vegan banana bread

As the weather gets cooler, baking can be a lovely activity that fills the home with delicious smells. Sometimes when I'm feeling stuck, cooking or baking helps get the energy moving again. 

Banana Bread 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (sifted) I have tried buckwheat flour, spelt and all purpose (or a combination of them). Whole grain will be more dense and all purpose will be more fluffy.

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

4 very ripe bananas

1/3 cup + 1T pure blueberry juice

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

2 t vanilla

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 t cinnamon (optional, try Ceylon cinnamon)

1/4 t nutmeg (if tolerated)

*optional add ins- shredded coconut (no preservatives), chopped walnuts or pecans (to taste, if tolerated)

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease your baking pan (I used a little coconut oil).

Mash bananas.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl (I just use a fork or spoon for mixing).

Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl, including bananas.

Make a hole or indent in the dry ingredients and slowly pour the wet ingredients in, mixing together until it is just mixed (do not over mix!). Fold in any add ins if you are using them. The mixture is kind of a grey colour at this point. Don't worry, it will be a more appetizing brown once it has baked!

Bake for 45- 50 minutes. Test with a fork or toothpick and see if it comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for a few minutes and then gently remove it and place on a cooling rack if you have one, or something else like a plate. Bon appetit!

peanut butter oatmeal cookies

 

My mom and I have been creating these delicious cookies for a treat and thought they turned out well. They are a little soft and quite filling. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup spelt flour

1/4 cup oats
1/3 cup maple syrup

1 very ripe banana 

1 t vanilla

pinch salt

pinch cinnamon (optional, if tolerated)

1/2 t baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir together until well mixed. In another bowl, mash the banana. Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla to the banana bowl and stir together until they are well combined (you can squish any lumps of solid coconut oil with the spoon, although you don't have to get them all!). Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together. You can use your hands to mix and squish the dough together towards the end- this works very well! 

You probably don't need to grease the cookie sheet if it's nonstick. Divide the dough into 14 pieces and roll into little balls (roughly 1.5 inch diameter) on the cookie sheet. Squish the balls into a flat cookie shape with a fork, leaving them about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 13 minutes. Please note that this time worked for us, but it could be slightly different depending on your oven. If you're not sure, you can check the bottom of the cookies and check if the sides are starting to brown to tell whether they are done. 

Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes on the sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy! 

date coconut hedgehogs

I got the idea for these cookies from some I had once at a raw food restaurant. They're tasty and pretty easy to make since they don't require baking.

Ingredients

4 medjool dates (no preservatives)
3 T almond butter
1/8 t cinnamon (optional - if tolerated)
1/8 t vanilla
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (no preservatives)
1/4 cup cashews

Soak the dates in a bowl with warm water for a minimum 1 hour, or until the skins come off easily.  Drain the water, remove the skins and pits.

Mash together the dates, almond butter, cinnamon (if using) and vanilla with a fork until well blended.

Measure the almonds whole and then finely chop them and add them to the date mix.  Squish and knead the almonds into it with your hands.  Add the coconut and squish it in, too.

Measure the cashews whole and then finely chop them.  Knead the cashews into the mix.  You can add a few more chopped cashews here or not, depending on how dry or sticky your mixture is at this point.

Spread a thin layer of shredded coconut on a plate.  Roll the mixture into little balls with your hands (about 1 inch diameter) and then roll them in the coconut.  Makes about 9 cookies.