Matcha Power Cookies {Vegan + Gluten Free}

This 20 minute, 1 bowl cookie is, without a doubt, my favourite cookie recipe.

These matcha power cookies are irresistible! They’re…

super filling

energy-boosting

hearty

delicious

healthy

vegan

gluten free

refined sugar free

easy to customize

and loaded with goodies that pack a protein and energy punch.

Each cookie is full of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips, and matcha. They’re great before or during a workout, to pack in your bag for picnics and hikes or just to tide you over in the mid morning or afternoon. They’re just sweet enough, chewy, crunchy, earthy, and have a subtle hint of matcha.

Over the last few months I’ve been chatting with Cecilia Iliesiu (author of the blog Zest to Dream). She was doing a 60 day vegan challenge, so we chatted a lot about food and exercise. We both have active lifestyles and we both love matcha, so we decided to try and test some recipes for power snacks which include matcha – the idea being to have something hearty that would wake you up and give you energy and fuel for a workout. This cookie recipe is the result of a lot of overseas emails and shared ideas! Since I made these cookies for the first time a few months ago I’ve been making them almost every week and can’t get enough!

They’re so much fun to play around with too. You can change up the add-ins and add anything you’d like! And these cookies are all about the add-ins. The flour that you use only plays a small part and pretty much any flour will work! In my first batch I used a mixture of buckwheat flour, chickpea flour and ground almonds, but since then I’ve also tried it using all buckwheat flour, all quinoa flour and various other mixtures including oat flour and millet flour. Cecilia has also tried them with all purpose flour and almond flour and had success with both of those as well! So i’m guessing that any flour or flour mixture you have on hand will work.

Besides being so good for you, these cookies are super easy to whip up!  All you need is 1 bowl, 1 spoon, a mixer or blender and 20 minutes time. Then you’re good to go.  You start by mixing together the dry ingredients including all your add-ins. Then blend up up the wet, stir them together and blob onto a cookie tray. Then let the oven do it’s work and you’ll have warm, steamy, fresh-from-the-oven cookies in no time.

Before baking: 

After Baking: 

These cookies have a little bit of everything good; hearty pumpkin and sunflower seeds, superfood matcha, flax and/or chia seeds, crunchy walnut chunks, sweet and gooey raisins and slightly sweet, slightly bitter dark chocolate. You can’t stop after one.

They also freeze really well so to avoid eating the whole batch while they’re warm on the counter, I recommend leaving a few out to eat fresh and freezing the rest so that you can grab one when needed.

And if you feel like getting creative, there are so many other things you could do with these!

• Try using banana or pumpkin puree instead of applesauce
• Instead of rolled oats try quinoa flakes, pops or cooked quinoa (Cecilia tried with half oats and half cooked quinoa and loved it!).
• And change up the add-ins!
• substitute the matcha for any other powder.. cocoa, carob, acai, espresso or regular coffee.

These cookies really are versatile and really fun to  play with! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!!

 

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Matcha Power Cookies

Makes 18-20 large cookies

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Dry ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups four  (As noted above, this has been tested with many different flours. My orignal recipe was with 1/2 a cup chickpea flour, 1/2 cup buckwheat flour and 1/3 cup almond meal, but any single flour or flour mixture seems to work well!)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 heaping tbsp matcha green tea
• 1/2 tsp ground vanilla (liquid would also work but then add it to the wet ingredients)
• pinch of salt
• 2 1/4 cups of add-ins:
  • 1.5 cups pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks (I used a naturally sweetened vegan chocolate bar and chopped it up)

Wet Ingredients

• 1/4 cup flax seeds  + 3/4 cups water (or substitute chia seeds)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (doesn’t need to be melted)
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 3/4 cup maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix flax (or chia) and water in a small cup or bowl and set aside for ~5 minutes
3. Mix all dry ingredients (except the add ins) in a large bowl. Once well mixed, stir in the add-ins
4. In a mixer or blender, mix all wet ingredients including the flax+water mixture until well combined (~30 seconds)
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and use a wooden spoon to combine everything. Stir well so there is no visible flour left! You should have a thick, chunky mixture.
6. Place heaping spoonfuls of the dough onto your baking sheet and use a fork dipped in water to flatten the cookies and shape them a bit.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then let cool before eating.

 

 

 

Nacho Chili Cheese Log

This Nacho Chili Cheese Log is easy to make, doesn’t require any special ingredients or equipment and can be ready to eat in under an hour.  It’s a perfect appetizer or addition to any happy hour spread.

Texture: creamy and smooth on the inside with pieces of chopped onion and sundried tomato scattered throughout. Crunchy on the outside.

Flavour: salty & savoury, intense, sharp, spicy, garlicky and with hint of oaked white wine

This cheese can be rolled into two logs, or a ball and it’s a perfect addition to cheese plates. Or if you’d rather, you can forgo the nachos and just slop the mixture into a tupperware and store it in the fridge for an easy sandwich spread.

This log is really easy and you only need 9 ingredients plus olive oil for frying and  salt + pepper for seasoning. First you quick soak the cashews for 20 minutes, then mix them with all other ingredients, season with salt and pepper and the base is done. After that you crush some tortilla chips onto a plate, roll the cashew mixture into 2 log shapes and then roll the logs in crushed chips. It’s that easy!

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Nacho Chili Cheese Log

Makes 2 logs or 1 ball

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• 1 1/4 cup cashews
• 3.5 tbsp dry white wine
• 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 6 large cloves of garlic
• 1/3  cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (preferably dry. If in oil, dry them with paper towels first and get as much oil off as possible)
• 1 red chili pepper (or 2-3 dried chilis. Adjust to your preferred level of heat)
• Olive oil for the frying pan
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Handful of tortilla chips, crushed

Directions 

1. Soak the cashews in boiling water for 20-30 minutes  or until they feel soft.
2. Chop the onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and chili into small pieces and and put them in a frying pan with about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the onions turn golden brown (10-12 minutes).
3. Drain the cashews and put them into a food processor with the white wine, coconut oil and nutritional yeast. Mix until the mixture is very smooth. The consistency should be quite thick.
4. Spoon the cashew mixture into a small bowl. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. You need quite a bit of salt if you want a flavour similar to real cheese.
5. Using a spoon, stir the onion mixture into the cashew mixture.
6. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes
7. While the mixture is in the freezer crush some tortilla chips and spread them out evenly on a plate.
8. Take the cashew mixture out of the freezer and use your hands to shape it into two logs.
9. Roll each log in the crushed nacho chips. You may need to add more chips after the first one is done.
10. Place on a covered plate and refrigerate for an hour or more. You can also eat it right away but it will be softer. Both ways are good!

 

 

 

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Crumble Parfaits

These Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Crumble Parfaits are 4 layers of creamy, crunchy, smooth, sweet and tart goodness served up parfait style. Even with 4 layers they’re so easy that they practically make themselves. If you can cut, stir, and spoon each part into a cup then these are totally for you. Each layer is super simple to make and the result is a delicious mixture of spring infused flavours and textures.

This is the perfect dessert for all things spring! It’s light, refreshing, simple, gourmet looking, you can make it ahead of time, and it makes a perfect addition to spring picnics, potlucks, dinner parties, bbq’s or any other event!

The stars of this recipe are definitely the strawberry and rhubarb. Together they make a perfect combination of sweet and sour flavours that are complimented by creamy vanilla infused chia pudding, and sweet and crunchy granola for a crumble like texture.

So how do you make them?? They’re so simple, and each layer holds really well in the fridge so you can make them a day ahead of time.

First you mix together the ingredients for the chia pudding. All you have to do is stir together some chia seeds, milk, and vanilla, put it in the fridge and after a couple hours it magically turns into a creamy tapioca like pudding.

Then you make the strawberry rhubarb compote. Just chop up the strawberries and rhubarb. Throw them into a pot with some water, vanilla and maple syrup and cook for 8-10 minutes.

While that’s cooking away just put the rest of your strawberries into a bowl with some lemon juice, vanilla and maple syrup and layer is 3 done.

And last but not least the granola.  All you have to do is stir together some oats, almond meal, walnuts and vanilla and toast it in a frying pan with coconut oil and maple syrup.

Then all that’s left is to assemble your parfaits!

Just spoon everything into a glass in whatever order and whatever proportions you desire. Then get a spoon and dig in.

Got leftovers?  The strawberry rhubarb compote keeps well in the fridge and makes a wonderful addition to muesli, oatmeal or as a pancake topping.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Crumble Parfaits

serves 2-4 depending on the size of your cups

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Chia Pudding Layer

• 4 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
• 1/4 tsp ground vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until it thickens to a tapioca like consistency.

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote Layer

• 2 stalks of rhubarb sliced into thin pieces
• 1/4 tsp ground vanilla
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1/4 tsp)
• 1 cup chopped strawberries

Put sliced rhubarb, vanilla, water, and maple syrup into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for ~8 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Once the rhubarb is soft, mash it a bit with a fork so there are no big slices left. When you’ve reached your desired consistency, stir in the lemon juice and the strawberries and add more maple syrup to taste.

Strawberry Layer

• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside

Granola Crumble Layer

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 tsp ground vanilla
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. While it’s melting mix together the oats, almond meal, walnuts and vanilla. Once the oil is melted breifly take the frying pan off of the burner. Stir in the oat mixture until the oil is well incorporated. Then drizzle the maple syrup on top and mix around. Put back on the burner and toast until browned (8-10 minutes) stirring occasionally.

 

Salted Peanut Butter Caramel Latte Brownies

10 ingredients

20 minutes

Quick

Easy

Gluten free

Vegan

Naturally Sweetened

fudgey, decadent and delicious

These brownies are a perfect snack to store in the freezer and pop out when you’re in need of a chocolate fix.  And they can be thrown together in a short time and with basic ingredients that you probably already have.The steps are simple! You start by making a basic raw brownie base. All you have to do is blend together some…

oats

walnuts

dates

and cocoa powder

Plus a pinch of vanilla and espresso for an extra flavour boost.

Once the brownie base is all pressed into the pan then you top it with a delicious, crunchy, gooey, sweet and salty peanut butter caramel sauce that only has 3 ingredients and only takes about 30 seconds to make. Then the caramel layer is topped with a rich chocolate sauce that hardens in the freezer. The best part is that the peanut butter and brownie layer don’t get too hard even though they’re stored in the freezer. So these squares are chewy, creamy, and crunchy all at once. The chocolate sauce only has 4 ingredients and takes about a minute to stir together.Store in the freezer for 10 minutes or until the chocolate hardens slightly. Then slice and keep stored in the freezer to keep them fresh and keep the chocolate from melting.

 

These brownies are full of protein, fiber and healthy fats and they’re perfect to take on spring picnics, have for dessert, a snack, or even breakfast!

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Salted Peanut Butter Caramel Latte Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

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Brownie Base

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp ground vanilla powder (or liquid vanilla)
• 1/2 tbsp espresso powder
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1.5 cups chopped dates
• 1/4 cup hot water

Peanut Butter Layer

• 3 tbsp peanut butter (if not salted then add a pinch of salt)
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Topping

• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp agave
• 1 tsp espresso powder

1. Line a 9′ square pan with parchment paper
2. Make the brownie base : In a blender, or with a hand mixer, blend the rolled oats until they resemble flour. Add the vanilla powder, espresso and cocoa and mix with a spoon until well combined. Add the walnuts, dates and hot water (make sure that the walnuts and dates are chopped. Especially if you aren’t using a high speed blender).  Mix/blend until everything is well combined and you have a thick, sticky mixture. Add a little more hot water if needed.
3. Press the mixture into the pan. Once it’s all pressed in, use the back of a spoon dipped in hot water to spread it around evenly.
4. Make the peanut butter layer: Mix all 3 ingredients until well combined and pour evenly over the brownie.
5. Make the chocolate topping: Stir all 4 ingredients together until well combined and pour over the peanut butter layer.
6. Freeze for about 10 minutes or until the chocolate hardens. Slice into 16 squares and keep stored in the freezer.

 

 

Bite Size Salted Caramel Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

These little bite-size chocolate peanut butter cups are to die for.

With just 6 ingredients and under 2o minutes of hands on prep work plus a little waiting around time while they freeze, these chocolate snacks are a perfect healthy Easter treat. They’re bite-sized, sweet, and decadent but much healthier than the traditional versions! The hard chocolate coating gives way to a creamy, caramelly, peanut-buttery centre that melts in your mouth.

The first step is to make a simple raw chocolate sauce. All you have to do is stir together some melted coconut oil with maple syrup and cocoa powder.  Then spoon some into your candy cups and freeze for 10 minutes.

Then, while the cups are freezing make the peanut butter filling. I call it salted caramel peanut butter because adding a little maple syrup to peanut butter and stirring in some milk and vanilla transforms it into a sticky and delicious spread with the taste and consistency of caramel.

Once the chocolate has set, just spoon the peanut butter mixture into your cups and top with extra chocolate. Freeze for half an hour and then they’re ready to eat!

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Bite Sized Salted Caramel Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 15 cups

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Chocolate Coating

• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp agave or maple syrup
• 12 tbsp cocoa powder

Peanut Butter Filling

• 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 1.5 tbsp maple syrup
• 1.5 tbsp almond milk or other milk
• 1/4 tsp ground vanilla powder (or liquid vanilla)
• a pinch of salt if your peanut butter is unsalted

1. In a small glass, mix the ingredients for the chocolate coating and stir well.
2. Use a small spoon to line 15 little candy cups (looks like a muffin liner but the size of what a chocolate truffle would come in) with chocolate sauce. Just spoon a little bit into the bottom so that it is covered and then use the back of the spoon to go up the sides and coat them to the top. You should have chocolate sauce left over.
3. Put the chocolate coated candy cups on a plate and place them in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes or until hardened
4. While the chocolate is freezing, make the peanut butter sauce:  In a small bowl or mug mix all the ingredients until well combined and it has a consistency like caramel (see photos).
5. Spoon the peanut butter filling into each cup so that each one is about 3/4 full
6. Spoon the rest of the chocolate on top of the peanut butter and freeze for 30 minutes to set and harden