Gluten Free Black Bean Brownie Bites

The  Trendy brownies are all the rage these days. I decided to get creative in the kitchen and experiment with your typical brownie combo. 

These gluten free cuties are packed with fiber and protein and taste just as delectable as the real deal. 

Ingredients: 

1 14 oz. can of black beans; rinsed and drained 

1 c. Cocoa powder

2 tbsp. Baking powder

1/4 c. Sugar 

1/4 c. Pure maple syrup

1/4 c. Almond milk 

1/4 c. Melted coconut oil 

2 eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 mashed ripe banana 

Dark chocolate chips 

Blend until smooth in Vitamix or high speed blender. Add dark chocolate chips. 

Scoop into greased mini muffin pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Enjoy!!

~Crago 

Vegan Chocolate Pecan Pie

So here's a great Thanksgiving dessert! Hahhaa, so yeah. I made this pie for Thanksgiving some few weeks ago and yes, I am just now posting the deets. I truly apologize! Honestly though this pie speaks for itself, so no worries, by the end of this post you'll be drooling with no regret. 

Here's the low down..

2 c. Gluten free baking mix

1 stick of vegan butter

8 tbsp of water

1 pack of silken tofu 

1 c. Almond milk

1 package of unsweetened chocolate baking squares

3 tbsp. Cocoa powder

2 tsp. vanilla 

3/4 c. Brown sugar

1/4 c. Agave nectar 

Pinch of salt 

1 1/2 to 2 c. Pecans 

1 tbsp. corn syrup 

2 tbsp. brown sugar 

Used this stuff to make my gluten free pie crust. YES! This stuff is magical. It can seriously make anything. I've already done pizza crust too and it was perfect. 

Mix baking mix, softened butter and water. Press into pie pan. Chill for 30 minutes in refrigerator. 

Layer chopped pecans in bottom of pie crust. 

Mix together remaining ingredients and stir in 1/4 of pecans leaving rest to top off the pie with!

Mix pecans with brown sugar and corn syrup and spread on top of pie. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

This pie is so rich and delectable! You would'nt be able to tell it's vegan either. Delish! 

Happy (post) Thanksgiving (Christmas rather)...

~Crago 

Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Cake

"Triple chocolate", you say? "Gluten Free", you say? "Vegan", you say?? Oh yes. 

All of these details (and then some) contribute to this decadent cake. 

I thought and thought about how to go about getting my "chocolate fix". Making this cake vegan was a dead give away and when thinking about the gluten-free route I just figured "why not?". 

I definitely was pleased with how this "challenge" of a cake came out.

Buckle up and get ready to dive into one of the best chocolate cakes you've ever tasted and leave behind the dairy and gluten because those my dear won't be needed for this recipe! 

 

Ingredients for cake:

2 c. Almond milk

1/2 c. (Canned) coconut milk (full fat)

2 1/2 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar

3/4 c. Coconut oil; melted

1/3 c. Vegan butter; melted

2 flax eggs (total of 2 tbsp. ground flax mixed with 6 tbsp. water) 

1/2 c. Agave

1/3 c. Pure maple syrup

3/4 c. Sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla

2 c. Coconut flour

1-2 tsp. xanthum gum

3/4 c. Unsweetened Cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking soda 

2 tsp. baking powder 

1/2 tsp. salt

Ingredients for frosting: (these are approximations)

1/2 can (from can used for cake batter) coconut milk (full fat)

3 c. Powdered sugar

1/2-3/4 c. Cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2-3/4 c. Vegan butter

*additional ingredients: vegan dark chocolate chips, raspberry topping (I purchased premade, vegan raspberry sorbet) 

Directions:

First, combine almond milk and vinegar. 

Let sit for about 5 minutes until milk begins to curdle. Next mix all wet ingredients (canned coconut milk, melted coconut oil, melted vegan butter, agave, maple syrup, vanilla). 

Add sugar to wet mixture. Now add flax egg to mixture and set aside. 

Combine dry ingredients (coconut flour, xanthum gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder). 

Finally gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture while pouring in almond milk (gradually). Mix until smooth (mixture will have grainy texture).

Pour batter into greased glass rectangle pan (I sprayed my pan with coconut oil spray). 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Check with toothpick and if not clean, bake an additional 5-7 minutes.

While cake is cooling, prepare frosting. For frosting, mix vegan butter, coconut milk, and vanilla. Add cocoa powder and then gradually add in powdered sugar.

 (I used a lot of powdered sugar because I wanted my frosting SWEET. Honestly this is a decadent dessert and I was willing to sacrifice my waistline for this... Basically a little sugar doesn't hurt and only made this even better!) 

When time came to frost, I topped the cooled cake with a thick frosting. The frosting was a runnier consistency so it did go down the sides of the pan. I topped with a generous amount of dark chocolate chips. This cake has been living (not for long due to deliciousness) in the refrigerator to help maintain freshness. The cake is a denser (but still light and somewhat fluffy cake) and is very moist. 

Another great plus? This stuff is great heated and served again and again! I tried it the other night with raspberry sauce and raspberry sorbet. Perfect combination of flavors!

Get yo chocolate on! Whoop! (Haha...yep)

~Crago

Mama's Peach Cobbler

Warning: this recipe is the full blown real deal. I'm talking butter, and a cup of sugar. No I'm not losing it.. It's all good. 

No worries I will be posting a recipe for a vegan-gluten-smooten free womp womp womp recipe before you can blink twice. (Hehe) 

Ok. So, oh my goodness is it good! I wanted to blog this cobbler not only because it turned out SO delish and I had to share, but also because mama was in the kitchen with me and that rarely happens. Since living with Paul and Ellen, (yes, still) I do all of the cooking (of course!) and so this was great having someone in the kitchen with me. I loved the time we spent together making this dessert. 

So when she wanted to join in and make a "real deal" peach cobbler" I was like "why not??"! I often do not eat a lot of dairy so this rarely does happen. I do however allow myself a non-vegan splurge. Whether it's a full blown buttercream cupcake or slice of cheesecake, sometimes you gotta go for it. I just don't go overboard. 

So what's so great about this cobbler? I love it because it has a great crust and I am definitely a "crust" gal. I also love that it was made from fresh peaches and minimal ingredients making it fresh and pretty simple. 

One of the key ingredients in Mom's cobbler is a....,good white wine. (We currently love Yellow Tail Sweet White Roo) (it's like a not quite as sweet Moscato) 

Obviously this was a part of the process not the recipe. (a cooking must!)(why not?)

So, here is mama's peach cobbler recipe that we made tonight: 

6 peaches

1 stick of butter; melted

1 c. Skim Milk

1 c. Self rising flour

1 c. Sugar

1 tsp. vanilla 

Yep. 6 simple ingredients. That's IT.

Directions:

First melt the butter and pour into bottom of greased glass rectangle dish. 

Mix milk, flour, sugar, and vanilla. 

Pour on top of butter. Do not stir. 

Now cut up peeled peaches and put in pan. Make sure not to stir! 

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes and until top is crunchy. 

The cobbler will come out light and cake like with the juicy peaches on top. 

We enjoyed our servings with a nice dollop of vanilla icecream on top. Perfection!

Now if you are looking at these ingredients and thinking whatttt?!?!! Then no fear. Simply substitute the stick of butter for 1/2-3/4 cup of Earth Balance Vegan Butter and remaining coconut oil. Sub out your skim milk for almond milk. Also you could sub out half of the sugar and replace with 1/4 c. Agave or 1/4 c. Of pure maple syrup. If doing liquid sweeteners like so, bump up flour by 1/4 cup. 

Enjoy!! (I know my mama and I sure did).

~Crago 

Banana "Ice Cream" Pie

Here is a decadent dessert that is just too easy. 

The great thing about this pie is that the "ice cream" is made of a simple mixture that is vegan friendly and completely dairy free. I made my crust a graham cracker crust yet you could absolutely make a crust of oat or almond meal mixed with vegan butter. 

First I made my crust...

Ingredients:

3 packs of graham crackers; crushed into crumbs

1/2 c. Vegan butter; melted

1/4 c. Coconut oil; melted

Directions:

Mix crumbs and liquids together. Press mixture into lightly greased pie pan. Place prepared crust into refrigerator.

Now onto Banana "ice cream"...

Ingredients:

4 bananas; sliced and frozen

1/2 c. Almond milk

2-3 tbsp. pure maple syrup 

1-2 tsp. cinnamon 

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. vanilla nut extract 

Topping:

Chopped almonds; toasted

Sliced almonds; toasted

Directions:

Using a food processor, combine all ingredients (except nuts for topping) until smooth. 

Now pour banana "ice cream" into prepared pie pan. Top with toasted sliced almonds and chopped almonds.

Wrap top of pie with plastic wrap and foil. Place in freezer overnight. Top with whipped topping or enjoy as is. 

Enjoy!

~Crago 

Nutty Double Chocolate Brownies

Meet the next best thing in the form a vegan brownie. Why so amazing? Well, this isn't your average brownie. These brownies are chocolate to the max. I've also added chopped nuts for a little crunch and dark chocolate chips for extra ooey gooey-ness.

For the recipe for these fab vegan brownies check out my guest recipe post over on "30 Shades of Stephanie"! 

~Crago

Maple-Walnut Brown Sugar Cookies

My house smells like cinnamon and sugar and sweet deliciousness. Why you may ask? Well, possibly this sinfully sweet smell is from the maple-walnut brown sugar cookies that I created. Did I mention they are not only delicious but also suitable for all vegan and gluten-free diets? 

Now no worries, you would never guess these cookies lack the usual components of a full blown COOKIE. They are as sweet, buttery, moist, and fluffy as ever. Don't sweat!! 

Now on to more important things... How the heck do you make these cookies?

Ingredients:

2 c. brown rice flour

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum 

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. egg replacer (mixed with 6tbsp. Water)

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. pure maple syrup

1 tbsp. almond butter

1/2 c. vegan butter

2 tbsp. coconut oil

1/4 c. almond milk

1/2 c. walnuts; chopped

Directions: 

Mix dry ingredients (brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, cinnamon, brown sugar). In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients (egg replacer/water, maple syrup, almond butter, vegan butter, coconut milk, coconut oil). 

Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir in chopped walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Let sit on pan 1-2 more minutes before removing to cooling rack or paper towel. 

This batch made 28 small-medium sized cookies for me.

They are soft but firm and very moist. For a gluten-free and vegan cookie, this cookie has great texture and fluffiness. They simply taste like heaven and are definitely a crowd pleaser. 

Happy baking!

~Crago 

Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

For the fourth, I wanted a delicious dessert that also showed a little patriotism. So strawberry shortcake was the winner! This shortcake is vegan and I topped it with a vegan coconut cream and fresh strawberries. It's not too sweet but just enough to get your taste buds going.

Here's the breakdown:

Ingredients for the shortcake:

2 c. Flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. Almond milk

1/2 c. Coconut Milk

1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/2 c. Brown sugar

1/2 c. Melted coconut oil

1/4 c. Pure maple syrup 

3 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

Directions:

Combine milks and vinegar and set aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients and add milk mixture. Pour into two greased 9 inch Round cake pans and pop in oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

To prepare Coconut Cream...

You will need:

14 oz can of coconut milk

3 tbsp of maple syrup (or to taste)

3 tsp. vanilla 

Put an unopened can of coconut milk in the fridge for 5-6 hours (mine was only in there for about 3-4 which is why my topping wasn't very fluffy)

Also pop a glass bowl in the fridge to chill before using.

Once ready to prepare coconut cream, open can and dump water out saving the solidified milk. Scoop milk out into chilled bowl. Using a hand mixer add maple syrup and vanilla beating until smooth and fluffy. 

To prepare, I laid one cake on a plate and poured coconut cream on top with strawberries. Then I topped off with the other cake and finally poured the remaining coconut cream and strawberries on top. Voila! Perfect vegan dessert made just in time for summer and the patriotic month of July.

Dig in, 

~Crago