Chocolate Banana Bread (Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free)

Happy Friday! Earlier this week I took a poll on Instagram (Samoa Donuts vs Choco Banana Bread), and it was a tie! So I got right to work and whipped up a loaf of dense, moist, wholesome chocolate goodness. You'll want to go to bed early to get up for this one. It's made with oat flour, so it's essentially oatmeal in loaf form. Sweetened with ripe bananas and a bit of pure maple keep it refined sugar free. I added in some almond butter to create a hefty, satisfying loaf which makes this perfect for breakfast (or a snack).

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup creamy natural almond butter(unsalted)
• ⅓ cup pure maple
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup oat flour 
• 1/4 cup almond flour 
• 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao
• Dark chocolate chunks or chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, smash the bananas with a whisk or fork until mostly smooth (no large chunks). Mix in the almond butter, maple, vanilla and milk. In a food processor (or blender or coffee grinder) grind 1 cup of gluten free oats into a flour. Mix with almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa in a separate bowl. Mix into the wet ingredients until combined. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or spray generously with coconut oil. Transfer batter into your prepared loaf pan, top with chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs. Let stand on a wire rack in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and transferring to the rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice with a serrated knife and enjoy!

The flavor and moist factor get even better the next day!

Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Brownies (Vegan, Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free!)

Heyyy! Long time no post! Things have been craaazy in both good and not so good ways (oh life). Anyway, I am currently studying for a Holistic Nutrition certification, which is really exciting for meee :] Because of life events, I am a little behind and I have been busting my buns which hasn't left much time for my blogging passion project. Anywho, I wanted to share this recipe because it turned out soooo good and I couldn't keep it to myself. Now back to the grind! Wish me luck!

Chocolate Almond Butter Brownies

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1 cup + 3 tblsp creamy or crunchy raw or natural almond butter ( I used Trader Joe's Raw)
• ⅓ cup pure maple
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsweetened non dairy milk (I used cashew)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup oat flour 
• 1/4 cup almond flour 
• 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao
• Dark chocolate chunks or chips (I used Trader Joe's 72% dark chocolate bar)

Would you look at that batter?!

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, smash the banana until it resembles a puree. Mix in 1 cup almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and almond milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together oat flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, almond flour and cocoa. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour into your prepared baking dish. Dollop the 3 remaining tablespoons of almond butter over the top and use a knife to swirl into the batter. Top with your chopped chocolate or chips. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out with moist crumbs. Don't overbake! You want these to be dense and moist.

While these are good warm from the oven, I actually prefer them the next day. Somehow the banana flavor becomes more pronounced after these have "rested" and cooled. Enjoy with a nice cup of tea or a big glass of cold almond or cashew milk!

xoxo

Gooey Gluten Free Brownies

Chocolate and I have carried on a long time love affair. Chocolate and I understand each other. Chocolate and I have a bond that cannot be broken. That's why you may notice that nearly all of the recipes I post have chocolate in them. When I think sweet, I think chocolate. Brownies are the ultimate chocolate dessert. I have tried a lot of brownie recipes in my day, but this one might just top all other brownies. First of all, they are made with my favorite flour to bake with: oat flour (xoxo). Secondly, you can change up the sugar and use either cane sugar or coconut sugar (my other fave baking buddy). Both result in ridiculously delicious brownies, but for different reasons. I'm not really a fan of cane sugar, and I reaaallllyyy try to keep that refined babe out of my sweets... but using white sugar creates a crazy beautiful and satisfying crust like nobody's business. The brownies will puff up when baking and then sink when you take them out of the oven, creating cracks of crusty goodness hugging a shy, gooey center. That was my first experience with these brownies, following the original recipe (sans coffee), which you can find here. My second time baking these brownies, I swapped out the refined sugar for coconut sugar. This resulted in a more dense, fudge-like brownie with crazy-complex flavors. The coconut sugar and butter create a sort of (ah-mazing) caramel base, and when they are baked and cooled (I always put my brownies in the fridge or freezer), they taste faintly of coffee. Don't even get me started on the crazy-good and chewy texture with studs of dark chocolate. I cut these babies into bites and store them in a ziplock in the freezer. I eat them cold, but popping a few in the micro for 10-15 seconds is something I can't (and won't) argue with.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups oat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 (1 1/2 sticks) cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups coconut (or cane) sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 ceramic baking dish with parchment paper. In a separate bowl, mix together the oat flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Mix in the sugar and then microwave for another minute. Whisk by hand with a wire whisk or fork until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla and cocoa powder. Mix in the eggs one at a time until smooth. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Don't over mix! Top with dark chocolate chips or chunks and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.

*NOTES:

I baked these in a ceramic baking dish and they turned out beautifully. I also tried a batch in a metal pan, but they turned out dry and cakey.

These are best a bit under-baked. They will look too gooey when you remove them from the oven, but they will firm up as they cool.

Vegan Double Chocolate Cake

I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day or the expectations that come with it. Sure, hearts are cute, and who doesn't love a box of chocolates? I'm just not a fan of how the holiday creates a buying frenzy. Love should be celebrated everyday, and I fully believe in showing the people you love how you feel in little, meaningful ways - every single chance you get - ...but I don't think that should mean buying a bunch of 'stuff'. I also hate the question, "So, what did he/she/they get you for Valentine's Day?", like it's some sort of competition. Now, I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I just think that this holiday is LAME. This is coming from a hopeless romantic (I know it may not sound like it with all of my anti-Valentine's ranting). I have never thought that this holiday was romantic, and that's just my opinion. I'll take those, stay up late talking about life, kiss me in the middle of an argument, hold my hand while watching TV, bring me a flower you picked on your way home when you thought of me, and pinch my butt in the middle of the grocery store because you think I'm really cute (P.S. not an invitation to strangers) kind of moments. It's the little everyday things that matter to me.

Anyway, you know what's not lame? CAKE. Here's a yummy recipe:

Vegan Double Chocolate Cake
Slightly Adapted from Minimalist Baker

1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup hot coffee (I used instant)
2/3 cup melted coconut oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups + 2 Tbsp whole wheat white flour
1 1/3 cups coconut sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

FROSTING
1 cup vegan butter, softened
2 1/2 powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup dairy-free dark chocolate, melted and cooled
Splash of almond milk if needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and dust with cocoa powder. Tap the pans over the sink to shake out the excess, and set aside.
Mix the almond milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl, and let set for a few minutes to thicken. Add the oil, coffee, and applesauce and beat until foamy.
Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a separate bowl and whisk together. With your mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until smooth and creamy (batter should be thick, but pour-able). Divide batter evenly between your 2 cake pans. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

While the cakes cool, whip up your frosting. Whisk the vegan butter and powered sugar until creamy Add in your cooled, melted chocolate and mix until smooth, then add in the cocoa powder. Whisk everything on high until light and fluffy. Add in some almond milk if the frosting is too thick. You can always add more powdered sugar or cocoa if it's too thin. Once the cake is cooled, frost with your chocolate frosting. If you want to write a note, melt a little bit of white chocolate in the micro for 30 seconds at a time until smooth and melted. Transfer to a plastic sandwich bag, and cut the tip off one corner. Pipe your message onto your cake, and add some pretty flowers if desired. *Note: I always wrap a little parchment around the stems of my flowers before inserting them into the cake.

Whatever your opinion is of Valentine's Day, I hope you enjoy!

xoxo





 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies (Gluten and Refined Sugar Free)

There are only a few days of November left, so I thought I better make use of any of the pumpkin that I have left over from Thanksgiving... You know, before we venture into the season where pumpkin desserts are no longer appropriate. These brownies, however are always appropriate. You can easily leave out the pumpkin and make cheesecake brownies or leave out the swirl altogether and just make some good old chocolate chunkers. Of course, these are not your run-of-the-mill brownies. These babies are wholesome, gluten free, refined sugar free, no butter, no nonsense. Just dark, dense chocolate goodness paired with a creamy, sweet-spicy pumpkin cheesecake swirl. That last sentence probably has you thinking... uh, I thought you said these were "wholesome". Dark, dense, creamy, sweet-spicy and cheesecake sounds anything but wholesome. Well, bake on my skeptical friends! Be amazed.

 Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Adapted from Bakerita

Ingredients:

6 oz. dark chocolate
½ cup coconut oil
⅔ cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup oat flour
1 tablespoon cacao powder

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl
4 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup coconut sugar
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tsp cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil in a glass bowl for 30 seconds at a time, until melted smooth. Stir in the sugar and vanilla, then stir in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the oat flour and cacao powder, until just combined. Don't overmix!

In a standing mixer, whisk together the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Whisk in the cornstarch. Add in the coconut sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour half of the brownie batter into your prepared pan. Then spoon half of the pumpkin cheesecake batter over the top. Cover with remaining brownie batter and then drizzle the rest of the pumpkin cheesecake mixture over the top randomly. Run a knife through the batter to create a swirl. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. Lift the brownies out of the pan by the parchment paper and let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Try them with a little almond butter on top, you won't be sorry!