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Vegan Date Caramel Slice

· Natalie 33 Comments

Easy oat cookie crust, healthy date caramel filling, silky chocolate ganache on top–this Date Caramel Slice is 3 layers of sweet vegan decadence!

Vegan Date Caramel Slice

I almost posted a healthy non-chocolate recipe today, but with just a little over a week until Valentine’s Day I think a marathon of all chocolate things all week long is in order.

When I said “healthy” I meant cake. The almost recipe of today was cake. But Valentine’s Day is one holiday where a full-size cake really isn’t the appropriate way to celebrate, although cake is not out of the question entirely…

Pretty pink-fluff frosted cupcakes? Sure!

Snazzy shimmering cake pops? Absolutely!

A cup of chocolate cake brimming with berries? Very V-Day approved! 

Small, sweet, and shareable–those are the kinds of treats that are perfect for Valentine’s.

An entire cake would just be weird. Now an entire cake blanketed in conversation hearts…nope, still weird. Possibly weirder.

Vegan Date Caramel Slice

There is nothing pink or heart-shaped about this recipe. But if you think about it, the combination of caramel and chocolate has been at the core of Valentine’s Day, filling red cardboard boxes next berry and nougat and ganache-centered sweets since forever. It’s true you never really know what you are going to get when you bite into those mysterious chocolate-covered morsels (unless you consult the very confusing diagram on the back of the box), but I’d be willing to bet at least one in every box will be caramel on the inside.

Instead of concealing the caramel, this Vegan Date Caramel Slice presents three delicious layers in plain sight: crust, caramel, and chocolate ganache.

Vegan Date Caramel SliceVegan Date Caramel Slice

The crust. Traditional caramel slice recipes typically have a shortbread crust, while more alternative and raw recipes often go with a nut + date mix. I kind of combined the two, taking the sweet, simple, crumbly-not-chewy texture of shortbread and the nubbly-ness of a nut-based crust. But naturally-sweetened and oat-based of course!

For texture, steel cut oats are the perfect chunky, chopped-nut-like choice. You could swap in actual chopped nuts or hemp seeds here instead. For the cookie part in between, oat flour and maple syrup mix to make a mildly sweet shortbread-like crust. I highly recommend adding a pinch of salt to the crust too for flavor balance!

The caramel. Keeping with the simple theme of this recipe, the caramel layer is only 3 ingredients. First is date paste, because it is already practically caramel all by itself. Then a little bit of cashew butter (or almond butter would work too, but I find the flavor to be much stronger) to thicken the filling and help it set into a slice-able consistency. And finally vanilla bean powder, because what’s caramel without a touch of sweet vanilla!

Just melt the cashew butter, mix it all up, and spread over the cookie crust.

The chocolate. Plain melted chocolate would work for the final layer, but it tends to shatter instead of neatly slicing. Adding just a few tablespoons of non-dairy milk to the chocolate chips before melting turns them into a chocolate ganache with more silkiness and much better slice-ability. And a final sprinkling of coarse salt on top is the perfect finishing touch.

Vegan Date Caramel Slice

Now you are just an overnight freezer stay away from a delightful date caramel sandwich! (Where the crust and the chocolate are like the bread…and the caramel is the…well you get the picture. I hope.)

Vegan Date Caramel Slice

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Vegan Date Caramel Slice

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 480 minutes
  • Total Time: 510 minutes
  • Yield: 6 squares 1x
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Description

Easy oat cookie crust, healthy date caramel filling, silky chocolate ganache on top–this Date Caramel Slice is 3 layers of sweet vegan decadence!

Ingredients

Scale

Crust

  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 3/4 cup steel cut oats (or chopped nuts, hemp seeds, rolled oats)
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • Pinch of salt

Date Caramel Layer

  • 1 cup date paste
  • 1/4 cup cashew butter (or almond butter)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Chocolate Layer

  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 3 tbsp non-dairy milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Combine all the crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. It should be a sticky, clumpy dough.
  3. Press into a baking dish (approx. 8×5″) lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes at 350F.
  4. Allow the crust to cool while you make the caramel layer.
  5. Melt the cashew butter. Combine the cashew butter, date paste, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously to combine.
  6. Spread on top of the crust. Freeze.
  7. In a bowl, combine the chocolate chips and non-dairy milk. Melt in the microwave or on the stove using a double boiler. Stir until smooth.
  8. Pour/dollop the chocolate on top of the caramel. Carefully spread to the edges of the pan to completely cover the caramel.
  9. Freeze overnight.
  10. Remove from the freezer a few minutes before slicing and eating.

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Vegan Date Caramel Slice

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Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles

· Natalie 68 Comments

Naturally gluten-free waffles made with oats and flecked with sweet berry spots–these Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles are a perfect easy, healthy, vegan breakfast!

Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

If you remember back before I left on my other-side-of-the-globe adventures, I was in the middle of bombarding you with an abundance of breakfast recipes. Overnight oats with a touch of kombucha tang. Oil-free scones with bright red berry bits. Savory pancakes with a beginning-of-the-day dose of veg. A brownie made of oatmeal because if it’s made of oatmeal it counts as breakfast. Picking up where we left off after a brief pause for something pink, let’s add waffles to the list.

Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

When I make pancakes, it’s all about the pillow-like fluff.  But waffles cook in a confined space, there is only so much room for rise between two hot metal plates. Sure inner fluff is important, but with waffles it’s really about making the most of all that waffle-meets-iron surface area and maximizing the crispy toasty outer texture!

These waffles are based on my fluffy banana-free pancake recipe but with a few slight modifications and of course a berry addition because blueberries are the best breakfast berry in my humble purple-loving opinion. Anytime you see a bowl of oats or a pancake stack on the blog or Instagram without bluebs, you can be pretty sure I added them after the photo.

Because I knew these Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles would be on camera, I bought a pint of fresh blueberries just for the occasion. But the fresh blueberries this time of year are just orbs of nothingness, like someone forgot to give them flavor. So good old frozen blueberries are my year round frozen fruit bestie.

Ever in need of a late night sweet treat but already ate all the ice cream want to keep it relatively healthy? Frozen blueberries + coconut milk + chocolate chips = the BEST!! The coconut milk poured on top hardens and gives the berries a delicious sweet frozen shell. And the chocolate chips are optional but so yum. Or you could swap them out for caramel or chocolate sauce, mmmmm…

Wait what what were we talking about??

Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

Waffles! Blueberry waffles. Blueberry oat flour waffles. Right.

You could use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe. Either way they will smush and heat up and turn deliciously jammy! Or you could use other berries or fruits instead. I topped my two-waffle stack with a dollop of coconut cream, a sprinkle of hemp seeds, and of course maple syrup. Because breakfast.

Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

This recipe usually makes two large waffles, but that will vary depending on the shape and size of your waffle iron. I find it to be the perfect amount of waffle for one very hungry human or for sharing with a blueberry breakfast-loving buddy. Just devour while they are warm and toasty for ultimate oaty waffle wondrous-ness!

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Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles

★★★★★ 4.9 from 9 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 minutes
  • Total Time: 11 minutes
  • Yield: 2 large waffles 1x
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Description

Naturally gluten-free waffles made with oats and flecked with sweet berry spots–these Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles are a perfect easy healthy breakfast!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup non-dairy milk
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp vanilla bean powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
  • 1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • Toppings: coconut whipped cream (hemp seeds, maple syrup, more berries)

Instructions

  1. Combine everything except for the blueberries in a high speed blender. Blend until well combined, but do not over blend. You can alternatively mix eventing together by hand in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the blueberries and pulse briefly to mix them in.
  3. Spray the waffle iron with coconut oil or nonstick spray (even if it says “nonstick” I find they usually stick if you skip this).
  4. Pour half the batter into a preheated waffle iron and cook according to manufacturers instructions. Repeat with the remaining batter.
  5. Top with coconut whipped cream hemp seeds, berries, and maple syrup (or whatever toppings you love) and enjoy!

Looking for a less berry, more banana breakfast? These super fluffy Banana Smoothie Pancakes should do the trick…

Fluffy Banana Smoothie Pancakes

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Blueberry Oat Flour Waffles {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

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Pitaya Pink Coconut Macaroons

· Natalie 17 Comments

These 4-ingredient, fiercely fuchsia, chocolate-coated coconut macaroons are the perfect healthy vegan treat to share with your Valentine!

Pitaya Pink Coconut Macaroons {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

Macaroon. Macaron. It really is just unnecessarily confusing.

Why call two completely different cookies by almost the exact same name? I can’t think of any logical reason other than to confuse innocent cookie-craving people like me.

One is cute, coconutty, and quite simple with just a handful of ingredients. The other is fancy, multi-layered, and requires almost CIA-like code cracking precision to properly execute. Or so I’ve heard.

Pitaya Pink Coconut Macaroons {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

Since I have very little experience with either of these cookies, I thought I would start with the cute one first–double O. Although I did steal the brightly colored cookie concept from the single O kind, but that’s just because it’s almost Valentine’s Day and pink is the color of the moment.

Usually when February comes around I stock up on berries for all my Valentine’s-colored cooking needs. But there is a non-berry fruit even more perfectly pink than either of those two: pitaya!

Pitaya Pink Coconut Macaroons {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}Pitaya Pink Coconut Macaroons {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

These fiercely fuchsia bites of chocolate-coated coconut are sweet and simple to make with only 4 ingredients. Coconut is the primary ingredient of course, but there is also maple syrup for sweetness, a small amount of oat flour to help bind, and pitaya for color.

A special kind of coconut. While not fat-free, these macaroons are oil-free and lower in fat than most macaroon recipes thanks to a new-to-me ingredient–Reduced Fat Shredded Coconut from Let’s Do Organics. Now before you get skeptical wondering what sort of funky food science this must be, don’t worry it’s nothing crazy or unnatural. Almost half of the fat is removed by steam extraction, so it is still just pure, 1-ingredient, organic coconut.

I highly recommend it for my high carb low fat friends who still love the delicious taste of coconut. It is noticeably less oily that regular shredded coconut, but tastes just the same. Of course you can use regular shredded coconut in this recipe as well.

Pitaya Pink Coconut Macaroons {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

Pink! As I mentioned previously, I used pitaya (these cubes, defrosted) to turn the macaroons pink. But that is not the only natural coloring option. You could use freeze-dried pitaya powder and slightly less shredded coconut to make up for the decreased wet ingredients. Or steamed beets or beet juice. Or raspberry or strawberry puree (be sure to strain out the seeds first if using raspberries). The shade of pink will vary slightly, but be very Valentine’s Day appropriate regardless.

Pitaya Pink Coconut Macaroons {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

Instead of pureeing the pitaya first, I just let the food processor mix everything together for me before scooping or smushing the dough into balls and baking. After baking they are slightly crispy and toasty on the outside with a soft sweet center. And a dunk in dark chocolate plus extra drizzle on top only makes them more macaroon magical! 

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Pitaya Pink Coconut Macaroons

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 10 -12 macaroons 1x
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Description

These 4-ingredient, fiercely fuchsia, chocolate-coated coconut macaroons are the perfect healthy vegan treat to share with your Valentine!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup frozen pitaya (see post above for other pink options, defrosted)
  • For coating: 1/2 cup chocolate chips (melted)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. In a food processor, combine the shredded coconut, oat flour, maple syrup, and pitaya. Process until well combined. It should hold together when squeezed, if not add a tablespoon or two more maple syrup.
  3. Shape into balls, squeezing tightly. Place on a lined baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 15-18 mins at 350F.
  5. Let them cool for at least 10-15 minutes before dipping/drizzling with chocolate.
  6. Refrigerate or freeze until the chocolate sets, then enjoy! Keep leftovers in the fridge.

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Pitaya Pink Coconut Macaroons {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

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Savory Zucchini Cornmeal Pancakes

· Natalie 32 Comments

A savory stack of breakfast! Mix up your morning meal with these subtly-cheesy, veggie-studded, soft, fluffy Zucchini Cornmeal Savory Pancakes. Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.

Zucchini Cornmeal Savory Pancakes {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

To balance out the sweet way this blog year week started, how about something savory for a change?

Because smoothies and oatmeal exist, making a savory breakfast is a rare occurrence for me. It has happened once or twice, usually due to grocery shopping procrastination or having some sort of really delicious leftovers in my fridge that just can’t wait until lunch. But sticking with this month’s unofficial breakfast theme and sticking with my 2017 goal of at least one savory recipe a month–savory pancakes!

Zucchini Cornmeal Savory Pancakes {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

As I’ve mentioned before (pretty much every time I post a savory recipe), my brain doesn’t think in savory flavors. It’s like savory is a foreign language to me–I know a few words but most of the time I’m just guessing and making stuff up. There is a reason it says Feasting on FRUIT up in the url bar, not Feasting on VEGGIES. A reason I consider myself a baker not a cook. But I try.

I have noticed a trend though in my own savory meals and recipes. They almost always involve either nutritional yeast or coconut aminos. Cheesy or Asian-inspired–that’s all I’ve got. Like a one two trick savory flavor pony. Anyways…

Zucchini Cornmeal Savory Pancakes {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

These Savory Zucchini Cornmeal Pancakes fall into the cheesy category. Not too cheesy, but subtly so thanks to a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast in the mix. For the dry ingredients, I used a combination of oat flour and cornmeal. With it’s ever-so-slight natural sweetness, oat flour tends to be used in sweet recipes much more than savory ones. But in combination with the cornmeal for extra texture, it works perfectly and makes the pancakes so thick and fluffy. And underneath salt, pepper, scallions, and nutritional yeast, the oat flavor is well hidden. If you wanted to skip the cornmeal, you certainly could use all oat flour too.

Since we are not feasting on fruit with this one, I added zucchini into this savory pancake equation to bring the fresh feasting on veggie vibes! The first time I tested this recipe, I blended the shredded zucchini into the batter until there were nothing but the tiniest green flecks left. But the extra moisture threw off the texture of the pancakes. Pulsing the shredded zucchini into the batter very briefly worked much better! Or if you are not using a blender, just shred the zucchini finely and stir it in.

I don’t know about you, but I also just kind of enjoy the bits of green poking through, it makes me feel healthier somehow. Almost like a fritter, but actually a pancake. You could make them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner–whenever a soft, fluffy, slightly-cheesy, studded-with-veggie stack of pancakes sounds most appetizing to you!

Zucchini Cornmeal Savory Pancakes {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

Since these pancakes are obviously not syrup-soaking appropriate, I topped this stack with a dollop of Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese. The creamy texture and slight tang was a lovely compliment to the cakes, I highly recommend the combo. But honestly I wouldn’t be mad about a side of ketchup with these either–the least classy but most versatile condiment.

Keep in mind with any and all savory recipes on FOF that my palate is not accustomed to spicy or super bold food. If that’s what you are after you will have to hop over to Brandi’s blog. Salt and pepper is usually plenty for me, but always feel free to add extra seasoning or spices to your taste.

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Savory Zucchini Cornmeal Pancakes

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 -5 pancakes 1x
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Description

A savory stack of breakfast! Mix up your morning meal with these subtly-cheesy, veggie-studded, soft, fluffy Zucchini Cornmeal Savory Pancakes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ cup non-dairy milk
  • 3/4 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 2–3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 cup shredded zucchini
  • 1–2 stalks of scallion (chopped)
  • Optional: vegan cream cheese and additional chopped scallion for topping

Instructions

  1. In a blender or mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the zucchini and scallion.
  2. Blend/mix until combined. The batter should be quite thick.
  3. Add the zucchini and scallion and pulse briefly until evenly distributed throughout the batter but still chunky. Do not over mix.
  4. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to the pan. Use the back of a spoon to gently spread it into a circle if necessary.
  5. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until a spatula easily slides underneath. The cover is optional but does make for more even cooking and better texture in the middle of the pancakes.
  6. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the second side. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
  7. Add toppings of choice and enjoy!

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Zucchini Cornmeal Savory Pancakes {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

And with that I am off!! Tomorrow I leave for a two week trip to the opposite hemisphere to explore Fiji and Australia and have some amazing adventures with amazing people!

Fudge Brownie Oatmeal

· Natalie 28 Comments

Thick and creamy Vegan Fudge Brownie Oatmeal made with just 4 ingredients and no sugar – is it a brownie or is it breakfast?

Vegan Fudge Brownie Oatmeal

I wasn’t even going for brownie when I made this oatmeal, it just happened.

Sometimes I set out to make dessert-inspired-breakfast recipes. But even better is when I set out just to make breakfast and the dessert part sneaks up and surprises me. I would’ve been perfectly happy with just chocolatey oatmeal in my little heart-shaped bowl, but the remarkable fudge brownie resemblance in both taste and texture had to be addressed.

And shared, of course!

Vegan Fudge Brownie Oatmeal
Vegan Fudge Brownie Oatmeal

The main element of this oatmeal that earns it the title of Fudge Brownie Oatmeal is the texture. Because the words fudge and brownie are both delicious terms that are not to be used lightly. There is one special ingredient in this recipe that makes the texture so uniquely brownie-like, and if you saw yesterday’s post you can probably guess what that ingredient is. Dates!

Adding dates or date paste to oatmeal is my new obsession, because it imparts the most amazing texture. And the fact that it negates the need for any other added sweetener is kinda nice too.

Vegan Fudge Brownie Oatmeal

Refined sugar free, thick and creamy texture, super fudgy chocolate flavor, only 4 ingredients–why are we still talking!?!

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Fudge Brownie Oatmeal

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x
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Description

Thick and creamy Vegan Fudge Brownie Oatmealmade with just 4 ingredients and no sugar – is it a brownie or is it breakfast?

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • 4 pitted Medjool dates (or 1/4 cup date paste)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
  • Toppings: chocolate chips (shredded coconut, sliced almonds, berries, caramel sauce, etc.)

Instructions

  1. Blend the nondairy milk, dates, and cacao powder in a high speed blender until smooth.
  2. Pour into a medium saucepan and add the rolled oats. Or if you are using the date paste, simply combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.
  3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5-7 minutes stirring frequently until most of the liquid is gone and the texture is very thick.
  4. Pour into a bowl, top with chocolate chips and shredded coconut (or any toppings you like) and enjoy!

After all this brownie-in-breakfast-form talk, I have to give a shoutout to my favorite non-breakfast brownies THESE! For dessert…or second breakfast, I won’t judge.