BAKING BACKWARDS: grain free

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies (vegan, gluten free, grain-free, soy-free)

3:04 PM

I love making traditional desserts a little bit healthier. These delicious and moist Chocolate Chip Quinoa cookies are a perfect example.

Loaded with chocolate chips and chunks I wouldn't call these cookies totally innocent, but they are way better for you than traditional chocolate chip cookies. They're also suitable for vegans, people who avoid grains and soy, and gluten intolerant folks. They're easy to make and made with nutritious and high-protein flours like quinoa and buckwheat, alternative sweeteners like coconut sugar, and better-for-you fats like coconut oil.

I threw this recipe together on a whim last weekend and it was a hit in my house. My husband ate most of the cookies in a day (which rarely happens these days as he tries to limit his dessert intake). I was shocked and amazed by how much he enjoyed these as I really didn't know how they'd turn out (and he's a bit of a cookie purist). This recipe is definitely going to be made again and again.

I also made a youtube recipe video so you can follow along with me. Please check it out and subscribe to my channel for more. I plan to make many more videos this year, provided I can find the time.

I hope you like these cookies as much as we did!

Quinoa chocolate chip cookies
Yields 9 large cookies, or 12-16 small cookies

1 cup quinoa flour
1/3 cups buckwheat flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut sugar
Stevia (to sweeten to your taste and reduce the overall sugar content of the recipe)
2 tbsp liquid sweetener
1/4 cup of water or non dairy milk
Big pinch of good salt
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup coconut oil (opt for room temperature, softened but not liquid)
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips or a mix

*For chewier cookies include 1 flax "egg"*

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Add coconut oil, olive oil, vanilla, sugar, liquid sweetener, cocoa, cinnamon and stevia to large mixing bowl. Whisk or blend with a hand mixer until fluffy. Blend in flax "egg" if using.

Step 2:
Add in remaining dry ingredients (not chocolate), stirring together by hand until well mixed. Then stir in water or non dairy milk until a smooth dough forms.

Step 3:
Stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips until well distributed. Cover and chill 30 minutes in fridge (optional).

Step 4:
Line or grease a baking sheet or two. Scoop chilled or un-chilled dough out and drop on to sheet, leaving space around each cookie to allow them to spread. Bake in preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. Serve warm!

Marbled Cheesecake Mousse Cups (vegan, gluten free, soy free)

12:10 PM

Valentine's Day is coming and I know what I'm making...do you?

I am kind of in love with this easy-to-make Marble Cheesecake dessert. It's super creamy and delicious, but also fairly low in sugar, and manages to conceal 6 cups of sweet potato! I'm so in love with it that I have been making it every weekend for several WEEKS -- sometimes twice! Not kidding.

When I say this dessert is easy, I mean it. It's no-bake and comes together in less than half an hour, then sets in the fridge or freezer in 1-3 hours (depending on how you want to serve it). If you can boil water and operate a blender, you can make this. Unlike most no-bake vegan desserts, there are no cashews in this. I don't eat tree nuts (I have a food sensitivity) so I use coconut milk and coconut oil instead, and before you yell at me --> coconuts are not tree-nuts, they're drupes, and most people who are sensitive to tree nuts can tolerate coconut.

This dessert can be served two delicious ways. If you set it in the freezer it will be like a super rich ice cream, but if you set it in the fridge it will be like velvety mousse. The choice is yours!

The secret ingredient for this dessert is Japanese sweet potato. It's pretty much my favourite root vegetable of all time. If you've never encountered it, it looks like a normal sweet potato, but it has purple-ish skin and is white on the inside. It's more dense than regular sweet potatoes and has a sweeter flavour. If you don't know where to find them, check your local Asian grocery store or Whole Foods (if there's one nearby) as they will likely have them in stock. If you can't find them, you could use butternut squash or regular sweet potatoes or purple sweet potatoes instead, BUT the colour of this dessert will be different and you will potentially need more sweetener. I chose to use this type of sweet potato because the flesh is white -- it makes the mousse look like marbled white and milk chocolate.

If you're wondering if this dessert could possibly taste good (due to the secret ingredient), trust me, it's awesome. My normal-food-loving husband actually says it's almost too rich for him! If you're wondering why it tastes like cheesecake, I can't totally explain it. For some magical reason, white sweet potato + coconut + sweetener + acidity = cheesecake.

To make this sweet treat, all you need to do is peel, chop and boil 6 cups of white sweet potato, then blend it with a bit of cooking water and the ingredients listed below for a few minutes in a high speed blender. Then pour 1/2 of it into cups or glasses, then blend what's left with chocolate. Then swirl in the chocolate mixture with the original mixture to make a marble look in the glasses. Then freeze or chill and serve! Super easy, super tasty.

Marbled Cheesecake Mousse Cups
(vegan, gluten free, soy free)

6 cups loosely packed white sweet potato, boiled until soft, 1 cup cooking water reserved
Cream skimmed from 1 chilled can of full fat coconut milk
4 tbsp liquid sweetener (like maple syrup or agave nectar or raw honey (honey is not vegan))
Stevia (to taste)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
5 tbsp virgin coconut oil
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
A few cranks of a salt mill (or a big pinch)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all of the above ingredients together in a blender until super smooth. Transfer 1/2 of the mixture to a glass or plastic freezer-safe tupperware container with a tight fitting lid (best option if you want this to be like ice cream) OR if you want to be fancy, transfer 1/2 of the mixture to nice looking glasses, dividing it between 4-6 of them (if you want it to be like mousse).

To the remaining 1/2 of the mixture that's still in the blender add:

3/4 cup chopped vegan chocolate or chocolate chips
1 tbsp of honey
A little stevia
A tiny pinch of salt

Puree mixture until super smooth.

*If you used glasses:
Add the chocolate mixture to the glasses, spooning it in a little at a time while you swirl the two mixtures together with a fork to create a marble look. Places glasses in the fridge to chill for at least 2-3 hours. I don't recommend freezing your glasses as they might break. Enjoy or save for later.

*If you used tupperware:
Add the chocolate mixture to the center of the container of the white mixture, then swirl the two mixtures together with a fork or spoon to create a marble pattern. Seal the tupperware container and chill in freezer for at least 1.5 hours. If you freeze for two hours it will be like ice cream, if you transfer to the fridge for 30 minutes after freezing for an hour it will be like mousse. When ready to eat, scoop and serve.

Double Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies (vegan, gluten free, soy-free, nut-free, grain-free)

10:43 AM

Golden Latte (Vegan Turmeric Latte)

5:33 PM

I'm back! Sorry I've been insanely MIA here. I've got something sweet to thank you for your patience...

Life has thrown me a ton of curve balls recently. Without going into too much detail, this past year was really difficult. But things are starting to look up for me and my little family! I moved to an exciting new city with my husband, and am finally settled in. My health is on the upswing after a major decline in recent months (likely due to stress). And I'm starting to dream up new recipes again after a serious slump in creativity.

Have you heard of "Golden Milk"? It's basically a non dairy milk recipe that you enjoy hot that's full of warming and super healthy spices like turmeric. I have a great recipe for it in my ebook. Inspired by the beauty of golden milk, I decided to make an easy coffee based version for people who want a healthier latte in the morning. Enter this beautiful Golden Latte.

I really love this drink and thankfully it loves me back. I don't drink a lot of coffee anymore but a decaf latte once in a while can be incredibly soothing and relaxing. Anyone who follows this blog probably knows how much I love to throw healthy things into classic recipes. This Vegan Turmeric Latte is no exception.

Made with a few simple and easy-to-find ingredients (decaf organic coffee, turmeric, vanilla extract, coconut milk and stevia), this sweet drink is delicious and pretty innocent. It's very allergy-friendly too as it's vegan, gluten-free, paleo, sugar-free, nut-free, and soy-free. It's also easy to make at home without any expensive special equipment. All you need is your favourite tool to brew some coffee and a blender.

This recipe is so quick and easy that I made a recipe video for it. Be sure to check it out and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more. I plan to contribute more YouTube recipe videos on a regular basis soon.