Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: 5 ingredients

  • Chocolate Almond Butter Eggs

    Chocolate Almond Butter Eggs

    When I was little, I think Easter candy was my favorite candy of all even above Halloween candy. I loved that you could get malted milk ball eggs, pastel colored M&Ms and giant Reese’s peanut butter eggs all in one Easter basket haul. I also loved hunting for Easter eggs filled with candy and goodies. We would always have contests to see who could find the most although we all had to share and swap when it was all over so we got the same amount of candy. Funny, a few times my Dad hid the eggs so well that we found them later in the year in random spots like under the couch or something. I think I even ate the candy I found too even though it had sat a while because my 8 year old self didn’t care.

    My favorite of all the Easter candy were the giant eggs. The strawberry and raspberry cream and peanut butter ones were amazing at that point in my life. I make peanut butter ones now myself every year because it is fun and that way I know the ingredient quality is good plus I can guarantee that they are vegan. I decided to make almond butter ones this year as well, because I love almond butter almost as much as peanut butter and I had a few people I wanted to share them with who do not care for peanut butter.

    I feel like almond butter is kind of a little more fancy too. I had a lot of fun making these and although it is a process that takes a few steps it is really pretty easy. I used it as a post work stress relieving activity because making desserts totally calms me and makes me happy (so long as they turn out, which they usually do). You feel kind of like a kid playing with play dough when making these eggs because I don’t have any fancy molds and I mold them by hand instead.

    The filling is actually pretty simple, mostly almond butter with some coconut flour to make it into almost a dough that can be molded. I wanted my filling to not be too sweet so I didn’t add any sweeteners, but I know most people like things like this sweeter than me so I have included a little maple syrup in the recipe for those people. Once you dip these in dark chocolate they are sooo freaking good! I made them pretty big so one is pretty satisfying but it is super tempting to eat another one. If you are an almond butter fan, give these a try for Easter!

    Chocolate Almond Butter Eggs
    Makes about 10

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup smooth organic almond butter
    • 1/3 cup coconut flour (or as needed)
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 1/2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips, or chopped vegan dark chocolate

    Instructions:

    1. In a bowl, mix together the almond butter, coconut flour, maple syrup, and sea salt until smooth and well combined.  You want it to be the consistency of dough, if it is still too soft (since almond butter may vary in how liquid it is), add a little more flour.
    2. Shape into eggs, and place on a parchment lined tray.  Place in the freezer to chill for 1-2 hours.
    3. Meanwhile, when you are ready to dip the centers, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth.
    4. Dip each egg into the chocolate (letting the excess drain off, I like to set mine on a fork to dip to make it easier) and place back onto the tray until they are all done.  Place in the freezer to set the chocolate until it is hard, which usually takes 5-10 minutes.  Enjoy!
    5. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in a container with a lid for up to a few months.
  • Strawberry Dessert Hummus

    Strawberry Dessert Hummus

    Sometimes I start making a recipe and it turns into something totally different.  That was what happened a few days ago when I was going to make some Vegan High Protein Cookie Dough, but I ended up making strawberry hummus instead.  How does that happen?  Well, the cookie dough base is chickpeas, so I threw those in the blender, along with some almond butter and dates.  There weren’t quite enough dates in the container I was using so I went back in the refrigerator for more and saw the large amount of strawberries in there.  Hey…I could make strawberry hummus!  I thought to myself.  I am obsessed with chickpeas and hummus and love snacking on them, so I why not make a dessert hummus and change it up from the always savory?!  So that is how I ended up with the recipe I am sharing with you now.  I ended up not even needing the extra dates because it was sweet enough with the berries.

    This is super simple, just 5 ingredients including sea salt!  You whiz it all together in the blender and voila!  Snack deliciousness!  Now you may be thinking to yourself, it sounds a bit weird, but it is actually really good.  You can’t taste the chickpeas.  To me this is actually reminiscent of raw strawberry cheesecake before it has set up, so really tasty!  Not to mention packed with strawberry flavor.

    So what do you serve this with?  Well, I honestly just ate mine with more strawberries, dipping them into it and it was heavenly that way.  But I think you could spread this on bagels cream cheese style because of how much it reminds me of strawberry cheesecake.  Or you could just eat it straight up with a spoon.  As I also did.  I love dessert hummus!  If you are in the mood for something a little different featuring strawberries, give this a try!

    Strawberry Dessert Hummus
    Makes about 2 cups

    • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
    • 1 1/2 cups organic strawberries
    • 1/3 cup pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes and drain well)
    • 1/4 cup raw almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    1. In a high speed blender or food processor, combine all ingredients, and blend until smooth.
    2. Enjoy!  Store unused dough in the refrigerator.
  • 5 Ingredient Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

    5 Ingredient Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

    It was really hot and sticky last Monday.  I went out for a walk in the afternoon, and when I got home, I felt like I had been dipped into a stinky pond.  I took a refreshing bath laced with peppermint oil, and that helped to cool me down, but I also decided that I needed to make ice cream.  Because ice cream is always appreciated on a hot day, am I right?!  I knew I wanted to make something with strawberries, since I had a bunch of organic strawberries on hand, but I did not want it to require a lot of time or energy to make.

    Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

    If you have followed my blog at all, you may have noticed in the past I make some pretty fabulous ice cream flavors with a few components, like red velvet cake ice cream, or blueberry cobbler ice cream that have things that have to be made besides just the ice cream.  Well I was not doing that.  I wanted a simple blend and churn and chill ice cream.  What I decided on was strawberry cheesecake ice cream.  And it only ended up having 5 ingredients, which was awesome.

    Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream 3

    I always make coconut milk based ice creams, but I enhanced this one with cashew butter to make it taste like cheesecake. The organic strawberries were pretty sweet and flavorful, so all that was needed to sweeten it was some dates (but not too many).  This is as simple as it gets, but I promise you it is so good, and so worth making for yourself to enjoy!  I have included instructions for both with an ice cream maker and without, so everyone can make this.

    Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream 1

    5 Ingredient Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    1 1/2 cups fresh organic strawberries
    1/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    1/4 tsp sea salt

    Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.  Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.



  • Vegan Hazelnut Truffle Eggs

    Vegan Hazelnut Truffle Eggs

    Easter is coming up, so I thought it was about time I made some Easter treats.  When I was little, I was never a big fan of the jelly beans and Peeps.  I was all about the chocolate candies.  Reese’s peanut butter eggs were my favorite.  I have made my own before in recent years and they were wonderful and even better than the store bought ones.  So I thought why not make a twist on those and use hazelnut butter and chocolate for the filling?

    hazelnut chocolate eggs 3

    Sounded good to me, I love home made Nutella, and hazelnuts and chocolate are always a hit with everyone I know. So, I made some pretty simple truffle eggs.  Only 5 ingredients total, so anyone can do this!  If it is not around Easter, you do not have to shape them into eggs, but I think they are cute, and I have fun playing with my food.  It was sort of like molding play dough.

    hazelnut chocolate eggs 4

    For the filling, I used my own home made hazelnut butter, some cacao powder, a touch of maple syrup and sea salt.  It tasted like the most delicious fudge.  I shaped it into eggs, and dipped them into vegan dark chocolate.  I used a brand I am currently in love with that is local to me, LUV dark chocolate. It is sugar free, made from good ingredients and my favorite go to chocolate indulgence simple snack lately.

    hazelnut chocolate eggs 2

    The eggs were sooo good!  It would have been awesome to have treats like these in my Easter basket as a kid, and I would have loved them.  They are right up there with the peanut butter eggs! What is your favorite Easter candy?

    hazelnut chocolate eggs

    Vegan Hazelnut Truffle Eggs

    Filling:

    1 cup hazelnut butter*

    2/3 cup cacao powder or as needed*

    2 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)

    pinch sea salt

    Coating:

    1 cup chopped good quality vegan dark chocolate

    In a bowl, mix together the filling ingredients until smooth.  You want it to be the consistency of dough so you can shape it into eggs.  If it is too soft add a little more cacao powder, too hard, a little a touch of water or a little more maple syrup. Shape into 10 eggs, and place on a foil lined tray.  Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to chill.  Once the filling has chilled, melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler.  Dip each egg into the melted dark chocolate, then place it back on the tray.  Allow the chocolate to set, which will happen faster if you pop them in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

    *Since hazelnut butter varies in how smooth it is, the cacao powder amount may vary in this recipe.

    To make your own hazelnut butter, place 3 cups hazelnuts into  a high speed blender and blend until smooth, using the tamper to press them down into the blades (if you need to add a little (like a Tbsp at a time) hazelnut, walnut or almond oil to make it smoother if it seems too dry and is not blending smoothly).  You can also make it in a food processor, but keep in mind it will take a long time, and you have to scrape it down a lot.  Also, it will most likely not get very smooth.

    **If you want to make this recipe raw, use raw hazelnut butter, raw cacao powder, and raw dark chocolate.  When melting the dark chocolate be sure that it stays below 115F degrees.