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Summer is the perfect time to make fruit-based desserts, and they’re easier than ever to make vegan. What I love about fruit desserts is that they provide a natural sweetness, they’re full of fiber, and are abundant in energizing nutrients to power up your day.

Another bonus of fruit-based desserts is that they’re the perfect way to introduce vegan desserts to your family or to make for yourself. Certain fruits have just the right amount of binding power, which eliminates the needs for eggs. Then there’s their hearty consistency. They lend a moist, dense texture that also eliminates the need for butter or oil.

Try out some of these tips when you head into the kitchen to make your next fruit-based dessert. Then, check out our recipe section to get a full list of delicious, vegan recipes to choose from. I have a feeling you’ll have a whole new appreciation for healthy desserts after these tips!

1. Utilize Applesauce

Applesauce makes a fantastic replacement for eggs, butter, and sugar. It’s sweet, very dense, and provides an unbelievably tender texture to baked goods. Try it out in these yummy vegan blondies or even try it out in a vegan chocolate cake recipe. Check out this recipe for Homemade Applesauce.

2. Nix Sugar and Use Berries

Pureed berries also make a nice replacement for sugar in dessert recipes. You can use any kind of berries you like but blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries often have the sweetest flavor. Use a cup of pureed berries for every cup of sugar but be sure to drain them to remove any excess water. Your baked goods will be a bit heavier, but adding a vegan binder like flax or chia seeds will help them firm up just fine.

3. Try Dried Fruits

Dried fruits like dates or raisins make fantastic desserts. They best part is, they’re a natural binder and a sugar replacement in one item. Dried fruits are also full of fiber and potassium. These cashew cups are an awesome recipe to try and if those don’t impress you, check out these 15 Decadent Raw Vegan (No-Bake) Dessert Recipes for more options. Check out this article on How to Make Healthy Dehydrated Fruit.

4. Use More Pumpkin

I love using pumpkin in place of oil or eggs in a recipe. It’s my go-to, low-sugar fruit that I put into almost all my baked goods. It’s fantastic to use in desserts because it has a hearty, slightly sweet flavor with plenty of body and texture. Try using pumpkin in vegan cheesecake, vegan pumpkin pie, chocolate pumpkin pie, brownies, or some pumpkin and maple quick bread. 

5. Go Bananas

Banana ice cream is now a vegan dessert phenomenon, and while it’s definitely amazing, it’s not the only way to use bananas in your desserts. Bananas are a great replacement to sugar, oil, and butter all in one. They’re great to use in smoothies, desserts, and most baked goods of any kind. These raw vegan banana fudge pops are fantastic to enjoy during the hot weather, along with this raw strawberry and banana cream cake, or perhaps you’d like to try a blueberry strawberry banana ice cream cake. Just don’t throw your brown bananas away! They provide the perfect sweetness and moisture for desserts. Freeze them and store them in plastic containers so they don’t go bad and you can use them whenever you want.Also, check out these 5 Ways to Transform Overripe Bananas Into Great Dishes.

What’s your favorite way to use fruit in dessert recipes? Have a recipe of your own to share?

Image source: Cashew Cream Cups

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