Chia Walnut Banana Bread

Chia Walnut Banana Bread

Makes 8 slices

• 3 brown bananas, mashed
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 + 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• dash sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a small loaf pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas and vanilla extract. In two batches add dry ingredients to wet ones and combine well. Fold in chopped walnuts and then pour batter into loaf pan, making sure that it sits evenly. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean!

Curried Coconut Milk Cornbread

Curried Coconut Milk Cornbread

Makes 8-12 servings

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup agave nectar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and grease a 9-inch pie plate. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, and wet ingredients in another. Add dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix only until the dry stuff is absorbed. Pour the batter into your pie plate and shake it from side to side slightly to even the distribution. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

(Roughly adapted from the Post Punk Kitchen)

Makes 16 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

• 1 + 1/2 cups almond or other non-dairy milk
• 1 + 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 + 1/8 cup raw turbinado sugar
• 1/2 cup safflower oil
• 2 + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 + 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 + 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin lightly with cooking spray and insert paper or foil cupcake liners. Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Let the bowl sit for a few minutes (you're basically making vegan buttermilk!) Add sugar, oil, and vanilla extract to the vegan buttermilk bowl and whisk until the mixture is frothy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine with a dry whisk to make sure that the dry ingredients are uniformly mixed. Add dry ingredients to wet ones in two batches, whisking after each batch until most lumps are absorbed. Make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl; flour always gets trapped there! Once your batter is nice and mixed, spoon or pour it into the cupcake liners, filling each liner about 3/4 of the way full. I ended up doing one batch of 12 and another of 6. Bake about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once the cupcakes have cooled slightly, use a butter knife to gently lift the cupcakes out of the pan. 

For the chocolate topping:

• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Bring almond milk to a boil in a small saucepan, then reduce heat to low. Add chocolate chips and maple syrup, stirring until chocolate has melted and dissolved into the almond milk. Once the mixture is uniform, turn off the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. When cupcakes have cooled sufficiently, dip them one at a time upside down in the chocolate. They will be runny at first so stick them in the fridge to set once they've been dipped. 

Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate Banana Bread

Yields one small loaf, or 8 1-inch slices

• 1/3 cup zucchini, peeled and then grated
• 2 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
• 1 packet stevia sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• a dash of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a small (about-9 inch long) loaf pan and set aside. Combine zucchine and banana in a mixing bowl. Mash extremely well, until there are no banana chunks present. Add cocoa powder, sugar, stevia, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir until completely combined. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk the mixture well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in 3-4 batches, stirring well in between each addition. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, making sure to distribute evenly throughout the pan and smooth over the top. Bake for about 35 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick; if it comes out clean, it's done. 

Mighty Muffins

Mighty Muffins

Makes 12 mini-muffins or 6 larger muffins

• 1.25 cups whole wheat flour
• 1.25 tsp baking powder
• 0.75 tsp baking soda
• a pinch of sea salt
• a large dash of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, with peel
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 medium, ripe banana, mashed
• 4 pitted prunes, chopped into small pieces
• 1 generous tbsp almond butter or other nut butter
• 0.25 cup unsweetened almond milk or other non-dairy milk
• cooking spray or Earth Balance, for greasing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan and set aside. Combine shredded zucchini, shredded carrot, mashed banana, prunes, almond butter, almond milk, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir until ingredients are well combined. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three batches, stirring in between until completely combined. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, filling the 12 wells hallways for mini muffins or filling 6 of the wells to the top for larger muffins. Bake 18-20 minutes for mini-muffins, or 20-22 minutes for larger muffins. Use the toothpick check to check if the muffins are done.