Sinfully Vegan: Over 140 Decadent Desserts to Satisfy Every Vegan's Sweet Tooth [Paperback]

Lois Dieterly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2003

Choosing to be a vegan doesn't have to mean a life of deprivation—now readers can pamper their palates with healthy foods and still indulge in all their favorite treats. In Sinfully Vegan, author Lois Dieterly has "veganized" all the traditional favorites—including chocolate cake, fudge, cheesecake, apple pie, and strawberry shortcake—without sacrificing the great flavor, and offers many brand-new recipes for cooks to add to their dessert repertoire. Sinfully Vegan's 140 recipes cover the full spectrum of desserts—from cakes, candies, cookies, and brownies to pies, tarts, puddings, and breads—all of which are dairy- and eggfree, and even includes a section with wheat-free alternatives. Complete with helpful pantry-stocking tips and nutritional breakdowns for each recipe, Sinfully Vegan offers a sumptuous array of dessert choices and is perfect for all those vegans out there yearning for something sweet to satisfy their cravings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Tucson Citizen, 7/19/11
“All of the 160-plus recipes are broken down into prep time, bake time, and nutritional information, making the collection extremely user-friendly.”

Technorati.com, 7/19/11
“There are enough recipes to keep bakers busy for quite a while. Chocoholics will find a bounty of recipes that will appeal to them, and chocophobics will be equally pleased with the selections.”

 

LeslieLovesVeggies.net, 7/25/11
“An essential addition to any kitchen.”

InfoDad.com, 8/4/11
“[Dieterly] presents a wide enough variety of sweet stuff to satisfy just about any vegan palate.”

SavvyVegetarian.com, 8/16/11
“This is the vegan dessert cookbook for dedicated dessert fans.”

 

Midwest Book Review, August 2011

“A must for any vegan chef who wants more than some lettuce.”

 

San Francisco Book Review, September 2011
“Recipes are well written [and] easy to follow.”

VegNews, December 2011
“An indulgent treasure trove of special occasion delights…Sinfully Vegan is sure to become a go-to staple on your bookshelf.”

Midwest Book Review, November 2011
“A pick for any vegan library.”

Curled Up With a Good Book
“Not only has Dieterly put together a large and mouth-watering collection of dessert recipes, but they are also easy to follow, with each recipe listing a short description of the dessert, a breakdown of time required for preparation, baking and cooling, serving size and the nutritional value of the dessert. Sinfully Vegan is a winning collection of delicious vegan desserts whether you are vegan or simply someone who wants a healthier alternative to desserts.”

 

January, 12/5/11
“At a glance, the words ‘sinful’ and ‘vegan’ have no business showing up together in a sentence, never mind the title of a book. But Sinfully Vegan puts a lie to all of that, filling a whole book with delicious and completely vegan desserts.”

Metapsychology Online Reviews, 1/12/12

“A good, practical collection of recipes.”

Natural Solutions (website), 1/1/12

“[A] favorite cookbook of 2011…This is the crème de la crème of vegan dessert cookbooks, featuring more than 160 recipes that will make your mouth water and your taste buds dance. From fancy pies and cakes to simple frozen-fruit desserts, there’s a recipe here for every occasion. But really, who needs a special occasion with a dessert book like this?”

 

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

LOIS DIETERLY is an elementary-school teacher in Pennsylvania who until recently baked vegan desserts for a local restaurant. She has been a vegetarian for the last decade and a vegan for four of these years. Dieterly lives with her family outside Reading, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (October 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569244766
• ISBN-13: 978-1569244760
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #919,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Call me a sinner, but I can't stop eating these desserts., March 10, 2004

By 

Anna (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sinfully Vegan: Over 140 Decadent Desserts to Satisfy Every Vegan's Sweet Tooth (Paperback)

To begin: I love this book. Love, love, love. I do have one complaint, though. With 140 recipes, it's going to take me forever to try them all! Especially since I just want to keep making my favorites over and over again.

Anyway, I could gush for hours about how great the recipes themselves are. [The Richer Than Fort Knox Cake was a huge hit at my husband's workplace. Everyone was shocked that 1) it wasn't from a bakery, and 2) it was 100% vegan. And I always love showing people that you don't deprive yourself of good things by making vegan choices.] But before I get carried away, I'd like to point how how much I love the organization of the book. Each recipe is divided into simple steps, and recipes are subdivided into sections--like the cake, the frosting, the garnish, etc. Also, Ms. Dieterly includes serving info, prep and baking time, and nutritional information, and also notes whether the recipe freezes well. And for those with wheat allergies, all of the wheat-free recipes are specifically marked as such.

She has recipes for the following dessert categories: cookies and brownies; cakes and quick breads; Boston cream pies; pies and tarts; cheesecakes; puddings; donuts and candy; beverages and smoothies; and frostings, toppings, and crusts. Sadly, there are no vegan ice cream recipes. But I'll be so busy eating brownies and cheesecakes and donuts, I won't have time for ice cream anyway!

The ingredients she uses should be familiar to most vegan cooks, and I don't have any trouble finding them. However, if you're new to vegan baking or live in an area where it's difficult to find, for example, silken tofu, then the author provides an introduction to the vegan ingredients you'll need, as well as a list of mail-order companies from which you can purchase the necessary ingredients. And if you're still searching, a quick Google search can reveal numerous places on-line to purchase vegan foodstuffs.

Finally, I'd just like to comment on the writing style. I really enjoy reading the author's recipe descriptions and other comments. She's clear and informative, but also sounds like a friend who's hanging out in your kitchen while you're baking.

All in all, this is a great cookbook. Buy it and amaze your friends with your delicious--and compassionate--desserts.

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, December 30, 2004

By 

G in CA - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sinfully Vegan: Over 140 Decadent Desserts to Satisfy Every Vegan's Sweet Tooth (Paperback)

I am an avid baker and vegetarian. I have recently begun experimenting with vegan desserts. I tried several of the brownie recipes and a cookie recipe in this book. They were all awful (poor in both taste and texture) and had to be thrown away. It is unfortunate to have to give this book a bad review, but I would hate for other people to waste their money as I did.

I would recommend the book "The Artful Vegan". There are excellent dessert recipes in the back (using mostly unprocessed ingredients). The German Chocolate Cake recipe in there is outstanding.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed, December 13, 2004

By 

Lover of children's books (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sinfully Vegan: Over 140 Decadent Desserts to Satisfy Every Vegan's Sweet Tooth (Paperback)

I purchased this book since my husband and I are vegan and the overwhelming majority of customer reviews for the book are enthusiastically positive. Unfortunately, I have found the book a big disappointment.
My first effort was for a peach dessert, and, when it did not turn out, I assumed that I must have chosen the one "loser" in the book. Then, this past weekend, when I prepared a holiday party for many friends (none of whom are vegan, but all brave souls who are willing to "try anything"), I decided to give the book a real trial. I prepared the "can't believe" brownies (doubled the recipe in fact), the Mint chocolate cake (with the mint frosting, which I also tinted pink and then sprinkled with crushed candy canes), and the Cinn-sational apple cake. Only the apple cake came out satisfactorily - I actually ended up throwing out the two chocolate ones the next day - nobody ate them and even my husband and I - both chocoholics - agreed that "they weren't worth the calories".
I am considered a good cook - and willing to experiment - and am confident that I prepared the recipes correctly. I expect my cooking to taste excellent - as well as being free of animal products. I enjoy eating too much to put up with food that is just tolerable since, after all, it is vegan. One shouldn't have to sacrifice taste for one's principles - life is too short! So, when I say that these recipes are disappointing, it is with regret - I truly hoped for delicious vegan desserts.
The peppermint frosting had the consistency of glue - and actually slid off the cake when pieces were served. Both the brownies and the mint cake had a "sharp" edge to their tastes and a too dense texture. The apple cake was acceptable only because of the maple syrup glaze.
In the past, I have made a vegan chocolate cake that depends upon vinegar and baking soda for leavening, and is so tasty that my colleagues at work (none of whom are close to vegetarian!!) actually request that I bring it in! I guess I am back to depending upon this lone recipe when I want to bake a good vegan dessert.
I am glad that the other reviewers of this book are so pleased with the recipes, and do wish that I could join them in enthusing about the desserts.I gave the book 2 out of 5 stars because the format of the book, photographs, nutritional analyses, and comments by the author are all attractive. In the end, though, one buys a cookbook for the recipes it contains, and, in that respect, "Sinfully Vegan" fails.
Opie Rosenfeld (Minneapolis, MN)