Connie's Vegan Diary

One of my go-to breakfasts alongside porridge is granola and soya yogurt. I love to make my own, not only is it cheaper and super delicious but also healthier as I know exactly what goes into it. I have a few variations of flavours I make and a favourite of mine is with maple syrup and walnuts. Ingredients  100ml melted coconut oil  100ml maple syrup  120g walnut halves  350g rolled oats  Method:  It's so simple! All you need to do is mix all the ingredients together on a lined baking tray and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes on 180 degrees. That's it! I then allow it to cool (whilst trying not to eat it all- it smells amazing fresh out the oven) and I store it in a plastic container or a glass jar. And there you have it, breakfasts for the whole week! It's great served with vegan milk or yogurt and topped with fresh fruit.

It's rich and chocolatey and makes a delicious dessert or tasty afternoon treat; what's not to love about this super easy vegan chocolate tiffin.   Ingredients  112g vegan butter  21g cocoa powder  2 tablespoons caster sugar  60ml agave syrup  250g broken/ crushed biscuits (I use hobnobs)  25g crisp rice cereal  200g dark chocolate  Method: In a saucepan slowly melt the vegan butter, cocoa powder, sugar and agave syrup until it turns into a thick chocolate sauce. Take off the heat and then stir in the biscuits and crisp rice cereal.  Pour the mixture into a lined loaf pan and smooth they layer down with a spoon. Place in the fridge until set.  Next melt the dark chocolate .  I usually do this in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on the hob. Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the tiffin base and smooth down with a spoon. Then place back into the fridge to completely se...

These brownies are super easy and delicious and taste amazing warmed up with vegan ice cream or yoghurt! I was wanting to use up some left over Easter eggs and I thoughts what's better than chocolate brownies.  Ingredients  5 tablespoons of melted coconut oil  200g dark chocolate  170g self-raising flour 180g caster sugar  2 tablespoons of cocoa powder  250ml of soya or oat milk  Pre-heat the oven to  1 80ºC/350ºF/gas 4.  Firstly, melt  the dark chocolate. I usually do this in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on the hob.  Then mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and then add the coconut oil, soya milk and then the melted dark chocolate and mix until smooth.  Pour the mixture into a baking tin lined with grease-proof paper and a little oil and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes (until the top is cooked but still gooey on the inside). Leave to cool before turni...

I first tried buckwheat pancakes on holiday in Budapest and wanted to create them for myself at home, and with lockdown being in full swing I'm having plenty of time in the morning to get creative in the kitchen.  Ingredients:  120g buckwheat flour  250ml dairy free milk (oat, almond or soya)  1 tablespoon flaxseed powder (optional)  1 tablespoon sunflower oil/ vegetable oil (plus extra for frying pan)  1/2 teaspoon baking powder  Makes 3-4 fluffy pancakes  Simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Dollop about 1/4 of the mixture onto a greased saucepan and fry on each side until slightly brown. Repeat until all the mixture has gone. Then serve with your favourite toppings!  My top three favourite toppings are...  1. maple syrup, banana, strawberries and walnuts (pictured) 2. peanut butter and raspberry jam 3. dark chocolate hazelnut spread with banana...

I thought I would start doing some monthly favourites of products that I have loved each month to share some inspiration. You may even find some new things that you didn't even know existed or were vegan! So here are my favourites for March... Mint Oreos It's well known Oreos are vegan but I have no idea they had a mint flavour! I will probably end up putting weight on now I have discovered these. Sorry I don't have a picture as I have already eaten the whole packet and haven't bought anymore during lockdown, can't quite say it's and essential! Galaxy Salted Caramel Vegan Chocolate I am a lover of dark chocolate so it's not usually hard to find a vegan chocolate bar, but if you do prefer milk then this is a must, especially if you love to combination of sweet and salty! Promise my favourites aren't all chocolate! Superdrug Vitamin C Gel Moisturiser Firstly, this moisturiser is under £5, what's not to love about it! It also smells ama...

Take me back two years and I never would have thought I would be vegan let alone starting a vegan blog! So where did it all start? I grew up it a family that ate meat, dairy, fish and eggs, without batting an eyelid about where these products came from. Growing up with a big meat-eating family it was  "normal" and my favourite meal was even a really rare steak! I spent hundreds of pounds of leather handbags and beauty products that had been tested on animals with out even realising the suffering that went into the items I loved. I really had no idea and to say I was oblivious to everything would be an understatement! I grew up in the country surrounded by farm land. I love animals and even when I was little I wish I had lived on a farm. I knew that meat came from animals, but I never really but the missing pieces together about what happened between the animals I saw in the field and the food on my plate. It wasn't until I turned 20 that my eating habits chan...