Rachael Ng

Name: Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 2 h 44 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (made with just peanuts); 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed; 1/2 cup coconut sugar; 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp; 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil); 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup spelt flour; 1 tsp corn starch; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips; Flakey sea salt to sprinkle (optional)

Cookies & Coconut Cream Popsicles

August 25, 2018 by Rachael Ng 1 Comment

Cookies & Coconut Cream Popsicles
Makes ~6 popsicles, depending on your mold

Popsicles
1 can full fat coconut milk, frozen (see step 1)
3 Tbsp full fat coconut milk, room temp
3 Tbsp agave
1 1/2 Tbsp cacao (or cocoa) powder
1/8 Tsp fine sea salt or table salt
1 package of your favorite chocolate cream sandwich cookies (you’ll need 8-10 cookies)
Honey Cocoa Drizzle (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
Vegan Chocolate Drizzle
2 Tbsp dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1/2 tsp coconut oil, solid

1.) The night before, shake and open your can of coconut milk. Pour milk into silicone ice cube molds, into a large plastic zipper bag, or onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. If you’re using a Ziploc bag, place the sealed bag flat on a baking sheet to freeze.

2.) Once frozen, break up the coconut milk (if you used the Ziploc or baking sheet method) and add to a blender, or simply add coconut milk cubes to your blender. Add the extra, room temp coconut milk, agave, cacao powder, and salt. Blend until combined and smooth. Add 4 chocolate cream cookies and blend. Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 30 minutes.

3.) Remove ice cream from the freezer and use a handheld mixer to beat the mixture; set aside. Crumble a few more cookies and drop a spoonful into each popsicle mood. Spoon ice cream mixture into the popsicle mold, layering the ice cream with crumbled cookies. Top each popsicle with crumbled cookie and freeze until solid.

4.) Thaw your popsicle for a few minutes before removing from the mold. If they’re stuck, you can run warm water over the mold, being sure to not get water on the ice cream. Top your popsicles with a honey cocoa mixture* or melted chocolate and crumbled cookies and enjoy!

*mix honey and cocoa powder and microwave for 5 seconds to thin. For the chocolate, melt the chocolate and coconut oil

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

August 17, 2018 by Rachael Ng 5 Comments

These soft-baked Peanut Butter Cookie Bars are loaded with chocolate chips and just the right amount of deliciously nutty peanut butter! Say “Goodbye!” to peanut butter cookies that leave your mouth dry, because these irresistibly moist cookie bars will keep you coming back for more!

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I think we can all agree that peanut butter and chocolate are one of the world’s best dessert combinations. I know I personally can’t resist a good peanut butter cookie, especially when there are chocolate chips involved! These cookie bars are quick to put together, and even easier than a traditional peanut butter cookie – no scooping or rolling!

The best part? These bars won’t leave your mouth begging for a glass of milk. They’re chewy, soft, and moist. And the extra chocolate chips and sprinkling of flakey sea salt compliment the nutty, sweet spelt flour and peanut butter.

What is spelt flour?

Spelt flour is an ancient grain related to wheat (kinda cool, right?). It’s easier to digest than traditional wheat flour and has a nutty, sweet flavor. It creates a light, soft texture in baked goods, so I paired it with the standard unbleached all-purpose flour in these cookie bars. I love the soft texture of these cookie bars, and if you’re a peanut butter + chocolate lover like me, then I know you will love these!

Some of the ingredients + possible substitutes for these cookie bars:

Peanut butter is a crucial ingredient here (duh!). I like to use the kind made of only peanuts. You can also use a salted peanut butter. I haven’t tried this recipe with the kind of peanut butters that contain added oils and sugars.
Brown sugar adds lots of a moisture thanks to the molasses in it. I used light brown sugar for my bars, but you can also use dark brown sugar.
Coconut sugar is my favorite low GI sweetener! It’s better for you than cane sugar, and it tastes nothing like coconut. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use any kind of granulated cane sugar in its place (but your cookie bars may taste extra sweet).
Egg + egg yolk add chewiness to these cookie bars! I haven’t tested out any egg replacements for this recipe, so I can only recommend using eggs (sorry, vegan friends).
All-purpose flour is the standard baking flour at your grocery store. I use it along with spelt flour in this recipe.
Spelt flour is an ancient grain with a nutty, sweet flavor. You can use AP flour in its place, but I recommend branching out and picking up some spelt flour!
Corn starch also adds chewiness to these cookie bars. You can use arrowroot starch in its place if you’re looking for something corn-free.

Yield: 8 Big Bars

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soft-baked Peanut Butter Cookie Bars loaded with chocolate chips and nutty, sweet spelt flour! These irresistibly moist cookie bars are naturally dairy-free and totally delicious!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 44 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (made with just peanuts)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Flakey sea salt to sprinkle (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°F and spray an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray. Line the dish with parchment paper, folding the excess over two sides of the dish. Trim the paper so you have about 1/4" folded over the sides - this allows you to pull the bars out later before slicing.
In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugars, egg, egg yolk, oil, and vanilla until everything is well incorporated; set aside.
In another medium bow, whisk together the flours, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet and use a large spoon or spatula to gently mix everything together.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips, reserving the rest to top the bars.
Press the dough into your prepared baking dish, creating an even layer. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the dough.
Bake the cookie bars at 325°F for 12-14 minutes. Allow bars to cool completely before removing from the baking dish to slice - use the parchment paper "handles" to life the entire dessert up and out of the baking dish and onto a cutting board. Slice into 8 rectangles, 9 squares, or 16 squares. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt before serving!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

You can bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes
For smaller portions, slice into 16 squares

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 421Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 308mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 4gSugar: 33gProtein: 9g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Grain-Free Almond Butter Brownies (DF)

August 9, 2018 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

There’s just something so good about sinking my teeth into an ultra chewy, fudgy brownie. I’ve always liked my brownies a bit underdone as this guarantees the ultimate fudgy texture. With these Almond Butter Brownies, there’s no need for under-baking because they are perfectly soft and fudgy as-is! I decided to use melted chopped chocolate – the kind in a bar – instead of cocoa powder to get as far away from a cakey texture as I could. I also added an extra egg yolk for chewiness.

These brownies are super moist without being overly sweet, and they’re so easy to throw together! I feel like I say that about everything, but it’s true! I love an easy dessert. I topped mine with a thin layer of Almond Butter Frosting, but feel free to simply drizzle yours with your favorite melted chocolate. You could even add chocolate chips to your batter pre-bake or top your brownies with a simple almond butter drizzle!

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Instant coffee granules deepen the chocolate flavor of these brownies (and you don’t taste the coffee!).

Coconut flour thickens the brownie batter using a gluten-free flour – a little goes a long way!

Coconut oil adds just the right amount of moisture. Feel free to use refined (tasteless) or unrefined.

Yield: 16 Small Brownies

Grain-Free Almond Butter Brownies

Ultra chewy Almond Butter Brownies topped with a sweet layer of Almond Butter Frosting. A delicious, fudgy brownie that's totally free of grains and dairy.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

Brownies

2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
6oz dairy-free chocolate, chopped (or 1 cup DF chocolate chips)
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond butter
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 Tbsp plant-based milk
1/3 cup almond butter

Instructions

1. Crack eggs and egg yolk into a small bowl; set aside.

2. Melt chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, along with the coconut oil and instant coffee granules. You can use a microwave (in 30 second intervals) or the double boiler method. Set aside to cool down a bit.

3. Preheat your oven to 350℉. Prepare an 8x8" baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray and then lining with one long strip of parchment paper. Fold the excess paper over the two sides - that way you can easily pull the whole pan of baked brownies out at once.

4. Mix coconut sugar and maple syrup (or honey) in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and egg yolk into the mixture. Add the vanilla extract and almond butter and mix until combined. Gently fold in the cooled chocolate. Finally, stir in the coconut flour and salt.

5. Bake at 350℉ for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs.

6. Place on a cooling rack and begin making your frosting. In a small bowl or saucepan, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and plant-based milk. Stir until totally smooth. Add in the almond butter. Heat the frosting over low heat (or in the microwave) until just warm to the touch.

7. Pour frosting over warm brownies, smoothing out with a small spatula or gently tilting the dish until the frosting has reached all of the brownie surface. Allow brownies to totally cool/set.

8. Run a butter knife along the two non parchment-lined edges. Lift the brownies up and out of the baking dish using the parchment paper. Slice into 12 or 16 bars, wiping your knife clean between each slice.

9. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

For a drippy frosting experience (as pictured), slice your brownies before the frosting has totally set

Keto Strawberry Protein Mini Muffins

August 7, 2018 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

When one of my Instagram followers messaged me about high-protein, ketogenic desserts, I knew I wanted to really branch out (y’all know I love my carbs!) and attempt something that was keto-friendly and made with protein powder! I came up with these Strawberry Protein Mini Muffins after doing a bit of Googling on what kind of foods are keto-friendly. I was looking for ingredients that were low-carb and higher in fat, so I chose to use almond flour as the base and added three large eggs, protein powder, olive oil, and a sprinkling of coconut flakes – these get nice and toasty in the oven.

I’ve had a big bag of Stevia in the Raw sitting around for a while now, so I took this opportunity to finally put it to use! Yes! I’m so excited to offer you guys a yummy, keto-friendly treat in portions that are small enough for you to decide how many carbs you want to add to your daily diet. My husband and mom (who is a major sweets lover!) both love these! Happy baking!

Keto Strawberry Protein Mini Muffins
Makes ~40 mini muffins

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup protein powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt or table salt
3 large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2-1 cup flaked coconut for topping (optional)

1.) Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for ~10 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350° and line your mini muffin pan with paper liners*

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3.) In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the olive oil, almond milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Add the Stevia and stir until combined.

4.) Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped strawberries until no flour pockets remain.

5.) Fill mini muffin pan 3/4 of the way full (I used a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop of batter for each muffin). Top with desired toppings – I chose coconut flakes! – and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean**

6.) Allow muffins to cool in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing to totally cool on a cooling rack until ready to eat. We actually liked these better the next day, and I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

*I highly recommend using liners when baking muffins with almond flour. I’ve found that this kind of flour tends to make quick breads stick to the pan, no matter how much oil spray I’ve used
**before using a toothpick, I like to lightly tap one muffin to see if it bounces back. If it does, I know there’s a good chance the muffins are done

Cherry Galette with Walnut Cacao Crust

August 3, 2018 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

An easy and dairy-free cherry galette with a nutty, chocolatey crust to redeem any ill-will toward chocolate + cherry. Oh. Is that just me? As a kid I hated those bright red, chocolate-covered cherries with the white goo. You know, the ones popular with our parents or grandparents around Christmas time? Well, we alway had a couple of boxes laying around for the holidays, because my dad loves them. For the longest time, I wouldn’t go near anything chocolate + cherry, because omg remember those boxed cherries?! It wasn’t until I was well into adulthood that I gave chocolate cherry ice cream a taste, and my heart freaking sang. That stuff is good.

When I saw chocolate cherry galettes trending a bit on Instagram, I knew I wanted to take my galette recipe and turn it into a warm, chocolatey dessert bursting with one of my favorite summer fruits. The filling is very simple, and I promise that the hardest part is pitting the cherries. If you don’t have walnuts on hand, you can simply use another 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour, and, as always, regular cocoa powder will work just fine if you don’t have cacao powder. The chocolate drizzle is optional but will take your galette to a whole nother level of chocolate cherry goodness, and who doesn’t want that?! (it’s okay if you don’t want that)

Galettes are meant to look rustic, so don’t stress about rolling out a perfect circle or getting the edges tidy and clean. Your folds can be a bit hasty, too, but if the crust begins to split, be sure to pinch it back together – use a little water if you need to – so your filling stays put. Happy baking!

Cherry Galette with Walnut Cacao Crust

Crust
1/3 cup walnuts
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp cacao powder
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
~5 Tbsp ice cold water
Filling
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour (or 3/4 Tbsp corn starch)
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
Egg Wash
1 large egg, beaten
Chocolate Drizzle
3 Tbsp dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1 tsp coconut oil

1.) Add walnuts, flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar, and salt to a food processor or blender and blend until walnuts have turned to fine crumbs. Add solid coconut oil and blend until combined. Add 2 Tbsp of ice water and blend. Continue adding ice water by 1 Tbsp until dough comes together and looks quite sticky. I found that adding the cacao powder makes the dough look ready when it’s not (i.e. it looks wet enough but dries out by the time I roll it out). I ended up adding about 5 Tbsp of ice water.

2.) Scoop dough out onto plastic wrap, shape into a ball, wrap, and flatten to a disc shape. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until solid enough to roll out.

3.) Preheat oven to 375°. On a large piece of parchment paper, roll dough out into a large circle about 1/8 – 1/4” thick. Use a little flour to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin. If your circle looks more like a rectangle, that’s okay.

4.) In a medium bowl, mix cherries with tapioca starch and coconut sugar. Scoop mixture onto your rolled out crust, being sure to leave ~1 1/2” of bare crust around the edge. Pour any leftover liquid over the cherries.

5.) Brush the exposed crust edge with egg wash and fold edge over the cherries, going around until all of the edge has been folded over (don’t worry about it being perfect!). If your crust breaks open, gently pinch it back together with your fingers, using water to help smooth it together if you need to. Egg wash the top of the crust and sprinkle with a bit of coconut sugar (optional).

6.) Gently transfer parchment paper/galette to a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes or until fruit is bubbling. Allow to cool to desired temp before serving. Just before serving, melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil together. Drizzle chocolate mixture over your galette. Top with your favorite ice cream and enjoy!

Cookies & Coconut Cream Popsicles

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars