Veggie Staples

dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free, plant based recipes

Paleo & Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

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The Holidays are here! What is your favorite way to celebrate? My friend is hosting a cookie swap in a few weeks, and these Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies (Gluten Free & Paleo) are an oldie but goodie for any holiday party! They incorporate that lovely combination of chocolate and peppermint that everyone is sure to love! And better yet, they are sweetened with natural honey! I was lucky enough to get some Nektar Honey Crystals on my hands from Nektar Naturals! (Thank you Nektar Naturals!) I used this as a healthy sugar substitute, (as I always do), and they still were a big hit. How awesome is that?

Who can resist such cute spirals? I had a few mishaps (I decided to use coconut sugar, which is brown… guess what? brown sugar does not take color dye, whoops!). I found these awesome natural food dyes after scouring the internet, and they worked really well! I was really impressed with the coloring, I wasn’t sure if they would turn out muddy or too dull. I would have been upset if I had ended up with pink instead of red! Anyways, if you are into Chocolate Peppermint (my whole family is obsessed) you will really love these cookies! Did I mention they are also gluten free and paleo? Note: If you do use coconut sugar in this recipe, the color will not turn out! Don’t learn the hard way like I did! I recommend using Nektar Naturals honey crystals!!

And don’t forget to head on over to my instagram account for a Nektar Naturals giveaway!

*Nektar Naturals can be found in any Walmart!!

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Paleo & Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Cookie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24 cookies
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups almond flour
  • ¾ cup honey crystals, stevia or truvia
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon almond or coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • green & red food coloring to liking
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking soda.
  2. In a large bowl or in an electric mixer, beat honey crystals and coconut oil until fluffy (around 3 minutes)
  3. Beat in egg and vanilla into the honey crystals and coconut oil
  4. Add flour and baking soda, reduce mixer to low or beat until just blended
  5. Divide dough in half and place in two bowls
  6. Stir in cacao and milk into one bowl, stir in peppermint into the other bowl
  7. Divide peppermint dough in half and place in separate bowls
  8. Mix the red food coloring into one peppermint dough, green into the other
  9. Divide the chocolate dough in half
  10. Shape all the dough pieces into 3 X 5 inch rectangles, set on wax paper or parchment paper and place another piece of paper on the top for easy rolling
  11. Roll out dough into 9 X 12 inch rectangles.
  12. Refrigerate rectangles in the refrigerator for at least an hour
  13. Place 2 chocolate rectangles on a floured work surface (I like using arrowroot or tapioca flour)
  14. Remove from sheets of wax paper
  15. Lightly brush the chocolate dough with water (helps with sticking)
  16. Place red dough on top of one chocolate dough, place green dough on top of the other
  17. Trim edges if the dough shapes are uneven
  18. Roll dough together (from the long side) into a log form (both green and red dough)
  19. Roll dough tightly so the log is compact
  20. Wrap dough in plastic wrap/saran wrap for at least 3 hours
  21. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  22. Remove logs from refrigerator and unwrap
  23. Cut logs into ¼ inch thick cookie slices
  24. Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet or Silpat
  25. Bake 10-15 minutes, until the edges begin to brown, rotating half way through

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Chocolate Coconut Tartlets

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here are not many things I love much more than the chocolate & coconut pairing! I was recently gifted the new Enjoy Life Baking Mixes!! They are SO easy to use - add water & oil (I like coconut oil best) & they taste SO good! Also a plus: they are incredibly versatile)! Multi purpose mix, muffin, pancake, waffle, brownie & pizza mixes?!! They did not disappoint! Even my husband loves everything I’ve made! (Note: All enjoy life products are free of the top 8 allergens: wheat/gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish free!. Products are also made without casein, potato, sesame and sulfites.

I’m sharing with you today one of the new recipes I tested out with the multi purpose flour, these wonderful chocolate coconut tartlets!! I added it as the thickening agent for the creamy chocolate center in these beautiful little gems. I also used melted Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips for the filling! They are a must make for any chocolate coconut fan you have in your life. Perfect for dessert or a summer party, you can’t go wrong! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

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Chocolate Coconut Tartlets
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12 tartlets
 
Ingredients
for the crust
  • 1½ cups unsweetened coconut shreds
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • 2 egg whites
for the filling
  • ¾ cup almond milk
  • 4 ounces enjoy life chocolate chips
  • 6 tablespoons Enjoy Life Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • *coconut oil for greasing
  • *slivered almonds for topping, optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mix crust ingredients until they form a ball of ‘dough’
  3. Divide into 12 equal balls of dough
  4. In a lightly greased mini muffin pan, place balls of dough in each muffin tin, pressing your thumb into the dough to make a hole for the filling
  5. Place in the oven to bake for 10 minutes until the edges are brown
  6. While the coconut shells are baking, measure out chocolate chips and place them in the microwave for 30 seconds. They should be slightly melty. Mix together with a fork or whisk until completely melted, (*add more time in the microwave if needed, 10 seconds at a time)
  7. Add all other ingredients to the chocolate and whisk until well combined.
  8. Allow coconut shells to cool once they are finished.
  9. Once cooled (10 minutes or so) add filling (and sprinkle with slivered almonds, optional) and bake for another 10 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean.
  10. Allow to cool before eating

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21 DSD Cocoa Banana Nut Muffins

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I’m still doing the whole 21 Sugar Detox thing! I actually cheated a little bit yesterday after my race. I completed a marathon relay with 4 other great woman on my team, and nine groups of Mom’s Run This Town. SO much fun & I had a blast. Here’s a photo of me & Zoey when I got home. She liked playing with the medal, of course!

So the day was outstanding, except for the fact that I ate some candied walnuts, a slice of cheese pizza and a donut. And then I proceeded to have a pounding headache until I went to bed despite guzzling about 20 million gallons of water. So while I normally feel crappy after eating a dairy product, this one really hit home for me. This whole not eating any sugar thing is working. And clearly making me feel a lot better - and I have lost 4 pounds. So thank you 21 Day Sugar Detox Books & Diane Sanfilippo!

These cocoa banana nut muffins are 21 DSD friendly, so I need to let you know in advance that they are not sweet! repeat: not sweet! I put this recipe together specifically to have something muffin and bread like, because that is a no-no, and going into week 3 I needed something. They definitely satisfy the bread like quality I was going for, but with no sugar involved. The banana and almond butter provide a hint of that, but that’s it, for the most part. Anyways, you’ve been warned! Do not expect otherwise - and happy detoxing!!

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21 DSD Cocoa Banana Nut Muffins
Author: 
Recipe type: Muffin
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ¾ cup almond or coconut milk
  • 2 green tipped bananas
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • ⅔ cup slivered almonds
  • ⅓ cup raw cocao nibs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Line or grease muffin tins (with coconut oil or muffin liners)
  3. Put all ingredients except almonds and cocao nibs in the blender or food processor, buzz until smooth
  4. Pour blender contents in a bowl, gently fold in almonds & nibs
  5. Distribute equally among 12 muffin tins
  6. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
  7. Remove from oven & allow to cool before eating

cocoabanananut21dsdmuffins

No Marshmallow Rice Crispy Treats

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My husband loves rice crispy treats. As in, I make them, and they are gone within the day. It’s a pretty crazy addiction (along with all his other sweet treats). But, unfortunately, marshmallows are not very good for you, and making them on your own is not easy! So, I thought, what could I use that I know would be a good marshmallow substitute? Honey, for sure (I didn’t try my two batches with maple syrup, so I’m not sure that it would work). These were just as awesome with no marshmallows! Husband approved, and I added chocolate chips to the second batch for hint of extra sweetness! Yum! These no marshmallow rice crispy treats are a great alternative so the normal ones - full of processed ingredients! I also used Enjoy Life’s Crunchy Flax Cereal for the ‘rice crispies’. I am a huge advocate for their foods, free of the top 8 allergens (especially gluten & dairy free! I always use their chocolate chips)! You could also swap out half of the honey for some sort of nut butter to help the cereal stick together. What is your favorite indulgence?

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No Marshmallow Rice Crispy Treats
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12 bars
 
Ingredients
  • 1 box enjoy life crunchy flax cereal
  • ½ cup honey (or ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup nut butter)
  • ½ cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Pour cereal in a large mixing bowl
  2. Melt honey, coconut oil & vanilla on a pan on low
  3. Pour honey mixture over cereal until evenly distributed
  4. Add in ½ cup chocolate chips and mix well
  5. Place rice cereal mixture in a 9 X 9 inch pan, pressing down until flat and even
  6. Place pan in the refrigerator for at least one hour
  7. Cut into 12 squares and serve
  8. Best if left refrigerated

 

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Paleo & Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Donut Holes

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If there’s one thing that my husband really loves, it’s chocolate. Lots. Of. Chocolate. We aren’t big donut people, but I was in the mood to make, or try to make, homemade donut holes. Why not, right? Triple chocolate donut holes, nonetheless. Gluten free & paleo. No refined sugars. It took a couple of tries, but this version is a winner. My husband ate the whole batch & repeatedly told me he would eat lots more (good to know). Did I mention they were triple chocolate? I also made a batch of cinnamon vanilla, but I’ll post those later. I don’t need to overload you all on sugar, do I? I’m thinking of doing a little detox myself soon.

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Paleo & Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Donut Holes
Author: 
Recipe type: donut holes
Cuisine: donut
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 15
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup almond flour
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ cup raw cocao + more for dusting
  • ¼ cup enjoy life chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar, honey crystals, or stevia/truvia
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees if using a cake pop mold, or plug in your cake pop maker
  2. Beat egg & coconut sugar together in a bowl
  3. Add egg, vanilla extract, almond milk and coconut oil to egg/sugar mixture & mix well
  4. In a separate bowl, sift cocao, baking soda & almond flour together
  5. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture & mix well
  6. Gently fold in chocolate chips
  7. Add batter to the mold or cake pop maker (I find you get the most rounded shape from overfilling the mold a little bit)
  8. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven, or 7-8 minutes in a cake pop maker
  9. Repeat for second batch (you should get 15-18 donut holes)
  10. When cool, remove from cake pop mold & dust with extra cocao powder

paleoglutenfreetriplechocolatedonutholes

No Bake Cocoa Cranberry Bars

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I’m reallyyyyyy into these no bake cocoa cranberry bars right now. I normally really dislike dried fruit, but with the cashew butter in these no bake bars, and the cocoa, they really are just delicious. I find myself craving them in the afternoons or in the evening after dinner! I don’t have to feel guilty about eating them; no refined sugars, full of protein & fiber, so they are very satisfying. And did I mention they are no bake? (if you like no bake bars, check out the other no bake bar I just posted)! I’m finding that cocoa & cranberry is my new favorite combo! What is your favorite combination in any type of snack bar?

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No Bake Cocoa Cranberry Bars
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12 bars
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw almonds (slivered or whole)
  • 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • ⅔ cup nut butter
  • ½ cup honey or maple syrup
  • ½ cup raw cocao
  • ¼ cup low sugar dried cranberries (or any dried fruit you like!)
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until all the ingredients have stuck together
  2. Press mixture into an 8 X 8 pan and press flat
  3. Place pan in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes
  4. Remove from refrigerator, cut & serve
Notes
Best if kept refrigerated

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Almond Butter Banana Blender Muffins

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Almond Butter Banana Blender Muffins - say that five times fast! I have just been going to town on the almond butter (or cashew butter) lately and when I was searching for some banana recipes on pinterest, and a blender muffin recipe came up. Easy to do, had all the ingredients. Yes. I cannot take all of the credit for this one. I found this inspiration for this over at Thirty Hand Made Days. Really good stuff over there, check Mique and all of her crafting projects out, they are great! I hope you enjoy these muffins, only a few ingredients, and did I repeat, you make them in the blender? Double Awesome Sauce!

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Almond Butter Banana Blender Muffins
Author: 
Recipe type: Muffin
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw nut butter
  • ½ cup enjoy life chocolate chips (optional)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 very ripe bananas, the browner they are, the better
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • Coconut oil for greasing pan (or muffin liners)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Place all ingredients (minus the chocolate chips) in the blender
  3. Pulse until smooth
  4. Fold in chocolate chips
  5. Grease muffin pan or place liners in cups
  6. Distribute batter evenly
  7. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are brown
  8. Remove from oven & wait 10 minutes to cool before serving
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 muffin Calories: 224 Fat: 13 Saturated fat: 4 Carbohydrates: 17 Sugar: 10 Sodium: 94 Fiber: 3 Protein: 8 Cholesterol: 35

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Paleo & Vegan Almond Chocolate Biscotti

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One last chocolate recipe! After this there is no more for a little while, okay? I know I’m not helping you keep that New Years Resolution to lose a few pounds..
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I’ve been back on a baking kick lately, and decided to dive into a biscotti recipe. Almond Chocolate Biscotti, in fact. I love biscotti. It’s dry and crumbly kind of like a scone, but a smaller serving and dunks perfectly in tea or coffee! And a nice little crunch if you choose not to dunk. Plus, who doesn’t like a little chocolate with their coffee & tea? Nevermind that these are paleo, gluten free, vegan, and have no refined sugars! What is your favorite flavor of biscotti?

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Paleo & Vegan Almond Chocolate Biscotti
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 biscotti
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup almond flour
  • ⅓ cup coconut flour
  • ¼ cup raw cacao
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ¼ cup enjoy life chocolate chips (plus more to sprinkle on top, if desired)
  • ¼ cup raw almond slivers (plus more to sprinkle on top, if desired)
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mix all ingredients together (except chocolate chips & almond slivers)
  3. Add chocolate chips & almond slivers (if desired)
  4. Roll into a square, brick shape
  5. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips & almond slivers on top of the biscotti brick if desired
  6. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until sides and bottom begin to brown
  7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for one hour
  8. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
  9. Slice biscotti (I got 6 thicker slices out of my log)
  10. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until biscotti begin to come hard and crunchy
  11. Remove from oven and allow to cool
  12. Enjoy biscotti with coffee or tea

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Chocolate Dessert Hummus

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I promised more chocolate in the last post I did (and there is still more coming… ). I am a huge fan of hummus. I eat it almost every day, sometimes I make it on my own, sometimes I pick it up at the store (I love cilantro/jalapeno). But going along with the sweet treats I’ve been posting, this is a great afternoon or evening snack with some fruit or graham crackers (I like this recipe). Hummus is easy, you throw everything in a blender or food processor and you’re done! Simple. Just what I like. Especially when you are hustling to get things done in the kitchen. This Chocolate Dessert Hummus is a great combination of bringing lots of fiber, protein and chocolate together. You can add coconut, peanut butter, or more chocolate chips and make your own flavor combos as well. Does it get better than that? I don’t think so….

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Chocolate Dessert Hummus
Author: 
Recipe type: Hummus
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 can of organic garbanzo beans (15.5 ounces)
  • ½ cup raw cocao powder
  • ¼ cup enjoy life chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons non dairy milk (or more as needed if you like it a less thick)
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons tahini (or almond/peanut butter)
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in the food processor or blender and buzz until smooth (scraping down the sides as needed)
  2. Serve immediately or hummus can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days

 

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Paleo & Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie Muffins

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IMG_2779I apologize in advance for the obscene amount of chocolate recipes I have coming up to share. I’m not sure what’s going on, but all of the days I’ve been in the kitchen for recipe development have ended up with cocoa powder and chocolate chips! Sometimes that is not necessarily a bad thing. I do love brownies, and I do love muffins (check out my awesome Paleo Brookie recipe here), so I thought that I could do the same in this situation! Why not turn a brownie into a muffin? A paleo, gluten free, decadent chocolate brownie muffin? Well, here it is. Look no further for something you shouldn’t feel guilty about having in the morning for breakfast, in the afternoon for a snack, or as a dessert. Taste testers told me these were sweet, but not too sweet, perfectly moist and had a great texture. I hope you feel the same way, cheers!

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Paleo & Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie Muffins
Author: 
Recipe type: Muffin
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 9 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ cup coconut oil + more for greasing pan if needed
  • ½ cup raw cocao powder
  • ½ cup enjoy life chocolate chips
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside
  3. Mix wet ingredients in a bowl
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
  5. Mix in chocolate chips.
  6. Grease muffin tin
  7. Divide mixture evenly into muffin cups (mine made 9)
  8. Bakers Tip: if you fill the empty cups with water the muffins will cook more evenly!
  9. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean
  10. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes
  11. Enjoy!

 

 

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