Tag Archives: chocolate chip

Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Posted in Snack, Vegan Baking by

It’s been a long time guys! I’m so very sorry! Life has been busy. I’m back now and I will be sharing some of our favourite recipes with you all. I also have a video version of this recipe on my YouTube channel and I will be sure to include the link below. I know some people like to see me visually make the recipes.

I decided to start off with this cookie recipe because it’s an absolute favourite at my house! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

I made this recipe during the holiday season and for my 12 Days Of Christmas Videos on YouTube. It has become a staple cookie recipe that is eaten anytime of the year however.

These cookies have the perfect amount of chocolate flavour and the hint of peppermint works perfectly with it. I love how fluffy and delicious they are too! Every time I make them, they just don’t seem to make it past a couple days in this house. They just get gobbled up!

I also tried keeping them as healthy as possible. I didn’t add obnoxious amounts of sugar in them. Little by little you can decrease sugar in the diet quite easily. Before you know it, you don’t crave the over sugary treats anymore. If you are still used to very sweet desserts and snacks then you might want to increase the sugar in the recipe a touch. I actually add less sugar for myself personally but since others eat them (including teens) I decided 1/2 cup of sugar was needed. I want to please everyone. You be the judge of how much sugar you want to add.

I have used a variety of sugars for this recipe and they all work just fine. I use coconut sugar most often at my house but sometimes I use cane or brown sugar too.

I also like creating oil free recipes so I can save on a ton of calories. I replace the oil with unsweetened apple sauce in this recipe. Each tablespoon of oil is 120 calories and I won’t add all those unnecessary calories to my meals or desserts. Oil is also highly refined and extremely unhealthy. It offers no nutritional value and just helps pack on the pounds to in my opinion.

As far as the optional items in my ingredient list it’s up to you if you want to add those in or not. The cookies taste great either way. I add the chocolate chips in but rarely add the candy canes. The peppermint flavour is enough for me and my family. It does look pretty on the cookies during the holidays however.

I leave my baked cookies on a cake stand because they are gone within a day or two. I would toss them into an airtight container and pop them in the refrigerator to maintain freshness if you can’t eat them that fast. They will last up to a week in the refrigerator.

These cookies are great for taking on the go too. They hold their shape and can be added to a ziplock bag, reusable bag or small Tupperware container for travel. I love having healthy treats like this when I just need a little something while I’m on the go. I work long 12 hour shifts so having snacks like this save me when I’m getting that snack urge. It’s better than buying a calorie loaded unhealthy vegan treat. I feel satisfied with my cookies and I’m able to stick to my wellness goals.

Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Makes 18-20 cookies

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup of Cacao Powder

1 tsp. Flaxmeal

1/3 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips (Optional)

Crushed candy canes (Optional)

Sprinkle of Salt

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract

3/4 cup unsweetened Apple Sauce

1/2 cup Plant Based Milk

3 Tbsp. Of Warm Water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Add all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Combine well.

3. Next put the one tablespoon of flax in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of warm water and give it a mix. Allow to sit and thicken for five minutes before using.

4. Add all the wet ingredients as well as the flax egg in a small bowl and mix well.

5. Transfer the wet ingredients to the dry and give it a good mix. Go ahead and add the chocolate chips and if you are using them.

6. Transfer to a lined baking sheet. Add optional, crushed candy canes on top if using.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes.

8. Allowed to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container for storage.

Enjoy! 💚

I hope you all enjoy these cookies and be sure to also visit my YouTube channel for more recipes. Thank you for the support and love here in the blog and on YouTube.

Much love to you all!

-Debbie

Chocolate Muffins with Mini Chocolate Chips!

Posted in Snack, Vegan Baking by

Chocolate Muffins

My kids are really picky and I’ve made many chocolate muffins but this is the favourite in my house! So now that I created a recipe that’s finally a hit with everyone I’m sticking to it! No more playing around with ingredients anymore when it comes to chocolate muffins/cupcakes in my house! LOL These muffins are really fast to make and have very simple ingredients. Sometimes the simpler recipes create the best outcome!

I want to mention that depending on the flour that you choose to use you may need to use a little more milk in the recipe. If you find it a little too dry then add 1 tbsp. more milk at a time. I tried to cut the sugar down in my recipe but that didn’t work out so well with my taste testing crew over here. Ugh! So it’s best to use 1/2 cup for best results. In order to make myself feel better I only add a few mini chocolate chips on top of each muffin instead of adding them into the batter. I cut down on sugar in that sense and the kids didn’t notice. Hey sometimes you have to be a little sneaky if it’s for their best interest right? 🙂

Here is my super easy and kid approved recipe …

CHOCOLATE MUFFINS WITH MINI CHIPS

* Makes 12 Muffins*

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour, I usually use brown rice flour or spelt flour. I’ve also used a mix of regular unbleached flour and brown rice flour and it worked really well.
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/3 cup veggie or coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder, you can add more if you like a stronger chocolate taste.
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp. flaxmeal
  • 6 tbsp. water
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk. Depending on the type of flour you use you may need up to 1/4 cup extra as some flours draw in the moisture more than others.
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • Handful of vegan mini chocolate chips

You will need:

  • 3 mixing bowls: 1 large, 1 medium & 1 small
  • 1  muffin tin (for 12 muffins)
  • 12 paper muffin liners

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F
  2. Add your flaxmeal to a small bowl and add 6 tbsp. of water to it. Mix and set aside for a few minutes until it thickens up a bit.
  3. Line your muffin tin with paper liners.
  4. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa and sugar into the large bowl and combine well.
  5. In your medium-sized bowl add milk, oil, vanilla and flaxmeal mixture. Mix well.
  6. Add your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and combine. Don’t over mix. Add in a little extra milk if needed.
  7. Scoop up the batter and fill up your muffin tin.
  8. Top each muffin with some vegan chocolate chips.
  9. Pop them into the oven for 20 minutes.
  • Once baked allow to cool off in the muffin tin. Transfer to an air tight container.

* If you wanted to make cupcakes with this recipe then just add the mini chips to the batter instead. Once baked allow them to cool off completely and then ice them. Place them in the fridge for a bit to allow your icing to set nicely*

Enjoy! 🙂

muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Posted in Snack, Vegan Baking by

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake!

 

 

Almost every week I make banana chocolate chip muffins because they are my kids favourite type of muffin. It get’s kinda boring sometimes so I sometimes make a banana chocolate chip cake instead. Hey why not switch it up a little? Right? We go through a lot of bananas at my house! That’s ok though because these energy powerhouses have many health benefits such as containing potassium, fiber, vitamin C, B Vitamins, iron, they are a mood enhancer, and are good for the heart and nerves. I incorporate bananas in a variety of ways from my morning smoothies, muffins, and in hot breakfast cereals and oatmeal. 🙂

Here is my super easy recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip cake …

 

 

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

 

You will need:

  • 3 medium-sized bananas
  • 1/4 cup coconut or sucanat  sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup mini vegan chocolate chips, or regular sized vegan chips
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

 

Method:

 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 F
  2. Mash your bananas in a medium-sized bowl.
  3. Add the coconut oil and sugar to the mashed bananas.
  4. Next add the vanilla extract and give it a good mix.
  5. In a large bowl add the brown rice flour and baking powder and mix well. I use a fork to make sure my baking powder is incorporated well.
  6. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and also add in the almond milk into the bowl.
  7. Combine well and add the vegan chocolate chips to the mixture.
  8. Grease a baking pan with coconut oil and add the mixture into the dish. Even it out and pop it into the oven.
  9. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, ovens vary.
  10. Once baked allow the cake to cool completely before slicing it!

 

That’s it! Very easy and fast to make!

Enjoy!

Banana Oat Breakfast Bites with Cranberries & Walnuts

Posted in Breakfast, Vegan Baking by

One of my favourite things to whip up are these easy to make Banana Oat Breakfast Bites!!! Many people make similar cookie versions to this recipe but the great thing is that everyone can make it their own way using ingredients that work for them. The great thing about this recipe is that you can tailor it to your own tastes and preferences! I find that they are a great idea for a fast breakfast when you’re in a hurry which really saves time. Have them with a healthy green smoothie and your good to go! I always have organic bananas on hand as well as oats so this recipe is made very often in my home. I also add dried sulfate free cranberries and walnuts sometimes too. The recipe I’m posting will be this version. 🙂 My kids like my vegan chocolate chip version best of course but then they are a treat and no longer a super healthy breakfast bite! LOL  You can also make them into cookies if you want but I like making mine smaller so that’s why I call them “bites”. I find that they are the perfect size to pop into a little container and pack them into a lunchbox or throw into a purse. They are a great on the go healthy snack. I always make sure I have healthy snacks in my purse because I’m vegan and it’s not always easy to find healthy vegan snacks on the go. Hey non vegans you should definitely be trying to bring healthy homemade snacks with you so you’re not tempted to buy sugary & fat filled treats while your on the run too!

 

 

Banana Oat Breakfast Bites with Cranberries & walnuts

Healthy Breakfast Bites

Healthy Breakfast Bites

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 regular sized Bananas
  • 1 TBSP Cinnamon
  • 2 cups Oats
  • 1  1/2 tsp. pure Vanilla extract
  • 1 TBSP Sulfate free Cranberries
  • Handful of chopped Walnuts

 

Method:

  1. In a medium-sized bowl mash both bananas with a fork really well.
  2. Add the vanilla and mix.
  3. Throw in the 2 cups of Oats and the 1 TBSP of Cinnamon. Combine well.
  4. Now you can go ahead and add the cranberries and walnuts. Give it another good mix.
  5. Shape into small round balls and place on a lined cookie sheet. Flatten the balls down slightly with the back of a teaspoon.
  6. Pop them into the oven for 10 minutes. If you want to make them bigger or into cookies then they will bake between 12-14 minutes.
  7. After removing them from the oven let them cool down on the pan. Transfer them to an airtight container once they have cooled off.

 

 

Other Versions of my Banana Oat Breakfast Bites:

 

Vegan Chip: My kids favourite version has 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips thrown into the banana and oat mixture. They are such a tasty treat!

Plain Banana & Oat: I also make these banana bites without adding any dry fruit and nuts and they turn out great as well. Simple and super fast!

Protein Boost: I also make a version of these breakfast bites with peanut or almond butter added to the oat mixture! YUM! Just add 2 TBSP nut butter to your mixture. Be sure to combine it well  I bake them 10-12 minutes depending on their size. *I omit the cinnamon, chopped nuts and dried fruit for this version.*

Coconut & Almond: Toss in a handful of chopped almonds as your nut for these banana bites and instead of adding the cinnamon I throw in 1 TBSP of shredded coconut in it’s place.

 

*ENJOY your yummy & fast to make Banana Breakfast Bites! Have fun with them and try out different combinations to suit your needs*

 

*Makes 12-15 Banana Bites depending on their size*