coconut sugar

Name: Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup tahini; 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or lightly packed brown sugar); 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup oat flour; 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp fine sea salt; 3/4 cup finely grated zucchini (excess juice squeezed out after measuring); 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips; 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional - see notes below)

Chewy Black Sesame Olive Oil Cookies (dairy-free!)

January 10, 2019 by Rachael Ng 10 Comments

Okay, so I’ve been meaning to create some kind of sesame cookie for the longest time. I mean, who can resist all the cute, sesame-covered cookies on Instagram? I can’t. They’re beautiful, I love sesame, and I love cookies. When I set out to create my own black sesame cookie, I quickly ditched the idea of rolling my dough balls in sesame seeds. It was just too much for me. Instead, I whipped up a quick black sesame powder by toasting and then blending my black sesame seeds. And OMG. The powder is amazing. I added it to the dough and then sprinkled the dough balls with sesame seeds, and these cookies are the perfect, chewy black sesame cookie. Like, three days later these cookies are still chewy and delicious.

I added olive oil to this dough, because I really wanted these cookies to be chewy. And I love olive oil. I like the taste, and we use it for everything at our house. But if you’re only here for the black sesame, that’s cool, too. You can use any kind of neutral, vegetable in these cookies. I don’t recommend any other replacements as I haven’t tried them, and cookies in general are usually pretty finicky. You’ll definitely need to chill your dough, and even then, the dough will be quite sticky and wet when you go to make your dough balls. With this recipe, the final, cooled cookie will look totally different than what you pull out of the oven, so keep that in mind (and don’t worry when you pull puffy cookies out of the oven) and happy baking!

Chewy Black Sesame Olive Oil Cookies (dairy-free!)
Makes 12 cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup black sesame seed powder*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp black sesame seeds to sprinkle (optional)

1.) Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.

2.) Meanwhile, make your black sesame seed powder by toasting at least 1/2 cup of black sesame seeds in a dry pan set on medium heat. Stir sesame seeds frequently until the nutty aroma fills the air and the pan begins to smoke a bit. This step took me between 5 and 8 minutes, and it was very obvious when the seeds began to release their aroma. Next, you’ll blend the toasted seeds in a blender or food processor until you have fine crumbs.

3.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, black sesame powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4.) In a large bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and olive oil. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until totally combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry and use a large spatula or spoon to gently mix the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

5.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1.5 Tbsp balls of dough, 6 at a time, onto a small plate or cutting board. Your dough will be very soft, so you’ll want to put the rest back in the refrigerator. Roll each dough ball smooth and place on your baking sheet, using your fingers to gently shape the dough into a neat ball. The dough balls will begin to spread and flatten a bit while you’re working – this is normal. Sprinkle the tops with whole black sesame seeds (toasted or untoasted).

6.) Bake the cookies at 350°F for 5-7 minutes or until cookies are puffy and the centers no longer look wet. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. After the first minute, you can use your fingers to gently push the edges of each cookie into a neater circle, if desired (I did this). Transfer to a cooling rack. Your cookies will deflate and soften up the longer they sit. I actually found them to be softer the next day! Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!

*I highly recommend making your own – it’s super easy! Plus, there may be a difference in moisture content in homemade vs store bought black sesame powder.

Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 2, 2019 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

Delicious, soft-baked Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Cookies stuffed with loads of chocolate chips, undetectable zucchini shreds, and warm, nutty tahini. Topped with toasted sesame seeds, these cookies are a unique, dairy-free & oil-free twist on the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies we all know and love!

Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you ever had zucchini in a cookie? I seriously considered eating these for breakfast, because, ya now, oatmeal + zucchini = breakfast, right? Consider these the better-for-you, not-so-traditional version of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! I wanted to use tahini in these because I love the nutty taste, and I really liked the idea of creating a cookie that’s free of both dairy and oil.

These cookies are so easy (and quick!) to get together – shredding your zucchini will be the “hardest” part! I like to use coconut sugar when I can since it’s a low GI sweetener (maple syrup and honey are not). You can really play with this recipe, adding and subtracting whatever add-ins you like: add nuts or seeds, leave out some of the chocolate chips, add dried fruit, etc!

Yield: 24 Cookies

Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Delicious, soft-baked cookies stuffed with undetectable zucchini shreds, loads of chocolate chips, and warm, nutty tahini. Topped with toasted sesame seeds, these cookies are a unique, dairy-free & oil-free twist on the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies we all know and love!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1/2 cup tahini
3/4 cup coconut sugar (or lightly packed brown sugar)
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup finely grated zucchini (excess juice squeezed out after measuring)
3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional - see notes below)

Instructions

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. Meanwhile, finely shred the zucchini until you have 3/4 cup. Place the shreds on a paper towel and squeeze out + discard the excess liquid.
In a large bowl, mix together the tahini, coconut sugar, egg + egg yolk, and vanilla extract until totally combined; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Gently mix in the shredded zucchini and 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips (the remaining 1/2 cup is for topping the dough balls).
Scoop 1.5 Tbsp dough balls onto your prepared baking sheet - 8 per batch - and top each dough ball with chocolate chips, pressing the chips in slightly (it's okay if the dough balls flatten a bit). Bake at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until the cookies no longer look wet. Be careful not to over-bake these!
Immediately top the baked cookies with toasted sesame seeds. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on your baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat until all cookies are baked.
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will soften as they sit.

Notes

These cookies will be softer the next day, after they've been stored in an airtight container
To toast sesame seeds: add 1-4 Tbsp of sesame seeds to a dry pan on medium heat. Stir constantly until seeds begin to turn darker in color and a nutty aroma fills the air - they will burn easily if left to sit on the heat for too long. Once toasted, immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 253Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 168mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 3gSugar: 18gProtein: 6g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

Did you make this recipe?

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Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins (DF + vegan option)

November 15, 2018 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

So I’ve been meaning to make a pumpkin quick bread for quite a while now, but then Halloween came and went and I was afraid everybody would be over pumpkin. Well, turns out, people are still totally into pumpkin leading up to Thanksgiving, too! Unlike gingerbread or peppermint, pumpkin basically has two holidays. Good news for me – and you 😉

When Nathan started talking about a coffee pumpkin bread that he used to bake (complete with tons of sugar + milk-filled butterscotch chips) I knew I wanted to tackle a recipe for dairy-free, healthier Pumpkin Coffee Muffins. I decided to add chocolate chips – no one is surprised – because there’s nothing better than biting into a warm, freshly baked muffin loaded with melted chocolate! I’ve been craving that exact bite for over a week, and these muffins did not disappoint. We all love them, including my toddler who couldn’t get enough. I just might be adding these to the Thanksgiving playlist.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Pumpkin puree bulks these muffins up and gives them a delightful pumpkin taste.

Instant coffee makes for a quick coffee addition to these muffins. They dissolve, well, instantly, and the flavor pairs well with the familiar fall spices.

Whole wheat pastry flour is my go-to quick bread flour (think muffins, banana bread loaves, etc). It creates an irresistibly fluffier, softer texture than regular, all-purpose flour. You may have to check your local “healthier” grocer to find my favorite version.

Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI alternative to white sugar. It doesn’t taste like coconut, and it gives these muffins the perfect sweetness!

Coconut oil adds moisture to these muffins!

Yield: 9 Regular Muffins

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins

Delicious and moist spiced pumpkin muffins with a touch of coffee and loads of chocolate chips! A warm and cozy treat perfect for Fall!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup plant-based milk, room temp
2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquid
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs if vegan)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Notes

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare your muffin pan by spraying with non-stick spray or lining with paper liners. 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 the almond milk and instant coffee until granules have dissolved. Whisk in the coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and eggs until totally combined. Whisk in the pumpkin until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Add the pumpkin coffee mixture and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide your batter into nine regular muffin wells, filling each well nearly to the top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, pressing the chips slightly into the batter. Bake at 350°F for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean - be careful not to over bake as you'll have to prick around the melty chocolate chips.

5. Allow your muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts

November 7, 2018 by Rachael Ng 16 Comments

It’s our first week in our new apartment, and I really wanted my first bake to be something with a chocolate icing. I melted dark chocolate and added that to a super simple mix of confectioner’s sugar and almond milk and OMG. It came out so good. And then I dipped my Chocolate Banana Donuts in it and I literally ate three. Yeah, that happened. These donuts are freaking good. I made Nathan take them to work, because I knew I’d end up eating all 12.

The batter is easy to whip together – it’s basically a quick bread batter that I piped into a donut pan. If you don’t have a donut pan yet, then you should definitely get one. They’re relatively inexpensive, especially if you buy one from a favorite craft store that regularly has 40% off coupons…

For this baked donut recipe, you’ll use a piping bag or large Ziploc bag to simply pipe the batter into the pan – that’s it! I promise it’s easy. And the icing? Just three basic ingredients, warmed up over a double boiler to make sure it sets. If you don’t warm your icing, there’s a good chance it will soak into the donuts (trust me). If you have any questions, leave them below. Happy baking!

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts
Makes 12 regular donuts

Donuts
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey if non-vegan)
1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp neutral oil*
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour (all-purpose will work, too)
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Icing
1 cup confectioner’s/powdered sugar
~2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
.7oz (20g) vegan dark chocolate

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a donut pan with olive oil. In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, honey, yogurt, almond milk, flax eggs, vanilla, oil, and mashed banana; set aside.

2.) In a large bowl, sift together the flours and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until no flour pockets remain.

3.) Fill a pastry bag or large Ziploc bag with the batter (I started out with half). Pipe the batter into your greased donut pan, filling to the top. Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a donut comes out with crumbs. Allow donuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack – they should pop right out when you turn the pan over and shake a bit. Let donuts cool completely.

4.) To melt the dark chocolate, bring about an inch of water to simmer in a medium saucepan. Place your chocolate in a heatproof bowl that will rest on top of your saucepan, being sure it doesn’t touch the water. Let your chocolate melt, stirring constantly. Remove your bowl from the heat and set your chocolate aside.

5.) In another heatproof bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and almond milk until combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix until totally combined. Heat your icing over the simmering water (the same way you did the chocolate) until just warm to the touch; remove from heat. Dip the tops of your donuts in the icing and then set them to rest on a cooling rack. Be sure to work quickly as the icing will begin to set fast. Enjoy your iced donuts!

*an oil with a light taste, such as avocado, grapeseed, or light olive oil. I don’t recommend coconut oil, as the cold ingredients (milk and yogurt) will cause the melted oil to solidify

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

August 17, 2018 by Rachael Ng 5 Comments

These soft-baked Peanut Butter Cookie Bars are loaded with chocolate chips and just the right amount of deliciously nutty peanut butter! Say “Goodbye!” to peanut butter cookies that leave your mouth dry, because these irresistibly moist cookie bars will keep you coming back for more!

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I think we can all agree that peanut butter and chocolate are one of the world’s best dessert combinations. I know I personally can’t resist a good peanut butter cookie, especially when there are chocolate chips involved! These cookie bars are quick to put together, and even easier than a traditional peanut butter cookie – no scooping or rolling!

The best part? These bars won’t leave your mouth begging for a glass of milk. They’re chewy, soft, and moist. And the extra chocolate chips and sprinkling of flakey sea salt compliment the nutty, sweet spelt flour and peanut butter.

What is spelt flour?

Spelt flour is an ancient grain related to wheat (kinda cool, right?). It’s easier to digest than traditional wheat flour and has a nutty, sweet flavor. It creates a light, soft texture in baked goods, so I paired it with the standard unbleached all-purpose flour in these cookie bars. I love the soft texture of these cookie bars, and if you’re a peanut butter + chocolate lover like me, then I know you will love these!

Some of the ingredients + possible substitutes for these cookie bars:

Peanut butter is a crucial ingredient here (duh!). I like to use the kind made of only peanuts. You can also use a salted peanut butter. I haven’t tried this recipe with the kind of peanut butters that contain added oils and sugars.
Brown sugar adds lots of a moisture thanks to the molasses in it. I used light brown sugar for my bars, but you can also use dark brown sugar.
Coconut sugar is my favorite low GI sweetener! It’s better for you than cane sugar, and it tastes nothing like coconut. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use any kind of granulated cane sugar in its place (but your cookie bars may taste extra sweet).
Egg + egg yolk add chewiness to these cookie bars! I haven’t tested out any egg replacements for this recipe, so I can only recommend using eggs (sorry, vegan friends).
All-purpose flour is the standard baking flour at your grocery store. I use it along with spelt flour in this recipe.
Spelt flour is an ancient grain with a nutty, sweet flavor. You can use AP flour in its place, but I recommend branching out and picking up some spelt flour!
Corn starch also adds chewiness to these cookie bars. You can use arrowroot starch in its place if you’re looking for something corn-free.

Yield: 8 Big Bars

Peanut Butter Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soft-baked Peanut Butter Cookie Bars loaded with chocolate chips and nutty, sweet spelt flour! These irresistibly moist cookie bars are naturally dairy-free and totally delicious!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 44 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (made with just peanuts)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Flakey sea salt to sprinkle (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°F and spray an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray. Line the dish with parchment paper, folding the excess over two sides of the dish. Trim the paper so you have about 1/4" folded over the sides - this allows you to pull the bars out later before slicing.
In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugars, egg, egg yolk, oil, and vanilla until everything is well incorporated; set aside.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the flours, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet and use a large spoon or spatula to gently mix everything together.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips, reserving the rest to top the bars.
Press the dough into your prepared baking dish, creating an even layer. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the dough.
Bake the cookie bars at 325°F for 12-14 minutes. Allow bars to cool completely before removing from the baking dish to slice - use the parchment paper "handles" to lift the entire dessert up and out of the baking dish and onto a cutting board. Slice into 8 rectangles, 9 squares, or 16 squares. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt before serving!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.