dairy-free

Name: Cranberry Pecan Olive Oil Chocolate Truffles
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 h 20 min
Yield: 16 Truffles
Ingredients: 8oz chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate; 1/2 cup canned coconut cream; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped; 6 Tbsp chopped pecan pieces; Cocoa powder, sprinkles, or extra chopped pecans to roll truffles

Cranberry Pecan Olive Oil Chocolate Truffles (Vegan)

November 25, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Chocolate truffles are one of those simple desserts that always remind me of the holiday season. The combinations are endless, and who doesn’t want to bite into a big ball of chocolate on Thanksgiving or Christmas? They’re simple to put together (though the chocolate does take some time to firm up), and they’re also a fun treat to make with kids. My toddler loved helping me roll the truffles and dip them in chocolate sprinkles! But I did have to keep her from licking a couple of the truffles – ha!

For these truffles, you’ll make a simple chocolate ganache with your favorite chopped chocolate, coconut cream, and olive oil. The coconut cream helps give the ganache that thick and creamy texture – perfect for making truffles (and you can’t taste it in the final product). Then you’ll stir in some dried cranberries and chopped pecans, refrigerate the chocolate until firm, and then roll the truffles! This recipe is super customizable so you can leave out what you don’t like and add what you do. And you can roll your truffles in any topping you’d like or dip them in tempered chocolate for even more decadence!

Yield: 16 Truffles

Cranberry Pecan Olive Oil Chocolate Truffles

Simple and decadent olive oil chocolate truffles filled with dried cranberries and chopped pecans! These vegan-friendly truffles are ultra-creamy and so delicious!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 5 hours

Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

8oz chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate
1/2 cup canned coconut cream
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
6 Tbsp chopped pecan pieces
Cocoa powder, sprinkles, or extra chopped pecans to roll truffles

Instructions

Add the chopped chocolate to a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of about 1" of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir the chocolate until totally melted; remove from heat.
Whisk in the coconut cream and olive oil until totally combined - mixture will thicken up. Stir in the dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate chocolate mixture for 3-4 hours or until firm enough to scoop.
Line a plate or baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop truffles 1.5 Tbsp in size. Freeze for 5 minutes before rolling the truffles into smooth balls.
If the truffles are sticky, put them in the refrigerator for a few minutes before rolling them in the topping(s) of your choice (sprinkles, chopped pecans, cocoa powder, etc). If your truffles needed to be chilled again, gently roll them in your hands to heat up the surface before rolling them in the topping - this helps the topping stick.
Store truffles in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

Shake your can of coconut cream prior to opening. If the cream has hardened, scoop out all of the contents and heat them up until melted and combined. Then measure out 1/2 cup.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232 Total Fat: 17g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 2mg Sodium: 17mg Carbohydrates: 21g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 16g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

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Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies (DF)

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Dark Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups (Vegan)

Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Brown Sugar Icing (DF)

November 19, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

These Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes have to be one of my favorite recipes. The cake batter is so easy to get together, and it comes out perfectly moist and tender every time! And the Brown Sugar Icing on these cakes is the perfect compliment to the chocolate flavor! I don’t eat all of most of the sweets that I bake, but I’ve been snacking on these the past couple of days, keeping them all to myself. They’re good. And I just can’t resist the convenient, “grab-and-go” size of the mini bundts!

For this recipe, getting the icing drizzle/drip just right can be a bit tricky. The Brown Sugar Icing will begin to set pretty quickly, so you’ll have to move fast and spoon a liberal amount of the icing around the tops and sides of each cake. If you try to go back over a spot, it won’t blend in with any previous drizzle, so I recommend spooning too much than too little. For the chocolate curls on top of my cakes, I tempered some dark chocolate and followed this video tutorial. If you’ve never tempered chocolate before, feel free to check out the post I made recently: Tempered Chocolate Bark.

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Olive oil makes for a delicious and moist cake! Feel free to use your favorite vegetable oil. If you choose to use melted coconut oil, you’ll need to make sure your other ingredients are room temperature (including your eggs).

Eggs add fluffiness to these mini cakes. I haven’t tried any vegan egg replacements for this specific recipe, so I can’t vouch for how the texture would turn out.

Instant coffee granules help deepen the chocolate flavor in these cakes. You don’t taste the coffee at all, and if you keep a jar of the granules on hand, you can use them in future chocolate recipes (muffins, brownies, etc)!

Brown sugar makes the brown sugar icing! I don’t recommend any substitutes.

Powdered sugar thickens up the icing and gives it that classic icing texture.

Yield: 6 Mini Bundt Cakes

Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Brown Sugar Icing

Perfectly moist and tender mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes topped with a simple Brown Sugar Icing! Totally dairy-free and delicious! The perfect mini dessert!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
2 large eggs (or 2 flax eggs if vegan)
1/4 cup plant-based milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup regular cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Brown Sugar Icing

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup plant-based milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray six mini bundt pans with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and instant coffee granules. Whisk in the applesauce and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt until mixture is well combined. Add in the wet ingredients and use a large utensil to mix until batter is totally combined and lump-free.
Divide cake batter evenly amongst the prepared bundt pans. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn each cake over onto a cooling rack, banging the pan once it's flipped - your cakes should pop right out. Allow cakes to totally cool.
Once your cakes are cool, you can make the icing. In a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar and milk. Whisk together and bring just to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk until icing is smooth and no sugar lumps remain.
Your icing should be thin enough to drizzle, but it will set quickly. Use a spoon to generously drip icing over the tops and down the sides of each bundt. The icing will begin to harden right away, so you only have once chance to get the perfect drip! If your icing starts to set before you get all of your cakes iced, hold the pan over a hot burner and whisk until the mixture is thin/warm again.
Allow your cakes to totally set before enjoying!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Notes

If vegan, 2 flax eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water, allowed to thicken for five minutes
The bake time of 15-20 minutes is based on mini bundt pans 4" in diameter. You may need to adjust the bake time depending on the size of your mini pans.
For homemade chocolate curls, check out this video tutorial that I followed. To temper your dark chocolate, follow the steps in my post about tempering.
You may or may not use all the icing, which is why I don't provide generated nutrition information for this recipe.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies (DF + GF)

November 18, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

The weather is cooling down, the holidays are quickly approaching, and what’s better than a cozy mug of hot cocoa topped with marshmallows? Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies! These super rich chocolate brownies are flavored with peppermint extract and topped with a simple homemade peppermint marshmallow. In other words, forget about hot cocoa (for now) and indulge in one of these festive babes instead!

For this recipe I used my favorite base brownie recipe from Running with Spoons and paired it with a slightly altered version of Alton Brown’s Homemade Marshmallow Recipe. I’ve made marshmallows using a different recipe in the past and found myself disappointed with the taste. But this marshmallow topping has no funky gelatin flavor, isn’t too sweet, and has the perfect marshmallow texture! You can eat the brownies as-is or pop one in the microwave for a warm, gooey marshmallow brownie experience – this was my favorite way to eat these. And if you’re not a fan of peppermint, feel free to leave it out completely, replacing it with extra vanilla extract (or your extract of choice!).

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is my go-to baking sweetener. It’s low GI, unrefined, and makes for a perfect substitute for white granulated sugar. And it tastes nothing like coconut! For a sweeter (less rich) brownie, feel free to use regular, white granulated sugar instead.

Chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate) lend moisture and lots of chocolate goodness to these brownies.

Eggs make for the perfect brownie texture. Trust me, I’ve tried multiple egg replacements in this recipe, and they do not work. So don’t even try.

Instant coffee granules are totally optional but will deepen the chocolate flavor and richness in the brownies. I highly recommend adding it if you’re looking for a rich brownie!

Arrowroot starch thickens the brownie batter while also keeping it free of grains and gluten – perfect for GF and non-GF eaters alike since the taste is undetectable!

White granulated sugar is necessary for the marshmallow topping! I don’t recommend any substitutes since this topping has been tested as-is and works as-is.

Agave makes for a better alternative to corn syrup, which is what most marshmallow recipes call for. It also has a very low GI, which is great considering the higher GI of the white sugar you’ll also be using.

Yield: 16 Brownies

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies

Ultra rich and fudgy peppermint brownies topped with a thick layer of homemade peppermint marshmallow! The perfect treat for a cool, winter night!

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 4 hours

Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Brownies

1/3 cup coconut oil, measured as a solid (or 6 Tbsp olive oil)
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
2 large eggs, room temp
2/3 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp arrowroot, tapioca, or corn starch

Marshmallow

1/2 cup water, divided
1 1/2 packets of gelatin powder (~3 1/2 tsp)
1 cup white cane sugar
1/4 cup agave
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the brownies: preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray. Then line your entire pan with parchment paper. I like to cut two long strips of parchment that criss cross over each other on the bottom of the dish. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt together the coconut oil and chocolate chips. Stir in the instant coffee and cocoa powder; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and sugar. Whisk on medium-high speed until thick and light in color. Whisk in the peppermint and vanilla extracts. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the sugar and eggs. Add the salt and arrowroot starch and gently mix until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out slightly gooey - you don't want to over bake! Allow brownies to totally cool.
Make the marshmallow: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the gelatin and 1/4 cup of the water. Give it a little stir and then allow it to thicken while you heat up your sugar.
In a medium or large saucepan, add the sugar, agave, salt, and the other 1/4 cup of water. Gently swirl the pan to ensure sugar is totally saturated. Set heat to medium-high (or medium for a gas range) and bring the mixture to a boil. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the sugar's temperature. If your mixture begins to boil too high up the pan (as mine did) you can use your thermometer to gently swirl the mixture back down/hold the pot up and over the heat. I recommend using a large pot. When the mixture reaches 240°F immediately remove from the heat.
With your stand mixer running at low speed, slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin. Turn the speed to high and whisk until mixture becomes white, thick, and fluffy. I like to wait until I see soft peaks. Immediately whisk in the peppermint and vanilla extracts.
Spread the marshmallow over the cooled brownies, using an offset icing spatula to spread and swirl it over the brownies. Top with sprinkles, chocolate chips, or crushed peppermint candies.
Allow marshmallow to set for at least 4 hours before slicing. Run a butter knife along the edges of the brownies and use the parchment paper to lift the brownies up and out of the dish. Slice into 16 squares.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. I highly recommend popping the brownie into the microwave for a few seconds before enjoying!

Notes

Brownie recipe slightly adapted from Running with Spoons & Marshmallow recipe slightly adapted from Alton Brown