As someone who doesn’t go a single day without consuming some form of chocolate, brownies are one of my favorite ways to get my chocolate fix. These brownies are perfectly fudgy, chocolatey, and indulgent. And you would never know they are made with healthy ingredients!

Vegan Date Brownie Recipe Notes

These Vegan Date Brownies are naturally sweetened with dates. Allowing the dates to soak in boiling water for 10 minutes is the secret to giving these cookies an extra fudgy texture! Dates are loaded with health benefits, which is why I love using them as a sugar alternative in baking.

These Vegan Date Brownies call for oat flour, which is one of my favorite gluten-free flour alternatives. I usually make my own oat flour. You can make your own oat flour by placing oats in a blender and blending until a flour consistency is reached.

Additionally, this recipe calls for 1/2 a cup of unsweetened apple sauce. Apple sauce is used in this recipe as a vegan egg replacement. Plus, it also helps add moisture to these brownies. A good rule of thumb is that you can replace one egg with 1/4 cup of apple sauce.

If you love these brownies be sure to check out my recipe for Sweet Potato Brownies, which is one of the most popular recipes on my website!

Did you try this recipe? Feel free to share it with me on Instagram or leave a comment below! Happy baking!

Print

The Best Vegan Date Brownies

Course Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 8 brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dates pitted
• 3/4 cups oat flour can be made by blending whole oats in your blender or food processor until you have a flour consistency
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 salt
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 tablespoons of natural nut butter I use peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup of chocolate chips
• Plus chocolate chips for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 4×8 pan with parchment paper. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, once water is boiling remove from heat and allow dates to soak for 10 minutes until soft.
• While you are waiting for your dates to soak, add the rest of the ingredients (aside from chocolate chips) to your food processor and blend until combined. Stir in your chocolate chips.
• Drain your dates and add them to the food processor and blend until evenly combined (About 30 seconds to a minute). You may want to stop periodically and scrape the sides to ensure everything is evenly combined.
• Scoop out brownie batter into your prepared baking pan. The dough will be thick and sticky, but these brownies do not spread in the oven so try evenly spread the batter. Top with additional chocolate chips.
• Bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes or until the top no longer appear to be wet. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving and enjoy!

The post The Best Vegan Date Brownies appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

My idea for this recipe was inspired by my recipe for these Healthy Banana Oat Cookies. I wanted to utilize a similar ingredient list and create moist, flavorful, and healthy muffins, and I am so excited to share this recipe with all of you.

These Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins make a wonderful morning or midday snack, and you would never guess that they are made with vegan and nutritious ingredients. Just look at these photos of how happy these muffins make my beautiful roommate! Who is my favorite taste tester, and also happens to have her own vegan blog (Hangin’ with Hales) that is a great resource for information about veganism, health, and loving yourself!

And I promise that when you try these amazing Healthy Muffins you will be just as excited as she is! Because how could you not be excited about a decadent muffin that is made with good-for-you ingredients!?

Key Ingredients

Let’s go over the key ingredients in this recipe.

Oat Flour is the base for these muffins. If you have never heard of oat flour before, it is a wonderful gluten-free flour alternative that is perfect for healthy baking. You can make your own oat flour by processing two cups of whole oats in your blender or food processor until you have reached flour consistency.

This recipe calls for three overripe Bananas. Bananas give these muffins their flavor, are a natural source of sweetness, and work as a vegan egg-replacement.

These muffins call for three to four tablespoons of Maple Syrup depending on desired sweetness. I usually only add three tablespoons because the natural sugar from the bananas also adds sweetness. Although, if you prefer a sweeter muffin I would add in four.

Natural Peanut Butter is another key ingredient in this recipe. It works as a healthy fat source to keep these muffins moist. It is important to note that the peanut butter in this recipe is natural. Natural peanut butter has a much different consistency than other brands of peanut butter that contain added sugar and oil. I like to use Natural Chunky Peanut Butter because I like the texture that it gives these muffins. You may substitute other kinds of natural nut or seed butter if you prefer, but it may alter the taste.

Of course, these muffins have the addition of Chocolate Chips! Banana and chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Chocolate helps add the perfect amount of decadence to these wholesome muffins, but peanut butter chips would also work well here!

If you’re looking for more ways to use your overripe bananas? Check out these banana recipes Banana Blueberry Muffins, the Best Vegan Banana Bread, Healthy Banana Oat Cookies, Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread, Peanut Butter Swirl Banana Nice Cream, Chocolate Banana Milkshake, and these Blueberry Banana Baked Donuts.

Print

Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Ingredients

• 2 cups oat flour (made by processing whole oats in a blender until flour consistency is reached)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup depending on desired sweetness
• 1/4 cup almond milk or dairy-free milk
• 3 overripe mashed bananas
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter smooth or chunky
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips plus more for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line/grease a muffin tray for 9 muffins.
• Combine the first four dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until evenly combined.
• Add the rest of the ingredients (aside from the chocolate chips) and stir until evenly combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Evenly distribute batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling each muffin cup almost to the top. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the tray and cooling on wire rack. Enjoy!

The post Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

I know it is the middle of summer, but I love pumpkin all year round. I especially love pumpkin when it is paired with chocolate because chocolate makes everything better!

These Almond Flour Pumpkin Cookies are so good that I have been making them almost every day! There is something so nostalgic about biting into a soft pumpkin cookie that is filled with melted chocolate chips and warm cinnamon flavor. This recipe could not be any easier to make, and utilizes healthier ingredients that you can feel good about splurging on!

why this recipe works

This recipe utilizes a combination of almond flour and oat flour to create a soft, chewy, and naturally gluten-free cookie. Almond flour has a high-fat content. This works wonders in healthy baking to create rich and moist treats like this Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread.

Canned pumpkin not only gives these cookies their delicious flavor but also works as an egg replacement in vegan baking. Pumpkin ensures these cookies are perfectly soft and flavorful.

These cookies get their sweetness from the combination of maple syrup and chocolate chips. After a lot of recipe testing, I found that 1/4 of a cup of maple syrup adds the perfect amount of sweetness.

Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon work together to ensure that these little gems are filled with warm and comforting flavors in every bite. If you do not have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can make your own by combining 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/4 a teaspoon of ground ginger, and 1/8 a teaspoon of ground cloves.

Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try out this Amazing Vegan Pumpkin Bread and these Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies.

Print

Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour made by processing oats in a blender until flour consistency is reached
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup of chocolate chips plus more for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine the first 7 dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until evenly combined. Add the rest of the ingredients (aside from the chocolate chips) and stir until evenly incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Measure out cookie dough with a tablespoon and evenly place on a baking sheet (these cookies spread a little but not too much). Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are a light golden brown. Allow cookies 5 minutes to cool on the tray before transferring to wire rack. Enjoy!

The post Almond Flour Pumpkin Cookies appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

This rich, fudgy, and chocolatey Vegan Banana Bread is secretly made with healthy and gluten-free ingredients.

This Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Plus, it is totally acceptable to eat for breakfast! After a lot of recipe testing, I am so excited to be sharing this Perfect Chocolate Banana Bread recipe!

If you are familiar with my blog, you know that I am obsessed with utilizing healthy ingredients in vegan baking to ensure that I can splurge on desserts completely guilt-free! This Chocolate Banana Bread recipe is no exception.

Why this recipe works

This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free thanks to a wholesome ingredient list. Let’s break it down, shall we?

Oat flour: One cup of oat flour is my favorite gluten-free flour alternative. It can easily be made by placing (gluten-free) oats in your blender blending until flour consistency is reached.

Almond flour: Since almond flour obtains a high-fat content, half of a cup of this ingredient helps create a rich and fudgy banana bread. Similarly to oat flour, if you do not have almond flour, you can blend almonds in your blender or food processor until you have reached flour consistency.

Cocoa Powder: Three tablespoons of cocoa powder adds the perfect amount of chocolate flavor.

Mashed banana: This recipe calls for two mashed bananas which equal a little more than half of a cup. Banana also helps add sweetness and a moist texture.

Maple syrup: Three tablespoons of maple syrup help add a natural source of sweetness.

Coconut Oil: Two tablespoons of coconut oil work alongside the almond flour to help give this banana bread a moist and fudgy texture.

Flax egg: This recipe calls for one flax egg to help give this banana bread structure. Flax eggs are a simple and easy vegan egg replacement to help create the perfect texture in baked goods. Although, if you do not have flax seeds on hand, you can still make wonderful banana bread without it. I have tested this recipe with and without flax egg many times, and it turns out delicious either way.

If you have never made a flax egg before, it’s simple! Just combine one tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 2.5 tablespoons of water and stir. Allow this mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes until the consistency has thickened, and voilà! You now have a vegan egg replacement.

If you love banana bread, check out my recipe for The Best Vegan Banana Bread, Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins, and Double Chocolate Banana Muffins.

Be sure to subscribe to my email list below to receive exclusive recipe updates! Happy Baking!

Print

Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread

Course Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 2.5 tablespoons water
• 1 ¼ cups oat flour
• ½ cup almond flour
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 mashed bananas about ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ cup almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup of vegan chocolate chips plus more for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 5.75-inch x 3-inch bread pan with coconut oil (you may use a larger pan, but the bread will come out thinner).
• Make your flax egg: Combine the ground flax seeds with the 2.5 tablespoons of water, stir thoroughly, and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl (oat flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Stir or whisk until evenly combined. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients along with your flax egg and stir until well combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips. Add batter to prepared pan and top with desired amount of chocolate chips.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes (less time if using a larger pan) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing from pan. Enjoy!

The post Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

I am always looking for an excuse to incorporate chocolate into my breakfast, and this chia seed pudding is the perfect opportunity. This recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and packed with chocolatey flavor, which makes this the perfect feel-good treat that pairs perfectly with fresh berries, oatmeal, or yogurt.

Recipe Notes

This chia seed pudding requires at least 3 to 4 hours to set in the fridge before serving. If you plan on making this chia seed pudding for breakfast, be sure to make this pudding the night before and place it in the fridge overnight.

The recipe calls for almond milk, but you can use your favorite dairy free milk.

Chia seed pudding is extremely versatile and adaptable so you can add any additional flavors or toppings that you like. This recipe pairs wonderfully with smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, granola, and fruit!

If you love this recipe, try this Vegan Chocolate Banana Milkshake that is totally acceptable to eat for breakfast!

Print

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Course Breakfast, Snack

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1.5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ½ cup almond milk
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup depending on desired sweetness

Optional

• small pinch of salt
• pinch of cinnamon

Instructions

• Combine chia seeds and cocoa powder in a bowl and stir until combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until completely combined and no clumps remain (this may take a minute or two but just keep stirring).
• Place in the fridge to set for 3-4 hours or overnight. Enjoy with coconut milk yogurt, granola, oatmeal, and/or fresh fruit.

The post Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

Apple crisps are warm, flavorful, and so much easier to make than apple pie. This feel-good apple crisp is made gluten-free and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Additionally, this recipe is topped with a crunchy oat topping that is secretly healthy and totally acceptable to eat for breakfast!

Recipe Notes

I like to use a combination of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples for this recipe, although you may use whatever apples you like best. I like to largely dice the apples for this recipe (as seen in the photo above). If you prefer to slice or dice your apples smaller, the apples will cook faster so you may want to shorten the baking time.

The apple filling calls for lemon juice and lemon zest to brighten and tie together all of the flavor profiles. This recipe also calls for a teaspoon of cornstarch, which helps thicken the apple filling as it cools. Similarly to apple pie, this crisp also needs time to cool slightly before serving to allow the filling to set.

This oat crumble was inspired by my favorite Granola Recipe, which is healthy and perfectly spiced with cinnamon. The two main ingredients in this crumble are oats and almond flour, which help to create the perfect texture. Almond flour is one of my favorite flour substitutes that is healthy, decadent, and adds another layer of flavor to desserts.

Now you can enjoy this simple, delicious, and healthy apple crisp alongside vanilla yogurt, ice cream or vegan whipped cream.

Happy Baking!

Print

Healthy Apple Crisp

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

• 6 medium-sized apples peeled and largely diced
• 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon of vanilla
• 2-3 tablespoons of sugar white, brown or coconut sugar all work
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• optional: ½ teaspoon of grated lemon zest

Crumb topping:

• 1/3 cup of oats
• ½ cup of almond flour
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 2.5 tablespoons of coconut oil melted
• 3-4 tablespoons of maple syrup depending on desired sweetness
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla
• optional: 1/3 cup of pecans

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (you will need a 9×9 baking dish for this recipe, but no need to grease it).
• Make the apple filling: In a large bowl combine your diced apples, lemon juice, and vanilla.
• In a separate small bowl combine your sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Add this mixture to your apples and stir until all of the apples are evenly coated.
• Add the apples to a 9×9 baking dish and bake them in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, and then remove from oven.
• While your apples are prebaking, making the oat crumb topping: Combine oats, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt (and optional pecans) in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
• In a separate small bowl stir together your melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add this mixture to your dry ingredients and stir until everything is completely coated and evenly combined.
• Evenly spread your crumb topping to the top of your apples and bake for another 40-50 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Let cool for at least 20-30 minutes before serving for best results. Serve with coconut milk whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

The post Healthy Apple Crisp appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

Why Add Sweet Potatoes to a Brownie Recipe?

I know that the addition of sweet potato to a brownie recipe may sound a bit odd, but hear me out. Sweet potatoes are the versatile ingredient that gives these brownies their moist and fudgy texture. Plus, they provide some natural sweetness and other nutritional benefits.

Sweet potatoes are also loaded with a ton of nutritional benefits, which makes these brownies the perfect way to sneak in your healthy carbs!

Recipe Notes

These brownies are extremely easy to make because all you need to do is process everything together in a food processor!

It is important to remember to peel and steam your sweet potato until it is completely cooked before you add everything to your food processor.

This recipe uses 1/4 cup of oat flour, as a gluten-free flour substitute, which can easily be made at home by adding oats to a blender until you have reached a flour consistency.

This recipe also calls for 1/4 cup of nut or seed butter of your choice. I always use peanut butter, because that is what I usually have on hand, and no peanut butter flavor comes through once the brownies are cooked.

If you love these Sweet Potato Brownies, be sure to check out my recipe for Vegan Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies and my Flourless Peanut Butter Blondies.

Happy Baking!

Print

Sweet Potato Brownies

Course Dessert

Keyword brownies, chocolate, dessert, healthy, vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Ingredients

• 1 cup of steamed and mashed sweet potato about one small-medium sweet potato
• 1/3 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup of oat flour can be made by blending whole oats in your food processor or blender
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup of peanut butter or nut/seed butter of your choice
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1/4 cup of MELTED coconut oil
• 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chocolate chips plus more for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
• Ensure that your sweet potato is peeled, rinsed, and and dice the before steaming. Steam until all pieces are completely soft and cooked through before adding to your food processor.
• Add all ingredients (leaving out the chocolate chips) to your food processor and blend until completely smooth and no lumps remain. If you want a sweet brownie, add another tablespoon or two of maple syrup.
• Stir in desired amount of chocolate chips. Add batter into prepared baking pan. Top with additional chocolate chips.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The post Sweet Potato Brownies appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

This healthy and amazing Banana Bread recipe has become one of the most popular recipes that I have shared on my Instagram, and I am so excited to finally be publishing it here.

There’s nothing better than a warm slice of banana bread fresh out of the oven, and this recipe is made with 100% wholesome ingredients that you can feel good about. If you love banana bread I promise you will love this guilt-free recipe, and so will everyone else who tries it.

Why this recipe works

Vegan banana bread recipes often call for egg replacements like flax seeds or other substitutes that you may not have on hand, but this recipe sticks to the basics.

Banana happens to be one of my favorite egg replacements when making vegan desserts, which is why this recipe calls for three whole overripe bananas. Another benefit of incorporating banana into a recipe is that it acts as a natural sweetener. This is why this recipe only calls for 1/3 of a cup of maple syrup.

I decided to use coconut oil as the fat source in this banana bread because using coconut oil in cakes or breads will always ensure that they turn out moist and obtain a tender crumb.

A combination of oat flour and whole wheat flour ensure that this vegan banana bread is healthier than traditional banana bread recipes, and they give this bread an extra special flavor that I love!

Of course, I had to incorporate chocolate chips because…well who doesn’t love chocolate? Chocolate chips also help to give this banana bread another element of sweetness that is just perfect.

Pro tip:

Pro tip: if your bananas are ripe, but not overripe yet, pop them in the oven at 350 degrees until the peels turn completely black. Then remove them from the oven and allow time to cool before slicing off the peel with a knife – now you have perfectly soft and sweet bananas! Magical.

If you love banana, be sure to check out some of my favorite banana forward recipes: Blueberry Banana Muffins, Healthy Banana Oat Cookies, Blueberry Banana Baked Donuts, and my Peanut Butter Swirl Banana Nice Cream. This Banana Bread is easy to make, but even easier to eat. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Happy Baking!

Print

Vegan Banana Bread

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup of oat flour made by blending 1 cup of oats in the blender until four consistency
• ¾ cups of whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of cinnamon
• 1 1/3 cups of mashed banana about 3 overripe OR baked bananas
• 1/3 cup of coconut oil melted
• 1/3 cup of maple syrup plus 3-4 more tablespoons depending on desired sweetness
• ¼ cup of almond milk slightly warm so it does not solidify the coconut oil
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1/3-1/2 cup of chocolate chips I like to add more to the top – vegan if desired

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 and grease bread pan with coconut oil.
• Combine the first 6 dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
• Combine the mashed banana, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla in a small bowl and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold in to combine.
• Add in desired amount of chocolate chips and fold in to combine.
• Pour batter into prepared bread pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back when touched.
• Cool bread before removing from pan and slicing. Enjoy!

The post The Best Vegan Banana Bread appeared first on Splurge with Ella.