At the end of each year, I love to look back and see which recipes were the most popular. I usually have a good idea based on your feedback, but it’s nice to delve into Google Analytics and see which recipes were clicked on the most. Plus, I have a horrible memory. These days I can hardly remember what I made last week, let alone 12 months ago. From looking at this list, it looks like a nice balance of everyday eats with healthy but indulgent treats – just the way I like to eat in my day-to-day life. I think we’d get along just fine…..juuuuust fine.
Top Recipes from 2012 (#30-16)
#30. Falafel with a Twist
#29. Spiced Red Lentil, Kale, and Tomato Soup
#28. No Bake Peppermint Patty Bars
#27. Vegan Cookie Dough Freezer Fudge
#26. Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips
#25. Homemade Crispy Twix bars
#24. Homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream made Vegan
#23 On The Glow Basic Oatmeal Squares
#22 Lightened Up Sundried Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta
#20. Oh Mega Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
#19. Sundried Tomato Cheezy Kale Chips
#18. Back On track Green Monster (Banana free)
#16. Endurance Crackers
The top 15 recipes will be coming up sometime next week, so keep your eyes peeled.
Have you made anything from this list? How did it go?
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{ 98 comments… read them below or add one }
I wouldn’t be surprised if my clicking was almost solely responsible for the falafel making the list!
My fiance and myself are falafel addicts! It is one food that has made the transition from vegetarian to vegan so much easier and more delicious!
hah good to know. Thanks for that! ;)
The tomato basil pasta and onion rings! Both turned out AMAZING. I can’t wait to see what recipes you have up your sleeve in 2013 :)
Endurance crackers are my personal fave. Easy, yummy, and a soul mate for hummus. I always make the mistake of eating them at work, where I am guaranteed to talk to at least one person with seeds in my teeth! :)
I definitely shouldn’t have looked at these before breakfast. Now I want peppermint patties and fudge. I’m not vegan but many of your no-bake recipes and salads are transferable to my “Paleo” lifestyle! Thanks for creating such beautiful delicious recipes all year long ;)
The peppermint patty bars are AWESOME!!! Note to self…make more!
Peppermint patty bars (so so good!) and green monster as often as I can, it really makes a difference in my day!
I made the falafel once, which tasted great but still crumbled a little while trying to cook them. I’d love to make them again soon, but my partner is not really a falafal fan. Then again… I think I still have one hidden in the freezer somewhere… I also made the Oh mega cookies. I love them. As for the endurance crackers… There are no words. Except when you season them with too much seasalt, as I did the last time. WATER! I wonder what others use as an extra to season them? The first I tried to put something extra in, it was an epic fail.
I don’t know how I missed the tomato basil pesto! NOM!
Those kale chips look delicious! And I’m sure we could all use a sip or two of the Green Monster following the holidays :)
Endurance crackers and falafel are two of our staples. I got a Nutribullet for Christmas and I find that I’m looking at a lot of your recipes in a whole new light! Everything that I’ve made from your site is absolutely amazing! Thank you!!!!
I made the red lentil soup for my mom and she has asked me to make it 3 more times! Thank you for the great recipes, I look forward to more in 2013!
I don’t tell you this often enough – but i just love you :)
I made endurance crackers! They were so easy!
Just printed off the lentil soup to try today — yum!
We have been making your vegan Bailey’s now for a couple months. My hubby loves Irish Cream and looks forward to it in his coffee in the winter. This recipe is awesome!! Thanks!
Definitely the Spiced Lentil and Kale soup! Soooo good! I’ve made it three times!
That falafel is calling my name! Great list :)
Thanks, Angela! I’ve been waiting for your “best of” posts. I wasn’t good about cooking recipes last year, so I’m adding some of these to my list for upcoming menus. Need to get back on track!!!
I love when you put up the top recipe posts! I am getting ready to move across the US so I am going to make a huge batch of the endurance crackers and the carrot cake breakfast cookies to have on-hand when I get hungry in the car. I just love your blog, everything is so darn tasty!
I’ve been making the red lentil soup once a week for the past month to have for lunch. Both my husband and I really like it. It’s very flavorful and comforting. I wasn’t sure my kids would like it, but I fed it to them for dinner last night, and they both ate it all up! My 8 year old daughter especially loved it and told me again this morning how good it was. She even requested that I pack it for her school lunch! I add a small amount of adobo sauce from a can of chile in adobo to give it even more of a smoky flavor. We are not a vegetarian or vegan family, but for the past 6 months or so, I’ve been trying to significantly cut down on the amount of meat we eat. So, it’s great to find a vegan meal that everyone actually likes! I love your blog – the photographs are great, and the recipes always look so tempting. I have also tried the lightened up tahini-lemon dressing and the coconut whipped cream – both are so good.
I had to pin this page. Everything looks so good. I want to try it all. Thanks for all the great post. You are awesome. :)
We made the lentil kale soup the day after Thanksgiving and it was fabulous! Added a little more heat… ’cause I like my mouth to burn a little. ;)
I also keep those endurance crackers in my freezer for a quick snack. They are SO good with hummus or crumbled on a salad. Or both.
I made the carrot breakfast cookies and the tofu strips. Both turned out really good! The cookies seemed to take a while for me to make, but it was my very first time making them, so I wanted to get it right. :)
A delicious looking round-up of favorites. I must try to vegan Bailey’s :). Bookmarked!
Oh wow, I had forgotten about some of these — thanks for the yummy reminder!
How is it possible I’ve made nothing on this list? Discoverd your blog last year and it’s my best discovery of 2012. Vegan overnight oats have saved my mornings, I’ve told at least a dozen people about the Butternut Squash/blackbean burritos and have learned so many ways to incorporate better eating into our lives. Thanks, and keep up the great work!
Oh, Angela. Your website has helped me so much. I’ve been a vegetarian for years but I get so much negative feedback from family and co-workers. I don’t actually know anyone who is a tried and true veggie. I used to be very passionate about cooking and now – most days – I just dont even feel like eating at all. It’s really easy to feel defeated and un-inspired – but then I visit your site and it’s like an escape from all this pro-meat propaganda.
I’ve successfully tried many of your recipes, but as for this list the green monster is a winner for me. I tried and onion rings and the crispy tofu – I think I added my own twist but both turned out great. I’ve got my eyes on the oatmeal squares AND the breakfast cookies for my next attempts.
Keep doing what you do Angela! If you ever stopped I think I might cry.
*hugs* Jenna, if you get a chance, check Meetup.com and see if there are any vegan/vegetarian groups in your area and join them. It’s hard to go it alone, but the web can really help you connect with a strong support group either online or in person which should make it easier on you.
I’m inspired by your perseverance for 4 years despite the negative feedback. You’re awesome, Jenna.
I’m so sorry to hear that Jenna. Not having support with your decisions can be so isolating and discouraging. As Akwan mentioned, it can be helpful to seek out veg’n groups in your area. Wishing you a great 2013 with lots of delicious food!
My Family LOVES the red lentil soup! So flavorful with the hint of coconut. This is one of my favorite soups to make in a pinch, its so easy!
Loved the endurance crackers. I still have yet to get round to making the faux rolo’s- they look so good!
I feel like am responsible for putting some of these recipes on the list haha. The carrot cake cookies are a breakfast staple for me; I’m pretty sure I have the recipes memorized now lol. I’ve also made the kale chips, oatmeal squares, freezer fudge and endurance crackers– all delicious! Thanks for the great recipes Angela :D
Too funny, we had the pesto for dinner last night (leftovers for lunch today) and I have the back on track green monster for breakfast every morning! I’ve also made thetofu, oh mega cookies (so good!) and the falafal. I can’t wait to try the soup, peppermint bars and crackers
Angela
I absolutely LOVE the Red Lentil, Kale and Tomato Soup. I have made it several times. My husband loves it to. I made a few adjustments to it and it’s is such a wonderful soup. I haven’t made anything off your blog so far that hasn’t been good:) Thank you so much for what you do. I can’t wait til your cook book comes out.
Robyn
The crispy breaded tofu strips are in my regular mealtime rotation. Hubby adores them! :)
I made the Endurance Crackers and the Tofu Strips. Loved both! I make the crackers all the time- so good and healthy
I’ve made the Twix, the Rolo, the Bailey’s, and the freezer fudge – looks like I need to try some more of your savoury recipes :). All four recipes were amazing!
I have made the falafel MANY times and I am IN LOVE with it! The Lightened Up Tahini dressing is sooooo yummy too! I take it with me when I go to school and just zap the falafel in the student union microwave, crumble it over a salad with tomatoes, onion, and cucumbers, drizzle some of the tahini dressing on and boom! Lunch is on! It is definitely college-student approved because it’s 1) portable 2) an easy reheat 3) extremely filling! I dread bringing my own lunch. Most of the time I’m still hungry after eating what I brought because I don’t want to carry a big lunch tote around (I’m on campus for at least 8 hours at a time). The protein and sustenance in the falafel are a great complement to the light salad and dressing. Perfect balance. I haven’t eaten meat for years, but from what I can remember it is almost like a waaaaaaay better tasting chicken strip salad (not to mention healthier!) I struggle BIG TIME with individual portions and convience as a vegetarian/vegan college student so more recipes like this would be great!!! Sadly, I eat in my car a lot :’-(
I’ve made the Red Lentil Soup a bunch of times, switching up the ingredients each time to create new/flavourful soups! Delish! I’m also a huge fan of green monsters and I try to have them at least 4 times a week!
The lentil soup was delicious. My/our favorite are the kale chips-can’t get enough!
Twix bars are good if eaten immediately. The tofu was a bit bland.
I want to try every single one of these recipes! I did try out the vegan Baileys for a Christmas party, and it was a huge hit! I was so amazed at how creamy and delicious it was. I don’t really remember how regular Baileys tastes but all of my friends said it tastes better than the real thing. I am looking forward to seeing what great things you create this year! :)
Thank you for the trip down memory lane – the vegan Baileys, the kale chips, the dishes in #29 (have them & love them), the homemade Twix – it was an amazing year around here and thanks for the reminders on that I need to make in 2013 that you made in 2012 :)
the homemade vegan Bailey’s was a nice treat for us on New Years Eve :) The next day we blended up the leftovers with ice in the Ninja and that was a yummy frosty treat.
I’ve made your crispy tofu sticks and I love them! It’s a nice “treat” on a Friday night when I’m feeling like having junk food, but don’t want to waste a bunch of calories. I know it isn’t vegan, but these are swoon-worthy when dipped in honey mustard! :-)
the lightened up sundried tomato pesto. It’s a go-to for me!
Happy to say I helped with the analytics on endurance crackers A LOT.
From the list I made your falafels and lightened up sundried tomato basil pasta- both big hits! We’ve made the pasta multiple times, and I passed both recipes on to my brother who is looking for ways to utilize his food processor. Thanks! Currently on the hunt to make a special dinner & dessert tomorrow to celebrate 4 years vegan!
The only one I’ve tried from the list is freezer fudge, but my coworker specifically requested that I make an extra batch of them for him and was shocked when I told him that there were no eggs or dairy in it. Omnivores: 0, Vegans: 1.
The falafel looks delicious.
the Spiced Red Lentil soup is one of my all time favorite OSG recipes. My boyfriend, an avid carnivore, loves it too. Thanks so much for all of the amazing recipes, you have made meals at my house so much more interesting and delicious!
Every single one of these recipes looks A-maz-ing!
Usually I go toward the savory dishes (like the yummy Lentil/Kale soup!) but I just made the Rolos and they are also amazing! I can’t wait to buy your book and see all of the great recipes in it, and I will continue to follow your blog in 2013!
Dates are FINALLY available around here (only happens like once a year within a 200 mile radius)!! I’m so excited about those rolos I might cry.
I’ve made about a half dozen things from your blog over the last month or so. The lentil and kale soup was a huge hit and I’ve made it three times. I first discovered your site and made the sinless toffee pudding and that was out of this world. I’ve also made the detox salad and some other things that were great. Tonight I’m following your recipe for spaghetti squash with your almond and pecan parm and kale (mix and match is how I roll..haha).
I also wanted to say how much discovering your blog has helped me. Around the same time that I found your blog (maybe out 3 months ago), my therapist helped me to finally admit that I have disordered eating and exercise (I call it my eating and exercise weirdness). Healing is a process and having these outstanding recipes has truly helped me!
Wow, Everything on this list looks incredible…it’s hard to know where to start : )
Looking forwar to seeing the other half of the list!
Love the reminiscent post of 2012 favorites. Your recipes are always beautiful and delicious and my non-veg husband has become a believer in vegan food thanks to many of your creations. Looking forward to reading about and making whatever tasty masterpieces you create in 2013!
Gah I’ve just eaten dinner but now you’ve got me craving the oatmeal squares!! I actually just made falafels the other day, but I’m going to check out your recipe too!
I have a pot of the lentil soup simmering right now! It has already become a family favorite, even for my pickiest eater!
I made several batches of the tomato basil pesto and still have one jar in the freezer! I was actually thinking about pulling it out the other night…
I made the rolo knock offs shortly after they were posted and not only did I love them, so did my kids!
I’ve also made the crispy breaded tofu strips, we call them “Tofu Tenders” at my house. They’ve actually replaced chicken nuggets for my youngest as she prefers them over the frozen bagged nuggets.
The endurance crackers and the red lentil, kale and tomato soup are both on my to-make list. I’m also loving the looks of the oatmeal squares!
The lentil kale soup was so good that it has now become a staple in my repertoire. It’s easy to make and leftovers freeze great.
All of these recipes look so good. I don’t know how I would ever decide what to make first! I will definitely be bookmarking this post :).
Happy 2013! I’ve only tried the soup of those recipes, and it was lovely! I’d love to try the others, they all sound incredible… especially those onion rings. I’m a sucker for good onion rings, but rarely order them because it’s so hard to find them done well. I’m all for a healthier version, too!
Yess!!:)
Have made many of these and many are still on my list of things to make for the first time
Those onion rings were the very first things I made from this blog–I think those were how I found this blog, actually, from Googling vegan onion ring recipe
I forgot to say that I always add carrots to the lentil kale soup. Delicious!
Spiced kale and lentil soup….soooooo good.
I also really like Krispy twix bars. Huge hit for thanksgiving!
Love your site and recipes! Btw, you can order Chia seeds from Amazon.
Ohh, everything looks good, but the oatmeal bars are calling me! On my must make list!
Hi Angela,
I’m reading your blog often and it’s very inspiring reading not only your recipies but also some stuff about your life :)
I was very curious if your kids are gonna be vegan as well ? Very curious…
Thanks Michelle, I’m glad you are enjoying the blog!
If we do have kids someday, that will be for them to decide. Of course, our house is mostly plant-based now (except for dairy milk that Eric uses), but if they go to friends and have meat or ice cream or what have you, that will be their call. Kids need to be kids and try new things, I understand this. Hopefully being raised in a house with a vegan focus, they will grow up loving those foods anyway.
^ I’m nowhere near having kids but if I were to have them, my approach would be the same as this. I’d just let them make up their own mind, in general.
Thanks Angela for your reply. You mentioned before that Eric eats meat once in a while. Do you think he will want the kids to try it? I’m very curious what he thinks about kids being vegan. And how he ended up not eating meat anymore…. My fiance is not a vegan and he is not very happy about me wanting to rise them in a vegan home. He even says that he will learn how to cook meat in order to feed his kids…Of course its their choice what they are gonna eat later on, but I wanted to introduce them to a vegan lifestyle first. If they decide to eat meat after, then I totally understand.
(Our home is currently vegan. My fiance eats non vegan stuff at work and whenever he has a chance to eat out. But besides that he could care less if there is meat at home. He’s happy with my cooking…)
Given how often I stop by the blog, I can’t believe I’ve never tried any of these recipes! Lentil soup is on my list for this coming Monday, and I totally need to try those onion rings!
Has anyone ever eaten the oatmeal bars during long runs?? I’m a marathoner and I only eat “real food” on long runs. Right now I’m been eating Nutri-grain bars… more real than gu, but still not that real.
Thank you for all of the delicious recipes. Your site is definitely my “go to” site and I’ve made many of your recipes! From this list, I’ve made the falafels, rolos, twix bars, peppermint patties, green monsters, baked tofu, and the lentil soup (I used green but it still turned out SOOOOO good and is one of my families favorites). Endurance crackers are next on my list and I’m currently munching on a small jar of baked oatmeal with homemade butter – both your recipes! Thank you for all you do! Can you recommend any other yummy vegan websites that you enjoy?
*pumpkin* butter :)
Many of these are going on my to make list, can’t wait for the next 15!
It’s always nice to get a reminder of your recipes. You have posted so many that this is a great refresher. I’ve made the Bailey’s and the Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta. I WANT to make the baked onion rings. I used to hate onion rings, probably because I hated onions as a kid, but now I love them! I just hate the fried oily part. I totally forgot you had these in your recipes. Thanks again!
Make some version of the Green Monster daily… Now it’s time to try out some cheesy kale chips! Thanks for all the great ideas:)
The Endurance crackers sound great; making crackers would be a first.
Ah, you are such an inspiration! Thank you for this list…I just made an Asian Superfood Soup…the Crispy Tofu Strips will be PERFECT to go on the side ;)
LOVED the freezer fudge. It turned out I didn’t process the almonds enough (fear of generating butter) so the end result was very crumbly instead of cohesive and fudgy (be warned) but it still tasted delicious!
Making the Tomato Lentil Kale Soup this weekend! Can’t wait! Thanks so much for your recipes :-)
That red lentil soup is the BOMB. It’s one of my go-tos (with a few small tweaks, of course… I am a tweaker). There are a few more yummies on there I need to try, too!
I’m so glad that you did this round-up. Now when I’m planning my menu for this week, I can just be lazy and look in one place! :)
I have all the ingredients for the endurance crackers and I can’t wait to try them!
I am completely in love with your Spiced Red Lentil and Kale soup. It is so awesome that I’ve made it several times in the last couple of months and shared the recipe with my mom, who loves it too! I make it in big batches and freeze it in meal-size containers to take to work for lunch.
Since I almost never have all of the ingredients any recipe calls for on hand, I’m a queen of substitution. I’ve made this soup once with celeriac instead of celery, and once with carrots instead of celery. Both were superb.
I can’t thank you enough for this soup! It’s made me a loyal follower of your blog!
Thank you so much Caroline! I’m so happy you enjoy it and thanks for the tips on the substitutions.
I made the “Rolos” yesterday and they were soooooo yummy and easy to make! My husband thought they were better than the real deal. Tonight I’m making the Red Lentil Soup for dinner since it is a cool, drizzly day here in FL! I know it will be great ~ I love all your recipes!
Thanks!
Beth
Hi Beth, so glad to hear you enjoyed them!! :) Thanks for your kind words. Enjoy the soup!
I tried out the tomato lentil kale soup the other day. It was so delicious and extra nutritious!
Can’t wait to try out the falafel next.
Wow! These are some inspiring recipe ideas! :)
Ben, http://www.awesomeveganblog,com
I have made the tofu strips a couple of times and LOVE them! They are so delicious and make me feel like I am really eating some fish and chips :) I am going to try out the Falafel sometime soon!
It’s only Tuesday of this week and I’ve already made #30 Falafel with a Twist and #29 Spiced Red Lentil, Kale, and Tomato Soup ( but I used beet greens instead since they are growing so big in our garden) and loved both SO much, they will become staples. Thank you so much for making a roundup of your most popular recipes, SO excited to see the next batch!
Hi Angela, I have nominated you for the Inspiring Blogger Award because I think you deserve a little something for making your blog so informative and delicious! To share this little bit of blogging kindness: 1. Display the award image on your blog. 2. Link back to the person who nominated you. 3. State 7 things about yourself. 4. Nominate 15 other bloggers and link to their sites. 5. Notify the bloggers that they have been nominated and link to the post. Thank you for inspiring me!
http://tartinemaple.com/2013/01/08/inspiring-blogger-award/
Thank you for the nom, I appreciate it!
This was a super helpful overview for someone like me who dabbles in Vegan cooking. Found a few my hubby will like!! :)
Lexy
http://inthemarginalia.blogspot.com/
I cannot wait to try the onion rings. I know I shouldn’t, but oh well. I’m lacto-ovo and tend to binge of bad dairy stuff. I just picked up some dairy free shake mixes from bewell.com, and will use them as a breakfast alternative. There are so many amazing dishes on this page, I don’t know where to begin. Also, I just found this book called Soul Food Vegan. It’s regional Southern with a vegan twist. Thanks for the great photos and ideas!
I made your twix bars last night and brought them to an ex-pat party in Switzerland. The suspicious looks at the peanut butter/chocolate combo (apparently not a childhood staple in all parts of the world!) quickly faded as the bars were INHALED within minutes. Bravo. Global audience approved.
hah that’s great!!! Thanks for letting me know :)