Sugared & Stirred

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Ginger Kale Smoothie

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Ginger Kale Smoothie

A tangy Ginger Kale Smoothie based off Jamba Juice’s Ginger ‘N Greens smoothie. With spicy ginger, bright lemon, nurturing kale, and frozen mango and peach, this nutrient-packed smoothie makes for a great snack or accompaniment to breakfast.

Ginger Kale Smoothie

This flavorful Ginger Kale Smoothie is based off of the tasty Ginger ‘N Greens smoothie from Jamba Juice – a favorite I haven’t enjoyed since we moved from the Bay Area to Kansas City (5 years ago!)! With a strong ginger flavor, the nutrient-dense kale goes undetected in this bright smoothie . You’ll mix frozen peach and mango with a squeeze of lemon, fresh ginger, and fresh or frozen kale. I like to add agave for a bit of sweetness, plus my favorite oat milk to get things moving in the blender. Once everything is blended up, you’ve got a smooth and creamy smoothie to enjoy as a snack, post-workout drink, or however else you like to enjoy your smoothies 🙂

Why You’ll Love This Smoothie

  • Packed with nutrients
  • Thick smoothie texture
  • Ultra flavorful with fresh ginger and lemon
  • Undetectable kale taste

What You’ll Need

Fresh ginger brings that spicy ginger flavor. I like to use a small piece of peeled, fresh ginger roughly equivalent to 1 teaspoon. Feel free to add less or more depending on your taste. I don’t recommend using ground ginger.

Frozen mango chunks make up the bulk of the smoothie. You won’t get any mango flavor but the frozen fruit lends to a thick, creamy texture in this smoothie.

Frozen peach slices also make up this smoothie. Using frozen peach/mango leads to a creamy smoothie texture (without needing banana, which tends to take over other flavors).

Fresh or frozen kale turns this into a “kale” smoothie – duh! It also brings a beautiful green color…and no, you won’t taste it! Feel free to use whole or shredded kale, fresh or frozen.

Lemon juice adds a bright citrus flavor and replaces the lemonade from the original Jamba Juice smoothie. If you like a more sour taste, feel free to add the juice of one whole lemon.

Agave is added to bring sweetness to the smoothie. In leu of lemonade, I add the agave and lemon juice, along with plant-based milk.

Plant-based milk helps get the smoothie blended – without it, the frozen fruit gets “stuck”. Feel free to use your favorite milk (I used oat milk).

Q&A

Do I have to use frozen mango and/or frozen peach? For a thick smoothie texture, you do have to use frozen fruit. If you like more of a liquid smoothie, then fresh fruit should work. You just won’t need as much milk.

Can I use lemonade like the original Jamba Juice smoothie? Absolutely! If you plan to go this route, I recommend leaving out the lemon juice, agave, and milk. Then add lemonade by the 1/4 cup until the smoothie comes together in the blender.

Can I use frozen ginger? I don’t see why not! Just make sure you don’t add too much as the smoothie could end up with an overwhelming ginger flavor.

Yield: 1 Serving

Ginger Kale Smoothie

Ginger Kale Smoothie

A tangy and bright Ginger Kale Smoothie based off the Ginger 'N Greens smoothie from Jamba Juice - a delicious and nurturing frozen drink!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen mango chunks
  • 1 cup frozen peach slices
  • 1 1/2 cups kale, fresh or frozen
  • ~1 tsp of fresh ginger, peeled (add more or less to taste)
  • Juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 Tbsp agave
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup plant-based milk (or regular milk)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend on medium-high until smooth. Add more lemon or more ginger, if desired.
  2. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Drinks

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Thin Mint Cookies

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Thin Mint Cookies

Crunchy chocolate peppermint cookies coated in a rich peppermint dark chocolate. These crisp Thin Mint Cookies are the perfect homemade version of the Girl Scout cookie we all know and love!

Thin Mint Cookies

We all know the classic Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies. They’re crunchy, minty, and enrobed in a lovely dark chocolate. This homemade version of the beloved mint chocolate cookie will delight your taste buds and send you right to that nostalgic *cookie season* (minus the searching and/or waiting for delivery!). These cookies have the perfect snappy crunch of a thin mint cookie, plus the delicious chocolate peppermint flavor.

These cookies take more time (and patience 😉 ) than most of my cookie recipes as they require quite a bit of chill time. Chilling the dough multiple times makes it easier to handle and ensures the cookies won’t spread in the oven, ensuring they keep their lovely cut-out shape. It’s also important to be extra careful when rolling your cookie dough as you only want it to be around 1/8″ thick (or just slightly thicker) in order to get the perfect snappy, crispy cookie. I tested these at 1/4″ thick and the cookies came out chewy in the middle. Yes, these cookies are more work, but if it’s homemade thin mints you’re after, then I promise it’s all worth it! 

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

  • The dough comes together in just one bowl
  • They’re made with pantry staples
  • The cookie is snappy, crunchy, and crisp – just like the original version
  • The peppermint flavor is perfectly balanced (there’s plenty of it!)
  • You can easily halve this recipe to make fewer cookies

What You’ll Need

  • Plant-based butter adds that buttery flavor we all love in our cookies. Feel free to use regular butter or plant-based butter (I use Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks). 
  • White granulated sugar helps these cookies get that crispy, crunchy texture. Of course it also adds sweetness. I would not replace this with any other sugar as we don’t want to risk adding too much moisture (brown sugar will add moisture).
  • Honey binds the ingredients together. Since there are no eggs in this recipe (to bind ingredients), honey gets the job done. Feel free to use maple syrup as a vegan alternative to honey.
  • Peppermint extract adds flavor! Make sure your extract is labeled peppermint and not mint.
  • Vanilla extract also adds flavor. I like to add this to most of my bakes and find it goes well with the chocolate flavor.
  • Salt enhances flavor and cuts sweetness.
  • Dutched cocoa powder adds a darker color and richer chocolate flavor to these cookies. I don’t recommend natural or black cocoa powder.
  • All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of the dough. Feel free to use a bleached or unbleached variety (I like to use unbleached).
  • Dark or semi-sweet chocolate bar makes up the chocolate coating. It’s important to use chopped chocolate (and not chocolate chips) as the chocolate bar(s) won’t seize when mixed with peppermint extract.

Q&A

Do I need to chill the dough? Yes! The chilling process firms up the dough so it’s easier to roll. And then you’ll chill it a bit more so it’s easier to cut. Then you’ll chill it once more right before baking to ensure the cookies don’t spread/or lose their shape.

What happens if I don’t freeze the cookies before baking? You run the risk of the dreaded cookie spread. I promise the key to cut-out cookies is freezing the cookies for a bit right before baking.

Do I need to poke holes in the cookies? Yes, because if the cookies don’t have any holes, then the steam will puff the cookies slightly in the middle during the baking process. For flat, even cookies, you need to poke holes!

Can I halve this recipe? Absolutely! Divide each of the ingredients by two (this is easiest when using a scale) and bake per the recipe.

Q&A Continued

What kind of plant-based butter do you use? For the last few years, I’ve only used Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks (with olive oil or almond oil) in all my recipes – it’s affordable and relatively easy to find (at least in the US).

Can I use chocolate chips? Unfortunately, no. The peppermint extract will make the chocolate chips seize up upon melting, so only chopped chocolate (dark or semi-sweet) will work in this recipe. 

My cookies aren’t crunchy, what happened? This could mean that your cookies are too thick, or that they weren’t baked long enough. It’s really important to cut these cookies around 1/8″ thick (or only slightly thicker). 1/4″ is too thick for these cookies and will result in a chewy cookie. 1/8″ is the perfect thickness to get that snappy, crunchy cookie.

Will the chocolate coating get melty out of the fridge? Since we aren’t tempering the chocolate, the coating will begin to melt once it touches warm hands, but it won’t get melty just sitting out at room temperature. If you’re looking for thin mints with a snappy chocolate coating, I recommend tempering your chocolate prior to coating – you can find some tips on how do that here.

Yield: ~50 Cookies

Thin Mint Cookies

Thin Mint Cookies

Crunchy chocolate peppermint cookies coated in a rich peppermint dark chocolate - a delightful homemade version of the Girl Scout cookie we all know and love!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1/2 cup (113g) plant-based butter (or regular butter), softened
  • 2/3 cup (140g) white granulated sugar
  • 6 Tbsp (126g) honey
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (40g) Dutched cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups (195g) unbleached all-purpose flour

Chocolate Coating

  • 1 1/2 cups (230g) dark or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (NOT chocolate chips)
  • 3 Tbsp (42g) plant-based butter (or regular butter)
  • 2 tsp peppermint extract (feel free to add less if you like)
  • 1-1.5 Tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil)

Instructions

Bake the Cookies

  1. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar until fluffy, about 30 seconds. Beat in the honey. Then beat in the peppermint and vanilla extracts. Beat in the salt.
  2. Sift in the cocoa powder and flour and use a large spoon or spatula to mix until the dough comes together. Use your hands to shape the dough into two balls. Flatten each ball into a disc shape, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Once chilled, remove one dough disc from the refrigerator and place between two pieces of parchment paper (about the size of a baking sheet). Roll dough to slightly thicker than 1/8" (thinner cookies will be crispier). Place the rolled dough, along with the parchment paper on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat for the second dough disc.
  4. Pull the rolled dough out of the freezer and use a round or scalloped circular cookie cutter (mine is 1 3/4" across) to cut the cookies. It's okay if your cookies stick to the parchment paper (they likely will as these cookies are thin). Remove the excess dough and then gently peel the cut-out cookies off the paper and transfer them to a clean baking sheet lined with parchment (you can re-use the original paper if you'd like), spacing them at least 1/4" apart - these cookies don't spread.
  5. Immediately poke venting holes into the tops of each cookie, using a fork or toothpick (I poked five holes). Place the cookies back in the freezer for 10 minutes and preheat your oven to 325°F.
  6. After the final chill, bake the cookies at 325°F for 12-14 minutes. It's difficult to tell when the cookies are done as they will come out of the oven soft and crisp up as they cool. I recommend doing a test cookie to see how long it takes in your oven - take a single cookie and bake at 13 minutes, allow to cool, and then test the snappiness by breaking it in two (it should make a snapping sound).
  7. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. In the meantime, repeat steps 3-6, re-rolling the excess dough, until all cookies are baked.

Coat the Cookies

  1. Once the cookies are cooled, you can begin making the coating. Near your stove, set up a baking sheet with parchment paper, 2-3 forks, and some paper towels.
  2. Prepare a double boiler by bringing 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium pot. Set a large, heat-proof bowl (metal or glass) on top of the pot, making sure the bowl isn't touching the water.
  3. Add the finely chopped chocolate, butter, and peppermint extract to the pot. Gently stir as the steam from the simmering water melts the chocolate. Once melted, add olive oil by the teaspoon until the chocolate reaches a thin enough consistency that it runs off of a spoon in a stream.
  4. Lower the heat to the lowest setting, keeping the chocolate warm, and begin dipping the cookies. Place cookie top-side down into the chocolate. Use a fork to turn the cookie over, making sure the cookie is coated. Lift up the cookie and gently shake off the excess chocolate.
  5. Take another, clean fork, and transfer the cookie to it. Then slowly transfer the cookie to your prepared baking sheet to set. I found it's best to go slow to avoid making a mess of the chocolate.
  6. To keep the cookies from pooling chocolate around them, I like to wipe the forks on the edge of the bowl so they don't accumulate too much chocolate. Every other cookie, wipe the second, cleaner fork on your paper towel. This ensures the cookies won't pool with chocolate around the edge once they're laid on the paper.
  7. Once all cookies have been dipped, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to allow the cookies to set. Enjoy the cookies cold or let them "thaw" at room temperature for 10 minutes before enjoying. These cookies can be very crunchy once chilled, so I recommend cutting them in half before enjoying cold - they're easier to eat this way.
  8. Store leftover cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or at room temperature, with parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking together.

Notes

  1. Butter: I use Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks (with olive oil or almond oil) in my recipes.
  2. Chilling: you won't want to skimp on the chilling in this recipe. It's necessary at every step to ensure the dough is easy to work with and doesn't spread in the oven.
  3. Vegan: for vegan cookies, replace the honey with maple syrup.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!

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Chocolate Guinness Snack Cake

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Chocolate Guinness Snack Cake

A simple, two-bowl sheet cake flavored with rich cocoa powder and Irish Guinness stout. This Chocolate Guinness Snack Cake is the perfect way to celebrate St. Paddy’s season – or a great way to enjoy baking with your favorite stout beer year-round. 

Chocolate Guinness Snack Cake

St. Paddy’s day is right around the corner, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our Irish friends than with an easy chocolate cake loaded with Guinness stout. I spent a month on the coast of Northern Ireland after college, and Guinness was definitely the drink of choice for the locals socializing at the pub. What they say is true: Guinness does taste better on the Emerald Isle. But I think this Guinness cake does the beer justice and is sure to be enjoyed by any chocolate cake fan…even if our Guinness comes from a can 😉

This cake comes together similarly to a boxed cake mix. Once you have the Guinness reduced, the process of mixing the dry ingredients and then the wet, and finally combining the two is pretty simple. And since the Guinness flavor isn’t strong in this cake (it mainly enhances the cake’s chocolate flavor) any chocolate cake fan should enjoy a slice of this Guinness Chocolate Snack Cake. In other words, you don’t have to be a stout lover to enjoy this cake!

Why You’ll Love This Cake

  • Made with just two bowls (and a hand mixer)
  • Needs only a single 14.9oz can of Guinness Draught Stout
  • Has Guinness in both the cake and frosting
  • A fun way to incorporate a beloved beverage into a family-friendly dessert

What You’ll Need

  • All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of the cake batter. I like to use an unbleached variety, but bleached will work as well. 
  • Cocoa powder brings the chocolate flavor to this cake. You’ll want to use a regular, natural cocoa powder in this recipe (not Dutched cocoa).
  • Baking soda leavens the cake.
  • Salt enhances flavor and cuts sweetness.
  • Light brown sugar adds sweetness to the cake. I like the added moisture that brown sugar brings to this cake. In a pinch, dark brown sugar will work in this recipe as well. 
  • Eggs bind the ingredients together and help with the texture and lift of the cake. I haven’t tested this recipe with any egg replacements. 
  • Olive oil is my go-to baking oil. Feel free to use your favorite baking oil in this recipe, though I don’t recommend coconut oil.
  • Plant-based milk adds moisture and is mixed with a small amount of white vinegar to introduce more acid to the cake (which aids in the cake’s leavening/lift).
  • White vinegar is mixed with the plant-based milk to aid in the cake’s leavening. Feel free to use apple cider vinegar in its place.
  • Vanilla extract adds flavor.
  • Guinness acts like coffee in a chocolate cake – it enhances the chocolate flavor. I haven’t tested this recipe with any other stout beers.

More Chocolate Cake Recipes

Chocolate Guinness Baked Donuts

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Banana Snack Cake

Yield: 9-16 Slices

Chocolate Guinness Snack Cake

chocolate guinness cake recipe

A simple chocolate sheet cake made with rich cocoa powder and Guinness stout. Topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting, this cake is perfect for enjoying alongside a tasty pint of Irish beer.

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (146g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (60g) regular cocoa powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (128g) light brown sugar, loosely packed (scooped with measuring cup and leveled)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup plant-based milk
  • 1/2 tsp white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups Guinness Draught Stout Beer (will reduce in Step 1)

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (113g) plant-based butter (or regular butter), softened
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
  • 1-2 Tbsp reduced Guinness, or milk of choice (see Note 2)

Instructions

Bake the Cake

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of very warm water for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, add the 1 1/2 cups of Guinness to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Keep an eye on the beer as it will bubble and foam for the first five minutes or so - you'll need to use a utensil to stir the foam and keep it from overflowing.
  3. Once the beer boiling, lower the heat to medium and simmer until the beer reduces to roughly 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (see Note 2). This should take between 10 and 15 minutes. Once reduced, measure out 3/4 cup of the beer and set aside. The remaining 2 Tbsp of reduced beer can be set aside separately.
  4. Preheat your oven to 325°F and prepare an 8x8" baking pan with non-stick spray and parchment paper. I like to cut one piece of parchment that will cover the bottom and two sides (feel free to line all four sides by using two pieces of paper, if you prefer). Fold the remaining paper over the sides and trim with scissors.
  5. In a glass measuring cup, add the 1/3 cup of plant-based milk and 1/2 tsp of white vinegar. Give the mixture a quick stir; set aside.
  6. In a large bowl, sift in the flour and then the cocoa powder. Add the baking soda, salt, and brown sugar and whisk everything together until well combined; set aside.
  7. In a small bowl, add the eggs, oil, milk/vinegar, and vanilla. Whisk everything together. Slowly pour in 3/4 cup of the reduced Guinness while whisking.
  8. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan. Tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles (I like to do this up to 20 times).
  9. Bake at 325°F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife along the two edges without parchment paper, and then carefully invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper and toss in the trash.
  10. Allow the cake to cool completely before making the frosting.

Frost the Cake

  1. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and vanilla extract.
  2. Add in the powdered sugar and beat (slowly at first) until the ingredients are incorporated - it's okay if it looks like crumbs.
  3. Add the reduced Guinness (or milk of choice) 1 Tbsp at a time, beating after each addition until the frosting reaches a stiff but spreadable consistency. I like to take my icing spatula and make a swirl in the frosting to see if it's thin/thick enough for my liking. If it looks too thick, add more liquid. If it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
  4. Once the frosting is made, use a large spoon or spatula to scoop it all onto the cooled cake. Use a flat icing spatula to spread and swirl the frosting over the surface of the cake.
  5. Slice and enjoy! Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Brown Sugar: for this recipe, you don't want to firmly pack the brown sugar into your measuring cup. I've found that using the cup to scoop the sugar directly from the bag and then leveling off the excess with a knife produces the required weighted amount of brown sugar (i.e. "loosely packed").
  2. Guinness: if you prefer (or if you accidentally reduced your Guinness too much and don't have enough for the frosting!), you can replace the Guinness in the frosting with your favorite plant-based milk or regular milk.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweet and chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies loaded with oats and chocolate chips. These big, sturdy cookies are sure to fly off the cooling rack. With their chewy middle and crisp edges, they are totally irresistible!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

We all know that peanut butter and chocolate is one of the most beloved combinations in the baking world. We all love it. Well, most of us do. These cookies combine the sweet taste of brown sugar with peanut butter, oats, and dark chocolate chips – a combination that will have these cookies flying off the cooling rack (at least that’s how it went down at my house). I started with my Peanut Butter Monster Cookies recipe and tweaked the amount of dry ingredients to get these big, sturdy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These cookies come together just like a standard chocolate chip cookie, but you’ll add peanut butter, an extra egg yolk for chewiness, a bit of corn starch (also for chewiness!), and dark chocolate chips. Of course you don’t have to use dark chocolate, but I think it balances out the sweetness of the cookies perfectly. Top these cookies with a bit of sea salt (if you like) and you’ve got an irresistible batch of cookies that you’re sure to love.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

  • Made in one bowl
  • Require no chill time
  • Chewy texture
  • Made with pantry staples
  • Chocolate and peanut butter (need I say more?)

What You’ll Need + Possible Substitutions

  • Plant-based butter adds that buttery taste we all love in our cookies. Feel free to use your favorite vegan butter or regular dairy butter in this recipe.
  • Light brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture. The molasses in the brown sugar helps add a chewy texture to these cookies.
  • White granulated sugar also adds sweetness. It helps the cookies spread, creates that cookie texture we all love, and even adds a nice crisp to the edges of the cookies. If you’re looking to cut sweetness in these cookies, you can use coconut sugar 1:1 in this recipe (raw sugar and unrefined cane sugar will work as well). Note that the gram measurements will vary based on sugar type.
  • Natural peanut butter brings all the PB flavor. I like to use a runny, room temperature peanut butter made with just peanuts. I haven’t tested this recipe with a peanut butter spread (what we all like on our PB&J sandwiches).
  • Egg and egg yolk are added to these cookies to help bind the ingredients together. The extra yolk adds a rich flavor and chewier texture.

Continued below…

Ingredients Continued…

  • Vanilla extract adds flavor – you don’t want to skimp here.
  • Corn starch also lends a hand to a chewier cookie texture. Feel free to use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch in its place. You can also leave it out completely for a less chewy cookie.
  • Baking soda leavens these cookies and aids in proper spread.
  • Salt helps cut sweetness and enhances flavor.
  • All-purpose flour also binds ingredients and makes up the cookie dough. Feel free to use a bleached or unbleached variety. If you’re looking to add a whole wheat variety, I recommend only replacing up to 1/2 of the AP flour with a whole wheat flour (white whole wheat, spelt, etc).
  • Quick oats are added to make these oatmeal cookies. I like to use the smaller quick oats as I find they bind to the other ingredients better than regular rolled oats.
  • Dark chocolate chips pair wonderfully with the sweet cookie. Of course you can use your favorite chocolate chips, but I really only recommend semi-sweet or dark chocolate to help balance the sugar in the cookie.

More Peanut Butter & Chocolate Recipes

Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Whipped Ganache

Chocolate Cookies Stuffed with Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies

Yield: 12 Big Cookies

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Sweet and chewy peanut butter cookies loaded with oats and chocolate chips. These big, sturdy cookies are sure to fly off the cooling rack - you will love them!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (58g) plant-based butter (or regular butter), softened
  • 1/2 cup (85g) light brown sugar, lightly packed (see Note 1)
  • 1/2 cup (105g) white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (128g) natural peanut butter (made with just peanuts), room temp
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (65g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (75g) quick oats
  • 1/2 cup (90g) dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Flakey sea salt to top (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugars for 30 seconds. Beat in the runny peanut butter. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
  3. Add the corn starch, baking soda, and salt and beat until combined. Add the flour and quick oats and use a large spoon or spatula to mix the ingredients until no flour streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate chips (tip: leave a few chocolate chips out to press into the dough balls later).
  4. Scoop dough balls 3 Tbsp in size, six per batch/baking sheet. Roll each dough ball smooth, pulling chocolate chips from within each dough ball and pressing them into the top. I like to make sure no chocolate chips are hanging out the bottom of the dough balls - this makes for less chocolate mess when moving baked cookies off the baking sheet. If desired, press the extra chocolate chips you saved into the tops of the dough balls.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. If desired, sprinkle sea salt top each cookie.
  6. Repeat Steps 4 & 5 to finish baking the dough, making sure your baking sheet is completely cool before adding more dough balls (I gently wave mine in the air to cool it down).
  7. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Brown Sugar: if using cup measurements (instead of grams), I've found that using the cup to directly scoop the brown sugar creates what I call "loosely packed". You don't want to smash or pack the brown sugar into the cup.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!

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Berry Brownie Pizza

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Berry Brownie Pizza with Cream Cheese Frosting

A delightfully nostalgic Berry Brownie Pizza topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and summer berries. This “pizza” is always a crowd-pleaser and can be customized to include your favorite fruits!

Berry Brownie Pizza

A few years ago, I created my own version of the Brownie Fruit Pizza I fondly remember enjoying at birthday parties as a kid. My “pizza” had chocolate cream cheese frosting and a mix of berries and nectarines (so good). With Valentine’s Day approaching, I wanted to make a red berry version with vanilla cream cheese frosting. I love the combination of rich, fudgy brownie with tangy vanilla frosting and sweet cherries and strawberries on top. The fruit brings a freshness to this indulgent dessert that makes it such a crowd-pleaser!

You’ll need a pizza pan (you can find these online or at stores like Target), your favorite cream cheese (vegan or regular), and whatever fruit you’d like to top your pizza with. Softer fruits like berries, stone fruits, and banana or kiwi work best for this kind of dessert. This recipe includes a homemade brownie base, but if you’d like to make this extra easy, feel free to use your favorite boxed brownie mix (you may not need all of the batter – I’m not sure as I haven’t made this with boxed brownies).

Why I Love This “Pizza”

  • 100% homemade (unless you forgo the brownie recipe for a boxed brownie – no judgment!)
  • Quick to make (especially if you have experience with homemade brownies)
  • Perfect balance of rich, tangy, and sweet
  • Will fly off the pan at any gathering
  • Leftovers are a welcomed blessing (I could eat a slice every day!)

What You’ll Need + Possible Substitutions

  • Melted chocolate chips create a fudgy, rich brownie.
  • Olive oil adds moisture to the brownies. If you prefer, you can use melted butter (or melted vegan butter) instead.
  • Instant coffee adds depth to the chocolate flavor. Feel free to leave this out if you don’t have any readily on hand.
  • Eggs are whisked until thick to create lift in the brownies and work alongside the sugar to give the pizza a perfect, crinkly top. I don’t recommend any egg replacements for this recipe, but you can find my vegan brownie recipe here.
  • Granulated sugar adds sweetness to the rich brownie. You can use white granulated sugar, raw cane sugar, or coconut sugar.
  • Dutched cocoa powder adds richer flavor and darker color to the brownie base.
  • All-purpose flour gives the brownie batter structure. Feel free to use a bleached or unbleached variety.
  • Salt enhances flavor and cuts sweetness.
  • Baking powder leavens the brownie base a tad.
  • Plant-based butter helps make up the cream cheese buttercream frosting. You can use your favorite vegan butter or regular butter in this recipe.
  • Plant-based cream cheese creates a delicious, tangy cream cheese frosting. Plant-based or regular cream cheese will work in this recipe – note that vegan cream cheese needs to be cold and regular cream cheese must be softened at room temperature.
  • Vanilla extract adds flavor to both the brownie base and the cream cheese frosting.
  • Powdered sugar is added to the cream cheese and butter to create a sweet frosting. There are no substitutions for regular powdered sugar.

More Brownie Recipes

Chocolate Strawberry Brownies

Brownie Fruit Pizza with Chocolate Frosting

Orange Brownies (grain-free)

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Pizza

Yield: 8-12 Servings

Berry Brownie Pizza

berry brownie pizza recipe

A crowd-pleasing dessert "pizza" topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and summer berries. Customize it to include your favorite fruits!

Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

Brownie

  • 1 cup (175g) chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup (60g) olive oil
  • 1 tsp instant coffee
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 3/4 cup (169g) white granulated sugar (see Note 1)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (20g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup (98g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/4 cup (58g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter, softened)
  • 4oz plant-based cream cheese, cold (see Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups (300g) powdered sugar

Topping

  • 1-2 cups fresh fruit, sliced and/or pitted (as needed)

Instructions

Make the Brownie

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a pizza pan with 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 microwaveable bowl, add the chocolate chips, oil, and instant coffee. Microwave in 15-30 second intervals, stirring well between each, until chocolate is melted; set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and then the sugar. Whisk on medium-high until thick and light in color (about 3-5 minutes). Whisk in the vanilla.
  4. Add the melted chocolate and gently fold into the egg/sugar mixture until well combined. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Gently mix until no flour pockets remain.
  5. Spoon batter into your greased pizza pan and spread evenly - if needed, spray the back of a spoon or spatula with non-stick spray and then spread the thick batter into the pan.
  6. Bake the brownie at 350°F for 9-11 minutes, being careful not to over-bake. Allow the brownie to cool completely in the pan before frosting.

Make the Frosting + Assemble

  1. Once your brownie is cool, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the softened butter and cold vegan cream cheese (or softened cream cheese if using regular cream cheese). Beat in the vanilla extract.
  2. Add the powdered sugar and slowly beat, increasing speed as the powder gets incorporated into the butter and cream cheese. Beat until totally combined and smooth. If your frosting is too thick at this point, you can add your favorite milk 1 tsp at a time until the frosting is spreadable. It's normal for cream cheese frosting to be less stiff than traditional American buttercream.
  3. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownie, leaving about 1/2" of crust around the edge. Immediately top the frosting with fresh fruit - I chose strawberries, cherries, and raspberries.
  4. Slice and serve the pizza. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow pizza to come to room temperature before enjoying (at least that's how I like it!).

Notes

  1. Sugar: you can use white granulated sugar (169g), unrefined cane sugar (180g), raw cane sugar (160g), or coconut sugar (124g).
  2. Cream cheese: plant-based or regular cream cheese will work in this recipe. Plant-based cream cheese must be cold when beat with the butter. Regular cream cheese must be softened (at room temperature) when beat with the butter.

© Rachael
Cuisine: American / Category: Brownies

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!

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