Lactation Cookies

 🤱🏻Breastfeeding Mama!! This one’s for you. I have tried a few lactation cookie recipes and they are typically packed with sugar or take a while to make, sometimes using equipment that you need to pull out of the pantry. Who has time for that?! Not this gal. So I came up with this recipe and it took me 35 mins total, including prep, cooking and cooling. It has only 1/4 cup of brown sugar which you can substitute with any sweetener you prefer. TIP: don’t omit the brewers yeast, oats or flax seed, that’s what helps with increasing or maintaining healthy milk supply. 🥛🍼🍪

P.S.🤰🏻Pregnant Mamas, whip up a batch and freeze them for post-partum if you plan to breastfeed. You’ll thank me later! 😬

​P.P.S. Yes, your husband can enjoy them too. No, he won’t start to lactate 😂

 Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups oats  
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons brewers yeast (I used Oat Mama) 
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed  
• 2 tablespoons apple sauce (or 2 eggs) 
•  1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 cup coconut oil (solid)  
• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips of your choosing  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Recipe: 

1.  Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl (except for the chocolate chunks)
2. Mix the applesauce & coconut oil together with the vanilla extract.  
3. Combine the wet & dry ingredients. 
4. Add in the chocolate chips or chunks.  
5. Form cookie shape & bake on 350 for 10-12 minutes. 
6. Sprinkle additional sea salt on top if desired.
7. Enjoy warm :)  

Dark Chocolate Almond Cups

Halloween's got me surrounded by free candy and I am not likin it! Anyone else trying to cut their sugar intake? Welp, we gotta get creative.  I tried making my own Reese's cups since I'm in love with them & I needed a healthier version.  I'm so happy I did! Check it out, let me know what you think?  

Time: 30 mins 

Ingredients:  

• 2 cups unsweetened cacao 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut oil 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar  
• 1 cup almond or peanut butter  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Recipe:  

1. Melt the coconut oil then mix it with the cacao until its dissolved. 
2. Add in the agave, sea salt, and vanilla extract. 
3. Pour about 1.5 tablespoons of the mixture into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners.  
4. Refrigerate the mixture for 2-3 minutes. 
5. Microwave the almond butter for 1 min so it melts.  
6. Pour 1 tablespoon of the almond butter into the cups on top of the chocolate mixture.  
7. Pour enough of the remaining chocolate mixture over the almond butter to cover it.  
8. Refrigerate for 15-20 mins until the "Reese's" harden. Enjoy! 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream can officially be crossed off my list of fears. Hahah I'm almost kidding! I don't have an ice cream maker so this was pretty intimidating for me. I made this recipe eggless, surprisingly not all ice cream is, so it's great for me on fasting days when I don't eat meat, fish, poultry, or eggs. After trying it, and being excited with what it tasted like, I'm here to tell you that you can put those fears to bed. Get em out of your house alltogether. I'm serious, it was so easy! I want to explore all the flavors now!!  

Here's my Mint Chocolate Chip:

Time: 6.5 hours  

Ingredients:  

• 2 cans coconut milk (full fat) 
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk  
• 1.5 teaspoons peppermint extract  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
• green food coloring (optional) 
• 1 tablespoon coconut nectar (as a sweetener) 
• dark chocolate chunks  

Recipe:  

1. In a medium-sized pot, combine the coconut milk & condensed milk.  
2. Mix in the food coloring, a couple drops at a time until you get the desired green.  
3. Let the mixture come to a boil then drop in the extracts and turn off the heat.
4. Allow the mixture to cool completely before mixing in the chocolate chunks. I chopped my chunks smaller so you get a bit of chocolate in every bite.  
5. Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe container & press clear wrap over the top. Then, freeze for at least 6 hours.  

Enjoy with a warm fudge brownie for an extra sweet treat! 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft, chewy, melt in your mouth goodness that are both eggless & glutenfree!! 😱 Yes, we did. Check it out below. 

Time: 1 hour  

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 6 tablespoons sweet cream (salted) or butter. You can use a butter substitute if you want these to be vegan. 
• 1 tablespoon Lactaid
• 2 tablespoons apple sauce  
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup brown sugar  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder  
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate chips if you want this to be vegan)
• coarse sea salt (optional) 

Recipe: 

1. Melt the butter & apple sauce together in the microwave for 30 seconds or until melted. 
2. Add in the lactaid & the vanilla extract. Stir in the brown sugar, let it dissolve, and then set the mixture aside. 
3. Using a food processor, grind the oats into a flour. Pour it in a large bowl.  
4. Add the corn starch and baking powder, using a spatula to combine. 
5. Pour in the wet ingredients mixture & stir until incorporated. The dough will be wet, that's what we want.  
6. Add in the chocolate chips.  
7. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. This helps your cookies turn out chewy. 
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
9. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or foil wrap & spray with cooking spray.  
10. Form 2" balls of the dough and press them into flatter cookies, then lay them 3" apart on the cookie sheet. 
11. Sprinkle with sea salt.  
12. Bake for ONLY 10 minutes.  They will continue to cook on the cookie sheet as they cool and you don't want them to be too dry.  

French Macaron

Oh em gee... probably my favorite dessert ever! And I finally built up the confidence to try making it. The process for macarons is tedious because you need to be really precise & careful at every stage or you'll mess them up. But, if you do follow the process correctly, you'll end up being so happy with the results! Here's my take, enjoy!

Time: 1 hour total for about 25-30 macarons 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup almond flour, finely ground  
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar  
• 3 medium egg whites (or 2 large)
• food coloring if desired  

Recipe:  

1.  Combine the powdered sugar & almond flour then sift them together into a bowl. Set the mixture aside.
2. Mix the egg whites in a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
3. Increase the speed to high then add in the sugar, half at a time. If you are using food coloring, pour that in now. I used 3-4 drops of color for mine. 
4. Leave the mixer on high until you see stiff peaks start forming. Stop the mixer. 
5. The wet ingredients are ready when you can take some into a spatula & the batter falls off in the consistency of lava.  
6. Slowly, half at a time, mix in the dry ingredients. Fold them in slowly, careful not to over mix. After half the mixture is incorporated, add in the second half and do the same folding.  
7. Once the mixture is combined, you can scoop it into a piping bag.  
8. Pipe the batter into a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, using a macaron template (I got mine on Amazon with a silicon piping bag)  or just average about a quarter size for each round. You want to give them enough room to expand slightly as the batter settles. 
9. Once all of the rounds are piped out, lift the cookie sheet & drop it down hard, so it bangs on the countertop a few times, turning it on each bang. This will get rid of any excess air bubbles.   
10. Leave the macarons out for 15-30 minutes until a slight shell appears over them. To test this, gently press your finger on one of them and if no batter comes off onto your finger, they're ready to go!  
11. Bake on 300 for about 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are hard but not browned.  
12. Allow the macarons to cool for 20 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Then, let them cool completely on a cooling rack before filling them. 
13. For the filling, I made salted caramel, dark chocolate ganache, cream cheese icing, and a pistachio filling made by boiling butter, half & half, ground pistachios, and confectioners sugar.  

Salara (Coconut Roll)

MmmmMmm!! This Guyanese classic will make your whole house smell like sweetened coconut! So flaky, soft, slightly sweet, simply delicious. My recipe caters to certain allergies - it is eggless & dairy free. Enjoy!

Time: 1.5 hours  

Ingredients:  

Dough:  

• 3 cups all purpose flour  
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 packet yeast  
• 1 cup warm Lactaid (can use milk if you want)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon apple sauce (this replaces the egg)  
• 1/4 cup shortening  
• 1/4 cup  + 1 teaspoon  white sugar 
• 1 tablespoon I Can't Believe it's not Butter, melted

Filling: 

• 2 cups dried coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup brown sugar  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
• 2-3 spoons water  
• 5-6 drops red food coloring  

Recipe:  

1. Disolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water & the teaspoon white sugar.  
2. Place it in a dark warm area to activate for 10 minutes (I put mine in the microwave with it turned off).  
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, salt, & cinnamon. Once the flour mixture is combined, cut the shortening in (until no chunks remain). 
4. After the yeast activates, add the warm Lactaid, yeast mixture & applesauce to the flour. Knead to form a dough. 
5. Place the dough in a greased basin  (I used vegetable oil to grease mine) covered with foil for 1 hour. Dough will double in size.
6. While the dough is rising, you can make the filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients and mix well so the food coloring is absorbed by all of the coconut. You may need to add more water, you don't want the filling to be very dry.  
7. Once the hour is up & the dough has risen, punch it in the middle so the air comes out. Then, split the dough into 2 equal parts (you'll be making 2 rolls). 
8. Use a rolling pin & a light dusting of flour to roll out each dough to a rectangle.  
9. Scoop half of the filling into each rectangle & spread to distribute evenly. Make sure the filling is all around the edges so you get a really good design!  
10. Bake on 350 for 10 minutes, then brush on some of your melted I Can't Believe it's not Butter, and bake again for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown.  

Let cool completely before cutting into slices.  

Bourbon Maple Pecan Brownie Cake

Omg. Yep, that's the reaction I had too. I started out creating a brownie cake for my brother because he loves brownies. Then I had an idea to add bourbon, because he loves bourbon (who doesn't?). Then I decided the brownie cake looked too plain so I made my own icing... and you know the rest. So easy, so fabulous. 

Time: 1 hour ​

​Ingredients:

• ​1 box brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate)
• 1​/4 cup olive oil 
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil ​
• 1 tablespoon bourbon for the cake mix & another for the icing (I used Angels Envy, use your favorite) ​
• ​1/2 cup confectioners sugar 
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup​
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon​
• 2 splashes of water ​
• 1/4 cup crushed pecans​

Recipe: ​

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brownie mix, 1 tablespoon bourbon, olive oil & vegetable oil. ​The recipe on the brownie box will most likely call for 1 egg, I didn't want to use any eggs so I adjusted with more vegetable oil instead. The above measurements work!) 
2. Pour the brownie mix into a round cake pan (or honestly whatever shape you want!). Bake 2-3 minutes less than the instructions (mine was 325 for 40 minutes). ​The reason I bake it a little less is so the cake is chewy / fudgy. You can test with a toothpick. 
3. While the cake is baking, mix 1/4 cup of the confectioners sugar with the remaining tablespoon of bourbon, cinnamon & a splash of water. ​Once the icing is combined, add in crushed pecans. I bought the pecans for baking because they're already crushed, you can use any kind you have/like. 
4. Once you stir in the pecans, the mixture will become closer to a spread than an icing. ​
5. After the brownie cake bakes & cools, ​run a knife or spatula around the edges to loosen it up, then turn it over on a serving tray/plate. Now it's ready for icing! 
6. Spread the pecan mixture on top of the brownie cake evenly. ​
7. Mix the remaining confectioners sugar with another splash of water to make white icing. A little water goes a long way! ​Tip: I mixed it in a measuring cup so there's a spout for pouring)
8. ​Once the icing is ready, hold the measuring cup about 6 inches above the brownie cake & drizzle in whatever design you like! I did zig zags all over my cake & then swirled the remaining on top. 
9. Let the icing cool for about 20 minutes so it hardens before you cut the cake. Enjoy! ​

Papaya Mango Habanero Jam

The yumminess is unbearable! Use the natural sweetness of mangoes & papayas for a quick & easy jam. I infused mine with a simple syrup with habaneros for a subtle kick! ​

Time: 1.5 hours  

Ingredients: 

• 3 ripe mangoes
• 1 small ripe papaya  
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 Habanero, chopped fine with seeds removed
• 1 cup white sugar for the simple syrup
• 2 cups water for the simple syrup  

Recipe:  

1. Dice the mangoes & papaya into small cubes then add them to a large pot.  
2. Slowly heat the fruit on medium so the cooled down. You don't need to add water because the fruit has its own juices. 
3. After about 10 minutes, add the corn starch & sugar. Stir to combine.  
4. Stir occasionally until the fruit boils down, sort of mushy.  
5. After about 30 minutes, use an immersion blender to smooth out the fruit so it only has a few small chunks left.  
6. In another small pot, make a simple syrup with the sugar, water & habanero. 
7. Add the syrup in the pot with the jam & stir to infuse the jam with habanero.  
8. Once the consistency is thick & jam-like, turn off the heat & let it cool.
9. Refrigerate & enjoy for up to 2 weeks.  

Butterscotch Pecan Cookies

So chewy, so good!!! A butterscotch cookie with a chewy, pecan crunch that makes you want more & more! The surprise is that these are eggless! ​

​Time:​ 1 hour 

Recipe: ​

• 3/4 cups all purpose white flour​
• 1.5 cups old fashioned oats​
• 1 teaspoon baking powder​
• 1​ teaspoon ground cinnamon  
• 1/ cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar​
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract​
• 1 cup butterscotch morsels​
• ​1/2 cup crushed pecan 
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened​
• 1/3 cup fat free m​ilk (I used Lactaid)
• pinch of salt ​

Recipe:​

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. ​
3. Add the vanilla extract, butter & milk. ​
4. Mix all ingredients together until well combined. ​
5. Add butterscotch morsels & pecan pieces.  Mix until evenly distributed. ​
6. Form 1 inch balls of the dough & spread them out on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, about 3" apart.
7. ​Bake for 20-30 minutes or unit golden brown. 

Coconut Pecan Fudge Bars

Sinfully delicious... without the sin! I keep seeing people use medjool dates as a natural, healthy sweetner in desserts, but I could never imagine those desserts tasting so delicious!  This raw, vegan, glutenfree dessert will have you grabbing for more. A true guiltless pleasure! 

 Time: 15 mins 

Ingredients: 

• 1 pack medjool dates, pits removed
• 1 cup chopped pecans - raw  
• 1 tablespoon salt  
• 1 cup candied pecans (optional) 
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips  (vegan)
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted  
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon  
• 1 cup shredded coconut flakes, unsweetened

Recipe:  

1. In a large food processor, pulse the dates, salt, cinnamon, 1/2 cup of the coconut oil & the chopped raw pecans until a smooth mixture forms.  
2. In a large Pyrex, spread a thin layer of the coconut flakes.  
3. Press the date mixture into the Pyrex so it forms a sheet layer of "fudge" over the coconut flakes.  
4. Mix the chocolate chips & the rest of the coconut oil together until smooth (melt in the microwave for ~15 seconds if needed). 
5. Pour the chocolate mixture over the date mixture & spread to coat evenly. 
6. Sprinkle candied pecans over the chocolate if desired. 
7. Refridgerate for at least 2 hours.  
8. Cut into squares, serve & enjoy!  

Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks!  

Oat Apple Pie

Naturally glutenfree & vegan! And cinnamony & applely & yummy. Try this next time you're craving a warm, holiday dessert in the summertime. 

Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients: ​

• 2 large apples, sliced thin (I used a mandolin) ​
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar ​
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon ​
• 2 teaspoons sea salt ​
• 2 cups oats ​
• ​1/2 cup coconut oil 
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar ​
• 1/4 warm water if needed for the crust ​

Recipe: ​

1. Grind the oats to a flour in a food processor.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of the sea salt, ​the coconut oil, agave, & water if needed. Pulse until a dough forms. 
3. Place the crush mixture on a table or cutting board & roll it out to fit your pie pan. You want the crust to be about 1/4 inch thick. ​
4. Transfer the crust to a pan & press the edges down so it keeps its shape. ​
5. Bake the crust on 425 for about 15 mins. ​
6. While the crust is baking, mix the sliced apples, leftover cinnamon & salt, & brown sugar in a bowl. ​Lower the heat to 375.
7. Fill the pie crust with the apple mixture & bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the apples are crisp & the crust is golden. ​

Carrot Cake

If you know me personally, you know I loooove carrot cake! It's the perfect mix of not too sweet and not quite savory. I went a little ambitious & made an eggless, bundt carrot cake with my own carrot cream cheese icing. Recipe uses a bit of ingredients but it is so easy to put together & so worth it!

Time: ​1 hour 

Ingredients: ​

• 2.5 cups shredded carrots ​
• 1 cup apple sauce ​
• 3 cups all purpose flour ​
• 1 tablespoon baking soda ​
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder ​
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon​
• 1 teaspoon ground glove ​
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger ​
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg​
• 1 tablespoon salt ​
• 1/2 cup white sugar ​
• 1.5 tablespoons molasses ​
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil ​
• 1/4 cup milk or lactaid as needed if the icing is too thick
• 1/2 pack plain light cream cheese ​
• 1 teaspoon vanilla ​
• 1 cup confectionary sugar ​
• PAM spray or other cooking spray ​

Recipe: ​

1. Put the carrots in a large basin (leave about 1 tablespoon aside for the icing) Add the vegetable oil, molasses, ground spices, salt, baking soda & powder, white sugar & applesauce. Mix to combine. ​
2. ​Slowly start adding the flour & keep stirring to combine. If it feels like the mixture is becoming too dry, you used enough flour. 
3. Spray the cake pan with cooking spray, especially if you're using a bundt pan, so the cake won't stick to it. ​
4. Bake on 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on what kind of pan you used. ​
5. While the cake is baking, use a stand mixer to whip the icing together (cream cheese, vanilla, tablespoon of shredded carrots & milk or lactaid).​
6. Once the cake is baked, let it cool almost completely so that you can turn it over & the bundt will stay in form. ​
7. Glaze with the icing & enjoy!  You can freeze this cake and save pieces of it for months to enjoy :). ​

Salted Caramel Flan

Decadence at its finest. This recipe is so easy it will surely be a recurring dessert in your household after the first attempt! Salted caramel over creamy, cinnamony flan.. topped with fresh berries. This is a perfect summer treat! 

Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:  

• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon  
• 2 large eggs (or 3 regular sized eggs) 
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt  

Recipe: 

1. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar & sea salt on low heat until melted completely into a caramel.  
2. Immediately pour the mixture to the bottom of a 9" cake pan. It will cool very quickly so this step is critical or you will need to reheat the sugar again.  
3. Mix the eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, & ground cinnamon together in a basin or pot. Mix until smooth. 
4. Pour this mixture over the caramel. 
5. Take a long Pyrex pan that will fit the cake pan inside it, add boiling water about 1/2 full. Put the Pyrex in the oven first, then place the cake pan inside of it. 
6. Bake on 350 for 60 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The flan will be jiggly.
7. Let cool, run a sharp knife along the edge, then take a plate or serving platter and place it on top of the cake pan. Flip it over so the flan falls out evenly on top of the dish.  
8. Add fresh berries if desired & enjoy! Refrigerate for storage.  

Eggless Peppermint Fudge Chocolate Bites

Decadent fudgey bites of chocolate brownie with a hint of mint - covered in peppermint snow! So fast, so easy, so good!

Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 candy canes, crushed

Recipe:

1. Melt the chocolate chips & the butter in the microwave for 1 min.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the apple sauce and sugar together. 
3. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together - then slowly stir it into the bowl with the apple sauce mixture. 
6. Mix in 2 of the crushed candy canes until smooth.
7. Pour the mixture to the pan and bake for 30 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let cool completely - then scoop 1 inch parts of the brownies into your hands and form into balls. 
9. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes over the balls and enjoy!

Vegan Coconut Bites

Take a break from the sugary, fatty desserts this holiday season and try some vegan coconut bites!  Made with 4 simple ingredients, these no-bake treats taste so good you won't miss the calories!  The best part?  They take 15 mins to make! 

Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw oats
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar

Recipe: 

1. Put all ingredients in the food processor and pulse to a fine grain.  It will start to become dough-like. Add more agave if the mixture is loose.
2. Take about a tablespoon of the mixture in the palm of your hand and squeeze it so it holds together, then form it into a round ball.
3. Place it on wax paper to display or on a nice platter.  Enjoy!

No Bake Pistachio Sea-Salt Fudge Bars

Guiltless bliss! These take only 15 mins to make & are wayyyy healthier than eating real fudge. They're also gluten-free & vegan!

Time: 15 mins 

Ingredients: 

• 1 ten oz container (or 1.5 cups) pitted dates 
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt 
• 2 teaspoons flax seed flakes 
• 2 teaspoon coconut oil 
• 1 tablespoon pistachio crumbs (pounded pistachios)
• 2 additional tablespoons of pistachio crumbs for rolling the bars in

Recipe:

1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients & pulse until a fine mixture forms. Add more coconut oil if the mixture is too dry (it should look moist, but not wet).
2. Using your fingers, form small rectangular bars with about 1 spoonful of the mixture for each (see image below).
3. Put the remaining pistachio crumbs in a small sandwich bag. Add the bars one at a time to the bag & shake it so the pistachio crumbs cover each bar. 
4. That's it! You can refrigerate these if you want them cold, or just serve them as-is!

Eggless Banana Bread

Don't throwout your brown bananas... make banana bread!!  I came up with this easy peesy banana bread recipe + it's eggless and it tastes like a milkshake.  YUM!

Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 2-3 ripe bananas (overripe - even brown is best!)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon apple sauce
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Recipe:

1. Peel the bananas and mush them in a medium bowl so there's some small chunks left. 
2. Add all other ingredients and stir until combined - you don't want to over-stir or it will make the bread hard.
3. Pour the mixture in a loaf-pan and sprinkle with more cinnamon if desired (I did!)
4. Bake on 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
5. Serve slightly toasted or as-is! 

Optional: You can add chocolate chips or walnuts inside the batter for a crunchy surprise! 

Candy Cane Cookies

'Tis the season to be chubby!  So let's embrace it and eat more cookies.  YEA!!  :D

I have a huge love for anything peppermint flavored, and these cookies hit the spot!  Every bite has tiny crunches of candy canes, yet you still have the fluffy goodness of a warm, fresh-baked cookie. The best part?  This recipe is fast and easy!  Enjoy

Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 candy canes

Recipe:

1. Soften the butter in a microwave for 30 seconds, then whisk it until fluffy.
2. Add salt, egg, sugar and peppermint extract to the butter and whip together until well combined.
3. Place the candy canes unwrapped into a ZipLoc bag, seal it.  Using a rolling pin, pound the candy canes into small crumbs.  Don't pound them to a powder, or they won't look like candy cane pieces in the cookies.
4. Add the candy cane crumbs and the flour to the bowl and mix it in until all ingredients are combined.  Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
6. Take the cookie dough of the fridge and form small 1 inch rounds, placing each on an un-greased cookie sheet.  Ensure the cookies are spaced out by at least 1.5 inches. 
7. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the cookies are golden brown and cooked through. 
8. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 mins before serving.  Enjoy!

Healthier Birthday Cake Bites

This is a variation of my raw cookie dough bites - but with some chocolate syrup and sprinkles!  Surprise your favorite birthday girl or boy with these delicious homemade Birthday Cake Bites!

Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup vegan dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup coconut oil + additional 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (for the chocolate syrup)
• Sprinkles

Recipe:

1. In a food processor, combine almond butter, rice flour, oats, honey, agave nectar, cinnamon & nutmeg
2. Remove from food processor and fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips
3. Form cookie dough balls
4. Mix coconut oil with additional chocolate chips and melt (using a double boiler or microwave on low heat for 20 seconds)
5. Drizzle the balls with the chocolate syrup mixture, add sprinkles & enjoy!

Serving suggestions:

1. Store in a refrigerator or freezer
2. Add lollipop sticks to create cake pops

No-Bake Coconut Chocolate Bars

Fabulously easy!  Try this fast, no-bake recipe for your next chocolate fix!

Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsweatened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Recipe:

1. Pulse shredded coconut, honey, ground cinnamon & vanilla extract in a food processor.
2. Form bars whatever shape or size you like - you have to squeeze them together with your hand so the shape holds.  Let them freeze for at least 10 mins.
3. Mix unsweetened cocoa powder with coconut oil in a bowl. (Tip: you can use margarine or butter instead).  *Add more coconut oil if the mixture is too thick - you want it to be thin enough so you can dip the bars in without them breaking apart*
4. Take bars out of the freezer and dip them into the chocolate mixture, then set them on parchment paper.
5. Dust with cocoa powder & set in the refrigerator for at least 15 mins before devouring.
6. Enjoy!