Paleo cookies

My bible in the kitchen is Against All Grain by Danielle Walker. Whenever I am needing a little creativity in the kitchen, I turn to her book for guidance. Lately I have been marking a lot of pages in her book of recipes to try (and possibly modify for myself) and last night I tried this recipe. I've been jonesin' for cookies lately (of the cinnamon oatmeal raisin variety) and this one was a pretty close substitute, but way healthier.

I didn't have ALL of the right ingredients (surprise surprise) but I was pretty darn close to having them. I substituted dried cranberries instead of raisins, and added pepitas to the mix for an added crunch.

Here are the ingredients I used:

2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp palm shortening
3 dates, pitted
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I like a stronger vanilla flavor)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (I used this much because my dough didn't seem thick enough)
2 tbsp chopped dried apricots
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp pepitas

Aside from the ingredients I followed her recipe completely. I have a vitamix, and it was a little difficult to blend everything, so I think a food processor is the next item on my list of things to buy.

All in all, this recipe was pretty good. These cookies don't really have any allergens to them, and I believe they're even vegan. They taste a lot like banana bread and the coconut flour actually works in this recipe. You would never know there wasn't flour in these cookies.

Gluten free.
Grain free.
Dairy free.
Soy free.

I can dig it.

Recipe: Black Bean Brownies

A few days ago I was browsing Instagram, and I stumbled upon this recipe for healthy black bean brownies, and instantly had to give it a try.

By some sort of luck, I happened to have all of the ingredients handy, so I ran into my kitchen and whipped up a batch of these babies.... I can't even remember the last time I had a brownie, and to be able to find something healthy?? I'm in.

Ok, so here's the recipe:

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

1 15oz can black beans (drained)
3 eggs
1/2 cup carob powder or cacao powder
1/3 cup coconut sugar
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate chips (optional)

(I didn't use chocolate chips because I didn't have any, but if I ever feel like making these just a little "bad" I'd definitely add them in for a little more sweetness.)

Preheat oven to 350˚ and spray an 8 inch baking pan. Place beans (drained) in a blender and pulse until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except the chocolate chips and blend / pulse until smooth. If you are using chocolate chips, add them in now before adding the batter to the baking pan. Spread any remaining chocolate chips on top of the batter in the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Ummmmm I know these are a distant relative to the original decadent pastries we call brownies, but oh-my-goodness are these yummy. They are a perfect little treat that you don't have to feel guilty about. Especially if you put delicious toppings like strawberries and a little bit of cool whip on top.

What toppings would you put on these little babies?