Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: almond butter

  • Almond Maple Crunch Date Bark

    Almond Maple Crunch Date Bark

    I have been seeing everyone make all kinds of date bark on my social media so I finally decided to give it a try myself!  The general idea is to lay out dates, layer things on top of them and top it off with melted chocolate.  Sounded pretty dark delicious to me!  A lot of people are making it with peanuts but I decided to go with almonds for mine and made Almond Maple Date Crunch Bark!  I always have almonds in my pantry and make my own almond butter so it was perfect!

    First, I lined a 9×9 inch pan with parchment and filled it up with dates.  I prefer to buy dates with pits because I find that they stay fresher and softer longer, but you have to remove the pits first which takes a few minutes but is totally worth it!  You just cut a slit into them on the side and remove the pits.  I used 28 dates for this, you need them to cover the bottom of your pan cut side of the dates up and opened up when pressed down.  But you may use more or less depending on the size of the dates since I find that they vary.

    I topped the dates in the pan off with a little dark chocolate to glue them together then chilled them before adding the almond butter layer.  I then mixed my home made almond butter with a touch of vanilla extract maple extract and sea salt and spread that over the dates in the pan.  Next I added chopped toasted almonds, then the rest of the dark chocolate smoothed out.  This might be a little different and more fussy than the way most people are making the date bark but I found that it worked out well for me.

    This date bark turned out so heavenly!  This is like a better for you candy bar!  The dates are like caramel and the toasty almond butter with the hint of sea salt and scent of vanilla and maple is the perfect match for them along with the dark chocolate!  You could totally make this Almond Maple Crunch Date Bark as a healthier home made Halloween candy since Halloween is just around the corner!  I do hope you give it a try!

    Almond Maple Crunch Date Bark

    Makes 16 pieces

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup smooth almond butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • about 26-28 medjool dates with pits (enough to fill the bottom of a 9×9 inch square pan when halved and pressed down)
    • 2 cups melted dark chocolate
    • 3/4 cup chopped toasted almonds

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, mix together the almond butter, vanilla, maple and sea salt and set aside.
    2. Line a 9×9 inch square baking pan with parchment.
    3. Cut the pits out of the dates, and place them cut side up, on top of the parchment at the bottom of the pan, press them down, there should be enough to fill the pan.
    4. Drizzle a little of the chocolate over the dates to fill in the gaps and smooth it out.
    5. Place in the freezer to set the chocolate, about 5 minutes.
    6. Spread the almond butter mixture evenly over the dates.
    7. Sprinkle the chopped almonds over the almond butter.
    8. Pour the rest of the chocolate over the almonds and smooth out evenly with an offset spatula or knife.
    9. Place in the freezer to set, about 20 minutes until the chocolate has hardened.
    10. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

     

    Keeps for 2 weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

  • Vegan Almond Butter and Jelly Dark Chocolate Bars

    Vegan Almond Butter and Jelly Dark Chocolate Bars

    Eric and I were recently at a candy store, and although some of the items there were vegan, the one thing that I actually wanted to buy was not, a peanut butter and jelly dark chocolate candy bar.  I am always more of a chocolate candy person than just a sugar sweet candy person, so that is why it was what I was drawn to.  I decided then and there, you know what?  I can make something like this at home.  I have dark chocolate on hand after all since it is an essential item!  So I decided to make my own candy bars, and perfect timing since it is almost Valentine’s Day!  But I decided to switch them up slightly and make Vegan Almond Butter and Jelly Dark Chocolate Bars!

    I have these nice chocolate bar molds that I usually just use to make plain bars, but I thought they would work well for something with a filling, since they are deep enough.  So I melted down my dark chocolate and went for it!  I just did a thin layer first, because I wanted room for the filling, then I placed them in the freezer to harden for a bit before I put the filling in.  I used my own home made almond butter for these which is just almonds and a touch of sea salt which is perfect since the chocolate and jam are already sweet.  If you have a high speed blender, making your own almond butter is definitely the way to go since almond butter is a lot more spendy if you buy it.

    Once the chocolate had hardened sufficiently, I spread the almond butter over it, then it was time for the jam!  I used raspberry jam because it is my all time favorite!  Some of Eric’s Dad’s home made jam because it is the perfect balance of tart and sweet and he makes it with his home grown raspberries!  He taught us how to make some when we visited a while back (he lives in Michigan and we live in Minnesota), and it was quite the process but now I understand why it is so good! I dotted the almond butter with this jam, and it was the perfect amount for the bars to get a taste but not have it ooze out everywhere when I was pouring on the chocolate.  I topped them with more chocolate and waited for them to set.

    These bars turned out so delicious!  They were really quite easy to make, and not time consuming at all.  I was so happy I made them because they were definitely better than those bars that I could have bought at the store and much more balanced to my tastes.  The rich dark chocolate was the perfect pairing with the smooth gooey almond butter and sweet tart raspberry jam!  If you are a PB and J or AB and J (in this case) fan, definitely give these Vegan Almond Butter and Jelly Dark Chocolate Bars a try!  You can feel free to switch up the nut butter, or jam with your favorite!  Why not make yourself a Valentine’s treat?  Because, not going to lie, I did not share these haha. Or you could be nice and make them for someone.

    Vegan Almond Butter and Jelly Dark Chocolate Bars

    Makes 4

    Ingredients:

    • 3 cups good quality vegan dark chocolate, chopped
    • 1/4 cup smooth almond butter
    • 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp raspberry jam

     

    Instructions:

    1. In the top of a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate, and whisk until completely smooth.
    2. Place 4 large chocolate bar chocolate molds on a tray.  Pour enough of the chocolate into the chocolate bar molds to cover the bottom (you want a thin layer, not to fill the molds completely so that you have room for the fillings).  Place the tray in the freezer to set the chocolate, about 10-15 minutes.
    3. When the chocolate has set, Spoon 1 Tbsp almond butter into the center of each bar, and smooth it out leaving a 1/2 inch boarder.  Dot each almond butter on the bars with about 2 tsp jam each (little dots of the jam spread out) you want it all to be flat.  Pour the remaining melted chocolate over the almond butter and jam in the molds, so that they are full, level and no almond butter or jam is exposed.
    4. Place the tray in the freezer until the chocolate has set, about 30 minutes.
    5. Pop the chocolate out of the molds and enjoy!

    Store chocolate in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

  • Broccoli Almond Apple Slaw

    Broccoli Almond Apple Slaw

    I don’t know why everyone throws all of their broccoli stems away and just keeps the flowrettes, honestly the stems are the most delicious sweet part of the broccoli in my opinion!  So, when I was making a big broccoli salad the other day at work and had a lot of stalks bound for the trash, I decided to save a few and make a broccoli slaw.  I mean, you could pay a lot more for a bag of broccoli slaw mix at the store (essentially just shredded stems with carrots), so why not make your own from stalks?!  I had made a broccoli apple almond slaw years ago on this blog and decided it was time for an update as well.  Not because it was bad as it was, but because I wanted to take new photos.

    This salad is sooo good, and so easy to make!  The most time consuming part is just cutting the broccoli julienne.  I sit and chop veggies all day though, so it isn’t a big deal to me.  But if you are not good with a knife and don’t feel like cutting the broccoli julienne, you are welcome to shred it instead, it will still be delicious in this salad. I combined it with a sweet honeycrisp apple, my go to apple for salads because it is so flavorful, as well as some sweet raisins and almonds.

    The dressing had to be delicious as well. Since the salad already had almonds in it, I figured I would make a creamy almond butter dressing for it. Honestly nut butter based dressings are my favorite and the ones I use most often. They are oil free, good for you and they only take a minute to whip up.  I keep some in the refrigerator at all times, usually it is a walnut pumpkin seed butter base, but almond butter is used often for dressing in my house too.  This one I wanted to be sweet and tangy.

    The salad turned out sooo good!  This would be the perfect thing to make for a side dish, or for lunches to bring to work (when everyone goes back to work, or maybe you are still working during this whole coronavirus thing like me).  It is crunchy, the broccoli and apples are sweet, the almonds add a nice crunch, and that silky tangy dressing is perfect on it!  Give this a try next time you have some leftover broccoli stalks on hand (or if you don’t just have stalks, chopped broccoli would work as well, just use about 4 cups).

    Broccoli Almond Apple Slaw

    Serves 6-8

    Ingredients:

    Salad:

    • 6 broccoli stalks, peeled and cut julienne (or shredded with a larger setting on a grater)
    • 1 large tart sweet apple, such as honeycrisp, cut julienne (or shredded with a larger setting on a grater)
    • 1/2 cup raisins
    • 1/2 cup chopped almonds

     

    Dressing:

    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 1/4 cup filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a bowl, combine the broccoli stalks, apple, raisins, and almonds.
    2. Whisk together the dressing in another bowl (if it seems too thick, since almond butter varies in thickness, add a little more water).
    3. Toss the dressing with the salad, and serve!
  • Vegan Ginger Almond Butter Cookies 

    Vegan Ginger Almond Butter Cookies 

    Fall is nearly here, and even though we have had a warm week so far I am ready for a new season and all of it’s flavors. Yes I am one of those people who loves pumpkin spice (only when used in the right applications of course), and all other warming spices like cinnamon in an apple pie or ginger cookies.  Which is why I decided to make ginger cookies last weekend!  I love how they are slightly spicy and warming, perfect with a cup of tea and especially during fall and winter.  These would be a little bit different though than the ones I usually make, I decided to make almond butter ginger cookies since I had some Dastony almond butter on hand from Raw Guru.  I like nut butter cookies, the way they are soft and chewy and nutty and I thought the ginger would be perfect in them!

    I have been experimenting a lot lately with oil free baking and nut butter cookies are somewhat easy to make oil free due to their high fat content in the nut butter.  Oil free is not to be confused with low fat, it simply means you use a whole food product instead of oil which is more refined, like swapping the coconut oil for all almond butter in this case.  You might think that it makes baked goods less rich, but actually most of the time it turns out quite well, like with these cookies.

    They were really quite simple to make, just mix in a bowl, shape, roll in sugar and bake! I mixed in a few more spices besides the ginger, although the ginger was still the star.  The dough tasted amazing even before baking.  Yes, I always have to test my cookie dough.  You never know when you might forget to add something like the sugar.  Which has happened to me before and I ended up saving the batch because it wasn’t baked yet.  Nobody is perfect after all but it is nice when you can catch your mistakes and fix them.

    These cookies smelled amazing while baking!  The aroma of sweet spices and ginger filled my kitchen!  I did not wait for them to cool completely before trying one, because they were calling my name.  They were super delicious!  Soft and chewy with just the right amount of spicy ginger and warming spices with the rich flavor of almond butter!  These are perfect for fall, so definitely give them a try if you are a spice cookie sort of person like I am!  They would go perfect with a pumpkin spice latte after all, the unofficial drink of fall!

    Vegan Ginger Almond Butter Cookies 
    Makes 24

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup coconut sugar plus more for rolling cookies
    • 1 1/2 cups Dastony almond butter
    • 1/2 cup filtered water
    • 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water allowed to sit 15 minutes)
    • 2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 2 tsp ginger
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
    3. In a bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, almond butter , water and the flax egg until smooth.
    4. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and spices until smooth.
    5. Place some coconut sugar in a small bowl.
    6. Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in coconut sugar and set on the prepared tray, 2 inches apart.
    7. Place tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until set.
    8. Remove from oven, and let cool before enjoying.

     

    *If you would like to make these gluten free, you can swap in Bob’s Red Mill all purpose baking gluten free flour for the whole wheat pastry flour.  I have tested this brand personally and know it works well.

  • 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.
  • Vegan Milk Chocolate Pomegranate Raspberry Almond Butter Cups

    Vegan Milk Chocolate Pomegranate Raspberry Almond Butter Cups

    We got 9 inches of snow in the part of Minnesota where I live last Wednesday. It was beautiful, and perfect for skiing of course but it was not so fun trying to travel to and from work in. Especially in my little compact car. I drive like a granny when conditions are like this though, and although it can be scary, I got to work and home safe. Even though the plow decided to pack my car in right before I was trying to leave work and it took effort to get out. When I got home I decided that some wine and chocolate were in order. I make my own home made fruit wines, so I had plenty on my rack downstairs, but the chocolate part I needed to work on. I had the ingredients to make chocolate on hand, so I whipped up a batch.

    I usually just go for dark chocolate, but I decided to make some milk chocolate this time because Raw Guru had recently sent me a big jar of their Dastony coconut butter and I had some of their cacao butter on hand as well. Did you know you can make quick and easy vegan milk chocolate by whisking a little coconut butter into your melted dark chocolate? It is so good! It is a little more mellow than the intense dark chocolate and perfect for those who enjoyed milk chocolate before they went vegan. I myself like ALL kinds of chocolate, so it is nice to have a variety sometimes.

    I decided to make some pomegranate raspberry almond butter cups with the chocolate because that just sounded amazing and I had some fruit sweetened pomegranate raspberry jam on hand. I think that jam and nut butter chocolate cups are my favorite chocolate treat. They are like a fancy step up from the classic peanut butter cups that I thought were the cat’s meow when I was a kid.

    These turned out so good! The milk chocolate was mellow and smooth, the perfect pairing for the sweet raspberry pomegranate jam and rich nutty almond butter. It was enjoyable to look out at the pretty snow from my home all safe and warm in my pjs and enjoy the wine and chocolate cups! I hope you are staying warm where you live. If you are a milk chocolate fan, give these a try!

    Vegan Milk Chocolate Pomegranate Raspberry Almond Butter Cups
    Makes 6 large candies

    Milk Chocolate:

    • 3/4 cup Raw Guru raw cacao powder
    • 1/2 cup Raw Guru melted cacao butter (warmed to liquid)
    • 3 Tbsp Dastony coconut butter
    • pinch sea salt
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp maple syrup divided (at room temperature)

    Filling:

    Instructions:

    1. To make the chocolate, whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
    2. Spoon a little chocolate into the bottoms of 6 peanut butter cup molds, filling them about 1/4-1/3 full.  Place in the freezer until hard, about 10 minutes.
    3. Once the chocolate has hardened, spoon a heaping 1 tsp of almond butter over it, then spoon 1 tsp of jam over the almond butter.
    4. Pour more chocolate over the cups until the jam is covered, and place them in the freezer until set, about 20 minutes.
    5. Store any extra in the refrigerator.

    *Please note: if your almond butter is the runny variety, you may need to add some coconut butter to it to firm it up so it doesn’t run when placed in the cups. Add about 1 tsp coconut butter to it if it is runny.

    *If you can not get raspberry pomegranate jam, you can either stir 1 Tbsp pomegranate juice into the raspberry jam.

  • Vegan Chocolate Black Raspberry Almond Butter Cups

    Vegan Chocolate Black Raspberry Almond Butter Cups

    I know that being a runner doesn’t define me, but I still get kind of sad and feel lost when I have an injury and can’t do the thing I love.  It usually takes me a few weeks to adjust, because to me, it is my therapy, and what keeps me from getting as stressed out as I would otherwise.  I has always been that way, ever since I was in college and I had my first bad injury that sidelined me for a few months.  A few weeks back I was running fine and did a race, then bam!  Injury struck again.  I have had a lot of stressful things going on in my life lately and lots of change which I don’t do well with (being a very routine person who likes things the same), and I think my body was just tired of it.  So I am taking time off from running now for a few weeks (or as long as this stubborn thing takes to heal).  I have to still fill that time with something active though, or I will go nuts!  I have been biking, and thank goodness it is nice outside!  I went on a 31 mile bike ride last Saturday, and not only was it nice, but while I was enjoying the scenery along the trails, I spotted a bunch of black raspberry bushes. I didn’t have anything with me to carry them if I picked them, so later me and Eric came back and picked some.

    I love Minnesota wild black raspberries!  You can’t usually buy them at the store, most of the time you have to find them wild and pick them.  I hit the jackpot with all those bushes!  Normally I find a bush here and there, maybe with about 5 ripe berries on it, but these bushes had loads of them!  It must be a really good year for raspberries.  We picked a good sized container, and later I decided to make some black raspberry almond butter cups.  Both white and dark chocolate for variety. Eric approved of my choice of dessert to make with them, and he was excited about trying them as well. Nut butter cups are one of my favorite things.  Ever since I was exposed to Reese’s peanut butter cups as a child.  Although, I like my home made ones better.

    These were pretty simple to make, because I actually had some vegan chocolate already made and on hand.  But in case you don’t I included the recipes so you can make some.  For the dark chocolate, you could just melt vegan dark chocolate chips and use those instead of making your own if you want to simplify things.  I just mashed the berries with a touch of maple syrup (not much was needed because they were so flavorful already), and it tasted like really good jam.  A bit of almond butter for the filling as well, and I could not wait to try them!  Once they were all set up and ready to enjoy and I was able to try them, they were heavenly!  I can’t pick which one I like better, the white chocolate is equally as good as the dark.  If you have access to black raspberries where you live, give these a try (or use red raspberries if you can’t get black).  They definitely put a smile on my face, and made me forget about the running injury.  The berry picking was a fun adventure too!

     

    Vegan White Chocolate Black Raspberry Almond Butter Cups
    Makes 6 large candies

    Ingredients:

     

    Filling:

    • 6 scant tsp almond butter*
    • 1/4 cup black raspberries
    • 1 tsp maple syrup

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine cacao butter, cashew butter, vanilla, maple syrup,  and sea salt over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth.  Pour into the bottoms of 6 larger peanut butter cup tins (or molds), then place them in the freezer to set.
    2. Once the chocolate has hardened, spoon a heaping 1 tsp of almond butter over it, then mash the berries with the tsp maple syrup until jam like, and spoon 1 tsp of that over the almond butter.
    3. Pour more chocolate over the cups until the jam is covered, and place them in the freezer until set, about 20 minutes.
    4. Store any extra in the refrigerator.

    *Please note: if your almond butter is the runny variety, you may need to add some coconut butter to it to firm it up so it doesn’t run when placed in the cups. Add about 1 tsp coconut butter to it if it is runny.

     

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Black Raspberry Almond Butter Cups
    Makes 6 large candies

    Chocolate:

     

    Filling:

    • 6 scant tsp almond butter*
    • 1/4 cup black raspberries
    • 1 tsp maple syrup

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the chocolate, whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
    2. Spoon a little chocolate into the bottoms of 6 peanut butter cup molds, filling them about 1/4-1/3 full.  Place in the freezer until hard, about 10 minutes.
    3. Once the chocolate has hardened, spoon a heaping 1 tsp of almond butter over it, then mash the berries with the tsp maple syrup until jam like, and spoon 1 tsp of that over the almond butter.
    4. Pour more chocolate over the cups until the jam is covered, and place them in the freezer until set, about 20 minutes.
    5. Store any extra in the refrigerator.

     

    *Please note: if your almond butter is the runny variety, you may need to add some coconut butter to it to firm it up so it doesn’t run when placed in the cups. Add about 1 tsp coconut butter to it if it is runny.

  • Vegan Almond Butter Brownies

    Vegan Almond Butter Brownies

    Almond butter has come a long way since I first had it when I was younger.  Back then I thought it was some gross nut butter that was super thick and didn’t spread nicely like peanut butter did. But now most commercial brands are nice and smooth and have a nice sweet almond flavor.  Like the Dastony Raw Almond Butter Raw Guru recently sent me.  Silky smooth and super delicious!  I have come to love almond butter almost as much as peanut butter and I use it in a lot of my recipes.  Mainly when I don’t want a peanut buttery flavor, but I also like to feature it as a main ingredient because it tastes good.  The main things I like to use it in are cakes and brownies.  It is usually just in the batter so it gives them a little richness without more oil.  On Tuesday I had one of those days when stuff was just extra hard and not going my way all day (you know what I mean), so I decided to bake brownies.  Baking is one of the things that I do to make myself feel better if I had a bad day or I am in need of a mood boost. Because creating things makes me happy, especially edible things that don’t take a lot of time and make my house smell amazing.  So when I got home from work I got to work making brownies.

    I wanted to feature the almond butter as the main ingredient this time!  Why not, it is delicious, rich and creamy and I love brownies swirled with decadent things! I actually used some in the brownie base as well, because it makes for nice fudgy brownies.  These are pretty simple to make, which I always consider a win.  I made the batter gluten free, because I knew many of you would appreciate that, and honestly you don’t notice the difference, they taste just as good as when I make brownies with wheat flour.  The batter tasted so good!  Brownie batter is one of my favorite things to lick from the bowl.  It goes back to the days when my Mom used to make boxed brownies when I was little and I would always beg her to lick the bowl.  It is one of the best parts of baking at home.  Brownie batter, cake batter, frosting, heck yes! I stirred in vegan dark chocolate chips to make them even more delicious and swirled in plenty of almond butter since it was the star ingredient in these.

    They smelled amazing while baking.  Nothing compares to the aroma of chocolate filling your kitchen and home.  Also made me even more hungry.  I couldn’t wait to dive in, but I had to wait until they cooled It was worth the wait though!  Total yumminess!  The rich almond butter was the perfect thing to swirl into them!  They were fudgy, rich, nutty, and it was hard to eat just one!  If you are an almond butter fan too, give these a try!

    Vegan Almond Butter Brownies
    Makes 16

    Brownies:

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. Whisk together the sugar, oil and 1/4 cup of the almond butter until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down. Add the flax eggs and beat until smooth. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips.
    3. Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the almond butter over it in 2 Tbsp amounts, and swirl it with a knife.
    4. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).
    5. Let cool before cutting into bars.

     

  • Vegan White Chocolate Strawberry Almond Butter Cups

    Vegan White Chocolate Strawberry Almond Butter Cups

    Berries and white chocolate is a simply heavenly combination!  So thank goodness I am able to make vegan white chocolate at home so I can enjoy it.  I admit, when I went vegan I thought I would not be able to enjoy it again since it has milk a lot of the time, and I don’t eat refined sugars or sketchy ingredients which can be found in a lot of commercial white chocolate even the plant based ones, so it seemed impossible.  But I have found recipes that allow me to make it at home, and tailored them to my tastes and needs and come up with one that I like and don’t feel yucky after eating.  I was craving white chocolate and berries together the other day, and I had just made a batch of strawberry chia jam, so the first thing that popped into my mind was strawberry white chocolate cups.  But that wasn’t decadent enough, I had to add almond butter too to make it even more crave worthy.

    This white chocolate is so good you will want to scrape the bowl clean with your spatula to enjoy every little bit.  The base is a mixture of cacao butter, coconut butter and cashew butter and it is luscious and creamy almost once set!  I sweeten it with a little maple syrup and it is just right. For the jam, like I mentioned I used a strawberry chia jam I had made the day before.  I like it because not only is it delicious but you get the health benefits of the the chia seeds along with your sweet jam!  If you would like to make some for yourself, all you need to do is cook 3 cups strawberries, 2 Tbsp water, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, a pinch sea salt, and 1 Tbsp lemon juice over medium heat in a sauce pan for about 15 minutes until the berries have softened.  Then mash them a little with a fork and add 1/3 cup chia seeds.  Allow to cool and sit for 30 minutes until it thickens. It keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

    It is so good with the white chocolate and almond butter in these candies let me tell you!  These are simply heavenly. Of course if you have your own favorite strawberry jam you would like to use, (or even another flavor of jam) these would be just as delicious I am sure.

    Vegan White Chocolate Strawberry Almond Butter Cups
    Makes 6 large candies

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup cacao butter (2 oz)
    • 2 Tbsp raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 2 Tbsp strawberry jam
    • 2 Tbsp organic almond butter

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine cacao butter, cashew butter, vanilla, maple syrup,  and sea salt over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth.  Pour into the bottoms of 6 larger peanut butter cup tins (or molds), then place them in the freezer to set.
    2. Once the bottom chocolate has set, spoon about 1 tsp of the almond butter and then the jam onto the top of the set chocolate, then pour remaining melted chocolate over that.
    3. Place them in the freezer to set, about 15 minutes.
    4. Store in the refrigerator.

  • Vegan Chocolate Dipped Salted Almond Butter Cookies 

    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Salted Almond Butter Cookies 

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    When I was little, my Mom and I would bake many different types of Christmas cookies, then keep them all in a big container in the freezer to either share with others or enjoy later.  There were the favorite cookies, like the pfeffernusse, classic sugar cookies, and pecan tassies.  But we would always try a few new recipes as well.  We would get cookbooks from the library, because this was before we had the internet at home to look up recipes (although I prefer to page though books still) and we would pick a few to make that caught our eye.  I still enjoy making cookies around this time of the year, warming up the kitchen and filling the house with a heavenly aroma.

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    My Mom was showing me some cookie recipes that she thought I could maybe veganize, because now she just asks me to make the cookies that sound good to her since I love baking. One of them was a salted cashew shortbread.  We both thought a salted nut butter cookie sounded good, but I like my nut butter cookies soft like peanut butter cookies, so I decided to make a salted nut butter cookie in peanut butter cookie fashion (soft and chewy).  I did not use cashew butter or peanut butter though, I used almond, because it is Mom’s favorite and it sounded good to me too.  We both have a thing for roasted almond butter.  I make my own at home, and I go through about a jar a week.

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    The dough for these cookies tasted fabulous, and I am sure I would end up with a couple more cookies if I did not eat so much (don’t worry, the yield amount for the recipe is correct, since I based this off my PB cookie recipe).  But enough of them made it into the oven to share!  Once they were baked and cooled, I dipped them in dark chocolate and sprinkled them with some fleur de sel.  OMG were they ever good!  My Mom much approved as well, as they had some of her favorite ingredients in them.  Add these babies to your Holiday baking to make list!

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    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Salted Almond Butter Cookies 
    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 3/4 cup organic almond butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

     

    For dipping:

    • 1/2 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
    • fleur de sel for sprinkling

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    2. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.
    3. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Shape the cookie dough into 2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten with a fork, like you would with peanut butter cookies.
    5. Place in the oven and bake at 375 for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool completely on a rack.
    6. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or your preferred method), and dip half of each of the cookies into the chocolate allowing the excess to drain off, then sprinkle with the fleur de sel.  Set on a parchment lined tray to set the chocolate (it will set faster if you pop them in the freezer for about 5 minutes). Enjoy!
  • Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

    Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

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    When it comes to Halloween candy, I have always gone for the chocolate over every other type of candy.  You can have the smarties, suckers, and jolly ranchers…I was all about the Reese’s peanut butter cups, Snickers, and Milky Ways.  I am still this way as an adult.  Not that I buy commercial candy at the store, because it is much more fun to make your own, and that way you know that the ingredients are quality and no fillers or weird ingredients you don’t want to put into your body.  Dark chocolate can be good for you if it is the right kind.  So, I thought why not make a healthier nut butter cup with no sugar just good dark chocolate and nut butter?!  I know many of you are looking to cut your sugar intake for a variety of reasons, so these are for you!  Everyone should be able to enjoy dark chocolate after all!

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    I made my usual dark chocolate recipe, but instead of the maple syrup, I substituted SweetLeaf stevia drops.  The English toffee flavor, because it is my favorite and it gives it a hint of caramel.  But of course, you could just use plain if you like.  I am not a fan of all stevias, some leave a weird aftertaste, but SweetLeaf does not have that.  It is the only brand I like.  I have been sweetening my smoothies and such with it for over 10 years when I don’t want to add excess sugar and it always tastes good.  This chocolate was no exception.  I gave it a good pinch of sea salt as well, resulting in an almost salted caramel flavor with the English toffee stevia.  I love peanut butter cups, but I am such a peanut butter obsessed person, that I thought I would do something a little different this time and make almond butter cups.  Variety is the spice of life right?  And getting  stuck in ruts is not always a good thing.  There will be more peanut butter inclusive posts in the future, don’t worry, but for today almond butter is the star!

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    I had also just been given a big container of chunky almond butter, which I had never actually tried before so I wanted to use that.  I was never a fan of crunchy peanut butter growing up, but this almond butter is awesome!  I like crunchy almond butter!  It was perfect to fill these little chocolate treats with too!  I did not add any sweetener to my almond butter because I like my nut butter cups to be salty on the inside and sweet on the outside.  But of course you can do what you like with yours.  These were awesome!  I did not even miss the regular sweeteners, and would not have guessed that they were stevia sweetened if someone else made them and gave them to me.  These are sort of grown up Halloween candy.  Because to me almond butter has always been a little more grown up than peanut butter (probably because I never tried any until high school).  What is your favorite Halloween candy?

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    Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
    Makes 6

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup cacao butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 3/4 cup cacao powder
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 tsp SweetLeaf Stevia English Toffee Sweet Drops (or regular plain stevia drops)
    • 1/3 cup crunchy salted almond butter

    I melt my cacao butter and coconut butter in the top of a double boiler. Whisk together the chocolate ingredients until smooth.
    Set 6 medium sized peanut butter cup molds (or silicone muffin tins work too) on a tray. Pour the chocolate into the bottoms of the molds, filling them 1/3 full. Place the tray in the freezer for about 15 minutes until firm.
    Once firm, spoon a little of the almond butter (like 1 heaping tsp) into the centers of the tins on top of the chocolate (but not too mounded or it will stick out the top or ooze to the sides. Pour the remaining chocolate over the top and place back in the freezer to firm up, about 20 minutes. Unmold and enjoy!
    Store any leftover candy in the refrigerator in a sealed container.