Cassie DeNisco

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Vegan Starbucks Lemon Loaf

I have two go to sweet treats when I go to Starbucks: birthday cake pop and lemon loaf. Both are so yummy but super sugary and not the best to have. Starbucks is also pretty expensive for just a slice of a loaf cake so I made it my mission to find a recipe similar to Starbucks’ lemon loaf that would be much cheaper and healthier. I finally think I have found the perfect vegan recipe so here it is!

Ingredients:

Loaf

– 2 c Flour

– 3 tsp Baking Powder

– 1/2 tsp Salt

– 3/4 c Sugar

– 1 c Dairy Free, Unsweetened Milk

– 1/2 c Vegetable Oil

– 1/4 c Lemon Juice

– 2 tbs Lemon Zest

– 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Icing

– 1 c Powdered Sugar

– 1/4 c Lemon Juice

– 2 tbs Lemon Zest

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9″ by 5″ loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
  2. Stir all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together all wet ingredients.
  4. Slowly add dry ingredients mix to the wet ingredients mix.
  5. Pour batter in loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes. Remove and place aluminum foil tent over it to prevent the top from browning.
  6. Put it back in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted is clean.
  7. Let cool and prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until combined.
  8. Drizzle icing over cooled loaf and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set!

Although the cook time is kind of long, this loaf turned out so yummy. It is definitely so similar to the Starbucks Lemon Loaf that you probably will want this loaf over their’s any day. It has way less sugar and is a lot healthier of a treat. Let me know if you try this recipe out or if you want me to make more Starbucks recipe dupes in the future!

My Productive Morning Routine

It took me so long to get to this point of actually enjoying my mornings, so if I can get into a productive routine in the morning so can you!

7:00am

I start every morning at 7:00am regardless of if I have anything major planned for the day or not. I find waking up every morning at the same time helps me to fall asleep around the same time every night. It helps me to regulate my sleep schedule and start my day. I always make sure to have some water as soon as I wake up to jumpstart my day.

7:30am

I’m not going to lie to you, the first thirty minutes to an hour of my day are spent in bed on my phone. I know it’s a terrible habit to have but it’s just the perfect opportunity to get it out of the way and not get distracted by my phone throughout the day. As soon as I finish on my phone, I immediately make my bed. This step is so important if you’re one who has trouble getting out of bed. Get up and make your bed so that you aren’t tempted to get back in it!

7:45am

By this point in the morning, I am usually awake enough to wash my face. I start with my Clinque face wash on my facial brush. Then I use the Clinque toner that matches my face wash with a little cotton round. I finish off my face routine with the Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Serum. I don’t typically use make up so I find that this skin combo leaves my face with a really great glow for the day. While I’m here, I’ll typically brush my teeth at this point too.

8:00am

I typically like to workout in the morning on an empty stomach so when I’m getting dressed and ready for the day, I’ll put on my workout gear for either a workout class, at home workout, or if I’m going to the gym. I like working out in the morning because it gets me pumped for the day and I get it out of the way.

9:30am

After whatever workout I end up doing, I’ll sometimes shower depending on what it was. Because I workout again at night in the dance classes that I teach, I’ll generally do strength training in the morning since I’m doing cardio at night. After that I’ll get fully dressed for the day and do something to my hair.

10:00am

My morning has already been so busy but by 10 am I’m sitting down at my desk either doing work for clients, writing blogs posts, or doing lesson plans for my dance class that night. During the school year, all of my classes are online so I’ll substitute this work for my homework. I’ll usually work until like 3pm so that I have enough time to get ready for whatever classes I’m teaching.

11:30am

Like I said in my what I eat in a day, I intermittent fast and food combine so by this point in the day I like to have my bowl of fruit as my breakfast. I think by this point my day turns into full work mode so my day starts to shift from morning to afternoon really quickly.

I hope my little morning routine inspires you to wake up early and be productive. Keep in mind, by 11:30 I’m usually already done with 50 oz of water. The morning doesn’t have to be such an annoying part of the day that everyone hates. Doing little things like spending some time scrolling on your phone or getting a morning workout in help to make it more fun and make you want to wakeup everyday. Don’t forget to subscribe down below so you stay updated with all my latest posts!

C

My Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

My oatmeal cookie recipe is probably the best that you’ll ever have. I personally hate raisins but this cookie has so many other flavors that you don’t even realize the raisins are in it. It’s also vegan but you can of course substitute the vegan butter with regular butter in order for it to not be but I highly suggest trying these cookies vegan before you judge them. These cookies are awesome because most of us have these simple ingredients at home already. Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 c All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 c Vegan Butter/Margarine (make sure it’s softened)
  • 1/4 c Sugar
  • 1/2 c Brown Sugar
  • 1 mini unsweetened apple sauce cup
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 -1/2 c Oats
  • 3 mini Boxes of raisins (1 c Raisins)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mix the vegan butter, sugar, and brown sugar with a hand mixer or an electric mixer until everything is well combined
  3. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, applesauce, & vanilla
  4. Add the oats and raisins last, mixing until everything is well combined and the dough is kind of sticky
  5. Use a spoon and place the cookies on to a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper
  6. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until golden on the edges

As you can see, these cookies are soooo easy to make. I usually make about 32 each time with this batter and they’re perfect to bring to any party or barbecue this summer. The best part is that they’re vegan so you can enjoy the dough guilt free. If these cookies aren’t sweet enough for you, I highly suggest adding a little maple syrup to the batter. I hope you enjoyed this recipe and use the hashtag #cassiescookie if you try them out!

C