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Dairy-Free Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies

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Okay, friends, we’re a few days into my 12 Days of Dairy-Free Cookies, and I could not be more excited to share these cookies with you!! The whole reason I started posting food to Instagram is because I was in search of good dairy-free recipes that were lower in sugar or utilized a low GI sugar like coconut sugar. These cookies are delicious. I brought my leftovers (after testing and shooting) to Thanksgiving, and they flew off the counter! I’d wished I’d baked more!

These cookies are full of chocolate. No cocoa powder needed here, because you’re going to use a whole 1/2 pound of chocolate for these. These cookies are rich, fudgy, and so satisfying, especially when they’re warmed up or fresh from the oven. I added a little bit of instant coffee to amp up the chocolate flavor – you won’t taste coffee at all. Espresso powder will work, too.

I used three whole tablespoons of dough per cookie, because I really wanted a thick cookie. If you follow the chilling instructions below, I believe you’ll have no problem with too much spread. I like my cookies fudgy, so I only baked them until the outside was set. You want the middle to look under-baked when you pull them out of the oven. Your cookies should come out thick, ultra fudgy, and seriously irresistible. Happy baking!

 

Dairy-Free Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies
Makes ~11 cookies

1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp coconut oil, solid
2 large eggs, room temp
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1/3 cup dark rye flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 + 1/4 cup chocolate chips (1/4 cup is for topping)
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes to sprinkle

1.) Add an inch of water to a saucepan on medium heat. Set a heatproof bowl on the saucepan, making sure it doesn’t touch the water, and add the chopped chocolate, coconut oil, and instant coffee. Stir frequently until chocolate and oil are totally melted. Remove bowl from pan and set aside to cool down.

2.) Meanwhile, in a bowl attached to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and coconut sugar. Whisk on medium speed until mixture becomes thick and light brown in color, about 8 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and salt.

3.) Gently fold the chocolate into the egg mixture. Add the flour and baking powder and fold until nearly combined, leaving some flour streaks. Mix in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least an hour, or overnight for best flavor.

4.) Allow dough to set at room temp for 30 minutes to 1 hour before you begin to roll your dough balls. The dough will be sticky, but for proper spreading, you don’t want it to be too cold. Once your dough is soft enough to roll, preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5.) Roll dough balls 3 Tbsp in size and place on your parchment-lined baking sheet (6 at a time). Press extra chocolate chips into the tops of each dough ball. Bake at 325°F for 12-15 minutes or until cookies look nearly set in the middle – you want them to look a little under-baked when you take them out. Immediately sprinkle your cookies with salt, and allow them to rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container*

*cookies can be refrigerated or frozen ahead of time. If frozen, allow them to thaw in their container. Then, before serving, pop them in the oven for a few minutes to warm them up again!

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine

Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

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Traditional Peanut Butter Blossoms are those little peanut butter cookies topped with a milk chocolate Hershey’s Kiss that people seem to just love around the holiday season. They’re familiar, they’re topped with chocolate, and they’re a favorite at cookie exchange parties. I set out to create a dairy-free version, and after a bit of back and forth as to wether I should buy a kiss candy mold, temper chocolate, and make my own kisses, I decided to do what I felt my followers are more likely to realistically do: melt some simple dark chocolate and pipe it into little “thumbprints” in the cookies.

These cookies are a bit crispy on the outside with a chewy, peanut butter-y middle. You get to control how much chocolate you add, so go wild! Or not. It’s really up to you. You want to create little “thumbprints” for the melted chocolate by using something around your kitchen – small spoon, end of a marker, etc – to gently press into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Once the cookies cool, you’ll have a nice little spot, as shallow or deep as you like, for your chocolate!

The dough may seem a bit dry or crumbly, but once you work it in your hands, you should be able to form nice, smooth dough balls. The granulate sugar on the outside is totally optional, but since it’s the holiday season, I like to amp up the sparkle a bit with my cookies. I used a 72% dark chocolate bar for my topping, and it actually set on its own at room temp. If your chocolate doesn’t set at all, that’s okay. Just store your cookies at room temp in a single layer. The chocolate should firm up enough to not spill out of the thumbprints. Happy baking!

Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Makes 18 small cookies

1/3 cup coconut oil, solid
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3oz dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped

1.) Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the solid coconut oil and coconut sugar until there are no more oil lumps and the two ingredients are well incorporated (I like to mash mine with a wooden spoon). Add the peanut butter and mix to totally combine. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix; set aside.

2.) In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with a large wooden spoon or spatula, adding the almond milk along the way, until everything is well mixed.

3.) Scoop dough balls 1 Tbsp in size. Roll the balls until smooth and then roll in granulated sugar. Place them on your prepared baking sheet (11 will fit on a standard home baking sheet) and gently flatten a bit with your fingers until the dough edges begins to crack. Re-shape if necessary.

4.) Bake at 375°F for 5 minutes. Immediately press small “thumbprints” into the center of each cookie, using a small kitchen utensil – I had a wine bottle stopper that was perfect. Allow to cool on baking sheet for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

5.) Once cookies have cooled, melt your chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals (or using the double boiler method*). Allow your melted chocolate to cool for a few minutes. Pour it into a ziploc baggie or pastry bag, snip a small piece of the corner, and pipe chocolate into the thumbprints you created. I like to pipe in a swirling motion, ending in the center. Enjoy your cookies right away or store at room temp in an airtight container.

*add an inch of water to a pot and place on medium heat. Set a heatproof bowl on top of the pot, making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Add your chopped chocolate to the bowl, stirring frequently until melted

 

 

Dairy-Free Mini Pumpkin Pies with Walnut Crust

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Last year’s Thanksgiving morning was chaotic. It was my first Thanksgiving on a dairy-free diet, and I was in charge of desserts. All of the desserts. I believe I made a batch of chocolate chunk cookies and four different pies, including a vegan pumpkin pie and the Meta Given’s Pumpkin Pie from Food52. It was also my first attempt at making coconut whipped cream. I didn’t have a stand mixer and my mom had to rush to the store to buy more coconut cream after so many failed attempts. In the end, we were the last to arrive, and, in a panic, we had bought Cool Whip for everyone else.
Of course I had to taste test everything I baked, and I remember the Meta Given’s pie being delicious. This year, a couple of you requested I create a pumpkin pie, so I set out to make some mini pies using my own Walnut Crust recipe and following along with the Meta Given’s filling recipe. I opted for a mix of extra thick coconut cream and almond milk. I’m so happy with how these came out! Nathan and I had to refrain from eating more than one before I got photos.
I know pumpkin pies can be tricky. The key things to remember for this recipe are to make sure your crusts are cold before you add your filling, cook your pies just until the very middle is still jiggly, and let them cool completely at room temp (or somewhere warm). I put mine in the refrigerator before going to bed, and the filling pulled away from the crust since they weren’t totally cool yet. But these mini pies totally hit the spot, and you won’t even be able to tell that they’re dairy-free!
Dairy-Free Mini Pumpkin Pies with Walnut Crust
Makes 12 mini pies (in a standard muffin pan)
Crust
1/3 cup walnut halves & pieces
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
3-5 Tbsp ice cold water
Filling
1 can pumpkin purée
1/2 cup coconut sugar or white/brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 large eggs
1 cup coconut cream
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1.) Make the crust: in a blender or food processor, blend the walnuts. Add the flour, dark brown sugar, and salt. Blend until walnuts turn into fine crumbs. Add the solid coconut oil and blend until combined. Add 2 Tbsp ice cold water and blend. Add water by the Tbsp until dough comes together – it will still look crumbly but will smash together into a dough between your fingers. Form dough into a ball, flatten to a disc shape, and wrap in plastic or parchment paper. Refrigerate until stiff enough to roll out.
2.) Roll your crust between two pieces of parchment paper or on a lightly floured surface to 1/8″ thick. If it softens up a lot after rolling, you can put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Cut circles roughly 4-4 1/2 inches in diameter (or whatever size works for your muffin pan). Place your crust circles into your muffin pan – no need to spray or line – pressing the folds against the sides. Refrigerate the crusts while you make your filling. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
3.) Make the filling: add your pumpkin to a small saucepan over medium/low heat, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes or until pumpkin begins to dry out a bit and caramelize. Add the coconut sugar, maple syrup, spices, and salt. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the coconut cream – be sure to shake your can!* – and almond milk. Slowly add the egg/milk mixture to your pumpkin, whisking as your pour.
4.) Pour the filing into the refrigerated crusts – no need to prick or pre-bake your crusts – filling nearly to the top. Bake at 400°F for 15-25 minutes or until the middle of your pies are slightly jiggly. Allow your pies to cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Let your pies cool completely before refrigerating any leftovers – as your pie cools, it’s natural for the crust and filling to separate. Sticking warm pies in the refrigerator will cause greater cracks (yep, I did this).
5.) For the crust leaves: make an extra Walnut Crust, roll to 1/4″ thick, and use a cookie/pie crust press to cut leaves. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for ~15 minutes. Arrange on top of baked pies. OR place unbaked leaves on top of unbaked pies, continue with step 4 above.
*if your coconut cream is still chunky, measure out what you need and pop it into the microwave for 15-30 seconds until the chunks have melted
Recipe adapted from Meta Given’s Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins

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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!

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.

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 9 regular muffins

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temp
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup for topping
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 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pan – spray with olive oil or line with paper liners. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for ~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 chocolate chips. Add the pumpkin coffee mixture and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.

4.) Divide your batter into nine regular muffins, filling the muffin pan nearly to the top. Top with chocolate chips, pressing them slightly into the batter. Bake at 350°F for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean – you’ll have to prick around the melty chocolate chips.

5.) Allow your muffins to cool for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm!

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts

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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