Hi there! I’m Karen, a plant based pastry chef, creating flavourful vegan recipes for you to make at home.
Here at Sweeter with Dates I help you to make delicious vegan recipes that’ll WOW your family and friends, even if you’ve never turned on an oven before!
You’ll find recipes that are simple enough that anyone, with even minimal kitchen experience, can make. These are the same foods I make at home and don’t require any fancy professional equipment.
The recipes
If you’re new to vegan baking or baking and cooking in general then be sure to read the blog post relating to each recipe. Within each post you’ll find loads of advice, information on ingredients and extra instructions on how to master each recipe. The recipe card itself has only the essential information needed for the more experienced baker, my goal being that if you choose to print the recipe it uses less paper.
I also share the occasional more complex recipe and provide more step-by-step instructions with plenty of advice on how to master them. If you need extra assistance, just email me and I’ll happily help.
Most of the recipes here are made using healthier unrefined ingredients, focusing on unrefined sweeteners and healthy fats. A lot are gluten free! And some of the recipes just aren’t, some contain gluten, refined sugar and oils. I’m sharing the recipes that my family enjoy and we enjoy a variety of vegan foods with a focus on healthier eating, allowing for flexibility and a fun approach to eating.
More about me
Baking and spending time in the kitchen is one of my favourite things to do. I love teaching others how to master the skills and techniques required for successful baking. I’ve spent years working in commercial kitchens and training apprentices.
However, due to a bizarre set of circumstances, one day while working, I was stung by wasps and this caused a dis-functioning of my autonomic nervous system. I was subsequently diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and ME/CFS.
With an interest in nutrition, I began to focus on wholefoods as a way to heal my body and I find that following a healthier plant based diet helps me to manage my condition and today I live virtually symptom free.
Not being able to return to a fast paced professional kitchen created the opportunity for me to start blogging and I’m excited to share the recipes, from this healthier food journey, as well as all the recipes that my family and friends have enjoyed over the years.
Recently though, I’ve gone on to study full time and am completing a Bachelor of Food and Nutrition. I’ll still be creating recipes and sharing them here, just a bit slower than originally planned.
Becoming a vegan
I first became a vegetarian as a teenager, I loved the newfound freedom of being old enough to cook for myself and choose my own meals. In an age before the internet, I searched through recipe books for inspiration, making so many delicious meals, as well as some not so good. It was quite the learning experience! I still love experimenting in the kitchen and I still make the occasional not so good recipe, I promise not to share those. 🙂
I raised my three kids as egg free vegetarians (I’m allergic to eggs) and I’ve made countless meat free meals, egg-free cakes, biscuits and slices. Then, when my youngest daughter went vegan, I joined her and I haven’t looked back! If you want to know more about raising vegetarian or vegan families, feel free to contact me with any questions.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading!
Take some time to look around, find a recipe you want to try and let me know how you go 🙂
My Qualifications
I trained in Patisserie at William Angliss Institute and then, with a passion for working with chocolate, I undertook further training at Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School.
I am also a certified Trainer and Assessor for Patisserie students within Australia.
Currently studying Food and Nutrition at LaTrobe University.
Please email to get in touch with me: karen@sweeterwithdates.com
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