Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

This recipe has been made countless times over the past couple of years.  Not only is it super delicious, it has no flour, eggs, butter and is high in fiber!  I can almost guarantee that whoever you serve this to will have no idea what the main ingredient is.  Can you guess?

CHICKPEAS!  This bean is incredibly versatile.  You can roast them, toss them in a salad, blend them into hummus and now into a chocolate chip cookie pie!  I don't think you'll ever go back to regular chocolate chip cookies after this recipe.  Trust me :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie (serves ~24, depending on how you slice it ;)

1 can chickpeas
1 cup oats
2 cups pitted dates
8 drops liquid stevia
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup applesauce
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or water)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Blend all of the ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a food processor, starting with the chickpeas, until smooth.  Transfer into a bowl and mix in the chocolate chips.  Pour into a baking pan (preferably 9 x 13, or a circular pan around 10" wide) and bake for ~35 minutes or until browned.

Fudgy Brownies

Everybody loves brownies.  And everyone loves healthy brownies even more!  These are incredibly delicious and better yet, full of amazing ingredients.

I was surprised by just how chewy, chocolatey, sweet and satisfying these brownies were. Mmmmmmmm.  I think I'll be making these again.  These are also 100% raw and gluten free!! How cool?!

Fugdy Brownies (serves about 12 and inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life)

1 cup oat flour (or coconut, almond or brown rice flour)
1/2 cup oats (gluten free if you choose)
1/4 cup hemp hearts
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tbsp chia seed
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup cashews
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more... hehee)
1/2 cup prunes
1/2 cup dried figs
1.5 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup honey/maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all of the dry ingredients and then combine with the wet in a food processor.  Pulse until a large brownie ball forms - yes it is tempting to eat just then and there.

Press the brownie batter into a baking pan such as a loaf pan, 8x8 or pie pan.  Store in the fridge and serve immediately!

Cranberry Goji Bars

Desserts get me every time.

I made a few desserts last night - most of which inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life.  I can't wait for her cookbook to come out.  The first one I decided to attempt was these Cranberry Bliss Bars.  We ran out of buckwheat groats (I only had about 1/2 cup left) and dates, so I made some substitutions and voila!  I think they turned out alright and they look quite pretty :)

Cranberry Goji Bars (serves 12, or however you choose to cut ;)

Base
1 cup oats
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup dried figs
1/2 cup prunes
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange rind

Cream Cheese Icing
1 cup cashews
1/8 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil

Toppings
Handful dried cranberries
Smaller handful of goji berries (these aren't cheap!)

To make the base, pulse the oats and buckwheat in the food processor until they become more flour-like.  Add in all of the wet base ingredients and pulse until it begins to stick together.  I added a touch of water to make it more malleable.  Push into the base of spring-form pan, an 8x8 or a ceramic decorative serving plate, like mine!  Set aside in the fridge.

Blend all of the cream cheese icing ingredients until smooth and pour over the base, making sure to cover everything.  Top with the dried fruit! YUM.

Vegan Pumpkin Oat Bars

I went on a pumpkin craze. There... I said it.  Good things did happen though.  I had a baking filled day to say the least.

The first thing I will share are these pumpkin oat bars.  I have recently been on the lookout for more bar type of recipes.  I think making your own food (including things you could easily buy at the store) is such a great idea.  You not only know what is going into your body, but you can manipulate any or all of the ingredients!













Vegan Pumpkin Oat Bars (inspired by Tasty Yummies)

2 cups oats
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp stevia (or 5 drops of liquid stevia)

1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 cup craisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 8" x 8" baking pan with parchment paper (or grease well).  Mix ALL ingredients in one bowl making sure everything is evenly coated.  Press into the baking pan (sprinkling with any desired extra toppings) and bake for 20 - 25 minutes (I baked mine for 23 minutes).

 

Lemon Coconut Squares

This recipe, when I first read it, sounded just perfect.  Lemon, coconut, dates, oats = devine!  This Rawsome Vegan Life never ceases to amaze me. Not to mention her photography... Crazy good.

My family and I may or may not have eaten a few before taking any pictures... I did change a few things in the recipe which I posted below (the modified version) and they turned out quite well! Delicious and raw :)

Lemon Coconut Squares (inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life)

Crust

3/4 cup oats

1 cup dates

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 

Lemon Filling

1/4 cup melted coconut oil (I used organic)

1/4 cup maple syrup

Juice and rind from 1 lemon (watch for seeeeeeeds!)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 

1 banana

Blend the coconut and oats in your food processor to make a rough flour before adding the dates.  It should begin to stick together once the dates have been processed.  Press into the bottom of a square baking pan, making sure to add a little up the edges, and put in the fridge. 

Place all of the filling ingredients into your food processor and blend until a creamy texture is formed.  It will seem kind of runny, but don't worry - the coconut oil will help to set it.  Spread/pour evenly over the pressed crust.  The recipe called to let it sit overnight in the fridge, however I would suggest using the freezer (even for half the day) for a harder square.  Either way (even off a spatula), these are to die for!! Vegan, lemony, coconuty, square goodness :)

Banana Mania Breakfast

I was tempted to make This Rawsome Vegan Life's recipe for vegan, raw gingersnap cookies on my Mom's birthday since she LOVES ginger, however decided against it (once I discovered we had no molasses) to pursue making other delicious foods.  I DID however make these Lemon Coconut Squares and will post about those soon:)

For my Mom's birthday I ended up making a chocolate, espresso, orange cheesecake and helped my Dad prepare a Thai stir-fry over brown jasmine rice with guacomole and tapas to begin :)

And now in the midst of exams, a different kind of free time arises and I am able to spend more time in the kitchen since I am home to do so!  Whether or not I should be studying is a different matter... but needless to say, I have discovered a passion in the kitchen and am looking forward to creating some new recipes of my own soon! And of course posting them on here... :)

More importantly: the foodssss.  I bring to you today, TWO new recipes!  Both inspired by bananas, as they were beginning to brown in our house.

I have always read about banana ice cream but never actually attempted to really try it myself.  My parents purchased a Vitamix blender a couple of months ago, and given it's incredible capacity to blend things (as well as a failed attempt to make vegan protein pancakes...) I thought I'd give it a try.

This meal was a combination of banana ice cream and the banana oat muffins I made the day before. YUM!

Banana Ice Cream

1 frozen banana
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
Splash of water
*Or you could use almond milk instead of the applesauce and water, and you could totally add in some vanilla, and cinnamon, and cocoa, and peanut butter... oh my.

Put all ingredients into your blender (Vitamix or Blendtec are the most powerful), food processor, or Magic Bullet and pulse while continuously stirring until you reach an ice cream consistency!

Now I couldn't just eat it like that... so I topped it with one of these!

Vegan Banana Oat Muffins

2 1/2 cups of oat flour (I pulsed the oats in my Magic Bullet to make flour, you could use almond flour too!)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (start with less and add the full amount if required)
1/3 cup raw sugar
1 flaxseed 'egg' (mix 2 tbsp ground flaxseed, 4 tbsp water - let soak for about 10 minutes)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Extra goodness - feel free to add whatever you'd like! I added:
2/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup craisins

Line a muffin pan with muffin papers and fill about 2/3 way full (they don't rise too much).  I filled about 18 muffins, but that was only about 1/3 - 1/2 full.  OR fill a lightly greased loaf pan and bake accordingly... I would start with 25 minutes in the oven and check back.

Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes.  Let cool and then store and EAT :) I recommend with a bit of peanut butter or homemade jam :D