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Chocolate Chip Energy Balls

These great little bites of energy are delicious and full of fiber and protein. They are made with oats, flax, chocolate chips and crunchy peanut butter. Gluten free and vegan. Easy to make and no baking required. Perfect for a snack or grab a couple for breakfast on the go.

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (any crunchy nut butter will work)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life Dark chocolate chips, as they are dairy free)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Form into approx. 1″ balls using your hands. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until set about 1-1/2 hours. Enjoy and bask in the yumminess! Store in the fridge or freezer until they disappear. These can be consumed after 3 -5 min straight out of the freezer.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello Fall! With the leaves changing, cooler days and nights it’s always nice to have healthier treat options.  These Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies were fun to make. If you’ve already been following me, you know how much I love to bake and experiment in the kitchen with dairy free and gluten free deliciousness. These cookies are higher in protein and fiber than most as they are made with tahini, almond meal and a flax egg.  Being mostly plant-based, these are a great little snack that satisfy the sweet tooth and that craving for pumpkin spice decadence.  Hope you enjoy every little morsel as much as I did!

https://instagram.com/p/BoFV8dElCi0bv3BdWruvv598UYfDdPZd3TxSjY0/

Ingredients

1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. tahini
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 flax egg ( 1 Tbsp flax seed with 3 Tbsp water…I use a flax/chia blend)
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 c. almond flour/almond meal
1/4 c. rice flour
2 Tbsp coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1/2 c. chocolate chips – dairy free and gluten free (I use Enjoy Life brand)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and mix together until well blended. Then add the remaining ingredients (except the chocolate chips) the flours, baking soda and salt to the mixture. Blend well then stir in the chocolate chips.

With tablespoon form into 1″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper or directly onto greased cookie sheet. Press down slightly with the back of a spoon to flatten a little bit. They don’t do much rising. Bake for about 15 minutes. They will still be very soft when you take them out and do not set like normal cookies.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week.

ENJOY!!

Recipe: Blueberry Muffins (gluten-free and vegan)

These healthy muffins an excellent choice for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. They are packed with protein and good fat. The texture is just a bit more dense than your regular muffin made from just flour. I used both almond meal/flour and an all-purpose gluten-free flour. Feel free to use just almond meal but be aware the texture will be even more dense.

To keep this recipe a vegan lover’s choice, I used flax eggs (flax/chia blend) instead of regular eggs. Flax is rich in omega-3’s and other healthy fats and is such a good choice when you are trying to incorporate clean foods into your meal plan.

These delicious muffins are also made with tahini. Tahini is another great source of healthy fats, protein, iron and calcium. It’s tastes great too!

So if you are looking for a healthier Blueberry Muffin you’ve found it! They are a convenient choice when you are pressed for time in those early morning hours. Let me know what you think…

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Blueberry Muffins (gluten free and vegan)

1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
1 cup almond meal
2 flax eggs (or 2 regular eggs)
3/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Combine all the ingredients. (Except for the blueberries) and mix well.
Gently fold in the blueberries until they are spread throughout the batter. Drop batter into muffin liners (or greased tins) and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350F. The muffins should be a golden brown around the edges and firm in the center. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to cool completely.

* To make a flax egg: Mix one tablespoon of flax with 3 tablespoons of water…whisk and let sit a few minutes…you’ll get an egg-like texture.

SunFlower Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free and vegan)

Besides working out, I enjoy baking and experimenting with new recipes! I revamped this recipe to make it a healthier option. I used maple syrup instead of regular sugar or honey. The Sunflower Butter used is an all natural brand made from just roasted sunflower seeds and salt. Be aware of the brands that add oil or sugar. You’ll get enough sweetness in these with the maple syrup.

The chick-peas in these are full of protein, fiber, folic acid and manganese. Therefore, they make these cookies a healthier option to reach for when you are craving something sweet. Higher in protein and fiber than your ordinary chocolate chip cookie. Such an easy and quick gluten-free and vegan treat.

These SunFlower Chocolate Chip Cookies came out great!! Let me know what you think… www.instagram.com/p/BgCeIK1F6av/

SunFlower Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

1- 1/4 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sunflower butter (or natural peanut butter or almond butter)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt if your sunflower butter doesn’t have salt in it
1/2 cup vegan and dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine all the ingredients, (except for the chocolate chips) in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.
Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.

With dry hands, form into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. Press down slightly on the balls to make them look like real cookies. They don’t do much rising.
Bake for about 10 minutes. They will still be very soft when you take them out and do not set like normal cookies.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week.

ENJOY!!