Intense, deep, dark chocolate is what you get with these fudgy cookies. If you are not into dark chocolate, you can reduce the chocolate a bit. The darker the better, in my book. However, my little one thought they were a bit too powerful. Adjust to your taste accordingly.
Ingredients: 1 c. canned organic pumpkin 1 c. creamy nut butter of your choosing (I like almond butter) 1/4 c. pure maple syrup ½ t. organic vanilla extract ½ to ¾ c. cacao powder (alternative: unsweetened cocoa powder) 2 t. cinnamon 1/3 c. chocolate chunks, roughly chopped (try my favorite chocolate: liberty chocolate bars)
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, combine all ingredients except the chocolate chunks. Once combined, stir in the chocolate chunks by hand. Use a scooper to drop the cookies on a silicone-lined baking sheet or baking stone. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from the baking surface.
You’d never know the beets are in these brownies. They are chewy and fudgy – simply delicious. (Pictures slipped my mind – oops).
hope this makes your belly smile…
Adapted from Purely Twins
Oops! Forgot to snap a pic before they were gobbled up by me and my crew.
1 medium ripe banana 1/4 c. beet purée (puree directions here) 2 T. coconut oil liquid (alternative: 2 T. olive oil) 3 T. nut butter (I like salted, creamy almond butter) 4 T. 100% pure maple syrup (alternative: organic honey, preferably raw) 1 T. organic vanilla extract 2/3 c. raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa 1/2 t. baking soda 1/2 t. baking powder
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray muffin pan with coconut oil or olive oil. In a food processor or blender, blend the banana, beet puree, oil, nut butter, syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients (cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder) to the wet batter and blend until smooth. Spoon batter into muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Do NOT overbake! The brownies will pull away from the pan edges slightly, but a toothpick will NOT come out completely clean. Allow to cool slightly so they can achieve all of their fudgy potential. Enjoy!!
Breakfast for dinner? Yes, please! This was our St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Perfect, right? Not so much. The homemade chocolate sauce was so rich that it overpowered the pancakes. Next time, I’ll used mint extract flavored homemade whipped cream and drizzle on a bit of the chocolate sauce.
hope these make your belly smile…
Adapted from My Little Celebration
Dry Ingredients 1 c. whole white wheat flour 1.5 T. baking powder pinch sea salt
Wet Ingredients 1 c. organic milk 2 T. organic coconut palm sugar (yes, this is a wet ingredient) 1 T. olive oil or (alternatives: coconut oil or butter, melted) 1 T. unsweetened organic applesauce 1/2 t. organic vanilla extract
1/2 t. peppermint extract All natural green food coloring (optional) 3 T. unsweetened cacao (alternative: unsweetened cocoa powder)
Directions: In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate, slightly larger bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Very gently stir the wet and dry ingredients. Separate the batter into the mixing bowls. To one batter, stir in the chocolate. To the other batter, add the peppermint extract and green food coloring.
homemade chocolate sauce
Ingredients ½ c. local honey (not raw) Heaping ¼ c. cacao (alternative: unsweetened cocoa) ½ t. organic vanilla extract Up to 1 T. water or milk (to create desired consistency)
Directions: Whisk together the first three ingredients. Add water (or milk) to obtain desired consistency.
If you are looking for a soft gingerbread cookie with a hint of chocolate, then look no further. These cute little guys maintain their softness (thanks to coconut oil), and they pack a big ginger and cinnamon punch. Enjoy one, or more than likely two, with some hot chocolate for a perfect treat!
Ingredients 2 1/4 c. white whole wheat flour 1 – 1+1/2 t. ginger (depending ginger flavor) 1+ ½ t. ground cinnamon 1 t. baking soda 1 t. baking powder 1/4 t. ground nutmeg 1/2 t. sea salt 1 t. organic vanilla extract 1/3 c. 100% pure maple syrup 1 free range, organic egg (optional: flax egg replacement) 1/4 c. coconut oil (warmed in microwave to soften, but not liquefied) 1/4 c. unsulfured molasses ½ clean chocolate bar, chopped into chunks (I like Liberty Chocolate)
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Combine and whisk wet ingredients until coconut oil is pea size or smaller. Add roughly 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula. Repeat until dry ingredients are combined into the wet. Top with chocolate chunks. Dough will be too dry to mix in chocolate using spatula. With your hands, work the chocolate into the dough just until the dough becomes shiny (warmth of your hands will begin to melt the coconut oil resulting in a shiny surface and provide additional moisture). Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface (or between two sheets of parchment paper) to 1/4 – 3/8 inch thickness. Cut out cookie shapes and bake for 10-12 minutes until edges begin to brown ever so slightly. Do not over bake. Gingerbread men will still be soft in their belly regions when done.
Note: I bake them on a baking stone. If using a baking sheet, they may require less baking time.
Confession: for the pictured gingerbread cookies, I forgot to stir in the chocolate. I improvised by pressing chunks into them as if to create chocolate buttons 😏
Dry Ingredients 2 1/4 c. white whole wheat flour 1 – 1+1/2 t. ginger (depending ginger flavor) 1+ ½ t. ground cinnamon 1 t. baking soda 1 t. baking powder 1/4 t. ground nutmeg 1/2 t. sea salt
Wet Ingredients 1 t. organic vanilla extract 1/3 c. 100% pure maple syrup 1 free range, organic egg (optional: flax egg replacement) 1/4 c. coconut oil (warmed in microwave to soften, but not liquefied) 1/4 c. unsulfured molasses ½ clean chocolate bar, chopped into chunks (I like Liberty Chocolate)
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Combine and whisk wet ingredients until coconut oil is pea size or smaller. Add roughly 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula. Repeat until dry ingredients are combined into the wet. Top with chocolate chunks. Dough will be too dry to mix in chocolate using spatula. With your hands, work the chocolate into the dough just until the dough becomes shiny (warmth of your hands will begin to melt the coconut oil resulting in a shiny surface and provide additional moisture). Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface (or between two sheets of parchment paper) to 1/4 – 3/8 inch thickness. Cut out cookie shapes and bake for 10-12 minutes until edges begin to brown ever so slightly. Do not over bake. Gingerbread men will still be soft in their belly regions when done.
Note: I bake them on a baking stone. If using a baking sheet, they may require less baking time.
Confession: for the pictured gingerbread cookies, I forgot to stir in the chocolate. I improvised by pressing chunks into them as if to create chocolate buttons 😏
What feels good on a strep ridden sore throat? Pudding! No, not store bought pudding laden with sugar, chemicals, and who knows what else??? A creamy homemade chocolate pudding with an orange juice kick. The avocado is undetectable from a taste standpoint; however, the creaminess is heavenly.
hope this makes your belly smile…
Ingredients 1 avocado 1 ripe banana ½ c. orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed) 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (alternative: cacao powder) 4 T. pure maple syrup (alternative: honey)
Directions: Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Tips: This is a very flexible recipe. Modification options are nearly endless. Like darker chocolate? Increase the cocoa powder. Like vanilla? Add a teaspoon of organic vanilla. Don’t like orange? Omit and substitute with organic milk- maybe even throw in a 1/2 t. mint extract for chocolate mint pudding.
Despite the flat and unappealing appearance of this batch, they were yummy. “Why are they flat?” You may be wondering. Or, maybe you are like me and could care less as long as they are good. For those who do care, there are lots of reasons cookies end up flat. In my case, a warm baking stone was the culprit. I set the baking stone on the oven while preheating… oops.
Wet Ingredients ¾ c. organic pumpkin puree ½ c. unrefined coconut oil, softened but not melted 6 organic eggs (3 whole eggs, 3 egg whites) 2 t. organic vanilla extract ¼ c. pure maple syrup (or honey) 1/2 c. organic coconut palm sugar
Dry Ingredients 1 c. whole white wheat flour 2-3 t. pumpkin pie spice ½ t. baking powder ¼ t. sea salt 3/4 c. chocolate chunks (I like Liberty Chocolate – dark or extra dark)
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, coconut palm sugar). In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Gently stir in the chocolate chunks. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms have browned slightly. Note: the cookies will still be soft and cake-like.
weeatforreal.com 