Baking Recipes

Cranberry Walnut Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup milled flax seed
1/2 cup coconut oil (softened not melted)
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp baking spice (or 1/4 tsp all spice, 1/4 tsp ginger , 1/4 tsp mase, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon)
add 1 extra tsp cinnamon if you like (I did)
1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 medium size apples (peeled and shredded)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup almond milk

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F , grease a standard size muffin tin (enough for 12 muffins)

(I usually make all my batters and mixes in a KitchenAid, but if you don't have one, no worries, you can use a regular mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer as well, or just do it the old fashioned way and beat it by hand :) )

First, add the oil, honey in the mixing bowl and beat on low until the two ingredients have come together nicely. Then add in the apples, and spices, mix together thoroughly. Next, add in the flour and flax seed, and baking powder. Then add the almond milk, walnut and cranberries. Make sure you do not over mix the batter, but mix everything just until it is all well incorporated into the batter.

Spoon out the mixture into the muffin tin, filling each section to the top. Place the pan on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes or until the top and sides of the muffins are a nice golden brown. (if you stick a tooth pick in the middle of one, it should come out clean)

Let sit for 10 minutes in the pan, (run a flat knife of spatula around the edges of each muffin as it is cooling, to make extra sure it doesn't stick). Then transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before serving. (these muffins are very moist but also very crumbly if moved too quickly, they need time to settle and totally solidify)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

 Preheat oven to 350 F , grease two baking sheets (or line with parchment paper) Makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients: 

 1/2 cup of milled flax seed a

 2 cups of almond flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tbsp of honey

1/2 cup coconut oil (softend) or 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1 cup mashed pumpkin filling

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

First, in a mixing bowl or KitchenAid, mix in the oil or butter with the honey and vanilla, until all three ingredients are well incorporated and creamed together. Then add in the pumpkin and the spices. Next add in the egg, mix well. Add the flour, flax, salt, baking soda, and powder last. Mix together (make sure everything is well incorporated into the mixture, but try not to over mix). 

Spoon out the mixture onto the baking sheets in drop of similar size. I made them about the size of the palm of my hand (they do not expand outward very much while baking so form them into the desired cookie shape on the baking pan). The batter itself is very sticky and similar to sticky biscuit flour. 

Bake on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until the edges and top of the cookie are crisp and golden. 

Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack, let the cookies them cool completely on the rack before serving. 

Optional: 

Drizzle honey over the cookies before serving or you can make a glaze to drizzle on top as well.

Almond honey glaze:

1tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp almond butter

1/2 tbsp honey

1/2 tbsp coconut oil (softened not melted)

Or Banana Almond Milk Glaze:

1 banana (mashed)

1/3 cup almond milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp honey

beat all 4 ingredients together until it forms a nice smooth glaze, then drizzle over the top of each cookie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fall Spice Biscuits 

Preheat oven to 375 F , grease or place parchment paper on 1 baking sheet, makes 10 biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup milled flax seed
1/2 cup (1 stick) room temperature butter
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp powdered thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves)
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp almond milk
2 tbsp honey

Directions:

In a KitchenAid or mixing bowl, add in the butter and honey. Cream together. Next pour in the flour and flax seed. Mix together on low until the dough is crumbly. Then add in the spices, baking powder, salt, and almond milk. Mix together (on low) until all ingredients thoroughly incorporated into the mixture (do not over mix). Use a spatula and scrap down the sides of the bowl so all the batter/dough is in the middle of the bowl in a large pile (should be rather dough like and pretty firm). Place in fridge for 15 minutes.

Next, break off pieces of the dough and roll into large sized dough balls (about the size of a golf ball) then flatten out the balls so that they are biscuit shaped. Place on the baking sheet equal distance away from each other and bake for 15 minutes (or until the biscuits have risen slightly and are a nice golden brown color)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Balsamic Eggplant Cauliflower Pizza, with Kale Walnut Pesto

Preheat oven to 425 F , line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper , makes 2 individual pizzas or 1 large pizza.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/2 a head of cauliflower (blended in the food processor)
1/2 cup of fresh grated mozzarella cheese (or already grated, depending on how you like your cheese)
1 egg
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt

Pesto:
1 cup kale (chopped and washed)
2 tbsp olive oil (or coconut, grapeseed, sunflower seed, etc.)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp dried basil (or a handful of fresh basil, chopped and washed)
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup water

Balsamic Eggplant:
1/2 off an eggplant (chopped, with the skin still on)
1 medium size onion (chopped into strips not chunks)
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp black pepper

Other Toppings:
1 chicken sausage (chopped, you can find good natural ones from Trader Joe's, they also have amazing flavors)
Feta cheese
1/2 of a gala apple (sliced)

Directions:

1. Place the cauliflower in the food processor and plus until little "rice" granules form. Then pour out the cauliflower into a mixing bowl and add the egg. Mix together thoroughly.
2. Add the grated cheese, basil and salt. Mix completely. Set aside.
3. Heat a fry pan on the stove turned to medium heat. Add the oil, onion and eggplant and let cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the pepper, balsamic vinegar and honey, turn heat up to high and let cook for five minutes. (stir constantly). Turn heat off once vinegar has been cooked off completely. Set aside.
4. In the food processor, place the kale, garlic cloves, oil, walnuts, water, and spices and mix together on high until a nice thick pesto forms.
5. Spoon out cauliflower dough onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make two mounds of the dough on the sheet. Flatten out dough with hands until you form a pizza shape circle (the size of a thin crust pizza). Make sure the two little pizzas have enough space between them.
6. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until the edges and top of the crust is a nice golden brown).
7. Take the crusts out of the oven and top with pesto, eggplant mixture, and any other toppings you want. I used sliced chicken sausage, apple, and feta cheese.
8. Place back in the oven and cook for another 8-10 minutes until toppings are nice and hot and the feta cheese has a little bit of a golden color to it on top.

Let sit for about 4-5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F, line baking sheets with parchment paper, makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup organic raw cane sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crushed walnuts

Directions:
First place the butter and both sugars in the mixer. Mix on low until butter and sugar creamed together. Then add in the vanilla and eggs. Blend those into the butter sugar mixture. Next add the cocoa powder and mix on low. Then pour in the flour and baking soda. Mix on low until mostly incorporated. Shut off mixer and mix by hand until all the ingredients are completely incorporated into the batter. Lastly, add in the cranberries and walnuts. Mix so that they are evenly distributed throughout.

Spoon batter onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. Make sure to use about a regular sized table spoon to drop the little dollops of cookie dough onto the baking sheets. Even spread out each little cookie. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the sides of the cookies are firm. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy with a nice cup or tea or a glass of almond milk (or whatever type of milk you prefer)!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pumpkin Brown Sugar Muffins

Preheat oven to 400 F, grease a 12 cup muffin tin (you only need to grease 10 of the 12)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milled flax seed
1/2 cup organic pure buckwheat flour (which is gluten-free, so no worries)
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

First in a KitchenAid or a mixing bowl, pour in the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Mix together on low speed for 2-3 mins or until thoroughly combined. Next, add in the flax, buckwheat, and almond flour. Mis that into the pumpkin mixture until combined. Then, add in the spices and salt. Mix completely. Last, mix in the baking powder (do not over mix).  Spoon out batter into muffin tin making sure the batter comes to the top of each hole (fills 10 holes). Place the pan into the oven and bake for 25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle of one of the muffins). Let cool for 5 minutes before taking out of pan. Drizzle some honey on top for an extra little sweet kick. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F , line a baking sheet with parchment paper, makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (softened, not melted)
1 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
A dash of cinnamon (I kid you not, it was a last minute addition so I did not measure it out...I just threw a "dash" in...not a tsp that is for sure)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet, you can use milk or dark if you like that better)

Directions:

In a KitchenAid mixer or mixing bowl add together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Cream together on low until all the butter and sugar lumps are smoothed out. Add in the egg and mix on low until incorporated. Next add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and the dash of cinnamon (do not over mix). Last add in the chocolate chips and make sure they are evenly added throughout the dough.

Place the bowl in the fridge for about 30 mins to let the dough harden (because after first mixing it is very soft and buttery). Take dough out after the 30 mins and use a regular tablespoon to scoop out cookie dough and roll into little balls and then pop them on the baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 10 mins or until tops and edges of cookie are a nice darker golden brown color. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool or just transfer them to your mouth and enjoy the ooey gooey cookie-ness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Apple Doodle Brownie 

Preheat oven to 350 F, grease an 8x8 cake pan

Ingredients:

2 medium size apples (grated)

1 cup gluten free oat flour

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup coconut oil (softened not melted)

2 eggs

2 tsp baking spice (this is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and ginger) 

1 tsp baking powder

the juice of 1/2 of a lemon 

Directions:

In a mixing bowl of KitchenAid mixer, grate in the two apples. Then add in the sugar, oil, and eggs. Mix together. Next squeeze in the lemon juice. Add in the cinnamon, baking spice, flour and baking powder. Do not over mix but make sure everything is completely incorporated into the batter. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 8 minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack to cool completely. (I just flip the pan onto the rack and the cake usually come out after a few good taps). 

Enjoy! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sweet and Simple Double Chocolate Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 F , grease an 8x8 cake pan

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup of coconut sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour (or whatever flour of your choice)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
In a mixing bowl pour in the melted butter. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and sugar to the butter, mix all together. Next, add in the eggs, make sure they are mixed in and blended completely with the batter. Then add in the salt and flour, mix thoroughly. Last, add in the chocolate chips, make sure that they are spread evenly throughout the batter. Pour batter into the greased pan, smooth out with a spatula so that it is even distributed in the pan. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the middle clean. (do not over bake, this will make the brownies dry, not moist).  Let cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Pillows

Preheat oven to 350 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, makes 9 cookie pillows

Ingredients:
2 mashed bananas
1 egg
1 cup gluten free oat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, mash the two bananas together (I usually just use a fork to do this). Add in the egg and the vanilla into the mashed bananas, mix completely. Next add in the cinnamon and stir into the banana egg vanilla mixture. Then add in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, mix thoroughly (do not over mix). Last, add in the chocolate chips and mix in evenly. Spoon out the batter onto the baking sheet with a regular kitchen spoon, space out the cookies evenly on baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up and are golden brown on top. Take out of oven and let stand for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cocoa Almond Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F , makes 18 little cookies, line baking sheet with parchment paper

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut oil (softened not melted)
1 egg
1/3 cup almond paste
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a KitchenAid mixer or mixing bowl add in the coconut oil, almond paste, sugar and vanilla. Beat on low until a creamy paste forms. Add in the cinnamon, cocoa powder and egg. Mix on low until all incorporated. Next add in the flour and baking powder and soda. Mix on low until incorporated. Last add in the chocolate chips and mix briefly until evenly distributed throughout the dough. Using a regular kitchen table spoon, scoop out the cookies onto the baking sheet in little round drop (you can also use your hands to form little cookie disks), make sure they are evenly spaced. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are completely firm. Let cool on rack for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Vegan GF Choconana Bread

Preheat oven to 350 F, grease a bread pan (5x8)

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup olive oil (or any other type of oil you prefer)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
3 cups gluten free oat flour (or a mixture of coconut and almond works too)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, mash the three bananas together (I usually just do this with a fork). Next add in the vanilla, coconut sugar, oil, and coconut milk. Mix together throughly. Add in the cinnamon and mix well. Then, add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix completely but do not over mix. Last, add in the chocolate chips and make sure they are evenly mixed and distributed throughout the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan and place in the oven on the middle rack for 45 - 50 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out of the middle clean. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holiday Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 375 F , line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, makes about 30 cut out cookies 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour

1 1/2 cups coconut flour

1 cup unsalted butter (softened) 

1 cup organic raw sugar 

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp coconut milk

1 egg

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

 powdered sugar for rolling 

Directions: 

In a standing mixer or regular mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fully combined. Next mix in the vanilla, egg, and milk. Mix on medium. Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix until a nice stiff dough starts to form. Scrap down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and form a ball in the middle of the bowl with the dough. Transfer the dough onto some plastic wrap or wax paper and flatten out the ball into a thick circle. Wrap up completely and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. 

Take out of fridge and place on a flat surface that has been dusted with powdered sugar (also dust your rolling pin with some so the dough doesn't stick).  The circle of chilled dough will be pretty tough so I normally just break off sections of it and warm it up in my hands until it is workable. Then roll out the dough until it is about 1 cm thick. Use any design of cookie cutters you want ( holiday or star wars or random letters..you know the usual..) . Place cut out cookies onto the lined parchment paper and place on middle rack. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until the edges are just turning golden. Take out and let stand on sheet for about 2 - 3 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

Ingredients: 

1 cup (or 2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened) 

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese (softened) 

1 cup powdered sugar (to start with, add more if necessary) 

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp coconut milk (start off with 2 and then add up to 2 more depending on how thick you want to frosting to be) 

Directions: 

In a standing mixer or bowl beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed. Add in the vanilla, coconut milk and sugar. Mix on medium and then gradually increase speed to high. Add in extra coconut milk or powdered sugar depending on how thick you want the frosting to be. Make sure all the lumps are mixed out of the frosting before turning the mixer off. Once you have a smooth consistency to your frosting feel free to divide it up in different bowls and use food coloring to make it red or green or any color you feel like. :)   

Wait until the cookies are cooled completely before frosting. Use sprinkles or cinnamon candies or chocolates to decorate, or just eat them plain. Either way, these little cookies are sure to make your tummy very happy.