Fran Costigan is, of course, the chocolate whisperer and undisputed dessert diva of the vegan world and beyond it. But there’s so much more. This ageless wonder of a woman is also living proof that we already know the way to health, grace, and vitality, and yes, if you do it right, some elegant sweets […]
She’s the innovative pastry chef whose recipes redefine vegan in the most delicious way possible, the doyenne of dazzling desserts, the big-hearted culinary instructor who’ll up your game in the kitchen — Fran is all that and more. She’s the next best thing to chocolate.
When I need to know more about vegan and plant-based baking, Fran Costigan is my go-to resource. She knows how to teach and how to wow people with amazing recipes for desserts and more. When my husband tried her vegan chocolate cake, he told her that she could come visit anytime. You don’t have to […]
Fran is a gifted pastry chef whose modern vegan desserts showcase her unique experience in both traditional and professional kitchens. She is an excellent teacher and plant-based leader.
Fran is my go-to resource for learning about vegan desserts. Her recipes are incredible, and her skills as a pastry chef are second to none. She is an incredible teacher, and will help you make mind blowing sweet treats for your friends and family.
Fran Costigan is responsible for one of THE best chocolate cakes we’ve ever tasted in our lives…which just happened to be vegan. She is an extraordinary talent.
How many vegans does it take to bake a stellar chocolate cake? One, if she’s Fran Costigan. This is the “go-to” person if you want divinely delicious, light, magical, the “no-excuses” vegan dessert with the wow factor. She’s an amazing instructor, too, with a sense of humor that will keep you entertained as you learn […]
I count Fran as a highly esteemed colleague in the vegan culinary world. Her expertise and sweets are in a league of their own. Chef Fran is a highly respected advisory board member of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, which I chaired, as well as a talented creative. She is meticulous about her teaching […]
I was fortunate enough to complement my studies during my Chef Training at Natural Gourmet Institute by taking Fran’s Vegan Baking Bootcamp. It was life changing, the very foundation to what I am doing professionally today. I am still amazed with Fran’s vast knowledge of ingredients, techniques and capacity to foresee the outcomes. Her attention […]
I loved to bake as a hobby, had no commercial experience but dreamed of opening a vegan bakery. I signed up for Chef Costigan’s Vegan Baking Bootcamp for fun, not expecting to learn so much in one week. It was intense, rigorous, fantastic. Fran taught execution, organization and the science behind baking. She’s an organized […]
I came into Fran’s Vegan Baking Boot Camp as a professional vegan baker in NYC, and I left with plenty of new information and skills to take home with me. Fran’s extensive knowledge of vegan pastry shined through with every day of class: she is a thorough, skilled lecturer and always worked to make sure […]
My husband and I founded and operate Breads On Oak, a bakery & café in New Orleans in 2012. We offered a few vegan pastries but enrolled in Fran Costigan’s Vegan Baking Boot Camp Intensive wanting to expand & improving our selection. This course was undoubtedly one of the best things we did for our […]
I am an ardent proponent of clean, unadulterated flavors. Years ago I’ve eliminated milk and cream from my chocolate cakes to achieve a truer flavor statement. From a culinary standpoint, Fran Costigan demonstrates the same desire for purity. With scientifically-based explanations and the refined palate of a trained pastry-chef, she teaches both amateur and professional […]
Fran is the person the pros, and dedicated amateurs, turn to for knowledge of egg-free, dairy-free baking; no one I know does it better. http://www.unionsquarecafe.com/
I’m a fan of traditional pastry. When I wanted to make a chocolate cake for a vegan friend, I didn’t know where to begin. Thankfully Fran Costigan came to the rescue. I made her Chocolate Cake … I couldn’t believe how utterly delicious it was! No one who tasted the tender-crumbed, dark chocolate cake guessed […]
I used Fran’s recipe to make a wedding cake, right after I took a class with her. I made 14 and a 10 inch cakes (a total of 4 recipes). They came out perfect. I also made the chocolate filling. I was finished baking by 1am and up by seven to make Fran’s Save the […]
My husband ate a piece of the Chocolate Cake To Live for and claimed it is the best chocolate cake he has ever had in his chocolate filled lifetime! Of all traditional and vegan cakes this cake is the best!
WOW! My baby daughter was diagnosed with egg and dairy allergies, so I thought our dessert future was looking pretty gloomy. I love to bake and I could never have thought that something that has no eggs or dairy can taste sooooo good. The recipes are easy to follow, and don’t take too much time.
I tasted Fran Costigan’s new incredible organic- gourmet vegan twinkie at a book party. It is simply the most delightful dessert I have had in a long time (well, since a friend brought me her Chocolate Cake to Live For)! Fran’s version of the twinkie is refreshing and light, sweet but not too sweet and […]
For my son’s 7th birthday he wanted chocolate cupcakes in school. As a mom who makes a living helping parents raise healthy children, I grabbed “More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally” and made the Chocolate Cake…to live for. Only twist was I bought dinosaur molds and made very cool 3-d dinosaur “cupcakes.” You should have […]
Who wouldn’t love to merge health and dessert? It appears that Fran Costigan’s intent is to create delicious desserts that are decadent, but also provide real nutritional value. From my perspective, she has certainly succeeded. Fran Costigan’s extensive culinary experience combined with her desire to have her cake and eat it too has resulted in […]
Fran’s desserts are over the top and good for you too.
The Cake and the cookies that Fran created for our family were out of this world! It was heaven on earth for me to feed these delicious morsels to Chevy and our daughters — pleasurable AND healthy AND good for our planet all rolled up together! EVERYONE needs to experience Fran’s creations! http://www.ceeonline.org/about/founder.aspx
After completing Vegan Baking Boot Camp, I made a custom birthday pie with Fran’s component theory: that her recipes are building blocks. I used the conversions in her book as a reference–the math worked perfectly! I’m grateful that I can always count on Fran’s recipes to work reliably. I used the cookie crust recipe, substituting […]
Chef Fran Costigan is an amazing instructor. I was slightly hesitant to register for the Vegan Baking Boot Camp, but after the week was over I was so so happy I did. I feel so inspired and rejuvenated!! Fran’s encouagement and generosity of ideas, recipes & tips is much appreciated. I did learn a lot […]
I met Fran for the first time last year in Virginia, at one of her incredible dessert classes. Although trained as a pastry chef myself, I learned so much from Fran. She is knowledgeable, has a great sense of humour and is a terrific teacher. Fran is unquestionably the chef to turn to for in-depth […]
I’ve personally baked with Fran at one of her vegan baking boot camps in NYC and can say first hand that everything is tasty, easy to make and just plain wonderful. Buy the book, and start with the chocolate cake to live for. Next the delectable uncoffeecake, and then the very tasty great big orange […]
Fran Costigan’s information packed book showcases her vast experience as a professional pastry chef and her dedication to healthy cuisine. Fran has triumphed in what I consider the most difficult aspect of natural foods cooking. Having had the great fortune to sample many of Fran’s luscious desserts, I can say only that “The proof is […]
I took my first vegan cooking class with Fran when I was in high school visiting New York with my mom. Fran was fabulous and her class inspired me to attend The Natural Gourmet Institute. She is as lovely and warm as she is a great baker!
I’m still drooling thinking about the chocolate plant-strong wedding cake you made for our wedding.
After eschewing butter, cream, and eggs for vegan versions in the ‘80s, Costigan has shaped the art of vegan baking like no other. In fact, many say that Costigan is the country’s first-ever vegan pastry chef, and her flawless cakes, cookies, and tarts will make you a believer.
Fran Costigan’s goodies are a treat for both body and soul; I can’t think of anything more delicious than her famous Chocolate Cakes to Live For… they are sheer heaven! http://kathyfreston.com/
