Transform traditional desserts

Enroll today and start baking
SAVE 20% FOR A LIMITED TIME! REG PRICE: $499

$399

Essential Vegan Desserts is an online course based on Fran Costigan’s popular Vegan Baking Boot Camp. This 90-day course focuses on essential techniques and recipes so you can create quality vegan desserts with confidence. The course starts with an explanation of key equipment, ingredient selection and function, and foundational techniques for creating desserts without the use of eggs and dairy. As you progress, learning activities and practice recipes will showcase your ability to prepare and finish an array of vegan desserts ranging from pies, cakes, tarts and cookies to aquafaba, mousses, gels, trifles and sauces.
8 units | More than 200 tasks | 90 recipes
Personalized instructor support and grading
More than 50 instructional technique videos
Certificate of Completion upon graduating

Recognized as an approved program, earn 50 CEHs

Recognized as an approved program

Available from anywhere, on any device, at any time

Meet your lead instructor: Chef Fran Costigan

Culinary instructor, cookbook author, consultant, and now Rouxbe Director of Vegan Pastry Fran Costigan is internationally recognized as the innovative pioneering pastry chef who marries healthy eating with sumptuous tastes. The “Fran Factor” is her unique ability to transform traditional desserts into modern, healthful vegan desserts that satisfy vegans and omnivores alike. In Fran’s recipes, nothing is missing except the dairy, eggs, white sugar, and cholesterol.

Fran was a professionally trained chef in traditional and vegan pastry kitchens before moving into teaching. For over 20 years she has instructed home cooks and professionals in the art of transforming traditional desserts into luscious cholesterol-free vegan versions that satisfy all dietary preferences. By joining forces with Rouxbe, Fran now brings her critically acclaimed Vegan Baking Boot Camp Intensive® into the online world to reach pastry enthusiast around the globe.

Fran is an advisory board member of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, Main Street Vegan Academy, Vegan Trade Council, as well as a professional member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Les Dames d'Escoffier and American Culinary Federation.

Course Details

  • SAMPLE COURSE VIDEOS
  • STUDENT REVIeWS
  • TUITION AND DATES
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Rouxbe
Average rating:  
 10 reviews
 by Melissa F.
Vegan desserts to rival traditional ones!

This course has shown me the many ways in which to create vegan desserts that rival traditional desserts.

 by Diane M.
Baking away the covid blues

I loved this course. This period of time (covid) has been extremely difficult and soul searching for me. I almost named my showcase "Baking away the covid blues..." I loved the ability to learn new skills and actually work with recipes that turned out. I have been vegetarian for many years but now can embrace totally vegan desserts. The skills learned in this course will be useful to me. I was asked by my daughter what I hoped to gain from this course and my answer was to build upon my skills. This course gave me the confidence and skills to do so.

 by Heather F.
I couldn't bake a cookie before this class

This course opened a whole new world for me. I've gone from the woman who couldn't make a cookie to the woman who made a plant-based Black Forest Torte with total confidence! I can now make from scratch and generally without a recipe - chocolate mousse, delicious pastry creams, ganache, and cheesecakes. I immersed myself in the instruction, the videos, the recipes, and learned techniques I can use forever. Thank you, Fran and Rouxbe for this brilliant foundation of Essential Vegan Desserts.

 by Mary P.
Essential to any baker today

This course is essential to any baker in today's food environment, with the many choices a customer must be provided and choose from.

 by Amy C.
Fran's lessons were extremely detailed

After taking the FOK (Forks Over Knives) cooking course, I felt like I needed more direction on how to translate plant-based cooking into desserts. This course absolutely did that for me. I am confident in my plant-based dessert skills now. Fran's lessons were extremely detailed and made things like aquafaba meringue and agar agar powder much less intimidating. I really appreciate the time and dedication she put into this course, it made a huge difference.

 by Jaimee S.
Exactly what I was looking for

This was exactly what I was looking for. I can bake from a recipe, but I wanted the "why's". I love science and understanding how vegan ingredients are comprised to create a conventional dessert. It's very rewarding creating like a scientist AND it happens to taste amazing, too.

 by Katrina G.
Helping my business

I bake full-time for a cafe and online business and now customers want more vegan, lower sugar, and/or gluten-free options. This course has helped me create vegan versions of popular recipes that were dairy before.

 by Monica V.
Greatly improved my baking skills

The Essential Vegan Desserts course has greatly improved my baking skills, creativity, and confidence in the kitchen. I also feel more comfortable creating my own recipes, plating them with sauces and garnishes, and I learned the importance of choosing high-quality ingredients, too.

 by Daniel K.
It was wonderful

It was wonderful. I dream to become a professional baker someday. This course gave me the tools to believe that maybe I have what it takes.

 by Christi C.
I love Rouxbe

I love Rouxbe. I wasn't the worst cook, but before becoming a member, I feared dried beans! Please design more plant-based courses; I'll be sure to register! Thank you

Course Start DateTuitionPurchase
Enroll today and start anytime$299 for a limited time | Reg price: $499ENROLL

What you need to know about your course

All courses are 100% online and available 24/7
Learn at your own pace, on your schedule with any internet-connected device with a camera for assessments. 
Your chef instructors have 125+ years of culinary experience
Your chef instructors are here to support, answer your questions, and provide feedback on assessments.
Plan to spend
about 7 hours per week
To complete the course on time, expect to spend up to 7 hours per week.  The good news? Most of the time is spent baking!
Our active online community is here for you
With over 700,000 students worldwide, our exclusive online community is ready to support your journey during and after class
Set yourself up for success
Make sure you have (most of) the suggested tools and equipment on hand so you are ready to dive into the assignments. 
How to graduate
Complete your course in three months with a grade of 75% or higher and you will earn your Certificate of Culinanry Arts.
Your course is industry-recognized
This course is approved across the industry for CE hours with ACFEF, Worldchefs, and ANFP as well as 4 college credits through ACE.
We'll keep you engaged along the way
Ongoing chef instructor support, interactive quizzes and live online seminars keep our students going strong.

Welcome to class.

Common questions

Are there any prerequisites or requirements to take this course?
While there are no formal prerequisites, Rouxbe does have expectations that our students are active learners, have the desire to take the time to cook each week, and are self-motivated and excited to learn new subject matter. You will get the most out of this course if you practice regularly, which means there will be plenty of food to cook and share.
What type of support do I get with this course?
We pride ourselves on providing students the support they need to become better, more confident cooks. There are many opportunities for interaction, engagement, and support throughout your course. As an instructor-guided course, you will have an opportunity to interact with our instructors in multiple ways. This includes regular live online Q&A sessions for our student community. Additionally, there are discussion forums to engage with classmates and your Rouxbe instructional team.
How and when do I attend class?
Your course is available on-demand 24/7 from any internet enabled device. The program is self-paced, meaning there are no specific dates to submit assignments or attend class. The only limitation is that you must complete the course within 90 days.
Do I have access to the course content after the 90 days are over?
We will be proud to see you graduate and receive your Certificate of Completion to hang proudly on your wall! If you need some extra time to finish your course you can purchase a one-month extension for $39.99. This way you can take the extra time you need to complete the course and receive your certificate. If this is not feasible, or you are not concerned about receiving a Certificate of Completion, you will continue to have access to your course for as long as you wish. You just won't be able to take the quizzes or upload assignments to our instructors for feedback. You will also have the opportunity to purchase a heavily discounted Rouxbe Membership. Our membership is $4.99 per month, and ordinarily requires a $299 upfront initiation fee. As a benefit of being a successful graduate, you are eligible to apply a $295 tuition credit against general membership so you would only pay $4.99 per month. As a general member, you will have access to 100's of instructional video recipes, lessons, courses, assessments, and of course, continued access to your purchased course and fellow student community. Other professional and partner courses, are not part of general membership; therefore, the credit is not applicable to those offerings. You can cancel or pause your membership at any time.
What is the passing grade?
A passing grade is 75%, something we are confident can be accomplished, as we will set you up for success in this course. Leave it to us to get you inspired and cooking. We support you the whole way through!
What is your cancellation policy?
Once you have paid the tuition for this course, 25% of it becomes immediately non-refundable. As for refunding your tuition, we understand that there are sometimes unfortunate circumstances that are beyond your control that may require you to withdraw from the course (e.g. medical condition). We of course want to be supportive during these situations so will work with you on a one-on-one basis to help. However, after 7-days of the course start, there are no refunds.
Submit your review
1
2
3
4
5
Submit
     
Cancel

Create your own review

Rouxbe
Average rating:  
 10 reviews
 by Melissa F.
Vegan desserts to rival traditional ones!

This course has shown me the many ways in which to create vegan desserts that rival traditional desserts.

 by Diane M.
Baking away the covid blues

I loved this course. This period of time (covid) has been extremely difficult and soul searching for me. I almost named my showcase "Baking away the covid blues..." I loved the ability to learn new skills and actually work with recipes that turned out. I have been vegetarian for many years but now can embrace totally vegan desserts. The skills learned in this course will be useful to me. I was asked by my daughter what I hoped to gain from this course and my answer was to build upon my skills. This course gave me the confidence and skills to do so.

 by Heather F.
I couldn't bake a cookie before this class

This course opened a whole new world for me. I've gone from the woman who couldn't make a cookie to the woman who made a plant-based Black Forest Torte with total confidence! I can now make from scratch and generally without a recipe - chocolate mousse, delicious pastry creams, ganache, and cheesecakes. I immersed myself in the instruction, the videos, the recipes, and learned techniques I can use forever. Thank you, Fran and Rouxbe for this brilliant foundation of Essential Vegan Desserts.

 by Mary P.
Essential to any baker today

This course is essential to any baker in today's food environment, with the many choices a customer must be provided and choose from.

 by Amy C.
Fran's lessons were extremely detailed

After taking the FOK (Forks Over Knives) cooking course, I felt like I needed more direction on how to translate plant-based cooking into desserts. This course absolutely did that for me. I am confident in my plant-based dessert skills now. Fran's lessons were extremely detailed and made things like aquafaba meringue and agar agar powder much less intimidating. I really appreciate the time and dedication she put into this course, it made a huge difference.

 by Jaimee S.
Exactly what I was looking for

This was exactly what I was looking for. I can bake from a recipe, but I wanted the "why's". I love science and understanding how vegan ingredients are comprised to create a conventional dessert. It's very rewarding creating like a scientist AND it happens to taste amazing, too.

 by Katrina G.
Helping my business

I bake full-time for a cafe and online business and now customers want more vegan, lower sugar, and/or gluten-free options. This course has helped me create vegan versions of popular recipes that were dairy before.

 by Monica V.
Greatly improved my baking skills

The Essential Vegan Desserts course has greatly improved my baking skills, creativity, and confidence in the kitchen. I also feel more comfortable creating my own recipes, plating them with sauces and garnishes, and I learned the importance of choosing high-quality ingredients, too.

 by Daniel K.
It was wonderful

It was wonderful. I dream to become a professional baker someday. This course gave me the tools to believe that maybe I have what it takes.

 by Christi C.
I love Rouxbe

I love Rouxbe. I wasn't the worst cook, but before becoming a member, I feared dried beans! Please design more plant-based courses; I'll be sure to register! Thank you

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