Top five goodies perfect for a vegan bake sale

By Giselle Wedemire

For the past three months, we at Picky Bitchez have been on hiatus.The reason for that has mostly been because of time constraints, but also because I made an impromptu decision to step away from the blog until I had had enough time to properly test out some products I'd been sent by some great vegan and gluten-free companies. (Hint: reviews are on the way!)

However, time waits for no picky bitch, and it's about time I get back in the blogging game!

With the Sixth Annual Calgary Vegan Bake Sale just a week away, the vegan community here in Calgary is abuzz and I'll be reprising my role from last year as a volunteer baker. But I'm kind of freaking out because with just a week to go, I still haven't decided on what I should make for the event. Ugh, indecisiveness is the worst!

Event poster via Facebook

To break the radio silence we've had going on here for the past few months -- and to help inspire myself and any aspiring vegan bakers out there -- I've created a roundup of the best vegan baked goods that would be right at home at any bake sale. (Whether I make any of these recipes for the bake sale remains to be seen, but a girl can dream!)

Banana bread
Is there anything better than banana bread? Well, yes: peanut butter. But I feel like banana bread comes in a close second. And if you slather some peanut butter on top of a slice or two of banana bread -- shut the front door! -- you've got yourself a slice of heaven.

A cafe by my high school used to make the best banana bread in the world. It was not too oily, not too sweet, and it made for the best breakfasts before class. Clearly, I have a soft spot for this treat, but I think it's also a very bake sale-friendly item, and this light recipe  might do the trick if I decide to take a walk down memory lane when prepping for the bake sale.

Chocolate chip cookies
Can you ever go wrong with chocolate chip cookies? NO! They're virtually impossible to mess up, are super easy (and quick) to make, and are a certifiable crowd pleaser. I bet if all of us bakers at this year's Vegan Bake Sale brought nothing but chocolate chip cookies, it would be a knockout success. Such is the power of chocolate chip cookies.

Though there are tons and tons of great vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes, I'm really feeling the PPK's classic chocolate chip cookie and wheat-free chocolate chip cookie recipes.

Pumpkin pasties
I am a huuuuuuge Harry Potter nerd, and the fact that one of my favourite vegan food blogs is Dumbledore's Vegan Army is no coincidence. In the HP series, it seems that J.K. Rowling mentions the Hogwarts kids eating pumpkin pasties at least once in every book (but don't quote me on that; I might be exaggerating). 

I've always wondered what a pumpkin pasty (pastie?) would taste like, and this recipe would definitely give me my answer, should I decide to go the nerdy route with my bake sale offering this year.

Patties
I'm originally from Jamaica, and every now and then I feel homesick not just for my tiny home island, but also for its famous cuisine. It takes a bit of work to veganize Jamaican food, but it's always worth it in the end. 

The food I most often crave from back home is patties, and Taymer Mason's veganized version of this Jamaican street food staple looks fabulous, if time consuming. If I have a bit more time on my hands, I'd love to try this recipe out for the Calgary Vegan Bake Sale this year (or in the coming years).

Cinnamon buns
An honourable mention, cinnamon buns are the food of the gods. Fluffy and ooey and gooey, they are sweet morsels of deceit because they trick you into believing that you can eat just one more. And before you know it, you're left with an empty pan, a full stomach, and a sticky mess of a mouth. 

Though I have a personal cut-off point with baking (i.e. if a recipe requires me to knead and/or roll dough out with a rolling pin, I'm out), I might consider marrying anyone who offers me a great (vegan) cinnamon bun. So if anyone makes this recipe and brings it to the bake sale, be prepared for a bond of holy matrimony to yours truly!


Be sure to head on down to Community Natural Foods' Chinook Station Market (202 61 Ave SW) between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 30 to score all kinds of nummy vegan -- and, occasionally gluten-free -- treats. You might get to see just what I decided on baking for this event, and best of all: 100 per cent of the proceeds will go towards R.A.S.T.A. and the Alberta Spay and Neuter Task Force.