When we were younger, there was nothing more exciting than a trip to the Olive Garden for dinner. Something about the endless, free vegan breadsticks that made every meal eaten there so much more magical.

While we’re more likely to cook up a plant-based meal from our Food Monster App when we’re craving Italian food these days, we still can’t help but feel nostalgia whenever an Olive Garden promotion is going on — their staple dishes just remind us of our childhood!

So when we heard that Olive Garden debuted a new Cookie Butter Cake, we were immediately intrigued. Traditional cookie butter, like Biscoff, is actually an accidentally vegan product, but unfortunately, Olive Garden’s cake isn’t dairy and egg-free — but don’t let that stop you from enjoying your own homemade cookie butter cake anyway! We looked through our Food Monster App to bring you five vegan, healthier variations of Olive Garden’s classic dishes.

We would be remiss if we didn’t begin with these Braided Herbed Breadsticks by Namita Tiwari. 

Just like the original ones at Olive Garden, only way cooler because they’re braided.

How creamy does this gluten-free Fettuccine Alfredo by Maggie Jones look?

Creamy sauces in vegan cooking tend to be made with nuts, so if you have a nut allergy, you might think that means you have to miss out on your favorite meals. Cauliflower takes the place of cashews in this recipe to make a rich and creamy alfredo sauce that you can make in big batches and freeze for later use. Serve it with asparagus, peas, or whatever green vegetables you have readily available.

Just because you’re plant-based, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some vegan Italian Meatball Soup!

Kat Condon‘s recipe will transport your taste buds to the rustic Italian countryside. The savory tomato broth is well spiced and filled with delicious quinoa and lentil “meatballs” that make the soup as filling as it is tasty.

Lighten up Olive Garden’s pasta with recipes like this Zucchini Pasta With Garlic Green Beans and Stuffing!

The idea behind Alissandra Maffucci‘s recipe is simple (and easy!): throw some leftovers and raw zucchini noodles into a saucepan and cook for about 3 minutes to heat it all up. There’s not much more to it. If you want, add a couple tablespoons of freshly grated vegan Parmesan cheese to add some creaminess to the noodles. Enjoy!

Finally, behold the glorious scrumptiousness of this Cookie Butter Cheesecake by Gretchen Price!

It’s tough to say “no” to a big spoonful of cookie butter. Well, that battle just got tougher, with this thick, dense, tangy cookie butter cheesecake coming at ya! The perfection of vegan cheesecake has never been matched until now.

If you’re loving these recipes and want even more vegan cookie butter delights (we recommend these gluten-free Protein Cookie Butter Moon Pies and these No-Bake Cookie Butter Cashew Cheesecakes for starters) then we highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 8,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to ten new recipes per day. Check it out!

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Lead image source: Cookie Butter Cheesecake