4 Budget Dessert Recipes (Vegan)

If you're on a budget but need some yummy cheap desserts without eggs, butter, or dairy, we have four easy recipes to choose from. These are super easy to throw together and cost under 30 cents per serving!

Depression Cake

If you like chocolate cake, then this one-bowl recipe is for you! I used store bought frosting 🙂
(29 cents per slice, 9 big slices)

Depression Cake Recipe

• 1.5 cups - flour - 187g ($2.12 bag, 18 cents per recipe)
• 1 cup - sugar - 200g ($2.57 bag, 28 cents per recipe)
• ¼ cup - cocoa - 29g ($1.84 container, 23 cents per recipe)
• ½ ts salt (1 cent)
• 1 ts baking soda (72 cents box, 1 cent)

• 1 ts vinegar ($2.08 bottle, 1 cent)
• ⅓ cup oil ($3.27 bottle, 16 cents)
• 1 cup water (free)

1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add wet ingredients into the same bowl and whisk until you get a smooth batter.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
4. Allow cake to cool before adding frosting.

87 cents cake + $1.74 chocolate frosting (store bought)
TOTAL = $2.61 (9 pieces) 29 cents

Chocolate Pudding

This super easy recipe takes 5 minutes to prep and cook. This pudding couldn't be any easier to whip up.
$1.13 total - 28 cents (4 small containers)

Chocolate Pudding Recipe

• ⅔ cup sugar, 144g ($2.57 bag, 20 cent recipe)
• ¼ cup cocoa, 26g ($1.84 container, 23 cents per recipe)
• 3 TB cornstarch, 26g ($1.54 container, 10 cents per recipe)
• 2.5 cups almond milk ($2.36 great value, 60 cents)
• optional garnish (I used vegan yogurt & cocoa powder)

1. Mix dry ingredients in a cold pot. Whisk milk into the dry ingredients THEN add heat.
2. Bring the pudding base to a boil and stir the whole time. Reduce to a medium simmer and whisk for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Once the pudding mixture thickens, pour it into heat-safe containers. I used glass yogurt jars.

$1.13 total - 28 cents (4 small containers)

Funfetti Cookies

I've already been requested to make another batch of these cookies!! They're super yummy & cute!

These are budget friendly because:

1.) these are cookies without butter! Instead, we're using vegetable oil.
2.) SPRINKLES!!! While sprinkles may cost more per pound than some brands of chocolate chips, we only need 3 TB of sprinkles instead of half a bag of chocolate morsels.

$1.57 total - 11 cents per cookie (approx 14 cookies)

Funfetti Cookie Recipe

• 2 cups flour, 200g ($2.12 bag, 28 cents per recipe)\
• 1 ts baking powder (72 cents, 1 cent)
• ¾ ts baking soda (72 cents box, 1 cent)
• ½ ts salt (1 cent)

• 1 cup sugar, 212g ($2.57 bag, 29 cents per recipe)
• ½ cup oil ($3.27 bottle, 32 cents recipes)
• ¼ cup water (FREE)
• 1 ts vinegar ($2.08 bottle, 1 cent per recipe)
• 1 ts vanilla ($2.13 bottle, 17 cents per recipe)

• 3 TB sprinkles, 42g ($3.42, 48 cents per recipe)

1. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Mix sugar, oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla together until the sugar dissolves.
3. Mix wet and dry ingredients with a large wooden spoon.
4. Mix sprinkles into cookie dough. Chill dough for an hour.
5. Roll about 14 balls from the dough.
6. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.
7. *Optional: When you first take cookies out of the oven smash the baking sheet down against the table several times. This is to semi-deflate the cookies and create a textured pillowy effect on top.

$1.57 total - 11 cents (14 cookies)

Air Fryer Donuts with Canned Biscuits

Oddly enough, there's a whole underworld of vegan canned biscuits that somehow have words like "buttermilk" and "butter" on the front but not in the actual ingredient list. You have to read the fine print, but this vegan biscuit guide is pretty helpful.

$3 total = 38 cents (8 donuts + 8 holes)

• DONUTS
• 8 pack biscuits ($2.68)
• oil spray ($2 bottle, 10 cents)
  
• ICING
• 150g powdered sugar ($1.70 bag, 26 cents)
• 2 TB almond milk (3 cents?)

TO COOK DONUTS:

1. I used a frosting piping tip to cut the donut holes.
2. I lightly sprayed the donuts with oil, and air fryer cooked them at 330 degrees for 8 minutes.

TO MAKE ICING:

1. Mix powdered sugar with water or almond milk. A tiny amount of liquid can make the icing too watery so add liquid slowly.
2. If too watery, then add more powdered sugar. Add a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder for chocolate icing.

$3 total = 38 cents per donut (8 donuts plus 8 holes)

NEED MORE BUDGET RECIPES?

• 4 LAZY Budget Meals - Vegan
• 4 Budget Pasta Recipes (under 50 cents!) - Vegan
• 4 Easy Budget Crockpot Meals (Vegan)