Vegan Creme Eggs

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Those raw, healthy, extra-extra-dark, quinoa-infused, hemp-enriched, vegan chocolate what nots that are on the market are so NOT for me. This girl loves chocolate, but this girl likes the kind of chocolate that doesn't try and claim any health benefits. Yes, I like to be healthy, but when I want chocolate, I want it sugar-filled. I'm talking Vegan Peanut Butter Cups, Easy Vegan Coconut Mounds, or these Vegan Creme Eggs.

Now THAT is what I am talking about. When I want candy, I want it like this. ↑ Omnomnom.

These Vegan Creme Eggs are just like the Cadbury Creme eggs, except they are even BETTER! For real, these are the kind of treat that you sample and your eyes pop open in surprise at deliciousness upon that first taste. They're vegan (which instantly makes them better in my book), and instead of flavourless glucose syrup (like in the store-bought version), I make mine with rich agave syrup. Then I add in vegan butter for some silky creaminess, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to hit all of those taste buds. SO much yum.

And don't you just love all the pretty Easter colours?

I admit these eggs are time-consuming and can be a little tricky to make, so I gave you two options here to make your life easier. You can either decide to use a chocolate egg mold (which is the trickier and more time-consuming approach), or you can decide to shape the eggs by hand, for an easier and quicker method. Either way, these vegan chocolate creme eggs are Easter bunny approved.

Mix together the agave, vegan butter (I like using Earth Balance Buttery Spread), vanilla extract, and salt. Then gradually add in all of the powdered sugar as you beat it together. It will make this very sticky thick goo. Mmmm gooey.

If you like, you can add food colouring, (I used Wilton) to make fun Easter colours. (I doubled the recipe and divided it into 4). Pop these into the freezer to set for a minimum of 15 minutes. I just leave mine in there until I am ready to use them.

Next up, melt your chocolate chips in a double boiler.

Either way, they will taste just the same, so you decide what method is right for you!

Now that your chocolate is melted, use a spoon to drop some chocolate into each egg shape, and push it up to cover the sides.

When each egg cup has been filled, flip over the mold and shake out the excess chocolate onto parchment paper.

Don't worry, you aren't wasting that chocolate! To reuse the chocolate that is dropped onto the parchment paper, just pop the parchment into the freezer for 5 minutes to set, and the chocolate will peel right off so you can pop it back into your double boiler. But don't do that yet, you want to finish working with the mold before the chocolate sets, so just set that parchment paper aside for now.

Flip that mold back over and use a spatula or back of a knife to scrape off the excess chocolate.

Place the mold upside-down onto a parchment lined baking sheet and pop it into the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes to set until the chocolate is completely firm.

The reason you flip it upside-down is so as the chocolate sets, it drips down towards the edges making the edges thick and sturdy. If you were to set it the right way up, you risk the edges getting very thin and fragile. It's all about the little tricks to make perfect vegan chocolate eggs!

Once set, pop the eggs out of the mold.

I used a very firm plastic mold for this recipe, and it was a terrible idea. It made getting the eggs out of the mold very difficult as there was no way I could push them out. So, I highly recommend purchasing a flexible plastic mold or a silicone mold to make your life so much easier!

Now your vegan creme eggs are ready to fill! Take your creme filling out of the freezer and scoop some up. Form an egg shape that will fit into your chocolate egg, then pop it in one half of the egg. Be careful not to make the filling too big or you won't be able to stick the two chocolate sides together. If the creme filling starts to get too soft and gooey, just pop it back in the freezer to set up again.

Heat a plate in the oven and take the second half of your chocolate egg and melt the edges of the egg. See! All about them sneaky tricks.

Then simply lightly press the filled egg half together with the melted edge egg half. Boom! Gorgeous professional looking vegan chocolate creme egg. Repeat with all of the remaining eggs and filling.

For this quicker, organic looking method, skip all the stuff with the chocolate mold. Form egg shapes with the frozen creme filling. Pop the egg shapes back into the freezer to set again. One at a time, drop the frozen creme eggs into the melted chocolate. Use a spoon in each hand to cover the creme egg with chocolate, then scoop it out shaking off the excess chocolate, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the creme filling and chocolate is used up. Pop the baking sheet in the freezer to set.

The only trick here is to make sure the creme filling is solid and to work quickly coating them in chocolate as they can get a bit melty. Work in small batches to help avoid any melty messes.