Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is simple, tasty, and much healthier than regular chocolate chip cookies. They are made of whole wheat pastry flour, so you are not consuming "empty" white flour calories. They have only 1/4 cup of sugar in the whole batch compared to 1 1/2 cups in the classic Nestle Toll House Recipe**.

I often make these cookies for non-vegans who are impressed by how tasty they are. A few years ago, I had an incentive in my classroom that resulted in my baking for them at the end of the week. These cookies were among their favorites!

One problem can be finding vegan chocolate chips. Whole Foods sells them guaranteed vegan. Trader Joe's used to sell a dairy free version. Last I checked they still don't have dairy added, but are not guaranteed dairy free.  You can also buy the Chocolate Dream Chocolate Chips at a health food store. Finally, some people (unfortunately I am not one of them) enjoy carob as a replacement for chocoalte. You can easily use carob chips in this recipe.





Cook Time:
Prep 8 minutes
Cook 10 minutes

Yield: 24 cookies

Recipe
2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
1/4 cup raw sugar (try to find a version that is finely ground. If you cannot, let the sugar sit in the milk for a few minutes to dissolve).
1/2 canola oil (or any vegetable oil)
1/3 cup soy or any non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.Place the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a whisk  until well combined.
3. In a smaller bowl combine the sugar, oil, soy milk, and vanilla. Mix until well combined with a whisk.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a cookie spatula until the flour is completely mixed in.
5. Roll into small balls (about one inch) and place on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Place the cookie tray on a cooking rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing cookies and placing them on a cooking rack.






**The Nestle Toll House Recipe yields about twice as many cookies. Therefore, to compare more equally Nestle's recipe would require about 3/4 cup of sugar to make the same number of cookies.

Leave a note to let me know how they turned out!

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake is one of my all time favorite vegan things to make and eat! I made it this past weekend for my dad's birthday. It was enjoyed by vegans and non-vegans alike!

The cake itself is chocolate and moist. There is a little sweetness, but the overwhelming flavor is chocolate with a hint of coffee. The frosting brings it all together. The frosting is sweet and chocolatey with a peanut butter flavor. Together, the frosting and cake make for a delightful after dinner (or anytime as we proved with the leftovers) treat.

This cake is inspired by a Moosewood Cookbook favorite.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of unbleached white flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee
1/2 cup oil (you can use coconut or vegetable oil)
1 cup of cold brewed coffee
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Frosting
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup soy milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, sugar, and coffee together until well combined.
4. In a large bowl, combine oil, coffee, and vanilla.
5. Combine liquid and dry ingredients.
6. Add vinegar and combine without over-stirring.
7. Bake for 25-40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool.

The cake cooling

9. Melt the chocolate over medium-low heat until melted.
10. In a food processor or with an electric mixer, combine peanut butter and soy milk until smooth.
11. Add confections sugar and the melted chocolate.
12. When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting on the cake.
13. Sprinkle with coconut and coco powder.

Leave a note to share what toppings you could add!

Vegan Mother's Day - Earl Gray Tea Cookies

Have you been searching for the perfect vegan treat for Mother's Day tomorrow? These cookies were fantastic, beautiful, and easy to make. You probably have all of the ingredients in your house now!

This recipe was inspired by Martha Stewart.

Ingredients
2 cups of white flour
2 tablespoons finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves (about 6 Twining's bags)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of Earth Balance (at room temperature)
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of lemon rind grated

Method

1. Whisk flour, salt, and tea in a small bowl.
2. Place the Earth Balance, sugar, zest, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes. Make sure everything is well-combinded.
4. Add the flour mixture in three parts, until the batters are combined.
5. Divide the dough in half and place each on a large piece of parchment paper.
6. Spread the dough out so both are in long thin pieces.
7. Roll the parchment about 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter. I flatten the sides before putting the dough in the freezer.
8. Let dough freeze for 1 about hour.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Cut logs into 1/4 inch slices. Line the cookie trays with parchment paper. Space 1 inch apart on the cookie tray.
11. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes until the edges start to turn gold.
12. Let cool before serving with some early gray tea!

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Puffed Rice Bars

I have been craving chocolate all weekend. First I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies but I ran out of time. Then I wanted a vegan chocolate chip cookie sandwich at Crazy Burger but I was too full.

I wanted decided to make something sweet but somewhat healthy. I found an awesome recipe for puffed quinoa cookies on Pintrist that inspired me to make these bars. These bars were very easy, quick, and delicious!

This recipe is great because it doesn't use sugar but maple syrup. I am trying to stay away from using sugar, especially refined sugar, in my desserts as much as possible. The chocolate went really well with the Kumquats!


Ingredients
1 tsp vegan butter (Earth Balance)
1 cup of vegan chocolate chips
1 cup of homemade peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup of soy milk
3 cups of puffed rice

Method
1. Heat 1 tsp of Earth Balance on medium low heat until it melts evenly.
2. Add the chocolate and mix consistently until all the chocolate is melted.
3. Mix together the peanut butter, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, and soy milk together until well combined.
4. Fold in the puffed rice until the peanut butter mixture is evenly distributed.
5. Line a 8X8 baking dish with parchment paper.
6.  Pour the rice mixture into the baking dish and press down.
7. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top and spread with a spatula so that all of the rice is covered.
8. Put the baking dish in the freezer for about 2 hours. You can leave it in for longer if needed.

Before Freezing

After Freezing

9. When you take it out, let the pan sit for about 5 minutes before cutting so the chocolate doesn't crack.
10. Your treat is ready to eat!

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are easy, delicious, and vegan! The dough and the cookies are equally as amazing. They are more traditional than my other vegan peanut butter cookies, with the fork crisscross on top. These cookies are not too sweet and have a strong peanut butter taste. They make a great snack or dessert!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 dash salt (if using unsalted peanut butter)
1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup of organic peanut butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil (canola, palm or coconut)
1/2 cup soy or almond milk

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon) together in a large bowl.
3. Mix the peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, oil, and milk together in a small bowl.
4. Add the small bowl ingredients to the large bowl and stir until well combined.
5. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Let cool on the cookie pan for 5 minutes before moving to the cooling rack.

Vegan Spring Recipes!

Flowers at the Prospect Park Farmers Market

Spring is here and instead of root veggies I want more fresh greens and fruit. I am officially ready to move into my spring recipes and say goodbye to my winter recipes until next year. Below are some of my favorite spring recipes. I will continue to add to them so stay tuned for more.

Vegan Spring Salad
This salad if full of spring veggies. The radishes, broccoli, cucumber, celery, and snow peas add a lot of crunch to a salad of mixed greens.








Get Your Greens Smoothie
This is one of my all time favorite smoothies. The
spinach and pineapple give it a sweet flavor while the kale adds a little earthy taste. I could eat this smoothie every morning!

Pesto!
Nothing says warm weather is coming like some fresh pesto. This pesto is flavorful and goes great on bread or your favorite pasta.

Pita Pizza

These pesto pizzas are light and go great with a nice big green salad. They are also quick and easy so you can spend more time outside enjoying the warmer weather.











No Bake Strawberry Pie
This is one of my all time favorite desserts. It is incredibly healthy, low in sugar, and very fresh tasting.

Baked Pineapple Tempeh
Pineapple Tempeh goes great with a fresh green salad or as a side. The sweet pineapple reminds you that winter is ending and sweeter fruits and on their way.

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are incredibly easy to make, a filling snack, and low in sugar. They are my go to when I need a snack for work the next day. They are essentially granola made into cookies. The banana makes them moist and the oatmeal makes them filling. There is a slight sweet flavor from the maple syrup. Best of all, they only take 10 minutes to make!

 Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup of peanut butter

3 tbsp. maple syrup

3 tbsp. soy milk 

1 tsp. cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)

1 dash salt

1/4 cup flour

Ingredients before adding flour and oats

2 1/4 cups of oats

Optional: 1 cup of raisins or craisins 

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Mash 2 overripe bananas.
3. Mix in peanut butter, maple syrup, soy milk, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Stir in the flour.
5. Fold in oats 1 cup at a time.
6. If you are adding raisins or craisins, add here.
7. Place heaping teaspoonfuls on the cookie tray lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake for 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit until slightly browned on the bottom.

Uncooked cookies ready for baking!

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

The finished product!

St. Patrick's Day is creeping upon us (in case you are wondering it is Sunday, March 17th). Here is a simple Vegan Irish Soda Bread recipe you can make using ingredients you probably already have in your house. The end result was not as dry as traditional Irish Soda bread but it had a similar flavor. This recipe was inspired by a new blog I am following, Hungry Gnomes.

Make an X in the uncooked dough

Ingredients
2 cups of soy milk
2 tsp. apple-cider vinegar
4 cups plus 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. raw sugar
1 cup raisins








Method 
1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk the soy milk and apple-cider vinegar until the milk becomes foamy. Set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar together.
4. Blend the wet and dry ingredients together. The dough will be very dry, this is good!

The batter will be dry

5. Add raisins!
6. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes adding the 2 tbps. of flour here if needed. You will know you need a little more flour if the dough is extremely sticky. Mine was and this really helped.
7. Place the batter in a 8 inch pie tin with parchment paper.
8. Sprinkle with a little flour.
9. Make an X using a serrated knife.
10. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a knife comes out clean.
11. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and let cool for about 10 minutes before eating.
12. Enjoy with a cup of tea or soy milk!

Want more vegan St. Patrick's Day recipes? Check out some more ideas from a recent post here. 

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter!

I have two addictions, chocolate and peanut butter. I have been obsessed with peanut butter ever since I can remember. As a child, I ate it right out of the jar (but of course never anymore). I still remember when I discovered Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter from The Peanut Butter Company in college. I would splurge on a $6 small jar and eat it all in a few days. In an attempt to replicate this, I decided my first attempt at making peanut butter would be chocolate peanut butter.

The Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter that I loved so much in college

Ingredients

1. 2 1/2 cups unsalted organic peanuts

2. 4 dates

3. 3 tbsp coco powder

4. 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

5. 1tsp vanilla

6. 1tbsp honey (or any other sweetener)

7. 1/2 tsp salt

8. 1 tbsp oil (You can use most kinds in your house. I used grape seed oil and it worked well)

Method

1. Blend the peanuts in the food processor. At first it will just seem very dry, let it continue for about 2 minutes, scrapping the sides as needed, and it will start to become a little more moist. 

2. Add the dates and blend again. The dates help to sweeten the peanut butter as well moisten the peanut butter. This will mean less added oil later.

3. Add coco powder and chocolate chips and blend again.

4. Add vanilla, honey, salt and blend. 

5. Slowly add 1 tbsp of oil. You can add more if you would like, I found that I really didn't need any more than that.

6. Place in canisters and refrigerate.

I got 3 canisters of peanut butter (I made two batches). 

This recipe is low in added oil, salt, and sugar (for a chocolate peanut butter). Most importantly, it is delicious! It is also really cost effective. I got the peanuts I needed in the bulk bin and the other costs were miniscule. I figured out that each jar costs about $2 if you use organic ingredients compared to $6 in the store.



Next time I will try a honey roasted version. :)

Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Last night I was craving something sweet but healthy. I combined a couple of recipes to get Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. Probably the best part of vegan baking is the fact that you can eat the raw batter without having to worry about raw eggs.  I took full advantage last night, the raw batter was just a good as the final product!

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter

2 TSP vanilla

1 cup of whole wheat flour 

1 cup of oats

1 TSP baking soda

1/8 TSP salt

1 TSP cinnamon 

1/2 cup soy milk  

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

3/4 cup jumbo raisins 

The batter will be very dry before you add the soy milk. 

The batter after soy milk is added.

  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. 

2. Mix brown sugar and peanut butter until well blended.

3. Add vanilla, flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. The batter will be very dry at this point, don't worry!

4.  Add soy milk and stir until everything is blended. 

5. Fold in chocolate chips and raisins.

6. Take a sample taste!

7. Roll into 1.5 inch balls and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. 

8. Bake for 10 minutes.

9. Enjoy with a cold glass of your favorite non-dairy milk!

Valentine's Day Vegan Love Drops

I thought the frozen peanut butter bars were addictive but these are a whole new level. They taste so much like coconut ice cream bars (specifically the Dove ones). They have a soft chocolate outside with a cold but creamy inside. They are sweet and divine. They are also easy (although quite messy) to make. They are a prefect vegan Valentine's Day treat! I got the originally recipe from another vegan blog and didn't believe it would really work out.  I made some adjustments to the original recipe and I was very happy with my end result.

For the inside filling

2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tbsp. coconut oil

¼ cup of cane sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. coconut milk

For the chocolate outside

1/3 cup almonds ground

1 cup of shredded coconut

2 tbsps. coco powder

2 tsps. cane sugar

2 tbsps. vegan butter

½ cup vegan chocolate chips

6 tbsps. coconut milk

Method

1.       Mix the inside filling ingredients in the food processor until blended. Add the coconut milk last until the consistency is such that you can roll the coconut into balls but you do not have excess liquid.
2.       Roll the coconut drops in your hand and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
3.       Freeze the drops for 15 minutes.
4.       Melt vegan butter in a pot and add chocolate. Melt slowly so the chocolate temperature never rises too high.
5.       Place this to the side to cool.
6.       Chop almonds in the food processor until ground.
7.       Add shredded coconut, coco powder, and sugar. Mixed until combined.
8.       Mix in melted (and cooled) chocolate.
9.       Add coconut milk until you have a creamy consistency to cover your coconut drops with.
10.   Take the coconut drops out of the freezer and roll them in the chocolate (this was really messy!)
11.   Place the drops back in the freezer for ½ hour.
12.   Take out as many drops as you would like to eat and put them on a place for about 5 minutes.
13.   Enjoy with a nice cup of tea!
Note: I am storing the rest in the freezer for new. When I take them out, I will give them 8-10minutes to thaw.

 

Frozen Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Frozen Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

A word of warning, these bars are highly addictive! I made these bars a few weeks ago because I wanted something to snack on at work besides celery. They only made it to work for one day before Rich and I devoured them. They are the closest thing I have every made to a chocolate  bar. When served cold, the first sensation on your tongue is chocolate followed by a sweet peanut butter flavor. They are the perfect midday pick-me-up with a little chocolate and some nuts to sustain you until your next meal.

You can experiment with your own variations but the recipe below is the most delicious version I have made so far!

Ingredients 
1/2 cup almonds (you can also use peanuts)
1 cup of dates
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup dried coconut
1 tbsp coco powder
1 tbsp soy milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Method
1. Chop the almonds in a food processor.
2. Add the dates and chop in the food processor again.
3. Add the remaining ingredients besides the chocolate chips and process until well mixed. The consistency should be sticky and there should not be excess liquid.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
5. Spread the mixture into a 9 inch pie tin on top of parchment paper.
6. Make sure the mixture is evenly distributed and flatten the top with your hand.
7. Freeze the mixture for at least one hour.
8. Place the finished product, bottom up, on a cutting board and chop into desired sizes with a chopping knife.
9. Store in the freezer, they are best when they are cold!
10. Hide in a secret place (I suggest under the frozen lima beans) where no one will eat them all on you!

New Year's Desserts

For New Year's Eve this year I was in charge of dessert. After looking through loads of recipes, I found the perfect one: White Cake with Mincemeat Filling. I love mincemeat cookies at Christmas time and I thought this would be an old fashioned, unique, and challenging recipe. While I was buying the ingredients I sent a text to my friend. She was naturally a little concerned about the mincemeat idea (in college my vegetarian friend loved the mincemeat cookies my mom sent us. When I told her the name of that particular cookie, she looked at me with alarm thinking she had just broken her years of vegetarianism). As a result, I decided to also make my all time favorite, Flourless Chocolate Cake. I also made some Chocolate Expresso Cookies. Mincemeat actually does not have any meat at all, it is essentially a jam made with raisins, currents, dates, and brandy. For this recipe, I made the mincemeat from scratch. I also cut open a vanilla bean to flavor the cake. It was definitely a lot of work but it was worth it. I really liked it and will do it again. The recipe is above.