Google+

dani california cooks

homegrown and homemade in CA

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars (gluten free)

by 38 Comments

Consider these a no-fork-necessary vegan take on pumpkin pie, minus gluten and refined sugars! I’ve enjoyed tricking my tastebuds in thinking that they are getting something super indulgent and decadent with this healthier treat.

I can actually remember the first time I ate pumpkin, not just in roasted seed form or at Thanksgiving. My high school sweetheart really liked these soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from Ralph’s (a local LA grocery store) and we used to eat them by the handful. This was before I knew that pumpkin was so versatile, so delicious, (and so popular and trendy). We just thought we had stumbled upon a weird combination that somehow “worked!” But now I know better, of course. My first ever DCC blog post had pumpkin in it!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars | danicaliforniacooks.com I did a bunch of research before putting these pumpkin pie bars together. I had a lot of requirements. I wanted them to be vegan and gluten free, and I wanted them to be a finger food so I could bring them to a work event and use my colleagues as taste testers. It took several runs to Trader Joe’s and back (remember that lost can of pumpkin I rambled to the cashier about?) but I’m so glad that I finally got the ratios and the ingredients right.

I’ll be honest - I was a bit scared to bring these into the office. Sure, it’s San Francisco and everyone drinks their kombucha, but I’ve seen my coworkers attack a pastry platter like nobody’s business and I wasn’t sure if this was the right group for trying a healthier treat. I made Nate swear that I wasn’t going to embarrass myself by bringing them into the office! I’m not sure why I get so shy when it comes to sharing my way of baking. I should just trust my taste judgement!

Anyways, MAJOR success at the office. People went back for seconds and thirds. I’m excited to distribute the link to my colleagues for this post! And I’ll be honest, I didn’t bring the entire batch into the office with me. I definitely nommed on these all throughout the weekend, and went back for seconds myself. They are so reminiscent of pumpkin pie and all of those delicious flavors and spices, but they aren’t too sweet. I would say they are just right!

On another note, I’m off to NYC this weekend for one of my best friends from college (and sorority sista) going away party. She’s moving to London (gah!) She had a wild 21st birthday at her parent’s place four years ago, and I dug up some old photos of that. It happened to be one of the weekends in NYC that time that broke heat wave records, and everyone got WAY too drunk since we were so dehydrated. I think I went to bed at like 10pm. A lot of the same group is going to be there this time around, and I can’t wait to take a “four years later” picture. Hopefully we will look (and be) much more sober. And less sweaty.

2015-09-22_21-34-21 But yes. It’s time for fall. No more drunken summer parties, and now time for things like these pumpkin pie bars. I know I covered a lot in this post, so thanks for sticking with me.


5.0 from 3 reviews
Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars (vegan, gluten free)
 
Print
Consider these a fork-free vegan take on pumpkin pie, minus gluten and refined sugars! I've enjoyed tricking my tastebuds in thinking that they are getting something super indulgent and decadent with this healthier treat. Adapted from Choosing Raw.
Author:
Ingredients
  • Bottom crust:
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1½ cups almond flour
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • ⅓ cup almond milk
  • ½ cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Dash of salt
  • Pumpkin filling:
  • 2 cans pureed pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • ⅓ cup coconut sugar
  • Crumble topping:
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, room temp
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Mix the crust layer in a large bowl
  3. In a greased 9x11 baking pan, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan
  4. In the same bowl, mix the pumpkin filling
  5. Layer the pumpkin mixture over the oats mixture evenly
  6. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes
  7. Using your hands, mix the crumble topping
  8. Remove dish from oven, and sprinkle oat crumble evenly over the pumpkin. Press into topping
  9. Bake for another 25-30 minutes
  10. Allow to cool completely (you can even let it sit in the fridge) before cutting into squares and serving

If you like this, you’ll love: Cornmeal Almond Raspberry Bars

corn921

Nectarine Tart + Happy Birthday Nate!

by 19 Comments

Before we start, the biggest of happy birthdays to my wonderful boyfriend, Nate! I love you and am so thrilled to be celebrating with you!

This gluten-free and refined sugar-free dessert was a big hit the other weekend at a BBQ! Freshly sliced nectarines are placed on top of a simple tart crust made of shredded coconut, rolled oats, and almond flour.

nec3 I struggle sometimes with whether I want to bring “healthier” desserts to dinner parties. I worry that people are going to not like the healthy swaps or wish that I had just brought what they consider “the real thing”. Sometimes when I’m putting together one of these DCC creations that I plan to share with people other than Nate, I debate with whether I should just throw in the towel and use white flour and sugar because it’s more foolproof! But I reassure myself that people usually appreciate a dessert that’s not going to totally put them overboard into a food coma after eating whatever the host puts together for dinner. And I feel so passionately about the concept that whole foods are delicious, and instead of just promoting that in my own kitchen, I should always be spreading the word and proving that to the world! So I nervously brought this nectarine tart over to my friend’s house last week, and sneakily placed it out for dessert and then was like “who put dessert out?”

nec And, it was a HIT. Everyone gobbled up these treats and went back for seconds and thirds! They asked me for the recipe and I told them it would be on the blog eventually and I’d send them the link. That’s when I told them the ingredients,, and everyone was so excited and impressed. Granted - these are certainly a treat and not a health food - but I think people are still getting used to the concept that a healthier dessert doesn’t have to be a fruit cup. In San Francisco alone, there are so many places to go that have amazing healthier desserts and snacks. I love how easy and readily available those options are to us living in the city. nec4 On a similar note, it makes me sad when I travel around the country for work and I don’t see these same healthy options everywhere. I heard a quote once that the question we should be asking is not why healthy food is expensive, but why unhealthy food is so cheap. In most other first world countries, people spend way more of their income on food for their family than the US. It’s really interesting that consumption and spending in general has gone up in the US, but not the percentage of that going to food. So people are spending more money on other things than food, while in places like France and Japan, people are spending a lot more money on groceries to cook for their family. And in those countries, rates of obesity and preventable illness are so much lower. I don’t believe I’m making a huge leap when I see a correlation there! nec1 Regardless, I LOVE how there is this powerful health movement (us healthy food bloggers!!) in the US that is by no means grassroots. It’s very mainstream! It’s just not as accessible or promoted in all areas of the country. But I’m glad we’re doing our part to spread the world, one healthier nectarine tart at the time. I am constantly impressed with my fellow food bloggers and the ways you all promote healthy habits from your family to your communities - it is truly inspiring, and I’m so glad I bit the bullet 10 months ago to start DCC and join the force.

nec2

5.0 from 2 reviews
Nectarine Tart (gluten free, refined sugar free)
 
Print
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 large nectarine, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • Juice of half a lemon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  2. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper, and lightly grease the parchment paper
  3. Thoroughly mix and combine the oats, coconut, baking soda, almond flour, coconut flakes, coconut sugar, butter, egg, and cinnamon in a large bowl
  4. Evenly distribute and press the tart batter onto the parchment paper. It should be about ½ inch thick
  5. Using the same bowl from the batter, gently toss the nectarines with the cornstarch
  6. Distribute evenly over the tart
  7. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the fruit
  8. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the tart has browned on the sides
  9. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool
  10. Allow to cool completely before cutting

If you like this, you’ll love: Cornmeal Almond Raspberry Bars (gluten free)

corn921

Cornmeal Almond Raspberry Bars (gluten free, dairy free)

by 12 Comments

These naturally gluten free treats have an awesomely unique flavor due to the mix of almond flours and cornmeal. There are fresh raspberries studded in every bite!

corn92

So I arrived home after my business trip to Harrisburg all out of sorts - it was 6pm PST/9pm EST, and I hadn’t had dinner yet so I was SO HANGRY and I grabbed dinner on my way home and wolfed it sitting at our breakfast bar. And then I was like, “oh, should I unpack, or take a shower?” No, I decided to VACUUM AND BAKE. Because those are my priorities. And then I met Nate and some friends out for rum drinks at Smuggler’s Cove. Well…at least I woke up to these beauties sitting on my counter in the morning. I’m sure all of you food bloggers can relate to the fact that sometimes when an idea strikes for a recipe, you just need to go for it…and hold off on that shower.

corny9

I love experimenting with naturally gluten free flours. I’m all for using the one-for-one gluten free blends, with their mix of rice flours and tapioca starches, but I’d rather get the whole grain and whole foods goodness from other flours. Oat flour is one of my favorites - I love it’s hearty flavor and texture. Almond meal is another one of my favorite substitutes, but it is very dense and caloric. So I often combine almond meal with another flour, and that’s when I thought about joining its forces with cornmeal! A couple of years ago, when I found out that corn was actually a whole grain, it was one of those foodie facts that blew my mind. I guess I just always assumed it was part of the squash category.

corn2

This recipe is quick enough to whip up right when you land from a plane, but pretty and delicious enough to serve at a party. I took a whole case of raspberries and delicately placed them in between layers of this batter. Oh - and you can’t forget almond extract. I LOVE almond extract! The only way to accurately describe it is that it completely elevates a basic baked good into something that people go “what exactly is that?” Well, it’s just a teaspoon of almond extract, friends.

cofrn

Anyways, I’m pumped to have these in my fridge over the weekend for a dessert or a more hefty snack. I may have one this afternoon served with a spoonful of vanilla greek yogurt on top - now that sounds tasty! I’m glad I had the wherewithal to bake these and write down the ingredients so I can share them with you, despite my travel crazed behavior.

corn921

5.0 from 1 reviews
Cornmeal Almond Raspberry Bars (gluten free, dairy free)
 
Print
These naturally gluten free treats have an awesomely unique flavor due to the mix of almond flours and cornmeal. There are fresh raspberries studded in every bite!
Author:
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup cornmeal
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  2. Mix all ingredients but the raspberries together in a medium mixing bowl
  3. Line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper, or grease it well
  4. Pour ¾ of the batter into the bottom of the pan
  5. Cover the batter with a row of fresh raspberries
  6. Pour the rest of the batter over the row of raspberries - it's ok if it does not fully cover the row of raspberries! The batter will puff up around it and it's beautiful to have some raspberries poking through
  7. Bake for 25 minutes
  8. Remove from pan and let cool
  9. Cut into bars
  10. Store in the fridge!

If you like these, you’ll love: Red, White, and Blondies

Red, White, and Blondies | danicaliforniacooks.com

Red, White, and Blondies

by 41 Comments

Everyone loves a good blondie - especially when made patriotic with blueberries, cranberries, and white chocolate! An easy make-ahead treat for any BBQ (or to sneak a couple while everyone else is watching fireworks).

P1100139 One of my favorite things about being a food blogger is coming up with fun recipes for holidays that are happening around the corner! Like these heart-shaped poptarts for Valentines Day or these flourless macaroons for Passover. Granted, in the food world, there is honestly a holiday every day that you can celebrate. Let’s see what we’re celebrating this week! Well we have everything from Monday being National Onion Rings Day to Wednesday being National Pralines Day and yummm Friday is National Strawberry Parfait day. So I guess there is something I could always be creating recipes for..but the well-known holidays are the most fun because that usually means a PARTY or potluck of some sort! Now while I am passionately dedicated to making healthy recipes for this blog - food that I eat - let’s be clear here. These are not a health food. They are patriotic and full of BUTTER and super easy to whip up before any sort of upcoming Independence Day soiree.

blon
I have yet to form my 4th of July traditions yet. Last year I was in LA with my parents at Eric’s place for a BBQ and fireworks…the year before we were biking around Seattle…the year before that I was in also in LA with my parents…the year before that I was in DC perhaps…and several years in a row I was on some kind of summer vacation abroad. I love so much about this holiday, so I hope to form more traditions around it as I get older. This year we are going to be in New York City visiting my little brother who is interning there! I know most folks “escape the city” during the summer, so the Nemzer clan will be taking it by storm. While we’re on this topic - any restaurant recommendations for NYC?

P1100122 So back to the patriotic blondies. There are so many recipes out there on the interwebs for “red, white, and blue” fruit kabobs and I really wanted to do something more creative. The blondie batter is very standard - brown sugar, flour (use 1-1 gluten free if needed), eggs, etc. Fresh blueberries are added for a pop-in-your-mouth sweetness and juiciness, dried cranberries provide great tangy flavor and texture, and the white chocolate provides a necessary creaminess. The batter will be very thick and you will have to move it around your 8×8 baking pan to make sure all areas are covered. It may seem like not enough batter, but they will rise a bit in the oven and get to be the perfect height. After removing from the oven, they will almost look not done yet. That’s ok! Let them cool, and then pop them in the fridge until you’re ready to cut and serve. Hardening them up as much as possible will make them easier to cut. Bring to room temp before serving! P1090859

P1100165

Hope you find a way to fit these into your 4th of July traditions - I know I will!

5.0 from 2 reviews
Red, White, and Blondies
 
Print
Everyone loves a good blondie - especially when made patriotic for the 4th of July holiday with blueberries, cranberries, and white chocolate!
Author:
Serves: 1 dozen
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups flour (use 1-1 gluten free blend if gluten free)
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips
  • ½ cup blueberries
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Grease or line a 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment paper
  3. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the blueberries, raspberries, and white chocolate chips until well blended. You can also use a blender or a food processor to do this for you
  4. Fold in the blueberries and white chocolate chips
  5. Slowly fold in the raspberries - these will break easily so be gentle!
  6. Pour batter into the baking pan
  7. Bake for about 20-25 minutes
  8. Remove from oven - they will still be very soft
  9. Let cool completely before cutting (very important!!)
  10. Store in the fridge

If you like these, you’ll love: Extra Fudgy Paleo Zucchini Brownies

Extra Fudgy Paleo Zucchini Brownies | danicaliforniacooks.com

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

by 10 Comments

Finally! A healthier gluten free cookie not filled with a bunch of random flours. Satisfy your sweet tooth with these chewy delights - sweetened with only maple syrup and studded with chocolate chips!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com Seriously - these are so easy, delicious(!!), and the texture is SPOT ON. If you’ve been looking for a simple, healthier cookie that tastes awesome - whether you are gluten/dairy free or not - look no further. The ingredient list is short, as is the overall prep time. Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about this recipe. It’s so tough to find gluten and dairy free desserts that aren’t filled with a ton of weird flours and gums (xantham, guar) to give them a normal texture. Or the “dessert” can hardly claim the title of dessert it’s so [insert dry/tasteless/crumbly/flavorless adjective].

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com Definitely one of the hardest things to modify to a gluten and dairy free lifestyle is DESSERT! There are very few mainstream dessert items that don’t include one of those two ingredients, and I have to say, I find sorbet very unsatisfying. I’ve been doing fine when it comes to dessert because I adore chocolate. Nate, however, loves his ice cream, but he likes to be healthy too. So I made it my mission to play around with a few different recipes to see if I could make something that fit the bill - a healthier sweet treat that was also gluten and dairy free, and tasted good. Enter, my new go to recipe for PB oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com One of the things I love about this recipe is that these cookies are the perfect amount of sweet, with great spicy tones from the cinnamon and maple syrup. I based this recipe off of Sally’s Baking Addiction, but I swapped in maple syrup for sugar and upped the amount of oats. I love a good oat-y texture when it comes to my oatmeal cookies, and the maple syrup needed some extra dry ingredients to soak it all up. The peanut butter allows for no extra oil to be required for this recipe.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com I’ve made multiple versions of this recipe on Sunday, and we have a healthier treat to have around the house all week - and I promise, even folks who don’t keep gluten/dairy free will enjoy. They probably wouldn’t even know it if you didn’t tell them! It’s like when you sneak vegetables into a kid’s meal and they eat it unknowingly. Sneaky sneaky. Hope you enjoy as much as we do!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com

5.0 from 1 reviews
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
Print
Satisfy your sweet tooth with these healthier chewy and crispy gluten free cookies - sweetened with maple syrup and studded with chocolate chips! Originally recipe based off of Sally's Baking Addiction!
Author:
Serves: 15 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup peanut butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand for dairy free)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • Dash of salt
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together
  2. Form into a ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes
  3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
  4. On a greased baking pan or parchment paper, form 1-inch balls from the dough
  5. Slightly press down to flatten
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are starting to turn brown
  7. They will still be slightly soft when you remove from the oven
  8. Let cool and enjoy!

If you like this, you’ll love: Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dried Cherries (one of my earlier recipes on the blog!)

PaleoChocolateChipCookies

Gluten Free Chocolate Tartlets

by Leave a Comment

The ultimate flourless chocolate cake calls for only four ingredients. You only need one bite, which is why baking them in mini sizes is ideal for serving!

Gluten Free Chocolate Tartlets | danicaliforniacooks.com By the time you read this, Nate and I will be whizzing up the California coastline on Highway 1 in a 1984 pick up truck with all of our stuff! Woohoo!

Hands down, one of the best dessert chefs/bloggers out there is David Lebovitz. He lives in Paris and cooks insane food with butter and sugar - his Instagram is honestly transporting. I’ve always been intimidated by his recipes (homemade labneh, anyone?) but when searching for flourless chocolate cake recipes for Passover weeks ago, his came to the top of Google and its title was “Chocolate Idiot Cake”. Supposedly even an idiot could make it! This amateur baker liked where this was going .

Gluten Free Chocolate Tartlets | danicaliforniacooks.com Given that there was only four ingredients, I knew this baby was going to be rich. So rich that you didn’t even want more than one bite - an “amuse bouche” of a dessert, if you wish. I decided to modify the recipe to make mini tartes - tartlets! So I definitely owe the ingredients breakdown to Chef David, but if you don’t want to make an entire cake, follow my directions below. As we know, baking is a science and I was worried that if I modified his recipe in any way these things would turn out wrong. Well, that’s probably why he said that even an idiot could make this cake. It is really hard to screw up baking chocolate, butter, sugar, and eggs. No matter the size, if you undercook or overcook it, if you end up serving it straight out of the pan, if you can’t even make it to the baking portion because this batter (can you even call it batter?) is so ridiculously rich and delicious.

Gluten Free Chocolate Tartlets | danicaliforniacooks.com So I certainly agree with David - the first couple of steps of this recipe is definitely something any basic chef could do. Melt butter and chocolate, and whisk in eggs and sugar. That’s it. But given that this dessert is so rich and full of moisture, it gets a little more complicated than that. Make sure you grease that tart pan VERY WELL before putting in the batter.I think my parents found me brandishing the knife at the first round of these because they stuck to the pan, squealing about how I “ruined Passover” and that everything was ugly and “how is it possible for even an idiot to make these?!” Well, it doesn’t matter how ugly these things look because you could serve crumbles of them they taste SO good. David recommends using a springform pan for when you cook in cake form - less sticking.

Gluten Free Chocolate Tartlets | danicaliforniacooks.com
We served these at Passover with homemade whipped cream (no sugar added - this cake is so rich the whipped cream needs no additional sweetness) and fresh fruit alongside my Strawberry Vanilla Macaroons. And the mini bites of them was all that you really needed. We saved extra to pass along throughout the week and everyone was kind of blown away with how good these flourless treats were. I will definitely be making this recipe again, but only for special occasions.

Gluten Free Chocolate Tartlets | danicaliforniacooks.com

Gluten Free Chocolate Torte-letts
 
Print
Prep time
Total time
 
The ultimate flourless chocolate cake needs only four ingredients. Recipe adapted from the genius David Lebovitz!
Author:
Serves: 2 dozen
Ingredients
  • 1¾ cup dark chocolate (chopped or chips)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 1¾ sticks of butter, room temperature
  • Extra butter or cooking spray for greasing
  • Optional: cocoa powder, powdered sugar, fruit, or whipped cream for serving!
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Using a double boiler, melt together the dark chocolate and butter
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together
  4. Pour in the chocolate butter mixture, and mix thoroughly - it will be the consistency of pudding
  5. Grease your mini tart pan WELL, using cooking spray and/or butter
  6. Pour the batter into each tart shell, until almost reaching the top
  7. Cover the pan with tin foil
  8. Fill a glass baking dish with about ½ inch of water, and place the pan in the dish. The water should come up to about halfway to the pan
  9. Bake for 50 minutes
  10. Remove and let cool, then pop out with a knife
  11. Dust cocoa powder or powdered sugar over the torte-lettes
  12. Serve at room temperature with fruit or whipped cream
Notes
These can be made up to several days ahead - they were tasting better than ever throughout the week!
If you like these, you’ll love: Five Flourless Dessert Ideas for Passover (or any time of the year!)

almond-lemon-torte-with-fresh-strawberries

No Bake Vegan Brownies

by 4 Comments

Looking for a healthy, gluten free dessert to whip up that requires no baking and only four ingredients? This (surprisingly) crowd-pleasing brownies recipe has got you covered!

Brownies44 Whether you’re a home chef or a professional recipe developer - there are some times when you know what you’ve put together is going to be a hit, and other times when you’re a bit shy and nervous to allow your taste testers to give their feedback. I’ve certainly had quite a few misses when I’ve tried a new recipe or done one from “memory”. Like the one time I tried to make frozen bananas and the almond butter shelling just sludged right off when I removed from the freezer? And when I was younger, and my brother and I made cookies and we FORGOT THE FLOUR? Oh, the flashbacks! Anyways, I was having two of my closest guy friends over for dinner a few weeks ago, and I had cooked up a hearty main course that I knew everyone was going to like. But when it came to dessert, I opened the fridge and we had no eggs! So I needed to improvise when it came to dessert.

Brownies23 I gravitated towards the food processor instead of the oven for this one, and mixed up oats, dates, chopped dark chocolate and coconut oil until the texture and consistency was right. It smelled heavenly! After popping in the fridge for a bit and then cutting into squares, I knew that I personally loved how these turned out and could easily eat the entire batch. But two hungry 20-something-year-old boys? I figured they’d balk at “vegan” and “no bake”. So I set out some ice cream from Sweet Rose Creamery (if you live in the LA area - you MUST GO HERE. I’m not a huge ice cream person but I had a revelation at Sweet Rose) and I also gingerly placed these brownies to the side.

Brownies90 I probably introduced these brownies in a way that was not setting them up for any success (“ummm so I tried something new today…they are healthy…not sure if you’ll like them…but yeah” and my friends and family eagerly grabbed one or two and exclaimed “these are actually really good!” I was surprised! Particularly surprised that my mom really liked them because she tends to be very traditional when it comes to the sweets she enjoys. We finished the entire batch! So I am DEFINITELY going to make these again for a work event or a party, because I know they will please all palettes and everyone will be surprised with the healthy ingredient breakdown.

Brownies45 So I’ll have my misses here in the DCC kitchen, but I’ll try and share only the hits with you. Thankfully, this one is a keeper. Happy non-baking, y’all!

No Bake Vegan Brownies | danicaliforniacooks.com

No Bake Vegan Brownies
 
Print
These crowd-pleasing vegan and gluten free brownies require only four healthy ingredients and no oven!
Author:
Serves: 1 dozen
Ingredients
  • 1 cup oats
  • ½ cup chopped dates
  • ⅓ cup chopped dark chocolate
  • 1½ tbsp coconut oil, room temperature
  • Kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients, minus the salt, in a food processor
  2. Pulse until ingredients are well combined and sticking together - will take 2-3 minutes
  3. Form into a ball and cover in plastic wrap
  4. Let refrigerate for several minutes to harden
  5. Using a rolling pin, roll until ¼ inch thick and cut into squares
  6. Re-roll excess dough and cut into squares until all the dough is gone
  7. Sprinkle a little salt over each
  8. Store in the fridge, remove for 10 minutes before serving!
If you like this, you’ll love: Chocolate Banana Bread Snack Balls

Chocolate Banana Bread Snack Balls | danicaliforniacooks.com

Strawberry Vanilla Macaroons

by 2 Comments

These gluten and dairy free macaroons get their beautiful color from dried strawberries. They take minimal ingredients and are a serious spring crowd pleaser!

Macaroon1 Ugh, these are so cute. Little ice cream scoops, no?

I’ve ranted before about how I’m a much better home chef than I am a baker. Maybe it’s because I save all of my patience for editing powerpoint slides at work, but when it comes to the kitchen, I don’t want to wait long for something to bake and cool before I can taste to see if it turns out well. Impatient cooks are definitely the ones who determined how freakin’ delicious raw cookie dough is! They were like, “mission accomplished, no reason to throw these in the oven”.

So bakers like me LOVE making coconut macaroons. They require very few ingredients, no mixer, no sifter, and don’t take long to bake.

Strawberry Vanilla Macaroons | danicaliforniacooks.com This recipe was brought about for a couple of reasons. 1 - I had to make a dessert for Passover and therefore it had to be flourless. 2 - my best friend who would be in attendance at the Passover dinner is allergic to nuts, so that sent almond flour out the window. And 3 - spring has arrive and it is about time to celebrate those colors! Most macaroons use some type of flour for binding (my classic Chocolate Macaroons use almond meal) but I substituted crushed up dehydrated strawberries in it’s place - color, texture, and natural sugar all in one ingredient. Boom.

Macaroons4 Along with the crushed up dehydrated strawberries is sweetened, shredded coconut ( you can try using unsweetened, but you may need to add additional sugar to the recipe), a hefty dosage of vanilla extract, and egg whites. I added a couple of teaspoons of beet juice to enhance the color of these macaroons, but I honestly don’t think it did much. Then you spoon these cuties onto a baking sheet and baking for about 15 minutes or so, depending on your oven. Macaroons will start to brown in a FLASH, so pull them out of the oven before they start to change their color. They should be light brown on the bottom part of the macaroon attached to the pan. Unless you like a little extra toasty coconut action, like I do. Then you can leave ’em in for a bit longer.
Maracoons88 So there you have it. A nut-free, grain-free, and flour-free dessert that will please all parties. The attendees of the party I brought these to thought they were professionally done, so I hope this proves that even novice and impatient bakers can create impressive desserts every once and a while. Another problem with me and baking? If I don’t give away all of the desserts, I’ll probably pick and them in bits and pieces until they are alllllll gone. Strawberry Vanilla Macaroons | danicaliforniacooks.com

Strawberry Vanilla Macaroons
 
Print
Cook time
Total time
 
These gluten free and dairy free macaroons get their beautiful color and flavor from dried strawberries.
Author:
Serves: 2 dozen
Ingredients
  • 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup dried strawberries, finely chopped (I used Trader Joe's unsulfured and unsweetened brand)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Optional: 1 tsp of beet juice for dye
  • Optional: Melted chocolate for drizzle
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mix ingredient together, making sure the strawberries are distributed evenly throughout the "dough"
  3. Spoon half-dome shaped spoonfuls of the dough mixture on a greased baking sheet (you can use a small ice cream scoop, a spoon, or your hands to form)
  4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, and remove the minute they start to turn golden. They may still look undercooked and squishy, but their texture will improve upon cooling
  5. Let cool on a baking rack, and enjoy!
  6. Optional: If wanting to decorate with a little chocolate, once the macaroons have cooled slightly, melt chocolate chips of choice over a double boiler. Drizzle over the macaroons, and place in the refrigerator to set.

Paleo Almond Joy Thumbprint Cookies

by 2 Comments

These Almond Joy inspired grain-free treats are almost too cute to eat, but you can’t say no to chocolate and coconut!
Paleo Thumbprint Chocolate Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com

So I wrote a whole post and then it deleted itself…so I snacked on a couple of these instead and started over. I think most of the writing was just me rambling on about how much I love chocolate and coconut. Blah blah chocolate on its own, coconut on its own, chocolate and coconut together - probably for the best that it’s lost in cyberspace. We had a bunch of Almond Joys around after Halloween, and after scarfing most of them I realized that I could probably create my own treat with similar flavors, just no processed sugars. Also, do you know how hard it is to type thumbprint?! I must have used three variations of that word throughout this post. Thumpbrint sounds like the next big dance move. Anyways, I feel like my eating has been quite decadent recently with lots of holiday parties and birthday soirees so I needed to make something to satisfy a sweet tooth and bring me back on track.

Paleo Thumbprint Chocolate Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com

The basic paleo cookie dough batter is really simple, and I think that’s why I often gravitate towards paleo baking when I want to whip up something sweet and healthy. I like that I usually have the ingredients that I need on-hand already, and then I can step up the recipe with any other items that I may have in my pantry at that moment. Like for example, my Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dried Cherries. I think (I know) the dried cherries were an afterthought. But back to the dough - all it is is almond flour, eggs, baking powder, coconut oil and maple syrup. I usually add some cinnamon for warmth, and this time, I added a ton of shredded coconut.

Paleo Thumbprint Chocolate Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com

I think these look particularly festive, and you can even change up what you place in the thumbprint spot to have a variety of cookies. Any types of jam would work great here, or if you wanted to melt different kinds of chocolate and filling these up before letting them set. I even thought about sprinkling additional coconut on top of the dark chocolate, for a “snow effect”. Unfortunately, my dark chocolate didn’t melt well. I used Lily’s brand of dark chocolate, which are sweetened with Stevia. Either I messed up the double boiling process (definitely possible) or this chocolate doesn’t melt well. Didn’t matter, because these still tasted delicious.

Paleo Thumbprint Chocolate Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com

You can let these beauties set in the fridge, but since the chocolate melted so funky I just let them stay on the counter and they hardened up very fast. We enjoyed these on my birthday, the day after Osteria Mozza’s decadent meal for a lighter dessert option. Although it’s hard to have just one!

Paleo Almond Joy Thumbprint Cookies
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Enjoy this paleo cookie twist on your favorite Almond Joy classic.
Author:
Serves: 14 cookies
Ingredients
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1 bag of chocolate chips (use Enjoy Life or similar brand if strict paleo)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Mix all your ingredients but the chocolate in a large mixing bowl
  3. Form dough into little balls on a cookie baking sheet
  4. Press your thumbs down into each ball to form thumbprints
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of your cookie. They should look golden brown in the oven!
  6. Double boil your chocolate
  7. When the cookies have cooled, fill each thumbprint with chocolate
  8. Let set and enjoy!

Paleo Thumbprint Chocolate Cookies | danicaliforniacooks.com

Classic Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

by 2 Comments

If you’ve been searching for a classic pumpkin loaf recipe, look no further! This moist quickbread is full of warming pumpkin spices and sweet chocolate chips. I’m drooling as I write this!

Classic Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread | danicaliforniacooks.com I know what you’re thinking- “really? another pumpkin recipe?” And while we’ve certainly moved on from Pumpkin Spice Latte season to Eggnog Latte season (yup, Starbucks is making these now…) I definitely think that it still appropriate to consume pumpkin in all forms. I have made a variety of pumpkin breads and muffins, and this is by far the best recipe ever. I am looking forward to going back to this post throughout the winter months to use this when baking - I’m glad its documented! Shoutout to HomeSweetJones for providing the pumpkin bread inspiration. Classic Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread | danicaliforniacooks.com This recipe came about when I knew I was traveling to Cambodia for Thanksgiving. I knew I wanted to bring a taste of the holiday to Phnom Penh for Nate and I to enjoy. Turkey certainly wouldn’t travel well for the 20+ hour trip…neither would pie or mashed potatoes. The only cooked items that seem to travel well over time are baked goods (and PB&Js). So that’s when I knew - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves it was! I didn’t want to bring a gigantic loaf with me to Cambodia - pretty sure we wouldn’t eat it all - so I decided to make mini loaves for the cuteness factor and ease of travel. Baking in these small amounts also leads to a really nice texture in the breads itself. Classic Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread | danicaliforniacooks.com I also told Nate I wasn’t going to “healthify” the recipe. He’s definitely sampled his fair share of healthified recipes from myself and his mom, so I just wanted to bake something really classic for our mini Thanksgiving. Also, I’m not a great baker and wanted to make sure this recipe was foolproof, and it is! You mix your dry ingredients, and then your wet ingredients, and then you stir in two cups of chocolate chips and divide among your mini loaf pans. I think what makes this recipe better than all chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipes out there is the spice. You add about 4 tbsp of pumpkin spice to the batter and that mixed with the pureed pumpkin and chocolate chips is to. die. for. Classic Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread | danicaliforniacooks.com I poured the batter very close to the top off these mini loaf pans, and that’s why I was only able to fit five. However, if you leave more than a half inch at the top of your mini loaf pans when you pour in the batter, you will definitely be able to fit six. I ended up making a half dozen mini muffins out of the rest of the batter left over, which my brother promptly ate for breakfast. Classic Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread | danicaliforniacooks.com They take a considerable amount of time to bake - around an hour - and your house will smell heavenly. I packaged up two of these loaves in saran wrap (wow - I’ve been spelling that syran wrap all along) and some foil, and tucked them in tightly into my suitcase. Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, Nate and I made our way back to our hotel for some R&R and pumpkin bread. Classic Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread | danicaliforniacooks.com I have to say, this spicy, chocolate-y pumpkin bread held up wonderfully throughout the travels and we enjoyed several slices right away, and nibbled throughout it throughout the vacation for a little Thanksgiving spirit all the way in Southeast Asia. I gave Nate the other loaf I had brought for his enjoyment after I left, and he sent me several snapchats looking like he was making serious headway finishing it off himself. I hope you haven’t given up on pumpkin yet this season, and incorporate this recipe into your holiday baking this season!

Classic Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
You'll never need another chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe again - this one is spicy, sweet, moist and full of chocolate chips!
Author:
Serves: 6 mini loaves
Ingredients
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin (I used Trader Joe's brand)
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable or coconut oil
  • 4 eggs
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 3½ cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 4 tsp pumpkin spice
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips!!!!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients except chocolate chips
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together all wet ingredients
  4. Fold in wet ingredients into dry bowl
  5. Using a whisk, beat mixture until smooth
  6. Fold in chocolate chips
  7. Grease your loaf pans and pour, leaving about an inch at the top. These babies will rise!
  8. Pop them in the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
  9. Take out of the oven and let cool
  10. Enjoy!
Notes
The bake time will definitely depend on how much batter you put in each loaf pan - mine were pretty dense and took almost an hour, even though they were mini loaves

If you want to bake these as muffins, they will only take 20-25 minutes. My little extra muffins turned out wonderfully light and fluffy!

If you want to bake in one large loaf pan, I'm guessing this will take anywhere from 60-75 minutes to bake


 Classic Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread | danicaliforniacooks.com