Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

Breads

Healthier Banana Nut Bread (dairy-free and oil-free!)

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Sometimes I’m in the mood for a warm slice of soft banana bread. And sometimes I have a bunch of near-black bananas in desperate need of someplace to be before they get tossed in the trash. This, my friends, is the perfect banana bread for those days when you’re craving the comfort of carbs, or when you just have too many freaking bananas. It’s tender, moist, and perfectly spiced. I collaborated with my husband, Nathan, to get this bread just right – he used to be famous amongst his friends for his delicious banana bread! I like to add walnuts to our classic banana bread, but, of course, you can leave them out or replace them with chocolate chips, dried fruit, or whatever!

I used a mix of coconut sugar (my fave, but brown sugar will also work) and honey to add a bit of moisture. You’ll need three whole bananas for this recipe and your favorite flour – I like to use whole wheat pasty flour because I find that it lends to a tender crumb in my quick breads. You can use all-purpose flour or even a mix of half all-purpose and half whole wheat. The applesauce in this recipe replaces oil, but if you have no applesauce on hand you can use any kind of vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil). We baked this loaf at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time to ensure maximum moistness (sorry not sorry if you hate that word)! As always, happy baking!

Healthier Banana Nut Bread
Makes one 9×5″ loaf (serves 8-9)

1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 ripe bananas (~1 1/3 cup mashed banana)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
2 large eggs, room temp
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.) Preheat your oven to 300°F and spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with olive oil. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.

2.) Meanwhile, mix the coconut sugar and honey in a medium bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

3.) Mash your bananas with a fork and add to the sugar honey mixture. Whisk in the almond milk, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract until well combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of your bowl.

4.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently mix until nearly combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts or other add-ins (chocolate chips, raisins, etc) until no flour pockets remain.

5.) Pour batter into your prepared loaf pan and top with any desired toppings (extra nuts, banana slices, chocolate chips, etc). Bake at 300°F for 65-75 min or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

6.) Allow your baked loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently removing it with a butter knife and transferring it to a cooling rack. I like to turn my loaf pan on its side to shimmy the loaf out with a butter knife, so I don’t ruin any toppings. Enjoy warm and store leftovers in an airtight container.

Healthier Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

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I’ve had the recipe for these muffins sitting in my notes app for a few months now. I have no idea why it has taken me so long to share this recipe with you guys! I know. I know. Another zucchini muffin? Yes. Because these are one of my favorite muffins. Ever. They’re fluffy, tender, moist, not too sweet, and give me a bit of green veggie on top of the chocolate chips. What’s not to like? I added a touch of ground cardamom, along with some cinnamon, and OMG I love these muffins!!

This recipe is super easy to follow. There are a few steps involved, but it’s all worth it in the end! The amount of chocolate chips and the kind of spice you add is totally up to you. I didn’t want these to be overly sweet, so don’t expect the 1/2 cup I have listed to give you a chocolate loaded muffin. But, by all means, load those babies up with a whole cup of chocolate if that’s what you’re in to! I really like ground cardamom, but if you don’t have it on hand, or you’re not a big fan, no worries. You can leave it out, add more cinnamon, or add nutmeg in its place. Have fun with these, and happy baking!

Healthier Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes ~8 muffins

1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp*
2 large eggs, room temp*
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour**
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom***
1 1/2 cups finely grated zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips + more for topping

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pan with liners or by spraying it with olive oil/non-stick spray. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.

2.) In a large bowl, combine the coconut sugar and melted coconut oil. Add the almond milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until totally combined. Place your shredded zucchini on a paper towel and squeeze out and discard the excess juice. Add the zucchini to your mixture and stir until combined.

3.) Sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom into the wet ingredients. Gently fold everything together until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the chocolate chips.

4.) Fill your muffin pan almost to the top – you will get between 7 and 9 muffins, depending on how full you fill them. Top with chocolate chips, slightly pressing each chip into the batter. Bake muffins at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean – try to find a spot with no chocolate! 

5.) Let your muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. If you didn’t use liners, slide a butter knife around each muffin before gently removing. Enjoy warm and store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

*it takes a bit of extra work, but if your milk and eggs are too cold, the coconut oil will solidify while you’re mixing
**whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour will work just fine
***if you don’t like cardamom, feel free to leave it out or replace it with nutmeg

Vegan Orange Cranberry Swirl Bread

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Okay, so I love a good cranberry orange bread. You know those giant cran orange muffins at the grocery store? LOVE THOSE. So I made my own, dairy-free version. And then Thanksgiving came around and I really wanted to make a cranberry orange loaf with a cranberry swirl. Talk about festive.

This loaf is easy to get together – seriously, don’t let the homemade cranberry sauce deter you. It’s vegan. And it’s sweetened with just the right amount of coconut sugar – my favorite unrefined, low GI sweetener. For this loaf, you’ll make the cranberry sauce, and then get to work on the easy quick bread batter. If you decide to use fresh squeezed orange juice, zest your oranges before you cut them in half.

When it comes to adding your batter and cranberry sauce to the loaf pan, remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect. That’s what makes this so easy! You’ll just plop spoonfuls of batter and cranberry sauce into the pan and then swirl it all together with a chopstick (or knife). You’ll have way more batter than sauce, so opt for big spoonfuls of batter and little spoonfuls of cranberry sauce. I found that this loaf baked fast for me, so keep that in mind. Happy baking!

Vegan Orange Cranberry Swirl Bread
Makes one 9×5″ loaf

Cranberry Sauce
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
Zest from one orange
Orange Bread
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
4 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest from two oranges
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with olive oil. In a small saucepan, make your cranberry sauce by combining fresh cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and orange zest. Cook on medium heat until cranberries have burst (I like to mash mine with a fork along the way) and sauce has thickened a bit. For a less chunky cranberry sauce, blend the sauce in a blender or food processor (I didn’t do this). Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool.

2.) In another small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal, orange juice, and water; set aside to thicken. Grab a medium bowl and stir together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, almond milk, applesauce, vanilla, and orange zest; set aside.

3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add all of the liquid ingredients, including the flaxseed meal mixture, and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.

4.) Begin spooning your batter and cranberry sauce into your prepared loaf pan, alternating between the two. You will have much more batter than cranberry sauce, so drop smaller spoonfuls of the cranberry sauce so you don’t run out (I like to make sure I have plenty to spoon onto the top of the loaf). Once you’ve added all of your batter and sauce, use a chopstick or knife to swirl the two together. Be sure you insert your chopstick all the way to the bottom of the pan for a more even swirl.

5.) Bake your loaf at 350°F for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with slight crumbs. Allow your loaf to rest in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the loaf by running a knife along the edges, tilting your pan, and using a spatula or knife to shimmy the loaf out, careful not to ruin the pretty swirl on top. Enjoy warm or let cool!

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins

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So I’ve been meaning to make a pumpkin quick bread for quite a while now, but then Halloween came and went and I was afraid everybody would be over pumpkin. Well, turns out, people are still totally into pumpkin leading up to Thanksgiving, too! Unlike gingerbread or peppermint, pumpkin basically has two holidays. Good news for me!

When Nathan started talking about a coffee pumpkin bread that he used to bake (complete with tons of sugar + milk-filled butterscotch chips) I knew I wanted to tackle a recipe for dairy-free, healthier Pumpkin Coffee Muffins. I decided to add chocolate chips – no one is surprised – because there’s nothing better than biting into a warm, freshly baked muffin loaded with melted chocolate! I’ve been craving that exact bite for over a week, and these muffins did not disappoint. We all love them, including my toddler who couldn’t get enough. I just might be adding these to the Thanksgiving playlist.

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 9 regular muffins

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temp
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup for topping
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pan – spray with olive oil or line with paper liners. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for ~10 minutes.

2.) In a medium bowl, mix the almond milk and instant coffee until granules have dissolved. Whisk in the coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and eggs until totally combined. Whisk in the pumpkin until smooth.

3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Whisk in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Add the pumpkin coffee mixture and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.

4.) Divide your batter into nine regular muffins, filling the muffin pan nearly to the top. Top with chocolate chips, pressing them slightly into the batter. Bake at 350°F for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean – you’ll have to prick around the melty chocolate chips.

5.) Allow your muffins to cool for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm!

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts

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It’s our first week in our new apartment, and I really wanted my first bake to be something with a chocolate icing. I melted dark chocolate and added that to a super simple mix of confectioner’s sugar and almond milk and OMG. It came out so good. And then I dipped my Chocolate Banana Donuts in it and I literally ate three. Yeah, that happened. These donuts are freaking good. I made Nathan take them to work, because I knew I’d end up eating all 12.

The batter is easy to whip together – it’s basically a quick bread batter that I piped into a donut pan. If you don’t have a donut pan yet, then you should definitely get one. They’re relatively inexpensive, especially if you buy one from a favorite craft store that regularly has 40% off coupons…

For this baked donut recipe, you’ll use a piping bag or large Ziploc bag to simply pipe the batter into the pan – that’s it! I promise it’s easy. And the icing? Just three basic ingredients, warmed up over a double boiler to make sure it sets. If you don’t warm your icing, there’s a good chance it will soak into the donuts (trust me). If you have any questions, leave them below. Happy baking!

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts
Makes 12 regular donuts

Donuts
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey if non-vegan)
1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp neutral oil*
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour (all-purpose will work, too)
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Icing
1 cup confectioner’s/powdered sugar
~2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
.7oz (20g) vegan dark chocolate

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a donut pan with olive oil. In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, honey, yogurt, almond milk, flax eggs, vanilla, oil, and mashed banana; set aside.

2.) In a large bowl, sift together the flours and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until no flour pockets remain.

3.) Fill a pastry bag or large Ziploc bag with the batter (I started out with half). Pipe the batter into your greased donut pan, filling to the top. Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a donut comes out with crumbs. Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack – they should pop right out when you turn the pan over and shake a bit. Let donuts cool completely.

4.) To melt the dark chocolate, bring about an inch of water to simmer in a medium saucepan. Place your chocolate in a heatproof bowl that will rest on top of your saucepan, being sure it doesn’t touch the water. Let your chocolate melt, stirring constantly. Remove your bowl from the heat and set your chocolate aside.

5.) In another heatproof bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and almond milk until combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix until totally combined. Heat your icing over the simmering water (the same way you did the chocolate) until just warm to the touch; remove from heat. Dip the tops of your donuts in the icing and then set them to rest on a cooling rack. Be sure to work quickly as the icing will begin to set fast. Enjoy your iced donuts!

*an oil with a light taste, such as avocado, grapeseed, or light olive oil. I don’t recommend coconut oil, as the cold ingredients (milk and yogurt) will cause the melted oil to solidify