Raw Chai Bars

Raw Chai Bars

Dreenaburton.com 

 

Ingredients:

Base:

1/2 C raw cashews
1 C pitted dates
1/3 C raisins
3/4 C raw pecans
1/4 tsp sea salt little scant
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 – 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
couple pinches ground cardamom
few pinches ground cloves about 1/16 tsp
3/4 tsp vanilla or 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped out
1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Frosting:

1/2 C packed raw coconut butter (not oil)
1/4 C+ 1 T maple syrup or agave
1 tsp apple cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
couple pinches cinnamon
Couple pinches sea salt

 

Instructions:

1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. 

2. Place the cashews, dates, and raisins in a food processor and pulse until the nuts and fruits are crumbly, then add the pecans and the remaining ingredients and process again. Scrape down the sides as needed until mixture comes together and is sticky. Don't overdo the processing--too much can release the oils in the pecans.

3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf dish and press the mixture firmly into the pan. Prepare the frosting: Combine all the ingredients in a mini food processor or stir well in a bowl. Smooth the frosting over the base and refrigerate for an hour or more until set. Cut into bars and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

 Peanut Butter Cookies

Simple Veganista 

 

Ingredients:

1 C natural peanut butter

1 C coconut sugar

6 T almond milk, room temperature is easier, same with peanut butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 C flour (spelt, whole wheat, all purpose, almond, GF, etc)

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicone or just leave it ungreased. 

2. In a large bowl, mix peanut butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Stir in the almond milk and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. It'll be thick-mix by hand.

3. Scoop out dough and plop it on the cookie sheet. It'll be pretty loose, but this is ok. If it bothers you you could try refrigerating the dough first. Or you could add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until less sticky. Flatten a little and make a crisscross pattern with a fork if you want to. For me, my dough was too soft for this to succeed. 

4. Place in the oven and bake for 10-13 minutes (longer will make crispier on the outside). Let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Makes 18-24 cookies. 

Cream Cheese Brownies

 Cream Cheese Brownies

Dreenaburton.com 

 

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese Layer:

1 cup soaked cashews
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 T water
1 T pure maple syrup
2 T vanilla yogurt (non-dairy if needed). If using coconut yogurt instead of soy, add another 1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla 
1/8 rounded tsp salt

Brownie Layer: 

1 C+ 2 T sifted or light spelt flour or whole wheat flour
¾ C coconut sugar
½ tsp sea salt
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 T arrowroot powder or cornstarch
3 T maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla 
¼ C+ 1 T plain or vanilla non-dairy milk
3½ T neutral-flavored oil or 3 tbsp macadamia nut butter for oil-free

Topping: optional

1/3 – ½ cup chocolate chunks 
Few pinches coarse sea salt 

Alternatively, top with half a recipe freezer fudge (don't add nuts) after baking and keep in the fridge.  

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper. 2. For the cream cheese layer: Blend all the cream cheese layer ingredients with a high-speed blender or immersion blender until extremely smooth. 3. For the brownie layer: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt, and sift in the cocoa and baking powder. In a small bowl, mix the arrowroot with the maple syrup until smooth, then add the vanilla, milk, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until evenly mixed and thick. 4. Scoop about 2/3rds of the mixture to the prepared pan and use some parchment to help press the mixture into the pan evenly and spread it out. Gently spread the cream cheese layer over the top. Then carefully spread the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. You can spread pieces over it in a sort of patchwork quilt style, knowing that not every single space needs to be covered. 5. Add the topping: Place the chocolate chunks on top, and then sprinkle with the salt. If adding fudge topping later, don't do that until after you bake it. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes.  6. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan, running a spatula around the outer edge to loosen. The brownies will not seem fully cooked, but do not cook longer! Let cool and they will get fudgy. Once cooled, score the brownies with a sharp knife to ease cutting the chocolate before it completely hardens. Or add the freezer fudge and refrigerate. Makes 16-20 brownies.

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins

Show Me the Yummy 

 

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping: 

1/3 C rolled oats 

2/3 C whole wheat pastry flour 

1 C pecan pieces

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 C coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled

1/4 C maple syrup  

Muffins:

1/2 C unsweetened almond milk

2 T white vinegar

2 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour

1 T baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

2/3 C maple syrup

1/2 C coconut oil melted and cooled slightly

1 T vanilla

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

 

Instructions:

Pecan Streusel: 

1. Mix together dry ingredients (rolled oats oats, flour, pecan, salt, and cinnamon.) Set aside.
2. Combine wet ingredients: coconut oil and maple syrup.
3. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together and set aside.

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins: 

1. Combine the milk and vinegar and let sit for 5-10 minutes to turn to "buttermilk". 

2. Preheat oven to 425ºF and grease a standard muffin tin.

3. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger). 

4. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients (maple syrup, oil, vanilla, pumpkin, and "buttermilk".

5. Combine the dry and the wet ingredients without overmixing. Fill the prepared muffin tin with batter and top with the streusel topping (about 1/2-1 T). 

6. Bake for 5 minutes and then decrease the oven temperature to 375ºF and bake for another 5-8 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin

Thin Mints

 Thin Mints (a la girl scout cookie)

Adapted from Minimalist Baker 

 

Cookie Ingredients:

3/4 C almond flour

3 T tapioca starch, or arrowroot or cornstarch

2 T cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp sea salt
2 T solid refined coconut oil
2 T maple syrup
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

 

Chocolate Coating:

1/4 C coconut oil

1/4 C maple syrup

1/4 C cocoa powder 

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

 

Instructions

• Add almond flour, starch, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. 
• Add solid coconut oil to the food processor and pulse into small crumbs. Add maple syrup and peppermint extract, pulsing until a dough begins to form. Dump the dough onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, form into a disc and wrap in the paper. Stick it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. But not too long! 
• Line a cookie sheet (one that will fit in your fridge) with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F. 
• Dust another piece of parchment paper with some tapioca flour, cornstarch, etc. Get the dough from the fridge and roll it out on the dusted parchment to about 1/8-inch thick. 
• Using a small cookie cutter (about 1 ½ – 2 inch) cut out circles (about 14). Keep rolling and cutting until you've used or eaten all the dough. Carefully transfer the dough circles onto the cookie sheet at least 1-2 inches apart. 
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are a bit puffy and seem a little dry. Once baked and a bit cooled, take cookies off to cool on a wire rack.
• While cookies are cooling, melt the coconut oil in a bowl in the microwave. Add maple syrup (can microwave, too, if needed), cocoa powder and peppermint extract. Stir well to combine, then work quickly before it hardens. 
• Dip each cookie into the chocolate mixture until fully coated. Use a fork for dipping and gently shake off extra melted chocolate. You can also use a fork and just make a chocolate drizzle design on the top of each cookie (but yummier fully coated). Then put each cookie back on the parchment-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. If there is extra melted chocolate, you can put some in a container and eat it like fudge after it sets in the fridge. Or you can save it to drizzle over the tops of the cooled cookies if you want extra. 
• Once set, you should store cookies covered in the fridge. 

Apple Muffins

I've been making this recipe for years and keep thinking it's so annoying I can't find it on my blog. I guess I need to catch up! This is a delicious recipe that's pretty easy to throw together other than dealing with the apples. But even then it's pretty quick if you have a peeler-corer-slicer. We love these healthy apple muffins! Pretty much any apple will work. Originally I made them because I had a ton of Grannysmith apples I was trying to use up.  

Apple Muffins

Cookie and Kate 

Ingredients:

1 ¾ C whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 C grated apple
1 C apple diced into ¼” cubes (peel it beforehand)
⅓ C melted coconut oil or olive oil
½ C pure maple syrup or honey
2 eggs
½ C plain Greek yogurt (full fat or nonfat both work) 
½ C unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (If using honey instead of maple syrup, bake at 325 F for 23-25 minutes). Grease muffin tin or line with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt until well combined. Add the grated apple, (squeezing out extra moisture if it's super wet) and chopped apple and stir. 
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine oil and maple syrup and whisk. Add the eggs and beat until combined, then add the yogurt, applesauce and vanilla and mix, working quickly so the coconut oil doesn't solidify. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until combined, leaving no more than a few lumps. The batter will be very thick. Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Bake muffins for 13 to 16 minutes, or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
5. Cool completely on a cooling rack and store leftovers covered on the counter for 2 days, or in the fridge for 4 days. Freeze up to 3 months. 

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

Minimalist Baker 

  

Crust: Option, use this crust for gluten free and naturally sweetened

1 1/4 C graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve of graham crackers)

1/4 C butter, melted 

Filling: 

1 C raw cashews, soaked for 4-6 hours or overnight (can skimp if you have a great blender)

3/4 C coconut milk

1/4 C coconut oil

3-4 limes, juiced (1/2 cup)

1 T lime zest

1/3-1/2 C agave or maple syrup

 

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F line a pie pan with parchment paper or a regular muffin tin with  paper liners (muffin tin if you want to do smaller, individual pies)
• In a food processor, grind graham crackers into a fine meal, then add melted butter and pulse to combine.
• Press evenly into pie pan or muffin cups and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. . Remove and let cool.
• Add all filling ingredients to a blender and process until creamy and smooth. Adjust flavors as needed for more tartness or sweetness. 
• Pour filling over the crust and tap to eliminate air bubbles. Top with a little more lime zest and cover loosely.
• Freeze for 2-4 hours or until firm. Before eating, remove from the freezer for about 15 minutes (maybe more if yours was in the freezer longer). Enjoy within 2 weeks, though tastiest when fresh! Keep leftovers in the freezer.