Like me, you probably consider chocolate chip cookies to be a bit of an indulgence, meant only for those times when you deserve them. But some days you just need a cookie without the guilt or judgment. If today is one of those days, I’m here to offer you a solution: try these cookies! For this recipe I swapped out all the traditional ingredients (flour, butter, eggs, sugar) for good stuff like lentils and cashews and I’m thrilled by the results—they’re thin and crispy around the edges yet soft and chewy on the inside and studded with just the right number of chocolate chips.

This is the story of a girl who has become a little obsessed with flourless, legume-based baking. I’ve shared a few other recipes like this before:

• Flourless plant-powered protein brownies
• Chickpea cookie dough balls
• Dark chocolate, sweet potato and black bean brownies
• Flourless mocha bean cookies
• Adzuki pudding tarts

But this time, oh boy. The results were incredible. I literally danced around my kitchen in pure joy and praised the baking gods for gifting me with such a cookie. In fact, I was in such disbelief that I retested them too many times to count, you know, just to make sure.

Seriously, lentils can do that?

And, indeed, this recipe is going to change your life much like it did mine. Because I’m here to share my secrets with you.

First, let’s talk about how awesome lentils are. Not only are they an easy and cheap source of protein, but they are also fat free, high in fibre and rich in a number of essential nutrients like iron and folate. They are also super versatile: you can add them to salads, stir them into pasta sauce or cook up a mean Indian dhal. Unfortunately, it seems lentils have needlessly taken the back burner in many vegans’ kitchens ever since the aquafaba craze started not long ago, which is why I wanted to highlight them in this recipe. The best part is that dry red lentils cook up super quick (8 to 10 minutes) and then, when processed together with some cashews, they take on a lovely smooth texture. I’ve become infatuated with this discovery!

I added only a wee bit of coconut sugar to sweeten them up, a tablespoon of coconut oil to help give them a spreadable texture and crispy edges, and a good doze of vanilla (extract and powder) for flavour. The vanilla bean powder, in particular, gives these cookies that extra oomph in the flavour department. If you don’t have any vanilla bean powder on hand, fear not! You can just make them without it.

Even though this recipe is actually quite easy, I’ve learned a few tricks along the way, so here are some helpful notes:

• The consistency of your cooked lentils is important to getting smooth and consistent results. Be sure to cook the lentils until very soft. Run your spoon across the bottom of the pan to determine whether all the water is absorbed. The consistency should be thick and soft, kind of like mushy porridge, and might start to stick to the bottom of your pan when done.
• The dough should be much thinner than regular cookie dough, more like cake batter. When you scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet, it should spread out fairly easily. Whatever shape you make them will be the shape of the final cookie, so use your finger to shape and smooth them into thin, circular shapes.
• Processing the cashews and lentils might cause your dough to warm up, and consequently melt your chocolate chips once added. To avoid this, just sprinkle on the chocolate chips after you’ve scooped the batter onto your cookie sheet. I learned this after shooting these photos, so just imagine plump chocolate chips on top.
• I highly recommend eating one or two after they’ve baked and cooled for about half an hour. They are soooo good when eaten freshly made. Plus, someone needs to do the taste-testing, right?

Enjoy!

Flourless chocolate chip cookies

Yield: 8 to 10 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup dry red lentils
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder (optional but recommended)
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 to 3 tablespoons dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a saucepan, combine the water and red lentils and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and allow to cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils are very soft and the water has absorbed. Watch carefully as the water can boil over easily. Once soft, remove from heat and drain through a fine mesh strainer. Rinse with cool water and use the back of a spoon or spatula to press out any excess water. The lentils might start turning mushy, but that's okay!
3. Using a food processor, process the cashews until they start to turn into a paste. Stop and scrape down the sides of the processor container as needed. Add the coconut oil and process again until smooth.
4. Measure out 3/4 cup of the cooked lentils (if you have some left over, save them for supper). Add them to the food processor along with the coconut sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder and vanilla powder. Process until smooth. It should be a fairly wet dough, more like cake batter than a typical cookie dough.
5. Scoop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, about 2 tablespoons each. The dough should spread out fairly easily. Use a clean finger to shape them into circles about 1/4 inch thick and smooth out the top. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely. They tend to soften slightly once stored. Recrisp them by baking at 300F for about five minutes.

Outdoor entertaining season is here and I’m ready to rock it out at our next backyard party with this amazing vegan skillet s’mores dip, complete with homemade graham crackers!

I can’t take credit for the idea (thanks Food Network) but I did put my own spin on it by making it vegan. Think crunchy graham cracker crumbs topped with warm, melted chocolate and gooey toasted marshmallow. You use the graham crackers as a layer in the dip as well as a vehicle for scooping!

The marshmallow is made from the beloved chickpea water (aka aquafaba), the liquid drained from canned or cooked chickpeas which, when whisked with a little guar gum and sugar, creates a thick, fluffy and slightly sticky texture reminiscent of real marshmallows. When this dip is baked for a few minutes the marshmallow topping becomes a little crispy on top just like toasted marshmallows over an open fire. It’s magical.

Since vegan graham crackers are so hard to find, I went ahead and created a super easy oat-based version. The great part is that the dough is soft enough that it doesn’t require rolling out with a rolling pin—you just spread it out onto a cookie sheet, score it and bake! How awesome is that? Feel free to make a double batch so you can have them on hand when another s’mores dip craving hits (trust me, it’ll happen).

Once you have those components made, the assembly is very quick. Take a cast iron skillet (I used a 12-inch skillet), spread out a layer of crushed graham crackers, then a layer of chocolate chips, then a layer of marshmallow creme (you can pipe it like I did or just spread it with a spoon). Then put the whole thing in the oven for a few minutes, broil for a minute to brown the top, and then serve with the rest of the graham crackers for dipping!

This is genius and the absolute perfect party dip. Seriously. Make it now.

Vegan skillet s'mores dip with easy oat graham crackers

Yield: enough for a crowd

Ingredients:

For the oat graham crackers:

• 1 1/2 cups oat flour (use certified gluten-free if needed)
• 1/2 cup oat bran (use certified gluten-free if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

For the marshmallow creme:

• 3/4 cup chickpea water (the liquid drained from one 19-ounce can of chickpeas)
• 11/2 teaspoons guar gum
• 2/3 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the dip:

• 2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips

Directions:

To make the oat graham crackers:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, oat bran, cinnamon and baking soda.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, maple syrup, water, vanilla and molasses. Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms.
3. Pour the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to spread into a thin, even 10x14 inch rectangle (it should spread out fairly easily).  Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F.
4. Remove the cookie sheet from the fridge and score into 2x2 inch squares (I use a pizza cutter) by making vertical and then horizontal cuts all the way across the dough. Using a fork, poke holes in each scored cracker.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until dry to the touch and golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and score the dough again through the same score lines so it’s easier to separate them once cool. Allow to cool completely before breaking apart.

To make the marshmallow creme:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment, combine the chickpea brine and guar gum. Mix on high speed for 10 minutes (no less!), until the mixture is fluffy and pure white. It should increase in volume and climb up the whisk.
2. Add the cane sugar one tablespoon at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and continue to process for 5 minutes more.

To assemble:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Take 5 or 6 graham crackers and break them up into the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Use the back of a spoon to press down on the crackers and crush them into crumbs. Spread them evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over top of the graham crackers crumbs. Then use a piping bag to pipe the marshmallow creme on top (or just spread it with a spoon).
3. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is a little crispy like toasted marshmallows and the chocolate chips are melted. Change oven temperature to broil (500F) and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely, until the top is browned. Serve immediately with remaining graham crackers for dipping.

Recipe inspired by the Food Network.

By now, you’ve probably guessed that I love to bake. I crave the creativity, the preciseness, the excuse to drown out everything that’s bothering me, slow down and focus on the simple task of following a recipe, mixing together a set of ingredients, and watching what happens when it goes in the oven. This, to me, is calming, meditative, a form of relieving stress.

And let’s just say I’ve been baking a lot lately.

Over the years, my baking has changed in many ways. From using eggs, butter and white sugar when I made cookies as a kid, to using vegan options like Earth Balance margarine and egg replacement powder when I was just out of university and on a budget, to now, when my dessert recipes use more whole food ingredients like avocado, nuts, dates and beans, and a variety of wholesome flours like almond, chickpea and oat.

I know there are a million and one brownie recipes out there but I think I’ve trumped myself in the nutrition category with these decadent little bites. Kidney beans, almond butter and walnuts pack in the protein power and spinach adds an element of green goodness. Plus, I recently received some new Vega One samples that I wanted to make use of without resorting to a traditional smoothie recipe. And guess what? It worked beautifully.

Thanks to Vega, these flourless brownies are even better because their new Vega One all-in-one nutritional powder has been enhanced with 33% more protein and double the greens—hence the “plant-powered” in the recipe title. Just take a look at the nutrition specs. Pretty great, huh? (Psst…scroll down to the end of this post for a Vega One giveaway!)

I’ve made these brownies a few different ways over the last few weeks, playing around with different ratios and ingredients in order to get them just right. Then I retested using different nut and seed butters (peanut, almond, and sunflower seed) and protein powders (Vega One, Vega Protein Smoothie and Vega Performance Protein… Can you tell I like Vega?). All worked out lovely, although this almond/Vega One combo is probably my favourite.

So, you should have success using whatever protein powder you have on hand, just make sure you use chocolate flavoured powder. Also note that Vega is quite sweet on its own so if yours isn’t, your brownies will be less sweet also. Rest assured these aren’t your typical athlete’s “treat”—as in, they sound great but taste like chalk. Seriously, guys, they are your dream brownie: thick, fudgey, richly flavourful and studded with chocolate chips and walnuts throughout. They’ll rock your world.

Flourless plant-powered protein brownies

Yield: 16 to 20 brownies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup natural smooth almond butter (or other nut butter)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup Vega One Chocolate powder (or other chocolate-flavoured protein powder)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup mini vegan chocolate chips (or cacao nibs)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper so there's an overhang.
2. In a food processor, combine spinach leaves, almond milk and maple syrup. Process until the spinach leaves are broken down. Add the kidney beans, almond butter and vanilla extract and process for a minute or two, until well combined and fairly smooth.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, protein powder, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt. Add to the food processor and process until a thick batter comes together. Pulse in walnuts and chocolate chips (alternatively, you can sprinkle them on top after pressing the batter into the pan).
4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth out the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is dry to the touch. Do not over-bake, as they will continue to set up as they cool. Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Product giveaway:

My friends at Vega are offering a giveaway for one lucky ADC reader! If you win, you’ll receive one box of Vega One Chocolate single packs and a Vega shaker cup. If you’ve never used a shaker cup before, you’re missing out on an incredible invention. It’s a travel mug with a round wire whisk that whips around while you shake to help incorporate the powder into your drink. Say goodbye to lumpy protein shakes for good!

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below and I’ll choose a random winner on Wednesday, February 4, 2015. The giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy new year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are easing back in to regular life and routines. With the fresh insight a new year brings, I think it’s appropriate that my first post of 2015 is a tribute to Julieanna Hever’s The Vegiterranean Diet.

I’m sure most of you are familiar with Julieanna and her work. As a registered dietitian and plant-based expert, Julieanna—otherwise known as the Plant-Based Dietitian—is a passionate advocate of a whole-food, plant-based diet and is well-known as an expert speaker at vegetarian festivals and health conferences around the world. She is the host of What Would Julieanna Do?, author of two other nutrition books and the nutrition columist for VegNews magazine.

With her new book, Julieanna transforms the Mediterranean diet into the “Vegiterranean” diet. As many know, the traditional Mediterranean diet has been the gold standard for decades, and with good reason: it has been linked with lowered risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. But Mediterranean means different things to different people, and it is often used as an acceptable excuse for more wine, olive oil and favoring seafood over steak.

Now, Julieanna takes the Med to a whole new level with a new and improved eating plan where you can reap the benefits of the most researched and beloved diet—but made even healthier by focusing on whole-plant foods that promote long-term wellness and ideal weight management.

Front-loaded with history and science, the book is broken down into several parts that explore the fundamental principles on how and why to eat this health-promoting diet, from a nutrient standpoint and beyond, with strategies for implementing Vegiterranean living and behaviour change, and tips for stocking your kitchen and subbing out ingredients for veg-friendly options. The book also includes 10 basic principles, a Vegiterranean Food Pyramid and Plate, a comprehensive 21-day meal plan, and 66 delicious, nutritious Med-style recipes.

The book is incredibly comprehensive and I’m impressed by how much information Julieanna provides, including interviews with world-renowned experts and leaders Dr. Melanie Joy, Dr. Richard Oppenlander and Gene Baur, along with recipe contributions from culinary geniuses Chad Sarno and Robin Robertson.

I was honoured to be hired to shoot the cover and additional food images for this book, which meant I had the opportunity to try a number of recipes from the manuscript last fall. I wanted to share a recipe that captures Julieanna’s health-savvy yet creative skills and I couldn’t resist introducing you to her chocolate crispy fruit squares—an easy yet energy-packed treat my husband has requested more than a few times since I first made them.

Julieanna describes these sweet, chewy squares as a happy compromise between an energy bar and a decadent dessert, and I couldn’t agree more. Kid-friendly, dietitian-approved, these treats are perfect for when you’re on the go.

Chocolate crispy fruit squares

Yield: 9 to 12 squares

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dates
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips (grain-sweetened, if possible)
• 1 cup puffed rice cereal

Directions:

1. In a food processor, puree the dates and the raisins until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the walnuts and the sesame seeds, and process until combined, 10 to 20 seconds. Pulse in the chocolate chips and then the cereal. In between additions, use a spatula or a wooden spoon to break up the ball and to incorporate the other ingredients.
2. Transfer the mixture to a silicon or glass 8 x 8-inch square dish, and press firmly and evenly into the dish. Cover and refrigerate until hardened, at least 1 hour. Cut into bars and serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.

Note: Alternatively, the mixture can be rolled into spheres, and then refrigerated and served.

From The Vegiterranean Diet by Julieanna Hever. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2014

Cookbook giveaway:

At this time of year, I know many of you are considering dietary changes and I can assure you The Vegiterranean Diet is a useful and practical guidebook for making improvements where diet is concerned.  Thanks to my friends at Da Capo, I have the opportunity to gift a copy of the book to one ADC reader! This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and I’ll choose a random winner on Tuesday, January 13, 2015. Good luck!

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I’ve been on a chickpea thing lately. You know, that thing where you want them all the time? I put them on my salads, make all kinds of hummus (duh), add them to veggie curries, make cookies, eat them straight up (am I the only one?). I thought about ways to make a fun, portable snack, and then it hit me: cookie dough balls!

Like any good food blogger, the first thing I did was Google it. And, yes, it’s been done before. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to discover this. But I went to work anyway and came up with something a little different. These cookie dough balls don’t have the taste or texture of chickpeas, and that is due to a little extra step: I roasted ’em first.

Roasting chickpeas not only dries them out but also adds a wonderful nutty flavour. When mixed with a little nut butter, maple syrup and of course chocolate chips, the resulting mixture looks just like cookie dough. And it tastes just as delicious but without the unhealthy ingredients. Score!

These bite-sized gems have made perfect pre-workout snacks, since they contain extra protein and carbs from the chickpeas and nut butter. I’ve been making a batch every other week or so and stash them in my freezer. I’ll take one or two to work in a little mason jar for snack time. They’re also great for afternoons or evenings when that sweets craving hits.  

Enjoy!

P.S. There’s a Blendtec giveaway happening—you have until December 10th to enter!

Chickpea cookie dough balls

Yield: 12 to 14 balls

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups cooked chickpeas (or one 13.5 oz can)
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp natural smooth peanut butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 2 to 3 tbsp mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread out chickpeas on the prepared cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until dry to the touch and a little toasty. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
3. Using a food processor, process the roasted chickpeas, maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. It should come together and look like regular cookie dough.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls and store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Inspired by Vanessa's recipe.