Tag Archives: #healthydesserts

Festive Peppermint Brownies

It’s Christmas, so I was trying to make something to bring to bring to my Mom’s house. This was so easy. I just made my Perfect Paleo Brownies (Vegan & Gluten-free) and added a twist for Christmas by added a dark chocolate icing and some crushed candy canes. Merry Christmas!

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Festive Peppermint Brownies

  • Servings: ~8
  • Difficulty: easy
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These gluten-free, refined-sugar free, and vegan brownies are easily made into a Christmas dessert with peppermint and a rich dark chocolate icing.


Credit: My Real Dish

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup vegan butter softened (I used olive oil, soy-free Earth Balance)
  • Egg Replacer for 2 eggs (I used 3 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer and 4 tablespoons warm water) or 2 eggs (if not vegan or allergic)
  • 4 oz chocolate chips (Use Lily’s Baking Chips to make a sugar-free & vegan – they are sweetened with stevia for Paleo Brownies, or Enjoy Life chips to make them vegan, but they won’t be Paleo)
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ⅔ cup cacao powder
  • 1 ½ cup almond flour (I used Blue Diamond that I bought at Costco)
  • ¼ teaspoon real salt
  • ¼ baking soda

Dark Chocolate Icing

  • 1 can chilled coconut cream (I keep in the refrigerator overnight, hard creamy part only)
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons Xylitol Powdered “Sugar” or Powdered Sugar

Optional:

  • candy canes crushed
  • 1 drop Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil


Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350, and lightly grease an 8-inch baking pan.
  2. Melt vegan butter and chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove, stir and microwave for 15 seconds. Or, melt them on low heat in a medium saucepan.
  3. Prepare egg replacer in a glass mixing bowl (3 teaspoons egg replacer and 4 tablespoons warm water). Stir to combine to a nice paste.
  4. In a mixing bowl combine the applesauce, coconut sugar, vanilla, butter/chocolate mixture, cacao, and egg replacer. Beat well to incorporate.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda.
  6. Add to dry ingredients to wet and mix until well combined.
  7. Add 1 – 2 drops Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil (if desired extra peppermint flavor, but not necessary). It can be purchased here.
  8. Spread evenly into greased pan.
  9. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes.
  10. Let cool completely.
  11. Make dark chocolate icing by scooping the hard creamy part of the coconut cream, and blending with a high-powered mixer with cocoa powder and Xylitol Powdered “Sugar” or Powdered Sugar until well combined. Will be creamy and thick.
  12. Spread icing on brownies and top with crushed candy canes (if desired).

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What did you bake for Christmas?

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Mayan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

I had never made Chia Pudding. So when I was considering the flavor that I wanted to make – I had a flashback to one of the best coffees that I have ever had at Coffee & Art in San Diego; it was called a Mayan Mocha. This special coffee inspired this dish, and I wish that this chia seed pudding could bring the beach and perfect weather with it. Anyway, you will savor the flavors of cacao, agave, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut cream in this pudding – it’s just a special combination.Chia Seed Pudding

  • Servings: 3
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This Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding is a healthy, easy, delicious, gluten-free, and vegan dessert or breakfast.


Credit: myrealdish.com

Ingredients

  • 1 can or 2 cups of full fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen)
  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cacao powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Blue Agave Syrup 
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder


Directions

  1. Put all ingredients into your Vitamix or blender in order to make it smooth.
  2. Stir in your chia seeds.
  3. Put in a container and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
  4. Optional: top with a coconut whipped topping (you can find my recipe here) and drizzle with the Best Vegan Chocolate Sauce.
  5. Makes a great breakfast or dessert.


Tahini Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

My son cannot eat peanuts. So when Trader Joe’s put the Tahini on the end cap display by the checkout, it inspired me to make my sweet boy some cookies that he could eat! I had never had Tahini before, so I didn’t know what to expect.IMG_1560

The tahini cookie batter consistency was just like that of a peanut butter cookie.

IMG_1561.JPGI rolled the batter into balls, and I used a meat beater in order to see what the pattern would look like, but then decided to dip the fork in water and press – the old fashioned way.

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The result was a crispy wafer tahini cookie, which rivaled a peanut butter cookie (in my humble opinion). But regardless, he didn’t have an allergic reaction to them, so that’s a win in my recipe book!

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My daughter wanted to make sandwich cookies, so we made a vanilla filling. Honestly, I was already happily eating the crunchy tahini goodness with a glass of homemade cashew milk, but she was persistent. The kids often inspire my recipes, because I bake to not only make them healthier gluten-free vegan treats, but also to avoid allergic reactions.

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On the other hand, my son, my husband, and I prefer chocolate EVERYTHING, so I pulled a jar of the Best Vegan Chocolate Sauce from the fridge. It’s thick and spreadable, so I used it as a filling! FYI – I didn’t spread and leave the sandwich cookies sitting out, because we ate all of them before I could blink! However, I’m afraid the sauce would melt if you did. I would fill the tahini cookies right before eating each one, or keep them in the fridge. IMG_1583.JPG

Gluten-free and vegan deliciousness!

tahini cookie pinterest

  • Difficulty: easy
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A crunchy gluten-free and vegan tahini cookie

These tahini wafer cookies are gluten and sugar cane free and vegan. Eat them plain or make a sandwich cookie with chocolate or vanilla filling. If you use the chocolate filling recipe, it contains cane-sugar.

Ingredients

– 1/2 cup (~1 stick) vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

– 3/4 cup tahini butter (I used Trader Joe’s)

– 1/2 cup coconut sugar

– 1/2 cup maple sugar (I use Coombs Family Farms Maple Sugar from Fresh Thyme, but you can use brown sugar too)

– Egg replacer for 1 egg (1 ½ teaspoon Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water)

– 1/2 teaspoon gluten free pure vanilla extract

– 1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour (I used Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend)

– 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Sandwich Cookie Filling (Optional)

Vanilla Filling:

– 2 tablespoon melted vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

– 1 tablespoon almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)

– 3/4 – 1 cup powdered xylitol or confectioner’s sugar

Chocolate Filling:

Follow the recipe for the Best Vegan Chocolate Sauce.


Directions

  1. The chocolate filling: if you chose to make the chocolate filling click here for the recipe, it's best to prepare this the night before or at least a couple hours before in order to let it cool and firm in the fridge so that it is spreadable.
  2. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Heat your water for the egg replacer - I used a tea kettle.
  4. Add vegan butter, tahini, and both sugars to a mixing bowl.
  5. Cream with the paddle attachment for the mixer until they are well combined.
  6. Switch your attachment for your mixer to a regular beater.
  7. Prepare your egg replacer.
  8. Add egg replacer and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until combined.
  9. Shape 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball.
  10. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
  11. Place dough balls 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  12. Make a design on your cookies with a small dish of warm water and a fork. Dip the fork's tines in water each time before you press. You can also try the meat beater to make a pattern, but it wasn't as pretty.
  13. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes until they are brown; rotate the baking sheets between the oven shelves halfway through baking (at ~9 minutes).
  14. The vanilla filling: If you chose to make the vanilla filling, make it while they are baking with a hand mixer. Mix the butter and non-dairy milk slowly adding the powdered xylitol (or powdered sugar) 1/4 cup at a time, mixing until smooth. You may need extra xylitol until it thickens well or matches your desired level of sweetness.
  15. When cookies are finished baking, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
  16. Once they have cooled, fill them with icing if desired (refrigerate any remaining sandwich cookies) unfilled cookies, or in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

 

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