Sugared & Stirred

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No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars (V + GF)

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Clearly I’m still on a chocolate + peanut butter kick. I. Can’t. Get. Enough. I’d like to blame the baby in my belly, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t jump at the opportunity to enjoy a chocolate PB treat?! And these No-Bake Chocolate PB Oat Bars? They’re the perfect mix of chocolate and peanut butter, and they’ve got a delicious texture thanks to the uncooked oats. They’re fairly low in sugar (compared to other similar bars) and packed with a bit of protein to boot.

This recipe comes together a bit like a no-bake cookie, but you won’t need to boil the chocolate mixture. Once you have all of your ingredients on hand, everything comes together pretty quickly – and easily – and the hardest part is waiting for them to set up in the fridge! I like to use natural peanut butter for these bars as it’s got no added sugar or oils, and it’s just so tasty!

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is a low GI, unrefined sugar (that doesn’t taste like coconut!). It sweetens up these bars while also acting as a binder for the chocolate oat layer.

Natural peanut butter is nothing but ground up peanuts (and sometimes a little salt). No added oils or sugars.

Dutch process cocoa powder lends a deeper chocolate flavor and darker color to these bars.

Arrowroot starch helps thicken the chocolate mixture so it will set up in the refrigerator.

Yield: 16 bars

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars (V + GF)

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars (V + GF)

An easy, no-bake bar made with lots of natural peanut butter, chocolate, and oats. Vegan and gluten-free, these delicious bars are perfect for many special diets.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Bars

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil or vegan butter
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp salt*
  • 1/4 cup dutch process cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats

Chocolate + PB Topping

  • 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 2-3 Tbsp natural peanut butter (to drizzle)

Instructions

  1. Prepare an 8x8" baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray (like olive oil) and lining with parchment paper, leaving excess paper hanging over two of the sides.
  2. In a medium saucepan, add the coconut sugar, coconut oil or vegan butter, peanut butter, and salt. Heat over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the cocoa powder and arrowroot starch. Continue heating until mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the oats. Firmly press mixture into the prepared baking dish. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil until smooth. Remove bars from the refrigerator (they'll still be warm) and pour melted chocolate over the bars. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly over the bars. Gently shake/tap your baking dish to smooth out the chocolate layer. Refrigerate bars until firm.
  4. Melt the 2-3 Tbsp of peanut butter. Use a spoon to drizzle over bars. Return bars to the refrigerator (optional) to allow peanut butter to set a bit.
  5. Allow bars to thaw at room temperature for 10-20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges without parchment paper, and then use the excess parchment paper to lift the bars up and out of your baking dish. Carefully slice into 16 squares, wiping your knife clean between each cut.
  6. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let them thaw at room temp for a few minutes before enjoying!

Notes

*1/8 tsp if your PB is salted; 1/4 tsp if it's unsalted

You can use regular cocoa powder in place of the dutch process cocoa powder; the bars just won't be as deep in flavor/color

Corn starch or tapioca starch can be used in place of the arrowroot starch since you only need it to thicken the chocolate mixture

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 296 Total Fat: 21g Saturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 2mg Sodium: 143mg Carbohydrates: 24g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 12g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 8g
calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: Dessert / Category: Bars

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Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies (dairy-free)

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Ah, the classic peanut butter + chocolate combo. Seriously irresistible, and if I can find a dessert that curbs my seasonal yearning for a Reese’s egg (or pumpkin) then I’m so down. These cookies are a soft-baked chocolate cookie with just enough natural peanut butter on the inside to satisfy that PB chocolate craving. I’ve been re-heating these bad boys all weekend for a quick, sweet snack, and they are everything.

These cookies do take a while to get going since the dough, which is made with vegetable oil, needs to be refrigerated, but I promise that they’re totally worth it! For the filling, I used nothing but natural peanut butter. No powdered sugar. No thickeners. Just delicious peanut butter! Since natural peanut butter is runny, I recommend refrigerating it (if it’s not already) before scooping balls to freeze for the cookie filling. For a little extra pretty, I rolled the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar, but you can skip that step and eat them as is or drizzle the cooled cookies with a bit of extra peanut butter.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is an unrefined sugar that’s low GI (which means it won’t spike your blood sugar the way white sugar or honey does). And it tastes nothing like coconut!

Eggs bring moisture to these cookies, and the extra egg yolk is essential for maximum moistness.

Natural peanut butter is the kind made with just peanuts. It’s better for us and won’t add additional sugar to these cookies.

Yield: 13 Cookies

Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

Soft and chewy dairy-free chocolate cookies filled with nothing but delicious, natural peanut butter!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup extra light olive oil
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2-4 Tbsp white granulated sugar for rolling (optional)

Filling

  • 1/3 cup natural peanut butter, salted or unsalted, refrigerated

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine the coconut sugar, oil, egg + egg yolk, and vanilla extract; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until totally combined. Add the wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms. The dough may seem dry at first, but it will come together to a sticky dough. Cover and refrigerate dough for 3 hours.
  3. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet - or large plate - with parchment paper. Scoop out 1 tsp size balls of peanut butter (your natural PB must be refrigerated for this to work). This will be messy, but do your best to get 13 "balls" of PB. Freeze the PB balls while the dough is refrigerating.
  4. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a room temperature baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1 1/2 heaping Tbsps of dough. I like to do 6 at at time, placing the leftover dough back in the refrigerator. Flatten each dough ball into a disc shape - if your dough is very sticky at this point, I recommend putting the discs in the freezer for 5 minutes. Place a PB ball in the middle of each dough disc and then pull the edges up and around the PB balls, rolling neat dough balls as you go along. Finally, roll each dough ball in granulated sugar and place on prepared baking sheet, slightly flattening each dough ball and re-shaping into neat circles as necessary.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet before gently moving to a cooling rack. Continue until all cookies are baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. For maximum goodness, I recommend reheating leftover cookies right before eating!

Notes

Eggs can be brought to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes

Any kind of vegetable oil will work in this recipe, though I do recommend something with a mild taste, like avocado oil or extra light olive oil.

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

13

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225 Total Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 43mg Sodium: 172mg Carbohydrates: 30g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 19g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 4g
calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: Dessert / Category: Cookies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other chocolate cookie recipes you might like:

Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies (DF)
Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Cookies (DF)
Vegan Chocolate Flax Cookies

Vegan Chocolate Flax Cookies

by 1 Comment

This is a recipe I created around the time I first started recipe testing. Back then, I would try to come up with new recipes off the top of my head. And with that came a lot of trial and error. Baking cookies with coconut oil was super tricky for me at first. Sometimes the cookies would spread way too much, get too crispy at the edges, or even not spread enough!

These cookies have such a lovely flavor and texture. I’d actually forgotten just how good they are. The best part? They’re vegan and packed with good-for-you flaxseed meal! And they’re delicious. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies with lots of chocolate flavor and the tiniest bit of crunch thanks to the flaxseed meal.

I love these cookies, and I enjoyed re-baking them after so long. But you must follow the ingredients and method precisely. You’ll want to measure your coconut oil as a solid and then melt it. If it’s already melted, then pour it into your liquid measuring cup until you have a bit more than 1/3 cup (I know. I know.). 

As for the refrigeration, it is mandatory. If your dough is too greasy to handle after it’s first mixed (this has to do with the temperature in your home affecting the coconut oil) pop your scooped dough balls into the refrigerator for 10 minutes before rolling them smooth. Then (no matter what) you must refrigerate your dough balls for 20 minutes prior to baking. Don’t worry, this is all outlined below.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Flaxseed meal (along with water) makes for a wonderful egg replacement. It’s the only vegan egg replacer that I use when baking. Flax seeds are also high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

Coconut sugar is my go-to low Glycemic Index sweetener. It’s less likely to spike your blood sugar as intensely as cane sugar, honey, or maple syrup.

Coconut oil is a great butter substitute when it comes to cookies. For this recipe, we melt it first to make sure our cookies are tender and soft. If you don’t like the taste of coconut (or just prefer your treats without the flavor) you can use refined coconut oil which has no flavor.

Cocoa powder helps give these cookies that rich double-chocolate flavor. You’ll want to use the natural, regular cocoa powder, or even cacao powder, for this recipe.

Baking powder helps these cookies keep their shape. Be sure to use powder instead of soda.

Yield: 12 cookies

Vegan Chocolate Flax Cookies

Vegan Chocolate Flax Cookies

Rich and chocolate-y cookies made vegan with high fiber, good-for-you flaxseed meal! These cookies taste so good, no one will be able to tell they're better for you than the average cookie!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Make your flax egg by combining 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp water; set aside to thicken. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flaxseed meal until totally combined.
  3. Stir flax egg into wet ingredients and add wet ingredients to dry. Use a wooden spoon or large spatula to mix the ingredients together. Add 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and mix.
  4. Scoop dough balls 1.5 Tbsp in size onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Roll dough balls smooth and press extra chocolate chips into the tops. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F.
  5. Prepare a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer dough balls to room temperature baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 6 minutes.
  6. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Move to a cooling rack. Store leftover in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • refrigerating the dough balls is super important for proper shape! Don't skip this step!

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212 Total Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 16mg Sodium: 130mg Carbohydrates: 26g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 17g Protein: 3g
calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate
© Rachael Ng | Sugared & Stirred
Category: Cookies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other recipes you may like:

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts
Vegan Tahini No-Bake Cookies
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Crinkle Cookies

Grain-Free Orange Brownies (dairy-free!)

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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

Grain-Free Orange 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 brownie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 210 Total Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 35mg Sodium: 89mg Carbohydrates: 24g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 21g Protein: 2g
calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate
© Rachael Ng | Sugared & Stirred
Category: Brownies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other recipes you may like:

Grain-Free Almond Butter Brownies
Dairy-Free Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies
Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Recipe adapted from Running with Spoons

Chocolate Carrot Turmeric Protein Muffins (dairy-free!)

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I came up with these Protein Muffins on a whim last week when my husband was talking about needing a snack at work. We love a good muffin, and what’s better than a low sugar, protein veggie muffin? Yep. These muffins have a lot going on. Carrots, turmeric, protein powder, chocolate – the works. And my husband loved them! These muffins are fluffy, super moist (never gonna be sorry for that adjective) and as easy as an other muffin!

If you don’t have access to a Turmeric Protein Powder, don’t fret. You can use whatever protein powder you have on hand (vanilla, chocolate, or unflavored would be best) + one or two teaspoons of turmeric. I chose to use half Stevia in the Raw (not sponsored) and half coconut sugar for better flavor. Feel free to replace the coconut sugar with more Stevia for an even lower sugar option. And the chocolate chips are optional! I sprinkled a few over each muffin pre-bake for a bit of sweetness. You could add more to your batter or leave them off totally. Happy baking!

Chocolate Carrot Turmeric Protein Muffins
Makes 9 regular muffins

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup Turmeric Protein Powder*
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup Stevia in the Raw
1/4 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
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot (about 3 large carrots)
~1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your muffin pan with paper liners or spray with olive oil (or other non-stick spray). Bring your two eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.

2.) In a large bowl, sift the flours, protein powder, and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until everything is well combined; set aside.

3.) In a medium bowl, mix together the stevia, coconut sugar, and melted coconut oil. Add in the almond milk, eggs, and vanilla, whisking until everything is combined. Grate your carrot and squeeze out and discard of (or keep!) the juice. Stir in the shredded carrot, breaking up any chunks.

4.) Fold wet ingredients into dry until no flour pockets remain. Fill muffin wells nearly to the top. If desired, sprinkle chocolate chips on top of unbaked muffins.

5.) Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean/with a few crumbs. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Reheat to enjoy!

*you can also use 1/2 cup vanilla or plain protein powder + 1-2 tsp turmeric