Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats

June 25, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I’m going to let you in on a secret, I’ve got one heck of a sweet tooth and I’m a chocolate lover. When I came up with this recipe, I was looking for a chocolate treat to curb my cravings. This Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats delivers!

Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats

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The flavor of these Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats most closely reminds me of the milk leftover after a big bowl of chocolate flavored cereal. My whole life, before going plant-based, I would eat chocolate cereal. Not usually for breakfast, usually at night or as a snack. As a kid Count Chocula was my favorite, later as a teen and young adult, I’d buy big bags of generic chocolate pebble cereal.

You know I have several overnight oat recipes, I thought chocolate would be a great addition and perfect for an afternoon snack or dessert. Of course, you could eat this for breakfast.

You can make it healthier by adding fresh strawberries or more decadent by adding mini chocolate chips! I’m a huge fan of Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips and use those exclusively in all my baking. I’ve also made these with chopped almonds!

Need a decadent chocoChocolate Chia Overnight Oats recipe

Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats

Ingredients

Do

  1. Choose a jar with a lid, add chia seeds, cocoa powder, maple syrup and rice milk. Stir well.
  2. Dump in oats and give it another stir.
  3. Secure lid and place in the refrigerator. Let it set for at least 2 ours or over night. Enjoy in the next 5 days.

Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats recipe

Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats
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Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats

This decadent Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats recipe may be better suited for dessert than breakfast. Rest assured, it's perfect for chocolate lovers.
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Chocolate, Overnight Oats
Servings: 1

Ingredients

  • ½ tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ cup rice milk or plant-based milk of your choice
  • ½ cup oats

Optional Add Ins

  • 1 tbsp chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup sliced strawberries
  • 1 tbsp chopped almonds

Instructions

  • In a jar or 8-10 ounce container, add chia seeds, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and rice milk. Stir well.
  • Add oats and stir again.
  • Close the lid and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Add any optional ingredients like strawberries, or chocolate chips before eating. Enjoy within 5 days.

Have you had chocolate oats? Do you think it’s breakfast or dessert?

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Secretly Healthy Double Chocolate Donuts

March 10, 2017 by 2 Comments

I’ve partnered with Zemas Madhouse Foods to bring you a recipe for Secretly Healthy Double Chocolate Donuts. All opinions are my own.

We eat a plant-based diet but it’s easy to get off track. After all, who doesn’t love vegan nachos? I can go overboard with the tortilla chips. On March 1st we decided to clean up our eating, it is National Nutrition Month after all.

I invited you all to join me in the My Plant-Based Family Facebook group. We’ve been having a daily accountability check in! It’s been fun seeing what everyone is doing to stay on track.

Buying and preparing the right foods is crucial to eating healthy. For me, that means eating mostly unprocessed foods and that when I do eat something that is processed, it uses healthy ingredients.

When I’m eating the healthiest, it’s because I’m prioritizing food prep. That doesn’t necessarily mean batch cooking, although you can do that if it works for you. That means if I’m going to eat something, I’m going to take the time to make it. Usually, I’ll make extra so I can have leftovers.

That also means I can’t deprive myself. I’m not someone who can function if I’m hungry. I’m not a nibble on some carrot sticks all day kind of girl. I need food, preferably beans or potatoes or both.

My kids are like me, except there is no end to their eating. They are always hungry and almost always eating. We rotate through standard snacks between meals like fruit, smoothies, popcorn, etc. Sometimes I surprise them with treats that make me the best mom in the world. Treats like these donuts!

Secretly Healthy Double Chocolate Donut are top 8 allergen free and delicious.

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Let me let you in on a secret, these donuts are really black bean brownies bites. I’m so tricky! Go ahead and insert evil villain laugh.

See, I used to make all my gluten-free treats from scratch. I needed several types of flour, leavening agents, egg replacers and other ingredients that practically took up a whole shelf in my pantry. I don’t have that kind of real estate. Then when I went to actually bake, one of my flours would be past its expiration date.

I had had enough and decided to stick with mixes. It was so much easier to bake when I didn’t have to worry about all of the ingredients. The hard part was finding a mix that was actually healthy.

Zemas Madhouse Foods baking mix is made with ancient whole grains and is gluten-free and vegan.

I discovered Zemas Madhouse brand of mixes this year and was pleasantly surprised when I read the ingredient list. They read like actual ingredients you would buy if you cooked from scratch. You can’t say that about most mixes.

Black Bean Brownie Bites! are top 8 allergen free and delicious.

Their mixes are vegan, gluten-free, top 8 allergen free and non-gmo!

Black Bean Brownie Bites! are top 8 allergen free and delicious.

I decided to take their Ancient Whole Grain Black Bean Brownie Bites mix and give it a try! WOW! No one would believe there were beans in the mix!

Then I took it a step further and transformed them into donuts. All you need is a donut pan. That’s right, these are baked, not fried.

Gluten-Free and Vegan Double Chocolate Baked Donuts

Did you think it was possible to get a baking mix that was full of good for you ancient whole grains, no fillers and are top eight allergen free, rice free and corn free?

Try making these donuts (or the mini-muffin form) the next time you need to take a treat to a get-together!

Gluten-Free and Vegan Double Chocolate Baked Donuts

Secretly Healthy Double Chocolate Donuts

You’d never guess these donuts (or mini muffins) are healthy! Shhh…don’t tell your family they contain ancient grains and black beans, they would never guess!

Secretly Healthy Double Chocolate Donuts
 
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This recipe can be used to make brownie bites in a mini muffin pan or baked donuts.
Ingredients
  • 1 box Zemas Madhouse Foods Black Bean Brownie Bites Mix
  • ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed
  • 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 10 ounces of water
  • ¼ cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray cooking oil into the donut (or mini muffin pan) and set aside.
  3. In a blender, puree black beans, vanilla, and water; set aside.
  4. Pour entire mix into a bowl and add liquid mixture, combine thoroughly.
  5. Fill donut pan (or muffin cups) ¾ full.
  6. Bake for 12 minutes, Cool for 10 minutes on a baking rack.

Store leftovers in an airtight container or freeze in individual servings for easy snacking.

Don’t forget the glaze for the top of donuts. It’s the easiest thing ever!

Simply melt 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of your favorite peanut butter (or peanut butter alternative) in a small bowl and stir. That is all. You get a thick and rich glaze that is delicious on donuts, strawberries, pancakes, banana bread and anywhere else you want a rich, chocolate treat.

This post was sponsored by Zemas Madhouse Foods. All opinions and words are my own.

Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Chocolate Crunch Bites

December 7, 2016 by 3 Comments

I love chocolate. Chocolate and peanut butter are even better!

If you know someone with food allergies peanuts can be deadly. There are several peanut butter alternatives that can be used instead. They have a taste and feel similar to peanut butter but no dangerous peanuts.

You can make this recipe with either peanut butter or a safe alternative!

These Chocolate Crunch Bites are peanut-free, dairy-free and gluten-free! They are full of flavor and perfect for a party or cookie exchange! Try these allergy-friendly cookies for dessert.

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You are going to fall in love with these Chocolate Crunch Bites! My son said they taste like a Kit Kat but that wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to combine my favorite snacks into an easy treat with mega flavor.

These Chocolate Crunch Bites are peanut-free, dairy-free and gluten-free! They are full of flavor and perfect for a party or cookie exchange! Try these allergy-friendly cookies for dessert.

Before I switched to a whole food plant-based diet my favorite cookies were the chocolate oatmeal no bakes. I think I took some inspiration from those days but I wanted to give them some crunch and some natural sweetness. Besides, that old recipe had a ton of butter, sugar, and milk. The ingredients in my Chocolate Crunch Bites make me much happier.

Use peanut butter or a peanut butter substitute, dairy-free chocolate chips, gluten-free pretzels, granola and dried fruit, all normal pantry staples for me. (All the links in the previous sentence are Amazon affiliate links). That is all!

I wouldn’t say they are healthy, but they are a fun and easy treat to take to parties or cookie exchanges. I’m thinking of giving some as gifts to my food allergy pals. You don’t have to save them for only people with food allergies though, they are so good, everyone will love them.

These Chocolate Crunch Bites are peanut-free, dairy-free and gluten-free! They are full of flavor and perfect for a party or cookie exchange! Try these allergy-friendly cookies for dessert.

When it’s time to cook you will want to have all of your ingredients out and ready. I broke my pretzels with my hands but you could chop them with a knife. Measure them after you break them into small pieces, not before. I didn’t want them to get too small and turn to dust.

It’s also important if you are making these for someone with food allergies to make sure all your ingredients are safe.

I choose Enjoy Life mini chips, Glutino pretzels, and Made In Nature dried fruit. You can choose brands you love.

The dried fruit I used was actually a Super Berry blend that also had pepita seeds. You can pick what you love but dried cranberries or dried tart cherries are both winners.

These Chocolate Crunch Bites are peanut-free, dairy-free and gluten-free! They are full of flavor and perfect for a party or cookie exchange! Try these allergy-friendly cookies for dessert.

If you have kids who like to help in the kitchen this is one of those recipes they can help with. When I say that, you know it’s a simple recipe because I’m not one of those people who invite the kids to cook with me.

I’ll let them stand on a chair on the other side of the counter and watch, sometimes. Usually, I’m shooing them away, but this recipe they can totally help with.

Chocolate Crunch Bites

Go ahead and make these easy and delicious Chocolate Crunch Bites. This no bake, allergy-friendly recipe will win your family over!

Chocolate Crunch Bites
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter or peanut butter alternative
  • 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 1 cup gluten-free pretzels, broken into small pieces
  • 1 cup your favorite granola
  • ½ cup dried fruit
Instructions
  1. Put ½ cup of peanut butter or alternative into a medium sauce pan on low heat. Use a silicone spatula to stir regularly.
  2. Once it starts to melt, add the 1 cup of chocolate chips. Stir often and use the spatula to scrape the bottom. Don't walk away or it could burn. Keep stirring until all the lumps are gone.
  3. Dump in the broken pretzels, granola, and dried fruit and stir well.
  4. Remove pan from heat and scoop out in tablespoon size scoops and lay them on a cookie sheet, covered with parchment paper.
  5. Place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator to cool and harden. Allow at least an hour before eating. These can be left on the counter for a few hours but store in the refrigerator.

 

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Fruit Salad with Simple Citrus Dressing

July 21, 2016 by 6 Comments

Fruit Salad. That is the answer to so many questions. Here are a few of them and let me know if you think of more:

  • What should I take to the potluck?
  • What will your (picky) kid eat?
  • What should I freeze for a icy treat?
  • What is the one vegan food no one will think is weird?
  • What will make the other kids jealous at the lunch table?
  • What should we pack for the picnic?

I know there are more but we have things to do. I think you get my point though, Fruit Salad is a great addition just about any time.

Fruit Salad with Citrus Dressing

The only problem with fruit salad is the browning that happens when you cut certain types fruit. I’ve got an easy fix for you.

All you need is some vitamin C! Citrus juice does wonders to keep fruit from browning.

Growing up I didn’t eat a lot of fruit. I remember the first time I saw my husband meticulously rubbing lemon juice on apples and bananas. I thought he was insane. It was labor intensive to wipe each and every slice of apple and banana with a lemon wedge (although sometimes the lemon juice went in a bowl and we would dip it).

Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to do that. This version has a few more steps but it’s even easier and less time consuming than his way.

Not only does it keep it from browning but your fruit salad will continue to taste refreshing for a day or two (if it lasts that long). I like to store it in a bowl with a lid so I can give it a gentle shake before serving. You can also make fun fruit kabobs for a treat if you have leftovers.

Fruit Salad with Citrus Dressing

This dressing works with many kinds of fruit. We are using strawberries, kiwis, cantaloupe, blueberries and blackberries. The important thing is to use what you like, mango, pineapple and grapes are good choices too! In the fall we use lots of apples.

Fruit Salad Dressing
 
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Author:
Ingredients
  • juice from 2 large naval oranges
  • juice from 1 pink grapefruit
  • juice from 1 lemon juice
  • juice from ½ lime juice
  • 3 pounds of assorted fruit
Instructions
  1. Squeeze juice from oranges, grapefruit, lemon and lime into a bowl or small jar.
  2. Stir juice (or if in a jar with a lid, give it a little shake).
  3. Pour it over the fruit and serve.

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Triple Berry Frozen Yogurt Pops

June 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

When I mentioned my obsession with making dairy-free frozen treats last week I wasn’t exaggerating. Remember the Mango Lime Ice Pops! I’ve been making every flavor of ice pop and frozen treat I can imagine. I’m only limited by my selection of fresh fruit but I’ve also tried a few other options like these Frozen Yogurt Pops.

I love making frozen treats with just fruit but I decided I wanted something a little creamier! I bought Silk dairy-free yogurt alternative and fresh berries to make these treats come to life.

Triple Berry Frozen Yogurt Pops are dairy-free and suitable for vegans. These frozen treats are easily made with a yogurt alternative and fresh fruit.

I wanted to buy vanilla yogurt but my store was out so I went with plain. If you use vanilla yogurt it is already sweetened and you can skip the sweetener. If you use the plain flavor you’ll probably want to add a sweetener like maple syrup or stevia. I recommend you blend everything up first to make sure. If you find sweet berries you may not need much, but sometimes berries are a little sour.

Triple Berry Frozen Yogurt Pops are dairy-free and suitable for vegans. These frozen treats are easily made with a yogurt alternative and fresh fruit.

I really wanted to take advantage of the beautiful berry colors (although my white tile floor wasn’t as excited). It’s really hard to measure berries for a recipe so I just estimated amounts and used my Blendtec to blend it all together. You’ll get a vibrant blend of fruity yogurt that is hard to resist. I do recommend a taste test at this point to see if you need to add sweetener. If so start with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or a packet of stevia and move up from there.

Do your best to get it into your freezer pop molds. After I filled them to 3/4 of the way to the top I carefully dropped blueberries, diced strawberries and halved blackberries into the mold and used a wooden ice-pop stick to push them where I wanted them. This wouldn’t have worked in a juice but since the yogurt and fruit blend was thick and creamy the fruit stayed just where I put it. I also inserted the sticks here too.

Triple Berry Frozen Yogurt Pops are dairy-free and suitable for vegans. These frozen treats are easily made with a yogurt alternative and fresh fruit.

The serving size will vary based on your freezer mold size. This recipe should make 4-6 frozen treats.

Triple Berry Frozen Yogurt Pops

Triple Berry Frozen Yogurt Pops
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • ½ cup non-dairy yogurt
  • 1 cup of fresh berries
  • sweetener (optional)
Instructions
  1. Pour ½ cup of non-dairy yogurt into a blender.
  2. Pour in half of the berries.
  3. Blend in blender until smooth.
  4. Taste and add sweetener if needed. I recommend maple syrup or stevia then blend again.
  5. Once appropriately sweet, spoon into freezer molds until ¾ of the way full.
  6. Carefully drop berries into the molds using whole blueberries, diced strawberries and halved blackberries.
  7. Place sticks into the molds and freeze over night.
  8. To loosen freezer pops, dip the molds into warm water then gently pull out the freezer pops.
  9. Store in the freezer until ready to eat.

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