Gluten & Dairy Free Chocolate Protein Granola

The best thing about food blogging is that you get to create exactly what you have been craving, eat it al and then tell the world about it! Daniel and I have been on a granola kick for a few reasons…for one thing it’s delicious, secondly it can be eaten for breakfast or as an ice cream topper! thirdly it’s easy to make and lastly saves money in the long run! For me a bag of gluten free oats is about 4 to 5 dollars whereas a small bag of granola can be 6 to 8 dollars!

Not don’t get me wrong because I have definitely bought store bought granola, It’s delicious and I am a human being. So weather you are going to buy granola or make granola this week, great job! I mean it just seems to be the logical and best thing to always have granola on hand!

Anyways, I am getting a little carried away…For this granola what makes it protein granola is the addition of the pea protein & sun butter, which together contains about 50g of protein! Keep in mind that you can sub the sun butter for other kinds of nut butter and will vary the protein.

Thankfully the main goal of the granola is in tasting delicious, and it definitely accomplishes that!

P.S see if you can find me in the photo!

Ingredients

• 2 & 1/2 cups gluten-free oats

• 1/2 cup pea protein powder

• 1/4th cup coconut sugar

• 1/4th cup cocoa powder

• 1/4th cup chia seeds

• 1/4th cup unsweetened coconut

• 1 tsp fine Sea salt

• 2 tbsp Nut butter (I used SunButter)

• 1/3rd cup coconut oil

  Optional (But highly recommend)

• 1/4th cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. preheat your oven to 350F and lightly grease a baking sheet

2. In a large bowl whisk together your dry ingredients until well combined.

3. Mix in your melted coconut oil and nut butter. This works best when you use a spatula.

4. Pour and smooth your mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

5. After ten minutes remove your granola from the oven and mix around the granola with a spatula. Flatten out the mixture and then put it in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.

6. when it’s done baking take out of the oven and move to a glass pie plate to cool. You do this so the bottom of your granola doesn’t burn while sitting in the baking sheet.

7. Once cooled sprinkle in 1/4th cup of mini chocolate chips if you like.

8. Store & enjoy!

Banana Milk // Vegan & Gluten Free

I think I might be the only adult I know obsessed with all things having to do with fun drinks! Well…not the fun alcoholic drinks, more like the fun drinks you might have had when you were a kid! I am talking strawberry milk, chocolate milk, Mint Matcha, milkshakes, etc. Anything sweet and sippable makes me happy, so when I realized that I hadn’t made you guys banana milk I had to get to it!

This is a recipe my sisters now husband and then-boyfriend taught me how to make. Unlike my husband, he is a fellow banana appreciating human beings and knows what’s up. In high school, we would go to his house to hang out and eat good food. One day While deciding on a snack Connor out of nowhere starts blending banana and milk together, that’s it! Nothing fancy, he even scoffed at me adding cinnamon, but can you blame me? What better in banana milk then cinnamon!

However you like it, this is a fun and simple way to enjoy something cool and refreshing and helps to keep things interesting while in quarantine…

Ingredients

• 1 frozen banana*

• 2 cups Almond or oat milk

• 1/4th tsp allspice or cinnamon (optional)

Directions

1. In a blender, combine all of your ingredients and blend on high until fully blended.

2. Pour into a glass, sip, and enjoy!

   *You can Instead use a ripe banana and a few ice cubes if you don’t have frozen bananas on hand!

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FUDGY SWEET POTATO BROWNIES // GLUTEN FREE & DAIRY FREE

Okay, so what you guys might not know is that I don’t like to follow the rules when it comes to baking and cooking, it’s one of the reasons why half of what I make doesn’t get to the bog, but today was different. I didn’t follow the rules exactly, I used sweet potato puree and made my flour, but then I did my research and followed some more traditional methods. I did use melted chocolate and cocoa powder, I didn’t overbeat the eggs, I used almost regular sugar, etc. And let me tell you, it worked like a charm!

These are healthy-ish because they are gluten-free, dairy-free, and have a bonus root vegetable in there which I can’t complain about. Thankfully these brownies are better than healthy brownies, there are real brownies with real ingredients for a great taste! the benefit of making brownies this way is that you get the bonus of healthier ingredients while also satisfying your sweet tooth bot emotionally and physically. 

These are fudgy decadent brownies with real chunks of chocolate and a drizzle of coconut caramel icing that is sure to make even the pickiest of eaters happy! 

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1 cup sweet potato puree

• 1 cup gluten-free oats (or 3/4th cup oat flour)

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

• 1/4th cup coconut oil

• 1/4th cup coconut sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1tp vanilla

• 3/4th cup chocolate chips

Coconut Caramel Icing

• 1 Can of full-fat coconut milk

• 1/4th cup coconut sugar

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper. 

2. In a blender pour in your oats and blend until a flour forms. It won’t fill your one cup measure once blended, but don’t worry about that. 

3. In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup chocolate chips & coconut oil. Using the double boiler method melt your chocolate.

4. Pour your melted chocolate into a large bowl. Whisk in your sugar and then your eggs, vanilla, and sweet potato puree. 

5. Whisk in your sea salt, cocoa powder, and oat flour. 

6. fold in the extra 1/4th cup of chocolate chips.

7. spray your pan and pour in the brownie mixture. Smooth and sprinkle with flaky salt (optional)

8. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. To see if the brownies are done stick a toothpick into the brownies. If the toothpick comes out clean your brownies are good to go! 

9. Let cool and enjoy! 

For the Coconut Icing

NOTE: Do not shake your can of coconut milk. You need the fatty liquid to be separated from the more watery liquid in the can of coconut milk. 

1. In a small pan pour in your separated coconut cream and coconut sugar and whisk together over medium heat.

2. Bring your mixture to a simmer and let cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring consistently. 

3. Your mixture should reduce to about half and turn a light tan color. you do not want to make caramel or burn the liquid so keep a close eye on it.

4. Once it is done, remove from heat and pour into a glass container to cool. 

5. Drizzle over brownies & store excess in the fridge. 

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Vegan and Gluten-Free Mocha Granola

there are two things I am certain about when it comes to granola, 1 it is the best breakfast cereal out there, and 2, it is always worth making a double batch. So for today's dream granola, you are going to need only 7 simple ingredients that are easily interchangeable if needed!

Let’s start with the oats. I use gluten-free rolled oats because traditional rolled oats can contain traces of gluten. So if you are like me and are very sensitive to gluten, spend the extra dollar and get yourself a big bag of gluten-free rolled oats! I like to get mine at Trader Joe's because they are the cheapest and taste awesome! If you can’t access a Trader Joes you can buy them online. I use Thrive Market and they have them on there for only a dollar more than Trader Joes. You can also try Bob’s Red Mill and order them off of Amazon. 

Now for the coconut sugar, you can use whatever granulated sugar you like. The benefit of coconut sugar is nit just because it’s “healthier” but because coconut sugar has a unique caramel-like flavor that gives a lot more flavor to the granola! SO do what you wish, but I highly recommend using coconut sugar!

when it comes to the espresso, daniel and I dring ut coffee at home, if you don’t have access to freshly ground coffee, you can use store-bought espresso powder.. also if you use fresh coffee the milk will be smoother and more enjoyable. If you don’t have espresso powder at home feel free to omit the espresso powder and just make it chocolate! Don’t worry, you won’t be disappointed, either way!

When it comes to baking the granola make sure you follow the instructions and mix it around halfway through. This helps the granola to bake evenly, then when you take it out of the oven, put the granola in a glass plate to cool. I have learned the hard way, burning one too many batches of granola by letting it wit in a hot pan to cool off, then realizing I have half-burnt granola…

Anyways, thankfully I am here to make the mistakes so you don’t have to! 

So without any further chit-chat here is your recipe for Mocha Granola! 

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free oats

• 1/4th cup coconut sugar

• 1/4th cup chia seeds **

• 1/4th cup cocoa powder

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• 1 tbsp espresso powder

• 1/3rd cup melted coconut oil

Instructions

1. Preheat your over to 350F and spray a baking sheet with coconut oil, set aside. 

2. In a large bowl whisk together your dry ingredients

3. Mix in the coconut oil until fully combined

4. spread your mixture evenly onto your baking sheet and place in the oven. 

5. Bake for 10 minutes, take your granola out of the oven, and give it a good mix, evening it out when you're done. 

6. Bake for another 10 minutes. 

7. Remove from the oven and transport granola into a glass plate to cool. Do not leave on the baking sheet as this will stay hot and possibly burn your granola. 

8. Once cool serve with milk, on yogurt or all by itself!

9. Enjoy!

Cosmic Brownies // Gluten Free & Vegan

One fine afternoon my friend Natalie from the blog Feasting on Fruit and I were discussing what treasures we would make next. Our obsession with pumpkin for the season had yet to begin so we began to brainstorm what to make until then.

When we come up with recipes they have to be Daniel approved because if we can make a baking traditionalist happy with something baked that’s gluten-free and vegan, we can make anyone happy! We also take every opportunity to make recipes that give us some glam drizzle shots!

We landed on something nostalgic, chocolaty, and irresistibly good! You probably guessed from the title of course, but we landed on making Cosmic Brownies, and we were determined to make them even better than the original. I know that’s saying a lot especially when we are making them without flour, butter, or eggs…

Well, folks, this one here is a winner if I have ever seen (or eaten) one! The fudgy brownie and decadent chocolate ganache will without a doubt bring up your dessert game while simultaneously bring you back to your childhood days, eating Little Debbie snacks on the back porch with your friends.

We made this recipe simple so that everyone can have a chance to make and enjoy them! We also kept in mind to make these vegan, gluten-free, & paleo so that more than just one group of people can enjoy them! Let us know how you enjoy the brownies, and in the meantime don’t forget to check out Daniel Peacocke on YouTube and Natalie on her website Feasting on Fruit!

Now without any further delay here is the recipe!

Brownies

• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp warm water)

• 3/4 cup (185g) runny nut/seed butter

• 1/4 cup (50g) coconut oil*

• 1/2 cup (75g) coconut sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup (70g) cacao powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

Ganache

• 1 cup (160g) chocolate chips

• 1/3 cup coconut milk

• Colorful sprinkles for topping**

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F

• Whisk together the nut/seed butter, coconut sugar, prepared flax eggs, and vanilla.

• Stir in the cacao powder, baking soda, and salt to form a thick batter. If batter seems too dry add 1/4 cup coconut oil or nondairy milk.

• Spread into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF.

• Cool completely (or chill to speed it up) before frosting

• For the ganache, melt the chocolate chips with the coconut milk. Stir until smooth pour/spread on top of cooled brownies.

• Top with sprinkles. Chill until the ganache is set.

• Slice and enjoy!!

Notes

*You can use non-dairy milk instead of coconut oil for an oil-free option, but the brownies will be drier.

** For an all-natural revision check out Feasting on Fruit for a homemade sprinkles recipe!

MInt Chocolate Chip Smoothie // Dairy Free & Gluten Free

Smoothies have a special place in my heart because they are piqued my interest in how healthy food can taste like a real treat! It all started when I was 14 and got a job babysitting. I would go every Thursday morning where the family was just finishing breakfast and the mom would set aside a cup of whatever smoothie they were making for me! it was awesome and helped me to learn that breakfast could be more than just cereal. Their family always had healthy treats around and near the end of work the mom and I would usually chat for a bit about life over a piece of dark chocolate.
It was one of the best jobs I have ever had and helped me learn about how to care for other people, but also how to care for my health with food!
As you guys might know, once life hit college life got tough and the idea of living a healthy and balanced life changed. I was at a job that made me miserable, my fiance lived in another country, I was convinced I would fail college, and felt a lack of control. What I knew I could control was what I put into my mouth, which made my love for living a healthy and balanced life, just an unhealthy obsession.
Thankfully after many years of recovery I have learned that intuitive eating was what I needed to get back to. It’s what I did in high school and I knew that if I wanted to regain my love for food I needed things to change.
I had all the rules beforehand that stemmed from me having to restrict my diet for medical reasons, that carried over into a “healthy diet”. it took months and months to break the cycle and to test the waters. For me it was having carbs in the morning. I loved smoothies, but the ones I was making were not what I genuinely loved or enjoyed. Even though I was eating enough food, I wasn’t satisfying my emotional connection with food. This leads me to overeat the Sonya approved food, leading me to an unbalanced diet.

After acknowledging these issues, and consistently working to break the bad habits and mindset I was stuck in I noticed things started to change.
I began eating dessert, every day, sometimes twice a day! But I also started doing my favorite exercises, having fun, and switching it up. I wasn’t focused on the calories I consumed or burned, I was simply enjoying the things that I loved! I felt like I did in high school were my favorite activities were ether doing something active or eating great food with the people I loved.
I stopped obsessing and started living again.
Thankfully living included eating a lot of yummy things, and that’s when this page truly began to change for the better!

Now I can bring to you fun recipes like this Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie that you can conveniently enjoy for breakfast or dessert! All you have to do is switch up the ingredients and voila! You have a tasty meal that brings joy!
If you want this Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie for Breakfast all you need is…

If you want this Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie for Breakfast all you need is…

• 1 Frozen Banana

• 1 Cup nut milk (I like almond)

• 1 scoop collagen of vanilla protein powder

• 1 Tbsp. Cocoa powder

• 1 Tbsp cacao nibs

• 1 Tbsp sunflower butter

• handful of spinach

• 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 ice cubes

• pinch of sea salt

• 1 Tbsp. avocado (optional)

• 1 Tbsp. Flax meal (optional)

  And if you want to enjoy it as a tasty dessert…

• 1 Frozen Banana

• 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

• 1 Tbsp. cacao nibs

• 1/4th to 1/2 cup milk (less milk = thiccc like ice cream)

• 1 Tbsp. sunflower butter

• pinch of sea salt

• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

• 1/3 tsp vanilla extract

  Directions

  FOR BOTH**In a blender pour the almond milk in first and then add in all other ingredients and blend away!