Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

A recipe?

What?

Yes. A recipe. It’s been awhile, I know. But finally, I had time to get some baking done. 

We’ve been on a serious chocolate and banana kick lately. It all started with chocolate covered banana pops. And then some more. And then some more. We literally haven’t gone more than a few days without some in the freezer the past few months.  I’m not complaining. (Unless Erik eats the last one. Then I might complain).

Sometimes there’s just nothing better than the wonderful combination of chocolate and bananas. Add some flour, sugar, and a mixer and you’ve got some delicious cookies! So here we go.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

* Makes about a dozen medium-sized cookies 
Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter (To make them vegan, I used Earth Balance organic soy free coconut spread)
• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 large ripe banana
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons almond milk (or any other milk)
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
• In a mixer (or using hand mixer) cream together the butter and sugar. Then add your ripe banana, vanilla, milk, and beat.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet, continuing to beat until just mixed.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Place on a cookie sheet (I cover my cookie sheet with parchment paper to make for easier clean-up), press down, and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden.

Chocolate covered frozen banana pops

Hello, springtime weather!

Last night after dinner, Erik and I had an inkling for dessert. I did not feel like baking at all, because that would take too long and dirty more dishes than I wanted to dirty. We were out of cashew ice cream, which we often have on hand, and I didn’t have enough cashews to make more. Such a predicament, right? Ha.

That’s when the bananas spoke to us!

Or something like that.

Either way … our quick and delicious dessert was born.



Chocolate covered frozen banana pops

Ingredients:

• 3 large just ripe bananas (or 4 smaller bananas)
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (optional, but ads some delicious flavor)
• Toppings of choice; shredded coconut, chopped nuts, sprinkles, etc
• Popsicle sticks (we used kabob sticks, and they worked wonderfully)

Instructions:

1. Peel bananas, slice in half, and insert Popsicle sticks.
2. Prepare a parchment paper lined baking sheet to place bananas once they’ve been dipped.
3. Prepare your toppings ingredients, and place them in a bowl that you can easily roll bananas through, or on some parchment paper on your counter.
4. Place chocolate chips and coconut oil into a sauce pan over low-medium heat, and stir until completely melted. (Alternatively, microwave in a microwave safe bowl).
5. Once chocolate is melted, dip your bananas in one by one, covering them completely in chocolate.
6. Roll your chocolate covered bananas into your desired toppings, and place them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
7. Place cookie sheet into the freezer until set and frozen, about 2-3 hours. You can eat them much sooner but they taste the best when completely frozen.

We coated ours in chopped roasted almonds and unsweetened shredded coconut. Yum! They are delicious.

They make the perfect healthy spring treat, and would be a fantastic and quick dessert to tackle with kids.



Enjoy!

Happy chocolate dipping,

Vegan Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies

How’s daylight savings time treating everyone that it applies to?

It happened to be a rainy day here in Kansas City, so it just kind of went along with the loss of an hour of sleep. I happened to drink a can of very caffeinated tea right before bedtime, so I easily stayed up until waaaay too late. This week is looking amazing, though, and I’m so ready for 70 degree weather all week long!

Anyways … while it was busy being all gloomy outside, Erik and I had quite a delicious Sunday evening. It consisted of pizza made by him, and cashew ice cream and cookies made by myself! Needless to say … I’m stuffed!

Let’s get down to business, it’s cookie time! These cookies would best be described as, when sugar cookies meet chocolate chip cookies.



Vegan Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies
Inspired by Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 EnerG egg replacer (a flax egg or chia egg would work just as well – or of course a regular egg if not vegan)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I used WonderFlour)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
• Mix together egg replacer, and set aside. Beat together the coconut oil, cane sugar. Add egg replacer. The mixture will be crumbly looking, but will stick together when pressed into balls.
• Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, and flour.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Shape large tablespoon sized balls and place them on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10-11 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Note: Don’t bake any amount over that time or the edges will become too crispy when cooled!

Makes about a dozen. Store in air-tight container so they don’t get too crispy.



Yum! These cookies have a crunchy thin edge with a chewy, chocolaty middle tasting like the perfect hybrid of sugar cookie and chocolate chip!



Enjoy,

lesley

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why hello, there! How was your Monday??

I’m still ready for Friday again, but my Monday did include delicious chocolate chip cookies, so it was a definite added bonus! I still want to work on this recipe, as it’s not quite what I wanted, but none the less … these are pretty stinkin’ tasty so it’s still worth a share! I promise.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• Vegan chocolate chips, to taste (I personally think the more the better!)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together.
• Mix wet ingredients together.
• Combine dry and wet ingredients, place on cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

Notes: I topped mine with some clear glaze and a little organic powdered sugar.

I think about 95% of our desserts are chocolate based … and I don’t mind one bit!

These cookies came out wonderfully fluffy and melt in your mouth.

What’s your favorite dessert?

Delicious vegan brownies

Hope everyone’s having a great week!

We’ll cut right to the chase here … it’s brownie time!! I made these vegan brownies for a bake sale last week and they were so good, I had to make them again to blog the recipe.

Delicious Vegan Brownies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached cane sugar
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Preheat oven at 350.
• Mix dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients, and mix until there are no clumps and it’s well blended.
• Spread in a 9x13 inch baking pan
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Note: These brownies tend to fall apart easily so be sure to let these cool completely before cutting (unless you just can’t wait and don’t mind them falling apart, that is)

Enjoy!

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Raw chocolate peanut butter cups

Just as promised … today we’re going to make chocolate!

First off, I have to admit, Erik is the chocolate master in our house {and I don’t mind a bit}. His latest creation is peanut butter cups and they are awesome! Get out of the way, Reese’s, you are not needed here.

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

The ingredients are few, and the end result is amazing.

Ingredients:
-- 1 C raw cacao butter
-- 1/2 C raw cacao powder
-- 1/2 C raw agave nectar

Directions:
-- Shred the cacao butter.
-- Melt the shredded cacao butter by putting it in bowl and putting this bowl in a bigger bowl full of warm water (if you don’t care about it being “raw” you can just heat it up on the stove top)
-- After it’s melted, add the dry cacao powder and agave. Mix well.
-- Pour about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture into cupcake liners and stick the cupcake sheet in the freezer for a few minutes until slightly frozen. Set aside the remaining melted chocolate while the 1/3 mixture is in the freezer.
-- Add dollops of peanut butter (or insides of choice) on the frozen chocolate, and then add the rest of the melted chocolate over top.
-- Store in freezer, and enjoy whenever desired! (This chocolate melts very quickly since it’s raw).

The finished product:

I think Erik should be a chocolatier!

What’s your favorite chocolate filling??