Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: bars

  • Vegan Peach Pie Bars

    Vegan Peach Pie Bars

    I had a bunch of peaches that I needed to use up and peach pie sounded good, but I wanted something that was more easily shareable so I decided on Vegan Peach Pie Bars instead!

    Peach pie is so good in the summer! When I make it, I like to give it a crumble topping so I did the same for these bars! For the crust I made a classic butter pie crust made with vegan butter. I used whole wheat pastry flour in these, but if you wanted to use all purpose flour or even gluten free all purpose flour that would work as well for a gluten free option (I have used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour and it works well).

    I kept the filling simple with peaches and a minimal amount of sugar to sweeten, and a touch of vanilla and cinnamon to make them extra delicious! I used oats in my crumble topping because my Mom always did and I love the texture they give.

    These baked up nicely and smelled so amazing when I pulled them from the oven! I could not wait to sample one! They are so delicious with sweet jammy peaches on a buttery crust and crunchy cinnamon oat topping! If you have peaches on hand, definitely give these Vegan Peach Pie Bars a try!

    Vegan Peach Pie Bars
    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 1/2 cup vegan butter
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

     

    Filling:

    • 3 medium or 4 small peaches, sliced 1/4 inch thick
    • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt

     

    Topping:

    • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
    • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour
    • 3 Tbsp vegan butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment.
    2. Mix together the crust ingredients, and press into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until set.
    3. Meanwhile, mix together the peach filling and set aside.
    4. Mix together the streusel filling in a bowl, and scrunch together with hands until it clumps up.  Set aside until crust is done.
    5. Remove the crust from the oven and spread the peach filling out over it (making sure it is all flat and evenly distributed), then sprinkle with the streusel.  Place back in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes until the streusel is lightly browned and peaches are tender.
    6. Once the bars have finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely.
    7. Cut into 16 bars, and enjoy!
  • Double Chocolate Strawberry Pistachio Bars 

    Double Chocolate Strawberry Pistachio Bars 

    I love making my own candy! So last weekend when I was craving something chocolaty, I decided to do just that! I wanted something with strawberries since it is strawberry season and I’ve really been enjoying them lately. So I made some Vegan Double Chocolate Strawberry Pistachio Bars!

     
    They have white chocolate, dark chocolate, strawberry jam filling, crunchy freeze dried strawberries and salty pistachios and they turned out so good! For the white chocolate I made my own since I had the ingredients on hand but you could also use store bought vegan white chocolate if you prefer. Pascha has vegan white chocolate chips.
     
    The white chocolate I make has cashew butter to make it creamy, rich coconut butter and cacao butter to make it solid, maple syrup to sweeten it and a little vanilla and sea salt. It’s really good and works well in chocolate bars and truffles.
     
     
    I used a vegan dark chocolate for the chocolate portion. For the jam I used some of Eric’s Dad’s home made strawberry jam because it is the best! But you can use whatever your favorite strawberry jam is. I added the freeze dried strawberries to the bars before they hardened to give them a nice texture along with the pistachios.
     
     
    These bars are so heavenly! The rich smooth vanilla white chocolate and decadent dark chocolate are the perfect pairing for the sweet strawberry jam and crunchy salty pistachios! My husband loved them too, he ate one super fast! If you are in the mood for something sweet and chocolaty, give these Vegan Double Chocolate Strawberry Pistachio Bars a try!
     

    Double Chocolate Strawberry Pistachio Bars  Makes 4 White Chocolate*:

    • 1/4 cup cacao butter
    • 2 Tbsp coconut butter (not oil, warmed to liquid)
    • 2 Tbsp raw cashew butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)
    • pinch sea salt

      Dark Chocolate:

    • 1 1/2 cups chopped good quality vegan dark chocolate

      Filling:

    • 4 heaping Tbsp strawberry jam or jelly

    Topping:

    • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
    • 1/4 cup freeze dried strawberries, chopped

      Instructions:

    1. Combine the cacao powder, cashew butter, and coconut butter, and  in the top of a double boiler, and melt until smooth.
    2. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt and whisk together until well blended.
    3. Pour the white chocolate into the bottoms of 4 standard sized chocolate bar molds set on a tray.
    4. Place the tray with the molds in the freezer until the white chocolate has set.
    5. When the white chocolate has hardened, spread about 1 Tbsp strawberry jam over it, leaving 1/2 inch boarder around the sides.  Place back in the freezer.
    6. Meanwhile, clean out the double boiler, and add the dark chocolate to it, melting it until smooth.
    7. Pour the dark chocolate over the white chocolate and jam to fill the molds, and smooth to the sides (working quickly because if you go too slow the jam and white chocolate will start to melt and not look neat).
    8. Sprinkle with the pistachios and freeze dried strawberries.
    9. Set the tray with the molds back into the freezer until set, about 20 minutes.
    10. Un-mold and enjoy!

    Chocolate bars keep in a container in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a month. *If you would prefer to use store bought vegan white chocolate such as Pascha white chocolate chips, you can use 1 1/2 cups of that instead of making the white chocolate.

  • Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars

    Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars

    I can not believe how fast this Fall is going. It seemed like it had just started, and now it is dark outside early, the leaves have fallen off the trees and we are way into November and Thanksgiving is this week!  So I am thinking about the Thanksgiving desserts.  I don’t usually make pecan pie any other time of the year.  It was my favorite Thanksgiving dessert growing up. My Mom and Grandma were big pecan pie lovers, and I think I inherited that too.  Not that I didn’t always take a piece of the pumpkin and apple pie that we always had as well, dessert was my favorite part, and I saved room.  I was thinking about that pecan pie this week and how good it was and decided that I needed to make something similar.  So I made Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars!

    One of my favorite pecan pies that I have made (I tend to make different variations to keep it interesting), was one with chocolate chips or chunks. I did not want to make a big pie right now though, so I went with pecan pie bars.  I like making bars, because they are a good thing to store in my freezer and pull out when the craving strikes.  Plus they are easy to share!

    For these, I made sort of a short bread type crust, because I figured it would go so well with the pecans. Instead of using straight flour, I used a mixture of flour and tapioca flour to give it a nice melt in your mouth texture. If you don’t have tapioca flour though, you can use cornstarch instead with good results. For the filling, instead of making a corn syrup or sugar and egg filled filling like in the original, I made a gooey vanilla date caramel.  I love date caramel!  It tastes just as good as regular to me but is way less processed. Dates are about as natural as it gets when it comes to sweetener if you blend them up yourself.

    I added plenty of pecans to this, and of course the dark chocolate chunks.  I could not wait to try these bars.  They smelled so heavenly while baking!  I had to wait until the next day though, since I was making them at night, and I wanted them to cut nicely which requires complete cooling. They turned out sooo good!  I think I like these even better than the uber sweet pecan pie I grew up eating, these have more of a true pecan flavor along with the sweet caramel!  If you are a pecan pie fan, give these Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars a try!

    Vegan Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Bars

    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 3/4 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/4 cup tapioca flour (or cornstarch would work as well)
    • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 6  Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)

     

    Filling:

    • 1 cup soft pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes and drain well
    • before using)
    • 1/4 cup pecan butter (or raw cashew butter or almond butter)
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup, plus more for brushing the top of the pie
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/3 cup filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
    • 2 cups toasted pecans, plus more for top of bars
    • 3/4 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate, plus more for top of bars
    • maple syrup for brushing bars

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
    2. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, tapioca flour,  sugar, and sea salt. Mix in butter and stir (or use your hands and knead) until a smooth dough is created. Press into the bottom of an 8×8 inch square pan.
    3. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until just starting to brown.  Remove from the oven.
    4. To make filling, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor except the pecans and chocolate chunks. Process until smooth, then scrape into a bowl and stir in the pecans and chocolate chunks. Spread the filling over the crust, and top with more pecans and chocolate chunks. Brush the top lightly with maple syrup. Place in the oven.
    5. Bake for about 20 minutes until it is starting to brown lightly.
    6. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.

     

    *If you prefer regular AP flour, that will work as well. Or if you would like to make these gluten free, you can swap the whole wheat flour for a gluten free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill AP baking flour (I have had success with this brand).

  • Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Bars

    Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Bars

      

    I have always been a fan of tart sweet lemon desserts, especially things involving lemon curd like lemon bars!  I saw some lemon bars on Instagram that someone had recently made and it reminded me of how delicious they are and how much I love them!  So I decided to make a lemon bar recipe that I have made in the past, but make it even better by adding in some strawberries to make them Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Bars!  Strawberries and lemon make me think of spring after all and it definitely feels like spring here now!  I am still waiting for the flowering trees and lilacs to start blooming here but it is exciting to see the trees sprouting leaves again! 

     

    They have a simple shortbread crust that just melts in your mouth.  It just has vegan butter, powdered sugar, flour, vanilla and sea salt.  You just mix it together, press it into the pan and bake it.  The filling for these bars does not get baked, just the crust.  So you can be starting on the filling while you make the crust.  If you wanted to make the crust gluten free, you can swap Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free baking flour for the whole wheat pastry flour.  I have used this flour and it works well. 

    For the filling, I used a combo of lemon juice (with plenty of zest for flavor), strawberry jam and coconut cream to make this rich instead of the butter you sometimes find in lemon bar filling. I sweetened it with maple syrup and thickened it with cornstarch.  This filling is really easy to make, you just whisk it all together and cook it on the stove. It comes together pretty quickly.  I had a sample before pouring it over the crust and it was so delicious even before it had a chance to cool.

    I gave these a little dusting of powdered sugar and a touch of lemon zest to make them pretty and I could not wait to try them!  They turned out so delicious!  The perfect balance of tart and sweet with a luscious smooth filling scented with strawberries, lemon and vanilla on a buttery crust!  I shared some with my Mom who is also a big lemon bar fan, and she said they were excellent!  If you are a lemon fan definitely give these Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Bars a try!

    Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Bars

    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 4 oz Earth Balance Vegan Butter or other vegan butter, softened and cut into pieces
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt

     

    Filling:

    • 3/4 cup lemon juice
    • 2 Tbsp lemon zest
    • 3 Tbsp strawberry Jam
    • 1/2 cup cornstarch
    • 1 1/2 cups canned coconut cream
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    For Topping:

    • powdered sugar

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper (so that it goes up the sides too).
    2. To make the crust, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined with a wooden spoon, then press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
    3. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven.
    4. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, except the vanilla extract, and whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Place on the stove over medium heat, whisking constantly until it is starting to thicken. When it starts to thicken cook for a minute or two, until it is thickened to the consistency of pudding, then whisk in the vanilla extract.
    5. Pour the filling over the prepared crust, and let cool completely, then refrigerate for a few hours until completely chilled.
    6. Dust the tops of the bars with powdered sugar by putting it in a fine meshed strainer and tapping it over them.
    7. Cut into 16 bars.

     

    Store any extra bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

    *If you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour instead of the pastry flour.

  • Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars

    Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars

    I have been making pumpkin goodies for the last several months, and guess what?  I am not sick of them yet!  I wait all year for all things pumpkin so I enjoy them all during the fall and winter while I can!  Last week for Thanksgiving I decided to make some Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars instead of a pumpkin pie because I thought it would be easier to share and store.  And they were! Plus sometimes when you have just eaten a large meal, a bar is the perfect size, or if you have more than one dessert like I did.

    These bars pack all of the goodness of pumpkin pie, but are a little easier to make!  When I make bars of any kind I like to line my square pans first with parchment for easy bar removal (just lift out onto a cutting board and cut). I always do this after seeing Martha Stewart do it once and how easy it makes it.  For this crust, I made a brown sugar shortbread that is really simple to make, just mix together with your hands, and press into the pan.  Or, if you preferred you could add the ingredients to a food processor, pulse them together and you would have the same affect.  I just didn’t want to dirty extra dishes so I used the old fashioned method.  I find myself doing this a lot.  I do own things like a stand mixer but often mix by hand because of convenience. This crust smelled so amazing while baking, Eric came out of the other room to ask what smelled so good and if he could have some. I told him it was just the first half of the deliciousness just wait for the filling!

    I used my pumpkin pie filling for these and it worked out perfect!  It is spiced just enough with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves plus a hint of vanilla.  It has some full fat coconut milk for richness and I sweeten it with maple syrup. It is so delicious and also smells amazing while baking!  Once these bars were baked and cooled, I topped them off with a little vegan whipped cream.  I got the vegan whipped cream from Aldi, it comes in a can, and I prefer the almond because I find that it lasts longer, but they also have coconut.  It was the perfect addition to these pumpkin bars!  The bars themselves tasted like mini bites of delicious pumpkin pie with just the right amount of spices and sweetness with a rich buttery crust!  If you need some pumpkin pie in your life, definitely give these Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars a try!

    Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars

    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/3 cup brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup vegan butter

     

    Filling:

    • 2 cups organic cooked pumpkin (canned is ok too), packed
    • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
    • 3/4 cup full fat organic coconut milk (the thick part)
    • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 /4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 3/4 teaspoon agar powder

    For Serving:

    • vegan whipped cream (I used almond whipped cream from Aldi)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment
    2. In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, sea salt and vegan butter and mix together, squeezing with your hands until it becomes a cohesive dough.  Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
    3. Place in the oven and bake crust for 15 minutes until lightly browned.
    4. Meanwhile, to make the filling, in a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, sea salt, cornstarch and agar powder until completely smooth (Or you can place in a food processor and blend until smooth).
    5. Pour over the crust and smooth out.
    6. Place back in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes until lightly brown at the edges and set in the center.
    7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
    8. Serve with vegan whipped cream piped or dalloped onto each bar.

     

  • Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pistachio Jam Bars

    Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pistachio Jam Bars

    I am super excited for rhubarb season!  We aren’t quite there yet in Minnesota.  Well, maybe that is an understatement.  We just cleared the snow and grass is barely beginning to grow so maybe about a month.  But there is hope, it got up to 88 degrees this week, a record high for that day!  I saw a Facebook post that someone had some just poking up in their garden.  Anyways, until it has grown enough to be harvested, I am enjoying the strawberry rhubarb jam and frozen rhubarb I saved from last year.  I decided to take some of that jam last weekend and make some Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pistachio Bars to satisfy my rhubarb dessert craving!

    I love jam bars with the crumble on top!  They are like the best of both worlds with cookies (since the top and bottom are similar to a cookie recipe) and jam, and much easier to make than a sandwich cookie!  When I make my dough for the crust and topping, I like to make it with a recipe that has oatmeal in it for more texture.  Don’t get me wrong, I love all streusel and crumble topping but oatmeal just completes it in my opinion.  This one has a buttery rich tasting crust thanks to the coconut oil used in it, and it is really easy to make!

    I decided to add pistachios to this as well, because why not?  They are nutty and delicious and so pretty in everything you add them to! They added a nice crunch to the crust and topping, plus a touch of saltiness since the ones I had were salted.  You can use unsalted if you prefer.  For the strawberry rhubarb jam, I used some of Eric’s Dad’s home made jam and it was perfect!  If you can not find strawberry rhubarb jam, you could cook about 3/4 cup of rhubarb and combine it with 1 1/2 cups jam (I would sautee it with a little water in a pan over medium heat until it softens, then drain any excess water before adding it to the jam).

    These bars smelled so heavenly while baking, I could not wait to taste them!  They turned out so delicious!  The pistachio vanilla topping and crust were just the right amount of crunch and had a rich buttery texture and paired perfectly with the sweet tart rhubarb!  Strawberry rhubarb pie is one of my favorite things ever and honestly this is on the same level of delicious but less work to make!  If you are a strawberry rhubarb fan, definitely try out these Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pistachio Bars this year!

    Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pistachio Bars

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    • 1 1/4 cups vegan whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 cup maple sugar or brown sugar
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3/4 cup chopped pistachios
    • 2 cups strawberry rhubarb jam

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a 9×9 pan with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, sea salt, and set aside.
    3. In another bowl, mix together the coconut oil, maple sugar, flax mixture and vanilla, then mix into the oat mixture until well combined. Mix in 1/2 cup of pistachios.  Set aside.
    4. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture into the 9×9 inch pan evenly, then spread the jam over it. Sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture and pistachios and place in the oven.
    5. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.
  • 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.

  • Vegan Raspberry Jam Bars

    Vegan Raspberry Jam Bars

    I love any dessert with a crumbly streusel type topping, like fruit crisp or pie and these Vegan Raspberry Jam Bars! I have been wanting to make these for a while, since I have a good amount of Jam from Eric’s Dad.  He makes the best jam and he sent us a whole bunch! The raspberry is my favorite, he makes it with the berries he grows in his back yard.  We learned how to make some when we visited him last year (he lives a few states away), but he is the jam master. I used to love jam bars growing up so I thought I would make a veganized version. I have made other jam bars, but they were more complicated ones with nuts and whatnot in them, and I just wanted simple ones like the ones I remembered this time.

    I love these because they are easy to make. Bars are awesome in that way, there is no rolling required or anything.  Which is why my Mom turned a lot of her cookies into bars.  Th dough for these jam bars is almost like oatmeal cookie dough. I used a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and rolled oats for the base.  These are ingredients that I always have on hand, especially the oats because I have eaten oatmeal every day since I was in high school.  Plus I love oatmeal cookies.  If you don’t happen to have whole wheat pastry flour you can use regular all purpose flour and that will work just fine. I am all about trying to use what you have on hand and not make extra trips to the store.

    Instead of the butter that was in the original bars, I used coconut oil in these and it worked perfect!  It gives it a nice sweetness and the same amount of richness.  Instead of eggs I used flax eggs (1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp water  = 1 egg), because I use these a lot at work in my vegan baked goods with good results.  You can use either maple sugar or brown sugar in these, either are delicious.  The dough was delicious before I even added the jam!  Yes, I like to sample dough, that is one of the best parts of baking!

    I wanted a good thick layer of jam so I added 1 1/2 cups, because I feel like a lot of jam bars don’t have enough and it is important!  They are called jam bars after all. Once I added the jam, popped them in the oven and they were baking they smelled amazing!  I could not wait to try one.  But I waited until the next day since I made them at night and I wanted them to cut nicely.  They turned out super delicious!  Sweet, tart gooey raspberry jam, just the right amount with a buttery crunchy oatmeal topping and crust!  These are so simple but so good!  If you are in the mood for something sweet, give these Vegan Raspberry Jam Bars a try!

    Vegan Raspberry Jam Bars

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    • 1 1/4 cups vegan whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 cup maple sugar or brown sugar
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a 9×9 pan with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, sea salt, and set aside.
    3. In another bowl, mix together the coconut oil, maple sugar, flax mixture and vanilla, then mix into the oat mixture until well combined. Set aside.
    4. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture into the 9×9 inch pan evenly, then spread the jam over it. Sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture and place in the oven.
    5. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.
  • Vegan Chocolate Filler Bars

    Vegan Chocolate Filler Bars

    When I was little, I thought chocolate filler bars were awesome!  I mean, what could be better than gooey fudgy chocolate sandwiched in between crumbly buttery cookie dough?!  I think I first had them at my Mom’s friend’s house and we got the recipe from her, but I remember them being one of my favorite bar recipes. My Mom made a lot of bars, and I guess I can’t blame her, they are easier to make than cookies after all!  I decided to make some Vegan Chocolate Filler Bars last weekend, because I don’t think I have had one since I was in high school and they just sounded good.  Plus I had just picked up some vegan sweetened condensed milk to use in them, which is a main ingredient in the filling.

    The bars I remember enjoying had a buttery oatmeal cookie like crust with crunchy walnuts, but I decided to skip the walnuts and just make it a sort of buttery oatmeal streusel.  Streusel is one of my all time favorite things, on pie or muffins, and of course bars like this where the crust becomes the streusel.  This recipe usually contains egg, but I replaced that with a flax egg, and I replaced the butter with melted coconut oil and it came out perfect!

    If you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use gluten free all purpose flour instead of the flour, or gluten free oat flour.  Also, I used maple sugar for these, but you could use brown if that is what you preferred/had on hand.  Either way they will still be delicious!  For the filling, I used Nature’s Charm vegan sweetened condensed milk, melted together with vegan dark chocolate and it was perfect!  Honestly I could not stop sampling the filling, it was so good!  But I needed to put most of it into the bars so that was motivation to not eat too much.

    They baked up beautifully, and I could not wait to taste them!  But since I was making them after work, I had to wait until the next day to cut them.  They were so heavenly!  Just as good as the ones I remember enjoying, with  fudgy gooey chocolate filling, and buttery oat crunchy topping.  If you are looking for something to bring to a potluck, these always are a hit, or of course just a delicious treat to have on hand at home.  If you are a chocolate fan, definitely give these Vegan Chocolate Filler Bars a try!

    Vegan Chocolate Filler Bars

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    • 1 1/4 cups vegan whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 cup maple sugar or brown sugar
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 11 oz can Nature’s Charm vegan sweetened condensed coconut milk
    • 1 1/2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips or chunks
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a 9×9 pan with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, sea salt, and set aside.
    3. In another bowl, mix together the coconut oil, maple sugar, flax mixture and vanilla, then mix into the oat mixture until well combined. Set aside.
    4. In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, dark chocolate, sea salt and vanilla and heat over medium until melted and smooth, stirring often.
    5. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture into the 9×9 inch pan evenly, then pour the chocolate over it. Sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture and place in the oven.
    6. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.

     

     

  • Vegan Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Vegan Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

    The deli that I work in makes banana bars with cream cheese frosting that are really popular with the customers.  I could not try them however because they are not vegan but they sounded really good to me, so I decided to make my own Vegan Banana Bars with “Cream Cheese” Frosting at home! My Mom used to make a banana cake with cream cheese frosting that I loved as a kid, so I knew these would be really good!  Cream cheese frosting was always my favorite growing up, which is why I have always been a carrot cake fan.  Don’t get me wrong, buttercream is delicious but there is just something about that little tang of the cream cheese in the cream cheese frosting that makes that type of frosting so good!

    For these bars, I veganized them by replacing the eggs with flax eggs, and the butter with avocado oil which I feel has an almost buttery flavor so it is my favorite to use in baking. I like flax eggs, because I always have flax seeds on hand and they seem to work well in my baked goods.  Most of my vegan cookie recipes at work use them as an egg replacement. I made these a little bit healthier too than usual banana bars, by using whole wheat pastry flour and maple sugar for a bit less processed version.  If you wanted to use granulated sugar and all purpose sugar though, you can use those instead and the bars will be a bit lighter in color (but it won’t affect the flavor much).

    They smelled amazing while baking and I could not wait for them to cool so I could frost them!  I love the heavenly aroma of anything banana!  For the frosting I used vegan cream cheese beat together with a touch of plant based milk, vanilla and powdered sugar.  You could use half vegan butter and half cream cheese, but I actually like more of a cream cheese flavor in my cream cheese frosting, so even before I was vegan I would just use all cream cheese.  If you want it more subtle use 4 oz butter and 4 oz cream cheese instead of the 8 oz cream cheese. Either way it will be delicious!  This frosting was sooo good I could have eaten it with a spoon but I knew it would be even better on the bars.

    The finished product turned out so yummy!  Soft, sweet banana scented bars with luscious vanilla cream cheese frosting!  The perfect partner for a mid morning cup of coffee which is exactly what I enjoyed mine with!  If you have some really ripe bananas on your counter just begging to be used in something, these Vegan Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are the perfect thing to make with them instead of the same old banana bread.

    Vegan Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Makes 20

     

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup maple sugar or granulated sugar
    • 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
    • 1/3 cup avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed together with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water allowed to sit 5 minutes
    • 1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt

     

    Frosting:

    • 8 oz vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 1 Tbsp plant based milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees, and oil and line a 9×13 2 inch high pan.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, bananas, oil and flax mixture until smooth.
    3. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt.
    4. Spread the batter out in the prepared pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes until the bars are baked in the center and a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
    5. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla until smooth in a bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth.
    6. Spread the frosting over the bars, cut into 20 bars, and serve!
  • Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

    Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

    This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own

    I have been craving pumpkin cheesecake lately since we are in the middle of pumpkin season, but I also thought brownies sounded good.  So I thought, why not combine them for a fall treat?!  I had some Dastony raw cashew butter and coconut butter that Raw Guru recently sent me, two key cheesecake components. So it was the perfect time to make them! It has been a little more chilly here, which comes as a shock even though it will be snow and cold here in a few months…but that makes it the perfect time of the year for baking experiments!

    I am always on a quest for the perfect brownies.  They are all good of course, but they have to be fudgy in order for me to really be in love with them.  I am not a cakey brownie person, they should be just the right amount of fudgy as well.  Not super heavy, just the right amount.  My Mom used to make pretty good brownies when I was a kid, but they were boxed…so that disqualifies them.  These turned out perfect though!  I used flax eggs in place of the eggs, and avocado oil in place of the butter in regular brownies and the texture was just what I was looking for.

    For the cheesecake part, I used the Dastony raw cashew butter and coconut butter from Raw Guru and they did the trick!  They tasted like non-vegan cheesecake brownies with the pumpkin pie spices and pumpkin added of course!  These are crave worthy.

    They were rich with chocolate flavor and fudgy yet creamy thanks to the cheesecake swirl, which tasted like a mixture of pumpkin pie and cheesecake!  Trust me, you need to make some on a chilly fall day just so you can experience the joy that they bring to your kitchen and your taste buds!  If you would like some Dastony raw cashew butter or Dastony coconut butter for yourself, check them out on the Raw Guru website!

    Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

    Makes 16

    Cheesecake swirl:

     

    Brownies:

    • 1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
    • 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
    • 1 cup maple sugar
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 6 Tbsp filtered water
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    2. To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees. Whisk together the sugar, oil and pumpkin until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down.  Add the flax mixture vanilla and beat until smooth.
    3. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.  Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the swirl over it, and swirl it with a knife.
    4. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).  Let cool before cutting into bars.

     



  • Vegan Raspberry Truffle Swirl Brownies

    Vegan Raspberry Truffle Swirl Brownies

    Photo by Danielle Christensen Photography

    I apologize for my lack of new posts lately, but I was busy getting married!  I tied the knot last weekend, and now I am officially Amy Lyons O’Neil!  We had a lot of fun at our wedding, it was small, about 20 of our family members and closest friends.  We had planned on having it all outside but the weather had other plans with a downpour happening right before the ceremony so we held it inside the chapel at our church.  It was still lovely, and although we didn’t have the outdoor wedding we still took a lot of outdoor photos before it rained so I was thankful for that.

    Photo by Danielle Christensen Photography

    No, I did not make my own wedding cake, we bought two from Vegan East (a local bakery in Minnesota) and they were amazing! I highly recommend them if you live in the area, this is where Eric and I go to pick up cupcakes when I don’t feel like making them.  We had our wedding dinner at Nico’s Taco Bar on Como in St. Paul (Minnesota), and it was sooo good!  Tacos are our favorite and we love their food so it was the perfect place to have the reception.  I think everyone had a good time (including ourselves and that is what matters most.

    So now that the wedding is over I finally have some time to make recipes again.  When Eric’s dad was in town for the wedding he gave us some of his amazing home made jam, so I decided to make something with that first.  He actually grows his own raspberries for it and makes it from start to finish then sells it at the farmer’s market in Michigan where he lives.  It is seriously the best jam ever! I decided it would be awesome in some raspberry truffle brownies!

    I started out with my fudgy brownie base for these.  I am a fudgy brownie person all the way, to me a cakey brownie is just cake but don’t call it a brownie.  I like them fudgy and I like the inside pieces!  So I made my brownie base, then a layer of chocolate truffle/cheesecake.  I can’t really call it one or the other because I used my cheesecake swirl recipe for brownies but it tastes like truffle and has the right consistency.  I then swirled it with the raspberry jam and topped it off with chocolate chips for good measure.

    These smelled amazing while baking!  I could not wait to try one, but I had to wait over night because I wanted them to set so I could cut them nicely.  When I finally got to try one they were heavenly!  Rich and fudgy with a creamy truffle topping, so perfect with the gooey raspberry jam!  If you are a chocolate fan definitely give these a try!  Just be sure to use good quality raspberry jam it makes all the difference!

    Vegan Raspberry Truffle Swirl Brownies 
    Makes 16

    Truffle swirl:

    • 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut cream (from the top of a chilled can)
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder

     

    Brownies:

    • 1/4 cup avocado oil
    • 1/2 cup apple sauce
    • 1 cup coconut sugar 
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/2 cup raspberry jam
    • 1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or chunks

     

    Ingredients:

    1. To make the truffle topping, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    2. To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 375F degrees. Whisk together the sugar, avocado oil and applesauce until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down.
    3. Add the flax water mixture, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
    4. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.
    5. Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then pour the swirl over it, then drop the jam by the tsp over that. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips or chunks.
    6. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).
    7. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
  • Vegan Samoa Bars

    Vegan Samoa Bars

    I was never a Girl Scout, but my parents always bought Girl Scout Cookies when I was little.  I had a few favorites, Tag-a-longs, Thin Mints and Samoas are usually what we would buy.  This one year they had these really good strawberry cream sandwich cookies but those were short lived unfortunately. The Samoas were my all time favorite though.  What’s not to love about caramel, cookie and chocolate with coconut?!  I make my own now, just because most commercial cookies are a little too sugary for me even if they happen to be vegan.

    But this year I decided to do something a little different and make Samoa bars!  I thought they might be a bit easier than shaping the cookies.  It would be an experiment, but I had my fingers crossed and hoped for good results.  I actually just modified the cookie recipe for bars and it worked out great!  For the crust I used my vanilla cookie recipe and baked it in an 8 inch pan. That is the only part of the recipe that required baking though the rest is no bake.

    For the filling I made the date caramel I used for the cookies, but I make a little more to make a thicker layer.  Because it is the best part after all!  At least as far as I am concerned, I love date caramel so much I could just eat it with a spoon.  After that portion of the bars were made, I cut them into squares before I added the chocolate because I wanted to dip the bottoms into it just like the cookies.

    They were looking so good once I added the chocolate drizzle!  I could not wait to try them!  Lucky I did not have to wait long, the chocolate set fast. They were totally heavenly!  Plenty of gooey sweet coconut caramel on top of a crunchy sugar cookie and rich dark chocolate!  If you are a Samoa fan, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Samoa Bars
    Makes 16

    Ingredients:
    Crust:
    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 3/4 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

     

    Caramel:

    • 1 1/2 cups soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water 30 minutes and drain before using)
    • 3 Tbsp almond butter
    • 3 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp  filtered water or as needed
    • 3/4 cup finely shredded dried unsweetened coconut

     

    Chocolate:

    1 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate chips or chunks

     

     Directions:
    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.
    2. In a large bowl, mix coconut oil with maple sugar and mix until well combined.
    3. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.
    4. Add the baking soda, salt, then the flour, until well combined.
    5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
    6. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan.
    7. Bake for about 30 minutes, until set and just starting to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack to cool completely.
    8. To make the caramel, combine all ingredients but the coconut in a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Stir in the coconut.
    9. Spread the caramel mixture over the crust.
    10. Put the bars in the freezer until the caramel is a little more firm, about 20 minutes.  Cut into bars, place on a parchment lined tray spaced out slightly and freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes.
    11. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth.
    12. Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the bars.
    13. Place the tray in the freezer for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.
    14. Enjoy!  Store any extra cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

     

  • Vegan Mocha Rocky Road Skillet Brownies

    Vegan Mocha Rocky Road Skillet Brownies

    I have been wanting to make something rocky road for a while now since I had some leftover marshmallows from the holidays, and I got my chance this week. I had made some vegan brownies at work and they smelled so delicious and inviting I just had to make some of my own at home.  Rocky road brownies! And I recently remembered that I own a nice cast iron skillet because I made a vegan frittata that I know works great for baking things like brownies in so I figured I would use that to make them.  Most of the time I will just bake them in a pan, but I feel like the skillet is more fancy and fun!  After all, who doesn’t love getting a giant brownie wedge instead of a tiny brownie all to themself?!

    When I bake the brownies in the skillet, I usually start by warming it up in the oven first to help the brownies cook a little faster. You just gotta be careful and remember that the handle is hot when you go to put it back in the oven. I almost burned myself, although I should totally know better since I work in a kitchen every day (facepalm).  For the base of these, I used a mixture of avocado and almond butter for the fats.  With this combination they will stay soft and fudgy.  If you wish to use another neutral oil (as long as it is liquid at room temperature), or even olive oil feel free though, they will still come out nice.

    They have plenty of cacao powder in them to give them that rich chocolate flavor I crave from brownies, but I thought they would be even better if I added in some espresso powder to give them more depth, and because I thought they would be amazing with a mocha alongside later for a snack. I know rocky road variations are all different but I went with the combo of toasted almonds, marshmallows and chocolate chunks!

    They smelled heavenly while baking, and I could not wait to try them!  Once they had cooled and I was able to cut a wedge, they did not disappoint! They were fudgy and rich, with a hint of coffee flavor, the marshmallows and chocolate chunks on top had toasted into gooey deliciousness, and the toasted almonds were the perfect touch.  They were totally heavenly!  If you are craving something chocolate, definitely give these a try!  And they are amazing with a cup of coffee!

    Vegan Mocha Rocky Road Brownies
    Makes 16

    Brownies:

    • 1/2 cup avocado oil
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water)
    • 1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour (or AP flour will work as well)*
    • 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 Tbsp espresso powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling top
    • 3/4 cup vegan marshmallows, plus more for sprinkling on top
    • 3/4 cup chopped almonds, plus more for sprinkling on top

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and oil a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet. Place the pan in the oven while you make the batter.
    2. Whisk together the sugar, oil and 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, espresso powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips, marshmallows and almonds.
    3. Remove the pan from the oven.
    4. Scrape the batter into a the pan,  smooth it out, and sprinkle with more marshmallows, chocolate chips and almonds.
    5. Place back in the oven, and Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set (but do not over bake because you do not want it dry).
    6. Let cool at least 45 minutes before cutting into wedges.

     

    *If you wish to make these gluten free, I can recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour because I have tried it before in my brownies and it works great!

  • Vegan Pumpkin Bars

    Vegan Pumpkin Bars

    I bought my first can of pumpkin last week. I have been wanting to make something with pumpkin since the beginning of September which is considered pumpkin season start to me!  I have made a few pumpkin spice lattes, but a dessert sounded nice. I will make a pumpkin pie later in the season, since that is more Thanksgiving like, but I decided to make some vegan pumpkin bars. I made some raw ones many years ago, but I have never actually made baked ones so I figured I would give that a go.

    I always liked pumpkin bars back in the day, those cakey ones with the sweet cream cheese frosting on top!  For these, I used something similar to my pumpkin cake base, and baked them in a bigger pan. This batter uses dates as a sweetener, to keep them nice and moist and give them an almost caramel like flavor that I love.  The batter is actually oil free too, I use almond butter instead to give it richness.

    I used whole wheat pastry flour for these, but if you wanted to make them gluten free, I can recommend Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour instead and subbing it 1:1.  I have used this brand before and it comes out just as delicious with the same texture.  This batter is super delicious.  Yes, of course I sampled it!  That is one of my favorite parts of the baking process after all! They baked up nicely, and made my kitchen smell amazing! I have to say, pumpkin spice is one of my favorite aromas in the world!

    Lastly, I made a rich cream cheese frosting to spread over them, because that is an essential part of these bars as far as I am concerned.  They turned out so heavenly!  The soft lightly spiced sweet pumpkin cake was perfect with the luscious smooth vanilla cream cheese frosting!  If you are in a pumpkin dessert eating mood like I am, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Pumpkin Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Ingredients:

    8×8 inch square pan

    Cake:

    • 3/4 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp ginger
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp cloves
    • 2/3 cups packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1/2 cup of the soaking water reserved
    • 2 Tbsp almond butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
    • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Frosting:

    • 3/4 cup canned full fat organic coconut cream  (you want a brand that is mostly the thick cream like Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk or coconut cream or it will not work), chilled
    • 1/4 cup raw cashew butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1/8 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp cup melted coconut butter (warmed to liquid)

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
    3. Coat parchment paper and pan sides lightly with oil so that the cake doesn’t stick.
    4. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and sea salt in a large bowl to blend well.  Set aside.
    5. Place dates, reserved water, almond butter, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form.
    6. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
    7. Cool bars completely.
    8. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer until the consistency of stiffly whipped cream (about 30-45 minutes depending on how warm it has gotten.  Once it is ready place in the refrigerator until ready to frost.
    9. When ready to assemble, spread frosting over the top of the bars, cut into bars and enjoy!

     

    Keeps for up to 1 week covered in the refrigerator.

    *If you would like to make this gluten free, swap the whole wheat flour for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (I have tested this brand and know it works, but have not tried other brands so I am not sure if they would turn out the same).

     

  • Vegan Cream Cheese Apple Pie Bars

    Vegan Cream Cheese Apple Pie Bars

    I know it isn’t technically fall yet, but the weather has been feeling more like fall, and I am super excited about enjoying all of the delicious fall foods.  Especially the sweet ones involving pumpkin apples and spices.  I am looking forward to visiting the apple orchards soon!  I was gifted some apples and was in the mood for apple pie, but decided to make some apple pie bars instead because they can be shared more easily.  Also, I have been wanting to try making some apple cream cheese bars since last year.  I have made an apple cream cheese pie before, but I have been meaning to try making it in bar form.

    I decided to make these oil free, and use pecan butter instead of coconut oil in the crust and topping. It is one of the richest nut butters, so it works just as well plus gives these bars a nutty flavor. I make my own in a high speed blender.  If you don’t have access to it don’t worry you can use almond butter instead (or see the bottom for a coconut oil variation if oil free isn’t your thing).  The apples in the filling werea local variety, the Haralson, so they were nice and tart and perfect for apple pie! I prefer the tart ones in baked desserts, because then once you add the sugar the flavor is nicely balanced.

    Raw Guru recently sent me some of their Dastony raw cashew butter and I knew it would be perfect in the cream cheese layer of the bars.  I combined it with coconut cream and maple syrup for a rich and delicious tasting vegan cream cheese that set up nicely once baked thanks to the cornstarch I added.  Lastly I topped the bars off with a crunchy oat streusel topping.  They smelled sooo delicious while baking!

    I could not wait to try them!  They were sooo good!  They had a crunchy buttery tasting crust, the cream cheese layer was smooth and rich, a perfect partner for the sweet tart cinnamon scented apples and the crispy streusel on top! My taste testers loved them as well!  If you are in the mood for apple pie, give these babies a try! They are completely heavenly!  Like the best apple pie ever but in bar form!

    Vegan Cream Cheese Apple Pie Bars
    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 1/2 cup pecan butter or almond butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour*

     

    Cream Cheese Filling:

    • 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut cream (the thick part from the top of a chilled can)
    • 1/2 cup Dastony raw cashew butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Filling:

    • 3 medium or 4 small apples, sliced 1/4 inch thick
    • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

     

    Topping:

    • 1 cup gluten free old fashioned oats
    • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3 Tbsp pecan butter or almond butter

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment.
    2. Mix together the crust ingredients, and press into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until set.
    3. To make the cream cheese, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, then pour over the crust.
    4. Mix together the apple filling and arrange over the cream cheese layer so that the apples are flat.
    5. Mix together the streusel filling in a bowl, and scrunch together with hands until it clumps up.  Sprinkle over the apples.
    6. Place in the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes until the streusel is lightly browned and apples are tender.  Note, since some ovens vary in temperature, check the bars after about 30 minutes and if they are starting to get too dark, tent them with foil so that they do not burn.
    7. Once the bars have finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely.
    8. When the bars are cool, cut into 16 bars, and enjoy!

    *Notes:

    If you would like to make these gluten free, you can swap in Bob’s Red Mill GF baking flour (or your favorite similar flour, I just have used this brand and know it works well) for the whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe 1:1.

    If you would like these bars to be a little more rich, you can use coconut oil in the crust and crumble portions of this recipe in place of the pecan butter.

     

  • Vegan Blackberry Almond Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

    Vegan Blackberry Almond Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

    When we visited Eric’s Dad last month, he gave us a bunch of his amazing jam.  It is seriously some of the best jam I have ever tasted, made from local fruit he picks in his town in Michigan, and from his own garden.  I love it plain or on toast, but it also inspired me to make some delicious desserts, one of which was these brownies. I was in a brownie making mood, and I couldn’t help but think the blackberry jam would be amazing swirled into chocolate.  So I made some!

    I couldn’t just stop there though, I wanted these to be over the top delicious so I decided to add a vegan cream cheese element as well and make them cheesecake swirled.  Because why not?  When it comes to brownies, the more decadent the better, right?!  I used one of my brownie recipes with applesauce in the base to keep them nice and fudgy.  They do still contain a little bit of oil, but if you wanted them oil free, you could replace it with nut butter, such as almond butter which is already in another part of this recipe. I just find that the texture is slightly different that way though, so I prefer a little oil in mine.

    For the cheesecake, I used a mixture of coconut cream and almond butter to make it nice and rich as well as give it that almond flavor I was going for.  It was heavenly before I even added it to the brownies!  If it seems a little runny before you bake it, no worries, it will firm up when baked!  It was so pretty with that purple blackberry swirl!  These smelled amazing while baking! I love the aroma of brownies, it has to be one of the happiest smells on Earth!

    They turned out lovely, but I had to wait until the next day to try them because I made them in the evening. It was well worth the wait though, I had something to look forward to coming home from work the next day. They turned out sooo heavenly!  Rich and fudgy, with plenty of cheesecake and that gooey tart sweet blackberry jam!  If you are in the mood for something decadent and chocolaty, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Blackberry Almond Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies 
    Makes 16

    Cheesecake swirl:

    • 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut cream (from the top of a chilled can)
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Brownies:

    • 1/4 cup avocado oil
    • 1/2 cup apple sauce
    • 1 cup coconut sugar 
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/2 cup blackberry jam
    • 1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chunks

     

    Ingredients:

    1. To make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    2. To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 375F degrees. Whisk together the sugar, avocado oil and applesauce until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down.
    3. Add the flax water mixture, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
    4. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.
    5. Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then pour the swirl over it, then drop the jam by the tsp over that. Sprinkle with the chocolate chunks.
    6. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).
    7. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Mocha Brownies

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Mocha Brownies

    Nobody can be in a bad mood while baking brownies.  Which is why when I am feeling a bit out of sorts, I like to bake some.  Which is exactly what I did a few days back after work, because I needed a nice little pick me up. Plus they just sounded good. I have been in a bit of a chocolate mood lately.  Just being in the kitchen with that heavenly aroma radiating from the oven makes me happy.

    Raw Guru recently sent me a big container of their raw cacao powder and coconut sugar, so it was the perfect thing to make!  Some chocolate inspiration to get me going. I recently upgraded my brownie game, melting dark chocolate into the batter along with the other wet ingredients because it gives the brownies that fudgy texture that I love.  Get out of here with those cakey dry ones, I am not a fan of those at all. No, my brownies have to be rich, decadent and fudgy!  Plus I love those middle pieces with the most fudge above all else!

    These are simple to make, once you take care of melting the chocolate and adding it to them, the rest just gets all mixed together.  I thought about making these plain classic brownies, but I decided that a hint of coffee would be heavenly in them, so I added that in as well, and it made the chocolate even more intense. Funny thing is, I didn’t drink coffee for years, but just last year I fell back in love with it and now I am adding it to lots of stuff.  Oat milk lattes are my hot drink of choice lately!

    As much as I would have liked to have just dove into the pan of brownies soon after they came out of the oven (and I usually would) I had to wait for them to cool, because they may be delicious while still warm, but they are not very pretty then when you try to get them out of the pan, and I needed to take some pics for you all!  They turned out super delicious!  Nice and fudgy, rich chocolate flavor and that little hint of coffee!  If you are in a chocolate mood like I have been, definitely give them a try!

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Mocha Brownies

    Makes 16 brownies

    Ingredients:

    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water (allowed to sit 15 minutes to gel before using)
    • 7 oz vegan dark chocolate (about 1 1/4 cups chopped chocolate or chips)
    • 1 cup Raw Guru coconut sugar*
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil*
    • 2 Tbsp Raw Guru cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 Tbsp strong brewed coffee
    • 2/3 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour *
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment at the bottom.
    2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flax and water, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, until it is smooth.  Set aside.
    4. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, salt and oils, and whisk together until well combined, then add the flax and water mixture and whisk until blended.
    5. Add the cacao powder, coffee and melted chocolate and whisk until smooth and well blended.
    6. Add the flour and whisk until completely blended (if you don’t mix well it could separate).  Stir in the chocolate chips.
    7. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
    8. Place in the oven, on the center rack, and bake for 30 minutes until the brownies are set (but do not overbake).
    9. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.

     

    Brownies keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container on the counter, or 2 weeks refrigerated.  They can be frozen for up to 4 months.

    *Notes:

    *If you would prefer to use granulated sugar that would work as well in this recipe.

    *If you would like to just use one type of oil in this recipe, you can use additional coconut oil instead of the avocado, just keep in  mind the brownies may be a little bit more hard at room temperature or at cooler temps.

    *If you would like to make these gluten free, you can use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour in place of the whole wheat pastry flour.  I have tried this brand and know it works well when used in brownies.

  • Vegan Matcha Chocolate Bars with Cacao Nibs

    Vegan Matcha Chocolate Bars with Cacao Nibs

    St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, and although it doesn’t feel so much like it this year due to the virus going around and events being cancelled, I still like to enjoy some festive stuff at home so I made some green chocolate bars!  I like to try to stay positive.  And even if we can’t all go out and do the things we usually do, or would like to do why now enjoy yourself at home?  I was going to make some chocolate anyway because I had run out of my stash, and I wanted something cheery and fancy so I made some Matcha Chocolate Bars with crunchy cacao nibs.  I have been making a lot of mint stuff for St. Patrick’s Day because it is festive and green, but matcha has that lovely green hue as well and I have been in love with it since I first tried it! I drink matcha tea every morning at work, and I like my matcha lattes on the weekends when I have more time, but I especially love matcha in sweet desserts.  It is amazing in white chocolate. I have made some plain matcha white chocolate before but I wanted some dark chocolate in there as well, so I was thinking a two layer bar.  Before I went vegan I thought that white chocolate would be a thing of the past, since milk seems like it is a big part of it, but luckily I was wrong. I have been able to make super delicious white chocolate!  It may take a few more ingredients, but that’s alright.  I like it even better than the stuff I ate growing up, which probably had some artificial stuff in it. For mine, I use a cacao butter base, with a bit of coconut b\utter and macadamia nut butter sweetened with maple syrup and a bit of vanilla. Raw Guru recently sent me some Dastony coconut butter and macadamia nut butter so it was perfect! If you don’t have macadamia nut butter, no worries, raw cashew butter will work as well (and I know it is a bit easier to find). This white chocolate is seriously crave worthy!  I added a bit of matcha to it for a lovely green hue and flavor! Once it was all hardened in the molds, I added a layer of dark chocolate over it and some cacao nibs for crunch!  I could not wait to try them!  I had to have a big chunk when they were finally ready.  They were super delicious!  That white chocolate mixed with the dark was almost a milk chocolate like flavor and it was so good with that earthy hint of matcha and crunchy cacao nibs.  If you have to stay home, why not make a delicious treat for yourself like these?! Vegan Matcha Chocolate Bars with Cacao Nibs Makes 4 Matcha White Chocolate:   Dark Chocolate:
    • 1 1/2 cups chopped good quality vegan dark chocolate
      Topping:
    • cacao nibs
      Instructions:
    1. Combine the cacao powder, cashew butter, and coconut butter, and  in the top of a double boiler, and melt until smooth.
    2. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, matcha and sea salt and whisk together until well blended.
    3. Pour the matcha white chocolate into the bottoms of 4 standard sized chocolate bar molds set on a tray.
    4. Place the tray with the molds in the freezer until the white chocolate has set.
    5. Meanwhile, clean out the double boiler, and add the dark chocolate to it, melting it until smooth.
    6. When the white chocolate has hardened, pour the dark chocolate over it to fill the molds, and smooth to the sides (working quickly because if you go too slow the white chocolate will start to melt and not look neat).
    7. Sprinkle with the cacao nibs, about 2 tsp per bar.
    8. Set the tray with the molds back into the freezer until set, about 20 minutes.
    9. Unmold and enjoy!
      Chocolate bars keep in a container in the refrigerator for up to a month.  
  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies

    I have been loving the combination of chocolate and orange lately.  I recently made some Chocolate Orange Hazelnut Cupcakes and they were so good, so I wanted more of that chocolate orange flavor combo. I was in the mood for some brownie baking last weekend, so it seemed like the perfect time to use it again.  I have never made chocolate orange brownies.  Which is kind of surprising because I have made just about every flavor of brownie imaginable.  I probably have at least 20 brownies on this website.  I usually go for a fudgy brownie base, with some sort of add ins swirled in, but I wanted to keep these simple and let the flavors shine.

    Normally I use cacao powder in my brownie base to give it a chocolate flavor, but I wanted to switch it up this time and use mostly melted vegan dark chocolate and just a little cacao powder to make these extra fudgy and decadent.  I am not a cakey brownie fan to be honest.  I have made a few batches that tasted good but were too cakey in the past which was a bummer because I wasn’t looking for a cake I was looking for brownies.  I think I hit the jackpot with this batch the way they turned out.

    They have about 1 1/4 cups melted dark chocolate in them so they almost have to be good.  I added in plenty of orange zest, because I wanted to be able to taste it, as well as smell it. The batter tasted amazing!  I could not stop sampling it.  That is my favorite part of brownie making after all, sampling and licking the batter from the bowl that is left over.  One of the best things about these is they are really simple to make, no beating of the batter for minutes or any of that, just a quick mix in a bowl and you have delicious brownie batter!

    They smelled amazing while baking!  We could not wait to try them.  Although I say to let them cool completely before cutting, I they are amazing while still warm too if you prefer that.  They are rich and fudgy, just how I like them with a decadent chocolate flavor and a hint of fragrant orange.  Sooo good!  Are you a center brownie person, or do you prefer the edges? I like the gooey center pieces!

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies

    Makes 16 brownies

    Ingredients:

    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water (allowed to sit 15 minutes to gel before using)
    • 7 oz vegan dark chocolate(about 1 1/4 cups chopped chocolate or chips)
    • 1 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar*
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil*
    • 1 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 Tbsp organic orange zest plus 2 Tbsp orange juice
    • 2/3 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour *

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment at the bottom.
    2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flax and water, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, until it is smooth.  Set aside.
    4. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, salt and oils, and whisk together until well combined, then add the flax and water mixture and whisk until blended.
    5. Add the cacao powder, orange zest and juice and melted chocolate and whisk until smooth and well blended.
    6. Add the flour and whisk until completely blended (if you don’t mix well it could separate).
    7. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
    8. Place in the oven, on the center rack, and bake for 30 minutes until the brownies are set (but do not overbake).
    9. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.

     

    Brownies keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container on the counter, or 2 weeks refrigerated.  They can be frozen for up to 4 months.

    *Notes:

    *If you would prefer to use granulated sugar that would work as well in this recipe.

    *If you would like to just use one type of oil in this recipe, you can use additional coconut oil instead of the avocado, just keep in  mind the brownies may be a little bit more hard at room temperature or at cooler temps.

    *If you would like to make these gluten free, you can use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour in place of the whole wheat pastry flour.  I have tried this brand and know it works well when used in brownies.

  • Vegan Hazelnut Caramel Bars

    Vegan Hazelnut Caramel Bars

    When I go to the grocery store I admit I am usually in a hurry to grab what I need then get out.  Eric makes fun of me for it, saying I need to slow down sometimes, because I am missing out on things.  Surprisingly though I hardly ever forget something.  If I do though, I can get it at my work (I work in the deli of a health food store), or at the Aldi up the street.  On my day off last week though, I was taking it a little slower at Aldi since I didn’t have anything else going on, and I noticed that they had toasted hazelnuts.  I love getting pre-toasted nuts for recipes, because it saves me a lot of time in the kitchen. Especially when I go to grab the nuts for my nut butter and find out I haven’t toasted them yet.  Anyways, toasted hazelnuts sounded good, so I grabbed a bag figuring I could make something delicious with them.  So taking time to look around paid off that time.

    Later on that day, I decided to make some hazelnut caramel bars.  I wanted them to have the same type of filling as a pecan pie but with toasted hazelnuts instead.  It was an odd fall day, 80F degrees with a dew point of 70 so my Mom said I was crazy to be baking when I told her what I was going to do, but you know what?  Sometimes it is worth heating up the oven on a hot day for a delicious treat.

    I gave the bars a shortbread like crust to begin with, I wanted it to be buttery, rich and melt in your mouth.  I used a mixture of whole wheat pastry flour and tapioca flour to make it a bit more tender.  For the filling, a mixture of dates and hazelnut butter made for a luscious caramel.  I figured why not make these as hazelnut flavored as possible!  But if you can’t get hazelnut butter and don’t want to make your own you could use cashew butter instead or almond butter.  I mixed it plenty of hazelnuts and it was amazing. I could have sat there and ate it with a spoon but then I wouldn’t have enough for the bars.

    They baked up beautifully and I could not wait to try them!  Unfortunately since it was evening I had to wait for them to cool overnight.  At least it gave me something to look forward to after work!  They were sooo good!  Rich, and caramelly with a hint of maple and the nuttiness of the hazelnuts plus plenty of crunch, and that buttery crust!  Totally heavenly!  If you are a fan of hazelnuts, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Hazelnut Caramel Bars

    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/2 cup tapioca flour (or cornstarch would work as well)
    • 1/2 cup maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)

     

    Filling:

    • 1 cup soft pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes and drain well
    • before using)
    • 1/4 cup hazelnut butter (or raw cashew butter or almond butter)
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup, plus more for brushing the top of the pie
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/3 cup filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
    • 2 cups toasted hazelnuts, plus more for top of bars
    • maple syrup for brushing bars

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
    2. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, tapioca flour,  sugar, and sea salt. Mix in oil and stir (or use your hands and knead) until a smooth dough is created. Press into the bottom of an 8×8 inch square pan.
    3. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until just starting to brown.  Remove from the oven.
    4. To make filling, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor except the hazelnuts. Process until smooth, then scrape into a bowl and stir in the hazelnuts. Spread the filling over the crust, and top with more hazelnuts. Brush the top lightly with maple syrup. Place in the oven.
    5. Bake for about 20 minutes until it is starting to brown lightly.
    6. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.
  • Vegan Key Lime Curd Bars

    Vegan Key Lime Curd Bars

    Key lime pie and all things tart citrus have always been favorites in my family. When I was little, my Mom and I would often buy truffles at a counter in a department store in the Mall, and it was usually the key lime flavored ones. One time the clerk said that she didn’t know why we liked them so much, because she thought they were too tart, but on the contrary we thought they were perfect! Often times I feel like citrus desserts have way too much sweet to counteract the tart but what I like is a balance of the two. When I make my key lime pies I often times use a little less sweetener for that reason. I love tart lime!

    So last week when I had a bag of limes on hand and was trying to decide what to make, lime curd bars came to mind. I have also always had a love for those lemon curd bars, so I figured why not make them in the fashion? I have never made lime curd bars before, so it was more exciting too. For the crust I made a shortbread cookie dough, and pre-baked it before adding the filling on top of it so it would be nice and crispy to contrast the filling. I used whole wheat pastry flour mixed with a little tapioca starch to lighten it but if you wanted to make these gluten free, you could swap it out for gluten free all purpose baking flour (I recommend Bob’s Red Mill).

    For the filling, I used plenty of lime juice and zest, with coconut cream to make it nice and rich since there would be no dairy or eggs in this, and combined it with a little maple syrup and vanilla to sweeten it. I thickened it with corn starch which worked out slick and you just pour the filling into the crust and let it before enjoying.

    Lastly since traditional citrus bars are topped off with a powdered sugar topping I wanted these to look just as pretty so I made a coconut “powdered sugar” dust. It isn’t super sweet like actual powdered sugar but it is pretty and goes well with the lime. If you area fan of citrus curd bars, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Key Lime Curd Bars
    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/2 cup tapioca flour (or cornstarch would work as well)
    • 1/2 cup maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)

    Filling:

    • 3/4 cup lime juice
    • 2 Tbsp lime zest
    • 1/2 cup cornstarch
    • 1 3/4 cups canned coconut cream
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp spinach powder (for color, optional)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    For Topping:

    • 1/4 cup finely shredded, dried unsweetened coconut

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper (so that it goes up the sides too).
    2. To make the crust, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined, then press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
    3. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven.
    4. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, except the vanilla extract, and whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Place on the stove over medium heat, whisking constantly until it is starting to thicken. When it starts to thicken cook for a minute or two, until it is thickened to the consistency of pudding, then whisk in the vanilla extract.
    5. Pour the filling over the prepared crust, and let cool completely, then refrigerate for a few hours until completely chilled.
    6. Buzz the coconut in a blender until it is fine like flour, then dust the tops of the bars with it by putting it in a fine meshed strainer and tapping it over them.
    7. Cut into 16 bars.

    Store any extra bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

    *If you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour instead of the pastry flour.

  • Vegan Chickpea Blondies

    Vegan Chickpea Blondies

    I think I use chickpeas in more recipes than any other bean. I am always making hummus, and salads with chickpeas and I even add them to cheesecake recipes instead of cashews as a nut free version. I recently made black bean brownies, so I figured why not make chickpea blondies?! I make so many other things with them, and they are a pretty neutral flavor so they go good in things that are vanilla flavored. Plus I love adding ingredients with fiber and protein to my desserts for an added boost so long as I can’t taste them.

    These blondies were really simple to make, you just blend the first part in the blender then mix in the rest and pour into a pan, that simple. For the batter though, in a regular blondie recipe I would have used coconut oil but in this one I used avocado oil because it has a more buttery flavor, and it will stay soft when cooled down (coconut oil desserts sometimes get too hard when refrigerated or too cool).

    To keep these nice and moist also I used some aquafaba because why not since I was already using chickpeas in the recipe. If you don’t know what aquafaba is it is chickpea liquid. Either canned or home made. If your chickpeas are already drained though, no worries, you can also use a flax egg for the recipe instead if you would like.

    The dough tasted super delicious, and they baked up beautifully! They smelled amazing too as I pulled them from the oven. Just like chocolate chip cookies. Honestly these are best when you enjoy them while still warm and the chocolate chips are gooey! They have a nice soft texture and a vanilla caramel like flavor throughout. Next time you have some chickpeas on hand and are in the mood for something sweet give these a try!

    Vegan Chickpea Blondies

    Makes 16

    • 1/2 cup avocado oil
    • 1 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
    • 3 Tbsp aquafaba (the liquid of canned chickpeas)* or 1 Tbsp flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment.
    2. To make the dough, add the the oil, coconut sugar, chickpeas, flax and water mixture and vanilla to a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth.
    3. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl.
    4. Add the flour, soda, and salt and mix until smooth.
    5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
    6. Pour into the bottom of the 8×8 inch pan and spread with a offset spatula or knife until the top is even, and place in the oven.
    7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until done in the center and lightly brown.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting into bars. When ready to cut, just lift them out with the parchment onto a cutting board and cut into 16 bars.
    9. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Black Raspberry Blondies

    Vegan Black Raspberry Blondies

    Sometimes on my runs I am in the zone and sorting out my own thoughts, and other times I pay more attention to the beautiful things in nature around me. There sure is a lot of beautiful things to enjoy lately. Like a yard full of different colors of lilies, or the animals that all seem to be out. The best discovery I have made lately though were the wild black raspberries. I have been watching them ripen for the past week and they were finally starting to be ready last weekend.

    I decided I would go back later and pick some since I don’t usually stop during my run. It seems like the raspberries are going crazy this year! There are more than I have ever seen, usually it is a few patches, but this year they are everywhere! Maybe it was the weird weather we had last Winter and the late Spring, but whatever the case, I am happy there are so many. Eric and I picked a bunch, and snacked on a few but I decided that I should make some recipes with them as well. Because why not?! They are super delicious.

    So I made some black raspberry blondies. It was between that and brownies, but I am a vanilla girl after all, and I hadn’t made blondies in a long time so they won. I love that they are so easy to make, and so shareable too. I made my classic blondies with good quality vegan dark chocolate chips, and stirred in the raspberries. The dough was amazing. Just saying. Dough is my favorite part of the baking process so I had to try some.

    They smelled amazing while baking, and I could not wait to try them. Once they had cooled down and were all ready to go, I was all over them. They turned out super delicious with the rich vanilla cookie dough, dark chocolate chips and jammy black raspberries! I think using them in blondies was definitely the right choice!

    Vegan Black Raspberry Blondies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup coconut oil
    • 1 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 Tbsp ground golden flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
    • 3/4 cup black raspberries

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment.
    2. To make the dough, mix together the coconut oil and coconut sugar until well blended with a wooden spoon.
    3. Add the flax and water mixture and vanilla and mix until well blended.
    4. Add the flour, soda, and salt and mix until smooth.
    5. Stir in the chocolate chips and black raspberries (they will get crushed a bit and that’s ok).
    6. Press into the bottom of the 8×8 inch pan, and place in the oven.
    7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until done in the center and lightly brown.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting into bars. When ready to cut, just lift them out with the parchment onto a cutting board and cut into 16 bars.
    9. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Jam Bars

    Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Jam Bars

    I recently had dinner with my Mom at a local cafe and we were looking at the dessert case on the way out. There were beautiful cakes and tarts but the thing that caught our eye were some raspberry chocolate bars. They had a crunchy chocolate streusel on top as well as chocolate chips and a raspberry jam filling. My Mom said to me, I bet you could make some of those at home! So, I decided that I would create my own version!

    I tend to do baking projects on my days off when I have more time, and they sounded really good so I went for it! I have made jam bars before and loved them, I have just never tried chocolate ones. I decided to even improve upon the idea and make them chocolate hazelnut raspberry jam bars. Because I normally use nut butter in my jam bars anyway to make them extra delicious and I happened to have hazelnut butter and hazelnut meal on hand.

    Chocolate and hazelnuts are an amazing combination anyhow add in raspberry and its even better! The crust is really easy to make, you just mix it all together, press half into the pan, top with the jam and then crumble the rest of the crust and chocolate chips over that! I admit, I did sample a bit of the crust while I was making it, because it was like super delicious cookie dough. I am one of those people who likes to sample what I am making all the way through and I am just a sucker for cookie dough and batter!

    Lastly I sprinkled on some chocolate chips before baking because one can never have too much chocolate in a chocolate dessert, right? They smelled amazing while baking. Too bad I had to wait until they cooled completely to cut them so they stayed pretty. It was well worth the wait though! They were heavenly! Rich, chocolaty hazelnut cookie crust and crumble plus the dark chocolate chips and gooey tart sweet jam…total deliciousness! So the next time you are craving a baked chocolate treat, give these a try instead of just brownies!

    Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Jam Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Ingredients:

    Crust/topping:

    • 1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water mixed with 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3/4 cup hazelnut butter
    • 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 cup hazelnut meal
    • 1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

    Filling and Topping:

    • 3/4 cup vegan raspberry jam
    • 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees with the rack set in the center position. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment, and/or grease it with coconut oil.
    2. To make the crust, whisk the coconut oil and sugar together in a bowl with the flax mixture until the sugar starts to dissolve. Then add the hazelnut butter and mix until combined.
    3. Add the flour, cacao powder, hazelnut meal, baking powder, sea salt and stir in until well blended.
    4. Spread 2/3 of this mixture over the bottom of the pan, pressing it to the edges with your fingers.  Then spread the jam over that with a spoon or offset spatula. Drop chunks of the remaining dough over that and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
    5. Place in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes until lightly browned and set.
    6. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.
  • Vegan Coconut Lime Date Bars

    Vegan Coconut Lime Date Bars

    I have always loved date bars. They are sweet, and gooey and delicious with a buttery crust and topping. I don’t think they get enough attention from most people, same as dates in general because people probably just think that they are like prunes but they are totally missing out. But dates are nature’s caramel. I mean seriously they taste just like caramel, but of course are way healthier for you than actual caramel since they have fiber and nutrients. They are one of my favorite ways to sweeten things. But back to those date bars. I was craving some suddenly last weekend and I haven’t made any for a really long time so I went for it.

    Traditionally they have an oat crust and topping, and although I love that I decided to make mine a little different and give them an almond coconut cookie crust instead. OMG the dough by itself even before I baked them was heavenly. Probably because I included almond flour and coconut to make it extra rich and delicious. Since I used coconut in these I thought I would keep the tropical thing going and add some lime to the filling along with the dates.

    Since dates are so sweet, they are really good when you add citrus to them like lemons or limes. I had limes on hand so that is what I used and it was a perfect combination! The filling is literally just dates, water and lime juice and it is like a delicious lime scented caramel.

    The bars baked up beautifully! I could not wait to try the finished product, but of course I had to wait until they cooled completely otherwise they don’t cut as nice (and I am super picky about the way things are cut). They were sooo worth the wait though. They were buttery, rich and delicious thanks to the almond coconut crust and the gooey date lime filling was heavenly with it! If you are a fan of dates like me, definitely give these a try. Or if you haven’t tried dates because they look weird or whatever, you definitely need to put those judgements aside and you need to try them. Trust me on this one!

    Vegan Coconut Lime Date Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Ingredients:

    Date Filling:

    • 2 cups soft, pitted medjool dates
    • 1/2 cup filtered water
    • 1/4 cup lime juice
    • 1 Tbsp organic lime zest

    Crust/topping:

    • 1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water mixed with 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3/4 cup almond butter
    • 3/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    • 3/4 cup almond meal
    • 1/2 cup finely shredded, dried coconut
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees with the rack set in the center position. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment, and/or grease it with coconut oil.
    2. Blend the dates up with the water and lime juice and zest until smooth in a high speed blender. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    3. To make the crust, whisk the coconut oil and sugar together in a bowl with the vanilla and flax mixture until the sugar starts to dissolve. Then add the almond butter and mix until combined.
    4. Add the flour, almond meal, coconut, baking powder, sea salt and stir in until well blended.
    5. Spread 2/3 of this mixture over the bottom of the pan, pressing it to the edges with your fingers.  Then spread the date mixture over that with a spoon or offset spatula. Drop chunks of the remaining dough over that.
    6. Place in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes until lightly browned and set.
    7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.
  • Vegan Salted Caramel Millionaire Bars

    Vegan Salted Caramel Millionaire Bars

    I recently watched an episode of America’s Test Kitchen when I was downstairs running on my treadmill on a Saturday morning (that is what I usually do on weekends while I work out, watch cooking shows to get ideas for recipes and learn things), and they were making Millionaire Bars.  They looked sooo good.  A layer of rich caramel on a shortbread crust with dark chocolate on top.  Now mind you they were not vegan at all, but I said to myself I have to make those sometime, they seem totally do-able.  When I was talking to my Mom a few days later, she told me she had seen the episode too and told me I should recreate a vegan version.  I decided that I needed to make them on New Years Day, since I was off work and had extra time.

    I cut the size of the recipe in half, since I don’t have a large family and I only wanted an 8×8 inch pan instead of a 9×13.  I was a little nervous about the crust I admit, because I have tried to veganize a shortbread crust before and it did not work at all.  The oil just bubbled out and it was all greasy.  So this time I cut back on the fat, using 2 Tbsp less than the one I was trying to veganize, and I swapped out the butter for coconut oil and avocado oil. If I had used straight coconut oil the crust would have gotten too hard once chilled but that little bit of avocado oil makes it more like if I had used butter.  I am not a fan of store bought buttery sticks, so this is why use the oils I do and I have had success so far with the combo.  Also, I didn’t think the original recipe had enough flour so, I added a good amount of tapioca flour along with the pastry flour in the crust to make it tender in the same manor cornstarch would.  If I had just added more flour it might have been more tough but cornstarch makes a nice melt in your mouth texture.

    It baked up beautifully!  I was super excited to make the rest of it.  For the caramel, I used dates as the main ingredient since they are nature’s caramel after all.  I combined them with pecan butter because it has an almost caramel like flavor, but of course you could use almond butter if you don’t have any.  I had to thicken the caramel as well, so that it would stay nice when the bars were cut and keep its shape, so I added Dastony coconut butter from Raw Guru to it to make the caramel more firm, plus give it richness and a more sweet flavor.  The original recipe called for sweetened condensed milk or some kind of milk, so it took the place of that in my recipe. I decided to make it salted caramel, since I love sea salt with my caramel. It makes it all the more crave worthy.  And, OMG was the caramel ever amazing.  I could have just eaten it with a spoon.

    It got even better once I made the chocolate ganache to top off the caramel, and decided to sprinkle pecans over it to make it more pretty.  The pecans aren’t traditional, but this is my spin on the classic bars.  They were sooo crave worthy!  I make a lot of desserts, but I can honestly say these are some of the best bars I have ever made, and I am totally please with how all of the elements of them turned out.  The crust was tender and buttery, the filling was gooey, sweet and tasted like traditional caramel, plus firm enough to slice nicely, and the rich dark chocolate ganache and crunchy pecans were the perfect pairing with it!  These are crave worthy.  If you love caramel you must make these.

    Vegan Salted Caramel Millionaire Bars
    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 1 3/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/4 cup tapioca flour
    • 1/2 cup maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)

     

    Caramel:

    • 1 1/2 cups soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water 30 minutes & drain before use)
    • 1/2 cup pecan butter or almond butter at room temperature
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Dastony coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/3 tsp sea salt

     

    Chocolate:

    • 8 oz vegan chocolate chips, or chopped dark chocolate
    • 1/2 cup coconut cream (you want the thick part of the coconut milk from the top of the can I used Thai Kitchen brand)

     

    Topping:

    • 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper (so that it goes up the sides too).
    2. To make the crust, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined, then press into the  bottom of the prepared pan.
    3. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
    4. To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth. If you do not have a high speed blender and you still have little date bits you may strain the caramel through a fine meshed strainer to remove them.  Pour the caramel over the prepared crust.  Place in the freezer until firm, a few hours.
    5. Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler with the coconut milk and whisk together until smooth.  Pour over the bars, and spread to the sides until smooth. Then sprinkle with the pecans.
    6. Place the bars in the freezer until the chocolate sets.
    7. Cut into 16 bars. Enjoy!
    8. Store any extra bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

     

    *If you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour instead of the pastry flour.

  • Vegan Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Brownies

    Vegan Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Brownies

    I have always considered macadamia nuts as kind of special. They are more rich and buttery than other nuts, a little bit more spendy most of the time since they have to grow 7 years before they are harvested and are really hard to crack.  But for special occasions they are so good!  I have made some really good vegan macadamia nut cheese before and it was amazing.  Even those in my family who are not vegan loved it.  Another recipe I love is my Macadamia Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, a veganized version of a bakery classic. And, I have to also mention one of the most popular recipes on my blog that happens to contain macadamia nuts, my Raw Banana Macadamia Coconut Cream pie.  It  is epic.  So when Raw Guru sent me a jar of their Dastony macadamia nut butter I was super excited.  I knew it would be amazing in whatever I chose to use it in.  But I wanted it to be something extra delicious so I decided to combine it with chocolate in the form of cheesecake brownies!

    It had been an incredibly busy stressful week, so brownies were the perfect thing to make!  I consider baking to be an awesome stress reliever and mood booster.  One can not stay stressed while baking brownies.  I mean, it is a happy experience!  Licking the excess batter from the bowl, taking in the heavenly aroma while your brownies bake, and of course enjoying the finished product!  Bonus points if you listen to good music while you are making them and wear your comfy pjs.  For these brownies, I used my usual gluten free brownie base with a little of the macadamia nut butter added and it was chocolaty deliciousness!  Super easy to make too, you just whisk it together.

    For the “cheesecake” part, I used a mixture of coconut cream (the unsweetened kind) and the macadamia nut butter sweetened with a little vanilla and maple syrup.  It was heavenly!  Once the brownies were assembled, I also sprinkled them with some macadamia nuts and chocolate chips to make them pretty and to add some texture.  They baked up beautifully!  I couldn’t wait to try them, but since I wanted them to look pretty for you all in my pictures I had to wait until they cooled completely to cut them.  If you are making them and don’t care how they look though, by all means dive in when they are still warm and the chocolate chips are gooey.  These are sooo incredibly good!  Rich fudgy brownie base with luscious cream cheese, crunchy macadamia nuts and chocolate chips!  You would never guess that they are vegan by tasting them. These might be the perfect thing to share with someone you want to convince that vegan food is amazing.

    Vegan Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Brownies
    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    Cheesecake:

    • 3/4 cup thick coconut cream (I used Thai Kitchen, you want one that is unsweetened without additives)
    • 1/2 cup Dastony macadamia nut butter*
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch

     

    Brownies:

     

    Instructions:

    1. Whisk together the flax seeds and water, and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Set aside.
    2. To make the cheesecake, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    3. To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees. Whisk together the sugar, oil and nut butter until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down.  Add the water and flax mixture and vanilla and beat until smooth.
    4. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.  Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the cheesecake over it in 2 Tbsp amounts, and swirl it with a knife.  Sprinkle with macadamia nuts.
    5. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).  Let cool before cutting into bars.

     

    *If you prefer cashew butter, or can’t get macadamia nut butter, you can use cashew butter instead of the macadamia nut butter.

  • Vegan Hazelnut Bliss Bars

    Vegan Hazelnut Bliss Bars

    About 5 years ago, I made some really amazing raw hazelnut bars with some hazelnut spreads that Rawmio sent me.  They had a chocolate crust, a layer of plain hazelnut cream and a layer of chocolate hazelnut cream with chocolate on top.  They were amazing!  Well, fast forward to now, when I was looking through my recipes from back in the day and I said to myself, I need to make these again!  But the old ones required cracking raw coconuts open, and a spread that no longer exists, so I decided to revamp the recipe to make it easier to make (no cracking young coconuts this time, or sprouting buckwheat groats for the crust).  And I was in luck, because Raw Guru had recently sent me 2 jars of hazelnut butter!  One Dastony Hazelnut Butter and one Rawmio Hazelnut Coffee Spread.  The plain hazelnut butter is silky smooth with intense hazelnut flavor and the hazelnut coffee is crave worthy, like something you could just eat with a spoon.  I totally wanted to, but I needed it for the recipe.  But seriously it tastes like they melted their dark chocolate right into it and added a hint of coffee. So much better than any other store bought hazelnut chocolate spread I have tried. Definitely check them both out on their website!

    For these bars, I wanted the crust to be about the same as the old one, so I made only one swap.  I traded the sprouted dehydrated buckwheat groats for organic gluten free rolled oats.  Back in the day I had the buckwheat on hand at all times because I was eating a fully raw diet, but since I am not anymore I don’t make them often.  Hence the oat substitution.  I prefer to use the things I have on hand and didn’t want to go through the 2 day process of making the buckwheat groats.  The crust tastes the same with the oats, so it all works out.  It ends up tasting like chocolate cookie dough!  For the fillings, I made a hazelnut cream and a coffee chocolate hazelnut cream. They were so freaking delicious I wanted to keep sampling it.  But I had to stop so I had enough for the bars. They reminded me of cheesecake crossed with mousse.

    Lastly I sprinkled the top of the bars with hazelnuts and chocolate, because I thought that they needed a bit of  texture and I didn’t want a layer of melted chocolate like the other bars because it doesn’t look nice when you cut it.  I could not wait to try these!  But unfortunately I had to wait until the next day because I was making them at night after work. I have to say though, they are well worth the wait!  The creams are silky smooth with a rich hazelnut and chocolate flavor, and the rich chocolate crust is perfect paired with it! These are the perfect thing to make in the Summer because they don’t require the oven at all!

    Vegan Hazelnut Bliss Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Crust:

    • 1 cup Raw Guru hazelnuts
    • 1 cup finely shredded dried coconut
    • 3/4 cup organic gluten free rolled oats (or you may also use quinoa flakes)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
    • 3/4 cup soft medjool dates, pitted (if not soft, soak them until they are and drain them)

     

    Creams:

     

    Topping:

    • 1/2 cup chopped Raw Guru hazelnuts
    • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or chopped vegan dark chocolate

     

    Instructions:

     

    1. For the crust, combine hazelnuts, coconut, oats, sea salt, cacao powder and dates in the food processor and process until fine crumbs and starting to hold together when squeezed. Press the mixture into a 8×8 inch square pan lined with parchment paper. Set aside in the refrigerator.
    2. To make the creams, combine all ingredients but the hazelnut butter and hazelnut coffee spread in a food processor and process until smooth.  Remove from the food processor and divide into 2 bowls.  Place one back into the food processor and add the hazelnut butter.  Process until smooth, then place back in the bowl.  Add the second bowl to the food processor and add the hazelnut coffee.  Process until smooth, then pour over the crust, smoothing out.  Pour the plain hazelnut over that and smooth out. Sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips.  Place in the freezer until firmed up, for a couple of hours.  Or you can put it in the refrigerator overnight (but cover the top).
    3. When the bars have firmed up, cut into squares and enjoy!
    4. Store in the fridge.

     

  • Vegan 8 Layer Bars

    Vegan 8 Layer Bars

    Magic cookie bars, seven layer bars, five layer bars 8 layer bars.  They are all similar, and I loved them all growing up because they were all delicious.  If you aren’t sure what I am talking about, they are typically made with a graham cracker crust topped off with coconut flakes, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips (or butterscotch chips, I have seen both), white chocolate chips, walnuts and sweetened condensed milk.  It is then baked to perfection until all bubbly and cooled until it is all set.  My Mom calls them candy bars, but there is no denying that they are delicious.  They are pretty much a staple at any potluck or picnic in Minnesota (and probably other states in the US too).  A while back I made a raw version, but my Mom recently asked me if I could make a baked version more similar to the original bars.

    Of course I was game!  I loved those bars growing up, and I knew I could create something just as delicious.  I decided to make the 8 layer version, but tweak it slightly with what I had on hand, and what I wanted in it.  For the crust, instead of using store bought graham crackers, I made my own.  Because I am not a store bought graham cracker person.  I made an almond butter cookie crust instead and it was delicious with all of the toppings.  For a vegan replacement for the sweetened condensed milk, I blended up coconut milk with medjool dates to create a caramel flavored gooey mixture that was even better than sweetened condensed milk if you ask me.  For the add ins I chose coconut flakes, peanut butter white chocolate chunks, white chocolate chunks, dark chocolate chips, almonds and pistachios.  I made the white chocolate and peanut butter white chocolate, because I love my home made versions and I didn’t want to have to buy it.  I had to make the bars slightly different than the original version, layering the ingredients and milk because it is slightly less runny and my white chocolate chips melt, but the end result was the same as the old style ones.

    They smelled amazing while baking, like a candy factory.  That is part of what I love about baking, all of the heavenly aromas!  They had to chill overnight, but it was well worth the wait to taste them.  They were sweet and delicious like the original version, but not just sugary, packed with the flavors of caramel, the chocolates, and crunchy nuts.  They were heavenly!  If you were ever a fan of these type of bars, give them a try!  It is a little more work making your own chocolate and all, but so worth it.  I made mine a day ahead so that I had it on hand.  I hope you all have a wonderful week!

    Vegan 8 Layer Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Ingredients:

    Crust:

    • 2 Tbsp coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp filtered water mixed with 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp all purpose gluten free flour
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp almond meal*
    • 1/4 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Topping:

    • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp thick coconut milk (from the top of the can)
    • 1 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water first, and drain well before using)
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup chopped almonds
    • 3/4 cup pistachios
    • 3/4 cup large flake coconut
    • 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
    • 1 cup vegan white chocolate chunks (recipe follows)
    • 1 cup vegan peanut butter white chocolate chunks*

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees with the rack set in the center position. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment, and/or grease it with coconut oil.
    2. Whisk the coconut oil and sugar together in a bowl with the vanilla and flax mixture until the sugar starts to dissolve. Then add the pecan butter and mix until combined.
    3. Add the flour, baking powder, sea salt and stir in until well blended.
    4. Spread this mixture over the bottom of the pan, pressing it to the edges with your fingers. Set aside.
    5. Combine the coconut milk, dates, vanilla and sea salt in a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Set aside.
    6. Sprinkle the crust with 3/4 cup almonds, 1/2 cup pistachios, 1/2 cup coconut, 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, 3/4 cup white chocolate chunks, and 3/4 cup peanut butter chunks distributing it all evenly. Pour the coconut milk mixture over it, making sure it is evenly covering the whole thing.  Sprinkle the remaining nuts, dark chocolate and coconut over the top (but hold off on the white chocolate and peanut butter white chocolate until it is done baking so they don’t melt on top) press in slightly with your hands.
    7. Place in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes until lightly browned and set.  Remove from oven and scatter with remaining peanut butter white chocolate chunks and white chocolate chunks.
    8. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

     

    Vegan White Chocolate
    Makes 40 chocolates

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine cacao butter, coconut butter, cashew butter, vanilla, maple syrup,  and sea salt over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth.
    2. Pour into silicone molds, and place in the freezer until firm (about 45 minutes or so).
    3. Pop out of molds and enjoy!  Store any extra in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

     

    *If you don’t prefer to make your own vegan peanut butter white chocolate, you can find some HERE.

    *If you don’t prefer to make your own vegan white chocolate you can find some HERE.

     

     

     

  • Vegan Pecan Blueberry Jam Bars

    Vegan Pecan Blueberry Jam Bars

    I am loving anything berry lately.  We kind of get deprived of berries in Minnesota for about half the year, so when they are available, I am all over them.  I recently made some blueberry jam from a couple of pints of blueberries, and instead of simply using it to top toast with, or stir into oatmeal, I thought that a delicious dessert was in order.  I decided on some jam bars.  They were one of my favorite things growing up.  I mean, what’s not to love about buttery bars with a streusel topping and jam filling?!  I almost always include a nut butter of some sort in the ones I make now, even though, I don’t think the classic ones had it. It just makes them even more delicious, you know like a good PB and J sandwich but dessert.  I usually go for peanut butter, but since I was using blueberry jam for this instead of raspberry or strawberry, I decided on pecan butter.  Blueberries and pecans are heavenly together!

    These are actually pretty easy to make if you already have the jam on hand.  The dough is kind of like wet cookie dough, and it was super delicious even before it was baked.  I should know, I sampled enough of it.  I can not resist cookie dough (I know it isn’t technically cookie dough but you get the idea).  I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour for these, but you would never be able to tell because it tastes just like regular flour once they are all done.  I actually combined it with half pecan meal though, because I wanted these to be extra rich and delicious and I love adding nut flour or meal to my cookies, bars and pie crusts.  It just makes them over the top good!

    They smelled heavenly while baking, and I could not wait to try them.  But unfortunately I had to wait until the next day because they would not look so nice if I just dove right in. That is the only bad thing about having to take pictures of your food.  Having to wait.  Waiting for it to cool so that it looks nice when cut.  I totally used to dive right into stuff when it wasn’t set before I was a food blogger.  These were worth the wait though and they were the perfect post work treat last Friday.  I get excited about this type of stuff if I know I have it waiting for me at home.  These are sooo good!  The sweet, gooey jammy blueberry filling is perfect with the crispy buttery nutty pecan struesel and crust!  If you have some blueberry jam on hand, these are a must try!

    Vegan Pecan Blueberry Jam Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water mixed with 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1 cup pecan butter (if you can’t get pecan butter, you may use another nut butter like almond butter)
    • 3/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    • 3/4 cup pecan meal*
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 1/4 cups blueberry jam (make sure it is vegan)
    • 2/3 cup chopped raw pecans

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees with the rack set in the center position. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment, and/or grease it with coconut oil.
    2. Whisk the coconut oil and sugar together in a bowl with the vanilla and flax mixture until the sugar starts to dissolve. Then add the pecan butter and mix until combined.
    3. Add the flour, baking powder, sea salt and stir in until well blended.
    4. Spread 2/3 of this mixture over the bottom of the pan, pressing it to the edges with your fingers.  Then spread the jam over that with a spoon or offset spatula. Drop chunks of the remaining dough over that, and sprinkle with the pecans.
    5. Place in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes until lightly browned and set.
    6. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

     

    *Make the pecan meal by blending pecans in a blender just until they become fine like flour (but not too long or you will start to get pecan butter).

     

  • Vegan Almond Butter Maple Blondies 

    Vegan Almond Butter Maple Blondies 

    It smells so good here right now, like you have walked into a secret garden if you close your eyes when you walk outside.  The trees and flowers are all in bloom in all of their beautiful Spring glory, and they are loving the warm weather we have been having.  It may not seem like the time to be baking things, since you want to spend all of your time outside in the sun when the weather is like this, and you are not at work, but I figured I went outside for a 7 mile run in the morning, worked then went for a 3 mile walk in the afternoon, so why not relax and bake something afterwards?  I was in the mood for something chocolate chip cookie dough like.  Blondies sounded perfect!  I hadn’t made any in a really long time, and I am still looking for a perfect blondie recipe.  Meaning one that tastes just as rich and delicious as traditional ones, and is healthier without tasting like it.  One good way to make thing taste rich and delicious?  Add nut butter to the recipe.  And nut flour in this case.

    Raw Guru recently send me some raw almond butter and I had some of their raw almond meal, so I thought that they would be perfect in my little blondie recipe experiment.  Their almond products are fabulous by the way, the almond butter is super smooth and has a sweet flavor, and their almond flour is the best I have tried.  I should mention, if you do check out the Raw Guru Website, and you decide to order something, use my coupon code FRAGRANTVANILLA to get 10% off your order, typed in at your checkout.  Back to the blondies, I was super excited about them.  For the dough, I used my chocolate chip cookie recipe but tweaked it a bit.  I always use flax eggs in my cookies, because I always have ground flax seed on hand, and they always work perfect.  You would not even be able to tell there are not eggs in m cookies.  For the oil portion that I normally use in my cookie recipe, I swapped half with almond butter to make these nice and chewy, plus give them a delicious almond flavor.  I swapped out 1 cup of the gluten free flour for almond meal and it was perfect!  I used maple sugar in these to give them a sweet maple flavor, and let me tell you, the dough was amazing.  Like the best chocolate chip cookie dough ever. I added in plenty of chocolate chips. Because that is how I like it.  Someone recently complained that I put too many chocolate chips in my cookie recipes, but guess what?  I need all of those chocolate chips in my cookies and bars and that is how they will always be on this blog.  Because gooey chocolate chips are amazing!  The more the better!

    They baked up beautifully, and my kitchen smelled so amazing for hours after!  Unfortunately I had to wait for them to cool a bit (a bit more than I would like, because I wanted them to look nice in pictures for you all).  But OMG were they ever amazing when I was finally able to dive in!  I think I actually like blondies better than cookies, because they are softer in the center and remind me more of cookie dough!  If you are in the mood for something cookie like, but don’t want to roll out cookies and all that jazz, give these a try!  Blondies are just as amazing!

    Vegan Almond Butter Maple Blondies 
    Makes 16 large cookies

    Ingredients:

    •  2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/2 cup Dastony raw almond butter
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup Raw Guru raw almond meal
    • 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 1 cup mini vegan chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment and oil it.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and filtered water.  Set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, coconut oil and almond butter butter with sugar and mix until well combined
    4. Mix in the vanilla extract and flax mixture until well combined.  Add the baking soda and salt then the almond meal and flour, a cup at a time, mixing between each addition, until well combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
    5. Place in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes until starting to brown, and set in the center, but do not over bake.  You want soft blondies.
    6. Remove from the oven and let cool, then cut into 16 bars and enjoy!
  • Vegan Almond Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Bars

    Vegan Almond Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Bars

    I am so ready for strawberry and rhubarb season!  Spring is way behind here this year, with ice still on the lakes, snow on the ground and the ducks and geese that flew back here to Minnesota look confused.  Hopefully soon we will have green grass, tulips blooming and rhubarb growing.  But until then I will dream about it and enjoy strawberry rhubarb jam instead.  I was gifted a jar of lovely strawberry rhubarb jam and it honestly tastes like Summer.  When I was little, my Grandma used to make strawberry rhubarb sauce with the rhubarb that grew behind her garage and it was one of my all time favorite things!  I would eat a giant bowl and she would always warn me that if I ate too much I would get a stomach ache, but I never did.  It was so good.  Maybe that is why I love the combination of strawberries and rhubarb so much, it brings back good memories.  Monday, I decided that some strawberry rhubarb jam bars sounded good, so I went to work making some.

    Raw Guru recently sent me a care package including some Raw Guru Supernova Almond Flour and Raw Guru Supernova Raw Almonds, so I thought why not give the bars a buttery almond crust.  They are really good quality almonds from Italy, and they are actually truly raw and unpasturized, which is really hard to find here in the US.  They get toasted in this recipe, but if you are looking for raw almonds for raw recipes, these are awesome!  I actually made some almond butter from them, as well as used some chopped up nuts in the recipe, and the almond flour of course, so they are filled with almond goodness! The crust also doubled as a crunchy topping, so there is plenty of almond goodness to go around.  The flavor paired perfectly with the strawberry rhubarb.

    These smelled amazing while baking with the jammy fruit and almond crust toasting as it baked.  I could not wait to try them!  But unfortunately I had to wait until they cooled so that they would cut nice.  That is the downside of being a food blogger sometimes, you can’t just dive right into things.  It is ok though, because it was so worth the wait!  The gooey sweet tart strawberry rhubarb jam was amazing with the rich buttery almond crust!  If you are ready for Spring, whip up a batch of these!  If you can’t find strawberry rhubarb jam, you can use strawberry and they will still be really good.  Lastly, I would like to mention, that Raw Guru has been kind enough to give me a coupon code for you all, to get 10% off of your order.  So if you go on their website, when you are checking out with your items, enter the coupon code: FRAGRANTVANILLA

    Vegan Almond Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water mixed with 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1 cup almond butter
    • 3/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    • 3/4 cup Raw Guru almond flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 1/4 cups strawberry rhubarb jam (make sure it is vegan)
    • 2/3 cup chopped Raw Guru almonds

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees with the rack set in the center position. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment, and/or grease it with coconut oil.
    2. Whisk the coconut oil and sugar together in a bowl with the vanilla and flax mixture until the sugar starts to dissolve. Then add the almond butter and mix until combined.
    3. Add the flour, almond flour, baking powder, sea salt and stir in until well blended.
    4. Spread 2/3 of this mixture over the bottom of the pan, pressing it to the edges with your fingers.  Then spread the jam over that with a spoon or offset spatula. Drop chunks of the remaining dough over that, and sprinkle with the almonds.
    5. Place in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes until lightly browned and set.
    6. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

     

  • Vegan Nutella Swirl Brownies

    Vegan Nutella Swirl Brownies

    I saw a recipe for Nutella brownies on Pinterest, and I said to myself, “I have to veganize those!!!”  I have tons of hazelnut butter on hand, and was in a chocolate craving mood so it was perfect!  I never buy actual real Nutella anymore because it is not vegan and contains mostly sugar and oil, but I used to love it as a kid. I mean, it was kind of an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast on toast.  Not that it was a healthy breakfast, but I really didn’t care at that point.  I now make my own home made nutella and it is so much better.  The main ingredient is hazelnuts as it should be.  I love just plain old hazelnut butter as well.  I imagined these brownies as super decadent and rich with the nutella filling becoming almost a fudge or cheesecake like texture.  Fudgy brownies have always been my favorite, I am not of the cakey brownie camp at all. Well, I think I did pretty well with these creating my dream brownies.

    I used my classic brownie base which is rich from the avocado oil and sweetened with coconut sugar  For an added bonus, it is a gluten free batter as well, and you can’t even tell.  I added some hazelnut butter to it to to make it extra rich.  If you are going for an oil free version, I will note that you can use applesauce in place of the avocado oil, but keep in mind the texture of the brownies will be slightly less rich.  The batter tastes amazing even before baking, but you know what is even more tasty?  The nutella swirl that ribbons through it.  For that, I kind of made a variation of what I use in  my cheesecake brownies, only swapping hazelnut butter for the cashew butter and adding cacao powder to make it extra chocolaty and delicious.  I mean, this stuff is so good you could eat it with a spoon.  These brownies take about a half an hour to bake, and it is kinda torture and heaven at the same time as you sit and smell them.  That aroma always puts me in a good mood.  You can’t possibly remain crabby while baking brownies.  Not with licking the batter from the bowl, smelling the deliciousness as they bake and being able to taste them once they cool enough to cut. Happiness in a pan.

    Once they were cooled enough to cut I was getting excited.  They looked like the perfect brownies. When I cut into them, I could tell they were going to be just my style.  Nice and fudgy, melt in your mouth rich chocolate with that nutty hazelnut flavor.  And you know what?  These are especially for those of you that like the center pieces of brownies because these are all fudgy and all taste like center pieces as long as you do not over bake them.  I honestly think they are some of the best brownies I have tasted.  If you are a brownie lover, or have ever been a fan of Nutella I think you might just need these in your life!

    Vegan Nutella Swirl Brownies
    Makes 16

    Swirl:

    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk (from the top of a chilled can)
    • 3/4 cup hazelnut butter (or almond butter will also work here)
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup cacao powder

     

    Brownies:

    • 1/2 cup avocado oil
    • 1/4 cup hazelnut butter
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water mixed with 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
    • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour*
    • 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ cup vegan chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. To make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
      To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. Whisk together the sugar, oil and hazelnut butter until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down. Add the flax mixture and and beat until smooth. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.
    3. Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the swirl over it in 2 Tbsp amounts, and swirl it with a knife.
    4. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. 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.

    *If you want to make these with whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour and not make these gluten free, just swap them one to one for the gluten free flour.

  • Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars

    Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars

     

    The leaves are just barely starting to change colors on the trees, there is a slight chill in the air, and you can smell the aroma of bonfires in the evenings.  Fall is definitely here!  I am bringing out my cozy warm clothes, relishing in being able to run in chilly morning air with beautiful sunrises, and baking up a storm.  Because this is my favorite season to bake.  I haven’t made it to the apple orchard yet, maybe next weekend.  But I have bought some delicious local apples at the grocery store I work in the deli at.  I couldn’t resist.  I mean, there is nothing like biting into a local apple full of flavor that was just picked recently and hasn’t traveled half way around the world to get to you.  So, I had a big bag of them, and I have been making all things apple.  I have made a couple pies, an apple spice cake and some delicious caramel apple pie bars that I am sharing with you today because they were so delicious!  Actually, my Mom asked me to make her some bars to bring to a party with her friends, and I thought apple pie bars would be just the thing it being Fall and all.

    I used a special ingredient in them that I think you will all enjoy as well, D’vash Date Nectar! I don’t know about you, but I love sweetening things with dates.  They are about as natural as you can get when it comes to sweeteners, and they are the only ingredient in D’vash Date Nectar. The only thing about sweetening with dates the way I normally do is that you have to blend them, but with this, you eliminate that, and it is more concentrated and sweet.  You can use it in place of honey, agave nectar or maple syrup in recipes.  So, I used it in these bars to make them more caramel flavored as well as to make a delicious caramel to drizzle over the top.

    I made a pie crust for the bottom, a sweet apple filling, and topped it off with crunchy oat topping (which is my favorite way to top an apple pie) and the D’vash Date Nectar caramel.  These were so good!  If you would like to buy some D’vash Date nectar for yourself, you can use this special coupon code on their WEBSITE to get a 10% discount: DVASH_FRAGRANTVANILLACAKE

    Not only that, they have free shipping for orders about $20 on their website if you want to stock up and buy a few. Also, they have been kind enough to allow me to give one of their bottles of nectar away, so be sure to enter my giveaway below!

    Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars
    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 1/2 cup coconut oil, softened
    • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour

     

    Filling:

    • 3 medium or 4 small apples, sliced 1/4 inch thick
    • 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour
    • 2 Tbsp D’vash date nectar or maple syrup
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

     

    Topping:

    • 1/2 cup gluten free old fashioned oats
    • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
    • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour
    • 3 Tbsp coconut oil, softened

     

    Caramel:

    • 1/4 cup D’vash date nectar or maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment.
    2. Mix together the crust ingredients, and press into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until set.
    3. Meanwhile, mix together the apple filling and set aside.
    4. Mix together the streusel filling in a bowl, and scrunch together with hands until it clumps up.  Set aside until crust is done.
    5. Remove the crust from the oven and spread the apples out over it (making sure they are all flat and evenly distributed), then sprinkle with the streusel.  Place back in the oven and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes until the streusel is lightly browned and apples are tender.  Note, since some ovens vary in temperature, check the bars after about 45 minutes and if they are starting to get too dark, tent them with foil so that they do not burn.
    6. Once the bars have finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely.
    7. When the bars are cool, whisk together all of the caramel ingredients, and drizzle it over them.
    8. Cut into 16 bars, and enjoy!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Stock up on D’vash Date Nectar with this special coupon code on their WEBSITE to get a 10% discount: DVASH_FRAGRANTVANILLACAKE

  • Vegan Triple Chocolate Brownies

    Vegan Triple Chocolate Brownies

    Brownies remind me of good times and happy memories.  They remind me of cross country banquets in high school that I used to bake them for, or late night baking with my friend up at camp, or that one time my Mom baked them and the cat decided that she wanted some too and licked all of the caramel off.  Good times.  I have always loved brownies, but I am picky about them.  They have to be the fudgy kind, not over-baked so that they get dry, but super moist, and gooey.  I am not much of a cakey brownie person, if I want cake I make a cake.  My Mom used to make the most delicious brownies, but they were from a box.  She rarely made things from boxes, but that was the one exception.  They were the kind with a chocolate fudge that you would marble throughout the brownies to make them extra delicious.  Probably the last time I had them I was in high school, but I remember them well and I always got excited about them.  So, it is kind of surprising I had not come up with my own healthier version until now.

    I decided to veganize them on my day off last week, and I was super excited as was Eric because he loves anything chocolate.  I made my classic brownie base, because I know it always comes out fudgy and good.  For the fudge I used a date base, because I knew it would stay somewhat gooey once baked which was important for these.  It was so good I could have eaten it with a spoon but then the brownies would not be as tasty!  I added in chocolate chips as well, because why not?!  A little extra chocolate goodness never hurts.

    These smelled amazing while baking.  That is one of the best parts about baking brownies besides licking the bowl. The sweet aroma that fills your home.  It makes me happy. You can not be unhappy while baking brownies.  Bummer I had to let them cool before diving in, but it made me even more excited to try the finished product.  They were moist, fudgy, gooey, and rich just as brownies should be.  Never mind that they happened to be vegan and gluten free.  You could serve these to omnivores and not tell them they are vegan until after they try them and they would be super impressed.

    Vegan Triple Chocolate Brownies
    Makes 16

    Fudge:

    • 1 cup soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in water and drain well first)
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder or cocoa powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup filtered water (or as needed)

     

    Brownies:

    • 1/2 cup avocado oil
    • 1/4 cup raw almond butter
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water)
    • 1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling top

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
    2. To make the fudge, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (adding a little water if necessary, it should be the consistency of pour-able but still thick fudge). Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    3. Whisk together the sugar, oil and 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.
    4. Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the fudge over it in 2 Tbsp amounts, and swirl it with a knife.
    5. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).
    6. Let cool before cutting into bars.

     

  • Vegan Oatmeal Caramel Cookie Bars

    Vegan Oatmeal Caramel Cookie Bars

    My Mom is always asking me to veganize recipes she finds on pinterest or sees somewhere at a restaurant or bakery. And, I am happy to do so.  I love to create new vegan recipes, especially for non-vegans because often then they see that you do not need animal products to create delicious things.  My Mom loves most of my food though, and she has actually cut way down on the animal products that she eats and enjoys mostly plant based foods.  So, I am happy to cook and bake for her!  She buys these salted caramel oatmeal cookies from her work a lot, so I thought I would make something like that.  But then she also showed me a Pinterest recipe for some caramel stuffed cookies that she thought looked good so I sort of combined the two.  I made Vegan Oatmeal Caramel Cookie Bars.  Cookie on the top and bottom and caramel in the middle.  My Mom has always been a huge fan of oatmeal cookies, and that was one of the things she used to make often when I was little.  “They are healthier than regular cookies because they have good fiber.” She used to say.  I agree, and they are so delicious and I love that chewy texture.  Also, she made bar cookies often because they were faster than rolled. So I knew she would appreciate the bars.

    For the caramel I kept it simple, and made it with dates. Because dates are like nature’s caramel.  I can’t believe I used to be afraid to try them when I was little.  I was really missing out.  Seriously, it doesn’t get more natural than popping a date into your mouth instead of actual sugary caramel and it is better in my opinion because sometimes real caramel is too sweet for me. This caramel had only 4 ingredients and it was eat with a spoon delicious! I used my classic oatmeal cookie dough for these and I knew it would be amazing once combined with the caramel.  They smelled absolutely heavenly while baking!  The only bad thing about these is you have to wait for them to completely cool before cutting them.

    But trust me, it is well worth the wait!  They are chewy, gooey in the middle, and even more delicious than I imagined!  The oatmeal cookie dough has a caramel like flavor already thanks to the coconut sugar, but with the caramel in the center of the bars it is like double caramel deliciousness!  I can not wait to share them with my Mom, I know she will love them too.  If you are an oatmeal cookie fan, you need to try these!

    Vegan Oatmeal Caramel Cookie Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Ingredients:

    Caramel:

    • 1 1/4 cups soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in water 30 minutes, and drain before using)
    • 1/4 cup raw pecan butter or almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup filtered water

     

    Cookie:

    • 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 2 flax eggs*
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats

     

    Directions:

    1. To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Set aside in a bowl.
    2. For the cookie part, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, and sugar until well blended. Add flax eggs, vanilla, and beat until well combined (the mixture will become very thick).
    3. Mix in the flour, soda, and sea salt until well blended. Mix in the oats until well combined, and evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    4. Heat the oven to 350F degrees with the rack set at the middle position. Oil an 7×11 inch rectangular pan with coconut oil, and line the bottom with parchment.
    5. Press half of the dough into the prepared pan. Spread the caramel over that, then drop the remaining dough by the Tbsp over that.
    6. Place in the oven and Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and set, but not over baked. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
    *Whisk together 2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until the mixture has set up (or become kind of thick).
  • Vegan Almond Caramel Bars

    Vegan Almond Caramel Bars

    Wednesday was hot, hot, hot.  Well, in the 90s with high humidity.  I know some people love this weather, and it is great for laying around at the pool, but not so much for running in, or working in a hot kitchen all day both of which I had done.  From the moment I woke up I felt sweaty and I felt like someone had dumped a bucket of water on me after my run.  Eric asked me, how can you stand to go out in this and workout?  I said, I don’t always enjoy it but I have to get used to it because I am sure one of my races will be on a hot day.  Plus, it seems a little less hot once you are used to it.  Or I feel like that at least.  My favorite season is actually Fall, because it is moderate most of the time.  But my Birthday is smack dab in the middle of Summer, July 15 and that is almost always a hot day.  That doesn’t stop me from doing fun things though, usually outdoors.  So anyways, we are into that part of July now and so I am trying not to heat up the oven as much making things some days that don’t require baking.  I had been gifted some almond butter and wanted to make something with it.  I thought about incorporating it into something with ice cream, which would have been nice, but I still had some other ice cream on hand.  Or maybe just ice cream sandwiches, but I would have to bake cookies which would defeat the purpose.

    Well, on my walk after work as I sweated some more I came up with the most delicious idea for no bake bars.  Almond Caramel Bars.  A cookie like layer for the base, with oats, almond butter and maple syrup that tasted like oatmeal cookies.  I wanted to keep these simple.  Although it looks like these have a lot of ingredients it is actually only 8, including salt and water.  For the caramel, I made my classic date caramel with almond butter  and a little coconut oil to thicken and it was super delicious!  I could not stop sampling it.  I knew it would be good with that oatmeal cookie later.

    I couldn’t just leave them like that though.  I thought about just melting chocolate and smoothing it over the top, but that doesn’t always cut so nice and I wanted something crunchy so I decided to add chopped toasted almonds and dark chocolate.  That was the perfect choice.  That little bit of dark chocolate made these extra good.  The are gooey, sweet, crunchy, and a little salty.  All of the things I look for in a crave worthy dessert.  If you don’t want to heat up your oven give these a try.  Not a fan of almonds?  You could use another nut butter, and that type of chopped nut on top.  I hope you are all staying cool where you live!  I heard some parts of the US were up in the 100s this week.

    Vegan Almond Caramel Bars
    Makes 12

    Crust:

     

    Caramel:

    • 1 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water 30 minutes & drain before use)
    • 1/3 cup almond butter at room temperature
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 4 Tbsp filtered water
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Topping:

    • 3/4 cup chopped toasted almonds
    • 3/4 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all crust ingredients in a food processor and process until holding together when squeezed.  Press into the bottom of a parchment lined pan and set aside in the freezer.
    2. To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth. If you do not have a high speed blender and you still have little date bits you may strain the caramel through a fine meshed strainer to remove them.  Pour the caramel over the prepared crust.
    3. Sprinkle the toasted almonds and dark chocolate chunks over the caramel and press lightly so that they stick.
    4. Place the bars in the freezer for a few hours until firm.
    5. Cut into 16 bars. Enjoy!
    6. Store any extra bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
  • Raw Seed and Fruit Energy Bars

    Raw Seed and Fruit Energy Bars

    At the deli I work in, we make birdseed bars, and they always smell so good to me while baking, and the ingredients smell good, but they are not vegan.  They have honey in them, and that may not seem like a big deal to some, but it is to me, because once you learn about how the bees are treated in most commercial farms, it is not so appealing, even if it tastes good. You can read about it HERE. Bees are little creatures too, and even if they are insects, they still deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.  After all, they are important for the pollination of many of the crops that we eat!  Anyways, back to those bars.  They always sound good to me, so finally I decided that I needed to make a vegan version at home with my own twists on it.

    Nut and Seed Bars

    The ones at work have just nuts and seeds in them along with some coconut, but I decided to make these nut free, and add seeds, dried fruit and coconut.  Specifically sunflower seeds and hemp seeds.  Sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E and hemp seeds (which I put in a lot of my meals) are high in healthy omega 3 oils and protein.  For the fruit I added dried cherries and blueberries, because it happened   to be what I had on hand, but they both are high in antioxidants so that is a win! These bars are actually pretty healthy!  For the binder, I used a sunflower butter and coconut oil mixture.  The ones are work use peanut butter, but I wanted these to be nut free.  You can use a nut butter if you prefer though if you do not mind them not being nut free.  The coconut oil served to firm them up, because I wanted these to be no-bake unlike the other ones.

    Nut and Seed Bars 3

    They turned out perfect!  They are sweet, a little salty, crunchy and satisfying.  They are perfect for when you want an unprocessed snack. I am going to give some to Eric to bring along to work, because he likes to bring bars and such, and some of the store bought ones have too many not so good ingredients in them.  If you make these, feel free to play around and add your own favorite dried fruits (just make sure you chop them up small) and nuts, just be sure to use the same proportions.

    Nut and Seed Bars 2

    Raw Seed and Fruit Energy Bars
    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
    • 1/2 cup raw shelled hemp seeds
    • 1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut
    • 1/4 cup dried blueberries
    • 1/4 cup dried cherries
    • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seed butter (if not nut free, almond butter can be used)
    • 1/2 cup raw coconut butter or coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    1. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment.
    2. In a bowl, combine the seeds, coconut, berries, and cherries.
    3. In another bowl, mix together the sunflower seed butter, maple syrup and sea salt until smooth.
    4. Pour the mixture over the other ingredients in the first bowl, and mix until well combined.
    5. Pour into the mixture into the prepared pan, and with oiled hands press into the bottom so that the top is smooth.  Place in the freezer until set, about an hour.  Cut into bars.

     

  • Vegan Milky Way Swirl Brownies

    Vegan Milky Way Swirl Brownies

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    Fall is in full swing, the leaves are falling from the trees, there is a chill in the air, and I am feeling really good because I love this moderate/cool weather. It is the perfect time of the year for a long run, walk outside in the woods to admire the trees, or trip to the pumpkin patch or local orchard. Last weekend I went for a long run, then went for a nice walk with Eric to enjoy the scenery. It was the perfect day! Chilly in the AM, warm in the afternoon. This time of year makes me happy!

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    You know what else makes me happy? Warming up my kitchen with the oven in the Fall. I have been doing this almost every day lately. If not for dinner, for a delicious baked good. Last night it was brownies. My Mom asked me if I would make her a Halloween candy themed chocolate dessert for her to take to a gathering with her friends and I was all for it! We decided on Milky Way Brownies.

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    Brownies are always great to bring to a gathering, most people love them, and it is easy to make a pan of bars and simply cut them up to serve them. Plus…brownies are awesome! Nobody can possibly be in a bad mood while making brownies, I often make them after I have had a hard day to make it better. For these, I made my classic vegan brownie batter with avocado oil which makes the most luscious rich brownies you can imagine. I mean seriously, I brought some to work in the past, and everyone loved them and didn’t even know they were vegan. Next, I made a rich swirl for the brownies that reminded me of the milky way filling, and a luscious date caramel to top them off all swirled together into deliciousness.

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    These smelled amazing while baking! I couldn’t wait to try them (although, I did try the components before assembling them and baking them and they were all delicious). But I had to wait until the next day because I wanted them to cool totally so I could slice them and still have them look pretty. That is a trick for bars, brownies or cakes. If you want the slices or cuts to look pretty and straight and not gooey, chill them overnight. Anyways, once we tried them, they tasted fabulous! Rich, decadent, and so good you would not have guessed they were vegan or gluten free. I would be proud to serve these guys at a party or gathering!

    milky-way-bars-4

    Vegan Milky Way Swirl Brownies
    Makes 16

    Caramel:

    • 1/2 cup soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in water and drain well first)
    • 2 Tbsp almond butter
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)

     

    Swirl:

    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk (from the top of a chilled can)
    • 1/2 cup cashew butter (or almond butter will also work here)
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract (optional)
    • 2 tsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch

     

    Brownies:

    • 1/2 cup avocado oil
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp reduced aquafaba or 2 flax eggs*
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ cup vegan chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (adding a little water if necessary, it should be the consistency of pourable but still thick caramel). Pour into a bowl and set aside.
    2. To make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
      To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees.
    3. Whisk together the sugar, oil and almond butter until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down. Add the aquafaba and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.
    4. Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the swirl and caramel over it in 2 Tbsp amounts, and swirl it with a knife.
    5. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).
    6. Let cool before cutting into bars.

    *The aquafaba is the liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas. You want it to be thick like egg whites. If you are wanting to make flax eggs, simply mix together 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds, and 6 Tbsp filtered water and let sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.

  • Vegan Almond Fig Bars

    Vegan Almond Fig Bars

    I bought a big bag of dried figs a while back thinking I was going to make something fabulous with them, and I got around to making a few things but still had a lot left since it was a 3 lb bag.  It has been in my fridge ever since, and every time I dig to the back of the fridge, I see it and say to myself, I should make some fig bars.  Well, the last time I saw them I finally said, today is the day.  I was in a baking mood, and nothing else was standing out to me as something good to make, so it was perfect timing.  I was always a fan of Fig Newtons growing up, and I have thought about making a vegan version of those, but you know what? I like date bars even better, so I thought why not make a date bar style bar with a fig filling.  I used to make a really good date bar before I went vegan. If you are not sure what date bars I am talking about, I am talking about the ones with the crumble type filling.  Those are awesome.

    Vegan Almond Fig Bars 3

    But, I was going to one up the ones I used to make before I went vegan and make them  with an almond crust.  Almonds love dates after all.  Or at least they go beautifully together.  The dough kind of reminded me of peanut butter cookie dough, but it was made with almond butter.  So good for sampling.  I love sampling dough.  Which I am sure you know if you have been following this blog a while.  I made a jammy fig filling scented with orange and a little vanilla sweetened with a little maple syrup and it was heavenly.  it would have been good on toast with almond butter had I not been using it all in this recipe.

    Vegan Almond Fig Bars

    They baked up beautifully, just as I had imagined.  The crust was buttery, nutty and aromatic with almonds, the filling jammy, sweet and delicious.  These are the type of treat you would hope to find home made in a coffee shop to go with your morning tea or coffee.  Or the type of thing my Mom would pack in my lunch as a kid.  She liked to make bars because she said they were easier than cookies.  Anyways, these were sooo good.  Sometimes it is kind of fun to use ingredients you already have on hand that you find in your refrigerator!

    Vegan Almond Fig Bars 4

    Vegan Almond Fig Bars
    Makes 16 bars

    Filling:
    1 1/4 cups dried figs
    3/4 cup orange juice
    1/4 cup maple syrup
    1/8 tsp sea salt
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Crust/topping:
    1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    3/4 cup coconut sugar
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    3 Tbsp aquafaba (or flax egg)*
    1 cup almond butter
    1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
    1/2 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    2/3 cup sliced almonds

    To make the filling, combine the figs and orange juice in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and cook at a low heat until the figs are hydrated, about 10-15 minutes. Add to a food processor with all other ingredients and process until a jam like consistency. Set aside.
    Preheat oven to 350F degrees with the rack set in the center position. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment, and/or grease it with coconut oil.
    Whisk the coconut oil and sugar together in a bowl with the vanilla and aquafaba until the sugar starts to dissolve. Then add the almond butter and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, sea salt and stir in until well blended. Spread 2/3 of this mixture over the bottom of the pan, pressing it to the edges with your fingers. Then spread the filling over that with a spoon or offset spatula. Drop chunks of the remaining dough over that, and sprinkle with the almonds. Bake for about 45 minutes until lightly browned and set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

    *Aquafaba is the liquid of chickpeas, either canned or leftover from cooking. You want it to be thick like egg whites once cooled. If it isn’t then place it in a sauce pan and reduce it until it is thicker then cool before using. If you want to use a flax egg in this recipe, simply mix together 3 Tbsp filtered water and 1 Tbsp ground flax seed and refrigerate for 15 minutes before using.



  • Raw Fruit and Seed Energy Hearts

    Raw Fruit and Seed Energy Hearts

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    Do you ever have one of those days where you are rushing around so much, and so focused on your work or tasks you are involved in, that you forget about having a snack and realize you are super hungry?  Like so hungry your stomach feels like it is eating itself, and you need something ASAP?  Well it happens to me a lot, I am a very focused person when I want to get something done, and will not rest or enjoy myself until I do.  Well, That is where little snacky snacks I prepared in advance and stashed away come in handy.  It is awesome to just be able to grab something at that point to boost your energy.  And, I made some little energy bars earlier this week, just for those times.

    raw fruit and seed energy hearts 1

    Sprout Living has awesome protein powders, but really my favorite is the Epic Green Kingdom. It tastes fruity and sweet.  I love it just mixed into water for before and after my workouts, but it is really good in things like energy bars.  Which is what I used it in this time. They give the bars a little extra protein boost.  Really, these bars I made are packed with good stuff.  Chia seeds and hemp seeds for healthy omega 3 oils and protein, raw almond butter for more protein and nuttiness, and dried raspberries and blueberries for antioxidants.

    raw fruit and seed energy hearts 2

    The best part besides the fact that they are satisfying and healthy is that they taste wonderful!  When I was making them, I ate about 3 because I happened to be hungry, and they were really good.  Forget about those “Eat a Snickers…” commercials.  You don’t need that processed stuff to spike your blood sugar.  You have these delicious bars to keep it stable until your next meal!

    PS: Don’t forget to enter my Sprout Living Giveaway!

    raw fruit and seed energy hearts

    Raw Fruit and Seed Energy Hearts

    Makes 16

    ½ cup raw rolled oats

    ¼ cup chia seeds

    ¼ cup hemp seeds

    1/3 cup dried raspberries

    ¼ cup dried blueberries

    2 scoops Sprout Living Epic Green Kingdom Protein Powder (about 1/4 cup)

    2-3 Tbsp raw coconut nectar (depending on how sweet you like it)

    ½ cup raw almond butter

    ½ cup raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

    Mix together all ingredients in a bowl, until well distributed.  Press into a ¾ inch thick rectangle on a piece of parchment, and use small heart cookie cutters to cut into hearts. Set those back on the parchment, and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.



  • Vegan Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

    Vegan Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

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    I was in a big brownie sort of mood on my day off.  It was raining and sleeting outside, it was dark and dreary…but I was in a good mood!  Because I was in my kitchen in my pjs listening to Christmas music and whipping up a batch of brownies!  Now who wouldn’t be in a good mood with that?!  Anyways, I didn’t just want to make plain old brownies.  I wanted to make something festive with a bit of color.  I decided on peppermint cheesecake.

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    I love how pretty candy canes look on top of brownies and such, but I am not a fan of what goes into them.  Loads and loads of processed sugar.  So, I was going to add a bit of natural green color in the cheesecake portion of my brownies.  I made this luscious mint cheesecake mixture from cashew butter and coconut milk, and it was divine!  My special ingredient that no one need know about was a bit of spinach for color.  Don’t worry you could not taste it.  It just makes the loveliest hue of green.

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    I poured it over my favorite brownie batter recipe, and was super excited about this.  They smelled heavenly!  There is just something very happy about the aroma of brownies.  I topped them off with dark chocolate chunks and I could not wait for them to cool so I could do a taste test.  Not that I hadn’t already tasted the batter, the cheesecake part and the chocolate chunks…because everything needs to be quality control tested right?  Anyways, they were wonderful once they had cooled.

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    Fudgy, rich, and minty.  Christmasy, but these could really be made any time of the year when you are feeling in the brownie making mood.  I hope you are all having a wonderful Holiday season!

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    Vegan Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

    Makes 16

    Cheesecake swirl:

    3/4 cup thick coconut milk (from the top of a chilled can)

    1/2 cup cashew butter

    2 Tbsp maple syrup

    1/8 tsp sea salt

    1 tsp mint extract

    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1 handful spinach leaves

    2 Tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch

    Brownies:

    1/2 cup plus olive oil

    3 Tbsp applesauce

    1 1/3 cups coconut sugar

    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp reduced aquafaba or 2 flax eggs*

    2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1 tsp peppermint extract

    1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour

    1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder

    1/4 teaspoon sea salt

    1/2 cup vegan chocolate chunks

    To make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.

    To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 375F degrees. Whisk together the sugar, olive oil and applesauce until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down.  Add the aquafaba, mint and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.  Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then pour the swirl over it.  Scatter the chocolate chunks over that. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).  Let cool before cutting into bars.

    *The aquafaba is the liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas.  You want it to be thick like egg whites.  If you are wanting to make flax eggs, simply mix together 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds, and 6 Tbsp filtered water and let sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.



  • Raw Mint Chip Cheesecake Bars

    Raw Mint Chip Cheesecake Bars

    Raw Mint Chip Bars 2

    I have always loved mint chip ice cream (or peppermint bon bon as we call it here).  There is just something so refreshing and summery about it, and the green color makes me happy.  I enjoy it even more now that I make my own and use natural green color and unrefined sugars. I was craving a bowl a few days back, but then I decided it would be even better to make it into cheesecake.  I did not want to make a cake though, so I decided on bars.  More simple, and shareable!

    Raw Mint Chip Bars 1

    I made a crunchy, raw oreo cookie style crust because it just seemed right. It was delicious.  I could have eaten that with a spoon, over some ice cream or something.  But it made it into the pan to be topped off with a luscious filling.  Coconut cream laced with mint and vanilla and studded with raw vegan chocolate chunks.

    Raw Mint Chip Bars

    These were simply heavenly.  Trust me, you need to make these while it is still Summer, and they would be perfect for serving at a get together for dessert.  Because who doesn’t like mint chip ice cream?!  These taste like that and cheesecake got married and had a child together.  Sooo good!

    Raw Mint Chip Bars 4

    Raw Mint Chip Cheesecake Bars 
    Makes 12

    Crust:

    1 cup finely shredded dried coconut

    1 cup sprouted buckwheat groats (or additional shredded coconut or raw walnuts)

    3/4 cup soft medjool dates, pitted

    1/4 tsp himalayan salt

    3 Tbsp raw cacao powder

    1 few Tbsp filtered water

    Filling:

    2 cups young coconut meat, packed

    1 large handful spinach

    1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    2 tsp vanilla extract

    1 tsp peppermint extract

    pinch sea salt

    1 cup raw cashew butter

    1/2 cup raw coconut butter warmed to liquid

    1 1/2 cups chopped raw dark chocolate

    For the crust, combine all ingredients in the food processor and process until small crumbs. Add the filtered water and pulse until holding together.
    Press into an 8×8 inch (or 9×9 inch if you want the bars thinner) pan lined with foil or parchment and oiled with coconut oil (for easy removal).  Set aside in the freezer.
    For the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the coconut butter and blend until smooth.  stir in the chocolate chunks.

    Pour the filling over the crust.
    Place in the freezer to set, about 2-4 hours.  Cut into bars and serve!
    Store any extra bars in the refrigerator.

    For the non-raw bars:

    Use crust recipe above for raw bars.

    Filling:

    1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled

    1 large handful spinach

    1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    2 tsp vanilla extract

    1 tsp peppermint extract

    pinch sea salt

    1/2 cup raw cashew butter

    3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw coconut butter warmed to liquid

    For the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the coconut butter and blend until smooth (if it clumps up at all, it is because the coconut butter was too cold.  Just continue to blend until smooth).  Stir in the chocolate chunks.

    Assemble the bars and chill the bars the same as the raw version.



  • Vegan Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies

    Vegan Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies

    Vegan Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies 1

    Mondays are my day off.  So, besides sleeping in I like to bake things!  I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make last Monday, and I decided on brownies.  I know I have made many forms of brownies to share with you all, but they just sounded so good I couldn’t resist.  I was really craving peanut butter and chocolate so they had to include peanut butter, but I had seem some salted caramel brownies that I wanted to veganize recently that sounded good too, so I decided to combine the two!

    Vegan Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies 2

    When I told Eric what I was making he was pretty happy about it too so it was a win all around.  Making baked goods relaxes me.  Some people read books or put together puzzles…and I bake. Just makes me happy.  Let me tell you, these brownies made me pretty darn happy.  I made the caramel first, my usual date caramel but instead of the usual pecan butter I use peanut butter to keep with the theme.  OMG was that stuff good.  Like eat it with a spoon good.  But I saved it for the brownies.

    Vegan Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies 4

    For the brownie batter, I used aquafaba to keep these moist as well as peanut butter of course.  I used olive oil this time instead of my usual coconut oil because coconut oil gets so hard once you refrigerate so I wanted to prevent that and it worked beautifully.  You could not taste it, the batter just tasted like rich chocolate cake batter dotted with crunchy peanuts.  I swirled the caramel into the brownie batter in the pan, and they baked up beautifully.  Not only did they smell amazing, but they turned into the fudgy brownies that I love. They were sweet, a little salty, fudgy and crunchy thanks to the peanuts. OMG…sinfully delicious! Not a diet food at all but that is not what I was going for if you catch my drift.

     

    Vegan Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies 6

    Vegan Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies

    Makes 16

    Caramel:

    1/2 cup soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in water and drain well first)

    1 heaping Tbsp creamy organic peanut butter

    1 Tbsp maple syrup

    1/8 tsp sea salt

    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)

    Brownies:

    1/2 cup olive oil

    3 Tbsp creamy organic peanut butter

    1 1/3 cups coconut sugar

    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp reduced aquafaba or 2 flax eggs*

    2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour

    1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder

    1/4 teaspoon sea salt

    1/2 cup roasted organic peanuts

    To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (adding a little water if necessary, it should be the consistency of pourable but still thick caramel).  Pour into a bowl and set aside.

    To make the brownies, pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees. Whisk together the sugar, coconut oil and peanut butter until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down.  Add the aquafaba and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth, then stir in the peanuts.  Scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan, then drop the caramel over it, and swirl it with a knife.  Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).  Let cool before cutting into bars.

    *The aquafaba is the liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas.  You want it to be thick like egg whites.  If you are wanting to make flax eggs, simply mix together 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds, and 6 Tbsp filtered water and let sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.

    Vegan Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies



  • Raw Red Velvet Bars

    Raw Red Velvet Bars

    Red Velvet Bars 2

    I saw a recipe for Red Velvet Bars on Pinterest when I was browsing recipes, and I thought to myself, hey I could veganize this!  Because I love everything red velvet.  And surprisingly I had not yet created red velvet bars. So, it was time. It was a good day, and I was in a good mood.  I ran my favorite route that morning, it was 70 degrees and sunny outside and work had gone well.  I spent my post work walk thinking about how I was going to make these bars, and I decided to make them raw this time.  Didn’t really want to heat up the oven and I haven’t made a raw dessert in a little while (shocking I know) so raw was perfect.  Plus I want to keep those of you happy that only eat raw, I want to share recipes that you can enjoy as well.

    Red Velvet Bars 1

    So, for the base of these babies, I used red beet to give them the stunningly beautiful color.  It was a pretty rich dough, like sugar cookie dough but red velvet, and it tasted sooo good!  I could have just eaten that with a spoon. But I figured it would be better once topped off with faux cream cheese frosting.  The frosting was scrumptious as well.  Tasting almost like the real thing, and perfect with the sweet bars.

    Red Velvet Bars 3

    A funny thing happened though when I was cleaning up the kitchen while waiting for the frosting to set up. Well…not funny at the time, but funny looking back.  I had set my blender back on the base, filled with water to soak, and I accidentally knocked it on.  Sending water everywhere!  All over me and all over my kitchen.  Sooo not what I was looking for to end my perfect day.  Luckilly though, I had some delicious bars to enjoy after I finished cleaning up my huge mess.  Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself when your kitchen ends up like a disaster area!

    Red Velvet Bars 4

    Raw Red Velvet Bars

    Makes 12

    1 cup chopped raw red beets*

    1 1/4 cups soft, pitted medjool dates (if not soft, soak them in water first)

    1/4 tsp sea salt

    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/3 cup raw cashew butter

    1/4 cup softend raw coconut oil

    1/4 cup psyllium husk powder

    3 1/2 cups coconut flour (home-made, not the dry store bought stuff)**

    Frosting:

    2 cups young coconut meat

    1/4 cup coconut water

    1 tsp cider vinegar

    3 Tbsp raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    1/4 tsp sea salt

    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/4 cup raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

    For the bars, combine all ingredients but the psyllium husk and flour in a food processor. Process until smooth. Then add the psyllium husk and the flour little by little until a soft dough is formed. From here you have two choices. You may either dehydrate them at 115F degrees for about 6-8 hours until more firm, or place them in the freezer for about an hour to firm up (the first choice makes for a more cakey bar, the refrigerator a fudgier bar). If you are dehydrating, shape the dough into an 8 inch square using a rolling pin and bench scrapers. If you are refrigerating, you may either do that, or press into an 8 inch square pan lined with foil or parchment.

    Meanwhile, to make the frosting, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter and oil in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, add the coconut butter and oil and process a minute more. Pour the cream into a bowl and let sit in the fridge until the consistency of whipped cream. Place in the refrigerator while you wait for the bars.

    Once the bars are done dehydrating or chilling, spread the frosting over them and cut into bars. Store extra in the refrigerator.

    *Beets can vary in moisture, and so can the dates if you have soaked them prior to using in the recipe, so your dough consistency may vary. If you find it too wet at the end of the dough process, add a little more flour.  Too dry, a little water.  You want this the consistency of cookie dough.

    **To make the coconut flour simply buzz your finely shredded coconut in the blender until you have flour. Simple as that! I do not recommend store bought because it is dry and it makes for a not so tasty end product.



  • Raw Peanut Butter and Chocolate Dream Bars

    Raw Peanut Butter and Chocolate Dream Bars

    Peanut Butter Dream Bars 1

    If you read this blog often, then you know I have a thing for chocolate and peanut butter.  Hasn’t changed since I had my first peanut butter cup and fell in love.  So, every so often I just have to make a peanut butter and chocolate dessert.  I do not think I will ever tire of coming up with new recipes marrying the two together.  This time, I decided to make some decadent raw bars.

    Peanut Butter Dream Bars 2

    It is the time of year where it is very hot and humid here, and some days it is best not to heat up the kitchen at all if you can help it. So, I made some no bake raw vegan bars that tasted like the most dreamy amazing peanut butter chocolate cheesecake.  I started off with a crunchy crust reminiscent of Oreos. then topped it off with a peanut butter and chocolate layer, followed by a peanut butter layer of cheesecake like lusciousness.

    Peanut Butter Dream Bars 3

    Wow…were these ever heavenly!  I would be proud to bring them to a picnic, and I know they would impress the vegans and non vegans alike!  If you love peanut butter and chocolate just as much as I do, these are for you! And, in case you wanted to make these with canned coconut milk instead of young coconut meat, I have included the non raw version as well, because I want everyone to be able to make these!

    Peanut Butter Dream Bars 4

    Raw Peanut Butter and Chocolate Dream Bars 
    Makes 12

    Crust:

    1 cup finely shredded dried coconut

    1 cup sprouted buckwheat groats (or additional shredded coconut or jungle peanuts)

    3/4 cup soft medjool dates, pitted

    1/4 tsp himalayan salt

    3 Tbsp raw cacao powder

    1 few Tbsp filtered water

    Filling:

    2 cups young coconut meat, packed

    1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    1 tsp vanilla extract

    pinch sea salt

    1 cup raw jungle peanut butter

    1/2 cup raw coconut butter warmed to liquid

    2 Tbsp raw cacao powder

    For the crust, combine all ingredients in the food processor and process until small crumbs. Add the filtered water and pulse until holding together.
    Press into an 8×8 inch (or 9×9 inch if you want the bars thinner) pan lined with foil or parchment and oiled with coconut oil (for easy removal).  Set aside in the freezer.
    For the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the coconut butter and blend until smooth.  Divide into 2 bowls, then add one back to the food processor.  Add the cacao powder to the food processor and blend until uniform in color.

    To assemble the bars, pour the chocolate filling over the crust reserving about 3 Tbsp. Then pour the peanut butter filling over that.  Drop the rest of the chocolate by the tsp over that, then swirl with a knife.
    Place in the freezer to set, about 2-4 hours.  Cut into bars and serve!
    Store any extra bars in the refrigerator.

    For the non-raw bars:

    Use crust recipe above for raw bars.

    Filling:

    1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled

    1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    1 tsp vanilla extract

    pinch sea salt

    1 cup peanut butter

    1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw coconut butter warmed to liquid

    For the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the coconut butter and blend until smooth.  Divide into 2 bowls, then add one back to the food processor.  Add the cacao powder to the food processor and blend until uniform in color.

    Assemble the bars and chill the bars the same as the raw version.



  • Raw Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars

    Raw Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars

    Straw Rhu Bars 1

    I was over at my Dad’s house on Father’s Day and I picked  a whole bunch of rhubarb.  I almost left without it, but Eric reminded me it was there, and I was all like… “Are you wanting me to bake something with it, or is that a hint?” Of course it was, and he had a point. Rhubarb is delicious.  Especially when used in desserts, and paired with some sort of berries.  Which is what I decided to do this time.

    Straw Rhu Bars 3

    The next day I thought about it long and hard and what sounded the absolute best to me were some strawberry rhubarb bars.  I had seen a baked version on Pinterest a while back and said to myself, “I need to rawify and veganize those!” That was a couple months ago though, so it was about time I did, and now I finally had more rhubarb to do so!

    Straw Rhu Bars 2

    I wanted these to be intensely strawberry rhubarb. Sometimes when you make a cheesecake the filling takes away from the flavors of the fruit, but not mine.  I used strawberries and rhubarb both in the creamy filling and in a jammy swirl that marbled throughout the bars.  They were pure delicious goodness!  Tart and sweet just how strawberry rhubarb desserts should be not overly sweetened (I feel some people use too much sweetener with rhubarb and it is not tart enough anymore).  Perfectly balanced.  It is the height of strawberry rhubarb season, and if you love the combo like I do, you must try these.

    Straw Rhu Bars 4

    Raw Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars 
    Makes 12

    Crust:

    1 cups finely shredded dried coconut

    1 cup sprouted buckwheat groats (or additional shredded coconut)

    1/2 cup soft medjool dates, pitted

    1/4 tsp himalayan salt

    2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

    Filling:

    2 cups young coconut meat, packed

    1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    1 tsp vanilla extract

    pinch sea salt

    1 cup organic strawberries

    1 cup diced organic rhubarb

    1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw coconut butter or oil, warmed to liquid

    Swirl:

    1/2 cup organic strawberries

    1/2 cup diced organic rhubarb

    1 Tbsp raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    2 tsp raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

    For the crust, combine all ingredients in the food processor and process until small crumbs and starting to hold together.
    Press into an 8×8 inch (or 9×9 inch if you want the bars thinner) pan lined with foil or parchment and oiled with coconut oil (for easy removal).  Set aside in the freezer.
    For the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the coconut butter and blend until smooth.  Set aside in a bowl.

    To make the swirl, blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Set aside.

    To assemble the bars, drop some of the swirl by the tsp over the crust, then pour the filling over that.  Drop the rest of the swirl by the tsp over that, then swirl with a knife.
    Place in the freezer to set, about 2 hours.  Cut into bars and serve!
    Store any extra bars in the refrigerator.

     



  • Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Blondie Tart

    Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Blondie Tart

     Peanut Butter Blondies

    Someone recently asked me what my guilty pleasure food is.  You might be surprised when you hear it was not cake, or ice cream or French fries…it was peanut butter.  Yes peanut butter.  I could eat a whole jar if I could.  That stuff is so addictive.  Luckilly though I am satisfied with a few Tbsp at a time and don’t have to resort to the jar.  Stuff you can buy is good, but I make my own.  Eric recently bought some store bought, then asked me if I would make him some because it was just not as good as mine.  I make mine with just peanuts and salt most of the time.  Sometimes raw jungle peanuts, and sometimes organic roasted peanuts.  So good.  When I had a hankering for blondies last weekend, I decided that they would have to include peanut butter too.

     Peanut Butter Blondies 3

    I was actually making banana blondies, and since bananas, peanut butter and chocolate chunks are friends, it worked.  I made them in a tart pan, just to be different and a bit more elegant.  Plus bigger pieces because I was in that kind of mood.  You can cut them as large or as small as you like if you make it though, I won’t judge.  It was delicious with the peanut butter, giving it that happy flavor that I so much love in just about everything.  These are fast to make too, so you can make them and eat them in under an hour! They are best warm of course.

    Peanut Butter Blondies 2

    Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Blondie Tart

    Makes one 8 inch tart, 12 slices

    Ingredients:

    1  Tbsp ground flax seed

    3 Tbsp filtered water

    ½ cup virgin coconut oil, melted

    1 cup coconut sugar

    2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    ¼ tsp salt

    1 tsp baking powder

    1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour or quinoa flour

    1/2 cup peanut butter

    ½ cup mashed banana (1 medium banana)

    1 cup vegan chocolate chunks
    Preheat oven to 350°. Oil a 8 inch removable bottom tart pan with coconut oil. Set aside.
    Whisk together flax seed and water in a bowl, and set aside in the fridge for 15 min.
    Next, in a big bowl, combine melted coconut oil and sugar. Mix until combined. Add in flax mixture and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated. Stir in salt, flour, peanut butter and banana until batter is smooth and even. Stir in the chocolate chunks. Spread in prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until center is set. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool. Cut into 12 wedges (or less if you are like me and like big pieces).



  • Raw Peanut Butter Buckwheat Crispy Bars

    Raw Peanut Butter Buckwheat Crispy Bars

    Buckwheat Crispy Bars 1

    Last week my Mom and I were discussing rice crispy bars.  I was saying that the best kind when I was young were the ones with the peanut butter in the crispy part topped off with chocolate.  I could have cared less about the regular ones with just marshmallows, it had to be the special ones.  One of the kids on my cross country team had a Mom that always made those and brought them to the meets.  I looked forward to those after my race.  I said to myself, I have got to recreate a raw version of those sometime with buckwheat crispies.  But it was on the backburner.  Until I asked Eric if he had an opinion on what would be good to make next and he said rice crispy bars with peanut butter.  I knew it had to be made now, it was meant to be because all three of us thought about them.

    Buckwheat Crispy Bars

    They ended up super simple to make since I always have a supply of soaked and sprouted buckwheat groats on hand (something that is smart to do if you make a lot of raw desserts, make a large batch and freeze them in containers).  I just mixed them with coconut butter, peanut butter, coconut nectar and sea salt and that was all they needed.  Plus the dark chocolate on top of course.  Were they ever amazing!  I like these even more than the ones I remember as a child.  Be warned, they are pretty addictive.  I cut them into small bars, and I can’t stop at just one.

    Buckwheat Crispy Bars 2

    Raw Peanut Butter Buckwheat Crispy Bars

    Makes 18 bars

    6 cups soaked and dehydrated buckwheat

    2 cups raw jungle peanut butter (or regular PB for not raw)

    1 cup raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

    1 cup raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    1/2 tsp sea salt

    Chocolate Topping:

    1/2 cup melted coconut oil or raw cacao butter

    1/2 cup raw cacao powder

    1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    pinch sea salt

    Place the buckwheat in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut butter, coconut nectar, and sea salt until combined.  Stir into the buckwheat until it is evenly coated.  Press the mixture into the bottom of a 7×7 or 8×8 inch square pan lined with parchment (for easy removal).  Chill for at least 30 minutes until firm.

    To make the topping, whisk together all ingredients until smooth, then pour over the chilled bars.  Place back in the freezer until set, about 5-10 minutes.

    Cut into 18 bars. Store extra bars in an airtight container in the fridge.

    Buckwheat Crispy Bars 3

     

  • Raw 7 Layer Bars, My Way!

    Raw 7 Layer Bars, My Way!

    7 Layer Bars 1 

    I decided last week that I wanted to make some 7 layer bars.  I have been wanting to do so for a long time, but I just kept forgetting about it until now.  They make them in the deli I work in, so every time I see those I think about them and this time I decided that I wanted my own vegan version.  I know what the typical bars have in them, but I wanted mine to be different.  In case you haven’t heard of them, the classic ones have a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch (or peanut butter) chips, walnuts, coconut and sweetened condensed milk poured over them before baking.  Lots of sugar, but I loved these as a child.  I enjoyed the idea, but I tweaked it for mine using creative license.

    7 Layer Bars

    In mine, I wanted a date caramel layer as one of the layers and also a peanut butter layer both on top of a graham cracker like crust.  The two layers sort of melded together, which was delicious! This was the glue of the bar and delicious glue it was.  Then raw jungle peanuts, coconut and chocolate chunks were scattered over that, because the beauty of these bars is all of the texture.  To set everything together I drizzled a coconut butter mixture over that, the sweetened condensed milk of the recipe if you will.  Omg…these bars turned out epically amazing.  Crave worthy would be an under statement. All of my favorite things in one bar, can’t go wrong with that.

    7 Layer Bars 3

    Raw 7 Layer Bars

    Makes 16

    Crust:

    1/2 cup sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat groats

    3/4 cup finely shredded dried coconut

    1/4 cup ground flax seed

    3/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes and drain well before using).

    large pinch sea salt

    Caramel:

    1 cup soft, pitted medjool dates

    1/4 cup raw coconut butter (not oil), warmed to liquid

    1 Tbsp maple syrup or raw coconut nectar

    1/4 cup filtered water

    pinch sea salt

    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    3/4 cup raw jungle peanut butter* or roasted PB if not raw

    1/2 cup large flake dried coconut

    1/2 cup raw jungle peanuts

    1/2 cup chopped raw chocolate, or raw chocolate chunks

    Coconut drizzle:

    1/3 cup raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

    1 Tbsp maple syrup or raw coconut nectar

    pinch sea salt

    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/4 cup filtered water

    In a food processor, combine the buckwheat groats, shredded coconut, dates, and sea salt and process until finely ground and starting to hold together when squeezed (if it is not holding together add a few more dates or a touch of water).  Press into the bottom of an 8X8 inch square pan lined with parchment.

    Next, to make the caramel, combine the dates, coconut butter, syrup, water, sea salt, and vanilla in a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth.  Spread out over the prepared crust.

    Next, spread the jungle peanut butter over that (see note below).

    Scatter the coconut, peanuts, and chocolate chunks over that.

    To make the coconut drizzle, whisk together all ingredients until smooth then drizzle over the bars in the pan.

    Place the pan of bars in the freezer for at least an hour to set up before cutting.

    Note: if your jungle peanut butter is runny at all, whisk in 2-3 Tbsp melted raw coconut butter or your bars may be softer in the inside.

    7 Layer Bars 2

  • Raw Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bars

    Raw Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bars

     Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bars 2 

    I never leave the house without a snack on hand if I know I am going to be somewhere long. I guess I take after my Grandma, who always brought us kids snacks whenever we would go anywhere.  She was always prepared.  We would never go hungry with Grandma around.  And it wasn’t just unhealthy stuff either, she would have grapes, or pretzels, or nuts and other stuff of the sort.  So now as an adult, I never like to go more than 4 hours without eating, and I always have something to keep me energized.  Sometimes it is fruit, and sometimes something I have made. My boyfriend on the other hand, is more like me as a child.  Forgets to eat before he goes out all the time and starts to get low blood sugar.  And so sometimes I make him things that he can just grab and eat fast.  Because I know not everyone likes to plan ahead with their food and I have to take care of my Man.

    Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bars 1

    So last week, I made him some energy bars with two of his (and my) favorite things, peanut butter and chocolate.  I used a crunchy buckwheat base held together with peanut butter and dates, added in some chia seeds and hemp seeds for extra protein, and some cacao nibs and chocolate chunks.  I drizzled them with a little more raw chocolate just because. OMG…were they ever good!

    Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bars

    I shared one with my Mom as well, since she wanted a protein boost, and although she tends to not like peanut butter, she loved it!  These are kid friendly, and of course adult friendly.  If you don’t do peanut butter, almond butter or walnut butter would work in these as well!

    Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bars 3

    Raw Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

    makes 12

    Filling:
    1 1/4 cups raw jungle peanut butter or regular peanut butter (not raw)

    1 cup soft medjool dates, pitted

    2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/2 tsp sea salt

    2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

    1/4 cup filtered water

    2 cups sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat groats

    1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds

    1/4 cup chia seeds

    1/2 cup raw cacao nibs

    1/4 cup raw chopped chocolate

    1/4 cup melted raw chocolate

    In a food processor, combine the peanut butter, dates, vanilla and se salt, flax seed, and water and blend until smooth.  Add the buckwheat groats, hemp seeds, and chia seeds and pulse until chopped and it is all combined and holds together when squeezed (if it doesn’t add a little more peanut butter).  Mix in the cacao nibs and chopped chocolate. 

    Press and shape into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle on a sheet of parchment paper.  Score into 12 bars, then place them in the dehydrator at 115F and dehydrate for about 4 hours until they are dry, but still soft. 

    You can melt the raw chocolate in the dehydrator when the bars are almost ready, just place it in a bowl and stir about every 10 minutes until melted.  

    Drizzle the melted chocolate over the bars once they have finished dehydrating (I like to put it in a ziplock bag with the corner cut off and squeeze it out).  Let the chocolate set until dry (this will happen faster if you put the tray in the freezer for about 15 minutes).  Store bars in the refrigerator.   

     

     

  • Raw Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Blondies

    Raw Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Blondies

    I love making every variation possible of berries and chocolate this time of the year.  Yes, it is because Valentine’s Day makes me feel like it is ok to use berries in the winter even though they are not growing here in Minnesota because there is snow on the ground.  Good thing I can still get fresh or frozen organic berries or I would be really missing them since we go about half a year without them here.  Anyways, back to my berries and chocolate thing, I tend to do this every year, and in past years creating a Raw Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake, Raw Raspberry Rose Cream Truffles, and Raw Red Velvet Strawberry Filled Doughnuts to name a few of many.  This year is no different.  I am craving the berries and chocolate so I decided to make some Raw Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Blondies.

    Blondies are already one of my favorite bars, so add in the sweetness of strawberries and even better, right?!  I thought so at least.  I added in some dark chocolate chunks as well as some raw cacao nibs because I love all of the different textures in the soft dough.  I had to keep sampling the dough as I formed them into the bars just to make sure it was alright wink, wink.  Of course it was, who am I kidding, I just thought it was so good I couldn’t wait for them to firm up before eating.  These needed no dehydration so you need not wait long to enjoy them.  They taste kind of like strawberry shortcake married a blondie and had a baby.  These are perfect for Valentine’s Day, but luckilly after winter comes spring, and more berries…so more opportunities to make these again!

    Raw Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Blondies
    Makes 24

    Dough:
    2 cups raw coconut flour (home made is preferred)*
    1 cups sprouted buckwheat flour (or additional coconut flour)
    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    1 cups soft medjool dates, pitted
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1 cups fresh strawberries**
    1/4 cup raw almond butter
    2 Tbsp raw coconut butter (NOT oil), warmed to liquid

    3/4 cup chopped raw dark chocolate
    1/2 cup raw cacao nibs

    For the dough, in a food processor, combine the coconut flour, buckwheat flour, flax seed, dates and salt, and process until the dates are very finely chopped and it is all well combined.  Add the vanilla, berries, almond butter, and coconut butter and process until smooth like dough.  Mix in the chopped raw dark chocolate and raw cacao nibs. Then press the blondies into a 1 1/2 inch square on a foil lined sheet pan. Place in the freezer until set (about an hour), then cut into 12 squares and enjoy!  Store in the fridge.

    *Make your own coconut flour by buzzing 2 cups finely shredded dried coconut in a high speed blender for about 15-30 seconds until fine flour (but not too long or you will get butter).
    **Since berries may vary in moisture levels, if you find that your blondies are too wet, add a little more coconut flour.  To dry, add a little water 1 tsp at a time while mixing the dough before adding the chocolate and cacao nibs.

     

  • Raw Lemon Bars

    Raw Lemon Bars

    I used to love classic lemon bars.  You know, the ones with the super tart lemon curd filling, shortbread crust, and dusting of powdered sugar on top?  I remember making some when I was in high school with my Mom and I thought they were one of the most delicious things ever.  None of that fake store bought lemon juice stuff, the real lemon juice, my Mom always insisted.  She made pretty good key lime pies too. I inherited my love of all things tart from her.  Not too much sugar in her citrus desserts, but plenty of juice and flavor.

    I was dreaming about those lemon bars the other day at work, because one of my coworkers was making lemon cookies, and they smelled amazing.  I decided that I needed to make a revamped version of lemon bars, free of dairy, refined sugar and eggs.  I ended up making a pretty easy to make and simple recipe which I know you can all appreciate.

    The bars were made creamy from the coconut butter I used in the filling, and I added plenty of tart lemon and zest for a flavor explosion in your mouth!  I kept the crust simple, just one of my classic raw cheesecake crusts so the lemon filling could shine.  Lastly I topped off the bars with a dusting of coconut “powdered sugar” because how could I not?  I was looking to recreate the classic after all. They were amazing!  Tart and sweet, and perfectly balanced. I shared some with my Mom and she loved them as well, stating right away that they had the perfect amount of lemon.  Which made me happy.

    Raw Lemon Bars 
    Makes 12

    Crust:
    1 cups finely shredded dried coconut
    1 cup sprouted buckwheat groats (or additional shredded coconut)
    1/2 cup soft medjool dates, pitted
    1/4 tsp himalayan salt
    2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

    Filling:
    1 1/2 cups raw coconut butter (NOT oil) warmed to liquid
    3/4 cup filtered water
    3/4 cup lemon juice
    2 Tbsp organic lemon zest
    1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw coconut nectar or maple syrup
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    pinch sea salt

    coconut powdered sugar* (optional)

    For the crust, combine all ingredients in the food processor and process until small crumbs and starting to hold together.
    Press into an 8×8 inch (or 9×9 inch if you want the bars thinner) pan lined with foil or parchment and oiled with coconut oil (for easy removal).  Set aside in the freezer.
    For the filling, whisk together all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Spread out over the prepared crust, and dust with coconut powdered sugar (I like to put it in a fine meshed strainer and tap it over the top of the bars).
    Place in the freezer to set, about 30 minutes.  Cut into bars and serve!
    Store any extra bars in the refrigerator.

    *Buzz 1/4 cup finely shredded dried coconut in a high speed blender for about 15 seconds until it is powder.

  • Raw Strawberry Oat Breakfast Bars

    Raw Strawberry Oat Breakfast Bars

    When I was a kid, it was hard for my Mother to get me to eat breakfast on school days.  I usually didn’t want anything, and I ended up going to school with a Nutrigrain bar or something similar since I hated cereal.  Not the most nutritious and zero protein in those things, but I don’t blame my Mother who tried to get me to eat better things but I refused.  As I got older, I realized the importance of breakfast when I joined sports in high school and I needed to fuel myself more.  My breakfast of choice by the time I graduated was a big bowl of warm oatmeal with nut butter.  That did not change for 10 years! Every day I ate the same thing.  It filled me up and kept me going!  I switch it up more, and have things like smoothie bowls and chia porridge, but I do still love my oatmeal.

    Some people think oatmeal is too tedious to cook in the morning though.  Which is where overnight oats can be awesome…or these bars I recently made for my breakfast challenged boyfriend who works early often and forgets to eat before hand.  I couldn’t have him going to work hungry, so I made something with all of the goodness of oatmeal, plus nutrient rich seeds and sweet strawberries to make it extra delicious.  They taste wonderful as well.  Think oatmeal with the flavors of peanut butter and jelly sandwich thanks to the strawberries.  I chose peanut butter because it is Eric’s favorite, but feel free to use whichever nut butter you prefer. Make these on the weekend, and you will have breakfast all week no fuss!

    Raw Strawberry Oat Breakfast Bars
    Makes 6

    3/4 cup pitted, soft medjool dates
    1/2 cup mashed banana
    1/4 cup raw jungle peanut butter or raw almond butter
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    3 Tbsp chia seeds
    3 Tbsp hemp seeds
    3 Tbsp ground flaxseed
    2 cups raw rolled oats (or gluten free rolled oats)
    1 cup dried strawberries

    In a food processor, combine the dates, banana, almond butter, sea salt and process until smooth. Add the seeds and one cup of the oats and pulse until combined.
    Remove to a bowl, and stir in the remaining cup of oats, and the strawberries.
    Spread the mixture out on a lined dehydrator tray about an inch thick in a square.
    Dehydrate for 4 hours, then cut into 6 bars, separate a little and continue to dehydrate for 4 more hours until not sticky, and firm but still a little soft in the centers.  Store in the refrigerator.

  • Raw Maca Mocha Love Brownies

    Raw Maca Mocha Love Brownies

    Everyone has one of THOSE days once in a while.  You know, the ones where you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, you get to work and realize your pants are on inside out, you keep messing things up or dropping things, and you feel like you can’t do anything right…then the traffic is horrible on the way home and when you get there you go to make a cup of tea and drop your favorite mug, shattering it to a million pieces.  Yeah, I know you get it, we all have them. But you know what always makes days like those better?  A hug?  Yes, and also some raw vegan brownie making.  Because who can stay unhappy when making a batch of brownies. Sampling the batter brings an instant smile to my face.

    And, why not make them maca mocha brownies for an extra energy boost.  If you manage to not eat all of the batter and brownies yourself, you can share them with your significant other or family and their day will be made better as well.  So it is a win win for everyone!  That all said, you need not wait until you have a terrible horrible no good very bad day to make these brownies, you can feel the brownie love on any day you wish, so why wait?

    Raw Maca Mocha Love Brownies
    Makes 12

    Dough:
    4 cups raw coconut flour (home made is preferred*)
    2 cup sprouted buckwheat flour (or additional coconut flour)
    3/4 cup ground flax seed
    1 cup raw cacao powder
    2 Tbsp maca powder
    2 cups soft medjool dates, pitted
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1 Tbsp coffee extract
    2 cups chopped raw sweet apple or pear
    1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    1 cup raw walnut or almond butter

    Chocolate glaze:
    1/4 cup raw coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    1/3 cup raw cacao powder
    2 Tbsp raw coconut nectar (or your choice liquid raw sweetener)
    a pinch sea salt
    For the dough, in a food processor, combine the coconut flour, buckwheat flour, flax seed, cacao powder, maca powder, dates and salt, and process until the dates are very finely chopped and it is all well combined.  Remove from the food processor.  To the processor, add the vanilla, coffee, apple, 1/4 cup water, walnut butter and process until smooth. Add back the dry ingredients, and process until smooth like cookie dough (if it seems too dry, add a little more water 1 tsp at a time). Then spread and press the brownies into a 1 1/2 inch square on a lined dehydrator tray.  Dehydrate for about 6 -8 hours until a little dry on the outside, then cool and cut into12 squares.  Whisk together the chocolate glaze ingredients, then spoon over the brownies and allow to set a few minutes until dry. Enjoy!  Store in the fridge.

    *To make coconut flour, buzz 4 cups finely shredded dried coconut in a high speed blender until fine like flour (but not too long or it will turn to butter.