coconut oil

Name: Vegan Olive Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12 cookies
Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients: 3 Tbsp coconut oil, liquid (*measured as a liquid); 6 Tbsp olive oil or light olive oil; 1/2 cup coconut sugar; 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp lukewarm water); 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 3/4 tsp baking soda; 2 tsp arrowroot starch (or corn starch); 1/4 tsp salt; 3/4 cup dairy-free chopped chocolate chunks or chocolate chips; Maldon salt to sprinkle

Vegan Olive Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies

May 25, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

A delicious, plant-based cookie loaded with dark chocolate chunks? I’m so in. These cookies are undetectably vegan, which means they’re good. It took me a few attempts to nail a vegan cookie that is thick, soft, and delicious. I found vegan butter to lend too much of a flavor I wasn’t fond of, and a cookie with all coconut oil was a little crispier than I wanted. But with a mix of olive oil and a bit of coconut oil, the texture of these cookies is perfect!

This recipe calls for two kinds of sugar to make them a little on the healthier side (as coconut sugar is less likely to spike your blood sugar as high as white sugar, honey, or maple syrup). I added a bit of brown sugar to add moisture and flavor to these cookies. The molasses in the brown sugar adds so much to these cookies!

The dough requires no refrigeration (hello, quick cookies!!), but I found that it was best to let the dough balls rest for a few minutes after hand rolling them. This allowed the coconut oil (which melts in our hands) to re-solidify a bit before baking, creating a more even bake amongst all the cookies. But if you’re using a cookie scoop instead of the scoop and roll method, you can bake these babies right away! Just preheat your oven at the start of your mixing.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is my favorite, go-to sweetener. It’s unrefined and low glycemic index. It tastes nothing like coconut and makes for a great 1:1 substitute for white sugar.

Brown sugar brings moisture (through the molasses) and flavor to these cookies. I highly recommend using light or dark brown sugar. Brown sugar has more molasses, which means more moisture.

Flaxseed meal mixed with water creates a great egg substitute.

Olive oil adds moisture and softness to these cookies. For a lighter taste, feel free to use light olive oil.

Coconut oil adds moisture and a bit of crunch to the outside of the baked cookies. Since there is so little in this recipe, the taste is unnoticeable, but you can use refined coconut oil to make sure there is absolutely no coconut taste.

Arrowroot starch adds to the chew factor in these cookies. Feel free to use corn starch instead.

Yield: 12 cookies

Vegan Olive Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Classic Chocolate Chunk Cookies made vegan using a blend of olive and coconut oil and flaxseed meal. Delicious and packed with lots of chocolate, these cookies will please both vegans and non vegans alike!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

3 Tbsp coconut oil, liquid (*measured as a liquid)
6 Tbsp olive oil or light olive oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp lukewarm water)
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp arrowroot starch (or corn starch)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup dairy-free chopped chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Maldon salt to sprinkle

Instructions

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare your flax egg using lukewarm water and allow to thicken for around 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the liquid coconut oil and olive oil. Whisk in the coconut sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Finally, whisk in the flax egg until all ingredients are totally combined - it may take a minute for the oil and water to mix together; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, arrowroot starch, and salt. Add in the liquid ingredients and use a large wooden spoon or spatula to mix until nearly combined. Add 1/2 cup of the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and mix. The dough will be oily, so it's normal for the chocolate to fall away from the dough.
Scoop dough balls 2 Tbsp in size. Press and roll each dough ball smooth, placing pieces of extra chocolate into the tops of each one and reshaping as necessary. Place all of the dough balls onto one parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to rest at room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350°F. This gives the coconut oil a chance to solidify a bit (evenly) across all dough balls.
Bake dough balls 6 at a time at 350°F for 7 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake them! Remove from the oven, sprinkle with sea salt flakes, and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Let your baking sheet cool to room temperature before baking another batch.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

If you prefer to use only a cookie scoop instead of the scoop and roll method, your cookie dough balls won't need to rest as long. Feel free to bake them right away!

Grain-Free Caramel Turtle Brownies (dairy-free!)

May 25, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Before I set out to make this recipe, I debated back and forth whether I wanted the caramel baked into the brownies or slathered on afterwards. But I’m such a sucker for that crackly brownie top that I couldn’t bear covering it up! So I baked the the caramel right into the brownies by spooning it between two layers of batter. And OMG I made the right choice! These brownies are ooey gooey at room temperature and, when refrigerated, taste just like fudge.

The caramel I use for this recipe is called a dry caramel, because it starts out in the saucepan with just sugar. I used an easy chewy caramel recipe from Cupcake Jemma (the second caramel in the video), swapping out a couple of ingredients to make it vegan. This caramel tastes amazing, whips up pretty quickly, and since you’ll be baking it into the brownies, I’d say it’s pretty stress-free.

The brownie recipe itself is pretty standard – feel free to mix more walnuts or pecans right into the batter for even more nutty goodness. You’ll pour half of your batter into a prepared baking dish, spoon caramel over the batter, and then top the caramel with the remaining brownie batter. Easy! Top the brownies with nuts, extra chocolate bits, or even salt.

A few of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut cream mimics the heavy cream that’s standard for a caramel recipe. You won’t taste it at all in this vegan caramel. It’s the perfect plant-based substitute!

Cane sugar (I used unrefined) gives the caramel that classic flavor. I’ve made caramel with coconut sugar, but the flavor is very different. I recommend using cane sugar for this recipe.

Coconut sugar helps sweeten the brownie batter. It’s my go-to sweetener for baked goods since it’s unrefined and low glycemic index.

Dutch process cocoa adds a richer chocolate flavor. And these brownies are rich. Since there are no leavening agents in this recipe, feel free to use regular cocoa powder instead.

Instant coffee helps deepen the chocolate flavor, lending to the brownies richness. This ingredient is totally optional, but I like to add it in.

Eggs help give these brownies lift and create that tried and true brownie texture.

Arrowroot starch replaces flour/grain in this recipe and helps keep these brownies moist and fudgy.

Yield: 12 brownies

Grain-Free Caramel Turtle Brownies

Decadent, fudge-like brownies filled with a layer of gooey vegan caramel, all topped with chopped walnuts (or pecans!) for a "turtle" candy taste.

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Caramel Filling

1 1/2 cups sugar (I used Zulka unrefined cane sugar)
200mil canned coconut cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 Tbsp vegan butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

Brownies

1 1/2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
2 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
6 Tbsp dutch-process cocoa (natural cocoa works, too)
3 large eggs, room temp
1 cup coconut sugar
4 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot starch (or corn starch)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions

Prepare your caramel: measure out all of your ingredients. Then, in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add your sugar and turn the heat to medium. Push the sugar around with a wooden spoon until all the sugar is melted and turns to a nice amber color.
Remove melted sugar from the heat and gradually stir in the coconut cream - your mixture will bubble up, so be careful! Stir in the vegan butter until melted. Move saucepan back to the heat and bring mixture to a boil. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature. Boil just until mixture reaches 240°F (or 245°F for a firmer caramel filling). Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl.
Prepare your brownies: preheat your oven to 325°F and prepare an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray. Then, line the bottom + all four sides with parchment paper. I like to cut two long, strips that criss-cross along the bottom, and then I fold the excess paper over the sides to help me pull the brownies out later. Also, bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for ~10 minutes.
In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave in spurts of 20 seconds, stirring well between each one, until chocolate is totally melted. Whisk in the instant coffee granules and cocoa powder; set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and coconut sugar. Whisk on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, fluffy, and light in color. When you lift your whisk, the batter "ribbons" should take 2-3 seconds to disappear.
Fold the chocolate mixture into the whisked eggs + sugar - it may take a minute for them to combine. Add in the arrowroot starch and salt and gently mix until totally combined. If you have mix-ins (nuts, chocolate, etc), add them now.
Pour half of the batter into your prepared baking dish. Then spoon some of the thickened caramel over the batter, leaving ~1/2" at the edges (I used about 3/4 cup and had leftover caramel). Cover caramel with the remaining batter. Smooth out the top with a spatula and sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans.
Bake at 325°F for 25-35 minutes or until brownies no longer jiggle. You can also use a toothpick to check for doneness. For optimal fudginess, you want a bit of batter on the toothpick.
Allow brownies to cool totally at room temperature. For a firmer caramel, refrigerate the brownies and slice just before serving (they will taste extra fudgy when cold!). For a more melty caramel (like what's picture below), you can slice up your brownies in the pan as soon as they're cool. Store leftovers at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Notes

You can use either dutch-process (like Hershey's Special Dark) or natural cocoa powder.

The caramel recipe can be halved if you wish to avoid having leftover caramel!

Caramel recipe loosely adapted from Cupcake Jemma

Vegan Chocolate Flax Cookies

April 12, 2019 by Rachael Ng 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

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

1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water)
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (measure solid and then melt)
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup flaxseed meal
3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Instructions

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.
In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flaxseed meal until totally combined.
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.
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.
Prepare a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer dough balls to room temperature baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 6 minutes.
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!

Chocolate Chip Muffins (dairy-free!)

March 26, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

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

Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars

February 14, 2019 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

The last time I made something this fruit heavy was probably last fall (I’m basically on a permanent chocolate and cookie kick). But we love berries at our house. And blueberries have been on sale, which means we’ve been hoarding an abundance of them in our fridge. This also means that sometimes we don’t get to them in time before one of the little suckers starts growing mold. If I’m going to rush to eat a whole carton of blueberries, I want to put them in these Blueberry Crumble Bars.

These bars are seriously simple and will look like you spent more time on them than you will. You whip up an easy dough that will be the base and topping for these bars. Then you’ll toss your blueberries in a few things, put it all together and throw it in the oven! I promise it really is that simple. And they’re vegan and can easily be made gluten-free! In fact, my first recipe test for these was with an all-purpose GF flour blend. Still totally delicious. The base of these bars is sweet and chewy and the blueberry lime filling is perfectly tart. The crumble adds a bit of texture and really rounds it all out. I love these so much I actually ate three of them the day I baked them (it’s fine. they’re small)! I hope you love them, too – happy baking!

Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars
Makes 16 bars

Crust + Topping
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend)
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
Pinch of salt
Blueberry Filling
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice*
Zest from 1 lime* (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour (or 3/4 Tbsp corn starch)

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8″ baking dish with olive oil – or other non-stick spray. Line sprayed dish with parchment paper, being sure to leave “handles” hanging over two of the edges.

2.) In a small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a large wooden spoon or spatula until just combined (mixture will be crumbly).

3.) Set aside 3/4 cup of the crumbly dough (for your topping). Firmly press the rest of the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking dish; set aside.

4.) Rinse your fresh blueberries and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and tapioca starch until no longer lumpy. Add the blueberries and mix until fruit is well coated.

5.) Add the blueberry mixture to your baking dish, spreading the fruit in an even layer. Be sure to scrape any extra liquid into the dish. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup of crumbly dough over the blueberries.

6.) Bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes or until fruit is bubbling. Allow your bars to cool completely before removing from the dish (using the parchment paper handles) to cut into squares. I cut mine four across and four down, which yields 16 bars. Store the bars in a sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Bars can be frozen ahead of time and then thawed in the refrigerator – be sure to pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes to re-heat and serve fresh! Enjoy!

*lemon will work just fine. I personally love the slight lime flavor that the zest adds to these!

coconut oil

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