Vegan-Friendly Recipes Using Nuts and Dried Fruits

Coming up with delightful easy vegan recipes isn’t easy – especially for those with a sweet tooth. No butter or milk or gelatine. It’s not so much what to avoid as what you can even add.

Luckily, we’ve got your back. Using the richness of nuts and sweetness of dried fruit, there are some amazing vegan recipe ideas out there. These vegan recipes will rock your world, from a crostini with a cup of coffee to a succulent slice of fruit cake!

We also sell 1-kilo bags of many of the fruits and nuts used in the recipes that you won’t find at your local supermarket.

Easy Vegan Recipes – Dried Fruit and Nut Vegan Flapjacks

Ingredients

• 350g fine rolled oats
• 80g plain flour
• 100g mixed nuts, chopped (almonds, pecans, cashews)
• 200g mixed dried fruit, chopped (sultanas, cranberries, apricots, figs)
• 50g mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, hemp)
• 200g dairy-free butter (e.g., Stork block)
• 175g golden syrup
• 200g light brown soft sugar

What To Do

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F, gas mark 3). Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin with parchment.
2. Combine oats, flour, nuts, dried fruit, and seeds in a large bowl.
3. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the dairy-free butter with golden syrup and brown sugar, stirring until smooth.
4. Pour the melted mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until no dry spots remain.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, level it out, and press down firmly.
6. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden and set. It will firm as it cools.
7. Allow cooling in the tin for 10 minutes, then slice while still warm. Let it cool completely, then remove and re-slice.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Easy Vegan Recipes – Vegan Fruit Cake

Ingredients

• 240 ml vegan buttermilk (240 ml unsweetened soy milk plus 15 ml lemon juice)
• 220 g all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 200 g organic brown sugar
• 225 g vegan butter
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 75 g raisins
• 75 g dried cherries
• 75 g dried cranberries
• 50 g chopped walnuts

What To Do

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
2. In a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and baking powder) on low speed.
3. Add the vegan butter to the bowl. Mix at medium-low speed for about a minute until the texture is similar to sand.
4. Pour in the vegan buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix at medium-high speed until combined.
5. Fold in the raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, and chopped walnuts at low speed until evenly distributed in the batter.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top evenly.
7. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Allow cooling in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment paper overhang and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.

Easy Vegan Recipes – Dried Fruit and Nut Crackers

Ingredients

• 120 g all-purpose flour
• 30 g brown sugar
• 110 g prunes, diced
• 55 g pecans
• 55 g pumpkin seeds
• 2 tsp chia seeds
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• ½ tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp g salt
• 240 mL milk, dairy or nut-based
• Coarse salt for topping

What To Do

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Mix flour, brown sugar, prunes, pecans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, chopped rosemary, orange zest, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Gradually add the milk to the dry ingredients, stirring to create a batter.
4. Grease mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Fill each pan about ⅔ full with batter.
5. Bake for 25-40 minutes, or until firm.
6. Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes, then place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes to firm up for slicing. Alternatively, let them rest at room temperature until completely cool, which may take several hours.
7. Once the loaves are cooled, preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Carefully remove the loaves from the pans.
8. Cut each loaf into thin slices, around 3-6 mm thick, using a sharp serrated knife.
9. Place the slices on a wire rack set over a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle or grind coarse salt over the top.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes. (If not using a wire rack, bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.)
11. Let the crackers cool completely; they will crisp up as they cool.

And don’t forget we also sell 1-kilo bags of many of the fruits and nuts used in the recipes that you won’t find at your local supermarket.

About Walnut Tree- the finest edible gifts

Great Taste Awards

With Great Taste Awards for nougat, dried fruit, marron glacé, glacé fruit, dark chocolate ginger and pate de fruit. You’ll always be purchasing quality products from Walnut Tree.

Who we supply

Supplied under own brand or white label to prestigious stores, palaces, castles, stately homes, garden centres, delicatessens, farm shops, hamper companies, department stores and gift shops.

Why buy from us?

You’re buying directly from the source and will get excellent value for money. If you’re not happy with your purchase, we’ll refund or replace it. The website is open 24/7, orders despatched within 48 hours.

Our charitable contributions

Walnut Tree supports Future Dreams Breast Cancer Charity with dried fruit for their care packages. www.futuredreams.org.uk

Local areas to our factory

AL1 | AL2 | AL3 | AL9 | AL10 | EN6 | EN5 | EN4 | NW4 | NW7 | NW9 | WD6 | WD7 | WD17 | | WD19 | WD23 | WD24 | WD25 | Aldenham | Barnet | Borehamwood  | Brent X | Bushey | Colney Street | Edgware | Elstree | Finchley | Frogmore | Hatfield | Hendon | Hertfordshire | Hertsmere | Leavesden | London Colney | Mill Hill | New Barnet | North London | Potters Bar | Radlett | Shenley | South Mimms | Stanmore | St. Albans | Southgate | Watford | Welham Green | Whetstone | Woodside Park