Vegan Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are by far one of the best and easiest desserts or sweet treats to make in a pinch! Beloved by all, these sweet treats are vegan, dairy free and egg free!

Soft Vegan Sugar Cookies

Everyone loves a good, soft, gooey sugar cookie, complete with all the sprinkles! This recipe is a delicious, vegan version of the treat we all love! Easy to make and super yummy to eat!

Vegan PB+J Cookies

     Everyone loves a good peanut butter cookie, right? Well, these have been taken to the next level by adding jam and making PB+J cookies! Vegan, delicious and super easy to make!

Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

     Its hard not to love peanut butter cookies. They're gooey and crunchy, sweet and salty....a perfect balance! Peanut Butter cookies have always been a favorite in our house and we've tried several recipes, but by far this one is my favorite!

Fall Inspired Vegan Recipes

     Fall is here! I love fall so much :) The weather here is slowly beginning to cool off, and it is getting darker earlier as well! We are slowly breaking out the sweaters and cozy blankets and praying that it doesn't decide to warm up again!

     Fall comes with its own set of flavors, from pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg to caramel and apple .. the list could go on and on! With these delicious flavors, you can make a million different recipes that are 'fall inspired' to get you in the mood for the season! I have many recipes here on my blog that I have shared with you in honor of my favorite season-Fall! In case you've missed some, or you need a refresher, I am going to share them with you again!

 

Okay! Lets get into it! I am sharing the links to the recipes, so feel free to click over to them for the recipe and step-by-step instructions!

 

 

Meatless Monday Chili has to be first on my list! We make chili all the time during the colder months and this is a great vegan, oil free, and delicious recipe!

Pumpkin Muffin Tops are of course a must have for the fall months! Pumpkin and cinnamon make these muffin tops the perfect fall snack or even breakfast! For a completely vegan option, sub in maple syrup for the honey!

Sweet Potato Pumpkin Faces are a great and fun way to make your meals more festive! These are also great for little kiddos to help them eat their veggies! Perfect as a side item or a delicious snack!

Healthy Homemade Bread is a staple recipe to have anytime of the year, but especially in the fall and winter months! There is nothing better when its chilly outside than a warm slice of bread with jam, pumpkin or apple butter or dipped in some soup!

 

This Sweet Potato Casserole is on of the best I've ever had(not to brag or anything)! Its super creamy even though there is no butter or milk in it! Its great for the Thanksgiving table!

 

Harvest Salad is a delicious, healthy, and flavorful dish that is perfect for lunches, dinners and the Thanksgiving table! Its great warm or cold, so it does wonderfully in packed lunches!

 

 

Gingerbread Cookies are a delicious treat to make in the fall months! They are packed full of fall flavors and are perfect with  cup of coffee! For the vegan version, sub maple syrup for honey and vegan cream cheese for regular cream cheese!

These are just a handful of the fall inspired recipes that I have here on my blog! Hopefully you enjoy these recipes and they get you in the festive, fall mood! Each one of these recipes contain delicious fall flavors, healthy nutrients and are all really easy to make! Delicious food can still be healthy, even during the holidays!

Please share these recipes and my blog with your friends and family to help everyone live a healthier lifestyle!

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Stay healthy, happy and laughing!

H. Banana

Healthy Honey Graham Crackers

Graham crackers are one of my favorite snack foods ever! My little brother almost always has a stash of them in my mom's bag or in the pantry, and he isn't the only one who eats them! But, most graham crackers aren't the healthiest choice out there and they are full of things you probably don't want to eat. So, that's why I decided to make healthier graham crackers that aren't full of chemicals and additives, refined sugars and flours! These are full of flavor from the honey, whole wheat flour and cinnamon, you'd never guess they were healthy!

 

There are a lot of graham cracker recipes out there, and I am not saying mines the best (you can be the judge of that!) but mine is one of the simpler ones. I wanted a recipe that was both simple, easy to follow and quick as well as healthy, full of flavor and delicious, so I created my own!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/3 cup Honey
1/4 cup Coconut Oil at room temp.
4 tbs Olive Oil
2 tbs Water (You might need more if your dough is a little dry)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla

Start my mixing together the dry ingredients. To keep from having clumps of Baking Soda, spoon it into your hand first and get rid of the clumps before adding it to your mix.

Then add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing to combine.

It should come into a dough ball, but if it becomes crumbly, like mine did, add water bit by bit until it forms a dough ball.

 

Make sure you add the water while mixing, so parts of the dough doesn't go soggy.

 

Perfect! Now that the dough has formed a ball, we can move on to the next step.

place dough onto a well floured surface and give it a few squeezes to make sure all the crumbs won't fall off.

 

Roll the dough out fairly thin, but not see-through. Make sure it is even so that the cookies will all be the same thickness.

 

 

Cut you dough into desired shapes. I used a circle shape, but feel free to have fun with the shapes!  Use a fork and knife to make the traditional design, or draw any shape you would like!

Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes, or until they have gone a golden brown and the house if filled with a delicious cinnamon aroma! Let them cool before enjoying!

 

And we're done! See how simple homemade graham crackers are to make? And not only are they simple, but healthy and delicious as well!

 

I had fun with mine and drew smiley faces on a few of my cookies! They look cute, smell heavenly and taste just like store-bought( or maybe a little better!).

 

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, please share this post with a friend and family member! You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

 

New post every Monday and Friday!

 

Keep healthy and Safe!

H. Banana

Almond Joy Cookies

Almond Joys are a wonderful blend of almonds, coconut and chocolate! Those flavors seem to go so well with each other, like a match made in heaven! My family is a fan of Almond Joys, so when I made these healthy Almond Joy inspired cookies, you better believe they went over well!

They are so delicious, you won't believe they are made without refined flour, butter, refined sugar or eggs! These cookies are the perfect thing to make to satisfy a sweet tooth and stay on the healthy side!

So, let's get into making these Healthy Almond Joy Cookies!

Ingredients:
2 cups Almond Flour
3/4 cups Coconut Flour
1/4 cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1/4 cup Sliced Almonds
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
6 tbs Honey
1/2 cup Coconut Oil - Melted
1 tsp Almond Extract

Start by mixing together the dry ingredients( all but the cocoa powder) until its lump free.

Then add the wet ingredients and mix well until it becomes a sticky dough.

Next add in the cocoa powder and mix it in. I kept mine marbled but you can mix it together fully if you want. I just like the look of the marble!

 

Grease a baking sheet and roll tablespoon sized balls of the cookie dough and place them on the sheet. Press the dough balls down a bit, because they won't spread a whole lot.

 

Heat oven to 375 F and bake for 10-12 mins or until they start to go golden. They smelled so amazing while they were baking!

Remove them from the baking sheet and let them cool a bit before enjoying! I loved these cookies so much and my family did as well! We ate them for a mid afternoon snack!

I also think they look really cool and pretty with the marbled effect!

Let me know if you try these cookies and how you liked them! Also, share this post with a friend! Follow the blog to stay up to date on all my post! You can follow the blog on Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H. Banana

Healthy Pumpkin Donut Cookies

 

Now, I know what you're thinking. How can donuts be healthy? Donuts are one of those foods that you just think 'unhealthy' when you hear it. Well, the other day I was in the mood to bake and Mom wanted something pumpkin, so what did I make? Pumpkin Donut Cookies, that are, you guessed it, healthy!
These cookies are so delicious and comforting and to make them even better they are free of refined-sugars, oil, and dairy! They are a perfect blend of honey, cinnamon and pumpkin, giving you a satisfying snack without making you want to hit the gym after eating a few (Or all) of them!
Are you hungry yet? Ready to eat a plateful of hot donut cookies? Well, lets get started then!

Ingredients:
1 cup Almond Flour
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
2 Eggs
3 TBS Honey
2 TSP Vanilla
1/4 TSP Baking Soda
1/2 TSP Baking Powder
5 TBS Pumpkin Puree
Pinch of Salt
2 TSP Cinnamon
1 TSP Almond Extract

Start with beating a lot of air into your eggs. They should at least double in volume if not triple. Then add the Honey, Vanilla, and Almond Extract.

Next, add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and blend. Then add the pumpkin and cinnamon

Once your mixture looks like this, we can get on with the cookies. Heat your oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick paper. You can use a donut maker or donut pan here but, because I don't have one, we're just going to go with cookies.

Spoon them out on to the pan, about a tablespoon's worth.

Flatten a little with the back of a spoon and then bake for 15 minutes.

As they bake a wonderful smell with fill the kitchen making you think of Autumn and pumpkin pies!

When they come out of the oven, let the cool a bit before placing them on a cooling rack!

 

 

Oh my goodness, yum!

Let them cool a bit before enjoying them friends or devouring the whole batch by yourself!

 Crisp on the outside and soft in the inside, these cookies are perfect of those cold winter days, or when you are in the mood for Autumn!

I hope you've enjoyed these donut cookies as much as I did! Please share with a friend!

Keep it Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana

Delicate Rose-Water bites with Dark Chocolate Icing

  These cookies are such an interesting blend of flavors, your mouth won't know what happened! With the subtle hint of rose-water and the bold flavor of the chocolate, these cookies are sure to be a hit! I made them a little 'valentine's day' themed by piping the icing on in hearts, but they are perfect for any occasion!

So, let's get started!
Ingredients:
1 banana
2 cups Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
2 tbs. Rose Water
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of Salt

Icing:
2 tbs. Coconut Oil
2 tbs. Honey
4 tbs. Coco Powder

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. The mixture will be chunky and sticky .

Heat oven to 350 F.
Scoop a tbs. of the mixture into your hand and flatten it out with your palm. Then place it on a greased or lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 min. or until they begin to turn a nice golden-brown on the edges. When they come out of the oven, slide them on to a cooling rack as soon as you can without crumbling them.

 

Yummy!!!

Now, you of course could eat them just like this and they would be delicious, but I wanted to add something a little bold! And of course it has to be chocolate! Let's make the chocolate icing now!

 

Melt the coconut oil and honey in the microwave. Add in the coco powder and whisk together. Let this sit in the fridge until the cookies are completely chilled.

 

Once the cookies are cool, its time to decorate! Place them on a cooling rack with a paper-towel underneath (To catch the drips!)

Place the chocolate icing in a Zip-Lock bag and cut a small hole in one corner. This will be your piping bag.

Note* If the sauce is too solid when you take it out of the fridge, microwave it just until it gets soft.

 

Now you can pipe anything you want on to your cookies. I chose to go with hearts, dots, swirls, stripes and so on! They turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself!

I just love chocolate, don't you? Pared with the delicate hint of Rose-Water, they're just perfect!

Let the icing cool and harden before enjoying with family, friends or that special someone on Valentine's Day( or any day for that matter!)

 

I hope you have enjoyed these cookies and my post! Please check back weekly for new healthy and delicious recipes as well as fitness tips and tricks!

 

Keep Healthy and SAFE!

H.Banana

 

 

 

 

 

Calorie Saving Holiday Food Swaps.

Have you ever wondered whether there was a healthier way to make your favorite holiday treats? Well, there are so many healthier recipes out there from pumpkin pie to turkey dressing, but what about just tweaking the recipe you already love? Here are a few food swaps that might help you. Now, just be clear not all of these will taste good in everything. Use your imagination and have fun with it!

Oil:
Oil can be substituted with applesauce 1 for 1. So, if you use a 1/2 cup of oil you can use a 1/2 cup of applesauce instead. This is a great tip for things like muffins and sweet breads!

Sugar:
Sugar can be substituted with Stevia 1 to 3/4. So if you use a cup of sugar you can use 3/4 a cup of stevia. Stevia can be found in almost any grocery store now, but if you can't find it in your local store try Whole Foods or Fresh Market. The brand of stevia my family uses is Truvia.

Butter:
Butter can be substituted with coconut oil 1 to 3/4. So, like the sugar and stevia, if you use a cup of butter you can use 3/4 of a cup coconut oil. Now, I must say this taste better in some things than others. It does give a slight coconut flavor, which is great in chocolate cookie but maybe not so much in sweet potato casserole. Have fun with it though! Maybe sweet potato and coconut with become the next popular flavor combination!

Cow's Milk:
Cow's milk can be substituted with unsweetened almond milk 1 to 1. So, if the recipe calls for a cup of cow's milk, you can use a cup of unsweetened almond milk. I have used this tip a lot and I have never tasted an almond flavor as a result from it.

Milk Chocolate:
Milk chocolate can be substituted with 70% dark chocolate 1 to 1. So, if you use a cup of milk chocolate, just use a cup of 70% dark chocolate instead. This gives anything a richer and darker chocolate flavor and I love this tip because of it!

Heavy Cream:
Heavy cream can be substituted 1 to 3/4 with Raw Cashew Cream. So for a cup of heavy cream just use 3/4 of a cup of raw cashew cream. I have never used cashew cream so I can't tell you how it will taste, but if you use it I would be interested in knowing what you think about it!

These tips came from HeandSheeatclean.com

I hope these tips inspire you to try new things and hopefully make your holidays a little healthier! Let me know if you try any of these and what you thought!

Keep healthy and Safe.
H.Banana

Healthy Chocolate Cookies!

 

 

I love-love-love chocolate cookies and I was so excited to find a healthy recipe for them! When I found this recipe on Pinterest I tried it and fell in love! We have made them several times and the whole family enjoys them. To see the original recipe please go to my recipe's page. I took a recipe and added things to it to make it fit my tastes. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup Chocolate chips
2 medium ripe bananas
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 tsp of cinnamon (Or for a fall-ish twist, pumpkin pie spice!)

Start with peeling your bananas and placing them in a bowl. Blend them until they are creamy and smooth.

Add the oats, coconut and cinnamon. Blend till combined.

Next add the vanilla and chocolate chips and stir it all together.

I took a bit of coconut oil to grease my pan, but you can use butter or parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking. Use a spoon to scoop out the cookies on to the pan. They don't spread much so make them the  sixe you want them to finish with.

Set the oven to 350 degrees F and bake them for 20 mins. They smell heavenly as they bake. I think it smells like banana bread baking!

When they come out of the oven they should be firm and starting to brown on the edges.

My goodness they smell amazing! Let them cool a bit and then remove them and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.

Please let me know what you think about these cookies! I love that they taste to good and they don't have any sugar or flour! If you enjoy this post and the cookies please share it with a friend!

Keep it healthy and Safe
H.Banana