The end of 2016! Can you believe we’re already here?!
In short, 2016 was a delicious year. I pushed myself to develop some recipes that were unique and exciting and worthy of sharing with your friends and family. We had lots of desserts, many easy vegan dinners, and a gaggle of other plant-based delights, and I couldn’t be more proud of all of this deliciousness.
But we have to have the best of the best. Out of all of the recipes on Fooduzzi, these are the ones that got a gold star this year:
12. Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie
“Your pie was a hit….texture, freshness, taste, easiness…a great recipe.”
I have to be honest, this recipe might just be the prettiest thing to ever come out of my kitchen. It takes virtually NO time to whip together, and it’s so fun decorating and serving this impressive dessert to friends and family. Try mixing up the flavors; add different kinds of fruit to the topping, or mix in different extracts or zests into the filling!
11. Cinnamon Turmeric Iced Tea
“Love turmeric .. Love Iced Tea .. WIN WIN !! thank you”
Who knew flavored iced tea would be so popular?! Turmeric has been one of those buzz-worthy ingredients lately, and it’s absolutely delicious infused in some refreshing iced tea. I pretty much have an IV of iced tea throughout the summer, so you know I make this pretty much all the time.
10. Vanilla Matcha Green Tea Latte
This is one of those recipes that I couldn’t believe made it into the top 10 this year.I didn’t really think it had much “wow” factor. Apparently I was wrong! And it makes sense. It’s seriously SO simple, and it’s one of my favorite ways to start the day. You use a special kitchen gadget to make the milk all nice and frothy and omg it’s suh good.
“I made this tonight! It is absolutely delicious and I am so excited. You are very clever and my husband went back for thirds!!! This will now become part of my repertoire. I am so glad I doubled the recipe cause now I will be able to have some for lunch. Very Filling too. Thank you!”
This was one of those recipes that I just knew would be a hit (totally tooting my own horn here). I was so amazed by it the first time I made it, I’m pretty sure I shoved it into Mark’s face as soon as he got home from work. He then was so amazed by it, that he didn’t even realize there wasn’t any rice involved in the making of this recipe. Seriously! All you need is one protein-packed ingredient that’s the perfect grain-free sub in this fried “rice.”
8. The Best Damn Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chunk Cookies
“These are amazing!!!!!!!!! I have made them twice in the past 5 days… I don’t even have a sweet tooth but I am crazy about these. Thank you :)”
This recipe. It seriously might be my favorite recipe of all time. These cookies. Are stupid good. And it sounds like you all agree! It seriously makes my heart SO happy that some of you made them for your holiday festivities. They’re super soft and chewy and LOADED with chocolatey goodness. Oh, and they’re gluten free & vegan…nbd.
7. Healthy Buffalo Chickpea Dip
“creamy, spicy, and seriously addictive. a MUST try!”
I’m so obsessed with this recipe, and I can honestly tell you I crave it once a week. For anyone who’s a buffalo fiend, or for anyone who has SERIOUSLY missed buffalo’d foods since going vegetarian/vegan (? ), this is the dip for you. It’s spicy, garlicky, and a tad bit cheesy. Plus it’s super creamy thanks to the most versatile kitchen staple ever. Yous gonna love it.
6. Dairy Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
“This is wonderful! I’m making it as we speak for the 2nd time! I love all things pumpkin, but since I started eating a Paleo diet, those store bought creamers are a big no-no. I’ve tried other DIY coffee creamers before and wasn’t thrilled….but this-YUM! (I might have drank a little out of the jar, too….oops!) Thanks!”
This pumpkin spice coffee creamer is a HIT – you guys love it! And it’s totally understandable – I mean, it’s pretty much like drinking fall in a cup. If you’re pretty addicted to the whole #psl craze, this is your excuse to have them at home all the time!
5. Banana Almond Butter Klondike Bars
“I made these once and the verdict is that I will be making more.
Can the recipe be doubled?
Can I eat them all the time?”
Not gonna lie, I was pretty surprised these babies took off as much as they did. The pictures aren’t my best, but the recipe itself is spot-on. I loved klondikes as a kid, so it’s pretty awesome we can still partake in this fun frozen treat in a healthier way. Three cheers for healthy, vegan klondikes!
“Just wanted to let you know I just made this hummus and it was DELICIOUS!!! I am not even a huge hummus fan, but Thai Peanut Hummus is a whole other story! Thanks for the great recipe.”
This recipe is a keeper. In fact, a few of my parents’ friends are absolutely obsessed with it. “Thai peanut” is a frequently-recurring theme here on Fooduzzi, so of course I needed to turn it into a hummus. I love the ginger and garlic and peanut butter together, and the fact that I can use it as a dip for pretty much anything makes me a very happy camper hummus-lover.
3. The Easiest Way to Cut a Watermelon
So, this isn’t really a recipe. I know. But I’m still amazed that it has gained so much traction! The extremely low-quality video I made to go along with this post (but seriously I duct-taped my phone to a chair and put that on a table to shoot this thing. it isn’t pretty) has almost 20,000 views on YouTube. Insane. That being said, this really is the only way I’ll ever cut watermelon because it’s just so dang easy. Mmmm…is it summer yet?
2. Easy On-the-Go Vegan Lunches
Again, not a recipe, but a recipe roundup! Apparently the blog-reading world is in need of some vegan lunches! I was so excited to be able to collect some of my favorite quick & easy vegan recipes and share them in this post. They’re some of the most nourishing recipes on my blog, so they’ll help you power through your crazy work day. Yum yum.
1. Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad
“This is one of my FAVORITE recipes! If I don’t know what to make for dinner, I love having this puppy up-my-sleeve. It’s so delish!”
Is it a surprise that this recipe is #1? It isn’t for me! It’s been pinned over 175,000 times! My brother and I are so obsessed with this recipe that we literally fight over the leftovers. It’s that good. Not to mention that it’s SO easy to make, and it’s delicious hot, cold, or at room temp. Roasted broccoli and quinoa were meant for one another…especially when a drool-worthy honey mustard dressing brings them together!
And as a special bonus, here are five of my favorite recipes from the year:
Lemon Chia Seed Granola – quite possibly the best granola in the world
Easy Vegan Ramen – a SIMPLE veggie-filled ramen that’ll make you feel like a superstar
Cheez-it Roasted Chickpeas – cheez-it. chickpeas. enough said
The Big Vegan Rainbow Bowl – can’t even tell you how obsessed I am with the dressing on this salad
Strawberry White Bean Caprese Salad with Honey Black Pepper Granola – granola croutons, fresh fruit, and creamy avocado…hubba hubba
Thank you so much for a wonderful year, friends. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Here’s to an even more delicious 2017!
{ps. If you want to let me know more about your favorite/least favorite things about Fooduzzi, take my super short survey!}
All of these recipes look amazing!! Here’s to all the recipes 2017 will bring :)