No-Bake, Flourless Brownies

And I'm back with another healthy recipe! Who likes chocolate? ME!!! Sometimes I really crave it but have no chocolate on hand ... So I just make things like no-bake, flourless brownies! ^_^

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Pitted dates, Walnuts, Cocoa powder, Coconut oil, Vanilla, Salt, Water

Some parts are lighter brown because the oil separated in the topping. It didn't hinder the taste though!

No-Bake, Flourless Brownies

Brownie

2 1/2 c. loosely packed pitted dates

1 1/2 c. walnuts

6 T. cocoa powder

1 1/2 t. vanilla

2 t. water

1/4 t. and a pinch salt

Topping

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/4 c. organic coconut palm sugar

1 T. honey

2 T. coconut oil (flavorless)

1/2 t. vanilla

Instructions

Blend ingredients for brownie in food processor until smooth. (Don't add any extra water even if it seems dry.)

Press into an 8-inch pan, lightly greased.

Heat the topping ingredients in pot until sugar is mostly dissolved. (Unless you use [1/4 cup] maple syrup instead of sugar&honey, then you don't need to heat it. Just mix it in a bowl). Spread evenly over brownie.

Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Enjoy!

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I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it brought me to a blog called Chocolate Covered Katie. She calls the recipe The Ultimate Unbaked Brownies.

I made a few tweaks to the recipe, and they are absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Yummy, dark-chocolate tasting brownies. I'm in love ... <3 My mom too, I think! *grins*

Let me know what you think if you give them a try! ^_^

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

     As I mentioned in the previous post, A Dash of Randomness, I will be getting more healthy recipes up on my blog!
     So here I am with another summary and recipe from my healthy baking adventures, :)
     This one is a bit unusual (well... of course), but once you take the first bite, it quickly grows on you. It did with me anyway... I hope to make them again! A sweet, tasty, flourless cookie; and it even has chocolate in it! :D

     The whole of our ingredient list consists of: oatmeal, bananas, coconut milk, applesauce, dark chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon.

     (It'd probably be best to use bananas a little riper than the ones shown! :p)

     If you want a less oatmeal-y texture, I might suggest trying quick oats.

     Instead of chocolate chips, I used dark chocolate bars (85% cocoa), and just broke it into small chunks.

     You can bake them directly like this, or you can use a spoon to press them down a bit, since they don't flatten on their own. Either way, they taste the same! (I tried both ways, haha, *smiles*)

     So give these cookies a try! A delicious, healthy snack for when you're craving a bite of something sweet. I love them.





 

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas (mashed)
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 cups oats
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup 85% dark chocolate (chopped)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

Mix ingredients together until well blended. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet, and press down (they don’t flatten on their own). Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes.

     So there you have it. Fabulous sugar-free cookies. Again, a warning. If you consume sugar regularly, these aren't going to taste very sweet to you. But they're plenty sweet for those like me, who haven't had sugar in awhile. I would recommend you stop making you usual chocolate chip cookies (which you know aren't good for you), and let your taste buds grow to love these instead! ;D :)

     I found the original recipe written in on a random (unhealthy) cookie pin on pinterest. Not sure what was going on there. But anyway, the original recipe went as follows:

" Healthy cookies - 3 mashed bananas (ripe), 1/3 cup apple sauce, 2 cups oats, 1/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup dark chocolate, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon. preheat oven to 350 degrees. bake for 15-20 minutes. NO SUGAR! "

     Thank you for your time and interest, :) To our health! :) :)

Garbanzo Bean Fudge??

     Yeah, um... give this one a chance, ;)

     *Ahem* I've been wheat-free for about two years or so now; and I also have a host of other things I should be staying away from. My mom's newest idea is to go on a sugar-free diet.

     And I'm like... "What about chocolate?? And all these delicious dessert recipes I found on Pinterest that I want to try out??"

     Yes, I like sugar as much as the next person. But lately, I've been really interested in health foods. I mean, I'd way rather skip the donuts, cake, and Butterfingers than enjoy them for a moment, and then have a stomach ache from their wheat content. And I would just as soon not drink soda and chew gum if it's going to help my teeth stay decay-free. And have you ever read about how much sugar causes problems in your body?? I'm realizing more and more how important keeping our bodies healthy is. We need to take care of our temples!! -Feel good, and stay strong and fit to serve God and our fellow people!

      Going on, I decided to try out some fun (crazy), sugar-free recipes. I'm craving chocolate. I'm craving sweet.

     So I made Garbanzo Bean Fudge.

     Yep. That's right. Fudge made out of beans.

 

The original recipe didn't call for cocoa and honey, but I added some anyway. (They actually called for chocolate chips, so I figured it was a fair trade, *smiles*)

 

 

Chocolate Freezer Fudge

 

Ingredients

 

• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) *drained and rinsed*
•  
• 1/2 cup smooth almond butter (or any other nut/seed butter)
•  
• 1/2 cup milk
•  
• 8-10 pitted soft dates
•  
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
•  
• 1/4 cup honey
•  
• 1 tsp vanilla
•  
• Sprinkle or two of sea salt

Instructions

 

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor, until well blended and smooth. 

 

Spoon batter into muffin tins and let sit in freezer for about four hours.

 

*Yields about 12 fudge pieces (of the size below)*

 

 

 

     Yes, I was a little wary, but they actually turned out to be quite good! Of course, if you're used to eating sugary things, these aren't going to taste very sweet. But overall I find them to be a yummy snack. So healthy, good protein, and it satisfies my sweets craving.

 

     Just make sure you use smooth nut/seed butter. My almond butter wasn't smooth, so my batch turned out a little grainy. But still good. Kind of has an almond butter/dark chocolate-y taste. Not a hint of garbanzo beans... :P :)

 

     Yay to yummy, (weird), and healthy foods! :)

 

     I feel like I can survive just fine sugar-free now.

 

     How about you all? Anyone gluten-free or needing to change to a sugar-free lifestyle?