Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

A real winner.  This is a new and improved recipe for this holiday season.  And the verdict came in with glowing reviews.  Probably the best bars we've made to date. It's healthy, delicious, and guilt-free.  Could you really ask for more?

Try it for dessert, a snack, or a healthy on-the-go breakfast.  It's all good and yummy. 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups oat bran blended to flour
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1 cup almond or cashew milk 
• 2 banana 
• 1/2 cup pitted dates 
• 1 tsp - 1.5 tsp pumpkin spice 
• 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• Generous handfuls of chocolate chips.  I use Lily's brand stevia sweetened vegan chocolate chips. 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend oat bran in a blender till a flour forms. 
3. Blend all other ingredients. 
4. Mix in handfuls of chocolate chips and stir into batter. 
5. Place batter in a parchment paper lined baking pan.
6. Bake at 350 for 35 mins or until toothpick comes out clean 

Tart Raspberry Granola Cake with Almond Honey Drizzle

The Low Down

A couple things you need to know about this alleged "cake": (can you call something cake when it is this good for you?)

1. The Taste Test: I force fed this to my family.  They love me so they have no choice but to taste test what I make.  Good news tho!  They loved it so you will too. I even caught a couple of them taking some home for breakfast the next day. So basicially, its a real winner.  

2. Health Status: This "cake" falls under the category of better for you than last night's dinner and probably tomorrow's breakfast. Removing all associated guilt with the term - cake.  It's chock full of really good for you fats from the almonds, protein from the oats & almonds, and tons of fiber from all of the ingredients. It's aimed at keeping your waistline slim, your heart healthy, and your inflammation a thing of the past.  It travels well and makes for a wonderful breakfast bar. 

3. You Decide: Its one of the easiest things you can make.  I even broke down 3 different ways to make it (below), so that you decide just how easy making this cake will be. 

4. Frozen for Convenience: I use frozen raspberries, because I always have them in my freezer.  If you wanna use fresh, go for it.  It won't make a big difference. 

5.  Have Fun: This recipe (like all the FastBeets recipes) requires you to have fun making it.  You don't need to fuss about having exactly the right amount of any of the ingredients.  In fact, I'm pretty sure if you skip one of the ingredients things will still be OK.  It is designed to be fool-proof.  So you can't really mess it up.  Its not chemistry or rocket science and you don't need a degree in pastry baking to be able to do it.  As long as you can turn a spatula in a bowl, you've got this. 

You can do this recipes in 3 different ways:  

1. Throw everything except the raspberries into a blender blend it till you get a smooth batter, then add the raspberries, pop into a cake pan and throw it into the oven.
2. Use pre-made almond flour and pre-made date paste instead of blending the almonds and dates.  Throw all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Then transfer to cake plate and throw into the oven. Although making your own almond flour will make it taste slightly better, this is by far the fastest way. 
3. Blend just the almonds into an almond flour, and blend the dates for a quick and fresh date paste. Then transfer to a bowl, mix everything together and pop into the oven. 

This 3rd method will provide you with the best results and my favorite consistency.  The 1st method is the easiest, and will yield a much different consistency, that being a very moist almost gooey like center.  The 2nd one has the best consistency, and is super easy since you won't need a blender, but using fresh almonds and dates in my opinion is always best when you can.

This is YOUR cake though, so you do YOU.  Do whatever is easier for you and that you have time for.  You can't go wrong with any of the methods. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almonds (or almond flour)
• 1.5 cups oat bran
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• 1/4 cup tart cherry butter
• 1/2 bag of frozen raspberries
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 6 medjool dates (pits removed) or more if you need it sweeter
• 2 cups of plant-based milk (or water)

Method

1. Preheat over to 350 (or 450 if you're in a rush)
2. In a high speed blender, blend the almonds until you get a flour like consistency. 
3. Place the almond flour, baking powder, & oat bran in a bowl and mix well. 
4. In high speed blender, blend dates with 1 cup of almond milk until smooth.
5. Add the date liquid, the other cup of almond milk, the cherry butter, the coconut butter and the lemon juice to bowl and mix well. 
6. Add in the frozen raspberries.  Fold them in gently.  Note, they will fall apart a bit in the batter due to the different temperatures.  This is okay and makes the batter taste more raspberry like. 
7. Add parchment paper to a baking tray and pour ingredients in.  You may split the batter in two trays for a thinner cake and a faster cooking time. 
8. Cook in oven for 30 minutes at 350 or 20 minutes at 450 if the batter is split. 

Almond Honey Drizzle

For Almond Honey Drizzle, place equal parts raw honey and equal parts almond butter in a small bowl.  About two tablespoons each. Mix well. Drizzle to top of cake. 

Happy Hearts: Chocolate Chip Cookies

This might be the simplest cookie recipe you've ever experienced.  It also happens to taste incredibly sinful and yet is actually really good for you and your heart.  Its chock full of soluble fiber which not only helps to keep you regular, but it binds to toxins and kicks them out of your body.  You'll find this recipe super sticky, be happy about that. That's the fiber in action.  

The sticky fiber also eliminates the need for eggs and the hazelnuts eliminate the need for butter. Which makes this a ZERO cholesterol cookie!  Moreover, the soluble fiber will actually lower your cholesterol! So make, eat, repeat!       

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup roasted organic hazelnuts
• 2 cups organic oatbran
• 4 dates
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond or cashew milk
• Chocolate chips of choice. (I used Lily's stevia sweetened, vegan dark choc. chips)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a high-speed blender, blend the hazelnuts until you get a creamy hazelnut butter.  Depending on your blender, you'll may need to use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides down and then re-blend until you get the proper consistency.  (Alternatively, you could just buy hazelnut butter, but where's the fun in that?)
3. Dump all the other ingredients except the chocolate chips and blend until everything is evenly incorporated. 
4. Taste the batter.  Make sure it is to your liking.  If you prefer life on the sweeter side, add another date.  
5. Transfer to a bowl and throw some chocolate chips on it.  Feel free to use as much as you'd like.  (Note - when using a high-speed blender, the batter may warm up a bit which is fine, but you may want to bring it back to room temp. before adding chocolate chips, unless you like the chocolate a bit runny through the batter like I do) 
6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or silicone liner.  Grab a tablespoon and create cookie shapes onto tray.  Your dough will be incredibly sticky, but this is totally normal.  Wait 30 seconds after you place the dough on the tray and then use your fingers to even out the dough into smooth cookie shapes. 
7. Pop cookies in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. 
8. Enjoy! 

Thanks for making this! I would love it see how it turns out. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @fastbeets so I can see your #fastbeetsapproved healthy creation! Any questions on it? Message me on Snapchat.  

Xx, SS

Pumpkin Breakfast Bites

THE LOW DOWN:

If you like to run out the door in the morning with your cup of coffee and on-the-go breakfast bar, this might be your next replacement.  If you're the type who prefers muffins and scones to hot oatmeal, this might be your next replacement.

They have the consistency of a muffin, with the beneficial fiber of oatmeal or oatbran cereal (which is my nutritional hero), the good for you fats and protein from almonds and the vitamins of dates and pumpkin.  So say goodbye to muffins and their accompanying "muffin tops", and say hello to nutrition.

The ceylon cinnamon in these bars makes all the difference.  A little bit goes such a long way.  When buying cinnamon, refer to this: http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-safer-cinnamon/

I omitted traditional pumpkin spice for two reasons: 1. I didn't have any and 2. the Ceylon cinnamon combined with the pumpkin and the dates were enough for my taste buds.  Feel free to play around with your own taste buds and add nutmeg or pumpkin spice mix of your choice.  Or play it simple like I did.  You won't go wrong either way.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 dates
• 1 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats (if you don't have this, you can totally just use all oat bran or oatmeal)
• 1 cup oat bran
• 1/2 organic pumpkin puree 
• one cup flax milk or non-dairy unsweetened milk
• 1 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon and extra to sprinkle on top
• pinch of himalayan salt or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

METHOD:

1. Blend almonds until powdered or until it turns into almond butter

2. Blend everything in a high powered blender. 

3. Optional: Top with a bit of cinnamon, sliced almonds, raisins or currants. 

4. Place batter in a parchment paper lined brownie tray

4. Bake at 350 for about 20 - 30 minutes

5. When cool, cut into bars and enjoy!

NOTE: The batter will be much sweeter than the baked result.  If its borderline sweet in the batter, add another date or two.  The baked bites will be sweeter as a result.  

NOTE: This is great toasted on day 2 with some peanut or almond butter.