Whole Wheat Banana-Pecan Muffins

Whole Wheat Banana-Pecan Muffins

This recipe is easy to make, but it requires a little bit of cooking knowledge. First of all, you don’t need an electric mixer in your apartment – just use a whisk and some man-power! It’s very important to note that your melted butter has to have cooled to room temperature. If you immediately pour the hot melted butter into the liquid batter, you will have scrambled eggs! This recipe takes less than half an hour to prepare and then 20 minutes or so to bake, so reserve an hour for these delicious muffins!

Recipe Adapted and Courtesy of: Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients

·        2 cups whole-wheat flour

·        1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

·        1/2 teaspoon salt

·        4 overripe bananas

·        1 cup brown sugar

·        3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

·        2 eggs

·        ½  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·        1/2 cup pecans, chopped

For vegan Banana Pecan Muffins:

-substitute ½ cup of applesauce for the eggs

-substitute ¾ cup of oil for butter

Directions:

1.      Melt the butter: Microwave for 1 minute and then in 15 second intervals until liquefied. Be careful to not burn the butter. Let cool.

2.     In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3.     Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. Whisk the remaining 2 bananas and sugar together until well mixed and fluffy. Add the COOLED melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

4.     Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. You want the muffins to be fluffy!

5.     Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

6.     Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Use the toothpick test to see if they are cooked by poking the inside of a muffin with a toothpick. Clean = ready. Unclean= need more cooking.

Ice Cream Box Cake (Vegan)

Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream Box Cake (Vegan)

I know that my blog is committed to keeping college students healthy and within their budget, but this recipe seems to be neither of those… Granted, this is a full fat recipe, so eat sparingly. Also, it requires 2 cans of coconut milk, so you may need to make a stop at a specialty grocery store. Nevertheless, if you bring this to a party, I can guarantee you that it is going to get eaten first. Thanks to Lauren, my roommate, for providing me with the inspiration to make this recipe! 

Ingredients:

-2 cans full fat coconut milk  (You can view the recipe here: Vegan Cool Whip)

-1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla

- 1/2 cup powdered sugar

-2 packages of vegan chocolate cookies: Kedem Chocolate Tea Biscuits or Oreos

-5 bananas

Directions:

1) In a blender, mix the peanut butter and 1/2 cup of coconut milk cream. 

2) Move the peanut butter mixture to a separate bowl and wash the mixer and blender thoroughly.

3) Whip the rest of the coconut milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar until firm and has peaks.

4) Fold the peanut butter fluff into the whipping cream (making sure the mixture remains fluffy)

5) In a spring pan, put a layer of the chocolate wafers first. 

6) Finish the pie by putting a layer of fluff + banana + wafer + banana + fluff+ circle of bananas on top. 

7) Sprinkle the cake with 1/3 cup of crushed cookies.

8) Freeze for 4 hours and then enjoy!

Vegan Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream (Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, frozen beforehand 
• 1/3 cup peanut butter 
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup almond milk 
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts 

Directions:

1. Place the bananas first into the food processor and blend until creamy. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the walnuts. 
3. Mix the walnuts in and eat the “soup” now or place into the freezer for vegan ice cream! 

Vegan Peanut Butter Krispie Truffles

Vegan Peanut Butter Krispie Truffles

These peanut butter truffles are quote "delicious, but make you really thirsty!" These are a hit for any party that you go to, because you can switch up the type of chocolate covering, whether it be dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate... and you can dress it up! Really, anything goes with peanut butter! 

Ingredients:

-1 stick of vegan butter

-1 16.3 oz. jar of peanut butter

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1 pound of powdered sugar

-3 cups of puffed rice cereal

-20 oz. of melting chocolate (I used dark and white, even though white is not vegan)

-1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening

or

Instructions:

1.         Let the vegan butter soften to room temperature.

2.        Combine the butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla using a mixer. Add the rice cereal but only mix for a little. You don't want to completely crush the puffs!

3.        Form into small balls using a melon scooper and place into a a piece of parchment paper on baking sheet. Place into the freezer for a few hours (overnight will work).

4.       Melt the chocolate and shortening in the microwave. Dip each ball into the chocolate using a spoon. 

5.       Place the balls onto the parchment paper and freeze again.

6.       Enjoy! 

Vegan Peppermint Patties

Vegan Peppermint Patties

These peppermint patties “taste like the real thing” and they are very easy to make! The most time consuming part is dipping each candy into the melted chocolate. A quicker alternative can be to make all of the peppermint circles and then to drizzle melted chocolate on top, rather than dipping. Either way, chocolate and peppermint taste great together! My recipe is adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

·        2 ½ cups powdered sugar

·        1 ½  tablespoons agave nectar

·        1 ½  tablespoons water

·        ½ teaspoon peppermint extract

·        ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

·        1 ½ tablespoons vegan shortening (I used Crisco)

·        2 cups dark chocolate chips (vegan)

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, using a mixture, combine the powdered sugar, agave nectar, water, peppermint extract, vanilla, and shortening. The resulting texture should not be sticky, but rather like play-dough. If your dough is sticky, simply add 2 teaspoons of powdered sugar (in intervals), until you reach the consistency.

2.  Sprinkle your work surface with powdered sugar. Roll out the mint dough to be about ¼ inch thick. Stick it into the freezer for 10 minutes.

3.  Using a shot glass or a premade cookie cutter, cut your mint patties. Using the uncut dough remains, make them back into a ball, and repeat steps 2 and 3.

4.  Stick the circular patties into the freezer again for 10 minutes.

5.  Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and shortening together, being careful to not burn the chocolate. Microwave for 20 seconds + stir, repeat until the chocolate lumps are gone.

6.  Make your own double boiler by placing your microwave safe bowl over a pan of boiling water (of about equal size). Keep the water hot at medium heat.

7.  Using a fork that will let your candy drain (I used a carving fork, which is ironic since I don’t eat meat) and gently place the chocolate mints onto a pan with a wax paper on top.

8.  Stick them into the freezer to cool and then enjoy!

2-Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Spice Muffins

2-Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Spice Muffins

It’s really rare to find a muffin recipe that not only has two ingredients, is vegan, and is quick. That’s why this recipe is so unique and perfect for a college lifestyle. Make these ahead of time when you’re going to a party, cookout, or if you’re just craving pumpkins during the Fall Season. Make sure that you buy Duncan Hines brand, because even if they do not say “vegan” on the box, they made the accidentally vegan foods list!

Ingredients:

·        1 Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix

·        1 can of pumpkin puree (unsweetened)

Directions:

·        Mix two ingredients together using mixer until all combined.

·        Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 22 minutes. (Or until ready)

Variations:

·        Pumpkin and Vanilla Cake Mix

Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake 

·        Pumpkin and Coconut Cake Mix

Fourth of July Cake Pops (Vegan)

Fourth of July Cake Pops (Vegan!)

Ingredients:

·        1 box Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix

·        1/3 cup vegetable oil

·        ½ cup water

·        ¾ cup applesauce

·        Red and blue gel food dye

·        1 container Duncan Hines Cream Cheese Frosting

·        2 16 oz. bags of dark chocolate chips (>60%)

·        White sprinkles

·        Parchment paper

·        50 cake pop sticks

·        8 inch circular baking pans

·        Vegan Nonstick spray

·        Flat pan, small enough to fit into your freezer

Makes 40 cake pops

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Spray the circular baking pans with vegan cooking spray.

2.      Combine the oil, water, and applesauce with the cake box and mix according to directions.

3.      Split the uncooked batter into equal amounts. Add blue food dye to one half and red dye to the other half until you reach a color that you like.

4.     Bake both pans for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

5.      Let the two cakes cool for 15 minutes on a cooling rack.

6.      When cooled, crumble each cake into separate large bowls.

7.      Add about ¼ cup of frosting to each bowl. Using your hands, mix the frosting in with the cake until you get a cohesive cake mixture.

8.      Using a small ice cream scoop, make equal sized balls of each cake mixture and evenly place them onto parchment paper on a flat pan.

9.     Following chocolate melting directions carefully melt the chocolate. In a microwave-safe dish, originally microwave the chocolate for 60 seconds. Stir and then microwave for 10 seconds. Stir again and repeat, until the chocolate has all melted.

10.  Dip each tip of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and insert about halfway into each cake ball. Place into the freezer for an hour.

11.   After an hour, melt the rest of the chocolate in a large microwaveable cup. Fully submerge each cake pop in the chocolate, spin it, and let it drain. Quickly sprinkle the white sprinkles.

12.  Place the cake pops in a Styrofoam cube and let them dry or, if like me, you forgot to buy some, place them upside down on the parchment paper-pan, and place them back into the freezer for at least half an hour.

13.   Enjoy!