Vegan dessert options have seriously improved over the years and now cater not only to those who avoid eggs and dairy but people who steer clear of gluten and processed sugars. Some companies have taken extra steps to create products that make you feel as if you are truly indulging, even though you are enjoying healthy treats.
Take Earth Cafe, for one. Sold at natural foods stores, larger grocery stores, and other spots in California as well as online, their 10 different raw, vegan, wheat/gluten-free cheesecakes are creamy, rich and decadent. Rockin’ Raspberry and Banana Cream are excellent as are the others I have tried.
On their Twitter page, Earth Cafe often touts the health benefits of the nuts used in their treats, and the sweetener they use is agave syrup, known to avoid causing sugar crashes.
Nana’s Cookie Company also creates vegan dessert without refined sugars, and should be applauded for using only fruit juice. With products sold across the U.S. and also in the UK, Nana’s avoids genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and ensures Kosher certified products.
My favorite was the rich and moist double chocolate cookie. The chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, while also not wheat-free, were tasty. Of the gluten-free or wheat-free options from Nana’s, I only tasted the berry vanilla cookie bars, which could use some fine-tuning to reach a more satisfying texture and taste. It is wonderful for people with celiac disease or allergies that Nana’s has many gluten-free products such as ginger spice, lemon and other varieties of cookies, cookie bars and cookie bites.
Progressive businesses such as these should be honored for their innovative ways of satisfying today’s demanding customers.