Chocolate Peanut Butter Cashew Granola Recipe!

I'm back with a recipe for this yummy, delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Cashew Granola sweetened with just a touch of agave and flavored with hints of vanilla, dates and cranberries served with unsweetened almond milk. This is a quick and easy granola when you're in the mood for something chocolaty! Another great bonus is that if you let it sit long enough it'll turn your milk into chocolate milk haha. You can also add whatever dried fruits, nuts or seeds you want into this, I just used whatever I had sitting around.

The Vegan Shop-Up post should be up really soon! I'm still editing the photos and writing up the blog post but it should be up by the end of the day. If you live in NYC, I definitely recommend you check it out because its a great way to check out local vendors as well as try out new products and foods. Also, the Pine Box Rock Shop is super cool and I love the decor, I would so stop by there again.

- Alexis ♥

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cashew Granola

• 2 cups oats
• 10-12 dates chopped and pitted
• ½ cup raw whole cashews, chopped
• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/3 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/3 cup unsweetned, unsulphured cranberries (most of the ones I see have sugar but you can find some.)
• 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (omit if you’re using pb with salt)

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 325°F.

Place the oats, chopped cashews, cranberries, dates and ground flax seeds in a bowl and mix to combine.

In a small pot, combine the peanut butter, cocoa powder and agave nectar and heat over a low flame until everything is fully incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla extract after you take it off the heat.

Pour the mixture over the oats and mix well until everything is coated.

Place everything on a parchment lined or lightly oil cookie sheet and evenly spread it out.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, mixing every 10 minutes until everything turns a slight golden brown and if you want it extra crunchy up the heat to 350°F and bake an extra five minutes.

Let cool completely before serving and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy! :)

Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream Bites!

Oh man these Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream Bites are so good and they contain no refined sugar or oils! They contain black beans as the base which when frozen creates a texture similar to ice cream! I was experimenting one day because I’ve never tried a recipe with black beans so I came up with this which I expected to just make truffles out of but I froze them and they came out delicious! If you make these in the morning, they’ll be frozen by the afternoon and ready to eat. They're not the prettiest treats int he world but they are delicioussss!

- Alexis ♥

Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream Bites

• 1 can black beans
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegan nutella alternative (refined sugar free version!)
• 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 1 tablespoon chopped nuts (any of your choice, I used hazelnuts to go with the flavor)

Optional

• ½ cup vegan chocolate chips (to coat them in)

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a food processor (minus the nuts, if using, fold those in after) and process until completely smooth. Slightly oil your hands and using a tablespoon measure, roll into balls. Place in an airtight container and freeze for a couple of hours.

After they are frozen you can drizzle them with chocolate or proceed to coat completely in chocolate.

Let them defrost just a little bit before eating!

Chocolate Covered Raspberry Filled Brownies!

Super yummy and chocolaty Chocolate Covered Raspberry Filled Brownies! These are a chocolate lovers heaven! A quick note that if they fall just a little white cooling that is completely normal and once you put on the chocolate frosting they will even out and be just as delicious! These are refined sugar free and sweetened with coconut sugar and applesauce and comes together with a few simple ingredients and just a 1/2 cup of flour! Definitely give these yummy treats a try.

- Alexis ♥

Chocolate Covered Raspberry Filled Brownies

• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup vegan butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon espresso powder

Filling

• 2 cups frozen raspberries or fresh!
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch or flour
• 2 tablespoons water

Chocolate

• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup vegan butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F.

Combine the raspberries and sugar in a pot and heat over a medium low flame until the raspberries break down and the sugar dissolves and then whisk together the cornstarch and water in a separate container before whisking it into the raspberries. Add in the cornstarch and stir occasionally until it thickens, remove from the heat and let cool.

For the chocolate topping, combine the butter, cocoa powder and sugar in a pot and cook over a low flame until everything melts together then turn off the heat and transfer to a container to cool in the refrigerator until the brownies are done.

In a small pot, melt the butter over a low flame and then set aside to cool slightly.

Sift together all of your dry ingredients, including the sugar, in a medium sized bowl and then pour in the melted butter and applesauce, whisk to combine.

Pour half of the batter in a 8x8 baking dish sprayed with oil and gently top that layer with the cooled raspberry filled and then proceed to top that layer with the leftover batter. This is a very small amount of batter so if you think there isn’t enough, there is! Some raspberry filling will mix in with the top batter and that’s okay.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick placed near the center comes out clean.

LET COOL COMPLETELY before layering with the chocolate topping. If your chocolate is not spreadable, let it come to room temperature and start to melted a bit and then spread it on. It will solidify again in the refrigerator over the brownies.

Enjoy!

Mini Product Review

Nibmor’s Organic Drinking Chocolate in the flavor Mint is refined sugar free, gluten free, Vegan, non GMO and features only four ingredients; Organic Coconut Palm Sugar, Organic Cacao Powder, Organic Mint Flavor and Sea Salt.

How I Served It: I heated a cup of unsweetened Organic Almond Milk and whisked in the packet’s contents until fully combined.

Taste: The first thing I noticed was that I tasted no mint whatsoever! Beyond that it was a lovely deep, rich and smooth chocolate flavor which is great if you’re a fan of that! I’m a huge chocoholic so I was in love with this product!

Pros: I loved the rich chocolaty flavor, the foam that it forms on top from whisking it with the warm almond milk and how easily it combined with the milk! I can just picture how amazing it would be topped with some vegan marshmallows!  The fact that it’s refined sugar free is a huge, huge plus!

Cons:  I wish the flavor of the mint would have come through more but I would still 100% recommend it for its basic chocolate flavor. I’m still debating the use of coconut palm sugar, not because of its taste but rather what it does to the coconut industry so I would like to see it sweetened with a more industry friendly item that isn’t regular white sugar. The price is definitely steep, I bought two single packets for $3.00 and a 6 pack carton of them averages from $8.00-$10.00! I would certainly need to keep it as a luxury item every once in a while.

Amazing Grass’s Green Superfood Energy Drink Powder in the flavor Lemon Lime features a mix of green food, antioxidants, natural energy boosts, fiber, digestive enzymes and pre and probiotic blends that is sweetened with stevia leaf extract.

How I Served It: I mix the packet in with a cup of Good Belly’s Tropical Green Smoothie and a splash of unsweetened Organic Almond Milk.

Taste: The taste was a very pleasant lemon lime with just a hint of green food notes. It wasn’t chalky or powdery and blended nicely with the other flavors.

Pros: I love the health benefits of it from the greens (which include wheatgrass!) to the pre and probiotics! I’m always looking for something with probiotics because they do WONDERS for your digestion. I love the fact that the energy boosts from matcha green tea and yerba mate extract which are plant based caffeine sources. The taste is definitely a plus because it doesn’t taste just like grass which I’m sad to say their cacao infusion does. I love the fact that it doesn’t have cane sugar in it because I’m trying to avoid it. Overall, a wonderful drink powder when you’re looking for a boost to your daily juice or smoothie.

Cons: The price is my only con but I have to say it isn’t as expensive as similar drink powders. I would say the protein is a con but they do have a version with amped up protein so you can choose that one instead. The price on this averaged from $22.00-$70.00 depending on how many servings you buy. I would make this a once in a while luxury item as well because of the price.

Flourless, Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies!

I’m back with some healthy Flourless, Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies! These are a great alternative to the regular flourless peanut butter which contain up to a cup of sugar. These are a great base for experimentation for flourless cookies and I already have other ideas running through my head that I can’t wait to try! These come together really quick too and within twenty minutes you’re munching on some tasty good for you cookies! I hope you enjoy them!

- Alexis ♥

Flourless, Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 Cup Creamy or Crunchy Natural Peanut Butter
• 1/3 Cup Raw Agave Nectar (or less to taste)
• 1 Flax Egg (1 Tablespoon Flax meal + 3 Tablespoons Warm Water)
•  2 ½ Tablespoons Cacao Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt (if you use regular pb omit the salt)
• ½ Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F

Mix together the flax meal and warm water and set aside until it becomes gelatinous.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the peanut butter, agave, cacao powder, baking soda, salt, flax egg and vanilla extract until well combined. The dough will be sticky and less like traditional cookie dough.

Coat your hands in a bit of oil and roll out tablespoon sized portions of the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet (for easy clean up).

*I say to this because I have tried it by just spooning it on but it doesn't create a nice round top for the cookie.

Bake for ten minutes (These cookies will crack a bit on top because of the substitution of agave but they will taste delicious!).  When you take them out they might seem like they’re not done yet but it’s important to let them sit for 8-10 minutes because they will harden.

Enjoy!

Day Thirteen of the Valentine’s Day Challenge is Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Treats!

These are a quick treat you can do if you need something last minute and you forgot to plan anything. These taste like little bites of banana chocolate ice cream! These are a great alternative to the usual chocolate covered strawberries, especially if your significant other doesn't like strawberries!

The last day of the fourteen day challenge is tomorrow and I can’t wait! It’s been a pretty intense fourteen days, always worrying about what to make for the next day haha. I hope you guys enjoy the last recipe of the challenge; it’s pretty versatile and can definitely be used for days other than Valentine’s Day.

- Alexis ♥

Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Treats

• 2 Bananas, chopped and frozen
• 1 ½ cups Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Shortening

Optional

• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Seal Salt or to taste

*I sprinkled mine with just a bit of brown sugar and sea salt. The salt is a nice addition to cut through the overall sweetness of the treat!

Directions

Chop up two bananas and freeze them in advance, this makes them easier to cover in chocolate.

Melt the chocolate with the vegetable shortening over a double boiler until smooth and set aside to cool before covering the bananas.

Dip the bananas in the chocolate and using a fork, pick them up and shake off the excess before moving to a container lined with parchment paper.

If using, sprinkle them with brown sugar and sea salt and then place them in the freezer until eating.

Enjoy!

Day Twelve of the Vegan Valentine’s Day Challenge is Baked Vanilla and Chocolate Mini Doughnuts!

These were so easy to make and so much fun to decorate! I didn't have sprinkles on hand so that’s why there were none but if you have some valentine’s themed ones they would work so well on these! The recipe is the same as my other baked doughnut one minus the added spices. For the chocolate doughnuts you just add some cocoa powder and I might try some melted chocolate next time when I have more around.  I hope you try these out and have fun decorating them!

Today would have been my mom’s 53^rd birthday if she hadn't passed away three years ago so I just wanted to take some time out to wish her a happy birthday wherever she is in the world! I’m sure she would have loved this blog and the many sweets I have been making!

As always, click read more for the recipe! :)

- Alexis ♥

Baked Vanilla and Chocolate Mini Doughnuts

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ cup cinnamon applesauce
• ¼ cup butter
•  ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the Chocolate Doughnuts:

• 2-3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

For the toppings:

• ½ Cup Melted Vegan Chocolate Chips + 1 teaspoon Vegetable Shortening
• ½ cup powdered sugar (for the powdered doughnuts)
• 1 Tablespoon of Shredded Coconut

Optional

• Sprinkles
• Cinnamon Sugar

For the colored icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons Non-Dairy Milk
• 2 teaspoons Corn Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Vegan Food Dye (the gel or paste kind)

*I split this into three bowls and left one white for the glazed doughnuts and used vegan food dye to make the pink and the red colors.

*If you use a non-gel or pasta food dye the consistency might change but you can just add more powdered sugar if it’s too thin or more milk if it’s too thick. Totally up to you!

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325° F

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.

Beat together the butter, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract and oil and then slowly add the dry ingredients, a cup at a time, until fully incorporated.

Split the batter evenly in two and add your cocoa powder to one of the batters. If you want you can color the white batter to make it a little more valentine’s day themed.

Butter or oil the pan you plan on using and pipe in the batter to fill the circle shape. (You can just use a zip lock bag with the corner cut off. Try not to overfill the pan.

Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the doughnuts start to spring back.

It’s important you don’t cook these too long or they will become dense and will be cooked unevenly.

Cool completely before covering in toppings and/or decorations.

Enjoy!

Day Ten of the Valentine’s Day Challenge is Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge!

This recipe pulls together really quickly and the only wait time you have is waiting for it to harden which can take as little as 20 minutes. Try using a crunchy peanut butter in this or throwing in a handful of chopped nuts for some nice texture. They taste like a peanut butter cup and it perfectly melds together the flavors so you don’t suffer from an uneven ration of peanut butter to chocolate. Just package these in a quick heart shaped box and you have an awesome Valentine’s Day gift!

After the Valentine’s Day Challenge, I have a ton of savory recipes coming up that I hope you like! Definitely going to give the sweet desserts a break for a week or two because preparing for a fourteen day challenge leaves you with tons of baking to do and leftover sweets! I can’t wait to take a little breather from the endless planning and baking but it has been fun though.

- Alexis ♥

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

• 1 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips
• ½ cup Peanut Butter (I used crunchy pb)
• ½ cup Vegan Butter
• ½ Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions

Combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small pot and heat over a medium low flame until completely melted and then mix in the vanilla extract.

In a parchment sheet lined container, pour in the chocolate mixture and smooth out the top with a spatula. Refrigerate until firm (this could take an hour or more).

Enjoy!

Day Nine of the Valentine’s Day Challenge is Coconut Cream Heart Patties!

This is my little spin on peppermint patties! They’re actually really quick and simple but like I say in the recipe make sure you buy unsweetened coconut or else these will be sickeningly sweet! If you love coconut, you will love these though.

There was a ton of crazy snow out here in NYC yesterday but the people out here panicked so much because they’re still reeling from Hurricane Sandy. I’m okay with the snow but I definitely can’t wait until spring starts! I want warm weather soon!

- Alexis ♥

Coconut Cream Heart Patties

• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 cup Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut (this is important, definitely get unsweetened!)
• 1 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips
• 1 Tablespoons Vegetable shortening (for the chocolate)
• 1-2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk

Optional

• ½ Teaspoon Pure Coconut Extract
• ½ Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions

Place all of the ingredients in the food processor and blend until it becomes a sticky dough and then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until it firms up a bit.

Melt the chocolate and shortening over a double boiler until it becomes smooth.

Meanwhile, take out your coconut dough and roll it out on a clean surface sprinkled with powder sugar.

You can do whatever shapes you want at this point or even make them into truffles but if you want the heart shape, use a cookie cutter to cut out the patties until you have no dough left.

*Tip: Before dipping them in chocolate refrigerate them for a little longer to firm up even more or else they will start to melt and break.

Have a container ready (make sure to sprinkle the bottom with powdered sugar) and using a fork dip the patties into the chocolate and shake off the excess before moving to the next one.

After you’re all done, refrigerate them until they’re set.

Enjoy!!

Day Eight of the Valentine’s Day Challenge is Raw Cranberry Coconut Truffles

This is another healthier dessert for Valentine’s Day and one that you can mix and match to suit your tastes! I didn't use dates because while they taste so good you can get tired of them so I wanted to switch it up and use cranberries and they worked just the same. The cranberries end up making it taste like cherry coconut! Just package these in a cute box and you have a healthy and raw Valentine’s Day present!

- Alexis ♥

Raw Cranberry Coconut Truffles

• 1 cup Unsweetened Dried Cranberries
• ½ cup Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut (plus ¼ cup to roll them in after)
• 2 Tablespoons Raw Agave Nectar

Optional

• 1 Tablespoon Cacao Powder
• ¼ cup chopped nuts
• ¼ Teaspoon Pure Coconut Extract

Directions

Process everything in the food processor until it comes together to create a sticky dough.

Shape the dough into equal sized balls and roll them in the extra coconut.

Enjoy!

Day Five is Vegan Cherry Cordials!

Day Five of the Valentine’s Day Challenge is Vegan Cherry Cordials! For those who don't know, cherry cordials are chocolate covered cherries. I used to love cherry cordials so I was so excited to make these! They’re a little time intensive and require that you think ahead but the end result will be amazing.

I’ve been baking a lot of bread lately, things like bagels and garlic knots are in the works so if you’re looking for a good vegan bagel recipe check out: the wicked good vegan!

- Alexis ♥

Vegan Cherry Cordials

• 1 10 ounce jar of maraschino cherries
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup Vegan chocolate chips
• 1-2 tablespoons cherry juice
• 1 teaspoon corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions

In advance, drain the maraschino cherries (reserving some of the cherry juice) and dry the cherries as much as possible before beginning this recipe. (I recommend freezing them before covering in the powdered sugar mixture/)

Beat together the butter, one cup of the sugar, almond extract, corn syrup and cherry juice until well incorporated and then add in the leftover ½ cup of sugar and knead until it becomes soft dough. If the dough is too sticky add more powdered sugar.

Refrigerate the dough until ready to use.

Once your cherries and dough are ready wrap each cherry with the dough and roll it out in your hand to smooth it out into a ball. If your dough isn't firm enough, roll the cherries in it and then freeze it for an hour or two. Once you’re done freezing it, roll the dough covered cherries in your hand to smooth into out into a nice smooth ball. Freeze the cherries until nice and firm.

Melted the chocolate over a double boiler and let it cool a bit before covered the cherries. Make sure you have a station set up to cover the cherries because they tend to start melting very quickly so you have to cover them in chocolate as quickly as possible. (I did two or three at a time and then put the cherries back in the freezer to chill more and repeated this process until all the cherries are covered.) I used a fork to roll them in the chocolate and then let the excess drain before transferring to my container for the cherries.

After you’re done covering all of the cherries, freeze them until they’re set and then transfer to the refrigerator until ready to eat!

*Tip: Make sure you completely cover the cherries or else the filling will start to leak out. I suggest covering them in chocolate once, letting them freeze and if they’re not completely covered, cover them in chocolate again.

*Tip #2: The longer you let them sit, the more the inside will turn to liquid like a traditional cherry cordial. They taste amazing either way though!

Day four of the Vegan Valentine’s Day Challenge is: Vegan Peanut Butter Cups!

Day four of the Vegan Valentine’s Day Challenge is: Vegan Peanut Butter Cups! These are actually super easy to make and taste just like the real thing! The last few posts are all chocolate treat based because they can all become a cute little chocolate box for whoever you plan on giving a present this valentine’s day. I hope you give them a try and enjoy them!

- Alexis ♥

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

• 2 cups Vegan Chocolate Chips (you might need more depending on the size of your peanut butter cups)
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tablespoon vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Directions

Beat together the peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until it becomes a smooth dough and refrigerate until using.

While your dough is in the refrigerator, melt the two cups of vegan chocolate chips and butter over a double boiler until nice and smooth and then set aside to cool down just a little.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and separate it into equal sized balls; the amount is up to you but I had done about a teaspoon each and thought it was too little for the overall peanut butter cup.

Using a cupcake or muffin tin that has been greased, pour in the melted chocolate to about a 1/4 “ or 1/8” inch thickness and then press in the peanut butter balls and proceed to add more melted chocolate until it covers and evens out over the peanut butter.

Repeat until you finish your desired amount of peanut butter cups and freeze for one to two hours or until they are set.

Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies with Cherry Frosting!

Day three of the Vegan Valentine’s Day Challenge features Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies with Cherry Frosting! The frosting is of course optional but tastes delicious. I will have some healthier Valentine’s Day treats coming up soon; even I get tired of all the sugar! Plus, it’s okay to indulge sometimes but not all of them!

I've been hard at work endlessly baking for this fourteen day Valentine’s Day Challenge and of all things doing my own little crafts for the day as well. Sometimes it’s so much better to create something special and meaningful to give to someone rather than just buying some store bought hallmark card and candy. I’m sure there are more than a few people out there that don’t agree with the whole commercially exploited Valentine’s Day (which I agree that it is) but there’s nothing wrong with showing your significant other how much you love them on this particular day as long as you show them on other days as well!

I hope you’re all having an amazing week! :)

- Alexis ♥

Double Chocolate Cherry Brownies with Cherry Frosting

• 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax meal + 6 tablespoons warm water)
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup Vegan Chocolate Chips, melted
• ½ cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup vegan butter
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 ½ teaspoons cherry juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Frosting

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup vegan butter
• 10 teaspoons cherry juice (if you have cherry extract use 1 teaspoon or more and vegan food coloring for color)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Whisk together your flax meal and water and set aside to thicken.

Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then beat in the flax eggs, vanilla extract, melted chocolate and cherry juice.

Sift together all of your dry ingredients and then add them into the wet ingredients, a cup at a time, until everything becomes well combined (this will be a thick and sticky batter). Fold in the cherries and chopped nuts and beat in the three tablespoons of water if the batter is especially thick.

Transfer your batter to a greased pan and bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until the brownies set.

Let them cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

Beat together the powdered sugar, butter and cherry juice until well combined. If you feel the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Marzipan Truffles Two Ways: Covered in Dark Chocolate and Double Chocolate

Day Two of my Vegan Valentine’s Day Challenge is Marzipan Truffles Two Ways: Covered in Dark Chocolate and Double Chocolate! After making the strawberry almond shortbread cookies that reminded me so much of marzipan, I decided to make some marzipan! These are delicious little bit sized chunks of chocolate covered marzipan that are so sweet but intoxicating haha. I really hope you enjoy them!

- Alexis ♥

Marzipan Truffles Two Ways: Covered in Dark Chocolate and Double Chocolate

• 1 ¾ cups raw almonds
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

For the Double Chocolate:

• 2 teaspoons of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Optional (For decorating):

• Sprinkles
• Cocoa Powder
• Coconut

Directions

In a food processor, grind the almond until they’re very fine and start to clump together and then add the sugar and process until well combined.

 Transfer the almond sugar mixture to a bowl and add in the corn syrup and almond extract and knead (with gloves) until it comes together to make a dough. Shape the dough into a log and cut in half.

 Take one half of the dough and knead in the two teaspoons of cocoa powder.

Shape both sets of dough into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until firm.

While the marzipan is firming up, set up your decorations stations and melt the chocolate with a double boiler (let it cool a little bit before covering the marzipan with it).

Once the Marzipan has firmed up separate both sets of dough into equal sized balls, about a half tablespoon to a tablespoon, these will be sweet so smaller portions will be good.

Using a fork, roll the marzipan truffles into the chocolate and shake off the excess when lifting. You can decorate these however you want by just rolling the non-chocolate covered marzipan in the sprinkles, coconut, etc.

Once you’re done covering all of the marzipan in either the decoration or the covered them in chocolate refrigerate them so the chocolate can set.

Enjoy!

*Tip: If you want these to work at room temperature, temper the chocolate. I didn’t do this because I have yet to master the art!

Healthy Vegan Chocolate Avocado Pudding!

Another quick recipe for you guys! This pudding is really versatile, you can add in coconut, peanut butter, banana and more and it will be equally as delicious and nutritious! You can even pump up the chocolate flavor by using melted vegan chocolate chips or cacao nibs! I really love quick and easy vegan treats and this is one of them and you can even reduce or double this recipe depending on how much pudding you need. I hope you like it!

- Alexis ♥

Healthy Chocolate Avocado Pudding

• 1 Very Ripe Plantain, black
• 1 Ripe Avocado
• ½ cup Cacao powder (use Vegan Cocoa Powder if you can’t find it)
• ¼ - ½ cup non-dairy milk (depends on how thick or thin you want it)
• ¼ cup agave nectar
• 1 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

Optional

• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ Teaspoon instant Coffee
• ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
• ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions

Slice plantain into equal slices and boil until tender.

Place everything in a food processor and blend until smooth.

If you want a firmer texture, let it sit in the refrigerator until firm.

Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Coffee cakes with a Peanut Butter Mocha frosting!

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much to those that started following me! I have tons of vegan recipes in store from key lime pie to Italian cannolis! I can't wait to share them with you all! :)

My next recipe is a vegan chocolate coffee cake! These "chocolatte" cakes were inspired by my love of coffee and I really wanted to create something really chocolaty with a strong taste of coffee behind it, one you can really taste after the cake is cooked. These scrumptious cakes are topped with a peanut butter mocha and a salted caramel drizzle that is delicious. They don't need a really heavy coating of frosting so just pipe a little on, drizzle some caramel sauce and enjoy!

Thanks,

Alexis

CHOCOLATTE CAKES

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup coffee cooled
• ½ cup vegan butter
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼  cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 ½ tsp instant coffee powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

While gathering your ingredients, preheat your oven to 350° F.

Start by sifting all of your dry ingredients in a bowl; the flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl with an electric mixer or by hand, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add in the vanilla and applesauce and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet ones ¼ - ½ cup at a time, making sure to mix until there are no chunks of flours left, scrapping down the bowl when necessary. Keep adding the dry ingredients until completely incorporated then mix in the oil and coffee, ¼ cup at time, tasting periodically to see if the coffee flavor suits you (I say this because everyone is different and I personally love a strong coffee flavor in the cupcakes).

After you’re done, spoon the batter into desired baking pan. If using a cupcake tray, fill your cupcake liners ¾ of the way with a spoon or a ¼ cup measure.

Bake at 350° F for 20 – 22 minutes or until the middle is set, this varies depending on your oven.

Cool them down and top them with the peanut butter mocha (recipe below) and drizzle of salted caramel sauce or a frosting of your choice!

Peanut Butter Mocha Frosting

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup vegan butter
• 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk (more or less depending on your preferred consistency of frosting)
• 6 teaspoons cooled coffee (to taste, I wanted mine to have a subtle coffee flavor)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Directions

Cream together the vegan butter and peanut butter until well incorporated and then slowly add in the powdered sugar ½ cup to a cup at a time until combined, making sure to scrap down the sides (I actually added in a tablespoon of milk after I creamed the butter and peanut butter because it was already too thick). After adding all of the powdered sugar pour in the vanilla and slowly one teaspoon at a time add the coffee checking the taste frequently to make sure it suits you. If it’s still too thick after incorporating the vanilla and coffee, add in the milk, a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Vegan Caramel Sauce recipe from: http://greytveganlife.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/%E2%99%A5-vegan-caramel-sauce/ (I added more salt to make it a salted caramel)