Chocolate Recipes

No-Bake Vegan Bean and Peanut Butter Treats

As a dietitian, and lover of all things sweet, this no-bake vegan bean and peanut butter treats recipe checks all the boxes for me!

Vegan peanut butter and peanut heart-shaped dessert on Love napkin.

Healthy, no-bake dessert recipe

The best thing about vegan recipes is that you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy them. (Also, you can eat the raw dough!)

No-Bake Vegan Bean and Peanut Butter Treats are perfect for everyone because they’re delicious, energizing, and heart-healthy. And, if made with certified gluten-free oats, this vegan treat is gluten-free, too.

Children can help form the dough into hearts. Or, if it’s easier for them, they can form the dough into balls and dunk them into the chocolate.

Click here for a flourless Easy Black Bean Brownie recipe!

Small bowls of white beans, uncooked oats, peanuts

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No-Bake Vegan Bean and Peanut Butter Treats

Peanut butter, white beans, and oatmeal combine to make a delicious sweet vegan treat that can be gluten-free, too.

Prep Time30 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beans, glutenfree, peanutbutter, ValentinesDay, vegan

Servings: 18

Calories: 124kcal

Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal, uncooked
1 15-oz. can white beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan and gluten-free, if desired)
3 Tbsp. finely chopped peanuts

Instructions

Place all the ingredients except the chocolate chips and peanuts in a food processor. Blend until the mixture is well-combined, about 3 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides of the processor. Leave the dough in the food processor and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Place the dough on a large cutting board and press into a 9-inch square that’s about 1/2-inch thick. Use a medium heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the dough into hearts.*
Combine the remaining dough and press into a 1/2-inch thick piece. Cut dough into hearts until you have 18, and place hearts on a wire cooling rack on top of a cutting board.
To decorate, melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler and drizzle on the hearts. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and allow the chocolate to harden before eating. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Information: Per serving: 124 calories; 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat); 0 cholesterol; 82 milligrams sodium; 16 grams carbohydrate; 3 grams fiber; 4 grams protein.

Notes

*Note: You can also shape the dough into 18 balls. Dip half of each ball into the melted chocolate and coat with peanuts. Place on wax paper to harden.

Plate of vegan bean and peanut butter no-bake treats

Delicious Mini Dessert Recipes

They say good things come in small packages, and for me that means mini desserts. There is no way that I’m going to skip sweets, yet I don’t want a huge piece of pie or cake, either. The first few bites of any food are the most satisfying, so why eat more than you need? Here are three delicious mini dessert recipes suitable for entertaining, and for every day!

Brownie Bites with Raspberry Chia Jam

Makes 24 brownies.

1 cup fresh or frozen plain raspberries

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate mini chips

2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.

Place berries in small saucepan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the fruit breaks down. Using the back of a wooden spoon, mash the berries. Take the berries off the heat. Add the sugar and chia seeds, and let the mixture stand until thickened. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Place the beans and the oil in a food processor. Process on high until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract and blend well. Add the baking powder and salt and blend for 10 seconds more. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter by rounded tablespoons into each muffin cup. Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a brownie bite comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely.

Top each brownie with 1 teaspoon jam and a few coconut flakes.

Mini Pumpkin Mousse

Mini Pumpkin Mousse

Makes 12 servings.

2 cups plain canned pumpkin

1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

8 ounces frozen, thawed light whipped cream (or 1/2 cup heavy cream that’s been whipped, or cashew cream)

2-3 medium gingersnaps, crumbed (optional)

Place pumpkin, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Beat on high speed for 1 minute. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the whipped topping or cream, and fold what remains into the pumpkin mixture. Spoon the mousse into 12 small serving dishes. Chill until ready to serve. Top each with a teaspoon of whipped topping and crumbled gingersnap cookies, if desired.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

Makes 24 cups.

12 ounces dark chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup Greek-style cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

mini chocolate chips or chocolate for shaving, if desired

Cut two clean, one-dozen empty foam egg cartons into separate egg cups to make 24 cups.

Melt the dark chocolate. Place a heaping teaspoon of melted chocolate in each egg cup and tilt to evenly coat. Put egg cups on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes.

Place cream in a large mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until cream forms stiff peaks, about one or two minutes. Do not overbeat. Transfer cream to a medium bowl and set aside.

Add cream cheese, sugar, and peanut butter to the large mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until completely combined and the mixture is uniform in color and texture. Refrigerate.

Take egg cups out of the freezer. Carefully peel the egg carton from the chocolate, keeping your fingers near the bottom.

To assemble, place a tablespoon or so of the peanut mixture into each chocolate cup and top with shaved chocolate.

Better-for-You Chocolate Holiday Treats

December 4, 2017
ewardrd
3 comments
almonds, Californiaraisins, chocolate, DIYgift, holidaygift, holidays, homemadecandy, nuts, peanuts, raisins

I love combining chocolate with dried fruit, or nuts, or both! My friends and family seem to like the idea, too. They’re always so appreciative when I present them with these super simple, healthier and better-for-you chocolate holiday treats, which make great gifts.

How to make healthier holiday treats

There’s no formal recipe for my healthier holiday treats. For each batch, melt 10 ounces of dark chocolate (I use dark chocolate chips) in a double boiler. You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave. Use a large glass bowl to make room for other ingredients.

When the chocolate has melted, add 2 cups whole or chopped nuts, dried fruit, shredded coconut, or a combination directly to the double boiler, mix thoroughly, and drop by large tablespoons onto waxed paper.

Top with festive sprinkles, if desired!

My latest obsession is macadamia nuts, dried cranberries, and white chocolate. Yum!

I prepare several batches of treats with a variety of ingredients.

When I need to be mindful of nut allergy, I make the dried fruit treats first and package them up so that they don’t come into contact with nuts. These are a raisin and coconut combo:

Dip the apricots halfway in the melted chocolate.

Allow the treats to set for about 2 to 3 hours before packaging.

Would it be better to forgo the chocolate and eat plain nuts and dried fruit? Yes, that would be perfect, but not nearly as much fun. I think my friends and family would be disappointed, and so would I!

Happy holidays!

Easy Flourless Black Bean Brownies

Warning: Rave ahead. As in I can’t stop raving about these easy flourless black bean brownies that are also gluten-free!

The health benefits of beans

This might come as a surprise: beans are vegetables and they are bursting with nutrition. Beans supply several nutrients including protein and potassium, and they contain phytonutrients, which are plant compounds that protect your cells against damage.

Black beans, and other legumes, also contribute fiber to your eating plan. Fiber feeds the beneficial gut bacteria that support your immune system and help prevent you from getting sick from a virus or bacteria.

Fruits and vegetables can make indulgences like brownies, bars, and cookies better for you, even when the baked goods contain added sugar.

Why beans are a good ingredient substitute for baking

You can use beans to replace some of the fat and flour when baking, and enhance the texture of baked goods, like these brownies. I have nothing against fat or flour, however. I just like to bake with beans sometimes!

I love desserts that have more to offer more than calories, and these brownies are one of them. The black beans and the raspberries pump up the fiber content to 10 grams per serving, which is more than 25% of your daily fiber needs! Along with the eggs, beans also contribute protein, so that a serving has 7 grams, which, along with fiber, helps you to feel satisfied.

I top my brownies with raspberries because they are delicious, beautiful, and nutritious. Raspberries supply vitamin C, fiber, phytonutrients, and so much more. And, raspberries provide natural sweetness so you can use less added sugar in baked goods.

These easy flourless black bean brownies take less than 40 minutes to prepare from start to finish. While they look special enough for a celebration, they’re also easy enough to make any time.

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