REVIEW: Silicone Brownie Bites Pan AND WFPB Recipe [oil-free, dairy-free, vegan]

 

For Christmas this year, my youngest son bought me this awesome silicone brownie bites pan. I wanted to make smaller sweet treats that would be the perfect size for my grandson (and for a bite-sized treat for us from time to time!). This pan is perfect for that purpose! These brownie bites popped right out of the pan, and after a few minutes of soaking in water, most of the remaining bits floated up to the top of each compartment, making clean-up a snap!

I made up this recipe, using healthier ingredients. It's not completely sugar-free, but you could make the recipe without the chocolate chips or use unsweetened Santa Barbara Cacao Chips, if you prefer. This is not a super sweet brownie without the chips, so they give them just the right amount of sweetness to feel like you are eating something very decadent!

9 large Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup white whole wheat (or other whole wheat) flour
1/2 cup well-mixed almond butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 T ground flaxseed + 3 T water
1 t vanilla extract (alcohol-free, if possible)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 c vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the ground flaxseed with 3 T of water and set aside while you are adding of the other ingredients to the food processor. Add all ingredient to the processor bowl (don't forget the flax "egg") except the chocolate chips. Process until smooth and combined well. You may need to use a spatula to scrap the batter off the sides. Then, continue processing. Add in the chocolate chips, and process for a few rounds until they are distributed well. This is a sticky batter, so don't try to handle it. In each brownie bite compartment, add a heaping tablespoon of batter with a small cookie scoop. It's OK if the batter is above the pan line. The batter should be the right amount to fill in all of the compartments. Pull out the oven rack. Carefully hold both ends of the pan while placing on the oven rack (because this pan is flexible). Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven with oven mitts and let the brownie bites cool a bit on a trivet before removing them from the pan. 

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Sneaky Chocolate Pudding [dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan]

I'm always coming up with ideas of foods to make our grandson. This one, I am calling Sneaky Chocolate Pudding. I did not tell my husband what was in it when he tried it, and he said, "That's delicious!"
Optional: Add some cooked and cooled Hannah sweet potato or some banana and reduce the maple syrup.

Big handful of kale
Big handful of spinach
1/4 cup cooked kidney or black beans
1/2 T ground flaxseed
6 T maple syrup
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/2 small avocado
1/2 cup lite coconut milk

Cook the greens in a little water for about 5 minutes in a skillet (or 1 minute in the microwave), until tender and just turning color. Drain off water and add to a high-speed blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend well until super smooth and creamy. You will need to gently stir often because this is a thick mixture and you want to make sure all of it gets blended well. Chill before serving.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins [oil-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan]

Makes 8 muffins

NOTE: I have found THE BEST baking pans by USA pan. These muffins literally fall out of the cups--even though I don't use any oil!

1 cup oat flour, finely ground
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 scant teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 very ripe bananas
5 gooey Medjool dates, pitted
2 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract
1 T creamy almond butter (no salt, oil, or sugar added)
1/2 cup non-dairy, plant-based milk
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips plus 24 extra chips to decorate the tops of the muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a blender, blend the bananas, dates, vanilla, almond butter, and plant-based milk until smooth and creamy. In a medium-size mixing bowl, add the flours, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine well. Stir in the wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the 1/4 cup of vegan chocolate chips. Fill 8 muffin cups with the batter. Top with 3 extra chocolate chips per muffin.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. 

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Banana Pecan Cacao Loaf [oil-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free option]

3 very ripe bananas (can be frozen and defrosted)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple butter
5 large, gooey Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 T vanilla extract
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a blender, combine the bananas, apple butter, dates, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix to combine well--but do not overmix. Add the chopped pecans and chocolate chips (if using) and fold in. Pour mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. Test with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean and the top can be lightly pressed and bounce back, it is ready to remove from the oven. Cool before cutting and serving. Can be store in the refrigerator for 5 days in an airtight container or wrapped well and frozen. 

Diclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Fruity Yogurt Pops [dairy-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, vegan]

3/4 cup frozen fruit, defrosted, include the juices
1/2 Greek-style non-dairy yogurt
2 T maple syrup

Blend all ingredients together until smooth, pour into popsicle molds, and freeze!

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Bean 'O Caramel Bars [dairy-free, low-glycemic, oil-free, vegan]

NOTE: This recipe CAN be made with other cereals (like Cheerios), but this recipe was designed to be low-glycemic for Type 2 diabetics.You can also replace the coconut nectar with maple syrup.

4 cups Three Wishes Unsweetened O's Cereal
1/4 cup smooth almond butter (made from only dry-roasted almonds)
1/4 cup coconut nectar (found at Sprouts, Whole Foods, or online)
3 T coconut sugar
slightly less than 1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t vanilla

In a large bowl, measure out 4 cups of the cereal. Set aside.
Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small saucepan, add the almond butter, coconut nectar, coconut sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring to combine all of the ingredients. When the mixture begins to softly boil, let it do so for about 1 minute as you continue stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture over the cereal and stir with a silicone spatula until all of the pieces are coated well. Turn the mixture out into the parchment-lined pan and press it into the pan evenly with the back of the spatula. Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours to  harden up. Then, lift out the parchment paper, and place it on a cutting board. Cut into 9 squares. Serve!

NOTE: These bars store well in the refrigerator or the freezer in an airtight container.

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Almond Pulp Banana Bread [refined sugar-free, dairy-free, oil-free, vegan]

3 large speckled ripe bananas
2 t vanilla extract
5-6 Medjool dates, pitted
1 t Ceylon cinnamon
1 1/4 cup of white whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 T ground flaxseed
1 cup of almond pulp, just moist to the touch, but not super wet (this is the pulp that remains after you make homemade almond milk--NOT dry almond flour)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the blender, combine the bananas, vanilla, dates, and cinnamon. The mixture, after blended smooth, should be about 2 cups (check the tick marks on the side of your blender jar). If less, add a small amount of non-dairy unsweetened plant-based milk to equal 2 cups.  Set aside.

To a large mixing bowl add the whole wheat flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground flaxseed. Whisk to combine well. Add in the almond pulp and the bananas mixture from the blender. Stir well to combine, but don't overmix. This will be a thick but moist mixture. Spoon into a nonstick, metal loaf pan. Let sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before putting it into the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until you can press gently on the top of the loaf, and it feels firm, but bounces back. Let cool, then remove from loaf pan. Wrap well and store in the refrigerator if you don't eat the whole thing the first day. 😄


 Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Blondies from Heaven

8 pitted Medjool dates
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup aquafaba (liquid from can of chickpeas)
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup water
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (non-dairy)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a high-speed blender, blend the dates, maple syrup, aquafaba, chickpeas, water, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, whole wheat flours, baking powder, and salt. Add wet ingredients from the blender and stir well to combine. The consistency should be like chocolate chip cookie dough. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and stir to combine. Spread mixture in a parchment paper-lined 8" square metal pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before cutting into squares.

Apple Blackberry Oat Crumble [gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free, vegan]

This makes a DELIGHTFUL dessert or breakfast!

Serves 2-3 (depending on the size of your ramekins)

Fruit Compote:
2 Fuji apples, peeled and diced small
1 cup of fresh blackberries
3-4 T coconut sugar
1 t vanilla extract
2 T water
1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t cinnamon

Topping:
1 cup gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
2 T brown rice syrup or maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
2 T finely chopped walnuts

In a saucepan, cook the fruit compote ingredients over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes
(until cooked down and the apples are fork tender and some of the liquid has cooked down).
Transfer fruit compote into 2-3 ceramic ramekins.
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients.
Cover the fruit compote with the topping and bake for 15 minutes (uncovered) on the middle rack. Serve warm.

No-Bake Cookies [gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan]

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup or bee-free honee
1/8 t salt
3 T cocoa powder
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup organic corn flakes
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the peanut butter, maple syrup/honee, salt, and cocoa powder, stirring constantly until combined well. Keep cooking and stirring until small bubbles begin to form along the edges. Turn off heat and add in oats and cornflakes; stir well to combine. Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto a pan covered with wax or parchment paper. If desired, melt chocolate chips in microwave at 70% for 1-3 minutes or until melted. Stir well, then drizzle over cookies. Place cookies in the refrigerator to chill for 1-3 hours. Store in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container.

Sweet Summer Dessert - NO SUGAR ADDED!

These are simply made from blended fruit! They include all the fiber, water, and flesh, so they're healthier than just a juice pop.  Just chop up your favorite summer fruit, blend, fill the popsicle molds, and freeze!

Link to Buy Popsicle Molds: https://amzn.to/2xKGG1a



 Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Shamrock Smoothie (Mint Chocolate Chip Shake Alternative!)

Missing Mint Chocolate Chip Shakes?
Try this SUGAR-FREE, DAIRY-FREE jar of decadence

SERVES 2

2-3 frozen bananas, broken in half or chopped
1 cup ice cubes
1 cup nondairy milk (unsweetened cashew or soy are the creamiest)
2 big handfuls of spinach
1/4 t peppermint extract
2 pitted Medjool Dates
1 heaping T of cacao nibs (or vegan chocolate chips, which would be make not sugar-free)

Blend everything (except the cacao nibs) in a high-speed blender, starting on low and increasing speed. This should make a thick shake. If you need a little more non-dairy milk, add it after blending for a bit to see if you need it. Add cacao nibs at the end; pulse them in.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hummus (Refined sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan)

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans
3 T cocoa or cacao powder
3 T natural peanut butter (no oil, salt, or sugar added)
4 gooey Medjool dates or date syrup to taste
a small amount of aquafaba (liquid left in the can of chickpeas or after cooking them homemade) or any non-dairy milk to blend to right consistency
1/8 t of salt (optional)

Blend all ingredients until very smooth and chill before serving. Serve on baked whole wheat lavash crackers, whole grain bread, or even on apple slices!

Pineapple "Coconut" Muffins [no flour]

Pineapple chunks from a 15-oz can of unsweetened pineapple chunks (you can use the juice for a sauce or another recipe)

1 large cooked white sweet potato, peeled
3 soft Medjool dates, pitted
2 T. ground flaxseeds
2 cups oats
2 T. chopped walnuts
1/2 t coconut extract
1/4 cup Vitacost brand apple juice-sweetened dried cranberries or golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pulse the pineapple chunks, sweet potato, dates, and ground flaxseed in the food processor about 3 or 4 rotations. Transfer mixture into a bowl and stir in the oats, chopped walnuts, and cranberries, combining everything well.

Make balls of the "dough" with your clean hands and place them into non-stick muffin cups. These will stay relatively the same shape, so you can press them lightly into the muffin cups so they will look more like muffins when they finish.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned on the outside.

NOTE: I used my favorite USA PAN muffin tin. The muffins pop RIGHT OUT!
Affiliate Link >> http://amzn.to/2p0PLht

Thank you to Heather Goodwin for inspiring this recipe!

Peanut Butter "Caramel" Apples

Peanut Butter "Caramel" Apples -- inspired by a recipe in the Forks Over Knives magazine. It called for brown rice syrup, but we used date syrup instead. STUNNING! [photo credit: my son who is messing with a new photo app!]

This is how we made ours...

1/3 cup natural, homemade peanut butter (SOS-free!)
2 T date syrup
3 Fuji apples, washed and dried well
chopped dry-roasted peanuts
3 forks

Wash and dry each apple well and spear each one with a fork. Place the peanut butter into a very small bowl. Then, warm the date syrup in another tiny bowl in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds so it's thin and runny. Mix it into the peanut butter. Hold a fork-speared apple, and gently spread the peanut butter mixture on it in, then roll in chopped peanuts.

Inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

No-Bake Holiday Snack Dots

It's hard to say NO to every sweet around you during the holiday season. For me, having a good alternative usually suffices. I whipped up this healthy treat for those times that we feel like we want junk but would rather not go there!

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
6-8 Medjool dates (depending on how sweet you want these), pitted
2 T cocoa powder
3 T Naked PB peanut butter powder or other peanut butter powder without added salt, oil, or sugar (if possible)
2 T walnuts
2 T raw pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 t hazelnut extract (or vanilla extract, if you can't find hazelnut extract)
1-2 pinches of salt
a few tablespoons of non-dairy milk

Put all ingredients in a food processor EXCEPT the non-dairy milk. Pulse until combined. Add the non-dairy milk 1 T at a time until the mixture comes together like a course dough. Use a 1 T cookie scoop or  your hands to shape balls. Place on parchment paper and chill in the fridge before serving.


Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Fresh Peach Clafouti

I had 4 very large fresh peaches left from a case I bought at Costco. They looked amazing, but the texture was not that great. I decided to make a no-sugar-added clafouti tonight for my hubby. SO easy to make!

NOTE: Fresh strawberries or blueberries work great instead of peaches, too!

4 large peaches (about 4 cups), chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 jar of strawberry, fruit juice-sweetened jam (like Trader Joe's brand or Simply Fruit)
1 1/2 cups of oat flour
1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking powder
1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1 cup of unsweetened natural apple juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the peaches and jam together in a medium-sized bowl.
Pour mixture into a 9x9-in square pan (glass or ceramic work best).
In the same bowl (don't worry about the residue), add in the oat flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, applesauce, and apple juice. Stir well to combine. Pour over fruit mixture and spread evenly over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes until batter on top is cooked well, and the filling is bubbling underneath it. Serve warm

Sugar-Free Low-Fat Chocolate Peanut Butter "Nice" Cream Planks

This recipe serves 3.

3 ripe bananas
5 T. cocoa powder
6 T. peanut butter powder

Either mash bananas well in a bowl or blend until smooth in a blender.
Stir in the cocoa powder and peanut butter powder.
Spread mixture EVENLY and THINLY on wax paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with another sheet of wax paper.
Place in freezer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Cut and serve (quickly!)!

Originally seen made by Brian Turner on YouTube

CHOCOLATE Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (Oil-Free!)

WOW! I didn't know how popular this recipe would be until I posted it on Facebook and Vegan Amino! I guess an oil-free yet tasty banana bread (with chocolate!) is enticing to most people. It makes you feel LESS guilty. :-) I do admit that this moist and dense bread is the perfect occasional dessert. It's not too sweet, but just the right sweetness. It's also just the right amount of chocolate to curb a chocolate craving. Paired with berries, it's absolutely marvelous!

3 medium-sized RIPE bananas

2 T. unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup non-dairy milk

1 t. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups spelt or whole wheat pastry flour

¾ t. baking soda

¾ t. salt

3 T. cocoa powder

¾ cup coconut sugar

1/4-1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, combine the bananas, applesauce, non-dairy milk, and vanilla. Blend until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and coconut sugar together well.

Add in the banana mixture and stir to combine. Do not overmix.

Pour into a standard-size, non-stick loaf pan. 

Bake for 45 minutes and insert a toothpick in the center to make sure the bread is done. If the toothpick comes out clean, remove from the oven and let cool a bit before serving. If the bread is not done, continue baking and checking every 5 minutes or so.

People said there is a smiley face in my banana bread! ;-) See it???

Warning: Read the Directions First!

I absolutely LOVE Tasty K videos! They're so fun and simple-looking. But, be careful! I watched this video the other day and got SO excited about making this dish, that I followed the video and not the actual recipe (which was entirely more specific and clear!) on their website. It would have made a HUGE difference. There were several explanations on the website that were lacking in that quick (and cute) video!

That said, I thought these rich and delicious-looking Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars--made from all whole plant foods---seemed like a luscious and decadent treat that would be perfect way to use up my ripe avocados. Yep! I was right!
Yummy!