31 Decadent Vegan Dessert Recipes That Hit the Spot

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
• Serves: 2

Umami-rich miso paste meets decadent coconut cream for a salty, sticky-sweet play on traditional caramel. "I suggest dissolving the miso in water to mellow its punchiness a bit before it’s added to the pot," PureWow food editor Taryn Pire says, "but you could also just whisk it in straight from the container while the caramel is thickening to keep its flavor intense."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 10

Coconut oil takes over for butter in the pecan crust, while soaked cashews and coconut milk stand in for cream cheese. Substitute maple syrup or agave for honey to make it truly vegan, and feel free to use organic sugar. (The non-organic kind is often bleached by being filtered through animal bone char.)

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes chilling time)
• Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, vegan
• Serves: 8

"I guarantee you'll love this rich, intense chocolate treat that's studded with just the right amount of tart dried cherries and macadamia nuts," former PureWow food editor Heath Goldman asserts. If you don't want to splurge on dried rose petals, substitute rose tea.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 8

Swap a plant-based sweetener in for honey and this luxuriously silky vegan dessert recipe is fair game. Bonus points for serving it in a hollowed-out pineapple and crowning it with crispy toasted coconut flakes.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 10

“It's so versatile," recipe developer Aran Goyoaga asserts. "You can use any other fruit you have on hand. It's great with frozen berries, sliced pears or peaches, and you can add other warming spices such as cardamom, nutmeg or orange zest." Oh, and the dough is mixed in one bowl and pressed by hand for convenience.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 4

Thanks to chia seeds, the strawberry jam only takes 45 minutes—normally, you'd need to reduce the fruit for much longer, but they soak up the juices and help the jam set faster. "It may be a bit looser than you're used to, but it drapes perfectly over the layers of this confection," recipe developer chef Seizan Dreux Ellis says.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes (plus chilling time)
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 12

Fudgy, rich and just a touch spicy, this vegan dessert recipe is as devourable as it is easy on the eyes. There's ground ginger in the crust, as well as crystallized ginger and a ginger juice-based syrup in the filling.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 14 cookies

These (potentially) kid-friendly treats are only nine ingredients away. "The coconut sugar perfectly complements the peanut and banana here," Goyoaga asserts. "I've made several versions of these cookies with only maple syrup, but the crisp factor is not there when the coconut sugar is left out."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, make ahead
• Serves: 10

Breakfast for dessert, dessert for breakfast—either way, this beauty is delicious and packed with satiating fiber. "I use whole-grain spelt flour because it adds nutritional benefits," recipe developer Nisha Vora tells us. "Fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins make this appropriate for breakfast, but you can easily use all-purpose flour if that's what you have on hand."

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 8 to 10

Very ripe bananas not only impart sweetness to this snacking cake, but they also guarantee an impeccably moist, tender texture. Vegan yogurt, nondairy milk and vegetable oil don't hurt either.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, dairy free, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: one 9-inch cake

Aren't we lucky that we get to exist at the same time as vegan chocolate? It's the key to the shiny chocolate ganache that tops the deeply cocoa-y cake, lightly boozy cherry filling and plant-based vanilla frosting.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes (plus chilling)
• Why I Love It: no cook, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Hot take: Some overnight oats are decadent enough to be served for dessert, so don't limit it to busy mornings. "They ask for only five minutes before a sleep in the fridge to transform into a creamy, nutrient-packed breakfast all week long," recipe creator Kat Ashmore explains. :I use 16-ounce lidded glass jars for portioning these and serve them that way, too."

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes (plus chilling time)
• Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 12

Financiers, which are petite French almond cakes, are typically flavored with brown butter (aka liquid gold). But this spin on the traditional treat are made with aquafaba, or starchy chickpea liquid, and vegan butter instead. Finish them with fresh berries, lemon zest or crushed pistachios.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes (plus chilling)
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, dairy free
• Serves: 8

As long as you use vegan graham crackers, this recipe is totally plant-based. Avocado and vegan cream cheese make the filling rich and buttery, while a generous dose of fresh lime juice brightens its flavor.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 14

"Adding some unsweetened applesauce tenderizes the crumb and contributes magical homemade flavor, while a layer of graham cracker crust will have everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing," Goldman explains. Your guests won't realize you used vegan vanilla cake mix for the base, promise.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 10 to 12

Halva, a tahini-based confection that's popular in the Middle East, Mediterranean, the Balkans and beyond, is naturally plant-based and gluten free. The hardest step of this vegan dessert recipe is waiting for it to set overnight in the fridge before digging in.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, dairy free
• Serves: 10 to 12

"Kladdkaka is probably one of the most popular things to bake in Sweden," recipe creator Sofia Nordgren writes. "It's easy to make, takes almost no time to bake and it's very delicious. If you're a chocolate lover, I'm sure you'll adore this thin-yet-gooey cake." Aquafaba and plant-based margarine make it vegan-friendly.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 12

Sugar, spice and everything nice awaits in this cinnamon roll-inspired muffins, which are way less labor-intensive than actual cinnamon rolls. If you don't want to splurge on pearl sugar for a garnish, use crunchy turbinado sugar in its place.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 12 cakes

"These little cakes are perfect to serve in the afternoon with a cup of tea or coffee," Goyoaga writes. "They're sweetened only by the figs and a bit of honey. If figs are out of season, try topping the cakes with sliced peaches, nectarines, apricots, pears or berries." Swap honey out for maple syrup or agave if you're a strict vegan.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 18 cookies

"These cookies hold true to their 20-minute promise," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen writes. "It was stupid-easy to mix the dough, with the added benefits of needing one bowl and no stand mixer." Feel free to use whatever PB you have on hand instead of a sugar-free version.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes (plus freezing time)
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2

Canned coconut milk is pure plant-based magic, if you ask me. Here, it's paired with pantry staples to create a vegan dessert for the books that doesn't require an ice cream maker. (P.S.: You could marinate some mango in the lime juice and zest, then serve that over the top, if you're feeling ambitious.)

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 10

I'm all about no-bake dessert recipes, whether they're vegan or not. This one stars golden mylk, a popular vegan drink known for its anti-inflammatory properties, courtesy of ground turmeric. Don't even get me started on the crunchy almond crust.

• Time Commitment: 5 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, make ahead
• Serves: 10

You’ll never guess the secret ingredient in this decadent vegan dessert recipe. (Fine, I'll spill: It's cauliflower rice.) The topping is nothing but vanilla-kissed, lightly sweetened yogurt, and the crust is mostly pecans and dates.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, gluten free
• Serves: 18 cookies

Your usual matcha almond milk latte—in dessert form. "Aquafaba combined with cream of tartar acts as a vegan egg replacement and provides structure to the cookie dough, while keeping the matcha cookies soft and pillowy," recipe creator Hannah Sunderani writes.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

Power up the blender (and ready a single bowl) to make this sinful vegan dessert recipe. "It does take a little time to prepare because of all the chilling, so plan a little ahead when making this chocolate mousse," recipe creator Tieghan Gerard writes. (It's worth the wait, trust.)

• Time Commitment: 8 hours (includes chilling time)
• Why I Love It: gluten free, vegan, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 10

The prettiest cheesecake you ever did see. (Fresh fruit and citrus zest go a long way, no?) Not only is it easy on the eyes, but it also chills instead of bakes, so you won't need to turn on the oven to prepare it. You can thank me later.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, gluten free, kid-friendly
• Serves: 16

It's like having a slice of a Reese's peanut butter cup (only better). "If you don't want a coconut-flavored dessert, be sure to shop for 'refined' coconut oil, which is also called expeller-pressed coconut oil," recipe creator Megan Gilmore writes. "This type of coconut oil has zero coconut flavor, so your dessert will only taste like peanut butter and chocolate."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes chilling time)
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, vegan
• Serves: 9

This vegan dessert recipe is ideal for the warmer months when no one wants to turn on the oven. "Make sure the canned coconut cream and coconut milk have been chilling in the fridge overnight," recipe creator Lindsay Cotter advises. "This will allow it to solidify enough to whip into whipped cream."

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 10 to 12

Complete with a cookie crumb crust, date caramel and coconut whipped cream. Bananas and dark chocolate shavings make for decadent finishing touches on this vegan dessert recipe that's just right for a dinner party or fancy-ish gathering.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, gluten free
• Serves: 15

This one goes out to all the coconut lovers out there. Studded with pumpkin seeds and flaked coconut, the macaroons are held together with coconut milk, maple syrup and dark chocolate. Use a vegan kind of the latter and it's totally plant-based.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 16

OK, you could argue that it technically isn't a dessert on its own, but I'm putting this condiment on all of the above, TYVM. Serve it with nondairy ice cream, sliced apples, vegan cookies (or graham crackers) or pretzels, for starters.