Gluten-free

Name: Grain-Free Tahini Swirl Brownies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips; ¾ cup tahini; 2 Tbsp dutch-process cocoa powder; 3 large eggs, room temp; 1 cup coconut sugar; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 4 ½ Tbsp arrowroot starch; ¼ cup toasted black sesame powder; ½ tsp salt; ¼ cup tahini; 2 Tbsp agave

Grain-Free Tahini Swirl Brownies

May 10, 2019 by Rachael Ng 3 Comments

If you haven’t jumped on the tahini + chocolate bandwagon yet, then this is the recipe for you! But also, if you love tahini desserts then this is also the recipe for you. These brownies are ultra fudgy with just the right amount of melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and tahini. All topped with a beautiful tahini swirl! I mean, look at it.

When I set out to make these brownies, I wanted to come up with a totally fudgy, not-too-rich brownie that was free of grains, dairy, and oil. And then, of course, I sweetened them with coconut sugar (along with the chocolate chips) to make these indulgent babies a little bit better for you.

The method that I like best when baking brownies is to use melted chocolate with an oil (in this case, the tahini) and some cocoa powder, and then whisk the eggs and sugar until they’re nice and fluffy. The whisking is what gives these brownies a bit of lift, and all the wet ingredients help them stay totally fudgy.

For this recipe, I took my love for sesame a bit further than your typical tahini brownie by adding a bit of toasted black sesame powder. I highly recommend you make your way to the nearest Asian market, buy a big (and cheap!) bag of black sesame seeds, and spend 10 minutes making the powder. It’s affordable, easy, and adds another element of nuttiness to these brownies. And if you haven’t toasted black sesame seeds before, then you’re in for a treat, because the smell is divine.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Chocolate chips add a ton of moisture, flavor, and sweetness to these brownies. In my experience, with this specific recipe, they also lend a hand to the shiny top crust of the brownies.

Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds – think “peanut butter” but with sesame seeds instead of peanuts. It’s delicious in savory dishes and desserts. I especially love how it pairs with chocolate, and anyone who has ever tasted a tahini dessert from me has loved it!

Dutch-process cocoa powder has a deeper chocolate flavor than natural cocoa powder. I like to use Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa because it’s affordable and easy to find. They recently switched from a 50/50 dutched/natural mix to all dutch-process for their Special Dark Cocoa, so check your labels.

Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI sweetener. It doesn’t taste like coconut, and since it’s low GI, it doesn’t spike blood sugar as high as white sugar, honey, or maple syrup would.

Arrowroot starch is a corn allergy-friendly thickener, but if you don’t have this on hand, feel free to use corn starch.

Toasted black sesame powder is simply toasted black sesame seeds that have been ground up in a blender or food processor. It’s aromatic and nutty and elevates the delicious sesame flavor in these brownies.

Yield: 16 Brownies

Grain-Free Tahini Swirl Brownies

Ultra fudgy brownies made grain-free, dairy-free, and oil-free! These brownies are loaded with chocolate and tahini and topped with a beautiful tahini swirl!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Brownies

1 ½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips
¾ cup tahini
2 Tbsp dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs, room temp
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 ½ Tbsp arrowroot starch
¼ cup toasted black sesame powder
½ tsp salt

Tahini Swirl

Instructions

Make your toasted black sesame powder by toasting ½ cup of black sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat (I highly recommend getting these at your local Asian market/grocery store to save money!) . Stir constantly until seeds are toasted - you'll begin to smell a very aromatic nutty scent. Add the toasted seeds to a blender or food processor and blend until a powder forms.
Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 325°F. Prepare your baking dish by spraying it with olive oil and then lining the bottom + 2 sides with a long strip of parchment paper. Crease the excess parchment paper over the sides.
Using the double boiler method (place heatproof bowl over a pot with 1" of water on medium heat, making sure bowl doesn't touch the water), melt the chocolate chips and tahini in a medium bowl until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder; set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the coconut sugar and eggs. Begin whisking on medium-high speed and add the vanilla extract. Continue whisking until the mixture becomes thick and light brown in color. It will look very bubbly.
Add the chocolate mixture to the whisked eggs and sugar. Gently fold the chocolate in - this will take a few minutes. Then fold in the arrowroot starch, black sesame powder, and salt until totally combined. The batter will be thick.
Scrape batter into your prepared baking dish and use a spatula to smooth out the top.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ¼ cup of tahini with 2 Tbsp of agave. Drop spoonfuls of the tahini mixture onto the top of the brownie batter, creating 9 blobs - 3 across and 3 down (see photo). Use a chopstick (or wooden skewer) to drag and swirl the tahini into the top of the batter. Be careful not to over-swirl or you won't have the defined swirls.
Bake brownies at 325°F for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a bit of batter. You want to under-bake these a bit for maximum fudginess, but feel free to bake them a little longer if you like your brownies less fudgy.
Allow brownies to cool completely in the dish (I like to sit mine on top of a cooling rack). Run a butter knife along the edges without parchment paper, and then use the parchment paper overhang to pull the brownies up and out of the dish. Slice into 16 squares, wiping your knife between each slice for a cleaner look.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

The toasted black sesame powder adds to the delicious sesame flavor in these brownies, but you can replace the powder with ¼ cup of cocoa powder if need be. Your brownies will be more rich and taste less sweet.

Arrowroot starch can be replaced with corn starch.

Dutch-process cocoa can be replaced with natural cocoa powder since this recipe contains no leavening agents (baking soda, etc).

Grain-Free Orange Brownies (dairy-free!)

March 31, 2019 by Rachael Ng 24 Comments

Where are my fudgy brownie lovers at?! I love an ooey-gooey fudgy brownie! You know, the kind that you’re not quite sure are even done. There’s just something so good about warm, melt-in-your-mouth brownies.

These Orange Brownies are by far one of my favorite recipes. They’re made with low GI coconut sugar (and also a cup and a half of chocolate chips!), coconut oil, and arrowroot starch in place of any flour. So they’re gluten/grain-free and dairy-free. And seriously delicious! I adapted this recipe from Amanda at Running with Spoons, and it’s one of the best “healthier” brownie recipes!

For this recipe, you’ll use the double boiler method to melt the chocolate and oil together, whip up the sugar and eggs, and zest a few oranges. As long as you follow the recipe and instructions exactly as-is, then you’ll end up with ultra-fudgy, perfectly crinkle-topped brownies that rival any other traditional brownie. For real.

I baked this recipe up three times and found that it’s vital to use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate in order to get that beautiful, shiny top. I used chopped dark chocolate for one batch, and the brownies came out dull and smooth – not crinkly at all! So I suggest only using chocolate chips!

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is a low GI, unrefined sugar. This means that it places lower on the glycemic index scale than cane sugar, honey, and maple syrup, so it has less of an effect on blood sugar levels. It tastes nothing like coconut, and, in my opinion, tastes less sweet than regular white sugar.

Coconut oil is a great dairy-free alternative to butter (and it’s better for you!). These brownies are so rich I don’t taste the coconut, but if you prefer a dessert with no trace of coconut then I recommend making these with refined coconut oil.

Arrowroot starch is a gluten-free, corn-free starch that can work with any recipe that calls for corn starch. It lends to a softer, lighter texture in baked goods.

Instant coffee (as well as espresso powder) is great for adding to chocolate baked goods, because it enhances and intensifies the chocolate flavor. So your brownies will taste more chocolate-y!

Yield: 16 Brownies

Grain-Free Orange Brownies

Ultra-fudgy chocolate brownies flavored with freshly grated orange zest. These rich brownies are loaded with delicious chocolate and made with no dairy or grain!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
1 1/2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
2 tsp instant coffee granules
6 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 large eggs, room temp
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (2-3 medium oranges)
4 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray (I like to use olive oil spray) and parchment paper. Cut your parchment paper long enough that it hangs over the sides of your dish for easy brownie removal. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
In a heatproof bowl, add the chocolate chips, coconut oil, instant coffee, and cocoa powder. Place on top of a pot of simmering water (making sure it's not touching the water), stirring the mixture frequently until everything is melted. Set bowl aside to cool off.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add your eggs and coconut sugar. Set to medium speed and add in the vanilla extract. Whisk for 5-10 minutes or until mixture has thickened and is light brown in color.
Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Gently fold the ingredients together until totally combined - move slowly so you don't deflate the mixture. This will take a couple of minutes. Stir in the orange zest and then the arrowroot starch and salt.
Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the center looks set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a little batter. You want to under-bake these brownies a bit so that they stay fudgy.
Allow brownies to cool in the baking dish on top of a cooling rack (or dig in while they're warm!). Once cool, use the parchment paper to lift the whole dish of brownies up and onto the cooling rack. Slice into 16 squares, wiping the knife clean between each slice. For serving, use a fork or small spatula to gently lift each brownie onto a serving dish. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

For a richer chocolate flavor, you can use dutch-process cocoa powder instead of regular, natural cocoa powder

I only recommend using chocolate chips for this recipe as my test with chopped chocolate came out with a dull, smooth surface instead of a shiny, crinkly one

Chocolate Chip Muffins (dairy-free!)

March 26, 2019 by Rachael Ng 4 Comments

Sometimes you just need a simple and quick chocolate chip muffin. I mean, what’s better than biting into a fluffy, moist muffin loaded with melted chocolate chips?! Not a lot. That’s what.

And these muffins are all of that and more since they’re sweetened with low GI coconut sugar (which doesn’t taste like coconut!) and unsweetened applesauce! Coconut sugar acts a bit like brown sugar, which is why these muffins take on that delicious caramel-like color.

You can play around with this recipe, adding more or less chocolate, adding nuts, changing up the spices, or even making them vegan or gluten-free (see my notes below). Quick breads, like these muffins, are easy to manipulate, so have fun! And, as always, happy baking.

Yield: 9 Standard Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins

These chocolate chip muffins are ultra fluffy and loaded with chocolate! They're made free of dairy + sweetened with low GI coconut sugar and unsweetened applesauce.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 eggs, room temp
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 + 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with 9 liners or spray with olive oil. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut sugar. Add the applesauce, almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, mixing until ingredients are well combined; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until nearly combined. Add 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips, gently mixing until no flour pockets remain.
Divide the batter into the 9 prepared muffin wells, filling them nearly to the top, and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with a few crumbs.
Allow the baked muffins to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

I like using whole wheat pastry flour in my muffins as it lends to a fluffy, moist muffin. All-purpose flour will work just fine, or you could even use a mix of 1/2 regular whole wheat + 1/2 all-purpose

For Vegan: replace the two eggs with two flax eggs. Mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp water. Allow to thicken for around 5 minutes.

For Gluten-Free: replace the flour and baking powder + baking soda with the following...

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp white rice flour

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp GF oat flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Gluten-Free Healthier Banana Nut Bread

March 7, 2019 by Rachael Ng 1 Comment

Ever since my GF Zucchini Choc Chip Muffins, I have been shook at how simple it can be to create a delicious and moist quick bread with the texture of a regular glutenous bread. I’m sure we’ve all had at least one bad experience with a gluten-free muffin or cookie that just didn’t live up to our expectations. Well, this bread. This bread! It’s good. It’s moist. It tastes just like the real deal. And it’s better for you than other sugar loaded banana breads!

I took my favorite Healthier Banana Nut Bread and simply swapped out the flour for my own GF flour/starch blend! Once you have all of your ingredients compiled, this recipe is so easy! I like to bake this bread at a lower temperature for a tad longer just to make sure it comes out nice and moist – as I think a banana bread should be. Feel free to omit the walnuts and add in your favorite mix-ins – white or dark chocolate chips, blueberries, poppy seeds, etc. And as always, happy baking!

Gluten-Free Healthier Banana Nut Bread
Makes one 9×5” loaf

1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs*, room temp
3 ripe bananas (~1 1/3 cup mashed banana)
1/2 cup almond milk, room temp
3 Tbsp applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup oat flour
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup almond flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour/starch
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.) Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spray a loaf pan with olive oil and then line with parchment paper, making sure you a couple of parchment “tabs” overhanging the sides to make for easy removal of your baked loaf. It’s very important to make sure all four sides of your pan are lined with parchment (and not just non-stick spray) as the almond flour will cause the loaf to stick. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.

2.) In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and honey. Whisk in the eggs and then the mashed banana, almond milk, applesauce, and vanilla until totally combined; set aside.

3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, tapioca flour/starch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the liquid ingredients and gently mix until nearly combined. Add in the chopped walnuts, mixing gently until no flour pockets remain. Feel free to get creative with your mix-ins (add chocolate chips, poppy seeds, or other fruit!).

4.) Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake at 300°F for 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out with crumbs. The lower temp + longer cook time yields a moist banana bread.

5.) Allow your baked loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently using the parchment paper to lift it up and onto a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life.

*you can use 2 flax eggs if vegan: 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water, mix and allow to thicken for a couple of minutes

Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins (dairy-free)

February 22, 2019 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

I’m so excited to bring you guys these Gluten-Free Muffins! Some of you have been asking for GF recipes, and I’m happy to report that these muffins are also dairy-free, can easily be made vegan, and they taste like regular, glutenous muffins! Yes!! While researching how to come up with my own GF flour mix, I stumbled upon this super helpful formula by The Heritage Cook – check it out if you’re interested in coming up with your own mix!

These muffins are a super moist (thank you, zucchini!), better-for-you muffin that I think you’ll love. Once you have all of your ingredients ready, they’re super easy to get together. As noted in the recipe below, I recommend using paper muffin liners, along with non-stick spray. These muffins will stick to your pan without a liner (thank you, almond flour), and they may even stick to your liners – I found that spraying the inside of the liners with olive oil remedied this. Happy baking!

Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 9 regular muffins

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp white rice flour
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp GF oat flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
2 large eggs, room temp (or two flax eggs* if vegan)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini (about 1 1/2 medium zucchinis)
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips + more to top each muffin

1.) Preheat your oven to 300°F and line your muffin pan with liners. Then, spray the liners with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray). I don’t recommend making these muffins without liners, as baked goods made with almond flour tend to stick. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.

3.) Shred your zucchini until you have 1 1/2 cups. Then place the zucchini shreds on a paper towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out and discard the excess juice. Add zucchini shreds to your wet ingredients, breaking up the clumps and mixing in.

4.) Pour wet ingredients into dry and gently mix until no flour pockets remain. Mix in the chocolate chips. Fill the muffin wells all the way to the top (I distributed my batter between 9 muffin wells). Top each muffin with extra chocolate chips.

5.) Bake at 300°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with a few crumbs. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove each muffin and enjoy warm or allow to cool on the cooling rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!

*two flax eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water. Allow “eggs” to thicken for a few minutes before adding to your mix

Gluten-free

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