Agave cupcakes with chocolate frosting

Adapted from The Kind Diet, p. 190

Cupcakes
2/3 cup hemp or soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup safflower oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of fine sea salt
 

Fudge Frosting
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Earth Balance butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup soy milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
 

Combine the milk and vinegar in a medium bowl, and set aside for at least 5 minutes or until it bubbles a little. If it doesn’t bubble, keep stirring the mixture until it does. Add the agave nectar, oil, and vanilla and stir.
 

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until no lumps remain.
 

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean and the tops are slightly springy when pressed. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then cool completely on a baking rack before frosting.
 

To make the Fudge Frosting, use a mixer to cream the butter together with the agave nectar in a mixing bowl until very smooth. Add the vanilla extract and about half the cocoa powder, mix on low speed to combine, then add the remaining cocoa powder. Add in the soy milk powder, and beat at medium-high speed until fluffy. If it is runny, refrigerate the frosting until it sets a little.

My frosting turned out with a bit of a weird texture as you can tell by the photos, but it still tasted delicious!

Embracing the Fall season: chocolate chip pumpkin bread!

What you'll need:

Serves 9  

yields one 8"X8" pan

Ingredients:

• 20oz (2.5 cups) canned pumpkin
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 1 egg replacer (I use Bob's Red Mill brand found at Whole Foods)
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp safflower oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups spelt flower
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup non dairy chocolate chips (I use Enjoy life brand found at Target or Whole Foods)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Lightly spray an 8"X8" cake pan with oil spray
• Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, egg replacer, almond milk, safflower oil, and vanilla extract in a medium size mixing bowl.
• In a large bowl combine the spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and most of the chocolate chips (leave behind enough to sprinkle on top).
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and mix until fully combined.
• Fill the 8" x 8" pan with the batter and spread with a spoon to even out.
• Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips over the bread.
• Bake between 45 minutes and an hour (I baked mine a whole hour). You will know it's ready when you poke the center of the loaf with a fork and it comes out clean.
• Let the pumpkin bread cool for 5-10 minutes on a rack before serving.

This is the best pumpkin bread I've ever had, vegan or non-vegan! My boyfriend normally dislike anything with pumpkin, and when he reluctantly tried this he couldn't believe how much he liked it! Meat-lover boyfriend approved!!

Chocolate-banana-oat treats!

Inspired by Oh She Glows

Makes 9 treats

Ingredients:

• 2 large ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3-4 tbsp vegan chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand found at Target or Whole Foods)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the peeled bananas, pitted dates, coconut oil, and vanilla into a blender. Blend until smooth. 
• Add in the cinnamon, baking powder, and salt and blend again until combined.
• Add in 1.5 cups of the rolled oats and blend
• Pour contents in blender into a large mixing bowl. Carefully stir in the remaining 1/2 cup rolled oats and the chocolate chips.
• Spoon a large portion of dough (about 3-4 tablespoons or so for each) onto the parchment. Do not press down on the dough to flatten - simply leave it in a mound on the baking sheet.
• Bake cookies for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 7-9 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.
• Let cool for 5 minutes on a rack and enjoy!

They aren't much to look at, but perfectly chewy and warm, these will come out of the over smelling of banana bread. If that wasn't enough they are healthy and chocolately too!! Warning: you won't want to have just one...

My boyfriend & I loved these so much that we couldn't stop eating them as soon as they came out of the oven!

Easy cookie dough balls

What you'll need:

Recipe adapted from The Oh She Glows cookbook, p. 235

Ingredients:

Makes 20 cookie dough balls

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 tbsp almond butter (can substitute for peanut butter if desired)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup raw almonds or almond meal 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp vegan dark chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)

Directions:

• Blend the oats in a blender until a flour forms. Set aside.
• If you do not have almond meal, blend whole raw almonds in a blender until a flour forms. Set aside. (Almond meal can be found at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods)
• In a large bowl combine the oil, almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix very well.
• Add the almond flour, oat flour and salt and mix again until thoroughly combined. 
• Mix in the chocolate chips.
• Rolls the dough into small balls (about 1 tbsp of dough each)
• Place the balls on a plate lined with parchment paper
• Freeze the balls until firm for 5 to 10 minutes, and then enjoy!
• They can be stored in a freezer bag in the freezer ready to eat at any time!

Scrumptious vegan chocolate almond butter cups

Ingredients:

Makes 12 chocolate almond butter cups

adapted from Oh She Glows

For the almond butter layer:

• 1.5 cup raw almonds, ground into a meal
• 1/2 cup rolled oats, ground into a flour
• 4 tablespoons almond butter (I like Justin's brand, sold at Target)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

For the chocolate layer:

• 6 tablespoons coconut oil
• 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or 2 tbsp agave nectar)
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

• Blend almond and oats in a blender to create a flour. Pour into a large bowl.

• Add the nut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt into the bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined. The dough should be fairly sticky like cookie dough.

• Line a regular muffin tin with paper liners. Portion the dough into each muffin cup and press down until even and smooth.

• To make the chocolate layer: Whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and salt until no clumps remain. Spoon the sauce over top each of the cups, distributing evenly. Garnish cups with sliced almonds if desired.

• Place in the freezer in a flat area for 30-45 minutes, until firm. Pop out the cups & enjoy immediately! 

My boyfriend and I agree, this is the best dessert  I've made for the blog yet!! These morsels will melt in you mouth, so go make a batch!

Decadent apple cinnamon pull apart buns

Umm, first of all can we just talk about how much you HAVE to try this recipe?? It was sooo delicious! Quite a bit of work making it, but so worth it! Scroll down for the recipe!

What you'll need:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) Active Dry Yeast
• 1 cup warm water (microwave a cup of cold water for approx. 40 seconds)
• 2 tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Stick
• 1 egg replacer (1 tsp egg replacer + 2 tbsp warm water) I used Bobs Red Mill egg replacer from Whole Foods (in powder form), see pic above.
• 4   tsp ground flaxseeds
• 2   tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2  tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 of a medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp earth balance buttery stick

• For the home made buns:
  
  
  • In a small bowl mix 2 1/4 tsp of Active Dry Yeast with 1/4 cup of very warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees F). Stir and let dissolve. Now add 1 tsp of sugar and stir. Let it sit for a good 5-10 minutes. You will know the yeast is active when it is slightly foamy and smells like bread.

  
  

  • In a stand mixer or by hand, add 1 and 1/4 cup of flour, remaining sugar (1 tbsp + 2 tsp), salt, and yeast mixture. Mix briefly for 10 seconds or so. Now, add the remaining very warm water (3/4 cup), slightly melted Earth balance, and egg replacer and mix until smooth. Slowly add in the rest of the flour (1 cup) and mix until smooth.

  
  

  • Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. I put my bowl of dough in the oven with the light turned on (but not the oven itself!)

  
  

  • Grease a pie pan and set aside. After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the oven and knead with hands for a few seconds. Divide the dough into 12 balls with hands and place the balls into the pie pan (see image below).

  
  

  • Cover pie pan with towel and place back into the oven with light on for another 30 minutes. The rolls will expand and fill the pie pan during this time.

  
  

  • After 25 minutes, remove from oven and preheat the oven to 400F. After 5 more minutes, it is time to bake the rolls for 15-18 minutes until golden and fluffy. Makes 10 pull apart rolls.

Need the dough a few times and then roll into balls and place close together in a pie pan 

After coming out of the oven:

For the apple cinnamon filling:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Coat an 8"X8" pan with cooking spray; set aside. In a small bowl combine ground flaxseeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the granulated sugar, and the cinnamon. Roll buns in flaxseed mixture to coat. Place buns in the pan and place apple slices over the buns. Sprinkle with any remaining flaxseed mixture. Top with walnuts.
• In a small saucepan combine brown sugar, 2 tablespoons orange juice, and Earth balance buttery spread. Cook and stir over medium heat until boiling. Pour mixture over buns. Bake about 10 minutes and edges are golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before enjoying.

...And there you have it! Obviously 5 stars from both my boyfriend and I!!