Chocolate Muffins with Zucchini

I made these this morning and adapted them from the Happy Herbivore's version. 

Ingredients

1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa

1¼ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 T ground flax seed mixed with 6 T water - mix and then set aside

½ cup raw sugar (I used organic evaporated cane juice)

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ rice milk cup 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup shredded zucchini

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Spray paper or silicone liners with non-stick spray.

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. 

In another bowl, mix the ground flax seed mix with applesauce and sugar. Add in rice milk , vanilla, and zucchini. Stir until evenly combined. Add flour mix to wet mix and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into greased muffin pan and bake 18-20 minutes. 

These muffins can be frozen.

Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream

This is from The Londoner, a blog that I will be reading for a while.  Because she wrote this post. 

Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients and Directions:

Chop up a bunch of bananas, pile them on a plate and put them in the freezer for 5 hours or overnight if possible.

When they are frozen, put them in the blender or food processor and blend until it is a smooth mush.

Add 2-3 heaped teaspoons of cocoa powder (or chocolate shakeology or tropical shakeology if you want a tropical fruity ice cream) and a swirl of pure maple syrup or make it peppermint flavored with a drop of doTERRA Peppermint oil....or orange...Oh, the possibilities are endless!

If you like it soft, just scoop it into a bowl and enjoy. 

Or stick it in tupperware and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. 

I think I have found a new recipe for when I am watching The Biggest Loser.

Chocolate-Banana "Ice Cream"

 Freeze a banana, then combine with 2 Tbsp of Chocolate Shakeology (or Tropical if you want a tropical flavor!).  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Dairy free!

Chocolate-Strawberry Truffle Pie

Chocolate-Strawberry Truffle Pie

(Makes 1 pie)

2.5 cups strawberries, or other berries (250g) (I used frozen)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder or cacao
1.5 cups cashews (150g)
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
3 stevia packets (or 1/4 cup agave) (Plus extra as desired)
1/8 tsp salt

In a bowl, cover the cashews with water and let sit at least 4 hours. Then drain. Combine all ingredients in a Vita-Mix or high-powered blender or food processor. If using stevia, add 4-5 tablespoons water. (Omit the water if using agave.) Blend until super-smooth. Taste and add more sweetener until desired taste is reached. (I added 2 tablespoons extra agave to half the pie… and I kept the entire bitter side all to myself. Muahahaha!) Pour into a prepared pie crust (see below for a crust recommendation), and freeze.

If you can’t have nuts, try this recipe: (Nut-Free) Raw Chocolate Pie.

For crust, I highly recommend: Hot Chocolate Crust.

From Chocolate Covered Katie!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe out of the Happy Herbivore cookbook.  It is egg free and very low in fat.  It also makes a small recipe - about 18 cookies.  I made it for five kids, two of which have egg allergies and one of which has a peanut allergy.  They declared them thumbs up.  They are very light and soft.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup non dairy milk

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp fine salt

1 T. cornstarch

a few dashes of cinnamon

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, vanilla, and non-dairy milk.

3.  In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cornstarch, and cinnamon.

4.  Transfer the dry mixture into the wet mixture in three batches.  Stir until almost combined.

5.  Fold in chocolate chips.

6.  Drop spoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes for a soft and light cookie, or a few minutes more for a firmer cookie, being careful not to burn.  I used a non-stick cookie sheet.  If yours isn't smooth, I would recommend spraying it with non-stick spray.

Calories: 61, Fat: .07g, Cholesterol: 0g, Carbs: 12.5g, Sugars: 6.2g, Protein: 1g

No Bake Energy Bites

My bestie found this recipe on Pinterest and we love it.  I tweaked it a little bit, but love it all the same!

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup Natural Peanut Butter, Almond Butter or Hempnut Butter

1/3 cup of Agave

1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup of ground flax

1/2 cup of non dairy mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix together in a bowl and chill for a while in the fridge.  Roll into balls and you can refrigerate or freeze them.  Great for after school snacks!

Neopolitan Ice Cream Shake

This has got to be my absolute FAVORITE Shakeology recipe of all time.  Neopolitan ice cream is my favorite flavor (yes, I know it is three flavors) and I can't have it anymore.  I don't miss it because of this!

1 cup filtered water

1 cup vanilla coconut milk

1 scoop of Chocolate Shakeology

7-8 frozen strawberries

Blend in a high powered blender like a Vitamix (or let the strawberries thaw a little bit) and enjoy!

Three-ingredient Chocolate Bars

Hot Chocolate Bars

(gluten-free)

Or you can make chocolate chips!

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
• 1/4 cup agave or use NuNatural vanilla stevia drops (I use 10 drops. Triple or quadruple that amount if you don’t like extra-bitter chocolate.)
• optional: extracts, cocoa nibs, or other add-ins

Melt coconut oil, then add agave or stevia drops. Stir, then add cocoa powder (and add 3-4 T water or nondairy milk if using stevia.). Stir stir stir! Stir until it gets thick. Pour into any flat container (or candy molds or smush between layers of wax paper or in ziploc bags). Fridge or freeze.

Once hardened, you can also opt to melt the bars again for chocolate sauce. Or chop them up for healthy 100% sugar-free chocolate chips!  Which is how I plan to use them!

From Chocolate-Covered Katie

Candyland Peppermint Bark

Candyland Peppermint Bark

(gluten-free)

• 1/2 cup coconut butter or Homemade Coconut Butter
• 1 drop pure doTerra Peppermint Essential Oil
• 1 and 1/2 T agave (or to taste), or stevia drops to taste (I actually like it unsweetened, so you can try that too!)
• optional: sprinkles, crushed candy canes, other garnishes

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. (Make sure to melt your coconut butter first if it’s hard. I like to stick the jar in a warm—not hot—oven for just a few minutes.) Spread the mixture onto wax paper, then put it in the fridge or freezer to harden. After just a few minutes in the freezer, it’s become delicious bark!

Chocolate version: Replace coconut with Hot Chocolate Butter.

Original Recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie.

No-Bake Granola Bars

Frosty No-Bake Granola Bars

Adapted from Oh She Glows

Makes 12

2 large overripe bananas
1 cup oats
1/2 cup crunchy cereal
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp peanut butter or other nut or seed butter
2 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp dried cranberries or other fruit
2 – 4 tsp cocoa powder

Line a muffin pan with paper liners, or use a silicone muffin pan for easy removal.  Mash the bananas.  Add wet ingredients and cocoa powder and mix well.  Add all other ingredients, mix well then press into prepared muffin tin.  Freeze at least 60 minutes before serving.

Variation: I made these a couple of times and felt like they were too big and they soften rather quickly.  I used mini-muffin tins to make 24 for a neighborhood party instead.  

Original Recipe: Food Doodles

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Babies

I wish I had taken a picture of these, but they were gone too fast.  This makes a recipe of about 7 "Babies".  It's small, fast, and we literally made them and ate them in 17 minutes.  The kids walked by and asked to try them and loved them.  Perfect for a quick "dessert".  No oven needed.

2/3 cups pitted dates

1/4 cup raw almonds, raw cashews, or raw walnuts (we used walnuts)

1/4 tsp vanilla

about 1/8 cup of rolled oats 

a small handful of mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)

Blend dates, nuts, and vanilla in a food processor or Vitamix until they are pulverized and start to form somewhat of a dough.  Then dump into a bowl and mix in the mini chocolate chips.  Form into small balls.  Eat. 

The next time you need to take easy treats to something - try doubling or tripling the recipe on these!  I'm going to make them for the kids as often as possible.

Original Recipe at Chocolate Covered Katie