5 Facts About Vegan Zucchini Brownies

Hey everyone! I need to be real with y'all- I caved yesterday. I wanted chocolate, cake, brownie, chocolate "goodiness". Needed it bad. Probably the best thing I've ever made- and I'm a vegetarian/vegan food blogger and aspiring chef- I've made and created A LOT  of recipes. HUGE HIT all around, and my dad loved it! It created a wonderful family bonding time: Beyonce on the track, single ladies, while we danced and sang with chocolate on our minds and in our bellies. I can't think of a better night! So, I thought, let's conquer another beast with VEGAN ZUCCHINI BROWNIES! 

Ingredients

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup Coconut yogurt (or plain yogurt)
2 cup shredded and peeled zucchini 

1 1/2 cup Organic Agave Five

3/4 cup Chocolate Chip

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour (or any Gluten Free Flour) 

1 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

 1 tsp. Salt 

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1. Preppin' Before the Cookin'

 I preheated my oven to 350 degrees. I then took a glass cake pan (oe any long baking pan works fine as well) and sprayed with canola oil spray to keep the brownie from sticking. Also, sifted my flour into a small bowl. 

 2. Save Your Zucchini Skin

Skin your zucchini, follow tip #1 pleassssiiieee, then shred it with a grater. I use the largest holed side fyi. I put all the shavings in a large bowl. Breathe. Time to put some Beyonce on!! 

3.  The Holy Trinity of Brownies

In a mixer, add the paddle attachment if you have it, I added my Agave, Yogurt, and Flour- I mixed it on low until the consistency was similar to a wet sand. 

4. Zucchini Makes Everything Moist & Wonderful. Fact. 

Add in your mixer bowl with the setting still on low your zucchini, cocoa powder, baking soda, vanilla, salt, and chocolate chips. I poured my liquid pool of heaven right onto my cooking pan, slid in the oven for 40 minutes- but peoples- check it with a toothpick until it comes out clean. JUST DO IT. You'll thank me later. 

5. Indulge! 

40 minutes later you have a work of art, a creation of beauty- then just devour it. YOU DESERVE IT! 

Zoe's Quick Tip

As always, use the ingredients that fit and complement your lifestyle. Never let a guru, chef, or blogger dictate what's good and feels good to your body. Here, common substitutions would be gluten free flour, regular yogurt, or cane sugar instead of Agave. Do you! 

Namaste,

Zoe

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BADASS VEGAN CARROT CAKE

Hello everyone! Hope everyone is having a lovely summer so far. Well, I don't know about you, but I been cravin' some good old fashioned crumby, gooey cake to just satiate my everlasting sweet tooth. This vegan carrot cake/loaf fulfilled every wish, and my dad who is not vegan, FREAKING LOVED IT! This recipe is vegan, soy free, & vegetable oil free! Note* - feel free to use Agave nectar in place of the cane sugar to make it sugar free. I hope you enjoy MY BADASS VEGAN CARROT CAKE (PERFECT FOR SUMMER!) 

THE SKILL SET (AKA the Ingredients)

Prep: 20 minutes/ Cook: 40 min

1 cup grated Organic carrots

1/4 cup Organic shredded coconut flakes (unsweetened)

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 flax or chia egg (3 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon chia or flaxseed)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds or walnuts (keep nuts out if you are sensitive)

1 1/4 cup spelt flour (or any healthy, or gluten flour you'd prefer)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup Organic unsweetened applesauce

1/2 Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk (or coconut milk)

1 Tbsp. Saigon cinnamon

2 Tbsp. coconut yogurt 

The Primpin', Preppin' and a-Baking 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and spray a large baking dish with Grapeseed oil. Grate your carrots in a large bowl that will soon be comprised of your wet ingredients. Add your coconut oil, vanilla extract, applesauce, coconut yogurt, milk, flax egg in the bowl, and stir well with a spoon. In a separate large bowl, sift your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, kosher salt. Slowly fold your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients in small batches, usually four or five. Once well combined, add your coconut, walnuts, and sunflower seeds and mix well. Bake in 375 degrees oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

ZOE QUICK TIP

Let the cake cool down on the kitchen table for 10 minutes. I had a really busy week ahead of me, and I wanted food to available on-the-go, so I cut the cake, after cooling, in large rectangles, to then take with me for snacks. I hope you enjoyed this recipe! More to come from the ThinkZoeBoost secret recipe stash on Monday. Hint- It will be soup-erb:)

Namaste,

Zoe

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VEGAN APPLE-AWESOME CARROT MUFFINS

Hello everyone! Does anybody else crave some good-ole carbs like I do? Some days, there is nothing more that I would like to be doing than chowing down/inhaling some moist, delicious, and sexy muffins. (YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN;) So to stay healthy and on track with my clean-eating expedition, I created a recipe that is to die for. To be honest with you all as well, in hindsight, I would make slight changes to the batter I concocted, so this is abridged AND edited version of the recipe for you guys! I think it is important to be real with my #boosters, so here were go-my recipe for VEGAN APPLE-AWESOME CARROT MUFFINS! 

VEGAN APPLE-AWESOME MUFFINS 

(makes about 20 muffins)

1 tbsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp.  cinnamon

1 tbsp. all-spice

1 tbsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup Agave Nectar

2 cups whole-wheat flour or whatever healthy flour you use

6 large carrots or 1 cup peeled and grated Organic carrots

3 Fuji apples, cored, peeled, and grated

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts or any nuts you would like

BAKING FIESTA TIME

    Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your baking muffin tins with cupcake liners. First, grate your carrots and apples in a very large bowl, add the rest of your wet ingredients, Agave syrup and applesauce. Then, in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and spices. Slowly stir your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients, mixing well. Add in your nuts, stirring as you go. Add your mixture with an ice cream scoop to your muffin tins. 15-18 minutes later, when a fork comes out clean, you're all set!

Thank you all for reading and enjoying my posts! I so appreciate the good vibes- it makes my day truly. 

Namaste,

Zoe

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KILLER HEALTHY DOUBLE FUDGE BANANA MUFFINS (SUPER EASY)

Hello everyone! This week's recipe is super easy, moist, delicious, melt-in-your mouth kind of gorgeous. I've been making these muffins for years, and they have never failed to be super-"uber" delectable! They last at least 4 days in the fridge, are excellent snacks, and guilt-free desserts heated up in the microwave! So here you go, my HEALTHY KILLER DOUBLE FUDGE BANANA MUFFINS! 

Ingredients:

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes 

2 organic bananas mashed                                        3/4 cup organic applesauce

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour/ coconut flour              1/4 cup organic cacao powder 

3/4 teaspoon baking soda                                          1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon                                             1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup Agave Nectar or honey                                  2 large egg whites

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract                                         1/2 cup dark chocolate chips  

12 fun colored baking cups                                        1/2 cup organic shaved coconut

2 tablespoons almond butter

The "Howdown" 101

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Bake. Spray your baking cups with canola spray. Mash your banana with a fork into a liquid consistency-still lumpy. Add your Agave syrup, vanilla extract, applesauce to the banana in a large bowl, mix well. With a sift, sift your dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cacao powder, salt, and nutmeg into a large bowl. Mix well until combined. Now slowly little by little, fold your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. Once readily combined in increments, add your 2 large egg whites. Stir Well. 

Now add your chocolate chips, slowly folding them in. Place your batter into your greased baking cups, and in each stir in some almond butter and adorn with coconut flakes! Now, bake for about 15 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. 

Voila! Enjoy!* 

Namaste,

Zoe

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