What’s in These Fudgy Flourless Brownies?
You only need 9 ingredients for these healthy brownies! This recipe is not only simple but you probably have all these in your pantry right now. The fact that you can still enjoy brownies that are both gluten and dairy free means that anyone with allergies can bite into these beauties. To make brownies nut free try adding tahini or sunflower butter.
9 Ingredients You’ll Need
Creamy, Natural Almond Butter: Look at the label for just dry roasted almonds and/or salt. It tastes so good with almond butter but you can used peanut butter, cashew butter or even hazelnut butter! You want it all natural so it's creamy and drippy to make these brownies extra fudgy. You may need to add extra oil if the nut butter is dry.
Eggs: I have only made these with eggs but a flaxseed or chia substitute may work.
Pure Maple Syrup: The best type of sweetness, as a little goes a long way!
Coconut Sugar: This helps the brownies get a nice fudgy texture and adds sweetness but you can sub brown sugar for the same result.
Avocado oil: Avocado oil is tasteless and has a high smoke point for high heating but you can use melted coconut oil or even butter.
Chocolate Chips: You add what chocolate chips feels right. Semi sweet, dark chocolate chips, mini chips or add dairy free chocolate chips.
Baking Soda: Only needs a tiny bit.
Kosher Salt: To help balance the sweetness flavor and maybe some for sprinkling on top, like course sea salt.
I can’t wait to see your brownie creations!! Let me know what you added to make these your own. The possibilities are endless!
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Blueberry muffins are my favorite muffin, and it’s a pretty classic recipe except that I love the addition of molasses and I use frozen blueberries. The trick is to just toss the blueberries with a little bit of flour and to keep them frozen. By coating the blueberries with flour will help them from just sinking to the bottom. This way they are more uniformly spread out through the mixture. If you’re looking for a lower water content, which means less blueberry bleeding juice; try wild blueberries as they are smaller and contain less liquid. I’ve seen wild frozen blueberries at Whole Foods.
Why do I use blackstrap molasses?
Molasses is higher in vitamins and minerals (iron, calcium, copper + selenium) and lower in sugar than traditional sweeteners but it’s still sugar! One tablespoon contains about 20% of our daily iron for the day. Molasses is made from fully mature sugar cane, which gives it a nice rich flavor and creates a crusty crunch on baked goods. Your jar of molasses can last about a year (if you don’t use it before then) and doesn’t need to be refrigerated. You can also use this sweetener in cookies, cakes or as a topping for pancakes!
You'll need to make these Better Than a Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins?
Hand Mixer
Medium bowl
Large bowl
Glass measuring cup
Spatula
Measuring cups + spoons
1 muffin pan (12 cups)
Parchment muffin papers or silicone muffin liners
Cookie scooper or large spoon
Cooling rack
Tips for Making Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Don't overmix the batter! Muffins are meant to be light and fluffy. You can overmix a the batter quickly leading to a dense muffins. I find that by adding the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing until it’s barely combined on low speed and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl helps to keep them light. I use a stand mixer but you could use a hand mixer as well too.
Zesting the lemon can add tons of citrus flavor but if you get the white rind from the lemon it can become bitter. Make sure to use a grater to only get that thin yellow top layer of lemon skin, not the white rind. It takes some practice, as I only get some rind too.
Muffins or cupcakes? These lemon muffins make a great base and could even be made into a lemon cupcake. All you need to do is add some frosting. However, I do love the addition of the powder sugar glaze, as it adds just the right amount of sweet and tart.
Now after you bake your bars you may notice small air bubbles on top of the filling (could be white) or maybe just some browning. Some batches don’t have this happen, while others do but just know it’s normal! The bars still taste as delicious and flavorful.
The bubbles are made from the air in the eggs, as they rise throughout the mixture. Some batches have it, some don’t. Some browning means the sugar started to caramelize on top. This happens to my bars often as my oven’s temperature isn’t very steady. You could drop the temperature down to 325F but I actually like the color contrast. Nevertheless, the lemon bars taste the same and adding that powder sugar helps create that beautiful top layer!
These muffins are perfect to add to your meal prep for breakfast, snack time or just as a dessert. I like to slather almond butter or jam on a warm muffin. They are fluffy, moist and even better they freeze perfectly!
I made this recipe as I love all things pumpkin but it’s actually a great muffin base as the flavor combinations are endless! Pumpkin puree makes the muffin rich and fluffy; however, it can be subbed out for applesauce or even sweet potato puree. The best part if you don't have olive oil on hand you can sub in coconut oil or nut butter, as I traditionally make it that way.
Almond Flour: Almond Flour makes these muffins so fluffy, with a nutty base. However, you can use rolled oats, which adds a hearty texture and gets that fiber in. If you’re looking for a gluten-free version just make sure the oats are certified gluten free.
Eggs: I love using eggs to help bind these muffins. I have tried making a flaxseed egg by using 1 tbsp flaxseeds to 3 tablespoon water and having it sit for 5 minutes to thicken. The muffins are a bit more dense but still delicious, plus vegan friendly.
Pumpkin Puree: Now adding pumpkin helps to keep these muffins light and moist while also amping up the nutritional benefits. Make sure to read those labels for no sugar added and don’t get pumpkin pie filling.
Maple Syrup: I love using maple syrup for everything from lattes to muffins, as it adds some natural sweetness. However, you can also use honey but I have never subbed this in yet.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: I’ve been adding in both when making muffins, as I’ve found it gives the best structure and height to the muffins. Don’t forget to add both to get the best muffins possible! This duel combo helps so much.
Salt and Spices: Now these really make the muffins shine through and take it to the next level! Use individual spices or buy a premade spice mix like pumpkin pie spice. The cinnamon, nutmeg and the vanilla help add natural sweetness, so don’t forget to add these in!
Add-Ins: Now you can go crazy here and use what you have in your pantry. I love pumpkin and chocolate chips but any fruit works from blueberries to diced apple or try some nuts like walnuts or almonds for an added crunch. You can make a different muffin every week with these add-ins!
Are you a fan of blender muffins!?
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Making chocolate bark is great when you want something sweet and/or crunchy. I mean why can't you have both! The best part use whatever chocolate you want as the base, which could be dark, semi-sweet, milk or even white chocolate. This chocolate bark recipe is so simple to whip up and I bet you have all of the ingredients in your pantry!
Make it Fun: As the holidays are approaching make it extra festive by incorporating something green (pistachios or pumpkin seeds) and something red (freeze dried strawberries or cherries). Some fun options include chopped dried ginger, crushed candy canes or add some pumpkin pie spice.
Melt that Chocolate: The easiest way I melt the chocolate is in the microwave. All you need is a microwave safe bowl. Then warm the chocolate in 30 second intervals, mixing after each beep. Don’t overdo the heating, as you must stir each time. Just be patient and I know it’s hard!
No microwave!? Now if you don’t have a microwave, make a double boiler. Put the chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Cook and keep stirring the chocolate until it is almost melted. Be careful not to get any water or condensation into the chocolate. These two do not mix!
Chill the Chocolate Quickly: If you’re like me I never like to wait for the chocolate to harden on the counter. So just cool the chocolate in the fridge or the freezer. Your bark will be ready before that holiday party!
Why Chill on the Counter: Now if you do have the time to cool your chocolate on the counter, let me explain why you may want to do this. When you put your chocolate into the fridge to cool quickly the chocolate can actually get some light condensation on the surface. The next morning that water evaporates and you’re left with speckles of dissolved sugar on top. This is called sugar bloom. But don’t worry you can still enjoy the chocolate!
Base: The base is simple with dark, semi-sweet, milk or white chocolate. If you're looking to go paleo or vegan then reach for a dairy-free chocolate.
Crunch: Freeze dried-fruits, roasted nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios), cacao nibs
Drizzle Effect: Nut butter, granola butter or seed butter (swirled in), coconut butter
Spices: Sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lavender, matcha, cacao powder
Choose chocolate chips or a bar that's at least 70% dark chocolate and I would recommend finding a dairy-free version. Most dairy free chocolates have a higher percentage of cacao, which usually means it doesn't contain refined sugar or emulsifiers. So if you're leading a dairy-free life or sticking to a paleo lifestyle you can still have your daily chocolate fix, as many bars, baking chips, unsweetened cocoa powder and cacao nibs are on the market. However, always read the ingredient list when deciding on a chocolate!
What add-ins sound like a yummy chocolate bark combination!?
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