert!

There are times when I want to cover it all and I say so.

I’m wondering if this is just me. Do guests not offer as a rule?

I would do the same Annie--especially since it's your birthday!

The vegans are the son of a cousin with whom I'm not in direct contact so I have no idea yet even if they're coming...if he's bringing a GF or not...and if they're bringing anything. I'm assuming they are coming...I do buffet style anyway so it's not a big deal.

My SIL gave me this chocolate mousse recipe and said it‘s delicious. I haven’t made it, but she’s a good cook and I trust her recommendations. It was published in a newsletter from Elliot Hosp. in New Hampshire.

Sound Bites for Heart Health: Heart-Healthy Chocolate Mousse :: Elliot Hospital 3/13/24, 15:15

Chocolate Mousse Recipe: Ingredients:
12oz. dark chocolate chips
1 container silken tofu

1/3 cup of your choice of non-dairy milk 2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Steps:

1. Melt chocolate chips on the stove.
2. Add together the tofu, honey, vanilla, milk, melted chocolate and blend until smooth. 3. Evenly distribute the mixture in ramekins and refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Serve with a generous portion of berries.

Enjoy!

My SIL used semi-sweet chocolate and almond milk. I’ve never bought silken tofu but I gathered from her it may just come in one size.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyaPEXiSsAM&t=81s

I just looked up honey and found it’s not considered vegan nor is white sugar. If you use semisweet chocolate, you might not need it. I don’t sweeten ganache when I use semisweet chocolate. I don’t know what silken tofu tastes like so I can’t say for sure. There are other substitutes for honey you can try if you want.

My daughter used to make vegan cookies for school because her music teacher was vegan. Her favorite cookies to make were Mexican Wedding Cookies (or Swedish Tea Cakes, or they go by other names), which don't include eggs. So all you need to do is substitute vegan "butter." They do have powdered sugar, which may or may not be strictly vegan depending on how it was processed, but apparently organic powdered sugar usually is.

My SIL left what the packaging said was a ”golden vegan bar” in our fridge a few Easters ago. It did not remotely look or taste like butter. There’s got to be a better substitute— maybe solid coconut oil?

I thought someone had posted this, but I'm not seeing it?

This stuff is quite good at replacing butter. Tastes fresh and not bad for a butter substitute:

So is a brand of vegan ice cream that is very good and it is in all grocery stores here.

Sorbet and fresh berries are always lovely!

I did a side by side taste test of Miyokos and real butter and I have to admit, it compared quite favorably. I will be using that in my cooking for sure.

Sounds like you know what you're serving, but this just popped up on Pinterest for me. I don't think the passionfruit makes an attractive sauce here, so I would probably use a red berry:

Vegan Panna Cotta

Recipe includes non vegan gelatine, but the instructions give a vegan option using agar agar.

@Olychick I don't think that panna cotta recipe is vegan:

• 2 tsp powdered gelatine

I think "gelatine" is "gelatin" and that is made with animal byproducts (animal skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, etc).

I haven't tried, but there are vegan gelatin substitutes such as agar agar that might be able to be used. Just don't want anyone with vegan friends/family to accidentally serve their guests animal products.

If I were going to serve a vegan dessert, I might be inclined to make a vegan chocolate mousse (similar to chickadee's recipe).

https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-chocolate-mousse/

Here's another with coconut instead of tofu.

https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/vegan-chocolate-mousse-recipe/

Or I might make a fruit crisp using vegan butter or coconut oil.

https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-apple-crisp/

https://minimalistbaker.com/the-best-vegan-apple-crisp/

https://minimalistbaker.com/grain-free-berry-crisp/

Or if you want to keep it low-key so you can just enjoy your birthday, I'd swing by Whole Foods and see what vegan desserts they offer. I'd check the bakery section and the frozen section. Surely they will have something. It's very thoughtful of you to think of your vegan guests!

@pricklypearcactus the instructions give a vegan option using agar agar. I'll make a note of that on my post.

Since you’re getting a Costco cake for yourself, I think storebought vegan cookies and sorbet is a fine alternative. if a simple vegan dessert isn’t in your current repertoire, keep it simple and buy something. I always offer to bring something but esp If I had dietary constaints.

I've made these--also a no-egg cookie that could be made vegan with the right butter substitute and sugar--for Christmas, but I've thought that they would make a great cookie for Easter using pastel colors and shaping the dough into an egg shape rather than round or square.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/marbled-shortbread/

Annie, Happy Birthday. I support your idea of serving vegan cookies with sorbet. Sounds great!

~~~~

We will be attending a Ukrainian dinner.

I am thinking of making some sort of rectangular sugar cookies, decorated with a confectioner’s sugar glaze — two abstract/organic ”swishes,” one yellow, one blue to suggest the Ukrainian flag.

There may be a couple of vegans attending. Are all/most or good sugar cookies made with butter and egg?

I would not make a special dessert if I did not know for certain they will attend, if I did not know for certain they are dessert eaters, if I was already making many dishes, it was my birthday, it was my birthday and I was buying my own cake. I would provide a store bought vegan dessert other guests might enjoy, like the sorbet, fruit, and/or cookies, and present them in an attractive way.

Just to show I’m not a total shrew and horrible hostess, I am making scallops for an appetizer for my sister’s birthday dinner even though I can’t eat them. I will also be making a second gluten free dessert to accommodate some guests, because I enjoy desserts, and because I’m cooking for 8 not 20.

”I would not make a special dessert if I did not know for certain they will attend, if I did not know for certain they are dessert eaters, if I was already making many dishes, it was my birthday, it was my birthday and I was buying my own cake.”

Preach.

Especially if it was my birthday.