Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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

Fluffy Jam Filled Cookies

I wanted to share a very easy and healthy cookie recipe with you all today! It’s super easy to make and it can be all done in one bowl! You don’t need loads of supplies and ingredients to make these tasty cookies. Anyone can whip these up! In fact my 5 year old loves to help me make them. It’s definitely an children friendly recipe.

I love having healthy go to snacks available for my family, like these cookies. Everyone is always busy but it’s super easy to pack up these cookies and hit the road. I find packing healthy cookies and treats will save me from purchasing unhealthy goodies throughout the day. If hunger strikes I like having something with me in the car or my backpack to eat. Cookies like this that are filled with real ingredients, offer nourishment and you will be that much more likely to get to your next meal. You don’t want to be starving by the time your next meal comes. Snacks like this help tremendously for me personally.

You can use any type of flour you have on hand for this recipe. I will only say that you might need to add a little more milk to the batter if necessary. If you find that it’s too dry then add a little milk slowly to the bowl and combine well. My favourite flour to use is spelt flour when I make these cookies but I also use other types when needed. It will still taste good regardless of what you decide to use. I like creating recipes that allow flexibility because everyone has to work with what they have available to them. Due to the pandemic I know many places are experiencing food shortages. Grocery stores aren’t getting their full deliveries on products. We just have to work with what is currently available to us.


Fluffy Jam Filled Cookies

Dry Ingredients:

⁃ 2 cups Spelt Flour

⁃ 1/3 cup sugar

⁃ Sprinkle of salt

⁃ 1 tsp. Baking Powder

Wet Ingredients:

⁃ 1/3 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce

⁃ 1 tsp. Pure Vanilla extract

⁃ 1/3 – 1/2cup Plant based Milk

⁃ 1/3 cup Jam ( l used Crab Apple Jam)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Next combine all the wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and combine well.

5. Place the dough on a lined baking pan. I do golf sized balls and place an indentation in each using a small teaspoon.

6. Add a little of the jam inside each cookie.

7. Bake at 350 F for 12-14minutes.

Note: You can use one bowl to make this recipe too! Add all the dry ingredients and then toss in the wet ingredients. I add 1/3 cup of milk first and depending on the type of flour I’m using. I will go ahead and add more milk if needed.

Enjoy! 💚

I will insert my video version of this quick and easy recipe in this post. Many people find it helpful to watch them. If you haven’t already Subscribed to my channel on YouTube then please consider doing so now. I have loads of easy to make healthy recipes on there! Thanks for the support!


Healthy Guilt Free Banana Loaf that Actually Tastes Great!

Hi everyone! Hope all is well with you all. It’s still quite cold and damp in my neck of the woods. The rain and dampness has made me crave comforting baked goods so I’ve been revamping my banana bread. It’s just a cold, cold Spring!

I’ve enjoyed baking and creating lots of cozy meals lately. It’s all about the comfort meals this time of year. I have so many recipes to share with you all this year and I’m hoping to get them posted soon. I’ve been recipe testing and trying my best to create healthy versions of my favourite meals. Many of them have been a huge success but a few still need to be tweaked a tad.

I’ve recreated my original banana bread and made it as healthy as possible without sacrificing the taste of this epic treat. I’m so very happy with the result! This is the most often made treat at my house. It’s easy to make, includes staple ingredients that pretty much everyone has on hand and it’s guilt free. It’s healthy and delicious! No need to have any guilt about indulging in this banana bread. You’re fueling your body with nutritious ingredients instead of the typical store bought version that’s full of sugar and fat.

I also love using this recipe for mini muffins and mini loafs. Just bake them for a shorter period of time. I love how versatile this recipe is.

I really tried to break this recipe down to minimal ingredients so that everyone can feel like they can make it easily. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is in the kitchen either. This recipe is so easy that anyone can make it, and end up with a perfect snack. I also like to create meals that children can make as well. My son is usually my assistant in the kitchen. I want him to learn the importance of making home cooked meals and desserts. My recipes are easy enough for him to help me with and learn some skills. If you have little ones too, then you can definitely make this recipe with them!

My recipe is less calorie rich than my original version. I decided to eliminate the nuts and oil to save on calories. I realized that they were honestly unnecessary ingredients in the recipe. Any type of oil is still refined and not healthy by any means. It provides no nutritional benefits and makes baked goods very calorie rich. I know the hype right now is eat all the fat you can because it’s said to be healthy for us in our diet. The reality is, it’s not. Yes we need some fat in our diet but it really should be from the whole food source such a yummy avocado.

I will add my video version of this recipe below. I know a lot of you enjoy watching the recipe video on my YouTube channel. Thank you for the continued support on my channel. I really appreciate it. If you haven’t already Subscribed to my channel then please consider doing so if you enjoy health and wellness videos. I make healthy yet satisfying meals on my channel and provide wellness tips as well.

Ok so let’s get to the good part …

Here is probably one of my most favourite recipes that I’ve ever created! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!


Healthy Guilt Free Banana Bread


Dry Ingredients:

2 cups of oat flour

1 cup of oats

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 cup hemp hearts (optional)

2 Tbsp. Ground Flax


Optional : 1/4 – 1/3 cup Vegan Chocolate chips/chocolate chunks or cacao nibs

Wet Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. Warm Water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 of a cup of plant-based milk

3 regular sized spotty bananas, mashed

1/3 of a cup of sugar. I use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or maple sugar.

* Preheat oven to 350 F *

Method:

1. In a large bowl place 2 cups of oat flour and 1 cup of oats. Next add in 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/3 cup sugar of choice. Combine well. Toss in the 1/4 cup of hemp hearts if you are using them in your banana loaf.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of flax meal to a small bowl with 6 tablespoons of warm water. Mix well and allow to thicken up

3. In another large bowl mash three spotty bananas well. Add in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and the 1/2 cup of plant-based milk. Mix well.

4. Add the flax egg into the wet ingredients. I use a fork to mix it well.

5. Next add the wet ingredients into the dry and combine everything very well.

6. Transfer your batter into your baking dishes or loaf pans. Bake at 350° for approximately 40 to 50 minutes.

ENJOY! 💛

Let me know if you try my recipe out in the comments below! Have a wonderful week everyone!

Health, Joy & Positive Vibes,

Healthy Carrot Pulp Loaf

Have you ever thought to yourself “what a waste” after discarding your juicing pulp? I kept thinking that every time I tossed my pulp in the compost bin after juicing. I juice almost everyday so that’s a fair bit of pulp! I wanted to figure out some ways of using up that pulp. I’ve made a few things that worked fantastic and a few that were total flops. Somethings are a work in progress and that’s fine with me. Eventually I’ll get it right and I feel like I’m learning a lot throughout the process.

I wanted to share my healthy carrot pulp loaf with you all in hopes that you find it useful. I tried making this loaf a few times in different ways just to test out what worked better. We love to top a slice of this yummy loaf with some butter and gobble it up! You can totally make muffins with my recipe too if you prefer. I make muffins often and add some vegan mini chocolate chips to them. I use my ceramic muffin tin and that way I done have to use the paper muffin cups! I’m happy because it’s great for the environment, saves me money and saves my muffins from ending up into a crumbly mess. I bake mine for about 18 minutes but as every oven may vary a bit keep an eye on them. You may need to increase or decrease the time depending on your oven.

Now if only I could find a good ceramic loaf pan! I’m on the hunt for one. Let me know if you’ve bought one and what brand it is below in the comments. Thanks!

My followers across my social media showed interest in my recipe but I was still recipe testing. After trying it a few times and adding new ingredients to my loaf I’m finally happy with the outcome. So as promised, here is the recipe below. Enjoy!

For those of you that don’t juice don’t fret because you can totally make this recipe with grated carrots! Now go rock this recipe! Tag me in pictures of your awesome loaf or muffins. 😀

Things you will need

*Large mixing bowls

* 1 wooden spoon (or use your favourite baking spoon)

* 1 loaf pan (use whatever size you prefer for bigger or smaller slices) I prefer a smaller loaf pan myself

* Set of measuring cups and spoons

* Fork

Dry Ingredients

Cups flour of choice (I use brown rice flour a lot)

* 3/4 cup coconut sugar

* 1 1/2 tsp baking soda

* 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

* 1/3 cup hemp hearts

* 1/2 cup GF Oats

* 2 tbsp chia seeds

* 1 tbsp cinnamon

* 4 tbsp flax meal in order to make 4 Flax Eggs

* Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients

*3/4 cup non dairy milk ( I like using almond or coconut milk)

* 1 large banana (mashed)

* 1 1/2 packed cups of carrot pulp from your juicer

* 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

* 1/4 cup coconut oil

* 12 tbsp of water to add to the flax meal

  • Walnuts for topping (Optional)
  • To make 1 Flax Egg mix 1 tbsp flax meal with 3 tbsp of water and mix well. Allow to thicken for 3-5 minutes. In order to make this loaf you will need 4 flax eggs.

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F

2. Add your ground flax to a small bowl with water. Mix well and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. The mixture will thicken up so you can use as an egg replacement.

3. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

4. Add all the wet ingredients to another large bowl and combine well

5. Add the flax eggs into the wet mixture and mix well using a fork

6. Transfer the wet ingredients into the dry and combine well

7. Line loaf pan with parchment paper

8. Add the mixture into the loaf pan and even it all out. Top with walnuts if your using them

9. Pop them into the oven and bake for 60 minutes

10. Check if your loaf is done by inserting a wooden scuwer into it or a tooth pick

11. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool before trying to slice it.

Note:

  • Cooking time may vary depending on the oven. Check your loaf at the 50 minute mark and decide if it needs more time like mine does.
  • If you feel like the top of your loaf is browning up too much then just cover it with foil and continue to bake it. I try avoiding foil and enjoy nicely toasted walnuts on top of my loaf. I’ve also moved my oven rack to a lower position which is a great alternative if I feel I need to.
  • I actually add more cinnamon to my loaf because I absolutely love the way it makes baked goods taste. I also think it helps add great flavour without adding more sugar to recipes.
  • I feel that 3/4 cup of coconut sugar is enough to sweeten this loaf but if your preference is sweeter loafs or desserts then I would say add more sugar to the recipe as desired.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!<

Healthy Cinnamon Apple Chips!

 

Healthy Apple Chips!

Healthy Apple Chips!

 

 

I love making healthy apple chips! They are a guilt free snack or treat and they are so easy to make! I have found that the best way to slice the apples is by using a mandolin so that they are super thin. If you don’t have a mandolin don’t sweat it, you can just slice them as thin as possible. The thinner they are the faster they will cook. If you use a knife to cut the apple slices just remember to allow some extra time for cooking so they turn out perfect. I like to sprinkle cinnamon op top of my slices but if you’re not a cinnamon fan then just don’t use it. I love cinnamon because of the wonderful flavor it adds but it also helps reduce inflammation in the body.

 

Apple Chips

Ingredients/things you will need:

  • 1 large baking sheet or 2 smaller ones
  • 1 tbsp. Coconut oil
  • Cinnamon
  • Apples (I use 4-5 organic Gala apples)
  • 1 tbsp. Lemon juice
  • Mandolin or sharp knife
  • Parchment paper
  • Silicone brush

 

 

Apple Slices!

Apple Slices!

 

 

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 250 F
  2. I usually use 4-5 Organic Gala Apples when I make apple chips. I use the mandolin to slice them up thinly. Place in a medium-sized bowl.
  3. Squeeze 1 tbsp. of lemon juice on top of the apple slices and give them a careful toss. If you mix them too much they will fall apart so be gentle!
  4. Melt 1 tbsp. of coconut oil
  5. Line 1 large baking sheet or 2 smaller baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Add the apple slices to the baking sheet. Try not over lapping them and lay them out in one single layer.
  7. Using your silicone brush you can now lightly brush the apple slices with coconut oil and sprinkle them with cinnamon.
  8. Pop them into the oven for about 45 minutes.
  9. Just continue this process until you have baked all your apple slices.
  10. Allow to cool off once cooked and ENJOY! 🙂

* Visit me on Instagram for more healthy food ideas! My handle is  VeganMommyDee *   🙂

Chestnut Love!

Chestnuts!

Chestnuts!

 
I look forward to this time of year not only because I’m a Christmas-a-holic but I also LOVE Chestnuts! I grew up eating them and they bring back so many great memories. Memories that mostly contain my wonderful grandfather who was like a second father to me. He passed away 11 years ago and I still miss him terribly. I do however have these awesome memories and I truly cherish them.

As per Portuguese custom my grandmother would boil the chestnuts and my grandfather would peel them for me. Yep I had the life eh? 🙂 YUM! I now prefer to roast my chestnuts these days. They are so easy to peel once roasted too which my kids really appreciate! Chestnuts are super fast to cook up and they are a fantastic snack to have this time of year. They are low in calories, have protein, minerals, vitamins, are gluten-free and contain less fat than other types of nuts. They are rich in vitamin C and 100 g provide 43 mg of vitamin C!

Here is how to make this tasty & healthy snack …

 

Roasted Chestnuts

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 F
  2. Line a baking pan/cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper
  3. Cut a slit into each chestnut so that the steam can escape when your roasting them. Use a small sharp knife or a chestnut cutter. Don’t skip this step or else your chestnuts will explode in your oven!
  4. Pop them into your oven for 20 minutes.

 

Enjoy! 🙂

* Below is a picture of the chestnut cutter if you’re not sure what it looks like. I’ve wanted one for years but never bought one. This year I finally treated myself to one! The one I’ve pictured is the one I bought but many different types are available to choose from. *

chestnut cutterchestnut cutter

 

 

Quinoa Berry Bake

Healthy Quinoa Berry Bake!

Healthy Quinoa Berry Bake!

 

 

My quinoa berry bake is so incredibly easy to make! You can put this berry bake together in about 5 minutes! Yes that fast I swear! I use frozen or fresh berries for this bake. It’s not a fussy recipe so use whatever you prefer. I sometimes buy a frozen berry variety that also has cherries in it and it turned out really yummy too. I only add 2 tbsp. of pure maple syrup to my berry bake but most people will not find it sweet enough so I suggested 3 – 4 tbsp. You might have noticed that I make a lot of fruit bakes or crumbles. I like how by making them I can enjoy a sweet treat without feeling guilty about eating it!  I have a sweet tooth so I’m always trying to create healthy yet satisfying treats. My sweet tooth is happy with this simple berry bake!!! 😀 I’ve had some people ask me for the recipe so here it is ….

 

QUINOA BERRY BAKE

 

You will need:

  • 1 1/4 cup Organic Quinoa Flakes
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp. Flaxmeal
  • 1-2 tbsp. Hemp Hearts
  • 3-4 tbsp. pure maple syrup, agave or other sweetener of choice
  • 1 baking or pie dish
  • 2 cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and I also threw in cherries)
  • 1 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

 

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Grab your baking or pie dish and add the 1 1/4 cup quinoa flakes, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1-2 tbsp. hemp hearts and 3 tbsp. of flaxmeal.
  3. Next throw in your mixed berries of choice and also add the maple syrup. Give it a good mix.
  4. Even it out in your baking dish and then pour in your 1 1/3 cup milk. You don’t even need to mix it because your quinoa flakes will start to absorb the milk.
  5. Pop it into the oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes.
  6. Allow to cool off a bit once baked in order to cut neat slices.

 

Enjoy!

 

Quinoa Berry Bake Slice!

Quinoa Berry Bake Slice!

Banana Oat Breakfast Bites with Cranberries & Walnuts

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*

Banana Vegan Chip Muffins

My kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Banana Vegan Chip Muffins!!! I have many recipes that I use but this recipe is their favourite one! It’s very fast to make and they taste super yummy and moist. It’s loaded with ground flax seeds (flaxmeal) and even my very picky 6-year-old gives these muffins the thumbs up. By the way she doesn’t even like bananas and eats these muffins! I make these muffins and almost all my baking period with brown rice flour. It has many health benefits such as its rich in fiber, manganese, selenium, zinc, calcium and B vitamins. I also add healthy oats to these muffins but it would work with wheat germ as well. These muffins are made so often that when we don’t have them the kids ask me “mommy where are the muffins???” LOL  I’ve also made them without the vegan chocolate chips and they are still super good! I add in the chips to make the kids happy! I do however sometimes only add in 1/4 cup of them instead of the 1/3 cup and they actually notice! Then they ask me why there are less vegan chips in the batch of muffins when that happens. Sheesh!  This is why I put 1/3 cup in the recipe below! I also added a picture of them cooling off on the wire baking rack but sadly it’s not the greatest picture. Oh well you get the idea …

Yummy Banana Vegan Chip Muffins!

Yummy Banana Vegan Chip Muffins!

 

 

Banana Vegan Chip Muffins

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 Bananas, mashed
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil or oil of choice
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3 TBSP ground flax (flaxmeal)
  • 6 TBSP water
  • 1/2 cup oats or wheat germ
  • 1/4 cup sucanat sugar or other sugar of choice
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
  • 3/4 cup almond milk (I use unsweetened)
  • 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

Tools:

  • 2 muffin tins
  • paper muffin liners
  • 2 medium-sized bowls

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F
  2. Place 3 TBSP of flaxmeal in a small bowl add add the 6 TBSP water to it. Mix well and set aside for a few minutes.
  3. With a fork mash 3 ripe bananas in a medium-sized bowl.
  4. add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup sugar to banana mixture. You can add more sugar if you like sweeter muffins but I think 1/4 cup is enough for us.
  5. In another medium-sized bowl add the 3/4 cup brown rice flour and oats.
  6. Add the baking powder to the flour mixture and combine well.
  7. Add the flaxmeal mixture into the wet ingredients and mix well.
  8. Next add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Now add the 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk. Combine.
  9. Toss in the vegan chips  and give it another mix.
  10. Line 1  12 muffin baking tin with paper liners and fill them half way for medium-sized muffins. Grab another muffin tin and place 4 more paper liners in it. Fill those suckers up too! You could also just do 12 larger muffins and bake them for 25-27 minutes. We prefer medium-sized muffins however.
  11. Pop them into a 400 F oven for 23-25 minutes.
  • Once they are baked I let them cool off inside the tins for about 5 minutes. Then I transfer them to a wire baking rack and let them cool completely before placing them into a air tight container.

*Makes 16 medium-sized muffins or 12 large muffins*

Enjoy! 🙂

Healthy Vegan Cranberry Granola Bars

I love granola bars and I also love giving them to my kids as a snack. I don’t however like the fact that the store-bought types are loaded with refined sugar! I’ve been playing around with different combinations of ingredients and making my own homemade granola bars. In this recipe I use pure Canadian maple syrup as my sweetener. Pure maple syrup is low on the glycemic index and contains manganese and iron which a total plus! 🙂 These bars are protein packed and contain healthy omega! Hurrah! I even eat them for breakfast sometimes when I’m on the go. Here is my easy and healthy recipe for vegan granola bars …

Easy & Healthy to whip up Granola Bars1

Healthy Vegan Cranberry Granola Bars

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oats
  • 3/4 cup sulfur free dried cranberries
  • 3 TBSP raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/3 cup flaxmeal
  • 2 TBSP vegan protein powder (I used vanilla brown rice protein powder)
  • 1 TBSP cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup melted organic coconut oil
  • 1 TBSP natural almond or peanut butter
  • 3 TBSP brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 TBSP of flaxmeal w/ 3 TBSP warm water
  • 1/4 cup chopped almonds or nut of choice

* You will need a baking pan. The size of the pan will vary depending on how thick you want your granola bars to be*

* Depending on how sweet you like your baked goods, you may want to add more maple syrup to your granola bars. I don’t feel the need for the extra sweetness so I only use 1/2 cup in my recipe.

Super yummy & healthy granola bars!
 

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. In a large bowl add oats, brown rice flour, vegan protein powder, cinnamon, and 1/3 cup flaxmeal. Mix well.
  3. In a small bowl add the 2 TBSP of flaxmeal with 3 TBSP of warm water. Mix and let it sit for a couple of minutes to thicken.
  4. Chop up nuts or process them. Toss them into the mixture.
  5. Add cranberries and pumpkin seeds and mix.
  6. In a medium-sized bowl add the almond butter, maple syrup and coconut oil. Mix well.
  7. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and combine well.
  8. Use vegan butter/coconut oil to grease your pan or cut parchment paper to fit your baking dish.
  9. Add the mixture to the baking pan and even out. Push it down with a spoon to make sure it’s tightly packed in.
  10. Pop into the oven for 35-40 minutes at 350 F.
  • Once you take it out of the oven let it cool off in the baking dish before you cut it up.
  • When the granola mixture has cooled off you can remove the parchment paper and place on the counter. Cut the granola up as desired and place in an airtight container. If you didn’t use the parchment paper just cut it up right in the baking dish. You could also individually wrap them up so you have them ready to go for breakfast on the go or to toss in your lunchbag or purse for a snack.

ENJOY! 🙂

Easy to make healthy granola bars!

Easy to make healthy granola bars!