Raise your hand if you’re over molten chocolate cake and hankering for some good, reliable vanilla dessert recipes. Now, chocolate is great for you but, if you’re allergic or have some reactions to it, it’s not something to be enjoyed regularly. At first, we were terribly concerned for these women. How would they survive without their monthly chocolate fest (what, you don’t have one?)? But then, we remembered that vanilla is actually quite awesome.
Vanilla gets a bad rap as being plain and boring but we’re actually pretty excited about it right now. Knowing we can safely prepare potluck desserts for our chocolate-sensitive coworkers using rich, sophisticated, classic vanilla is pretty great. So much so that we thought we’d share some of the creamy white love with this post of vanilla dessert recipes that give chocolate some competition.
1. Sangria Tart
Okay, so maybe not so work appropriate since it has Sangria in the name but the espresso pastry cream in this tart uses a whole vanilla bean, which makes gives its flavor incredible depth. And, it’s just delicious all around.
Read Related: Yes You Can: 8 Healthy Dessert Ideas to Try Right Now
2. Pastel Des Tres Leches
If you’re looking for masterful vanilla desserts, seek no more. This cake is a lot of work, it’s true but Tres Leches Cake is a sweet, moist, vanilla dessert that pretty much everybody loves. This is one of our favorite vanilla dessert recipes out there.
3. Banana Pudding
A childhood classic, we combine instant vanilla pudding with slices bananas a vanilla wafer cookies. It’s like grade school all over again, but better.
4. Coconut Panna Cotta with White Vanilla
Tembleque comes from Puerto Rico and is near and dear to our Latina hearts but Panna Cotta (from Italy) is a sort of variation we’re pretty much in love with. This version of the classic combines coconut milk and heavy cream with sugar, white vanilla, brandy and some other goodies and it’s truly amazing.
5. Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Honestly, the name of this amazingly scrumptious treat had us at hello. There’s vanilla in both the caramel-laced cupcakes and the rich, creamy frosting AND it was a winner on the show Cupcake Wars! This is one of the most decadent vanilla desserts there is.
6. Vanilla Ice Cream
We know, we know, you can buy a carton of vanilla ice cream and it would be good enough to make anyone happy but, what if you could make your own vanilla ice cream and knock everyone’s socks off with it? This recipe for vanilla ice cream is positively sinful and will most definitely impress even the most chocolate ice cream fanatic. We promise.
7. Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
If you’re feeling like whipping up a Vanilla Cake (oh yeah, see below, because you definitely should), you might as well top it with some amazing buttercream frosting, right? This, one of our fave vanilla dessert recipes, is easy with a simple list of ingredients. It sounds (and tastes) like a ton of work but it’s totally doable.
8. Vanilla Milkshake
Because desserts don’t have to be had using a fork or spoon (though you could definitely take this bad boy down with a spoon if you wanted), feel free to whip up a batch of classic vanilla milkshakes to bring about a nostalgic feel to whatever event you’re having. These are rich and creamy and way better than any fast food shake you’ve had recently.
9. Basic Vanilla Cake
Now, the label “basic” has certainly been given a bad rap lately but we’re thinking this cake recipe redeems it completely. It’s true that this cake is simple and plain, but top it with some berries and whipped cream or some homemade vanilla buttercream frosting, and you’re good to go. So much yum, we’ve completely forgotten the chocolate sauce…although, that does sound really good so we’ll consider bringing it to the party.
Photos 5 & 7 courtesy of Food Network.com
