My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

chocolate chip banana bread

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Peppermint (Black Bean) Brownies

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Last weekend I held my first Food Demo. I had 22 ladies and two cute little babies come to taste a while host of plant-based dishes. I had a great time and I think they did too! I’ve even been invited to do similar Demo’s at a couple of the ladies homes.

There was so much to do I didn’t get much of a chance to share the “why” of adopting a plant-based diet, I focused more on the “you can eat real, delicious food” on a plant-based diet.

Dinner was Mexican food; it’s something that we really like and seems “normal” to people who don’t normally eat Plant-based. I had wanted to prepare a lot of different kinds of foods but as more ladies RSVP’d I knew I wouldn’t be able to prepare/store/serve that many dishes in quantities large enough for everyone to enjoy. I had a few more ladies RSVP that were not able to come. We enjoyed:

We also had lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, and faux cheese sauce served with a choice of organic chips, corn or flour tortillas.  I demonstrated the faux cheese sauce for the group. One of my friends has been dairy-free for years, she LOVED it! There was also the obligatory veggie tray and hummus trio.

I also had a wide selection of desserts:

I had two ladies coming who are mostly gluten-free so I wanted to have at least one more gluten-free dessert. I came up with these brownies.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Peppermint Brownies

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2-3 very ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup agave
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract (I spilled it and add way too much)
  • 1/4 cup raw sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks)

Do

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Process beans in food processor.
  3. Add the rest of ingredients except flour and chocolate chips.
  4. Process until smooth then transfer to a large bowl.
  5. Stir in brown rice flour then chocolate chips.
  6. Pour into non-stick pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until done.

Serve

I cut these into bite size pieces for easy eating. They could also be cut into big pieces and served with non-dairy ice cream or even blended into a shake or other ice cream treat. I think these will be a go-to recipe at Christmas paired with candy canes or even red and green sprinkles.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

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Oh yes I did! The little bites are pure deliciousness. Trust me I wouldn’t make this stuff up. These did not taste gluten-free. I think they are Food Demo worthy for all of my GF friends out there.

I even put some of them in the freezer because in my experience gluten-free baked goods are only tasty for a couple of days. Hopefully the freezer will give those little muffins a second chance to make my mouth happy.

If you are insane not a chocolate lover these are good without the chocolate chips. In fact when I make them I usually mix up the batter without the chocolate chips then scoop out half the muffins then add chocolate chips to the remaining muffin batter. Let’s face it, chocolate chips on a hot day are messy.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup potato starch
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • 1 tsp xanthum gum
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 2-3 ripe bananas
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • 1 tbsp egg replacer*
  • 4 tbsp water*
  • 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips (optional) I use Enjoy Life brand Chocolate chips
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of nuts (optional)

* I have made GF Apple Muffins without egg replacer and they worked just fine. You could use flax eggs if you wanted. In the GF Apple Muffins they looked and tasted good without adding either. This time I just wanted to try it. So don’t fret if you don’t have egg replacer.

Do

  1. In one medium mixing bowl mix the dry ingredients (Brown rice flour through cinnamon) and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl add applesauce and sugar and mix.
  3. Add mashed bananas and vanilla to the wet mixture and mix.
  4. In a small bowl ( I used a measuring cup) add 4 tbsp warm water and 1 tbsp egg replacer and mix until frothy.
  5. Add the frothy “eggs” and the plant milk then stir.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well, add more milk if necessary.
  7. Add the optional chocolate chips (or nuts) and stir well.
  8. Fill paper lined muffin cups until 3/4 full.
  9. Bake in a 350° preheated oven for 20 minutes or mini muffins for 15 minutes.
  10. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick, it is done once the toothpick comes out clean.

Serve

These are best eaten the same day they are baked. They are sweet enough to be dessert but also not too sweet to pass for brunch or a snack. I love making them in the mini muffin pan, the only problem is that I pop them in my mouth without thinking about it. So good!