tahini chocolate chip blondies

tahini chocolate chip blondies (gluten free, paleo, refined sugar free)

I’m obsessed with any and all things tahini. I eat it multiple times a day, whether it’s drizzled over roasted veggies and lamb meatballs for dinner or spooned into Medjool dates with chocolate chips for a sweet treat, tahini is the jam. It also makes for a delicious baking ingredient! Its creamy, fatty, smooth texture makes it a wonderful butter, oil, and/or nut butter alternative in many recipes. Plus, tahini and chocolate is such a tasty combo. This recipe uses wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients, but still tastes oh so rich and decadent. Tahini chocolate chip blondies that are gluten & grain free, paleo, and refined sugar free as well? Sign me up!

Tahini Chocolate Chip Blondies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan (double recipe for 13x9 inch pan) with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl or base of a stand mixer, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, tahini, and vanilla extract until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just incorporated, careful not to over mix (it will be thick!). Fold in the chocolate chips. Add batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 25-26 minutes until edges are just slightly golden, but center may seem slightly underdone. Check using a cake tester- if it comes out mostly clean, they should be ready. Don’t overbake as grain-free baked goods will continue to set in the pan. Let blondies cool in pan for about five minutes before removing and allowing them to cool completely on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and drizzle with tahini, if desired. Cut into bars and enjoy!

*Adapted from Paleo Chocolate Chip Tahini Blondies by Ambitious Kitchen.

peanut butter banana chocolate chip muffins

Not many things go together better than peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate. These muffins are the perfect combination of all three, and I love how easy they are to whip up. Because of the (mostly) healthy ingredients, they make for a tasty breakfast, sliced and served with an extra smear of peanut butter and sliced bananas. Or if you'd rather make them a bit more naughty, throw in some extra chocolate and peanut butter chips for good measure ;) I chose to bake these in a pretty rose-shaped muffin tin, but a regular muffin pan will work just fine. Whichever route you take, these muffins are sure to hit the spot. I hope you enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

  • 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter

  • 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin (or rose-shaped one!) with nonstick spray, and line with cupcake liners if desired. In a medium bowl, sift together both flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together bananas, brown sugar, honey, egg, peanut butter, greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. Then fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips, if desired. Divide batter evenly between prepared cups, adding about 1/4 cup to each. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20-24 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then move muffins to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

*For a vegan version, sub coconut yogurt or applesauce for greek yogurt, and flax "egg" for egg.

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cheesecake brownies

My husband loves chocolate and cheesecake, so when I'm baking something for him, those flavors always come to mind. A decadent combination of the two would pretty much be the ideal combo to him, so cheesecake brownies seemed like an easy, but perfect solution! Rich and fudgy brownies are already great on their own, and I like 'em the fudgier the better! But now add a layer of cheesecake to the mix, and you've got yourself one seriously tasty treat. If you want, you can lightly swirl in the cheesecake batter to the brownie batter, creating a cool marbled effect on your brownies! I got a little carried away in mixing, so no picture-perfect marbling, but I promise they tasted great anyway! PS- I like using flatter, wider chocolate feves or discs instead of regular chips, and Valrhona makes great ones!

Cheesecake Brownies:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, divided

  • 3/4 cup turbinado sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, well softened

  • 1/3 cup turbinado sugar

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F and butter an 8-inch square baking pan. For the brownie batter, melt butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in flour, cocoa powder, and salt until just combined and spread batter evenly into baking pan.

For the cheesecake batter, whisk together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Dollop large spoonfuls over brownie batter, then swirl in with a butter knife to create a marbled effect. Alternatively, you may mix the two together more evenly.

Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the batter. Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35 minutes, then allow to cool. These are equally as delicious warm out of the oven as they are at room temperature or chilled, although the brownies will be much easier to cut if chilled. Makes nine 3" square, thick brownies.

*Adapted from cheesecake-marbled brownies by Smitten Kitchen.

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thin & chewy chocolate chip cookies

 

 

I'm typically of the belief that cookies should be thick & chewy, with almost-raw dough on the inside, and a nice, crisp exterior (think Levain Bakery or The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies. However, there's a time and a place for thin & chewy cookies as well. These are crowd-pleasers, and will satisfy all cookie lovers. I love that they spread out into giant discs, even run into each other, but don't get totally crispy inside & out. They maintain that gooey interior that is absolutely key to a delicious cookie. Extra bonus, they're super quick & easy to throw together, so you can satisfy that cookie craving in an instant!

Thin & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

  • 1/2 cup cane sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Cream the butter and sugars together in a stand mixer until fluffy & combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until a dough comes together, careful not to over-mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 1-2 hours, if possible.

Form large balls of dough (about 2 tbsp) into balls, then place on the baking sheet and flatten to thin disks. Make sure to leave enough room between the cookies as they will spread when baking. Bake about 12-14 minutes, until golden brown edges form. Let cool on a wire baking rack.

*Adapted from Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies by NYT Cooking and Thin Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies by The Comfort of Cooking.

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almond butter blondies

Blondies and brownies are both highly appealing to me, and I think there's a time and a place for both. I fall into the camp of "the fudgier, the better", so underbaking is always encouraged! These blondies have an almond butter base, but feel free to use any other nut or seed butter if you prefer. I love playing with different mix-ins depending on my current cravings. This time I went for the never-fail combination of chocolate chips and shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Almond Butter Blondies:

  • 3/4 cup almond butter

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1/4 cup almond milk

  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • optional mix-ins: 1/2 cup coconut, chocolate chips, nuts, banana chips, toffee bits, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8in square dish (alternatively, line dish with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on all sides). In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, mix together nut butter, coconut oil, and sugar until well combined. Add in egg, almond milk and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients until just incorporated. The batter will be thick and sticky. Add any mix-ins last if desired (I love chocolate chips and shredded coconut). Spread batter evenly into the prepared baking pan, and sprinkle leftover mix-ins on top. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until edges have turned golden brown. Cool completely before slicing. Enjoy! Makes 8-12 blondies.

*Adapted from Peanut Butter Blondies in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

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peanut butter pretzel oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

 

I made these cookies for my husband on his birthday one year, and they quickly became a household favorite. We both love chocolate and peanut butter, so these fully loaded, salty-sweet cookies were a huge hit! But really, what's not to love when oats, chocolate chunks, and peanut butter pretzels are all involved?! You may want to whip up a double batch and keep some dough in the freezer, so that cookies are never too far away when the craving hits. Also make sure not to over-bake, so you'll get that delicious gooey, chewy center!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:

  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cups rolled oats

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

  • 1 cup peanut butter pretzels, crushed

  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt, then add in oats. Fold in peanut butter pretzels and chocolate chunks. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove dough from fridge and use an ice cream scoop to form big balls. Set on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Lightly press down on dough to flatten. Bake for about 10 minutes. Enjoy warm from the oven or cooled!

*Adapted from Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies by How Sweet It Is.

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