Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Uh huh you read that right, chocolate chip cookie dough truffles.  And yes it tastes every bit as good as it sounds.  And yes it doesn't have refined sugars or flours in it and oh yes it is vegan AND if you have a gluten intolerance they can be made gluten free, in fact the version I made was gluten free.  The idea for these was inspired by a wedding we went to recently where there were some amazing truffles being served.  But of course they were not vegan, nor refined sugar or flour free so you know what that means?  I had to set out to make my own version and here it is.  They are delicious and super easy!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

1/2 cup brown rice flour (or whole wheat, spelt, barley, or oat flour)
1/2 cup oats (gluten free if you have a gluten intolerance)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 bag or 5 oz chocolate chips, divided (I use Enjoy Life brand- refined sugar, dairy, soy, and nut free)
3 tbsp Earth Balance (melted) or grapeseed oil
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Combine the brown rice flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips in a bowl.  Mix well and set aside.

Melt the Earth Balance so it becomes liquid and combine with the maple syrup and vanilla extract.  Add this mixture to the dry ingredients.  Stir well.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and drop small little balls (about 1tsp in size or you can do 1 tbsp in size if you want them to be bigger) onto the parchment paper.  Once you have used up all of the dough place the cookie dough balls in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up.

In the meantime add 1 1/2 cups water to a small sauce pan.  Place a large glass bowl over the top of the saucepan so it rests inside the saucepan.  Make sure that the water is not touching the bowl so that the chocolate won't burn.  Add the remaining chocolate chips to the glass bowl and stir with a spatula until the chocolate melts.

If your cookie dough balls are hard enough you can dip them in the chocolate without them falling apart.  However, mine were not so I just drizzled the chocolate over the top of them until they were completely covered.  Place the truffles back in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up before serving.  Keep the truffles stored in the fridge.  Enjoy!

Carrot Pineapple Muffins

Carson and I took a couple hour drive last week and visited my great friend Lindsay in Tucson while Ryan stayed home and studied for a week full of tests.  It was great to see her and her cute family! She is an exceptional cook so when she busted out a carrot pineapple cupcake recipe I knew I would have to come home and try my hand at vegan and refined sugar free option.   Here is what I came up with, they are WONDERFUL!!  I put a glaze on top that was made with sucanat but I put too much liquid in it so I had to add a bunch of cornstarch to thicken it up, so next time I make these and make a glaze that has correct ratios of ingredients I'll post that :)

Carrot Pineapple Muffins

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed (if you don't have this you can substitute for another 1/2 cup of flour)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 honey
• 1/4 cup coconut or grapeseed oil (I have used both and it turned out great both ways)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 chia or flax eggs (1 tbsp ground chia or flax seeds in 3 tbsp water, mix together well and let sit 15 minutes in fridge.  Make two of these)
• 1 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and shredded (squeeze carrots after they are shredded to release the excess water)
• 1/4 cup canned pineapple (if the pineapple is in big chunks run it through the blender to break up into smaller chunks, include juice in 1/4 cup measurement as well)
• 
  

Directions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. 2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a medium sized bowl.
3. 3. Using a mixer or whisk, beat the honey, vanilla extract, applesauce, coconut or grapeseed oil,  and chia or flax eggs until thoroughly combined.
4. 4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
5. 5. Add the carrots and pineapple and beat until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
6. 6. Line 12 muffins cups with liners
7. 7. Scoop batter into cups, filling 3/4 full.
8. 8. Bake for 30 minutes 
9. 9. Cool
10. 10. Spread top of each muffin with icing

Crumbly Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

I came across this recipe here and was so excited to try it! This is my new go-to dessert recipe.  We love it around here, especially Ryan's brother Darren who loves peanut butter anything.  I have added and changed a few things from the original recipe but either way this is one tasty treat.  I have tried making this with pure maple syrup but unfortunately it just works out better with sucanat, still a slightly refined cane sugar, but the purest form of crystalized cane sugar you can get.  Sucanat contains so many more nutrients than refined white cane sugar.  Anyways, when I use sucanat I run it through my blender for a few seconds so it's not so gritty because the crystals are much bigger than those in refined white sugar and are quite noticeable in baking if you don't blend them a bit and will give whatever you are baking a gritty texture.  This is super easy to whip up and a crowd pleaser every time :)  Enjoy!

Crumbly Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

2/3 cup oats

2/3 cup whole wheat  flour

1/2 cup sucanat

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons vegan butter or grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)

1/3 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, optional 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325*F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a bowl, stir together peanut butter and honey.  In a separate bowl, mix together oats, whole wheat flour, sucanat, salt and baking powder.  Drizzle Earth Balance or oil,vanilla, and milk over oat mixture.  Mix with a fork until evenly moistened and crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips.  Set aside heaping 1/2 cup for topping and press the remaining oat mixture into the prepared pan.  Spread peanut butter mixture over the top – I microwaved it first to make this easier.  Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over peanut butter mixture.  Bake for about 25 minutes.

Carmel Corn- Vegan & Refined Sugar Free

Here is a great carmel corn recipe. I am thrilled about it because it is vegan AND best part, it is refined sugar free! Can't beat that. So I put up our Christmas tree this week, yes I am one of those, and we watched a Christmas movie while munching on our carmel corn. It was a perfect way to ring in the absolute best time of the year! Enjoy! (I halved the recipe below and it was plenty for two people to eat)

Carmel Corn

12 cups popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup kernels)

1 cup sucanat

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Air pop your popcorn and if you don't have a popcorn machine place the kernels in a large pot over medium high heat with tight fitting lid. For 1/2 cup kernels you will need at least a 6 quart pot. Keep the pot moving around the burner to avoid burning the kernel, hold down the lid, and wait for the kernels to pop. Remove from heat as the popping slows down, keeping the lid on for any remaining kernels to finish.

In a medium sized pot combine sugar, maple syrup, and vegan butter over medium heat.

Stir together and bring to a boil. Let boil for five minutes, stirring once.

Remove from heat and adding salt and vanilla. Immediately pour over the popcorn slowly while mixing it in with a spatula.

Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Trifle

Even though it is still 90 degrees here in blessed Arizona I have been having huge cravings for fall desserts and dishes.  Ryan told me this morning I need to get off my pumpkin spice kick...I guess we have been having too much pumpkin...pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice trifle.  My family will benefit when fall is over :) This year the idea of a pumpkin spice trifle came to mind and I couldn't stop thinking about it until I finally made it.  We all loved it, even Ryan despite him being sick of pumpkin :)  I found the recipe for the pumpkin cake/bread here.  It is a vegan recipe and really easy to make.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Trifle

1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 Cup Sucanat (I ground mine up in my blender for a few seconds so the bread wouldn't have a gritty texture)
2 Teaspoons Pumpkin Spice
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Pureed Pumpkin
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons Light Vegan Butter (Melted), I used Earth Balance
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Water
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar, I used regular white distilled vinegar

Whipping Cream

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

3-4 Tablespoons Sucanat

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and set aside.  Mix all of the wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk together until all ingredients are well incorporated.   

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and and mix with a rubber spatula until the batter is well mixed and free of any lumps.  

Pour batter into a greased bread pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Insert toothpick in middle of bread, if it comes out clean the bread is done, if not bake for a few more minutes or until toothpick comes out clean of any crumbs. 

Once bread is done cut up into 1/2 inch slices and let cool.  While the bread is cooling whip the whipping cream and sucanat together until soft peaks form.  

Place a layer of cooled bread on the bottom of a trifle dish.  Top that layer of bread with a layer of whip cream.  Add another layer of bread and top that with another layer of whip cream, do this until you have 3 layers.  Chill in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.  

Fesh Ground Whole Wheat Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake

We had dinner with some friends last week and I was in charge of dessert.  I decided I was going to make a fresh ground whole wheat sugar-free chocolate cake and if they didn't like it then great, that would just mean more cake for me to eat :)  I came up with this recipe by tweaking and adding and taking away things from an America's Test kitchen chocolate cake recipe and a chocolate cake recipe from 101cookbooks.com and it turned out really good. Ryan said he likes it better than normal cake. My baby loved it- of course, because he loves treats like me, and the friends we had dinner with said they were really surprised at how good it was.  Enjoy!

*This cake will need to be refrigerated since the frosting is made out of cream

Fresh Ground Whole Wheat Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup non-dutched cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature

Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat two 8- or 9- inch round cake pans or one 9 by 13-inch cake pan with vegetable oil then line the bottom(s) with parchment paper by tracing the bottom of the cake pan on a sheet of parchment paper.  Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside. 

Beat the butter and maple syrup together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined, 3 to 6 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.  Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and beat in one-third of the flour mixture.  Beat in half of the milk.  Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture.

Give the batter a final stir using a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and smooth the top.  Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake(s) comes out with a few crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes for the round layers or 25 to 30 for the sheet cake, rotating the pan(s) halfway through baking.

Let the cake(s) cool in the pan(s) on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Run a paring knife around the edge of the cake(s) to loosen, then flip out onto the racks.  Flip the cake(s) upright, discard the parchment paper, and let cool completely before frosting.  

Frosting (recipe from 101cookbooks.com):

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

Directions:

To make the frosting melt the chocolate in a double-boiler, or in a bowl placed over a pan of boiling water. In a medium bowl beat the butter until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the maple syrup. Then add the melted chocolate. Stir until silky smooth - any flecks of butter should be melted. Pour the chocolate mixture over the whipped cream and fold the chocolate into the cream. Keep going until the chocolate is well incorporated. Use an offset spatula to frost the completely cooled cake. If the cake is at all warm, the frosting will weep and melt. It still tastes good, but isn't what you're after.

Chocaroos

I saw this recipe at greenshakesandgiggles.com.  It looked easy enough and sounded great and of course had no sugar which I love so I tried them out and my baby and I LOVE them.  This is a great treat recipe that I know I will be making for years to come.  Enjoy!

Image from greenshakesandgiggles.com

Chocaroos

Treats:

3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup natural or organic peanut butter
2.5 Tablespoons organic coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups organic Crispy Rice cereal

Chocolate Coating:

1 cup dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life mini-chips)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk, full-fat
4 Tbsp. agave nectar

Directions

Line a 9 x 13" glass pan with parchment paper that extends up along the sides. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the honey over medium heat and stir until it begins to bubble a little bit. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. As you stir the mixture it should thicken and become glossy and smooth.

Pour the rice cereal into a large heat-safe mixing bowl. Carefully pour in the warm syrup mixture, and stir to coat all the cereal.

Scoop the coated cereal into the lined baking pan and spread evenly, gently smoothing out the top surface.

Put in the fridge to chill for about 10 min.  While the treats are chilling, combine chocolate chips, coconut milk, and agave nectar in a saucepan on low heat, and stir until melted.  Be careful not to burn the chocolate.  When melted, pour the chocolate mixture over the semi-chilled treats and spread until coated evenly.  Then chill for at least 1-2 hours.  They are the very best (more crunchy and firm) when chilled all day or overnight. Cut into squares and Enjoy!

Sugar-Free Banana Bread

I had some old bananas that I needed to use up and I needed to take something to a potluck lunch today with some friends so I set out to find a sugar-free banana bread recipe.  I found this recipe here.  I loved how this turned out!  I don't feel like it was lacking in sweetness at all.  This bread was so good!  It will definitely be something that I make again and again.  Enjoy!

 

Sugar-Free Banana Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 medium bananas, cut into chunks
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened orange juice
1/2 cup raisins (optional- I didn't use raisins)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional- I didn't use nuts)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir to blend.
3.  Place bananas in blender and puree until smooth.
4.  Add the bananas and rest of ingredients to flour mixture and mix well.
5.  Pour into a greased loaf pan.
6.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
7.  Cool on a wire rack.

1 Minute Coffe Cake in a Mug

I found this recipe here at Chocolate Covered Katie-a fantastic site!  This is so so simple and so so good.  This is a great vegan treat that I'm sure will satisfy any sweet tooth :)  Enjoy!

Image from chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Batter:

3 tbsp spelt flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/16 tsp salt
1 stevia packet (or 1/32 tsp pure) or 1 tbsp sugar (I used 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup instead)
1 tablespoon plus 2 tsp water
2 tsp oil or melted margarine or applesauce (I used grape seed oil)

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Streusel: (If you like a lot of streusel, feel free to double all ingredients below.)

1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 and 1/4 tsp sucanat or brown sugar (I used agave nectar)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp oil or melted margarine (once again, use applesauce if a fat-free version is desired)
tiny, tiny pinch salt
2 pecan halves (or walnut halves)

(If using an oven, preheat to 330 F.) Combine batter dry ingredients and mix well. Add wet and mix until just mixed. In a tiny bowl, combine all streusel ingredients. Fill a greased muffin tin 1/2 way with the batter (or a ramekin or mug, if using the microwave). Sprinkle on two-thirds of the streusel, then spoon the remaining batter on top. Finally, sprinkle on the rest of the streusel. Cook 12-13 minutes in the oven, or around 1 minute in the microwave. (Microwave times may vary.)

*I doubled the recipe and cooked mine in a 2 cup pyrex dish- worked perfectly.

Sugar-Free No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I was craving those chocolate no-bake cookies tonight but didn't want to make the traditional recipe due to the refined sugars and high butter content in them so I set out on a quick search and found this recipe at food.com.  I made some minor adjustments to this recipe but it is so flexible that you really can't go wrong with it and I totally enjoyed every bite of every cookie I ate AND best part...it seriously took 5 minutes to make these...I love quick things.

*I just made these again with a few adjustments that I think I like better.  Agave is 1.5 times sweeter than sugar so I reduced the agave amount to 3 tablespoons instead of 1/3 cup and I used 1/4 cup milk instead of 3 tablespoons.  

Image from the royalcook.blogspot.com

Sugar-Free No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

3 tablespoons milk (I used 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup agave nectar (I used 3 tablespoons instead of 1/3 cup. You can use pure maple syrup as well.)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I used 2)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup all natural/organic peanut butte
1/8 cup wheat germ (heaping)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground flax seeds (optional)
1 cup quick oatmeal

Directions

Heat milk, agave, and cocoa powder over high heat until boiling, stirring constantly.
Take off heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter; stir until peanut butter has melted completely.
Stir in wheat germ and oatmeal.
Drop by large spoonfuls onto wax paper or eat immediately.

*As I noted above, this recipe is VERY flexible. If you don't have wheat germ or flax seed, just use more oatmeal. The recipe above should work out just perfectly and does most of the time, but if your cookies come out crumbly, use less oatmeal next time. If they never set, use more oatmeal next time.

**Instead of flax seed and wheat germ I used unsweetened shredded coconut and chopped almonds.

(No Sugar) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

I came across this recipe at greenshakesandgiggles.com.  The original recipe came from here though.  I love treats and especially a healthy treat so I thought I would give this a try.  I chopped up my dates and soaked them in water over night and blended this up this morning...mmm so good!  I'm sure your kids will think you are awesome if you put a bowl of cookie dough in front of them with some apple slices and tell them to eat up :)

Image from chocolatecoveredkatie.com

(No Sugar) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained) (250g)
heaping 1/8 tsp salt
tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
1 T plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup nut butter (You can get away with using only 3 T. If you use peanut butter, some people say it has a slight “pb cookie dough” taste, so you can sub oil if you don’t want that.)
1 and 1/4 cup pitted dates
1/3 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand if you want it to be sugar free)
2 T oats (You can omit)
nondairy or dairy milk as needed (depending on the consistency you want. I used a few T.)

Directions

In a bowl, cover the dates with 1/2 cup water. Let this sit for at least 8 hours. Then add all ingredients (including the dates’ soaking liquid), except chocolate chips, to a food processor and blend until very smooth.

This can be served as a dessert dip, as a spread (maybe in between apple slices or crackers?), eaten with a spoon, mixed into oatmeal, stuffed into cupcakes, or even used to top pancakes!

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

I bought some dates last week at the store hoping to use them in a more dessert-like recipe since they are sweet and a great sugar alternative.  I came across this recipe at allrecipes.com and was grateful to have these little squares on hand to curb my sweet tooth.  Another great thing about this recipe is that it is a raw recipe and for those of you that know about the raw food world you know raw is best :)  So eat up on these raw little squares and enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

1 cup dates, chopped

3/4 cup natural or organic peanut butter

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds

3 tablespoons pure cocoa powder

Directions

Place the dates, peanut butter, coconut, and cocoa powder into a food processor. Cover, and blend until smooth, about 4 minutes. The mixture will be very sticky.
Press the mixture into a loaf pan lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Remove the chilled mixture from the pan and slice into little squares. Keep refrigerated.  Enjoy!

Banana Muffins

This is a recipe inspired from Elanaspantry.com.  I changed a few of the ingredients but the bulk of the recipe is the same.  I was looking for something that would be easy for my baby to eat, healthy for my baby to eat, and something that didn't have ingredients in it that he shouldn't have before he is one (honey, nuts, etc).  So I found this recipe tweaked a few ingredients and wa-la!  My baby loves these!  He can't get enough of them and I can't either :) You can add some chocolate chips to them to to make them more dessert-like.  Enjoy!

Banana Muffins

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoon coconut flour (or coconut shreds)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar
1-2 very ripe bananas (about ¾ to 1 cup mashed)

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together flour, coconut flower/shreds, salt and baking soda
In a smaller bowl, combine eggs, grapeseed oil, and agave and then stir in mashed bananas
Mix wet ingredients into dry
Scoop batter one heaping ¼ cup at a time into lined muffin tins
Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean

Makes about 8 muffins

Cinnamon Bun Muffins

I had some left over almond meal/flour (same thing) in my fridge from the almond milk that I made this week and was wanting to use it up in a muffin recipe.  I found this recipe for a cinnamon roll type muffin at elanaspantry.com, another great site I have just recently discovered.  I wanted the muffin to be sweet and more "dessert like" but didn't want to use any butter or refined sugar in it.  I was excited to find this recipe and even more excited with how well they turned out and even more excited with how much Ryan loved them! (If you know Ryan you know he doesn't like sweet things).  This recipe is definitely a keeper and one I'm so grateful I stumbled across!  I have a feeling it just may become a staple recipe in our home :)

Cinnamon Bun Muffins

Cinnamon Topping:

2 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

To make cinnamon topping, combine agave, cinnamon and oil in a small bowl
Set mixture aside.

Muffin Mixture:

1 cup almond meal/flour (you can make this by grinding almonds up in a food processor to a    sand-like consistency)
2 tablespoons coconut flour (same thing here- you can grind unsweetened coconut flakes in a food processor to a sand-like consistency)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup grapeseed oil (can be found at a health food store and isn't very expensive)
¼ cup agave nectar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl
In a large bowl blend together oil, agave, eggs and vanilla
Blend dry ingredients into wet and scoop a scant ¼ cup at a time into lined muffin cups
Spoon topping onto muffins
Bake muffins for 8-12 minutes at 350°
Cool muffins for 2 hours then frost with Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting  (I didn't do this but I'm sure if you did it would be wonderful!)

Makes 9 muffins

*Little side note- I didn't have quite 1 full cup of almond meal/flour so I topped off the measuring cup with fresh ground whole wheat flour and they turned out great.  If you wanted your muffin to be completely gluten-free then you would need to make sure you have enough almond meal/flour for 1 full cup.

**One more thing- if you are using almond meal from making almond milk you will want to run it through a food processor for a few seconds to break up any clumps.

Nikki's Healthy Cookies (aka Banana Batter Cookies)

Another great recipe from 101cookbooks.com.  I love love these cookies and the best part- They are healthy! (minus the chocolate chips of course.) I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Nikki's Healthy Cookies

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil- the recipe tastes great with either one of the oils)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal (if you don't have almond meal you can grind up whole or slivered almonds in a food processor or quality blender, like a blendtec, until the almonds are the texture of sand.  If you over process the almonds you will end up with almond butter.)
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. (15 minutes is perfect for my oven.)

Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.

Double Chocolate Brownies

I came up with this recipe yesterday.  I did a lot of research trying to find a brownie that didn't have any refined sugar in it and I couldn't find one.  So I came up with this myself and was extremely proud of how it turned out.  If you try your hand at this I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think.  Also, if you have any suggestions for improving it let me know too :)

Double Chocolate Brownies

4 oz semisweet chocolate melted (I melted the chocolate over the stove by putting a little bit of water in a saucepan and boiling it.  I set a bowl with the chocolate inside of it on top of the saucepan to melt it- this prevents the chocolate from burning)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup clover honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.  In a large bowl combine your melted chocolate and olive oil.  Whisk in your eggs, maple syrup, honey and vanilla extract until combined.  Add in flour and salt, stir until incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Spread in pan (the batter will be much more runny than a typical brownie recipe).  Bake for 43-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  I would maybe start checking your oven around 40 minutes to check for doneness.  Let brownies cool completely before cutting.

Makes about 2 dozen small brownies

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Who knew a peanut butter cookie with not sugar, butter, or eggs could be so irresistible?  I love this recipe and when I'm over indulging in these yummy cookies I like to think of them as more of a "protien bar" or circle for that matter :)

I found this recipe at 101cookbooks.com.  I love this site, it is an online healthy recipe journal.  It would be worth your time to checkout. I made one small tweek to the recipe.  The recipe is as follows:

Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups whole wheat flour (I grind mine fresh to maximize nutrients)

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 cup organic natural peanut butter (you can use chunky peanut butter if you prefer- a peanut butter that doesn't separate with the oil on top will work best for these cookies)

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. in a separate larger bowl combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and stir until barely combined - still a bit dusty looking. Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir, just a stroke or two. Now drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each one gently with the back of a fork. It's a loose batter, so if you're set on doing criss-crosses, go ahead and chill the batter for an hour or so before this step. Bake for 10, maybe 11 minutes - but don't over bake or they will be dry. Let cool five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Make 2 - 3 dozen cookies.