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Tag Archives: Breakfast

Vegan Nut-Free Granola

Sweet, crunchy granola over smooth, tangy yogurt

For those of us with food allergies, it can be really hard to find a nut-free granola. And if you’re avoiding animal products too, a vegan nut-free granola can be even tougher! Most anything on the store shelves, aside from a few “allergen free” brands is full of all sorts of tree nuts. Then again, when I look at the ingredient lists, I can’t help but think that maybe I’m better off not being able to have it at all. Although marketed as “health food”, granola is often chock full of sweeteners that hide in the labels. Things like brown rice syrup, tapioca syrup, barley malt syrup, and agave are all refined sugars, not to mention straight up cane sugar, brown sugar, and molasses.

nut-free granola

When I set out to make this Vegan Nut-Free Granola, my top two criteria were no nuts and no refined sugar. Nuts are easily substituted with seeds and for sweeteners, I only use raw honey or pure maple syrup. (Of course if your goal is to avoid animal products, skip the honey and go with syrup instead.) Yes, these are still forms of sugar and should be used in moderation, but as far as sweeteners go, honey and maple syrup are natural and unrefined.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is super adaptable! The ingredients I use are:

  • Rolled oats
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Shredded coconut
  • Maple syrup
  • Coconut oil
  • Raisins

That being said, there are so many ways to mix it up based on what you have in the pantry. Other seed options would be flax or chia seeds. For dried fruit, you could substitute cherries or blueberries, or anything else without added sugar. (That’s why I don’t recommend dried cranberries, but if you don’t mind the sugar or have some without, they’d work great too.) Spices can be adjusted or swapped according to your flavor preferences and once the granola is cool, you could even add in a few mini dark chocolate chips. So go ahead, make it your own, and enjoy!

A perfect breakfast of nut-free granola with plain Greek yogurt

Similar Recipes You May Like:

No-Bake Energy Bites

Nut-Free Granola Bars

Sweet, crunchy granola over smooth, tangy yogurt
Print Recipe

Vegan Nut-Free Granola

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breakfast, granola, low sugar, nut free, vegan
Servings: 5 Cups
Author: Rachel Alexandra

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 tbsp Penzeys ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Penzeys ground nutmeg
  • Pinch Penzeys ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
  • ⅓ cup raw honey or pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 cup unsweetened dried fruit

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl mix the oats, spices, and salt. Then add the seeds and coconut. When the dry ingredients are well combined, add the honey or syrup and coconut oil.
  • Spread the granola evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Take out the pan and gently turn over the granola with a wooden spoon. At this time, you can add the dried fruit.
  • Bake for another 15 minutes, then remove from oven allow it cool and harden. Break up any big pieces and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Enjoy!
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Eggless Bronco Bread

As I was making Eggless Bronco Bread this weekend, I was having a hard time trying to figure out what time of year it’s best suited for. After all, blueberries are a summer fruit and citrus is winter. But then I remembered that it’s Bronco bread, so clearly it’s appropriate right now! I’m not even a Bronco’s fan, but I am a fan of this bread and I think I just found a way to justify making it in the summer, fall, and winter.

Somehow, nothing seems to say “fall” quite like football season. Not that football is at all my favorite part about fall. But it’s one of those things I like to have on in the background even though I never actually pay attention or know what’s happening during the game. Mainly because on quiet, relaxing weekends when there’s enough downtime to have it on, chances are I’ll be busy baking in the kitchen!

The perfect quick bread for summer, fall, and winter!

Also, another reason this bread is perfect for fall is that it pairs wonderfully with a piping hot cup of Purity coffee on a crisp October morning. (Click the link to learn more about this amazing coffee!) Anyway, Eggless Bronco Bread is absolutely delicious and you won’t even miss the eggs. It’s sweet, moist, and bursting with flavor! Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you 🙂

Similar recipes you’ll enjoy:

Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins

Orange-Raisin Irish Soda Bread

Cranberry Orange Scones

Print Recipe

Eggless Bronco Bread

Bronco bread is absolutely delicious–it's sweet, moist, and bursting with flavor! Not only that, but this recipe is egg-free and can easily be made vegan!
Prep Time35 mins
Cook Time1 hr 10 mins
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blueberry, bread, easy, orange, pastry
Servings: 12
Author: Rachel Alexandra

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp softened butter
  • ¼ cup hot water
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • ½ tbsp orange zest

Flax Egg

  • 3 tbsp hot water
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seed

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
  • Next, whisk the flax seed with hot water to make a flax egg and let stand 5-10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, whisk butter, water, orange juice, and zest in a medium bowl. Add the “egg” and mix well.
  • Finally, add dry ingredients and once mixed, fold in blueberries.
  • Pour into
    prepared loaf pan and bake for about 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread

Growing up, banana muffins were always one of my favorite treats, but with the rate at which we went through bananas, we hardly ever had any that lasted until they were overripe. (They called me “Monkey” for a reason!) However, now my husband and I always seem to have plenty of overripe bananas on hand, so this Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread is our go-to recipe.

The bread features warm fall spices, rich dark chocolate, and a splash of rum for good measure. I adapted the recipe from Smitten Kitchen’s Jacked-Up Banana Bread, but use coconut oil and a flax egg to make it vegan. I also reduce the sugar, use whole wheat pastry flour, substitute rum for bourbon, and add a generous dose of chocolate for good measure.

In addition, I just want to add a side note about freezing bananas. Previously frozen bananas work great in this recipe, but you’ll want them to get to room temperature first. The coconut oil with it’s high freezing point will start to solidify shortly after adding it to the bananas. However, if you aren’t concerned with making it a vegan recipe, you could always use melted butter and then it should be less of an issue.

I hope you give Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread a try and I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below! Happy fall baking!

Similar Recipes to Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread:

Eggless Bronco Bread

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 Tbs. ground flaxseed

3 Tbs. hot water

3 large, ripe, mashed bananas

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbs. molasses

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 Tbs. spiced rum (optional)

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk the flaxseed and hot water to make an “egg”. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350° and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed banana and coconut oil.* Then add the sugar, molasses, vanilla, and rum (if using).

Add the spices followed by the baking soda and salt. Finally, add the flour and mix until just combined, being sure not to over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

*Note: Make sure the bananas aren’t cold if they were previously frozen. Coconut oil has high freezing point and will start to solidify if the other ingredients aren’t at room temperature.

Purity Coffee

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having a great start to the week! Even though I don’t have any more exams for a couple weeks, I still find myself studying on Friday nights🤓. And when I’m not doing that, I like to find interesting research to apply to my own life and share with all of you! Today I want to fill you in on the latest info I’ve learned about coffee.

As it turns out, a lot of conventional coffee is contaminated with various molds, mycotoxins, pesticides, and carcinogens. Not to mention that most pre-ground coffee has been sitting on store shelves for months and often contains artificial flavors. But if you love coffee like I do, don’t worry! Coffee can actually be really good for you!

Purity coffee (which is recommended by dietitians and certified clinical nutritionists) has tons of health benefits without the dangers of conventional coffee. All the beans are carefully selected and roasted with the most precise techniques to make it safe and higher in antioxidants than most other coffees. The video below does a great job of explaining all the science behind the Purity process.

Click the here below to give Purity a try! Be sure to use promo code: ROOTS to get 10% off your first order!

Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins

One of my favorite flavors of winter is definitely citrus. I rarely use oranges in the summer, but come November and December, I’m all about it. As soon as I started zesting my orange this morning to make these Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins, it instantly felt like Christmastime. (I know it’s still way early, but I always start getting a little excited for it by this time in the fall!) Growing up, we often made these muffins into bread and it was one of my favorite treats to have around Christmas.

Vegan cranberry orange muffins

One of the best things about these muffins is how bright and fresh the flavors are. The sweet orange is the perfect compliment to the tart, cranberries. A key factor in this recipe is using fresh cranberries instead of dried. There’s no added sugar and the flavor is so much more prominent. Cranberry season in Wisconsin goes through September and October, and since they’re commonly grown here, I was able to get a fresh bag at the local farmer’s market from Wetherby Cranberry Co.

Another bonus is that the only major allergen this recipe contains is wheat. Other that that, it’s free of eggs, dairy, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts, making it safe for vegans too!

Vegan cranberry orange muffins

Just as one more note, like I mentioned before Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins can be easily made into a quick bread as well. The only adjustment is cooking time, which becomes 55 minutes instead of 20. It’ll be delicious either way! I hope you give these a try–I’d love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy!

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Eggless Bronco Bead

Cranberry Orange Scones

Harvest Apple Cranberry Crisp

Orange Raisin Irish Soda Bread

Print Recipe

Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins

Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins are bright and fresh with a little tartness to compliment the sweet. These muffins are sure to brighten any cold, winter day!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry, muffin, orange, quick bread
Servings: 12
Author: Rachel Alexandra

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice about two oranges
  • 1 Tbs orange zest
  • 2 Tbs melted coconut oil
  • 1 Tbs ground flax seed
  • 3 Tbs hot water
  • 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries coarsely chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners.
  • Place the cranberries in a food processor and chop for about 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides and chop again if needed. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the flax and hot water to make an "egg". Set aside.
  • Zest one of the oranges and when you have a tablespoon's worth, slice the orange to juice it. You will likely need to juice the second orange as well to have enough.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flax egg with the juice and melted coconut oil.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and zest. After it is well mixed, add the wet ingredients. Finally, fold in the cranberries.
  • Fill each of the muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

The recipe can also be made into bread instead of muffins. The only difference is that the bake time for a loaf is 55 minutes instead of 20.

Mocha Chocolate Chip Scones

Featured image

I’m not sure what took me so long, but just a few months ago I discovered that coffee is actually really good! Back in first and second grade, my school had Friday cooking classes. Well one fateful week, the recipe was coffee milkshakes. All it took was one sip and I didn’t touch coffee for ten years! Yeah, it was that bitter.

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As it turns out though, I wasn’t actually scarred for life. One day, during my second semester of college, I thought I’d give it a try again just to see what I thought. Yes, I was in need of a caffeine source, but that honestly wasn’t the only reason. Besides, there’s only so much sleep coffee can replace anyway.

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I decided to only try it black because I didn’t want to get hooked on any sugary drinks. To my surprise, though it was bitter, I kind of liked it! And ever since then I’ve been drinking coffee…and baking with it. Because let’s be honest, what goes better with a warm cup of coffee than a mocha chocolate chip scone?

Makes 16 scones

Scone

Ingredients

Scones

1 Tbs. ground flax seed

3 Tbs. hot water

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup cold butter

1/4 cup half and half

1/4 cup coffee reduction sauce

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Glaze

Powdered sugar

Cocoa

Half and half

Coffee syrup

Directions:

  1. Make the coffee syrup according to the linked recipe and set aside.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the flax and hot water to make an egg substitute. Set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone baking mat
    .
  4. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Cut in the butter and begin combining the ingredients using a pastry blender. Then, use your hands to make sure all the butter is evenly distributed and there are no large pieces left.
  6. Add the half and half, coffee syrup, and vanilla to the flax mixture and give it a whisk.
  7. Pour the liquid ingredients into the large bowl and stir until the ingredients come together. Again, you may have to use your hands to knead the dough since scones are by nature a little dry.
  8. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  9. Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it into two pieces. Form each piece into a circle about two inches thick.
  10. Cut each circle into eight triangular scones.
  11. Place all 16 scones on the baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean when they are done (with the exception of some melted chocolate chip).
  12. While they are cooling, whisk together the ingredients for the glaze. I don’t have an exact recipe for it, so it can be adjusted based on your taste preferences. I recommend using roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 2 Tbs. cocoa (more or less depending on how much chocolate flavor you want). Then add half and half and coffee syrup until the glaze comes together. The consistency shouldn’t be liquid, but it should be thin enough to drizzle over the scones. If you want a mild coffee flavor, use more half and half and if you prefer a stronger flavor, use more coffee syrup.
  13. Drizzle the scones with glaze using a fork , whisk, or piping bag. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Scones with Maple Nutmeg Glaze

Hi! So I’m super excited to announce that today is my family’s second annual Fall Fun Day! “What is Fall Fun Day?” you ask. Fall Fun Day is any day in the middle of October dedicated to doing every fun fall activity one can think of in one awesome day! It originated last year as my birthday celebration because I had day off school the Friday before my birthday. I decided I wanted to spend my last days before legal adulthood doing all the fall things I love, but never have time to do anymore. We baked, went apple picking, hiking, picnicking, and ended the day with a corn maze.

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Lauren and I almost had too much fun at the apple orchard last year!
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What is Lauren doing with that apple cider doughnut? That’s not clean eating! 🙂
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Hiking at Blue Mounds State Park

We had so much fun that we decided it would be an annual event, so here we are one year later with me still being a kid at heart. This year’s itinerary consists of baking these scones, going to the Dane County Farmer’s Market, hiking and picnicking at Yellowstone Lake State Park, apple picking, and ending the day with the corn maze once again. Hopefully I can follow up with some new pictures of this year’s festivities. For now, here is the recipe for these mouthwatering autumnal scones! Enjoy!

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Ingredients

Scones

  • 3 Tbs. skim milk*
  • 1/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar*
  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbs. + 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 7 Tbs. cold butter
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin purée
  • 3 Tbs. pure maple syrup
  • Mini chocolate chips (optional)

Glaze

  • 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tbs. skim milk
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of nutmeg

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
    .
  2. In a medium sized bowl, stir the milk and apple cider vinegar together. Set aside as this will make a “buttermilk” after 10-15 minutes. *
  3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Cut in the butter and mix it together with the dry ingredients by hand or with a pastry blender. (I recommend using your hands as always.)
  5. Add the pumpkin and maple syrup to the “buttermilk” and then combine with the dry ingredients.
  6. When everything is well mixed, add some chocolate chips if you would like. If the dough is still pretty sticky, add some extra flour.
  7. Turn out half the dough onto a well floured surface and form it into a circle about six inches in diameter. Cut the circle into six pieces and place the scones on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
  8. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  9. When they are cool, whisk all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and drizzle over the top.
  10. Enjoy!

*Instead of using skim milk and apple cider vinegar, regular buttermilk will work as well.

Triple Chocolate Scones

For the past few weeks (or should I say entire school year) I’ve been so busy and stressed out that I haven’t had much time to bake, let alone write. However, I only have one week until graduation, so I figured I could bake something to help get me through my last couple of finals. The result was Triple Chocolate Scones! They’re perfect anytime of day whether it be for breakfast, a snack, or a healthy dessert. This recipe features whole wheat flour and a flax seed “egg” as usual and is low in sugar too! Enjoy a fresh, warm scone with a hot cup of tea or a tall glass of milk.

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The first step to this recipe is making an “egg” with ground flax seed and hot water. Heat three tablespoons of water on the stove and whisk with one tablespoon of ground flax in a medium sized bowl. Then set the mixture aside and preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

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In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Stir until everything is evenly distributed.

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When all the dry ingredients are mixed, cut in 1/3 cup of cold butter. To get it started, I used a pastry blender, but towards the end, I used my hands to make sure there were no clumps of butter left. It gets a little messy, but the best way to get a sense of dough is to use one’s hands.

Now that the butter is mixed in, add the chocolate milk and vanilla to the “egg” and whisk it well.  Then pour it into the dry ingredients. Be sure to use chocolate milk with no high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors.

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Stir the ingredients the best you can–it can be a little tough since scones are by nature a little dry. Again, you may need to knead the dough with your hands. Once everything is mixed, fold in one cup of miniature chocolate chips.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. As you can see in the picture, I had a little too much flour, but if that happens, they will turn out just fine. Divide the dough into two sections and form each one into a circle, roughly two inches high. Then cut each circle into eight pieces and place them on the prepared baking sheet. If you wish, you can sprinkle each scone with some course, decorative sugar.

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Bake the scones for about 12-14 minutes. When you think they are done, test them with a toothpick. It should come out clean, but some melted chocolate chip is okay. After a few minutes, place the scones on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Makes 16 scones

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. ground flax seed

3 Tbs. hot water

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup cold butter

1/2 cup low fat chocolate milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Course sugar (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the flax and hot water to make an egg substitute. Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone baking mat.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Cut in the butter and begin combining the ingredients using a pastry blender. Then, use your hands to make sure all the butter is evenly distributed and there are no large pieces left.
  5. Add the milk and vanilla to the flax mixture and whisk them together.
  6. Pour the liquid ingredients into the large bowl and stir until the ingredients come together. Again, you may have to use your hands to knead the dough since scones are by nature a little dry.
  7. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  8. Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it into two pieces. Form each piece into a circle about two inches thick.
  9. Cut each circle into eight triangular scones.
  10. Place all 16 scones on the baking sheet and if desired, sprinkle them with course sugar.
  11. Bake for 12-14 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean when they are done with the exception of some melted chocolate from a chocolate chip. Enjoy!