Chef AJ's Sweet Indulgence: Guilt-Free Treats Sweetened Naturally with Fruit

I have been WFPB (whole food, plant-based) for a year, focusing on health and weight loss. For those who don't recognize this term, it's a "healthy vegan" lifestyle, which includes minimally processed foods, and little to no, sugar, oil, & salt. My journey into this lifestyle has been so rewarding and impactful to my health that I am never going back to the SAD (Standard American) diet.As my weight loss stabilizes, I am at the point where I am introducing more sweet treats into my diet occasionally and am therefore so excited about Chef AJ's book. I have made occasional sweet treat recipes over the past year, but nothing that rises to this level of variety & scrumptiousness. It feels like I am still in my pre-WFPB world, where I can occasionally have delicious cookies, ice cream & cheesecake, etc. There are simple quick recipes, there are indulgent recipes, and a variety of recipes from a little bit sweet to very sweet options. I have made 4 recipes since receiving my book recently and they are all so very good! I can't wait to bake my way through this book.This book is beautifully presented with gorgeous pictures and helpful information included, such as ideas of how to substitute common items for dietary issues (i.e., nuts, gluten, etc.) If you are familiar with the WFPB world, then you know there is an underwhelming amount of support still for authors of great books like this one. To give a 1 star review for a typo is not only extremely ridiculous in general, but also so short-sighted for the critical support of WFPB authors who are trying to provide healthy recipes to an eager audience. Without the community behind these dedicated authors, they will not receive the critical support of the publishing industry to bring more healthy heathy vegan cookbooks to the consumers. I, like many others, want to see more healthy vegan cookbook options. So, I appreciate this wonderful labor of love brought to us by the selfless & dedicated Chef AJ. Chef AJ has been immensely impactful to the WFPB movement for many years, and we are fortunate to have this wonderful book to provide us health conscious vegans with a little Sweet Indulgence from time to time.Thank you, Chef AJ!

These recipes make having treats delicious *and* healthy! The book is absolutely beautiful and I love the layout (i.e. some example chapters are 'bake it,' 'chill it,' 'freeze it,' etc) which makes it fun and pretty easy to figure out where to find something you're in the mood for. Of course there's a nice index too! I was worried about this being a hard cover book and not wanting to stay open to the page. But it stays open beautifully all on it's own without having to put something on it to keep it open (and block part of the page). Nice quality paper too. I'm pretty well versed on most of the ingredients and equipment used but still really appreciate the sections explaining these. I can only imagine how nice these sections must be for anyone who may not have much experience with some of these ingredients or equipment. For those scared by some of these ingredients and tools, I can tell you it is well worth the investment for whatever you may not have if called for in the recipes. Your health and your tastebuds will thank you! Don't rule out rummage sales and thrift stores to pick up some of the equipment pretty reasonably!One particular feature I love is that the recipes are labeled by how decadent or low-fat they are as well as a sweetness rating! I look for low fat recipes that can be more regular treats in my diet and then once in awhile I'll splurge for something more decadent. You can even look in the index under low-fat to see a list of all the low-fat recipes without having to scroll through the book looking! This works for semi-decadent and rich & decadent too. How sweet is that! You can just go and browse recipes by how you're feeling (low-fat? semi-decadent? or rich & decadent?)! I have gotten most of Chef AJ's books over the years and love them all. And this one is truly a Sweet Indulgence! Thank you so much Chef AJ for making living a plant-based, whole food lifestyle not only manageable but enjoyable with your books and also your You-Tube videos! You're a true gem in this world and have been a life-saver for me on this plant-based journey!

The book is top-notch on sturdiness and photography. Here are some of the things I like about it:-Each recipe is rated low-fat, semi-decadent or rich and decadent, as well as by amount of sweetness. And there are enough recipes in each of those categories for all types of preparation.-Some of the recipes are quick and easy to put together. Some have several steps and take longer, but even those don’t take much skill.-There are some recipes that will work well for us on a regular basis, even though I have weight issues. (However most will be for occasional use, potlucks, guests, because I’m still reducing my weight.)-AJ provides “chef tips” for each recipe. Her tips are very helpful.-I’m improving my cooking skills, just by reading the book, for the many meals I just put together with no recipe. And I’ve been vegan 10 years.-Easy to use table of contents and index.I fixed the Frozen Fruit Cobbler today for the first time. It took about five minutes to put together. I baked it in our Instant Pot because our oven isn’t working. It was amazingly delicious! The ONLY ingredients were frozen fruit (your choice), rolled oats, cinnamon, vanilla bean powder, nutmeg, cardamom, bananas and Date Paste adjusted to taste. I totally skipped the Date Paste and honestly didn’t miss it, probably because I used very ripe bananas and a mixture of sweet frozen fruits.Some form of dates are used to sweeten many of the recipes. Because of my weight issues I’m just picking recipes that are low-fat and minimally sweetened. But this is NOT a weight-loss book. I’m looking forward to having a reason to make one of the many rich and decadent, sweet recipes that look like they’re right out of a 5-star restaurant.This is a beautiful book, all whole-food vegan and sugar, oil and salt free. But no one will ever know that unless you tell them. Great book for recipes for non-vegan potlucks and guests!

I love this cookbook! I have literally read every vegan/plantbased cookbook from my library system over the last 10 years searching for healthy treats and recipes I repeat because everyone loves them and they are easy to make, The books that hit the mark, I usually purchase. But Chef AJ's books especially this new one, need no preview before purchase. In fact, I pre ordered it months ago and I was thrilled to find it at my door today on the official launch day. It arrived in perfect condition. As I paged through each chapter, I realized how much planning went into this book. Chef AJ is a perfectionist, and she is surrounded by a team of professionals. Even though she was a vegan pastry chef at one of the most popular restaurants in LA, she has simplified her recipes and makes everything look easy. Recipes range from the simple 2-3 ingredient quick sweet treat to satisfy a craving all the way to the special occasion make to impress family and friends to expect a response "Oh Wow! This is Healthy?" and "this is too good to be vegan and healthy" recipes!Chef AJ took her talents and experience in the kitchen to a new level with this one. I want to try every one of these recipes because the photos jump off the pages in beautiful full color they are so inviting just by looking at the photos the recipes draw me in.To reply to the person who gave it 3 stars above, just because there is one small typo in this 276 page book should not be a reason to criticize the entire book. (I can bet by looking at the highlighted recipe that the missing ingredient had to be nutmeg for the eggless nog.)Back to my 5 star rating I'm giving it: I'm a fan, AJ you succeeded at this one. You deserve all the best in life. To everyone who is on the fence about purchasing this book, you won't be sorry. You will love it and will probably order a few more for gifts as I will because it is that great of a book! If you are new to plant based cooking Chef AJ shows you how to make the recipes on her YouTube channel.

I have a sweet tooth. In spite of that, I did manage to loose 100 pounds over a period of a few years (I WANTED to loose it slowly because I found that I have been able to keep it off when I did it that way, and I have maintained that loss for several years now.) But that sweet tooth of mine didn't go away with all those pounds. Then, a couple of years ago I learned that according to the American Heart Association (and my doctor and several dieticians I've talked to) we should limit ourselves to 25 grams of added sugar per day for women (about 6 teaspoons) or 38 grams for men (9 teaspoons) - and that doesn't just mean what you sprinkle on your cereal or stir into your coffee - that means ALL ADDED sugar, including restaurant or packaged foods. And let me tell you, it adds up FAST if you actually keep track for a week or so. ("Added sugar" as I understand it DOESN'T include the naturally occurring sugars found in fruit, milk, and yogurt, and the amount in packaged foods is now on the nutrition label.) So I have been looking for a way to learn how to make yummy desserts that satisfy my sweet tooth but don't have "added sugar." This book and the recipes in it are a HUGE gift from Chef AJ toward that end. There are delicious recipes for everyday, and ones you can proudly serve for holidays. There are recipes that are decadent (I practice portion control there, but it is SO wonderful to have reasonably healthful desserts that are decadent every once in a while and versions that are less calorie dense for everyday.) All of her recipes are fruit sweetened and don't contain processed sugars or artificial sweeteners. If you have a sweet tooth like mine, and you try the recipes in this book, I think you'll like them. Also, Chef AJ has a YouTube Channel and I recently saw that she has demonstrations posted of how to make two of my very favorite recipes from this book: a decadent to-die-for chocolate mousse and Chef AJ's rustic fruit tart which has become a staple in our family menu rotations. I love this book, and I hope you do too!

1. The book is gorgeous; 2. There’s a picture for each dessert; 3. Most of the recipes are easily made with readily available ingredients; 4. The variety of types of dessert (frozen raw, baked, etc.) is very nice; 5. So very much appreciate that no artificial or other not-fully natural sweeteners are used, simply fruit; 6. The Sweetness rating at the top of each page is a nice to see; 7. The Chef’s Tips for each recipe are very helpful.Read 1-star review that ingredients are hard to find. Huh, maybe if you live off the grid, but otherwise pretty standard stuff for a vegan household. Some items are used are gluten free , but you can easily use a substitution. We are gluten free & eat varied whole food plant-based foods. If you are a vegan who cooks, & not a processed food vegan, there is nothing in this cookbook that you will not be familiar with. If not a vegan & are a baker, there should be nothing in here that is out of the ordinary. Also, for those that cook & bake, you will be aware of how to adjust & make your own substitutions (say regular chocolate chips instead of non-dairy, etc.). Great book! Thank you, Chef AJ.

This is a beautiful cookbook. There's a photo for every recipe, which I love. The amount of ingredients per recipe is very reasonable, the directions are easy to follow, and the 'Chef's Tips' are helpful. Love it. I especially appreciate that I can make desserts and feel good about it. As Chef AJ says in the intro, if you’re used to standard desserts it might be a bit of an adjustment, but it’s worth it. P.S. There is an ingredient left out on pg. 218, Holiday Eggless Nog. The ingredient is nutmeg.

Reading through the book briefly it looks like an excellent dessert cookbook. Only four stars because not at the fault of the author the book I received was very much damaged. It was sad because I comment cookbooks and was so looking forward to having this one and to receive it damaged bummed me out. It’s super hard to return things where I live so I’m keeping it but sad

A smart book with recipes that makes you think outside the box. With ingredients that you might not have thought about before a must have on the shelf.

Love this cookbook. Offers a wide range of deserts with accessible ingredients.

Outstanding! But make sure you can order millet

Great addition to any health-conscious vegan kitchen. Lots of variety in the recipes and beautiful photos of each one.

Titel entspricht Inhalt - aber in relativ gesund.Ich liebe es, aber als deutscher Leser habe ich ein paar Abzüge zu vergeben.Zum einen das für Amerika typische Ignorieren der SI-Einheiten, zum Anderen ein paar (vielleicht nur in Deutschland?) weniger gut zugänglichen Zutaten.Schön sind die verschiedenen Tipps, die Chef AJ zu den Rezepten gibt.Als Verbesserung würde ich ein zusätzliches Einfügen der metrischen Mengenangaben vorschlagen.Und falls es Austausch Vorschläge gibt, wie sie für silken Tofu - Avocado bereits im Buch vorhanden sind, wäre es sehr hilfreich, diese noch zusätzlich einzufügen.Ansonsten, toller Aufbau, einfache klar strukturierte Rezepte, Fotos der Kreationen, die auch in der Realität von jemand mit wenig Küchenerfahrung erreichbar sind.