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What are the Different Types of Vegetarian Dessert?
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Fortunately for vegetarians, most desserts already are suitable for their diets. Ice cream, cake, pie, cookies, and most sweet pastries are made without the use of meat, poultry or fish. These dishes are made primarily with flour, eggs, milk, sugar, fruits, and candies, all of which are acceptable within the parameters of a vegetarian diet. Therefore, vegetarian dessert is rather easy to come by.
The only desserts that vegetarians usually have to be wary of are those made with gelatin. Gelatin, which is used to make Jell-O® and other desserts, is made from the bones, tendons, and skin of animals. For this reason, gelatin is not suitable for vegetarians. There are a number of vegetable-based products that can be used to substitute gelatin. Agar-agar, for example, is a product made from seaweed that can be used as a substitute for gelatin.
Gelatin is also sometimes used as a thickening agent in dairy products such as sour cream. Although sour cream made without gelatin is acceptable for consumption by vegetarians, sour cream thickened with gelatin is not. Some baked goods such as cakes and pies call for sour cream; therefore, in order these treats to be made in a manner that is suitable for vegetarians, they must be made with sour cream that does not contain any gelatin.
Many traditional recipes for pie crust call for lard, which is rendered animal fat. Any product made with lard is not suitable for vegetarians. In order to make a pie as a vegetarian dessert, the recipes must be altered so that they are made without this ingredient. As lard is less commonly used than it used to be, this is usually not difficult for anyone trying to bake a pie for a vegetarian dessert.
It is important to note that many desserts that are suitable for vegetarians are not suitable for vegans. This is because vegans are restricted to foods made without any sort of animals products, including dairy. Some vegans even refrain from consuming honey as it is a product that comes from bees. While ice cream and chocolate cake made with dairy products are just fine for vegetarians to eat, they can not be consumed by vegans.
There is one kind of vegetarian dessert that is also almost always suitable for vegans. This dessert is sorbet. Sorbet is usually made simply with fruit, sugar, and water. This vegetarian dessert is completely free of any kind of animal product which means that it can also be considered a vegan dessert.
Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
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Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
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![Coconut can be used in vegetarian-friendly desserts.]()
By: picsfiveCoconut can be used in vegetarian-friendly desserts. -
![Coconut milk, which can be used in vegetarian desserts, is an alternative to cow's milk.]()
By: ElenathewiseCoconut milk, which can be used in vegetarian desserts, is an alternative to cow's milk. -
![Many traditional pie crust recipes call for lard, a fat unsuitable for vegetarians.]()
By: whiteasterMany traditional pie crust recipes call for lard, a fat unsuitable for vegetarians. -
![Agar is a good substitute for gelatin, which is made with animal products.]()
By: Maksim ShebekoAgar is a good substitute for gelatin, which is made with animal products. -
![Any baked goods containing sour cream may contain gelatin.]()
By: dream79Any baked goods containing sour cream may contain gelatin. -
![Chocolate is a popular desert that is made without animal byproducts.]()
By: Igor MojzesChocolate is a popular desert that is made without animal byproducts.
Discussion Comments
@ZipLine-- Try a carrageenan based vegetarian gelatin. I think this is the best variety. I also use carrageenan to set practically any dessert where I can't use gelatin or other non-veg alternatives. It works very well. You can use it in puddings, ice cream and even frosting.
I also prefer fruit and nut based desserts as these are usually vegetarian and easy to make. If there is an ingredient I'm not sure about, I leave it out if it is not a must. Otherwise making vegetarian desserts can require a bit of research and preparation for ingredients. I don't stick to just American desserts though. Other cultures have wonderful desserts that are naturally vegetarian, like baklava for example.
There is vegetarian gelatin products out there but personally, I don't feel that they are as good as the non-vegetarian ones I had tried before I made the switch. The consistency is fairly similar with the use of agar but I find the taste to be slight different.
I'm vegetarian and I don't have difficulty finding desserts suitable for me. Almost all of them are suitable. Like the article said, I just have to watch out for animal products.
My sister, on the other hand, is vegan and it's difficult for her to find vegan dessert. She usually has to make it herself and she has to find alternatives for many of the ingredients. This is just one reason why I don't think I could be vegan. I like that I can have a nice slice of cheesecake or a cupcake at practically any cafe I visit.
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