Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars

 From:  Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars Recipe - Pinch of Yum

Yields:  9-12 bars

2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup almond butter

1–2 zucchini, grated and squeezed once (about 2 cups total, divided)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of kosher salt

chocolate chips (optional, for topping)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set aside about half of the zucchini and chocolate chips to stir in later. Blend everything else together until a smooth-ish batter comes together.

Stir in chocolate chips and zucchini. Pour batter into a square baking dish (9×9 or similar). Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and gently springs back when you press into it.

For clean cuts, let it cool completely. (Or for hungry bellies, just get into it right warm out of the oven.) I like to store this in the refrigerator, but you can serve warm or cold ALL DAY LONG! Snack, breakfast, dessert, all of it. ♡

Greek Yogurt Brownies

 From:  Greek Yogurt Brownies (Under 100 Calories!)- The Big Man's World ®

Yields:  12 

1/2 cup chocolate chopped

▢1 cup vanilla yogurt * See notes

▢1/2 cup sugar of choice white, brown, sugar free, etc.

▢3/4 cup all purpose flour gluten free, if needed

▢1/2 cup cocoa powder

▢1/2 teaspoon baking soda

▢1/2 cup milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk

▢1 cup chocolate chips of choice optional

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper, and set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, add your chopped chocolate. Melt your chocolate. Let sit for 1-2 minutes, before adding your yogurt and sugar. Whisk until smooth and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda, and mix until just combined. Add your milk and mix well, until fully incorporated. Fold through your chocolate chips, if using them.

Transfer to the lined pan and bake the brownies for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out just clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

* I used vanilla coconut Greek yogurt. Any non-fat or reduced fat yogurt works. 

TO STORE: Yogurt brownies will keep well at room temperature, in a sealed container. Be sure to lay a sheet of paper towel on top, to keep them super moist and fudgy. They will keep well for up to 5 days. To keep them longer, store them in the refrigerator. 

TO FREEZE: Brownies are freezer friendly and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Banana Bars

Makes: 1 9x13 pan 

• 6 medium to large bananas. 
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
• 2 flax eggs prepared (2 Tablespoons ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons water)
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 6 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce (only if needed)

• Directions
• 1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 9x13 pan with olive oil.
• 2.  In a food processor, add bananas one at a time with it running.  You are pureeing these to a thick liquid.
• 3.  Add the flax eggs and almond milk to the bananas.
• 4.  In a a bowl, add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix.
• 5.  Add liquid to the dry ingredients.  If it seems too thick and dry, add up to 6 tablespoons applesauce.
• 6.  Mix in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
• 7.  Pour into the pan.
• 8.  Bake 20 minutes or until fork comes out clean when inserted in the center.
• 1.  Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the parchment overhangs two opposite sides like handles. Lightly coat with nonstick spray and set aside.

Strawberry Oatmeal Cookie Bars

From:  http://www.crazyvegankitchen.com/vegan-oatmeal-cookie-bars-with-homemade-strawberry-chia-seed-jam/

Ingredients

Strawberry Chia Seed Jam:
3/4 cup Chopped Strawberries
3 tablespoons honey
1 t. vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Chia Seeds

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Dough:
1 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Sorghum Flour
1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
Scant 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, softened but not melted

zest of two lemons
1 batch Strawberry Chia Seed Jam

Instructions

Strawberry Chia Seed Jam: In a small pot, combine strawberries, honey and vanilla over a low heat. Using a heat proof spatula, stir the mixture whilst pressing down slightly on the strawberries to break them down. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the strawberries have released their juice.
Add chia seeds into the pot and stir well. Continue cooking over low heat, whilst stirring, for another 2-3 minutes or until the jam has thickened. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Oatmeal Cookie Dough:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 6 inch baking tin with silicone or baking paper.
In a bowl, combine Rolled Oats, Sorghom Flour, Sea Salt, Baking Soda and maple syrup. Whisk to combine. Add softened coconut oil and vanilla into the mixture and start rubbing with your fingertips until you end up with a moist crumble-like mixture. Make sure to work with just your finger tips!

Press 2/3 of your cookie dough into the prepared baking tin with a spoon so that it forms a nice, flat surface. Spread prepared Jam on the surface of your cookie base. Crumble the remaining third of the cookie dough over the surface of the jam and pop tin into the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the top is slightly golden.
Remove from oven and let cool thoroughly before cutting into pieces to enjoy 🙂

Ultra Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2016/10/13/sweet-potato-brownies-recipe/

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sweet potato puree (I microwave a medium potato for approx 6 min)
• 1 cup peanut or almond butter OR allergy-friendly sub
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup oat flour (I make my own by grinding old fashioned oats in the food processor)
• 1/8 - 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 6 -8 madjool dates or double number for smaller dates
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease or spray an 8-inch. Add dates to food processor pulse a couple of times to start breaking them up.  Not so long they form into a ball.  Add warm potatoe.  Blend long enough so the dates break up into small pieces.  Add nut butter and blend.  I have to add almond milk because it is too think to blend.  Add just enough to allow it to mix.  Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and blend.  At the last add chocolate chips.  Blend by hand or just a few pulses with the food processor.  You just want to mix the chips in not chop them up.  Pour into pan.   Bake on the center oven rack 20 minutes. It will look a little underdone, but it firms up as it cools. (If, for some reason, yours is still too gooey after cooling, loosely cover and let it sit in the fridge a few hours.)

chocolate-chip-brownie-bars

From:  http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2015/07/13/chocolate-chip-brownie-bars/

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup almond butter

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

8 - 10 majool dates

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (mini are best, but regular will also work

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease an 8×8 pan. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the first 3 ingredients until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients, and stir. Only if it’s too dry after stirring to resemble a thick brownie batter, very slowly add a little milk of choice (or water) until the desired texture is reached. Smooth evenly into the prepared pan, then press in some extra chocolate chips if desired. Bake 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. It will look a little undercooked, so do not touch the pan for at least 15 minutes. After this time, it will have firmed up and you can cut without crumbling. After a day, leftovers should be stored in the fridge for freshness.

Deep Dish Cookie Pie

From:  Kansas City Star
Makes 1 9" pie

2 (14.5 oz cans) garbanzo or white beans - drained and rinsed
1 cup quick cooking oats.
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 medjool dates or 30 little ones
chocolate chips - recipe calls for 1 cup.  I used less than that.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In your food processor, blend dates for about 1 minute then add the applesauce.  Blend again to make the dates very fine pieces.  Add everything except the chocolate chips and blend very well.  Mix in chips and pour into an oiled pan.  Recipe calls for a spring form.  I used a 9" round pan.  Bake for 35-40 min.  Let cool at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bars

Makes: 24 bars
From:  Health Magazine

1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 Majool dates -
1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
2 eggs worth of egg replacer - already mixed with water
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Soak dates in warm water for 10 min, and the chop in food processor until small pieces or paste.

2.  In a small bowl.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.  In a large bowl, beat dates, peanut butter until well combined.  Beat in egg replacer, oil, and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture.  Add oats, peanuts, and chocolate chips.  Stir to combine.

3.  Spread evenly in prepared pan.  Bake 20-25 min until lightly browned and firm to the touch.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies/bars

From:  Whole Foods

makes about 30 cookies

For Bars see the notes at the bottom.

Toasted pecans are the foundation of this spiced oat cookie, sprinkled with cinnamon and cloves and scented with orange juice and zest. These cookies are tough to resist fresh from the oven...so don't. Dig in when they're warm, or store them for snacking later.

Ingredients

2 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup puréed pumpkin
1 tablespoon orange zest (from 2 small oranges)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 3 small oranges)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, pitted dates

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put pecans and oats in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a fine meal forms, about 25 times. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and pulse another 20 times to combine all the ingredients. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add pumpkin, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract and dates to the food processor. Blend until a smooth puree forms, scraping the sides down occasionally, about 1 minute. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Scrape the pumpkin mixture into the well and fold all the ingredients together with a large spatula.

Scoop little heaps (about 2 tablespoons) of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten the batter slightly. Bake 20 minutes, until the bottoms are just browned. Remove to a cooling rack and cool slightly before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 cookie): 100 calories (50 from fat), 6g total fat, .5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 11g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 2g protein

Pumpkin pecan bars: Because I dislike the length of time it takes to bake out drop cookies, I altered it slightly to make bars. A one stop shop instead of pan after pan. Gotta love that!

Ingredients

2 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can puréed pumpkin
1 tablespoon orange zest (from 2 small oranges)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 3 small oranges)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 majool dates or 12 smaller dates

Prepare ingredents just as they mention above. I use a 8x11 pan because I like them really thick. Spray it with cooking oil before putting the batter in. Bake at 375 for 30 min. They will still be slighly soft to the touch when you pull them out. Store in fridge.