Dairy-free

Name: Orange Loaf with Almond Buttercream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 8 Slices
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs*); 1/3 cup coconut sugar; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup plant-based milk; 1/4 cup orange juice; 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce; 1 1/2 tsp almond extract; 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour**); 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 Tbsp fresh orange zest (3-4 medium oranges); 1/4 cup vegan butter stick, room temp; 2 Tbsp vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter***); 1/4-1/2 tsp almond extract, to taste; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 2-4 tsp plant-based milk

Orange Loaf with Almond Buttercream (DF)

January 17, 2020 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

It’s citrus season – yay! – and I have been on an orange kick. Pregnancy related? Perhaps. Nonetheless, give me ALL the orange juice and orange desserts, please! I was craving my Orange Almond Muffins but also wanted cake (because frosting), so I re-created my muffin recipe in a loaf pan and then topped it off with a delicious, simple buttercream flavored with almond extract. Talk about good.

I’ve been really into almond extract frosting since eating an almond cupcake at a local bakery. And creating my own, dairy-free almond frosting was a no-brainer since I only needed to swap out the standard vanilla extract for almond. So easy. And such a perfect pairing with the orange loaf.

For this quick bread, you’ll mix the liquid and dry ingredients separately, combine them, and bake them all up in a loaf pan. Once cooled, you’ll whip up a simple vegan buttercream (of course you can use regular butter, too!) to spread over the top. It’s like cake, but less sweet. And you can control how much frosting you use, so feel free to add as little as you like. Or, if you’re like me, slather the whole batch onto that loaf and don’t look back.

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe + how you can substitute some of them:

Coconut sugar is my go-to sweetener for most baked goods. It’s unrefined, low GI, and doesn’t taste like coconut. If you prefer, you can use granulated white sugar or brown sugar in its place.

Olive oil is a staple in my pantry, and I love the fact that it’s always in liquid form, making it quicker and easier to use than coconut oil or vegan butter. It adds moisture to this recipe, so feel free to swap it out with your favorite oil. Be aware that if you melt down coconut oil as as substitute, your other ingredients must be room temperature.

Unsweetened applesauce adds additional sweetness and moisture to this loaf. It’s another of my go-to ingredients for my quick breads and cakes because I love the moist texture it helps me achieve. Plus, it’s not loaded with extra sugar, nor does it create any apple taste in the final product.

Whole wheat pastry flour is my absolute favorite flour for muffins. I promise it makes a huge difference in the fluffiness of this recipe. I’ve made my quick breads with both WWPF and regular all-purpose flour, and I’m always disappointed in the texture the AP flour creates since it’s simply not as light or fluffy. However, you can use regular all-purpose flour if you’d like (or if it’s more convenient) – your loaf just won’t be as fluffy.

Orange juice + orange zest are both necessary for the wonderful orange flavor of this bread. The fresh orange zest is where it’s at, and I’m really not sure you can add too much!

Vegan butter (in stick form!) helps create the best, like-the-real-deal vegan buttercream. Along with a little bit of vegetable shortening, you’ll get a spreadable but firm buttercream perfect for swirling. If you’d prefer to not use shortening, you can use more vegan butter instead, but your frosting will not be as stable.

Almond extract is another necessary ingredient! I love how it tastes in both the bread and the frosting in this recipe. If you know you’re not the biggest fan of almond extract, you can easily turn this into an orange vanilla loaf by swapping the almond extract with vanilla extract in both the loaf and the frosting.

Yield: 8 Slices

Orange Loaf with Almond Buttercream

Orange almond quick bread flavored with fresh squeezed OJ, orange rind and almond extract! An easy and delicious loaf paired perfectly with a fluffy vegan almond buttercream - a mouth-watering twist on standard vanilla frosting.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Orange Loaf

2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs*)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup plant-based milk
1/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour**)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp fresh orange zest (3-4 medium oranges)

Almond Buttercream

1/4 cup vegan butter stick, room temp
2 Tbsp vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter***)
1/4-1/2 tsp almond extract, to taste
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tsp plant-based milk

Instructions

Make the Quick Bread

Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray an 8x4" loaf pan with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray). Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Now is also a good time to set your vegan butter out on the counter to soften.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs (or flax eggs), coconut sugar, olive oil, "milk", orange juice, almond extract, and applesauce; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and gently mix until nearly combined. Add in the orange zest and mix until no four pockets remain.
Pour batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out with a few crumbs.
Allow loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn it over onto a cooling rack, flipping the loaf right side up once it pops out. If your loaf seems stuck, use a butter knife to loosen the edges before turning the pan over. Allow your loaf to totally cool before making your frosting.

Make the Frosting

In a medium bowl, beat together the softened vegan butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in 1/4 tsp of the almond extract, and then the powdered sugar. Taste the frosting to see if you'd like to add the extra 1/4 tsp of almond extract (I did), and then beat it in. Finally, beat in the plant-based milk 1 tsp at a time until you reach a thick but spreadable consistency.
Top the cooled loaf with the frosting as much as you'd like!) and use a small icing spatula to evenly spread it over the top, swirling as desired. Top with more orange zest or sprinkles. If your frosting seems at all melty, pop the entire loaf in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if your home is warm.

Notes

*2 Flax Eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water. Mix and allow to thicken for 5 minutes

**All-purpose flour will yield a less fluffy bread

***Using all vegan butter will result in a softer, less firm buttercream

Classic Weeknight Brownies (DF)

January 14, 2020 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

So I decided to take my favorite brownie recipe (which happens to be gluten-free) and make classic, gluten-full, fudgy brownies! For the folks looking for a simple brownie with ordinary ingredients, these brownies are for you. Made with regular cane sugars, eggs, all-purpose flour, and good ole chocolate chips, these brownies are as classic as they come. I, of course, used vegan butter for my brownies, but regular butter would work wonderfully, too!

For these brownies, you’ll melt the chocolate and fats together, whip up the eggs and sugars so they’re nice and thick, and then combine ingredients to form a batter. I only recommend using chocolate chips for this recipe as I could not achieve the same crackly top results with chopped chocolate – still unsure of the science behind this, but chocolate chips yield a crackly top every time! It’s also important to whisk your eggs and sugars until the mixture becomes thick, fluffy, and light in color – this is the traditional way to add “lift” to brownies without using any leavening agents (like baking soda, etc). The end result is a perfectly sweetened, fudgy brownie with a lovely crackly top.

Yield: 24 Brownies

Classic Weeknight Brownies

Classic, crackly-top fudgy brownies made with familiar ingredients from your pantry! The perfect brownies to bake for friends and family!

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
1/2 cup vegan butter (or solid coconut oil)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 heaping tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
4 large eggs, room temp
1 cup white granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process)
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick spray and parchment paper. I like to cut my parchment paper into two pieces that will criss-cross along the bottom of the dish and then go up the sides. Trim parchment paper at the top edge of the dish.
Using a microwave, or the double boiler method, melt together the chocolate chips, vegan butter, olive oil, and instant coffee. If microwaving, cook the ingredients in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each one. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the room temperature eggs and sugars. Whisk on medium-high speed until mixture becomes thick, light in color, and somewhat fluffy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
Add the melted chocolate mixture to your eggs and sugars, gently folding in the chocolate until totally combined - this takes a bit of patience.
Finally, sift the salt, cocoa powder, and flour into the bowl of batter. Use a large spatula or spoon to mix until no flour/cocoa pockets remain. Pour batter into your prepared baking dish. If your batter has a lot of air in it, there may be lots of bubbles coming to the surface. Feel free to tap your baking dish on the counter and/or use a toothpick to pop some of the bubbles before baking.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out with a few crumbs. I like to test my brownies using a toothpick toward the outer edge; that way, I can ensure I don't over-bake the brownies and the middle, along with the outer pieces, will still be fudgy.
Allow brownies to totally cool in the baking dish - for quicker cooling, placing the dish on top of a cooling rack. Run a butter knife along the corners of the brownies, and then use the parchment paper tabs to life the whole brownie up and out of the dish. Carefully slice into 24 pieces, wiping your knife clean between each slice to ensure clean cuts.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, in a single layer or with parchment paper between layers (to keep the delicate, crackly top in tact).

Notes

Chocolate chips are necessary for the delicate, crackly top in this recipe

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 194 Total Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 6g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 41mg Sodium: 117mg Carbohydrates: 23g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 19g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

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More brownie recipes:

Orange Brownies (DF + GF)

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (DF + GF)

Tahini Swirl Brownies (DF + GF)

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies (DF + GF)

Vegan Double Chocolate Muddy Buddies

January 9, 2020 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Muddy Buddies (aka Puppy Chow) is another one of those super sweet desserts I remember eating as a kid. It’s so simple, easy to make, and combines three of my favorite things: chocolate, peanut butter, and sugar. Yes. the original recipe has loads of powdered sugar. I haven’t made original Muddy Buddies in ages as it’s tooth-achingly sweet and totally addictive!

I had a box of Chex cereal – a peanut butter flavored one that I bought on a whim during a major hunger strike at Target last week – that wasn’t going to get eaten (apparently I don’t like PB Chex), so I decided to whip up a quick batch of my own Muddy Buddies with ingredients that are a bit better for you. And, of course, I toned down on the powdered sugar coating by swapping some of the sugar with cocoa powder and arrowroot starch. The starch is flavorless while adding bulk to the necessary powder coating.

I’ve also used a smaller portion of fat – coconut oil – and opted for natural peanut butter instead of the oil and sugar-laden kind. If you prefer dark chocolate vs semi-sweet (which is what I used) you can make these with even less sugar! Choose whatever Chex cereal you’d like, and you’re on your way to an easy and delicious weeknight snack.

If you’ve never had Muddy Buddies before, then I promise you’re in for such an easy snack. You’ll basically coat the cereal with the melted chocolate, peanut butter, and oil and then toss it all in a mixture of powdered sugar, cocoa, and arrowroot. So. Simple. And you don’t even need to wait for it to set – you can dig in right away! Store the leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, but I promise these won’t last long.

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Coconut oil replaces margarine or butter in this recipe and helps thin the chocolate peanut butter mixture. Feel free to use vegan butter instead!

Natural peanut butter adds that traditional peanut butter flavor without any of the added oils or sugar. For a nut free option, try using tahini or sunflower butter.

Arrowroot starch mixes with the powdered sugar to add volume to the powdered ingredients. It’s flavorless and makes for a great substitute in this recipe that traditionally calls for only powdered sugar.

Cocoa powder is another better-for-you alternative to the all-powdered sugar original recipe. It also adds a double chocolate element to this recipe, so feel free to use even more – replacing some/all of the starch – if you’d like!

Powdered sugar is necessary for that traditional, sweet Muddy Buddies flavor! If you opt for a powdered coconut sugar or sugar-free powdered “sugar” then the taste will be affected (and I cannot vouch for this).

Yield: 6 Cups

Vegan Double Chocolate Muddy Buddies

Classic chocolate peanut butter Muddy Buddy treats made better-for-you with coconut oil, natural peanut butter, and less powdered sugar! With a double does of chocolate, this indulgent treat is the perfect sweet snack!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

6 cups Chex cereal
2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (semi-sweet or dark)
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder

Instructions

Line a baking sheet (or a portion of your counter) with parchment paper, wax paper, or foil. In a large bowl, measure out 6 cups of Chex cereal and set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar, arrowroot starch, and cocoa powder. Whisk until totally combined and uniform in color; set aside.
In a small bowl, melt together the chocolate, peanut butter, and coconut oil. If microwaving, heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each one. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal and gently mix with a large spoon or spatula.
In another large bowl, add the powdered sugar mixture and chocolate covered cereal. Cover the top with a lid or a flat object like a baking sheet or cutting board and shake the bowl until cereal is evenly coated with the powder.
Pour Muddy Buddies onto your prepared baking sheet to set or eat right away! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

I recommend using a clean bowl to shake the powdered sugar mixture with the chocolate covered cereal so the powder doesn't stick to the sides of a chocolate-y bowl.
Recipe adapted from Chex