Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups organic spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup organic pumpkin purée
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup natural cane sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (plus more for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease a loaf pan with butter.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt).
4. Using a whisk, combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl (pumpkin, olive oil, eggs, sugar, water).
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips (you can use more or less than 1/2 cup, depending on your preference).
6. Pour into the greased loaf pan and sprinkle with some chocolate chips.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out (almost) clean, except for the very middle. (Be careful not to overcook it. I like to take it out of the oven when the center is not quite all the way cooked). Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 4 small cups/ramekins

Ingredients:

• 2 large, overripe bananas
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup organic cacao powder
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup almond milk
• pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth, adding more almond milk if needed.
2. Transfer to 4 small ramekins and chill for at least one hour before eating.

Optional: garnish with cacao nibs, chopped banana, or toasted almonds

Adapted from Sara Forte’s the Sprouted Kitchen Bowl & Spoon.

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup brown teff flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• ½ cup water
• ¾ cup blackstrap molasses
• ¾ cup honey
• 1 cup natural cane sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup milk
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced
• Freshly whipped cream, for topping

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and position your rack in the center of the oven.  Butter and flour 2 loaf pans (8-inch by 4-inch), tapping out any excess flour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves and whisk to combine.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water, molasses, honey, and sugar.  Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is completely melted.
4. Pour into a large bowl and let it cool a bit.
5. Once the butter mixture has cooled off a bit, whisk in the milk and then the eggs, one at a time.
6. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients, in 3 increments.  You may still have lumps, but you don’t want to over mix.
7. Fold in the fresh ginger.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans.
9. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes (depending on your oven), or until loosely set in the center. Try not to over bake the loaves – if you do they will lose their stickiness.
10. Let the cakes cool in the pan.  Serve sliced alone or with a dollop of whipped cream.

Adapted from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson.

I came across this delicious zucchini bread recipe on Heidi Swanson’s blog 101cookbooks.com. The first time I made it I couldn’t believe how good it was – nor could my family. I have made it several times since and it disappears very quickly in our household.

If you have a food processor with the grating attachment, I recommend you use this to grate the zucchini. It is a huge time saver.

This recipe makes 2 loaves.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup muscovado sugar (unrefined brown sugar – can find it at Whole Foods)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium or 2 large), skins on (squeeze the moisture out of the grated zucchini before mixing it in)
• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Equipment: two 1 pound loaf pans (5×9 inches)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter the 2 loaf pans, dust them with a bit of  flour, and set aside.
3. In a small ball combine the walnuts, poppy seeds, and lemon zest. Set aside.
4. In a stand mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until the mixture comes together and is no longer crumbly.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
6. Stir in the vanilla and then the zucchini (on low speed).
7. In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
8. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing between each addition.
9. By hand, fold in the walnut, poppy seed, lemon zest mixture, saving a bit to sprinkle on the top of the loaves before baking. (Avoid over mixing the batter).
10. Divid the batter equally between the two loaf pans. Make sure the batter is level.
11. Sprinkle any remaining walnut mixture on top of both loaves.
12. Bake for about 40 minutes on a middle oven rack (could be shorter or longer depending on your oven – it’s best to err on the side of under baking to keep it moist).
13. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.
14. Turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Note: You can freeze one or both loaves if you don’t plan on eating them right away. Or give one away as a gift and keep the other for yourself.

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com by Heidi Swanson.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher), finely chopped
• 20 fresh strawberries, washed and dried completely

Directions:

1. Place chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water (or use a double boiler if you have one).
2. Stir chocolate occasionally until melted. Remove from heat.
3. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
4. One at a time, dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate, twirling to coat.
5. Place the strawberries on the baking sheet with waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.

Note: If you want to make these even fancier, sprinkle the chocolate-covered part of the strawberries in finely chopped pistachios or almonds.

Note: Fleur de Sel is a type of French sea salt. If you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute any good quality sea salt. Use a coarse grain salt for sprinkling on top.

Prep Time: 15minutes (not including 1 hour refrigeration time for the dough)
Cooking Time: 10 – 12 minutes (per batch)
Yields: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light muscovado sugar
• 1/4 cup natural cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup amaranth flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus more for topping
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) chunks or chips

1. Combine the butter, muscovado sugar, natural cane sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes.
2. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the egg and mix until combined.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, amaranth flour, tapioca starch, fleur de sel, and baking soda.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.
5. Add the chocolate chunks and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
6. Scoop the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a log that is approximately 2 inches in diameter and 12 inches long. Wrap the log with the parchment and refrigerate for 1 hour. (You can freeze the dough for baking another day as well.)
7. While dough is in refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350F.
8. After dough refrigerates for an hour, cut the log into 1/2-inch disks. Place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper leaving 2 inches in between the cookies.
9. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of fleur de sel. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges set and start to turn golden. They might look a bit underdone, but this is fine. They will harden as they cool and slightly under-baking them will keep them chewy Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before trying to lift them. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Adapted from Aran Goyoaga’s blog Cannelle et Vanille

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes/batch
Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 4 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 2/3 cup muscovado sugar (unrefined brown sugar)

1. Preheat oven to 350F with a rack in the top third.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, fennel, poppy seeds, and cinnamon (if using). Set aside.
4. Gently melt the butter in a medium saucepan. When just melted, remove from heat and stir in the oats. Stir until well coated.
5. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the egg until it is the consistency of a creamy icing – I use my old hand-held mixer. You can use an old fashioned egg beater if you have one.
6. Whisk the flour mixture into the sugar/egg mixture. Then add the oats.
7. Stir until combined, then drop, a level tablespoon at a time, onto the prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart.
8. Bake these, one sheet at a time, in the top third of the oven, spinning once halfway through. Bake until very deeply golden, about 8-10 minutes.
9. Remove and let sit for a few minutes. Then transfer to a rack to continue cooling. Repeat with remaining dough.

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com

Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:

• 10 dried dates, pitted
• 3 medium-sized ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup almond meal
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8×8 inch glass baking dish.
2. Place dates in a large bowl and cover with boiling water to soften.
3. Drain dates, add bananas and mash both together so that chunks remain (I use a potato masher).
4. Add maple syrup, melted oil, lemon juice, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
6. Add dry ingredients to bowl with banana mixture and fold gently to combine, making sure not to over mix.
7. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes (depending on your oven) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven, place on rack and cool completely before slicing.

Notes:

This is a gluten-free cake that rivals any banana bread made with wheat flour. It is absolutely delicious.

Credit: Adapted from Clean Start by Terry Walters